This city’s sick. There's no humanity to be found here. Animals in human skin waiting for an opportune moment to bite and chew off the biggest chunk of meat.

  Yes.

  They aren't humans. Animals. Only animals are found here.

  Adrian was going down the street. He saw that side of the city. For what it was. Noxpolis. A gathering of night animals and predators that by day look normal, but in the night… In the night they show their teeth, claws and fight.

  Muggers, murderers, gangbangers, junkies, crack heads, mental cases. Criminals all gathering in groups and fighting for the sake of fighting. They were on every street, away from glare of streetlights. They were there in front of closed shops gathered in circles around fights, betting and shouting.

  They saw Adrian strolling down letting a bit of blood drop with each step and they smiled at him. And he was smiling back, face bloodied, blood dripping down his chin.

  And they motioned for him to come over and he did without any hesitation. He was welcomed in this circle. A fight was just starting a big bellied man on one side looking like a sumo warrior, while on the other a man with a tomahawk with visible needle ticks.

  "Bets! Bets, anyone?" A man was tearing through the crowd, asking the same question over and over again.

  A next moment he was next to him.

  "Who are you betting on tomato?" The man grinned at him.

  He looked back at them. The Fatty stood at 180 cm, weighted 120 kg and had an arm reach of 170 cm. While the Tomahawk stood at 187, weighed 80 kg and had an arm reach of 190 cm.

  Adrian just stood grinning at him.

  The man saw no point to it and moved on.

  He finished taking all the bets and with a shout the fight begun.

  The two men rushed at each other. They hit each other like two seals, but it was evident right away who had the upper hand. The fatty easily brushed off the impact and threw the Tomahawkman away.

  The Tomahawkman came crashing down on one side of the circle where he was quickly rebounded by the people back to the fatty. He struck him with a knee to his stomach. It giggled his stomach and the fatty grabbed his arms before he could strike him.

  They were looking at each other for half a second, but that was broken as the fatty swung his head and broke the Tomahawkman's nose. What followed was the weakening struggle of the Tomahawkman as hits fell down on him.

  Finally, after a sixth hit the fatty threw him away like a used toy. The Tomahawk man fell before Adrian's feet. He was gurgling up blood, his face a bloody mess, mouth open with teeth missing and bubbles rising from that void.

  "Fatty you're my god!"

  "There's going to be booze!"

  The crowd shouted.

  On other hand those who lost were spitting and seething at Tomahawkman.

  "I lost money for my rent thanks to you!"

  "Die!"

  Meanwhile Adrian stepped over him and came face to face with the fatty.

  "It looks like we have a new challenger here! All the bets are open. We're going 1,5 to 4 with 1,5 being for fatty!" The best master called out.

  "That's not fair! It's lower than last match!"

  "Give us a better bet!"

  "We want a better bet!"

  "Shut the fuck up!" The best master jumped atop a shop windowsill and shouted. "If you want to win big then risk big. The kid's scrawny. 1,5 is big enough if you look at it this way. If you want to play then play. If no then don't. I'm upping the stakes for the kid to 8!"

  It was followed by screams and shouting. Adrian afterwards threw his wallet to the bet master. The crowd quietened.

  "You know you can't bet against yourself."

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  "Yes."

  "Good. I like your spirit." The man pocketed the wallet.

  The crowd went mad with laughter and bets got underway. Even though the stakes were raised for Adrian no one bet on him.

  Adrian looked back at the fatty. He was massively in disadvantage when it came to weight while in length they stood on even ground.

  But that wasn't what was on Adrian's mind. Instead, it was this feeling of blood pumping. His senses sharpening. Oh, how addictive it felt. The taste of his own blood as he licked his lips.

  So, you'll be it. You'll be my first victim.

  "This is going to be a long path for me. Be honoured that you are going to be the first step!" Adrian leaned backwards and bellowed. His arms outstretched.

  "Bets are closed."

  "Come here you, nutjob." The fatty rushed at him.

  Adrian dived to the side and dodged his frontal attack.

  "Boo!" The crowd booed and whistled in protest. Hungry for more blood.

  Adrian struck him in the head as he was turning, but had to dodge as the fatty rushed again.

  He crashed into the crowd and got thrown back. The circle was small and he knew he'll eventually get caught.

  As he was tumbling away the fatty threw a punch at him that hit him in the shoulder. Adrian ducked and dodged the next punch. He finished it with a punch of his own that hit the fatty in the side of his face.

  His double-chin giggled with fat dampening most of the force.

  "You can't hurt me with these puny punches. Come here and give me a hug." The fatty said as Adrian made some distance between them.

