Heloplex never slept, but it had stopped glowing a long time ago.
Sebastian stood by a broken window on the twelfth floor of the Techno-hive. Below, in the shadows of the Rotten Sector, a pale purple light pulsed among the rusty skeletons of factories. It was a Portal, one of many that had torn the sky and the earth apart six months ago.
Heavy breathing came from the next room. His mother had just returned from her night shift at the grocery store and fell asleep without even taking off her shoes. Sebastian gripped a worn plastic card in his pocket. It held 500 credits, which was everything they had left.
"Six months," he whispered.
Most people received their Status Panel during the first week. They became hunters, corporate soldiers, or simply people who adapted quickly. Sebastian, however, had awakened in a cold sweat only three days ago. When the light before his eyes finally stabilized, he saw numbers that made his heart stop.
[Sebastian Amaden]
Level: 1
Experience: 0 / 100
Rank: F
[Strength: 5]
[Mana: 10]
[Luck: 20]
Stat Points: 0
He did not know much about the System, but he knew one thing: a normal adult's Luck rarely went above five. His stat was an anomaly. It was a glitch in the code that he decided to hide, even from his mother. Sebastian left the apartment and tried not to make the door creak. The stairs of the Hive were dark because the city saved energy on everything that was not related to the survival of the mega-corporations.
—
Half an hour later, he was already in the Gray Zone. Here, in the basement of an abandoned warehouse, it smelled like ozone and burnt plastic.
"Did you come for the goods?" a man rasped behind a barred window. A torn Orion patch hung on his shoulder. He was either a deserter or a failed scavenger.
Sebastian silently put down his card.
"I want a skill book. The cheapest one."
The trader chuckled as he pulled a dusty crystal from under the counter. It was dim and almost transparent.
"Mana Resonance. Rank F. Hunters call it the 'poor man's flashlight.' It helps you see energy flows, but it won't protect you from even a rat. 500 credits. Do you want it?"
Sebastian looked at the crystal. Something clicked in his head. It was not the voice of the System, but rather a strange feeling in his stomach. It was as if the whole world held its breath for a moment, pushing his hand forward. His intuition, backed by 20 points of Luck, was not just whispering; it was screaming.
"I'll take it."
As soon as his fingers touched the edges, the crystal flashed.
[Skill Crystal Used: Mana Resonance]
[Assimilating...]
Sebastian felt a pulse in his temples. The world around him suddenly changed. The dirty walls of the warehouse were covered in a faint glow. He could see energy flowing through the wires in the walls and pulsing in the trader's veins.
But there was something else. In the corner of the warehouse, under a pile of scrap metal, he noticed a golden glow that was invisible before. The trader raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at the young man whose gaze had become sharp and focused.
"Hey, kid, why are you frozen?" he asked, putting his hand on his holster.
Sebastian did not answer. He understood that his path would not be like the others. He would not just be a hunter. He would become the one who changed the rules of this game.
[Skill 'Mana Resonance' activated!]
[Hidden object detected...]
Sebastian took his first step into the darkness and gripped his old knife tighter. Now he knew for sure that those 500 credits were the best investment of his life.