Edric woke to the metallic tang of blood in his throat.

  Not his own.

  The dream was vivid - a crumbling citadel under the heat of inferno, a woman's voice screaming his name and a white bearded man frantically running, gasping and holding him.

  He opened his eyes, sweating and trembling as he sat up. The Systems notification pulsed in his vision.

  [Warning: Residual memory overload]

  “Damn it” he muttered, closing the status window. The memories from his sync started bleeding into his dreams. He glanced at his pistol under the pillow and grabbed it tight.

  Downstairs, he heard sounds of a hum, crates being placed, and quiet chatter. Along with the smell of good bread came to his room. The smell almost made him forget his nightmare.

  Edric stretched his arms , got up and freshened up in the bathroom. He put on the clothes Garrick left him and tucked his gun in the back of his leather pants.

  Edric descended down the creaky stairs., drawn by the aroma by the freshly baked bread and smoky meat. The tavern was bathed in the warm soft light of dawn. At the counter Garrick was cleaning the mugs and placing some crates in the backroom.

  “Morning lad” Garrick greeted him with a rough but warm smile .” What happened to you I thought you would sleep till noon”

  “Couldn't,” Edric replied,his tone clipped. The weight of his nightmares still lingered in his mind but his stomach brought him back to reality.

  “Need any help around the tavern?” Edric asked Garrick, asking for free stuff didn’t suit his conscience.

  “Are you any good with a mop?” Garrick replied in a sarcastic tone.

  “Well I can try, You never know I could be great?” Garrick chuckled at his reply.

  Growl

  Edric's stomach growled audibly. Garrick let out a small grin from his embarrassment. “Sit down and eat first.” Garrick placed a plate of bread, some meat and mug of beer.

  Edric hesitated. His instincts—sharpened by memories he couldn’t fully grasp—kept telling him to stay on edge. But hunger won out, and he dropped into a chair. Odd combo of beer for breakfast instead of coffee Edric thought but wasn’t the weirdest thing he saw here..

  While biting his bread he noticed that the bread here didn’t look like earth's bread. Its texture was more airy and smelled more smoky but it was easily the tastiest bread he had eaten. Even the meat looked like it was cut from an animal he hadn't seen before.

  The moment of peace didn’t last for long.

  Few minutes later , the tavern door slammed open abruptly and a gust of cold air swept in. A man in a robe tattered in, his facial features were hidden from the hood all that could be seen was shadow like face- cough cough. His cough was rough and bloody, blood stains dropped from his mouth.

  SLAM

  The robed man dropped face front on the floor and when he dropped blood stains were visible on his back. There was a moment of silence from everyone in the tavern. Then immediately .

  Edric shot to his feet , his hand instinctively reaching for the pistol tucked in his pants. Garrick moved quickly.“I will handle it” Garrick waved his palm at Edric to calm down.

  Garrick approached the robed man, he checked his pulse to check if he was dead. The robed man grabbed Garricks arms suddenly. “WHAT THE” Garrick gasped and tried to take his back but strangely the robbed man was stronger than he looked.

  “They're coming,” the robbed man spoke in a scared yet mellow tone.

  “Who’s coming, you crazy man?” Garrick said in an irritating tone still trying to free his hand.

  “The syndicate– there after someone from house Ve–” The robed man's limbs went limp and dropped dead on the floor.

  Garrick freed his arm and backed away, his expression grim. Edric stood frozen, his hand still on the pistol. House Ve…? The name tugged at something deep in his memory, fragments of a past he couldn’t quite grasp.

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  “Oi this is the place” A rough voice with malice was heard from outside.

  “Ya boss. HEHEHE!” A chaotic laughter grew closer to the tavern.

  Edric glanced at the door. Slam The door was barged open, a tall man entered, he had black hair, face full of scars but yet charismatic. His aura made it seem like he was the tavern owner. Garrick stared daggers at him yet the man didn’t seem to care.

  His eyes surveyed the surroundings until he focused on the man in the robe.

  “There’s that bastard,” the man said with confidence like he's a hunter catching his prey.

  “My tavern has a no strangers policy” Garrick said with a commanding tone, as he approached in front of him. He expanded his chest and stood tall.

  Garrick with heavy steps, closed the distance between them. He huffed his chest and strained his back to make his figue wide. In a bystander view it was clear the tavern owner was more stronger than the hunter

  “Looks like you took the hard way, Bruce handle it”. He ordered seemingly to nowhere.

  BAAM

  In an instant Garrick was knocked a few feet back. Edric gasped, his mind couldn't comprehend what happened in the instant. He turns to look at Garrick.

  “You mother fucker” Garrick stood up , he pumped his fist.

  Edric looked in awe as there wasn’t a scratch on Garrick.

  “What's taking so long?” A voice that sounded like it came from a bear named Bruce was heard. Edric looked at where it came from. Turns out the man brought his lackeys with him. A humongous man came through the door crouching low enough for his head not to hit the door frame, he didn’t wear a shirt,not like anything would fit him and his muscles were enormous and looked as hard as steel..