  Adrian grinned at the image, but didn't go ahead. His shoulder hurt, the numbness of having his nerves hit travelled all the way down to his fingers.

  Boxing wasn't what was going to cut it. It's okay, I'll get you other way.

  Adrian waited a while for the fatty to catch his breath. When he did, the fatty broke out into another full-on rush like an angry rhino.

  Adrian stood there unmoving, waiting for that one moment when he was two steps away and then he dodged to the side. He crashed into the crowd and so did the fatty except he was thrown at him.

  When fatty got his bearing back it was too late. Adrian was already before him. The fatty felt a crushing force assaulting his balls. His face reddened, then went purple, his eyes bulged and he leaned down to lessen the pain.

  That was another mistake as Adrian's punches rained down on him. One after another he ate them like he's been eating McDonald's.

  His head bled and his ears rang. He clenched his teeth and grabbed Adrian before he could pull away.

  The fatty straightened and now was in control. He brought his head back and with an angry expression headbutted at him.

  Except he hit air and felt a striking pain in the side of his neck. Adrian had bitten into him and was tearing his way through his double chin.

  "You motherfucker!" The fatty clutched him by his arms tighter making his bones squeak as they pushed against each other. "Get off me!"

  The fatty tore him away, tearing some off skin in the process leaving a trail of exposed flesh on his neck.

  The fatty reached his arms up and gripped his neck. Adrian started hammering at them it didn't help him, he was overpowered.

  Fatty had him in his grasp, now he couldn't move his head away and could only accept being headbutted to oblivion. That's what fatty did, he swung his head and hit him.

  "You motherless son of a bitch! I'll kill you! You're dead!" The fatty swung his head again. When he was about to stop as after the fifth time, he felt Adrian become numb in his grasp that’s when Adrian spat blood into his eyes.

  Adrian took that moment and stepped back. He expected to feel pain and disorientation, but none of that came only more of that gloating feeling crashing into his mind. Saying, continue like that and we'll have him. He'll be our prey. We'll bathe in his blood.

  Adrian went around him and as much back as he could to the edge of the crowd that was now silent. They were waiting with batted breath at what's going to happen.

  The fatty was still getting the blood out as he was turning around searching for Adrian's silhouette.

  Adrian dug his feet into the ground, flexed his left hand and ran. When he was a step away from the fatty he jumped. The fatty was just turning and saw his bicep enlarging in his pupils as it came for him.

  There was a crash, a thud and a cheer.

  The fatty fell head first on the pavement.

  Adrian got up from the ground and kneeled beside him, he took the fatty by his hair and slammed his head against the concrete. That’s when he saw it in a pool of blood.

  [Quest ‘First Step’ completed]

  [Calculating Rewards]

  [Distributing rewards]

  [Physical attributes +5, bonus for quick completion]

  [Bonus for user's promptness: Postwar healing level.1]

  He did it again and again, the blood flowed. The loss of cheering around him didn't bother him, he didn't even notice it, neither did the screen take his attention away. At this time there was nothing on this green Earth other than him and this fatty laying now beneath him.

  He felt a grip on his shoulder, with a last splat he stopped and turned around.

  Faces, people stood around him, encircling him. He felt a grin touch upon his face.

  This is going to be fun.

  He rushed into the crowd.

  .

  .

  .

  It didn't last long. He delivered some punches, injured people, but there were too many. He got overwhelmed in no time plus the previous injuries were there. Though they didn't hurt they slowed him down and soon more appeared and he got overpowered. Not before taking a few people down with him.

  "Take both of them to the Doc." The bet master said and the a few people grabbed them and took them away.

  "Good now that's done. Let's get another round underway. Do we have anyone itching for a good fight?" The bet master called.

  Not one person moved or answered.

  "What about the bets? Deal the bets." Someone from within the crowd said. It was echoed forward by the crowd.

  "What about them? You lost that's that."

  "That isn't fair! We didn't have any information on that bloody guy."

  "Yeah. We should be compensated!"

  "I lost my last money."

  "Give it back!"

  "Give it back!"

  The crowd was pushing on to him. He jumped up the shop windowsill once more.

  "Gentlemen!" He shouted and pulled up his hoodie revealing a modified Glock. "Everything was fair and square. You should know yourselves, getting information on the fighters is your own ability and choice. As is whether you play or not."

  The crowd quietened regardless of what he was saying. No one wanted to get shot even by accident.

  "Good. I'll be considering this a goodbye for now."

  The bet master disappeared in one alley following behind the two wounded men.