Sebastian's heavy, ragged breathing echoed off the slick walls of the anomalous sector. The purple haze hanging in the air felt almost tangible to the touch — it tickled his lungs with every breath, leaving a faint aftertaste of ozone and iron. The boy's body trembled. The battle with the Crystalline Brute had drained every drop of his energy, but at the same time, it left a strange sensation of electrical excitement. It was the mana that had saturated every cell of his body through open pores and small wounds.
Sebastian looked down at his hands. The chitinous bracers made by Bruno were scored with deep grooves. The crystalline shards that scattered during the Brute's strikes had acted like shrapnel. If not for "Stone Skin," his forearms would now be a bloody mess. Even with the passive protection, heavy, black bruises were swelling under his skin.
"A little more..." he rasped, wiping sweat mixed with purple dust from his forehead. "Only sixty-seven units left."
He didn't waste time resting. In distorted zones, stopping often meant death. The mana here was unstable, and it attracted predators like an open flame attracts moths. Sebastian pulled out the C-12 knife. The blade was in terrible condition: notched, covered in the monster's sticky fluid, it barely held in the hilt. But it was his only weapon.
—
Before moving on, Sebastian set about harvesting the Brute's carcass. It was grueling, dirty work. Unlike ordinary low-level monsters, this "distorted" specimen had a much denser structure. Every movement of the knife required the effort of ten units of Strength. He methodically cut off the crystalline growths on the beast's back. These violet druses were valuable — Bruno had mentioned that corporate alchemists used them to create high-rank mana stabilizers.
When he reached the heart, his hand felt something hot. Pulling out the loot, he saw a core. It was almost twice the size of regular ones, with distinct geometric facets inside. This wasn't just a mana source; it was a concentrate of distorted reality.
[Received: Distorted Mana Core (Rank F+)]
Sebastian shoved the core into his inner pocket. His backpack already felt unliftable, but he knew: every kilogram of this load meant days of a peaceful life for his mother. It was an opportunity to buy water filters, real food, and perhaps even move from the "Techno-hive" to a sector with working ventilation.
He walked about another hundred meters deeper when Mana Resonance suddenly flared with alarm. Something moved quickly in the violet mist ahead. Then again. These weren't large brutes, but small, pack-hunting predators — Corrupted Rats. But unlike ordinary sewer rats, these had long, needle-sharp tails that glowed with that same purple.
There were five of them. Levels 2 and 3. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't be a threat, but now, with Sebastian on the brink of exhaustion and his knife barely cutting, the pack sensed weakness.
The first rat jumped from a pipe above his head. Sebastian reacted instinctively. He didn't strike with the knife but simply met the animal with a heavy punch. Strength 10 turned his hand into a hammer. There was a crack of a spine, and the monster flew back, slamming into the wall.
[Target neutralized: Corrupted Rat (Lvl 2)]
[Experience gained: 14 XP]
The remaining four lunged simultaneously. One of them managed to stab his thigh with its tail. Sebastian felt a sharp, burning pain, as if red-hot wire had been thrust into his flesh.
[Skill 'Stone Skin' absorbed 16% of magical damage from poison]
That was the signal. He gripped the knife in a reverse hold and made a wide circular motion. The C-12 passed through the soft bellies of two rats, leaving black stains on the concrete.
[Target neutralized: Corrupted Rat (Lvl 3)]
[Experience gained: 22 XP]
[Target neutralized: Corrupted Rat (Lvl 2)]
[Experience gained: 15 XP]
Two remained. They hesitated, sensing the human's power. Sebastian, giving them no chance to escape, lunged forward. He simply crushed one with a heavy boot and pinned the last one to the wall with the remains of his knife.
[Target neutralized: Corrupted Rat (Lvl 2)]
[Experience gained: 13 XP]
[Target neutralized: Corrupted Rat (Lvl 3)]
[Experience gained: 21 XP]
At that very moment, the world around him seemed to freeze for a second. The purple glow of the tunnel faded before a bright golden flash that burst directly from his chest.
[Level Up!]
[Your level is now: 5]
[Physical structure optimized. Mana capacity increased.]
[You have received 3 Stat Points.]
The pain in his thigh vanished instantly. The fatigue that had hung on his shoulders like lead weights evaporated, replaced by an incredible lightness. Sebastian felt his bones become denser and his muscles more elastic. This was an Awakening on a new level. Every cell of his body seemed to take a deep breath.
He leaned against the wall, letting the new power settle. Level five. A third of the way to Rank E was complete. Now he understood why people become addicted to the System. This feeling of omnipotence, even so small, was better than any drug of the Old World.
Sebastian called up the panel. Three points. He didn't hesitate. His path required even more power and even more luck. He put two points into Strength, making his strike even more devastating, and one into Luck. He was already convinced that this particular attribute was what pulled him out of the darkest holes.
—
The way back to the C-4 exit took almost an hour. He moved confidently, ignoring the small pests hiding in the shadows. He could now see them through Resonance much more clearly. Every movement of energy in the air was like an open book to him.
When he reached the surface, the night in Heloplex was coming to an end. The sky over the Rotten Sector had taken on a dirty grey tint. Sebastian inhaled the sour air of the city, which seemed bland after the mana concentrate in the collector.
He knew that today's journey had brought him more than just levels. The purple core in his pocket pulsed in time with his heart. Sebastian felt that this was only the beginning. His abnormal luck was leading him somewhere where Ranks F and E were but sand under his feet. But for now... for now he had to get this load to Bruno and make sure he had something to eat tomorrow.
[Sebastian Amaden]
Level: 5
Experience: 18 / 1500
Rank: F
[Strength: 12]
[Mana: 10]
[Luck: 25]
Stat Points: 0
[Skills]: Mana Resonance [Rank F] (Active), Stone Skin [Rank E] (Passive).