I gulped down an orange-flavored smoothie from Crow’s Canteen of Chaos as I rubbed at my head. Studying for two days straight wasn’t fun in the slightest, especially considering the pure density of the topics the interface put me through this time around. I didn’t have any fun practical stuff, like learning to weld, but what felt like years of textbooks, tests, and questions from the interface about theory.

It seriously sucked, especially considering most of the stuff was just entry-level and it was this bad. By the time I hit level eight, surely my head would feel like exploding if this kept up. Most of the topics were over robotics too as if my recent… acquisition had influenced it.

My back popped obnoxiously as I sat up and tossed the canteen back into the shadows. I could really use a nap… And yet, I barely took time to take a nice hot shower before I once again threw myself at the interface. More specifically, into the pavilion.

The paper walls gleaming in the sakura-shaded moonlight were as pleasant as always, and the scent of old, aged paper made me feel right at home in the place. Most of the shelves in the pavilion’s small library were cast in shadow. More accurately, all but one: Stealth.

I stared at the ancient-looking wood that formed the shelf. It’s crazy to think that this shelf once stood alone here in the pavilion. In just a couple of months, since I first entered the place, it had grown substantially, flushing out fully to a small library from the lone bookshelf. It was kind of nice to see, like a physical show of how much I’ve grown. Well, more physical than the interface.

I enjoyed the peaceful ambiance for a few moments before starting my search through the shelf. I mostly knew what I wanted, but still, I checked the level eight Perks just in case something caught my eye. Most of them were at least somewhat interesting, or at least sounded interesting as I read a small portion of the names off the scrolls.

「Spine Chill」

「Cold-Blooded」

「Ninja’s Will」

「Urban Environment」

「Quiet Breath」

「Distortion」

「Burglar’s Bad Break」

「Rookie Respect II」

「Unseen」

「Snail’s Space」

「Robotic Sight」

「Concealed Strike」

「Slight of Sight」

「Observation」

「Fast and Stealthiest」

「Controlled Contrast」

「Hidden Number」

There were definitely some good picks in there, for instance Spine Chill. Or at least, it would’ve been incredibly good if I didn’t have Insight. Others were interesting, like Unseen, which basically made it so that I could hide better if I had yet to be spotted. Or even something like Concealed Strike would be good if I was actually an assassin or something of the sort.

I read through the rest of the scrolls just in case before settling on Cold-Blooded. I had already planned on getting it so I could unlock access to Illusive at level twelve, and nothing else really seemed to catch my eye. Rather they did, but I was more interested in getting the prerequisite for Illusive.

「Cold-Blooded - Gain control of your body heat.」

I picked up the scroll and headed over to the moonlit easel. My hand, half outstretched, froze right before I could put the scroll on the easel. I took a deep breath, and let the easel do its magic as the scroll seemed to be sucked onto it and unraveled all on its own. A beautiful rendition of a lizard revealed itself.

Before I could even blink, I was back on my bed… okay, so not one of the learned types… then what kind of-

Icy cold pain shot through my body, feeling as though every bit of my blood froze all at once and yet continued to pump through my body in shards of ice. Stabbing thrusts of ice-cold blood poured through my body, agonizing everything as my body heat leached away from me. In a matter of moments, my core temperature dropped several times.

S-so cold. I stumbled to my feet and nearly tripped as my frozen limbs refused to move. Every part of my body felt like frostbite had crept in as I tripped across the bathroom's doorway. I crawled into the shower and threw the water to full blast at the highest temperature. The water pounded down on me, soaking me through my clothes with its blessed warmth as I curled up.

———-

I stared out at the city, basking in the warm sand and enjoying its warmth for the first time in… a long while. My little hideaway in the Outskirts had proved to be a bountiful escape once more, allowing me to settle down and just relax. Why had it been so long since the last time I was out here?

The warm sand felt extraordinarily good underneath me as the evening sun slowly dipped below the horizon. The son’s rays, peaceful and tender in their caress, warmed my skin as it fell. The warmth oozed up through my clothes.

Cold-Blooded really did a number on me. Ha. Cold-Blooded… What a misleading name. Best I could tell? It had nothing to do with the typical cold-blooded animals like I had assumed when I saw the perk.

After recovering in the shower, drenched as I was, I tested the Perk out a couple times. Simply by activating the Perk, my body heat would leach out of me rapidly, which I wouldn’t necessarily call ‘controlled’. Then, by deactivating it, my heat would slowly come back.

It seemed practically useless outside of the rare occasion of thermal optics or cameras, but it was a requirement for Illusive, which was my end goal for Stealth. For now, it was one of those ones that I was better off leaving always deactivated, like Aetherial Perception. It was such a shame, especially considering how good it seemed on paper.

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Speaking of Perks, they kept... changing me. Every bit by little bit they warped my body. Aetherial Perception was my eyes, Cold-blooded my blood best I could tell, and Eidetic Schematic even mutated my brain! Was I- was I okay with that? Did I even have a choice in the matter?

I could just stop spending Perk Points entirely... yet, it felt so good to get that rush of power after spending one. The little bits of pain and agony that spiked through me as I mutated were worth the trouble, I think... and it's not that different than getting chipped. At least this way, I was still me with all my parts.

