The transition back to Earth was jarring. One second Moon was lying on broken asphalt smelling rotting flesh, and the next, he was standing in the center of his cramped windowless apartment in District 4.
The digital clock on his stove still read exactly what it had when he left. Real-world time hadn't advanced a single second.
Moon immediately stripped off his ruined blood-soaked hoodie and jeans and tossed them into the trash. He stepped into the tiny shower stall and turned the cold water on full blast to wash away the grime.
He didn't bother resting. The moment he stepped out of the shower and threw on a clean t-shirt, he opened his inventory.
"System, extract the Vitality Crystal."
A smooth thumb-sized gemstone materialized in his palm. It glowed with a deep pulsing crimson light. It felt warm to the touch.
He didn't need a tutorial to know what to do.
Moon sat cross-legged on his ragged cot and clutched the crystal in his hand. He closed his eyes and pushed his intent into the stone.
Instantly, the crystal dissolved into a thick crimson mist that seeped directly into his pores.
"Hnnngh!" Moon grunted as his back arched.
It wasn't painful but the sensation was overwhelming. He could literally feel his skeletal structure increasing in density. His organs felt heavier and stronger against extreme stress.
[Ding!]
[F-Rank Vitality Crystal Absorbed.]
[Raw Vitality +1.5 acquired.]
Moon opened his eyes and breathed heavily. He pulled up his profile.
[Attributes]
Overall Bodily Power: 3.1
Strength: 3.3
Agility: 1.7
Vitality: 3.0
Mana: 1.3
[Bodily Bottleneck Cleared. Host's biological foundation can now support high-kinetic energy output.]
[E-Rank Active Skill 'Savage Charge' Unlocked.]
"Perfect," Moon whispered and clenched his fists. The massive imbalance that threatened to tear his muscles apart was gone.
But there was a secondary benefit.
"My Strength and Vitality are both over the threshold," Moon realized.
He closed his eyes again and turned his focus inward to his core. He found the massive well of raw physical energy he had accumulated. He forcefully pushed that energy down toward his lower back where the system mapped his second minor Mana Node.
Push.
The pressure built instantly. His veins bulged but this time his 3.0 Vitality held his body together effortlessly.
Push!
CRACK!
The internal pane of glass shattered. A massive rush of cool energy flooded his system. It expanded his internal capacity and instantly washed away the mental fatigue of the three-day trial.
[Ding! Second Minor Mana Node successfully opened.]
[Passive stamina regeneration increased by 10%.]
Moon stood up and stretched his arms above his head. His stomach immediately let out a thunderous growl. The hyper-metabolism from his newly opened nodes was demanding fuel.
"Right. Food first. World domination later."
An hour later, Moon was sitting in a crowded diner in the commercial sector of District 3. He was on his fifth plate of synthetic steak and eggs and washed it down with a massive glass of whole milk.
He had the money to eat anywhere but he wanted quantity over ambiance.
As he shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth, the bell above the diner door chimed.
"Ah! The aromas of the mortal realm are truly a blessing to the focused chi!" a loud voice announced.
Moon paused mid-chew and rolled his eyes.
Walking into the diner wearing the exact same faded silk training uniform was Master Rorick from the Iron Crane Gym. The old man stroked his long white beard and looked around for an empty booth.
His eyes landed on Moon. Rorick's face lit up.
"Young disciple! The universe weaves our paths together once more!" Rorick declared. He marched over and slid into the booth across from Moon without an invitation. "Have you returned to pay the registration fee? My fists have recovered from your impressive defensive chi techniques."
Moon swallowed his food and stared at the old fraud deadpan.
"I'm eating, Rorick. Unless your Steel Phoenix Style includes paying for my meal, leave me alone."
Rorick coughed and his cheeks turned slightly pink. "A true master does not concern himself with material wealth. However... I seem to have forgotten my comm-pad. If you were to sponsor a humble bowl of noodles, I might impart a verbal lesson on stance-work."
Moon actually chuckled. The sheer audacity of the old man was slightly endearing in a pathetic way.
"Order a bowl," Moon sighed and waved down a waiter droid. "But keep the martial arts bullshit to yourself."
As Rorick eagerly ordered his food, Moon pulled out his cracked civilian comm-pad. He ignored the old man and logged onto the global news networks.
He needed to see what the real world was doing about the Convergence.
The top headline on the Albion News Network made Moon's blood run cold.
ALBION AWAKENED BUREAU (AAB) OFFICIALLY FORMED: DRAFT REGISTRATION MANDATORY FOR ALL CITIZENS EXHIBITING 'NODE EXPLOSIONS'.
Moon tapped the article and read rapidly.
...In response to the unprecedented global anomalies, Commander Vance of the newly formed AAB announced today that the government has successfully calibrated the city's power grid to track 'Mana Node Explosions.'
Any individual who forcefully opens a Node emits a massive temporary spike of ambient energy. The AAB is currently deploying tactical response teams to locate these individuals and draft them into State-Sponsored Elite Guilds for protection and training.
Concealing Awakened status is now considered a Class-A Felony...
Moon lowered the comm-pad and his eyes narrowed.
They were tracking Node openings. He had just opened his second Node an hour ago in his apartment. If their grid was as accurate as the article claimed, he had just painted a massive target on his own back.
"Troubling news on the magic rectangle?" Rorick asked while slurping a long string of noodles.
"Yeah," Moon said softly and tapped his fingers against the table. "Just realized the landlord isn't the only one trying to kick down my door."
If the government found him and forced him into a Guild, they would immediately assess his talent. The second they realized he had an SSS-Grade Limitless Plunder, he wouldn't be a soldier. He would be a lab rat. They would chain him up and force him to kill specific targets just to harvest the skills for the state.
"I need to stay off the grid," Moon whispered to himself. He closed the news app and opened the System's Universal Market.
He needed a way to hide his identity and he needed it before the AAB tactical teams found District 4.