Elias sprinted through the crowded market, his enhanced OS vision tracking every movement of the thief. His OS form gave him unnatural speed, but controlling it was another issue.
At first, his steps were unsteady. The sudden boost made him almost trip, his body adjusting to the newfound agility.
"Whoa—!" Elias barely avoided crashing into a fruit stall, twisting mid-air and landing smoothly. "Okay, okay. Gotta get used to this."
Within seconds, his body adapted, and he closed the distance between him and the thief.
The boy turned a corner, expecting to lose him—but Elias was already there, cutting him off.
The thief's eyes widened. He tried to dash the other way, but Elias snagged his collar mid-step, lifting him slightly off the ground.
"Gotcha."
The boy kicked and squirmed. "How did you catch up?! My OS is speed! No one can outrun me!"
Elias smirked. "Yeah, well, don't change the topic. Stealing is bad."
The boy huffed. "It's not bad if I steal from thieves."
Elias blinked. "…Huh?"
The boy crossed his arms. "Those guys stole the spice jar first. I was just stealing it back."
Elias glanced at the thugs in the distance, who were still looking for the jar. He narrowed his eyes.
"…Okay, you might have a point."
"But stealing is still bad," Elias added.
The boy hesitated before sighing. "I only did this because my mother is sick."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's kinda cliché."
The boy frowned. "If you don't believe me, come see for yourself."
Elias looked at him for a moment before shrugging. "Alright. Lead the way."
They left the market and entered a poor district of the city—a place built for humans who couldn't return to Earth. OS Strings, as they were called.
His aunt had told him about them before. These were people who had unstable OS energy, making it dangerous to send them back home. So, they stayed here in Lunar, making the best of what they had.
Elias frowned as he passed makeshift houses and dim alleyways.
"This is where you live?" he asked.
The boy nodded. "Yeah. We're here."
They walked under a crumbling bridge, where a man sat on the ground, singing to himself.
> "There's a hunter, a hunter under the bridge,
There's a hunter, a hunter under the bridge…"
Elias shivered. Weird.
Soon, they reached the kid's house—a small, run-down shack. The boy entered first, while Elias hesitated.
There were no windows. Well, there were holes in the walls, but for the people living here, those probably counted as windows.
Elias took a peek inside.
The boy's mother was lying in bed, looking weak.
The kid turned to Elias. "Come in."
Elias stepped inside carefully. The mother looked up, her tired eyes scanning him.
"Are you one of my son's friends from the academy?" she asked.
The boy flinched. He whispered under his breath, "She still thinks I go to school…" Then, louder, he said, "Uh, yeah. He's a friend."
Elias nodded. He wasn't about to crush the poor woman's belief.
"So, what's your mother sick with?" Elias asked.
The kid hesitated, then said, "Mana Pot disease."
Elias frowned. "…Never heard of it."
The kid's eyes darted away. "It's rare."
Elias sighed. He felt bad. Too bad.
"Fine," he muttered. "This is the last time. I won't turn you in, but promise me you'll stop stealing."
The boy grinned. "I promise."
Elias pulled some money from his pocket—the money meant for the spices. He handed it over.
"This should help," he said.
The boy's eyes widened, and even his mother looked surprised.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Elias nodded. "Alright. I should go."
He turned and left, walking back toward the market. But just as he was about to leave the area, something clicked in his mind.
Mana Pot disease? That… wasn't real.
His aunt was a Hunter and a researcher. If a disease like that existed, he would've heard about it.
Frowning, he turned back.
Through one of the house's "windows," he saw the mother sitting up, counting the money. She looked perfectly fine.
The boy laughed as he pocketed some of the cash.
Elias' eye twitched.
…I got scammed.
The boy glanced up and saw Elias staring.
"…Oh."
The kid bolted.
Elias chased after him.
"I KNEW IT!"
---
Chapter 9: The Hideout
Elias ran, but this time, his OS was gone. His body was slower, weaker—human again.
And without OS speed, he couldn't catch up.
The kid vanished into the alleyways.
Elias groaned, ready to give up—until he spotted him again.
The boy slipped into an abandoned building.
Elias frowned. Suspicious.
He followed.
---
Inside the Hideout
The place was silent.
Dust floated in the dim light, and the walls were cracked with age. Elias moved cautiously.
Then—he saw the kid.
Standing at the far end of the room, the boy turned and sighed. "You really followed me all the way here?"
Elias straightened. "Yeah. What are you up to?"
The kid didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked Elias up and down.
"You're out of energy, aren't you?"
Elias frowned. Was it that obvious?
The kid shook his head. "You should've just gone home."
Elias crossed his arms. "I don't need your pity."
The boy sighed, rubbing his neck. "Look, you won't last long if you run out of OS in a place like this. Just come with me."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Come where?"
The kid shrugged. "Somewhere safe."
Elias hesitated. This was weird. The kid had scammed him, yet now he was acting concerned?
"…Why do you care?" Elias asked.
The kid rolled his eyes. "Because you're clueless. If you pass out in the wrong place, someone will take everything you have. You're lucky I found you first."
Elias thought for a moment, then exhaled.
"…Fine. Lead the way."
The boy smirked. "Smart choice."
And with that, they disappeared deeper into the city.