  “Looks like we will have some fun, HEHEHE” A laugh like a hyena came from behind Bruce. He was named Vexis. A man with a slender figure should himself, he had bandages over his body and a laugh like a hyena In the gaps between the bandage, Edric could see what looked like blood and scars.

  “Holy shit, I better shoot this thing” Edric put his index on the trigger , he focused his eyes on the hunter guy. He's the boss so if I take him out they will retreat. He hoped atleast. He was about to lift his gun and strike the trigger. Then–

  “Hold it” Garrick pats Edric by the shoulder.

  “This isn’t your fight, kid. There is a way out in the back. If things get messy, get out of here” Garrick told Edric in a reassuring voice. He prepared his fist , bent low in a boxer stance and an aura glowed from his entire body.

  “Is that magic?” Edric muttered to himself.

  “Look at him thinks he is tough or something,” Bruce said in a condescending tone.

  “HEHEHE” Vexis laughed it off, it looked like they took it as a joke.

  “Listen buddy , hasn't anyone told you not to mess with the syndicate? Just give us the dead guy and we will go off with only a few tables broken.” Cain stood in front of his henchmen.

  “You think anybody lived when they messed with my tavern. Tauh” Garrick spat at Cain’s boot. Cain’s expression smile frowned to a very grim expression. He turns to his men.

  “Finish him off” he growled barley containing his anger. He waves his hand and then Bruce comes prepping his fist.

  The behemoth prep his punch like a hammer . Edric could feel the power from a distance. As he started his punching motion, Edric closed his eyes as his heart trembled.

  BOOM

  Edric looks up , his jaw dropped. As he saw Garrick catch the punch. Bruce smile turned to a frown.Vexis couldn’t giggle anymore.

  “That was the best you got,” Garrick grinned .

  Garrick lets out a punch of his own only his was stuffed with magic aura. The punch left wind blowing across. Bruce bent his knee, probably the first time he got punched this hard.

  “That's it you're dead” Bruce stood back up. It looked like it would become a fist fight. Edric's heart began to slow down. The sight of Garrick made him look like a knight in shining armor. But it wasn’t so easy.

  Garrick tried to throw another punch but it was stopped in mid air. He glances to his fist, bandages were wrapped restricting his movement. As it turned out Vexis could manipulate his bandages like water, he wrapped Garrick's limbs. This brought time for Bruce to unleash fiery of strikes.

  POW POW

  Garrick tried his hardest to break free. He unleashed his aura to his entire body but the aura shrinked smaller and smaller.

  Edric couldnt handle it. He remembered Garrick's word to leave from the back but his conscience held him back. He couldn’t let his first friend in this new world die right before his eyes.

  Then, Edric didn’t know what came over him. He lifted his pistol, his vision blurred only with man in bandages focused in the epicenter. He pulls the trigger, BAAM. A green light ray was released, the runes glowed and a melodic hum was heard.

  The blast was fast and it struck the hyena, sending him flying, crashing into the wall. It didn’t kill him but it knocked him out cold. Garrick was free, he used this opportunity to tackle the gorilla, pushing him back.

  The hunter’s eyes widened; his gasp could be heard.

  “Whoa, so this is marksmanship.” Edric could see everyone like a sniper and full focus. He tried to aim at the bear-sized man but Garrick was in way. He surveyed his surroundings, grabbed a bottle and jumped from the tables to land a hit on the gorilla’s head.

  Edric movements ran automatically. He knew the best steps to take and the way to attack. “How the hell am i doing this” he muttered, then glazed at his screen that popped.

  [Hand to hand combat level 5]

  [Markmanship level 5]

  Garick continued to attack the gorilla, disorienting him. Edric preps his pistol aiming at his torso.

  Time slowed.

  It wasn’t a feeling—it was real. The world around Edric blurred as the System’s notification flared in his vision:

  [Skill Unlocked]

  Edric glanced to his right, a blade was in chopping motion for his head. Without thinking Edric activates his skill. The blade seemed to phase right through his body.

  The hunter was confused , so was Edric. He glanced at his screen.

  [Skill Unlocked: GhostStep. Duration: 3 seconds.]

  Ability:Phase through objects and walls for 5s

  Edric started using his martial arts on the hunter. Garrick was about to finish dealing with his oppnent . if he just stalled for time Garrick could help him.

  Edric and Cain started fighting. Despite the hunter having a sword, Edric could block it. The fight looked like a jackie chan film Edric moves unconventional but still worked. Although he could tell as time dragged on, Cain would turn out superior,

  At the right moment, he found an opening . He placed his pistol on the hunters chest and pulls the trigger. Cain flys out of the door and smacks the ground.

  His shirt was torn and his head was bleeding. He glanced at Edric in frustration. Bruce was knocked over . Garrick hauled him outside, with his hand he tossed the trash outside..

  “ Scram you punks,” Garrick yelled loud enough for the streets to hear..

  The hunter looked like he wanted a second round but Vexis dropped a smoke bomb. As the smoke dissipates , it is revealed to see the group have vanished.

  Edic breathed a sigh of relief but in his mind something told him it wasn’t the last.

  “Who were they after” Edric's mind proposed more and more questions.

  Something house Ve-Ve VEYRA .He realized something.

  House Veyra, Edric Veyra. They're chasing me.