Over the next five or six months, I hunted almost every night. After I got all the food I needed, I wanted to sell the leftovers, so occasionally I would go into town to sell my spoils from the hunts. At this time, I got to know one of the local butchers in Rayong pretty well.

His name was Roy.

He had a quaint shop on one of Rayong’s main streets, a few blocks from the shipping yards. Roy comes from a long line of butchers. He also has TGenes, but his count was low, not even 10%, so he chose to live here like me. But unlike my life, his was quiet and fulfilling.

He stood about 5' 10" and maybe weighed 175 lbs. His dirty blonde hair matched well with his honey-colored eyes. His tan skin made him look like he spent some time in the sun. A square face, flat nose, and protruding jawline made him look rough. Throw in his Buzz-cut hair, he looked like he should not be messed with.

His family was also part of the Gravitaz Group and served under the Lord of Pattaya City, William Craig.

Roy’s father, Viktor Markz, serves as head Trapper/Hunter for the city lord of Pattaya. According to Roy, the Markz family had always served the city by trapping, catching, and butchering wild prey.

After many trips to his shop, we became friends.

“Boy, are you back again with more rabbit and pig skins?” says Roy as he sees me enter his shop at almost 10 pm.

He looks at me warily, but I know he means no harm. He is just concerned again that a 12-year-old kid is hunting in the forest late at night.

“A scrawny little kid like you can’t be out there this late at night,” he says.

“Are you even twelve? You know that there are bigger and more dangerous animals in that forest that chase after the same prey you do, Khy.”

He calls me Khy for short.

At 12 and 6 months, it seems wrong that I am out by myself at 10 pm hunting prey in the jungle. In addition, I’m only about 5’ 2” and about 110 lbs. This is an eye-opener for anybody who would pay attention.

“You can even find stray beasts and monsters from time to time. I worry that you will run into one of them one day.”

“I know you do, Roy, and I’m thankful for your concern, but I won't stand around if I see one of those. As soon as I even glimpse one, I’m bolting out faster than you eating through one of those bags of pork rinds you love so much.”

After hearing me out, Roy spits a pork crackling he is snacking on. He looks at me with some displeasure.

“Mouthy are we, Khy?” he says, getting this evil grin on his face.

“You know you're about 5 foot nothing. What right do you think you have mouthing out to me, brat?” he says now with a more sinister grin.

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I feel this cold sensation running down my spine.

The next thing I know, he flicks his wrist in this weird hand gesture as if throwing something invisible at me.

I look at him in utter bewilderment.

“What the hell was tha…………” but before I could finish, I felt this gust of wind hit me in the face. I’m knocked back. I trip over a crate that was on the floor and fall flat on my ass.

I look up at him with a face that says, “What the F--- Roy.” “Why are you holding out on me?”

“Roy, you can use skills?” I asked him as I got up.

“Yeah, but that, right there, is the extent of what I can do. I’m not very good at using them, so I try not to, as I’m sure I would not do well if I tried.”

“Unless I’m fighting a bunch of weak twelve-year-old kids," he says while looking at me, "I don’t think I would be able to win any fights.”

“Yeah, but a skill is a skill. You could use it for many other things, Roy.”

As a twelve-year-old who has never seen anyone perform a skill up close, I’m shaking from the excitement. There is only one thing that I find strange.

“Isn't that a wind technique? Since you come from a long family of butchers, I would figure you have a strengthening skill or maybe a proficiency skill in knives”, I say as I walk up to the counter.

“This is one of two skills I have.” He says in a sheepish voice.

“The first one I inherited from my family is only a third-tier skill, and we don’t use it as much as our ancestors did, but it still helps when we go out and hunt wild game. It's called Enhanced Skin.”

It's one of two skills, huh? I look at him in utter bewilderment.

I’m thinking, “Why is he sounding like having two skills is not a good thing? Most people would die to have even one skill, and here this fucker is talking like it's peanuts to have two.”

I focus back on Roy as he continues, “The skill allows my arms, legs, and chest to toughen up. My skin develops this tough texture, like a lizard's skin. It's hard enough to the point where I can easily deflect a stabbing from a knife or blade. I can even fight hand-to-hand with some smaller beasts or wild animals. But it only lasts about two minutes, so I must quickly finish the fight.”

“The second skill you already saw. It's called Air Blade, and that is the extent to which I can use it. I can only shoot a gust of wind about 3 meters. But it's nowhere strong enough to inflict damage. Unless caught off guard, it's barely strong enough to cause some discomfort.”

“It was payment for a job I took from a second-ranked citizen while living in Pattaya city with my Dad.”

“If I had a higher TGene threshold, I may have had a different future, but I don’t. So, I don’t dwell on that too much."

"I like where I’m at,” he says, looking away into the night.

“Roy, have you ever thought of raising your TG threshold? It can be done as if I heard Mr. Richie say it himself.”

“He said that if his son were unfortunately stricken with a low TGene count at his awakening, he would invest considerable resources to raise it; he already had done it himself. So, I know it can be done, Roy.”

He looks at me with a complicated expression.

“Khy, I know you mean well, but that is impossible, so I don’t even dream of it. But getting back to you. You said you are twelve already, correct?”

“Yes,” I say as I look at him confusedly. “Why do you ask?”

“It's dangerous for you to be out in the jungle this late at night, Khy. I know I can’t convince you not to go, but maybe I can help you improve your odds. So, when you awaken in a few years, you can improve yourself and move on to a better place.” He tells me with a determined look.

“Better myself?” I’m thinking.

“What are you planning to pay me more for the skins I bring you? That would help me better myself.” I say with a smug look on my face.

“No, you dimwit,” he says as he walks to the back and disappears into his office. After waiting a few minutes, he comes out with a TGene holographic sequencer.

Now I’m confused.

“Sit down, kid. Let me pass you these two skills,” he says, holding the TGene sequencer.