The sun of Heloplex was only a dim spot behind the curtain of smog. Sebastian woke up a few minutes before the old mechanical alarm clock went off. His seven points of Strength were noticeable: his body no longer felt heavy, and the old mattress springs did not press into his back as painfully as before. Every movement became sharp, as if he had shed an invisible layer of dust.
Someone else was already in the kitchen. Ariana was standing by the table, trying to clean an old iron pot. She looked pale, and her movements were slow, as if she were still half-asleep. Sebastian felt a sharp sting of guilt looking at her tired shoulders.
"Are you up already?" she asked quietly without turning around. "I made some porridge. There isn't much left, but you need to eat before you go looking for work."
Sebastian stepped closer. He wanted to tell her everything, but he knew it would only scare her right now. To Ariana, the "Awakened" were either heroes on TV or dangerous fanatics who attracted death.
"Thanks, Mom. I'll be late today," he said, gently touching her shoulder. "An old friend promised to help with some part-time work on the outskirts."
He ate his portion quickly. His body required fuel much more efficiently now. He felt the energy distributing through his tissues, preparing them for the strain.
—
The walk to the sewer manhole in the Rotten Sector took about twenty minutes. Sebastian looked around, checking if anyone was following him. Heloplex was a city where walls had ears, and corporate drones could record any suspicious activity in "gray zones."
He pushed the heavy cast-iron cover aside. Thanks to his new Strength, it was much easier, though the metal still made an unpleasant screech against the asphalt. Sebastian descended the rusty rungs. The smell of dampness and rot hit his nose immediately, but he didn't even flinch.
He activated Mana Resonance. The world around him faded, leaving only the outlines of the walls and weak mana flows. The purple glow he had seen yesterday was still there, far deep in the tunnel.
A hundred meters later, Sebastian heard a rustle. A Slime fell from the ceiling right in front of him — a low-level monster that looked like a large jelly mass. Sebastian focused on the creature. A label appeared above it: [Level 1].
He did not wait. One precise knife strike into the center of the core, and the creature fell apart into a puddle of dark liquid.
[Experience gained: 10 XP]
[Experience: 10 / 200]
Sebastian moved forward. The closer he got to the light source, the more dangerous the tunnel inhabitants became. On his way, he met two Sewer Lurkers [Level 2]. These beasts were faster than rats, but with a Luck, Sebastian was always a fraction of a second ahead. One by one, they fell, adding another 40 units of experience to his progress.
Finally, the tunnel widened into a small pump station hall. There, on a concrete island in the middle of the water, lay an iron box with purple light escaping from its cracks. But the path to it was blocked by a group of monsters Sebastian did not expect to see so soon.
Three Swamp Fangs [Level 3] and one huge, bone-covered Spiked Brute [Level 5] were clustered around the box. The latter was a mountain of muscle and bone; his breathing was heavy and foul. Killing such a beast gave 160 experience points, but the risk was massive.
Sebastian froze in the shadows. Fighting them all at once was suicide. He picked up a rusty bolt from the floor and, using Resonance, calculated the trajectory. He threw the bolt at a metal pipe on the other side of the hall. The loud bang distracted the Fangs. When two of them ran toward the noise, Sebastian jumped out of the shadows.
His knife went through the throat of the third Fang before it could make a sound.
[Experience gained: 40 XP]
Only the Brute remained. The level 5 monster sensed the intruder. It turned around and charged with a roar, splashing dirty water. Sebastian jumped aside, feeling the wind from the massive paw strike hit his face. Luck told him: do not attack the armor. Resonance highlighted a pulsing spot under the monster's left armpit.
Sebastian dove under the next swing. He felt his muscles tense to the limit. The knife entered the vulnerable spot up to the handle. The Brute roared, but Sebastian did not stop, twisting the blade.
The huge body shuddered and fell heavily into the water.
[Experience gained: 160 XP]
[Experience: 210 / 200]
Golden light covered Sebastian again, washing away the fatigue.
[Level Up!]
[Your Level is now 3]
[You have received 3 Stat Points]
[Experience: 10 / 400]
He breathed heavily, looking at the box. He had just stepped up one more rung, but the level 5 Brute showed him how dangerous the game was becoming. Sebastian approached the box and pulled the latch.