So yes. I was okay with the mutations of the interface as the Perks changed my body. For the most part, they even seemed better than chrome. Chrome's effects were very clear to me, but these mutations didn't seem to have any ill effects aside from the initial bouts of pain. Hmm... Still, maybe I should stop getting them for now and just observe. Not only my physical but my mental as well to see if I could notice any kind of ill side effect.

I settled down against the warm part of my bike’s thermoelectric engine, feeling the warmth saturate my jacket. Far off in the distance, several Hawks crested a dune in the sea, sending sand flying everywhere as they seemed to fly across the Outskirts. Thankfully, they were headed in the opposite direction from me, so I could safely ignore the bolt brains.

The city’s flashing lights and neon drew my eye, as it did every time I came out here. And every time, it looked like a cesspool of neon. The megabuildings, arcologies, and corpo towers stretching for the sky always fell short, their goal always mockingly in sight. The metal and twisting concrete clashed with the reflective glass, looking like one behemoth amalgamation of a monstrosity.

Flashing adverts and flaring holograms seductively sashayed around, an attempt to entice me to spend my money on whatever I desired. Money I was sorely missing thanks to rent. I missed paying in person since I was out learning Tech, but the funds had automatically been withdrawn.

Oppressive shadows, cast by the dying sun, seemed to make the city warp even further into a monstrous entity. The darkness and neon wrapping around the buildings seemed to shift and shimmer as a light mist fell on the city. The shadows cracked in the dune sea, separating the land as Hawks and Nomads continued on their eternal merry-go-round.

Oh, this shattered land of desire…

Speaking of desire, what did I want? Outside of my long-term goals, of course. My short-term goal had been to get a place with a shower, and I could safely check that off… Now what though? What did I, in my heart of hearts, really want? Other than more Rayn, ‘course.

I stared at the city for a good long while, trying to find an answer to that question. One came, but I shoved it away in distaste. Patiently, I waited. Nothing came to mind, though there were some minor wants that I could try to figure out while I waited for a true goal.

I wanted… friends. Eww… disgusting… but there was no denying that life had been rather more enjoyable sharing it with others. Mira and, I guess, Feras were about all I would consider ‘friends’… should I join a crew or something? Get to know some people? It's not like I’m in the best place considering I rarely got out to meet anyone outside of a gig…

I stood and shook the sand off of me as I got on my bike. I could text Feras at least, see if he wanted to go… what did normal friends do? Sneak through a sewer? That didn’t sound right… Well, I could still see if he wanted to do something. Mira too, while I’m at it.

I drove into the city as I tried to think of what I could do. More friends would be an… interesting goal to try and accomplish. I feel like I can’t exactly force a friendship, so there was no easy way of doing this. Maybe I could-

My bike sputtered and coughed just as I entered the edge of Little Yukoto near Talus Tower. The engine squealed, and the entire gear shifter locked up as my bike locked into neutral. A car blared its horn as I swerved into its way, attempting to come to a stop as my momentum carried me onward.

Thankfully, my brakes still worked. I shifted over to the side of the road, slamming on the brakes as my pitiful bike came to a skittered stop across the road. Just as it fully stopped, the engine coughed one last time and died. I just sat there for a minute, stunned, as vehicles drove by, splashing water up onto my coat.

I looked around to make sure there was no obvious threat aside from the migrant pedestrians. Nothing immediately stood out. I crouched down and looked over the old bike. After looking it over, I ran my thumb across a still-warm socket on the side of the main engine. As best I could tell, one of the thermoelectric semiconductors snapped off, which was so damn unlucky. I would have to buy another one and replace it if I wanted it to run again for an extended period.

A small tingle of Insight coursed through my body. Not warning of danger, but warning of potential danger. I looked around the street one more time, catching the glint of eyes in the edges of the shadowed alleyways. They sat just far back enough to hide themselves from view, and yet close enough to act if need be.

For a moment, my heart stilled as my mind jumped to the worst-case scenario. They were hunters finally catching up with me for that twenty mil bounty. A Sentinel AT passed by my parking spot, its headlamps briefly illuminating the dark alleyway. The smeared faces of teenagers, all wielding some kind of weapon, were illuminated for a brief moment.

Probably just wannabe hangers then. Or maybe even the lowest rungs of a gang? It didn’t matter. As long as I kept out of the alleys and their direct reach, they should leave me alone. Most alley lurkers were predators of opportunity more than anything.

Just in case, I checked my weapons. I only had the electro-bolas and my Sidewinder on me at the moment, which wasn't ideal. At the very least, my clothing was very protective, and I had on the vest. If I got shot, I might survive to get away.

Okay, first things first, I need tools. And a replacement semiconductor. Should be easy enough. I keyed in the closest mechanic shop into the Mapp ™ and started following its directions as I headed somewhere closer to Talus Tower.

I turned down several streets, feeling the occasional tingle of Insight as I passed by the dozens of lurkers settled around this area.

As I drew closer to the shop, a flash of silver drew my eyes to a silver figure standing in the middle of the sidewalk. A familiar silver figure. He stood in his custom-made armor, the eye on his chest seeming to look around with fervent glee as it sought out any kind of mystery. The sleekly armored figure stood crouched over a mechanical creation of some kind, kicking it over and over as if that would fix whatever problem he faced.

Immediately, I made a break for it. Maybe he hadn’t-

“Shquire! What a pleasant surprise!” The cold voice of Ligh Strumgard called out, causing an icy pang of primal fear through me before I could even get in three steps.

Fuck my luck.