The moment their eyes met, Miles reacted without hesitation, his M17 snapping up in a fluid motion he'd practiced a hundred times in the training dream.

  He squeezed the trigger three times in quick succession.

  The first bullet grazed the Level 2 Cursed's shoulder, making it recoil with a guttural roar. The second found its mark in its chest, but the creature barely flinched, its thick flesh absorbing much of the impact.

  While the third hit square between its eyes, and finally it staggered, its powerful limbs buckling as it crashed to the floor with a thud that shook dust from the ceiling.

  After taking a deep breath, he scanned the room for any danger. But all he saw was a mess, papers scattered everywhere, furniture overturned, and dark streaks of blood painting the walls.

  And the blood trails, he'd been following led straight to a closed bathroom door at the far end, fresh drops still glistening on the floor tiles just before it.

  With careful deliberation, Miles decided to step inside; He first scanned the adjoining boarding room, as two sets of double deck bunks pressed against the far wall, mattresses torn open and bedding strewn across the floor.

  Empty water bottles and energy bar wrappers littered every surface, evidence someone had been hiding out here for days.

  After confirming no Cursed remained in the space, Miles pivoted sharply, his M17 raised and aimed directly at the bathroom doorway where he could faintly hear a soft growling sound within.

  His finger hovered just above the trigger guard as he swung open the bathroom door.

  He was met with the bloody back of a Cursed, its torso twisted at an unnatural angle, dark claws digging into the tile floor as it hunched over the bathtub.

  Without hesitation, he fired a single shot from his M17. The suppressor let out only a soft pop, but the bullet struck true, embedding itself between the creature's shoulder blades.

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  The Cursed convulsed with a guttural shriek, spinning around to face him. It was a Level 1 Cursed, which once been a human, its features warped and stretched.

  Miles fired again, hitting it in the cheek, but then didn't pause, he had fired a third shot that struck cleanly in the head.

  The creature dropped to the floor with a heavy thud, its body going still as dark blood seeped into the grout between the bathroom tiles.

  Miles stood motionless for a moment, his breath steady as he scanned the bathroom to confirm the threat was truly gone.

  After confirming the creature was fully still, he walked to the door and pulled the room door closed behind him before reaching for his phone.

  [How to live through the Chaos of the New Cursed World?]

  [Tutorial Mission 1: Secure your immediate area.]

  - Kill all the cursed within your boarding house vicinity.

  Completion: 46%

  Reward: Unknown

  "Heh, Unknown? Aren't this just also a Tutorial Gift Box."

  Miles muttered under his breath with a scoff, though the eagerness in his tone was clear as he glanced at the progress bar on his screen.

  "But... 46%? Does that mean there's still a lot more Cursed out there? Could there be a second Level 2-or even a Level 3? I hope not..."

  His words were low, mixed with a sharp edge of worry and determination. But, he soon scrolled down and look at the other panel in his phone screen.

  Which was the other Tutorial Mission, other than the first one.

  [Tutorial Mission 4: Kill 20 Cursed.]

  - Kill your first 20 Cursed Encounters.

  Completion: 9/20.

  Reward: Unknown

  'Kill 15 Cursed... Mmh, so 11 more. Before, I got the Version 3 of the Gift Box. I wonder, what would it be.. Is it perhaps another gear? Or another weapon...' Miles thought, after killing these 2 Cursed and the other 2 during his run into the rooftop.

  And the other 5 in his room, he already nearing completion with just a bit more kill.

  He swiped up on the screen a few more times, but only the two tutorial missions remained displayed; no other panels, no hidden prompts. With a quiet sigh, he tucked the phone back into his vest.

  "Guess that's all for now," he mumbled to himself as he pulled the gun out and stepped outside once again.

  The corridor is still dim and empty, with the previous blood trail from before. But, he could faintly hear the growls of the Cursed below.

  But, for now. He was planning to clear the floor to ensure, there wouldn't be any ambush when he run into trouble downstair.

  Miles moved slowly along the dim corridor, his boots making almost no sound against the worn carpet.

  He checked each door one by one, pressing his ear against the wood before carefully turning the handles.

  The first two rooms were empty, just more overturned furniture, scattered belongings, and signs that their occupants had fled in a hurry.

  The third door was locked. Through the gap beneath it, he could see faint light and hear soft shuffling sounds mixed with the low growl he'd detected earlier.

  He stepped back, raising his M17 as he aimed at the lock. A single suppressed shot shattered it, and he pushed the door open with his shoulder.

  Inside, a Level 1 Cursed was pacing back and forth near a window, its attention fixed on something outside.

  [Tutorial Mission 4: Kill 20 Cursed] Completion: 10/20

  "Ten left," he muttered, noting the small office setup in the corner-papers spread across a desk, a laptop still open to a map of the boarding house and surrounding area.

  He quickly snapped a photo of the map with his phone before moving on.

  The rest of the floor was quiet now. He made one final pass down the corridor, checking every shadow and alcove for hidden threats. Satisfied the area was secure, he moved to the stairwell with a gun raised.

  The growls from below were louder now, deeper and more aggressive. Whatever was down there wasn't just one Cursed.

  He took a steady breath, checked his magazine, and stepped down, ready to face whatever waited in the darkness below.