Vell just stood there for a solid ten seconds, processing the system's words. His grand, life-changing power-up, the key to his revenge and new future, was… a pet-collecting skill? The sheer absurdity of it made him want to laugh.
He stole a plain gray shirt and a pair of worn but sturdy trousers from the clothesline while the woman wasn't looking, then found a quiet park to sit and think. He leaned against a big, old tree, watching kids chase each other around a playground while birds chirped overhead. It was peaceful. With his new senses, he could feel the life in the park more deeply than ever before—the rustle of every leaf, the hum of conversations from a nearby bench, the tiny heartbeat of a squirrel climbing the tree above him.
After a few minutes of just breathing, he finally spoke, his voice low. "So, let me get this straight. You're a beast-taming system?"
[Yes, that's my main function.]
He sighed, running a hand through his now-clean hair. It felt strange not having it matted with grease. "Beast taming, huh? I'm a little disappointed, not gonna lie. But I guess it's still a good ability if you can tame really strong monsters."
[Let me explain. My main function is indeed taming, but I have sub-skills stemming from that, like the Evolution Forge. It's a skill that can evolve any beast or monster into a stronger version of itself. I have many other functions, but for now, you can only use the Evolution Forge, and even that is limited to monsters weaker than or around the same level as you.]
Vell's disappointment faded, replaced by a spark of intrigue. 'Hmm, that's actually not bad at all. Evolving beasts… that has potential.' He looked down at his hands, feeling the mana humming just beneath his skin. "I'd like to head straight for a dungeon, but I don't think that's how things work around here. Maybe I should go to that big association building in the city center."
[The best and safest location in this region? Isn't that pretty far? How will you get there?]
He stood up, a grin spreading across his face. "What do you mean? I'll run, obviously."
[...You're going to run 80 kilometers?]
"Yeah. This'll be a good chance to test myself. I'm restless just sitting here. So much power is flowing through me, and I need to release it. But first..." His stomach let out a loud, demanding growl. "...I need to find something to eat. A proper meal."
The problem was, a proper meal required money, and he had none. After a few minutes of thinking it over, a plan formed in his mind—a simple, effective plan that his old, pre-betrayal self would have been horrified by.
He walked into a small, bustling mini-market on the edge of town, the kind of place with a hot food counter that smelled like fried dough and heaven. He strolled up to the counter, putting on his most polite, unassuming face.
"Hi, could I get an order of fried chips, two small drinks, and one of those large sausage rolls?" he asked the young girl behind the counter.
She smiled at him, a bright, friendly smile that made his stomach twist with a pang of guilt. "Sure thing. And we added a little extra for supporting our shop," she said, handing him a bag filled with warm, greasy goodness.
He forced a fake smile in return. "Thank you. By the way, do you have any beef pies back there?"
"Let me check real quick!" She hurried off into the back, her cheerful smile still lingering.
The moment she was out of sight, he grabbed the bag and bolted. He didn't look back. He sprinted out of the shop and down the street, weaving through the sparse crowds with his new, enhanced speed. He felt a little bad for the girl, but not bad enough to go back and pay.
'A thief… a really handsome thief… I'm going to get fired…' he could almost hear her saying.
'Sorry, kid. But I've got places to be.'
He was already out of town, running at a speed that would have left his old self in the dust. The world blurred past him in a rush of greens and browns. He felt light, almost like he was floating, each step propelling him forward in long, powerful leaps that no normal human could manage. The power in his legs, enhanced by the steady flow of mana from his cores, was incredible.
[...If you keep using your mana like that, you'll run out before you're even halfway there.]
"Is that so? Wanna bet on that?"
The system didn't respond. It probably knew better than to bet against someone who'd mastered the art of forced awakening and core creation in a single month-long trance. After just an hour, he'd already covered over seven kilometers, and he wasn't even tired. His mana hadn't even dipped.
'What the hell is up with him? He's just a newbie—he should be out of mana and gasping by now. But somehow, his mana pool has barely depleted. How is he using it so effectively at such an early stage?' The system was clearly confused, but Vell just kept running, enjoying the feeling of his own power.
"Okay, this spot should be fine. I'm starving."
He found a collapsed skyscraper on the outskirts of the next city, a massive, twisted wreck of steel and concrete that looked like it had been that way for years. He found a comfortable corner inside, hidden from view, and finally sat down to eat.
He pulled the food from the bag, the smell making his mouth water. He unwrapped the sausage roll and took a huge bite. The flavor exploded in his mouth—savory, salty, greasy, perfect. His taste buds, long accustomed to stale bread and rotting scraps, went into overdrive. It was the best thing he had eaten in months.
He devoured the entire meal in less than five minutes, his expression a strange mix of joy and sadness. He felt like he was about to cry, but at the same time, he was happier than he'd been in a long time. When he was finally full, a wave of sleepiness washed over him.
"Ahh, that was so good. Now I need a nap. Can't run on a full stomach, after all."
'Isn't it the other way around? And are you sure sleeping out here is a good idea?'
"It's fine. I'll only sleep for about an hour, I prom—"
He was out before he could even finish the sentence.
His promised one-hour nap stretched into five. The sun had set, and the collapsed skyscraper was now filled with long, dark shadows. As he shifted in his sleep, his enhanced senses picked up faint whispers approaching. The voices were cautious, trying to stay hidden, but he heard them clearly. He pretended to stay asleep, his body perfectly still.
"Boss, are you sure this is a good idea?" a man with a rough, gravelly voice whispered. He was big, with a scarred face, and he was clutching a large, heavy-looking gun.
"Shut up, or you'll wake him, you idiot," the leader hissed back. He was tall and skinny, with spiky hair and a strange, glowing weapon that was probably stolen. "Just go over there and choke him or something. We can't afford to waste bullets right now."
The big guy nodded and moved forward cautiously, his large hands reaching for Vell's neck.
Just as his fingers were about to close around his throat, Vell's eyes snapped open. He shot up from the ground, delivering a brutal double kick to the man's face that sent him crashing to the ground with a sickening crunch.
Vell landed on his feet and let out a long, theatrical yawn, stretching his arms and legs as if he'd just woken from a refreshing nap. He ignored the stunned leader and glanced outside, noticing the dark sky.
"Crap, I slept too long. Now I'll have to run at night."
He turned his gaze back to the leader, his expression completely blank, and started walking toward him.
"You know, there's one thing that annoys me more than anything else—"
The leader, panicking, cut him off by firing his weapon. It shot out small, crackling balls of energy. Vell dodged them with casual ease, and before the leader even knew what was happening, he was standing right in front of him, staring into his eyes with a cold, piercing gaze that promised nothing but pain.
"As I was saying," Vell continued, his voice dangerously calm, "I hate being woken up. Couldn't you have been polite and waited until I was done with my nap?"
The leader started to shake. Unlike Vell, he was just an ordinary person trying to survive in a harsh world. This was a player, he could just tell.
"We're… sorry?" he stammered.
But that didn't change the fact that they had disturbed his nap. Vell smirked, grabbing the leader's face and lifting him off the ground with one hand before casually tossing him across the room.
"B-Boss!" the big guy shouted, trying to prove his loyalty by attacking again.
This time, Vell made sure he wouldn't get up. A hard, precise kick to the groin, and the big guy crumpled to the floor, silent.
"Haah, I don't have time for this… I wonder."
A few minutes later, Vell was sprinting through the night again, the collapsed skyscraper far behind him. In his hand was a small, leather pouch containing a satisfyingly heavy 200 credits.
'A good meal and a little extra cash. Maybe this new life won't be so bad after all.'