Kai woke to the echo of dripping water and the distant hum of Sector 9's power grid. Dawn light filtered through cracks in the warehouse wall. He rubbed his neck—sleep on hard concrete always left him sore—but a glance at his interface made it worth it.
[Skill Unlocked: Void Gaze – Lv. 2]
[New Effect: Surface Thoughts – Can sense simple thoughts when making eye contact. Use caution.]
He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of his makeshift cot, and tested the skill immediately. Focusing on a stray rat scurrying across the floor, he caught a flicker of intent: Scavenge. Beneath it, a weakness marker blinked on its front paw: Fractured.
Kai smiled. "Level two already. Nice."
....
An hour later, Kai crept along the rooftops above the Lower Market. Below, stalls groaned under mismatched tarps. Merchants hawked expired rations; hustlers sold forged credentials. Kai's boots made no sound on the rusted metal.
He spotted two children tussling over a broken data-pad. One, a girl with braided hair, clutched it desperately. The other, a boy in a threadbare jacket, tried to pry it away.
Kai dropped down between them.
"Hey," he said softly.
They froze.
"Leave her alone," Kai added, turning to the boy.
The boy glared. "Who are you?"
"Kai." He crouched to the girl's level. "You okay?"
She nodded, eyes wide. "He wants to sell it."
"He found it," the boy snapped. "Finders keepers."
Kai stood. He met the boy's gaze. Immediately, Void Gaze fed him data: Intent: Steal – 72%; Weakness: Overconfident stance.
Kai tilted his head. "You sure you want to do that?"
The boy sneered and shoved Kai.
Kai caught his wrist effortlessly, rotating it until the boy yelped and released the pad.
"Let's not do that again." Kai released him. The boy rubbed his wrist, staring at Kai with a new respect.
Kai handed the pad back to the girl. "Here. Keep it safe."
"Thank you," she whispered.
He nodded and melted back into the shadows.
....
By mid‑afternoon, Kai's stomach protested. He activated his interface and sent a quick mental ping to Mina's token account. A small deposit arrived—enough for two ration bars.
He walked to a vendor selling nutrient gels. As he paid, the vendor, a grizzled woman with a cybernetic eye, gave him a sharp look.
Kai met her gaze—and felt her thoughts drift through: Suspicion: Low.
He offered a polite nod.
"Don't see many like you here," she said, sliding him a gel. "You new?"
"Just passing through."
She shrugged. "Watch yourself. Sector 9 preys on the weak."
Kai smirked. "Good thing I'm not weak."
She chuckled. "Keep telling yourself that, kid."
That evening, Kai tested Surface Thoughts on a merchant counting credits under a flickering lamp. As he made brief eye contact, he heard a single phrase: "He's worth watching."
Intrigued, Kai approached.
"Pardon me," he said.
The merchant looked up, startled. "Yes?"
"You said… I'm worth watching?"
The man swallowed. "I—uh—your reputation."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Reputation?"
The merchant glanced around, lowered his voice. "Word is you're more than a 'zero.' People saw how you handled those thugs. Didn't feel random."
Kai considered this. "And you are?"
"Jaren. I supply intel to… various clients." He tapped a data-pad. "I pay for information. I'd pay more to know what you really are."
Kai laughed softly. "I'm just surviving."
Jaren's eyes gleamed. "Survival's valuable. If you ever want to trade info for creds, find me."
Kai nodded. As he walked away, he activated Void Gaze on Jaren: Intent: Opportunistic – 60%; Hidden Data: Micro-transmitter implanted.
He paused. Jaren wasn't just a merchant—he was being watched, too.
Back in the warehouse, Kai lit a small lamp. He pulled out a worn journal and sketched quick diagrams of Void Gaze's effects.
Lv. 1 – Weakness detection
Lv. 2 – Surface thoughts
He tapped the page. "Next: maybe intent prediction or deeper secrets."
A soft knock. Mina slipped inside, carrying two steaming bowls of soup.
"You looked like you needed this," she said, setting one beside him.
Kai smiled. "Thanks." He sipped. "You always show up when I need food."
She shrugged. "Someone's got to look out for the 'failure.'"
He glanced at his interface and back at her. Do I tell her?
No. Not yet.
"Want to see something?" he asked instead.
Mina wiped her hands. "What?"
Kai focused Void Gaze on her—carefully, gently.
He saw: Intent: Protect – 85%; Hidden: Scar on left wrist.
She pulled up her sleeve—there it was, a thin white scar.
"You been in fights?" he asked.
She nodded. "Family… traders. Raiders attacked. I got away, but…"
Kai closed his eyes. He felt respect. "You're strong."
She smiled sadly. "Stronger than I look."
They ate in silence.
That night, Kai lay on his cot, staring at the ceiling. His mind replayed the day: saving kids, testing skills, meeting Jaren, learning Mina's story.
He opened his interface one last time.
[Void Gaze – Lv. 2]
[Experience to Lv. 3: 60%]
He closed it.
Power wasn't just a number. It was knowledge—knowledge of weakness, knowledge of thought, knowledge of intent.
And Kai intended to use every bit.
He thought of the next day: more tests, more small fries, more data. No grand battles. No world‑shaking foes.
Just the steady climb from nothing to… something.
He smiled.
"Let them watch. I'll show them."