---
[Personal Assessment]
Name: Laevus (Ace)
Age: 15
Height: 65 Inches
Weight: 140 Pounds
Status: Notched
Notch Grade: Lawless (2)
Sever Capacity: 10/93.6
???? ??????? ???????: 20/20
Merits: 1560
Chisels: N/A
[Titles and Privileges]
- Trader of Life : Can trade Sever Beasts corpses in the Atomic Auction House (Function)
- Prime Adaptor : Your ???? ??????? ??????? responds strongly in times of crisis (Trait)
---
Ace scanned the screen intensely.
'Lawless?'
Talos whirred in his head, preparing a response.
[Congratulations! You have ascended to Grade 2 and manifested a Notch ability! This happened as a result of marking your ***** and increasing your Sever capacity. ]
Ace looked a little lower on the screen.
'93.6?! It jumped by 10? The only thing that happened was killing the eagle though?'
He suddenly smacked his forehead as he realized what had been happening.
'Ohhh, so Notched beings absorb Sever Energy from Beasts they kill?
[Yes, but this only applies to energy from Beasts and other Notched that are their grade or one higher. Any more than that and your body will reject the Sever. This is because beings of higher grades possess more dense energy. Should you try to forcefully absorb it, even a small amount would offset the balance within your body and cause you to explode.]
Ace shuddered at the imagery.
'Oh... Well, what about my notch ability? How do I use it?'
[It should come to you naturally, almost like a sixth sense.]
'Alright then, I'll give it a shot'
He rose to his feet, trying to isolate the change in his body.
For some reason, he was acutely aware of his core muscles, legs, and left arm. He walked around slowly, feeling how his body slightly strained to keep him straight even though he was asymmetrical.
He had lived his whole life with one arm so he never noticed how not having the other affected his balance.
With each step, he could practically visualize how his body would have been if he had both arms. Closing his eyes to better visualize the sensation, he could feel a small ball of energy slightly to the left side of his stomach.
It felt similar to the Sever, but at the same time uniquely different. It didn't feel alien at all and instead felt like a muscle he was figuring out how to flex.
As he tried unsuccessfully to move the orb, he felt Sever energy ignite within his body like a wildfire. Unsure of what was happening, he let the raging embers stoke the orb within his stomach until.... it happened.
Almost as if the orb had been fired from a cannon, it shot out of its spot in his stomach and to his left hand.
Before he could react, his vision tilted and he fell hand-first into the ground. Using his superhuman physique, he tried to push himself back to his feet but found that his hand was unusually heavy and hard to lift. Struggling greatly, he tried to use his legs, only to find that he couldn't feel them.
Fearing the worst, he looked down, immensely relieved to see that his legs were still there. Strangely, he could feel the tiny twigs from the nest floor poking into them. The only thing that was missing was their weight.
Unable to move, Ace sat on the ground. He tried to enhance his body but the energy quickly dispersed and stubbornly stuck to the orb in his hand. Talos spoke once again.
[At your current grade, it is impossible to activate your Notch ability and use enhancement at the same time. Since this is your first time using your ability, you must wait until your body has acclimated or until you run out of energy.]
Ace sighed in response.
Left with no options, he lay flat on the nest and pulled up his capacity. He could feel his energy lightly fading away with each second.
---
8/93.6
---
He wasn't pleased to see how little it had fallen.
'This might take a while.'
***
After another 16 minutes, his energy fizzled out and the orb within him returned to the left side of his stomach. His sense of weight was restored at the same time, giving him an idea of what he was manipulating within his body.
'It's my center of gravity! I can freely change it... That's why I couldn't feel anything else! The weight was all gone, mostly focused into my hand! That has to be it!'
Satisfied with his analysis, Ace rose to his feet and retrieved a pile of eggs. His appetite had only grown by completely burning out his energy. Before he could eat, Talos spoke in his head.
[You have yet to check the Atomic Auction-House! You can use it to purchase goods from any human from your installation and sell parts of the eagle you have slain. You are one of the few humans with the capability to sell Beast corpses. Is there a reason you have not taken advantage of this functionality?]
Ace stood awkwardly as Talos circled him from the air.
'Ah, my bad, I completely forgot about it. With me being dragged out here on the first day of the Trials, it completely slipped my mind. Please pull it up now.'
A white screen flashed in front of him.
Examining the screen, Ace saw a variety of items for sale, many of which were useful in areas outside of combat.
Clothes, shoes, bathing supplies, Sentinel weaponry, and a... truck?! Thousands of things of great value were displayed in the catalogue. Ace frowned at the lack of rations and water.
Talos chimed in his head.
[Your species has not earned the right to trade items used for sustenance. This will change should you pass this phase of the Trials.]
Rolling his eyes, Ace turned his attention to the prices of the items. He could see them change in real-time as auctions proceeded. He wasn't new to the concept.
The water unit back at his orphanage had cost them quite a bit of ration packs to beat out the other bidders. Even still, he, Icarus, and Thalia had to fight off a gang of thugs who tried to steal it from them afterwards. With his sister on their side, it wasn't much of a fight.
