As soon as Ace thought of the keyword another translucent window appeared in front of him. This time however, the screen glowed green instead of blue.
---
[Personal Assessment]
Name: Laevus (Ace)
Age: 15
Height: 65 Inches
Weight: 140 Pounds
Status: Notched
Grade: Bruiser (1)
Sever Capacity: 0/80
???? ??????? ???????: 20/20
Merits: N/A
Chisels: N/A
Titles and Privileges: N/A
---
Ace looked past the mundane sections like his name and physical characteristics, intrigued by the other categories.
'What's this? Status....Notched? And my grade is Bruiser?'
[An individual who has survived sever energy exposure is known as a Notched. Similar to a Sever Beast, a being with intelligence also has grades that indicate its strength and capabilities]
'So what can a Bruiser do?'
[A bruiser is a being with a body that has evolved to operate closer to its maximum potential. It is also capable of using sever energy to perform feats of supernatural strength, speed, resilience, regeneration, and intelligence.]
'Interesting... So if I'm a bruiser why is my sever capacity at 0/80? Didn't you detect its energy when you bonded with me?'
Ace felt the hum that let him know the orb was about to speak but it remained strangely silent.
[...]
[…Your capacity is at 0/80 because your body is using excess energy to compensate for your missing arm. Your body does not possess spare energy to expend for additional enhancement.]
The boy slumped down in his seat disappointedly. He had spent his entire life with only one arm, his non dominant one.
To make matters worse, the cutthroat environment of the slums forced him to adapt quickly or be killed. With a combination of Thalia's weekly beatdowns and an indomitable spirit, he had managed to reach a semblance of normalcy, eventually being regarded as a half-decent fighter.
'Even now, after years of living this way, this damn missing arm is coming back to bite me! When are things going to go my way!'
Trying to say positive he looked further down on the screen until a certain line caught his attention.
'Hey Warden, what's the deal with all these question mar-'
Just then, something crashed into the pile of junk on which he was sitting, throwing up a large dust cloud. It's force was so great that it knocked him off his seat and sent scraps of metal flying right into his face, peppering him with small cuts.
"What was that?!"
Ace pulled himself up and made his way towards the dust cloud, stopping a couple feet away and hiding behind a trash unit.
He stared at the dust cloud with purple eyes that were full of apprehension. What hit the pile? Should he run? What would Thalia say? Actually... he already knew.
She would most certainly be upset that he was out here in the first place. He could only hope that she wouldn't notice his absence. Focusing on the situation at hand, he shed all unnecessary thoughts and prepared himself for what was to come.
He was so focused on the thinning cloud of dust that he failed to notice that the cuts on his face had already healed...
Before long, the dust had cleared and Ace could see what had disturbed his peaceful late night stroll. Stuck in a crater of metal, building material, and trash, a creature was lying still.
It looked like the rats Ace had grown all too familiar with during his youth. The creature possessed matted gray fur, a lanky tail, beady black eyes, and two prominent front teeth that made it apparent what kind of animal it was. There was only one difference. The rat before Ace was easily as large as his leg, and had very clearly been attacked.
Its innards were strewn about the crater and 3 slashes had left a grievous wound on its side. Blood was continuing to pour from the rat's wounds, but it was somehow still alive. With pained huffs of air, the creature rose to its feet.
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'What the hell?! Why is that rat so big?! A couple of those and I might be finished!'
Ace shuddered inwardly at the notion of being swarmed by a pack of rats that size. He shook the thought but grew increasingly concerned as he studied the rats condition.
'I almost feel bad for the thing. Those cuts look pretty deep, and fresh too... Where did this thing even come fr-'
"SQUUUUAAA"
A slightly familiar sound pierced Ace's eardrums from the dark skies above. He looked up but couldn't see anything. Instead, his ears were being bombarded by the sound of flapping wings.
'Is that a....bird?'
He wasn't even given time to process the rapid turn of events as the source of the deep shriek touched down in the crater. Illuminated by the light from the moon, the creature's dark features became prominent.
Similar to the rat, the beast looked like any common bird that Ace had grown familiar with. Only this one was truly enormous, easily large enough to look him in the eye. Its razor sharp beak and talons made him feel grateful that he wasn't the object of the bird's attention.
Wasting no time, the bird easily tore into the rodent-like creature. The merciless attack sent even more viscera flying onto nearby scrap heaps.
Fortunately, Ace's hiding spot behind the dumpster was proving quite effective. He peeked out from safety to get a better look at the creature while calling out to his floating companion.
'Warden? WHAT.... is that?!'
Almost instantly, he heard the thrum of the synthetic voice in his head but he could not see the orb itself.
[I have deemed it disadvantageous for you if I were to reveal myself in this situation. The creatures before you are Sever Beasts. They are Grade 1... and some of the weakest species on this planet.]
Ace's shock was so great that he almost opened his mouth to respond.
'Those... things. You're telling me THOSE are Sever Beasts? And weak ones!? Both look like they could tear me apart, let alone a regular human! I have to get out of here!'
Fearing for his life, Ace began slowly backing away from his hiding spot. He carefully stepped on soft pieces of scrap that wouldn't rattle. However, unlike his usual composed and cautious self, he was so unsettled by what he witnessed that he began paying less attention to where he was placing his boots...
'One step at a time I'm gonna get out of here. Wait a minute, is that a... OH SH-'
Too late to catch himself, Ace slipped on a small piece of sheet metal and kicked an empty rations canister down the heap. With each loud bounce, his already high heart rate accelerated even further.
By the time the canister hit the bottom of the stack, the sound of the bird creature enjoying its meal had stopped. Ace froze, unsure of what to do.
"SQUUUUAAAA"
Giving him no time to think, the creature dove through the heap, sending various pieces of scrap flying in all directions. Left with no cover, he was easily seen by the ravenous bird. As the beast locked its eyes on its next victim and prepared to pounce, Ace dove off the remains of the pile and dashed into the maze of junk.
Surrounded on all sides by large walls of worthless objects, he hoped the creature would lose track of him. His hopes were proven fruitless as the feral beast tore through the maze with reckless abandon, refusing to be stopped by even some of the larger objects like cars and cleaning units. It was slowly gaining on him.
In spite of his frantic thoughts, Thalia's words rang sharply in his mind.
'Analyze the situation... analyze the... WARDEN! I can't get away from this thing, and hiding also isn't an option. can it be killed?'
[...Yes, Grade 1 Beast are weak in the same areas as their regular counterparts. However, their hides are tougher and their natural weapons even deadlier. Without enhancement you do not possess the strength necessary to slay this beast. A weapon is needed.]
'A weapon you say... '
Keeping up his pace, Ace looked behind him. The beast was still charging at him with intense ferocity, bearing no regard for what lay in its path. It's single-minded bloodlust would have been more alarming but he was doing a good job keeping a healthy distance.
Their chase continued for a few more seconds until the beast burst through yet another wall, sending a thin piece of steel flying into the ground, right in front of Ace. Along with it were pieces of shrapnel that dug into his back. With his bloodstream pumped full of adrenaline, he ignored the pain and instead focused his sights on the object lodged into the ground in front of him.
With the creature right on his tail, Ace zipped past the strange metal rod and ripped it out without losing his stride. Looking down, he almost couldn't believe his luck.
'It's...It's a crowbar!"