Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction.
All characters, organizations, events, and situations portrayed are fictional or used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental.
This work does not endorse or encourage any illegal activities, violence, or other actions depicted in the story.
…
System Claim Desk.
…
“Sand therapy…
Ah, so comfortable…”
Rock buried himself in the slightly warm sand of a beach in Sanya, breathing in the briny sea breeze mixed with the scent of coconut oil.
The rush of the waves and the laughter of tourists filled his ears.
Surrounded by the soothing white noise, Rock felt his consciousness melt and stretch like a piece of candy as his entire body sank deeper and deeper.
For some reason, however, as something unknown seeped into his consciousness, the fine sand enveloping his body suddenly went from pleasantly warm to scorching hot.
Within moments, the heat became absurdly intense.
Rock felt as though he were lying directly on a barbecue grill.
At this rate, his junk was going to get charred.
The salty, fishy smell of the sea breeze also became overpoweringly pungent, now mixed with the scent of grilled meat and another unfamiliar odor that was faintly sweet and metallic.
Unable to endure it any longer, Rock threw off the sand, sprang to his feet, and frantically slapped at the burning spots on his body.
The moment his bleary eyes opened, however, he froze.
Where was he?
Hadn’t he been in Sanya?
And when had things back home become this open-minded?
Why were there so many naked foreigners?
Under a cloudless blue sky, a dazzling white beach stretched endlessly before him.
The familiar colorful swimsuits and beach umbrellas were nowhere to be seen.
As far as he could see, men and women, young and old, were strolling, lounging, playing, or tossing balls around.
Without exception, every last one of them was completely naked.
Bronze, tan, white, and black bodies basked openly beneath the blazing sun, forming a primal and utterly jaw-dropping scene.
A sea breeze swept past, sending a chill over Rock.
He looked down and realized he was no different from anyone else.
Even more startling, the moment he lowered his head, he discovered a beautiful Latina woman kneeling right in front of him.
She looked about twenty-three or twenty-four.
She had deep, sculpted features and rich dark-brown eyes.
Her long, slightly tousled golden-brown hair fell across her chest as she gazed up at Rock with open curiosity.
She seemed puzzled by the way he had suddenly burst out of the sand.
The scent of coconut sunscreen mixed with a faint trace of sweat filled his nose.
Judging by how close she was, she must have been watching him while he lay buried in the sand.
Rock hurriedly covered himself with both hands.
A powerful wave of embarrassment rushed to his head, turning his face bright red.
His flustered reaction made the brown-haired beauty grin.
“Hey, handsome.
I think I could do something to help you relax.”
The language sounded strange.
Rock was certain it was not English, yet he understood every word.
“N-no, thank you,” Rock said, waving his hands frantically.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you.
I’m Camilla.”
Camilla rose from the sand.
She had a stunning figure and stood around 1.75 meters tall, only slightly shorter than Rock at 1.85 meters.
Rock awkwardly shifted his gaze aside.
With her alluring body so close, his throat felt dry.
He was not exactly inexperienced, but facing a completely naked woman at such close range still left him embarrassed.
“Excuse me, but where exactly are we?”
Rock did not notice that he was speaking the same language as Camilla.
“This is Copacabana Beach.
Did you fall asleep and get buried here or something?
I think that should clear things up for you.”
Camilla raised her hand and pointed.
Rock followed her finger.
Through a gap between the buildings, he could see the top of a mountain.
The statue standing at its summit with both arms spread wide was unmistakably familiar.
“Brazil.
Rio de Janeiro.”
A violent surge of emotion exploded through Rock’s mind.
“What god is playing this kind of joke on me?
I got sent all the way across the Pacific!”
Seeing his bewildered and embarrassed expression, Camilla smiled and tugged at his hand.
“Welcome to the City of God.”
Before Rock could respond, a sudden commotion erupted at the other end of the beach.
He and Camilla turned at the same time.
Three men in flashy shirts were striding quickly through the relaxed crowd.
Their clothes did nothing to conceal their fierce, dangerous air.
People cried out and scrambled aside, but no one dared curse at them.
Each man had one hand pressed against his waist, looking ready to draw a weapon without warning.
The moment Camilla saw them rushing in their direction, her expression changed drastically.
“Shit.
Run!”
She grabbed Rock and sprinted toward the other end of the beach, her agile body moving with the strength of a female leopard.
Completely confused, Rock followed her for a few steps before glancing back.
Every hair on his body stood on end, and his legs nearly gave out beneath him.
All three men had drawn handguns and were charging after them.
He had never seen anything like this back home.
With no time to worry about his junk swinging wildly as he ran, he instinctively followed Camilla at a full sprint.
What the hell was happening?
He had opened his eyes in Brazil, gotten an eyeful of naked bodies, and was now being chased by armed thugs.
Would he wake up back in the sand in Sanya if he died?
Rock did not dare gamble on it.
As he ran, a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
“Host detected to be facing a lethal threat.
The Guns and Roses system has been successfully activated.”
“Welcome to the world of the strong, Mr.
Rock.
This system will help you become an urban legend who wields absolute military might and lethal charm!”
“Newbie Survival Pack distributed: Basic physical attributes fully enhanced to human limits, including strength, speed, endurance, reaction time, and recovery!
Virus resistance at MAX!”
A torrent of explosive power instantly swept through his entire body.
The weakness and stiffness he had felt moments earlier vanished.
Every muscle brimmed with unprecedented strength, and his five senses became extraordinarily sharp.
Camilla’s ragged breathing beside him sounded as though it were right in his ear, allowing him to tell that she was already struggling.
Rock still had enough energy to turn and glance at the three gunmen behind them.
They were only a little over a hundred meters away.
Then gunshots rang out.
Bang!
Bang!
Although the distance was already beyond the handguns’ effective range, stray bullets still whipped through the air and struck the nearby sand with dull thuds.
Rock was not about to gamble on every bullet missing him.
He looked at Camilla again.
Her pace was visibly slowing.
With his life in immediate danger, Rock had no time to think about what had just happened to him.
Escaping came first.
Camilla was the first Brazilian he had encountered since waking up, and he still needed to learn a great deal from her.
He abruptly moved closer.
Lowering his body slightly, he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder as she screamed, then charged toward the bushes at the edge of the beach.
The curses and gunfire behind them gradually faded, but Rock ignored everything and kept running with his head down.
He did not stop until he could no longer hear a sound.
More than ten minutes later, Rock finally lowered Camilla from his shoulder, breathing heavily.
They had taken shelter in the ruins of an abandoned building.
A road ran past about a hundred meters away.
“My God, you’re incredibly strong.”
Camilla’s eyes gleamed as she pressed herself against Rock, completely unconcerned by the sweat streaming down his body.
“Th-they were chasing you, weren’t they?
Why did you drag me into it?”
While they were running, Rock had suddenly realized something.
Those men had clearly been charging toward them with a specific target in mind.
He had only just arrived here, so there was no reason for him to have crossed them.
The only possible explanation was Camilla, the woman he had carried away.
He had clearly been caught in the crossfire.