Sebastian held his breath. The golden glow he saw through the grid of Mana Resonance was faint. It came from under a pile of old iron in the corner of the warehouse.
The trader was still busy with his terminal. The electronic device was not working well and made series of annoying sounds.
"This piece of junk is going to die soon," the man grumbled. He ignored the boy. "This cursed planet sucks the energy even out of batteries."
This was his chance. Sebastian pretended to look around the room and slowly walked toward the pile of scrap. He pushed his hand between the cold metal beams. His fingers touched something smooth and cold. When he pulled the object out, he saw an old metal plate covered in oil.
[Rank: Unknown]
[Description: Damaged "Old Model" Hunter ID]
Sebastian quickly hid the plate in his jacket pocket. His heart was beating fast. The warehouse owner probably thought it was just a piece of useless iron because regular scanners did not find any active mana in it. But Resonance suggested otherwise.
"Hey, are you finished there?" the trader called out. He finally fixed the terminal. "Get out, it is time to close."
"I am leaving now," Sebastian answered calmly and walked toward the exit.
—
The streets of Heloplex outside the warehouse seemed even gloomier. Sebastian did not go home immediately. He needed to test his find in a safe place. Walking toward the edge of the district, he remembered the evening news and the hunter forums he read every night.
The numbers in his head were clear. To move from the first level to the second, he needed to collect 100 units of experience. The problem was that killing a level one monster gave only 10 units. A level two monster gave 20 units. It was a slow and monotonous grind. Most beginners hunted small rats in sewers for weeks just to distribute their first stat points.
He took out the plate and activated Resonance again. Golden threads of energy slowly began to flow into his palm.
[Energy compatibility detected.]
[Your Luck stat is influencing the absorption process...]
[Experience gained: 50 XP]
[Experience: 50 / 100]
Sebastian felt a wave of warmth. Fifty units. One single find in a pile of trash replaced the killing of five monsters. It was an incredible advantage, but he was still only halfway to level two.
Suddenly, a low growl came from the darkness of the alley. Sebastian froze. His skill told him that ahead, behind the trash bins, aggressive red mana was pulsing. His first target was very close.