Unholy Player-Chapter 54: Testing the New Gear

"So let me get this straight. The game you were playing isn’t actually a game, but another world. You mutated your genes by playing it, got a government job, and now you’re making a thousand credits a month?" Niva asked casually, sipping her soup.

"Pretty much," Adyr replied, tossing a few pickles into his mouth.

"What about university?" She asked, wincing as the hot soup burned her tongue. She blew on her spoon before taking another try.

"Still enrolled on paper, but I don’t have to attend classes anymore," Adyr said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

Something about her behavior felt off. She was acting like everything he’d said was completely normal, reacting with the bare minimum while calmly eating her dinner.

He was starting to wonder if Marielle’s long absence had finally gotten to her—maybe the loneliness was starting to mess with her head.

"Is it dangerous?" Niva asked, this time looking him straight in the eyes.

"No. My job is basically just to keep playing the game. Even if I die in there, nothing happens to my actual body," Adyr said, feeling a hint of relief. At least now she was asking something that sounded like her.

"Then it’s good," Niva said with a smile, continuing to eat.

"You’re not surprised?" Adyr couldn’t help but wonder.

Niva paused, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I mean... you’ve always been crazy smart. And when I think about you hanging out with someone like Victor, with a dad like Henry Bates, and dating Selina White, who everyone basically treats like royalty, it weirdly makes sense. Honestly, I figured you were some kind of secret agent or something. This actually sounds more believable."

Adyr chuckled. Hearing it from her made it all sound less dramatic somehow. Still, that wasn’t the part that truly concerned him.

"I mean the new world," he said, correcting himself. "Doesn’t that part shock you?"

Niva pressed her lips together, then shrugged. ’’Yeah... The whole ’game is actually a portal to another world’ thing is pretty wild. Feels like something straight out of a fiction novel."

Looks like she’s been reading way too many novelkisss lately, Adyr thought, eyeing her strangely.

Even the concept of a game leading to another world didn’t seem to faze her much.

Still, it worked in his favor. The fact that his sister was such a nerd, with a warped sense of what’s normal, made it easier for her to accept the situation without much resistance.

"They’re also giving me a new status. The kind that lets me take on a surname for all of us," he added. "So if you and Marielle want, you’ll be able to use the genetic mutation process too."

Niva glanced at her brother’s smooth skin for a moment, then grinned. "When?"

"Well, first I need to collect a hundred merits to buy the status," Adyr said, remembering it from the shop list while browsing military gear.

"Alright, there’s no rush. We can wait for Mom to come back first. I’m pretty sure she’ll love the idea of looking a few years younger," Niva laughed.

—

When morning came, with nothing left to hide from his sister, Adyr dressed in a simple pair of jeans and sneakers, threw on a black T-shirt and a long-sleeved jacket, and left the house. He also didn’t bother to wear a mask or goggles anymore.

At the headquarters, the receptionist informed him that the division’s name had been finalized. It was now officially called PTF. (Player Task Force)

Adyr didn’t understand why they were so adamant about keeping the word "player" in the title. He didn’t think much of it and headed to his room.

Since he had requested direct delivery, all the packages had already arrived. They were stacked on the desk in various sizes.

He started with a long black box that clearly contained his tactical knives.

Inside, two long blades were laid side by side in a velvet lining.

He picked one up and inspected it. Although they were referred to as knives, they resembled short katanas in shape. Given that katanas didn’t exist in this world, it made sense that they had been categorized under tactical knives instead.

The blades were metallic, double-edged, and measured fifty-five centimeters. The handles were wrapped in a black leather grip, designed to prevent slipping and resist sweat.

Compared to the standard blades he was used to, these were longer, which suited the kinds of opponents he was now expected to face. His previous fight with the wolves had already proven that short swords worked well in close combat.

"I think I need to visit the skill training floor and learn a few sword techniques," Adyr muttered.

The box also included a harness that allowed the blades to be worn in a cross formation across the back. He found the design practical.

He held both blades and ran a few practice swings. They were light and perfectly balanced.

Inside a wider box, he found a small, black heater-style shield. It had a secure inner grip and magnetic mounts designed to latch onto the back of his uniform when not in use.

From a larger box, he retrieved the uniform and tried it on.

It was a full black tactical operations suit, complete with boots and fingerless gloves. The fit was exact, almost as if it had been tailored for him.

He had specifically chosen a jacket-style top so he could take it off easily when using his wings.

He strapped the blades to his back, mounted the shield over them in a position that kept it accessible, and then loaded grenades, throwing knives, and a thin wire into their designated slots on his belt. A rope was secured to the back of the belt, hanging down without getting in the way.

He stepped in front of the full-length mirror and took a look at himself.

"Looks like something out of a special ops movie," he said with a smirk, striking a casual pose.

With a mask, he figured he would have looked more like a ninja.