Aurel trudged through the forest, the shadows slipping away behind him, the pulse of mana still resonating in the night air. His body ached, but it was a dull ache—one that his newly-advanced Regeneration trait was already working to mend. He could feel the energy thrumming through his veins, knitting flesh, sealing wounds, leaving behind nothing but a faint memory of pain.
He slipped through the same gap in the fence he had used to enter, his body moving fluidly, silently, as if the world itself had slowed down around him. It was past midnight by the time he reached the edge of Citico again, the city lights glowing like distant stars, the buildings looming above him like the silhouettes of titans.
Home was a haven—a place he could breathe, a place he could think without the constant threat of death hanging over him. But when he opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside, the old fear gripped him again—Yujiro's attack, the mess, the destruction. He half-expected to see it all again, the remnants of someone else's power flaunted over his weakness.
But the apartment was still as he'd left it. Clean. Quiet. Aurel let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, his muscles relaxing slightly, though the tension in his mind remained.
He tossed his jacket aside, sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes staring at the wristwatch still strapped to his arm. The stats blinked back at him, numbers that quantified everything he had become.
Strength: 32
Agility: 41
Endurance: 45
Perception: 50
Mana: 37
Gene Locks Actualised: 1
Mana required to actualise next lock: 100
Aurel ran a hand through his hair, the silver strands catching the dim light. Two Epic traits. The watch confirmed it, but the reality of it was still hard to process. Sixth Sense and Regeneration—traits that put him miles ahead of where he'd been just days ago.
Having two Epic-tier traits was like wielding two Rare abilities. In this world of ability users, that was something to be proud of, something that could set someone apart from the crowd. Yet, there was a difference. Traits required no mana. Unlike abilities, they were passive, always on, always there, strengthening the user without cost.
It was strange—Adaptability, the one ability he'd been granted, seemed to work the same way. It didn't drain his mana pool when it activated. It simply did what it needed to do, enhancing his body in response to any threat or challenge. Aurel frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. That wasn't how abilities were supposed to work. Every ability had a cost, a drain on the user's mana reserves. But Adaptability didn't seem to have that limitation.
The more he thought about it, the more questions it raised. Why was his ability so different? Why had it been marked as "Unranked," as if it couldn't be measured by the same standards as others? The system that tracked abilities was supposed to be infallible, controlled by the most powerful Analysis user in the world. And yet, it couldn't define what Adaptability was, well at least he couldn't see what the definition was anyway.
But answers would have to wait. Aurel shook his head, focusing on what he did understand—the battles. The dog-like beasts he'd fought, the way his body had barely managed to keep up with them, the sheer amount of effort it had taken to come out on top.
He clenched his fists, the memory of each fight playing out in his mind. He had won because of his Regeneration—because he could take the hits, endure the pain, and heal faster than the beast could do damage. And because of Sixth Sense, which had given him the edge, the ability to predict the creature's moves, to stay one step ahead.
But that wasn't enough.
His combat power was low. He knew that now, with absolute certainty. The only reason he'd survived those encounters was because he could heal and anticipate. But if he had faced someone like Yujiro, someone who could kill those beasts in just three attacks without breaking a sweat prior to even receiving the Mana Vaccine—he wouldn't have stood a chance.
Aurel leaned back, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. He needed more than just survival. He needed a way to fight, a way to deal damage, to strike at his enemies and bring them down. He needed something that would make him dangerous.
He turned his attention back to his watch, the holographic display flickering to life once more. He began scrolling through the list of traits, searching, his eyes moving quickly over each entry. He needed something powerful, something that could give him the offensive capability he lacked.
His gaze stopped on one trait, his breath catching slightly as he read the description.
Trait: Armour Penetration (Rank: Rare)
Description: Grants the user the ability to ignore the physical defenses of opponents. Attacks can bypass armor and protective traits, causing internal damage directly.
Aurel's eyes widened. This was it. The perfect offensive trait—Armour Penetration. It would allow him to bypass any defense, to strike directly at his enemies, causing damage even if they were heavily armored or had traits that enhanced their physical resistance. It would give him a way to fight back, to end battles quickly, efficiently, without having to rely solely on his endurance or senses.
He could already picture it—using Sixth Sense to predict his opponent's movements, moving in close, striking with precision, each blow ignoring armor, each strike causing real damage. Combined with his Regeneration, it would make him a force to be reckoned with—a fighter who could take hits and deal them back tenfold.
Aurel sat up, his pulse quickening. He needed to acquire this trait. It was the next step, the next piece of the puzzle that would make him truly dangerous. But it wouldn't be easy. He had to put himself in a situation where his body would need to adapt, to develop Armour Penetration as a response.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his mind turning over the possibilities. He needed to fight something heavily armored—something that would force his body to adapt in order to penetrate its defenses. But where would he find such a creature?
The Border District. Again.
It was the only place he knew that was dangerous enough, unpredictable enough, to give him what he needed. The beasts there were varied, some of them more monstrous than the dog-like creatures he had faced. There had to be something there that would force his body to develop the trait he needed.
But he also needed to think about his mana reserves. The watch had shown him the cost—100 mana required to actualize the next lock. That was the key to unlocking another ability, something that could give him even more power.
Aurel stood, his decision made. He had one goal now—to acquire the Armour Penetration trait, to push himself further, to make himself a true threat. He had come so far already, but there was still a long way to go. The university exams were approaching, and he needed to be ready. More than ready. He needed to be unstoppable.
He walked to the small table by the window, picking up the knife he had used before—the blade still sharp, the edge glinting faintly in the light. He turned it over in his hand, his eyes narrowing.
This time, he wasn't going to be satisfied with just survival. He was going to push himself beyond that, to become someone who could stand against the true geniuses of the world—people like Yujiro. People who could crush monsters in an instant, who could take control without fear.
He was going to become someone who could fight back. Someone who could win.
He had the traits he needed to survive, but now it was time for something more. He was done playing defense. It was time to go on the attack.