I started to pour a bit of mana into the rune while holding a spare battery. it was only enough to power the runes for an hour or so, but it would have to do.

Putting the cloak on. I couldn't see. I racked my brain to figure out why then it dawned on me, the light wasn't reaching my eyes so I couldn't see. “Duh,” I said. Scrap reading my intent quickly climbed my cloak, before applying more ink. This time in the form of a Limiter rune.

The Limiter rune limits the amount of extra coverage a rune has. What I mean by this is that it makes it so that the hole where my face is, isn't covered by the rune.

Scrap set the Limiter rune just enough for my eyes to pick up light, but not enough for my face to become visible. It would look more like heat rising from a distance than an invisible face. That should be enough to sneak past the gang without them noticing.

I had recently started to notice that my mana was easier to use and was more plentiful. I would have to check the book when I got back. But for now, I had a junkyard to raid

Standing up, I looked down only to see that I wasn't there. “Perfect,” I smiled. I pulled back my sleeve enough for Scrap to see it. He jumped up onto my hand and wiggled into my sleeve. I felt him settle onto my shoulder. “Alright Scrap let's go raid a gang,” I said

I moved slowly towards the junkyard fence. Although I was invisible, I wasn't undetectable. I could still be heard maybe even smelled. Considering that I gave myself a smell. Ya, I could be smelled. Setting that thought aside I approached the entrance.

My heart was slamming in my chest. If they caught me, I was as good as dead. But I needed the materials in the junkyard if I was going to be making anything that could be useful to me. “Maybe even a Mech suit,” I mused. With something like that, I could help fight the flood, or at least beat the echoes that sometimes got in the city. “No stop, Have to focus”

I slowed. The gate was just in front of me. I could see two bored-looking gang members guarding both sides. I held my breath as I passed through. I kept expecting the guards to suddenly turn towards me… but nothing, I was completely invisible. I let the breath I was holding go.

Now that I was in, I could look around more than I ever could before. The gate was always being guarded whether it was the old man or thugs, But now.

Walking through the front, I realized that this place was a gold mine. It seemed that all the good stuff was upfront and I had never noticed because I couldn't come up here. Now that I was here. “Ok, what do I need?” I quietly muttered. While a Mech would be cool, Even useful I didn't think I could sneak that much stuff out, even with multiple trips. Let alone storing the thing.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

No, I was thinking of something a little smaller, more compact, a staff. Just like any good fantasy reader, I wanted the ability to throw fireballs and cast spells of massive destruction. While the staff I planned to make wouldn't be that strong. It would give me the ability to store extra mana. And I could use it as a mini flamethrower with the right combination of runes.

But before that, I would need material, the stronger the better. While traditional fantasy used magic wood, I didn't have the option. So Instead I would use the next best thing, metal.

I felt Scrap trying to push out of my cloak. Pulling my hood to the side I let him out. We were far enough from the gate that letting him out should be fine. He gave me a pulse of excitement. I smiled nodding, though I soon realized he wouldn't be able to see me. He gave me another pulse this time it wasn't an emotion but a question. “As long as no one sees you, I don't see why not,” I said. Scrap immediately took off at full speed into the piles of junk. Shaking my head I thought about Scrap's request. He wanted to go and grab his own loot, I found it cool that he wanted to go and build his own things.

I reached an open area where the cars and other junk were positioned around me. Perfect, I started to rummage around for anything of value or something I could use.

An hour or two later ‘Had to recharge my cloak’ I had what I wanted: a few sheets of steel and some copper tubing, even one of those micro 3D printers. I was starting to feel the weight and was about to call it quits when a glint in the corner caught my eye, reaching over I pulled out a small rod only about an inch long and a few centimeters thick. Even with its small size, it had some weight to it, a lot. “Wait is this tungsten?” I said. If so I'd seriously hit the jackpot.

Tungsten used to be the strongest metal on earth, but with the floods also came riches things that had no business being so strong. But even so, tungsten could be a great center for my staff. I was willing to bet that It would hold mana better than anything else I had encountered. And if it did I might want to rethink the fireball idea.

Putting the tungsten rod with my other materials, ‘except the steel plates that I had between my shirt and my skin’ I sent out a mental pulse calling for Scrap. It wasn't long until I heard the sound of tiny clicks coming from my side. Looking over I could see Scrap running at me. I frowned, He wasn't carrying anything. He was gone long enough to at least find something.

Seeing my frown, Scrap sent me an image of his lower chest, where a new rune had popped up. The rune was one I recognized, It was called storage. It was basically a bag of holding. The reason I hadn't done the same thing was well I kind of forgot. I know ‘forgot, you forgot the magic bag of holding how” I got caught up in all the fun of magic it just slipped by. Scrap seemed to have put his things in his storage rune. Gesturing for him to climb aboard I started to walk back to the gate. Scrap quickly jumped up to his perch on my shoulder.

We walked until we were a few meters from the gate. Repeating the same process as the first time. I walked through. I kept walking until I reached the alleyway where me and scrap had made the cloak. Moving into the alley, I absorbed the mana that was left in the cloak and made my way out of the alley. I began heading towards the Orphanage.

By the time I arrived back at the orphanage night was beginning to settle in. moving into the sleeping room. I found that I had gotten lucky; it looked like the kids were taking a bath. Quickly going into the hatch. I dumped out all my things onto the desk, except Scrap who jumped down to the desk. I decided that tonight I would sleep on my bed. But first a nice long bath, then I can begin my staff. I smiled