Reliving those fond memories, Ace continued to scroll the catalogue with a smile on his face. He was relieved to find that there were items for sale for a fixed price. They mostly consisted of clothing, trinkets, and small weapons.
After looking through every page, he found that he could afford nearly everything except the vehicles and sentinel armor. Evaluating his needs, he decided to buy a tactical backpack, a new set of government-issue black khakis, new boots, a towel, and another purple button up shirt. He always liked having something to match his eyes.
As soon as he tapped the confirm button for his purchase, there was a bright flash of light as the items he selected were phased into existence.
He changed quickly, making sure to wipe his body clean of the acid.
In all, he spent 300 merits replacing his clothes and buying other necessities. He decided to stick with the crowbar as his main weapon. It had served him well and was remarkably sturdy so he saw no reason to replace it.
Feeling more prepared to handle the dangers ahead, he looked towards the corpse of the eagle with eyes of greed.
'So you said I can sell this thing?'
[Yes, however in this case you should let your Beast comrade devour its remains and sell only the talons. They are more sharp and durable than any Terran metal... that much is assured. Unfortunately, you are lacking in Sever Energy and will need to recover before you can attempt to do so. You should rest while you can.]
Having accomplished more in this one day than possibly his entire life, Ace took a seat against the wall of the nest and closed his eyes.
*** The Next Day ***
He woke up rejuvenated, somehow managing to sleep through the loud rumblings that usually shook the forest at night. Beside him was the baby raven who was fast asleep. It seemed to have eaten its fill during his slumber.
With all of his energy at his disposal, Ace picked up his crowbar and got to work picking out the talons from the eagle's feet. After many hours of struggling, 8 talons lay on the ground before him in a neat pile. Each was nearly as large as his entire body and required a great deal of his strength to pick up. He looked to his floating friend for guidance.
'So how do I put these up for auction?'
[I must first scan them and be verified by the marketplace to prevent fraud. Once that has been done you can set a price or put them up for auction. They will remain here until purchased. When sold, they will be atomized here by me and reconstructed by another unit at the location of the buyer. Because of your title, Trader of Life, you are allowed to transmit Beast Corpses directly into the Auction House while they await purchase. This will not work for other items.]
'Sounds like a plan then! Do your thing!'
Talos buzzed lightly as he hovered around the pile of eagle claws. Before long he gave Ace a confirmation and he instantly put them up for auction. Confident that he was the first one to have slain a Grade 2 Beast, he set the timer for the maximum of 30 days, hoping that a fierce bidding war would erupt over them.
Feeling fatigued from using his energy to wrench the talons free from the eagle, Ace retired early for the day. While he drifted off to sleep he could see his avian companion dig back into the corpse of the eagle.
*** Hours Later ***
Atop one of the towers of GQC-1, a man of impressive stature walked down a dark hallway. Its stone gray interior was lit only by thin rays of moonlight that seeped in through the rectangular windows spaced intermittently on the wall.
As the man walked he was greeted by others who bowed their heads to him with respect. Many stood guard at set intervals along the corridor. If one didn't have the proper clearance, reaching the top of the tower would have been out of the question.
Looking at a watch on his wrist, the man quickened his pace, eventually stopping before a pair of white double doors. Barring his entry, two guards equal in size to himself stood in front of the door. The men looked at him with narrowed eyes. He stood his ground.
The guards then spoke in unison.
"You are late... The master will not be pleased. Prepare yourself."
Wasting no time, the guards stepped aside as the doors slid open slowly. With a curt nod, the man stepped forward into a chamber. Three of its sides were covered in windows that rose from the floor to the high ceiling. The rest of the room was adorned by white stone and ornately carved wooden furniture.
With it being late into the night, the only light that passed through the windows came from the main city below and the moonlight above.
A figure stood directly opposite the man, looking out one of the windows. Despite the moonlight, they were cloaked in darkness. Cautiously taking steps forward, the man stopped at a respectful distance. After a few seconds of painful silence, a deep and masculine voice rang out.
"You are late... Osti."
The man shuffled uncomfortably, trying and failing to come up with an excuse.
"Master I-"
The man in front of Osti only raised a hand.
"Save your excuses. They will do you no good here, or anywhere else for that matter. You are one of my best students. Act like it... or there will be consequences."
For a brief moment, arcs of electricity sparked around the man. When they fizzled out, he continued.
"I have seen something of immense peculiarity within the Atomic Auction House. I trust that you have heard the news of its appearance."
Osti looked at his master in confusion.
"Yes, but it has already been confirmed to have not come from any hunting parties from this installation. As a result, experts are saying that it was someone from the s-"
His master spoke once more, cutting him off.
"I know... and I don't care. While I do not doubt that the Talons of a Grade 2 Beast will be useful, what I'm more interested in is the person who procured them in the first place..."
The man cloaked in darkness turned to face Osti. His glowing golden eyes sparkled brightly.
"With that said, I have a task for you."