The journey back to his apartment after the second feeding was a hollow, mechanical process. Kai moved like an automaton, the renewed strength in his limbs a cruel mockery of the profound sickness in his soul. The blood, the screams, the System's chilling "Commendation" – it all swirled in a nauseating vortex in his mind. He scrubbed himself raw in the tiny bathroom, but no amount of soap or water could wash away the stain he felt on his very being.
He didn't sleep. He lay staring at the cracked ceiling, the System's status screen a persistent, unwelcome overlay in his vision.
[STATUS – KAI (CONDUIT)] Level: 1 EXP: 85/100 Anima Core Stability: 92% (Optimal – Recent High-Tier Sustenance Acquired)
ATTRIBUTES (Pre-Quest):
Strength (STR): 17 (Base 5 + Exposure 5 + Sustenance(I) 2 + Mission(I) 1 + Sustenance(II) 4)
Vitality (VIT): 18 (Base 5 + Exposure 5 + Sustenance(I) 2 + Mission(I) 1 + Sustenance(II) 5)
Stamina (STA): 17 (Base 5 + Exposure 5 + Sustenance(I) 2 + Mission(I) 1 + Sustenance(II) 4)
Agility (AGI): 7 (Base 5 + Exposure 1 + Mission(I) 1)
Perception (PER): 7 (Base 5 + Exposure 1 + Mission(I) 1)
Anima Affinity (ANM): [CALIBRATING – PARTIAL DATA ACQUIRED – Initial parameters suggest Draconic Sub-Type: Shadow Scale (Provisional).]
Cognition (COG): 6 (Base 6)
NOTES:
Sustenance II values reflect recent assimilation of significant bio-compatible matter.
He skipped school the next day, whispering a hoarse excuse to his mother about feeling unwell. He needed solitude. He found himself drawn to the more deserted sections of District 7's industrial ruins. There, amidst the rust and decay, he accepted and completed the System's new Daily Quest: "Controlled Anima Channeling."
[DAILY QUEST: Controlled Anima Channeling – COMPLETE!] [Rewards Dispensed: +75 EXP. +1 Anima Core Stabilizer (Minor) (Added to System Inventory).] [CONDUIT LEVEL UP! Level 1 -> Level 2!] [Level Up Rewards: +1 to all Core Attributes. +3 Undistributed Attribute Points. +1 Skill Point.] [New System Functions Unlocked: Skill Tree (Basic), Anima Manifestation Profile (Tier 1).] [Anima Core Stability: 90% (Minor expenditure during channeling practice).]
Level 2. And with it, tangible rewards beyond just new menu options. 'Attribute points? A skill point?' Kai thought, a flicker of the gamer mindset he'd shared with Leo surfacing through his turmoil.
He immediately pulled up his status screen:
[STATUS – KAI (CONDUIT)] Level: 2 EXP: 60/200 (to Level 3) Anima Core Stability: 90% Undistributed Attribute Points: 3 Available Skill Points: 1
ATTRIBUTES (Post Level Up Bonus):
Strength (STR): 18
Vitality (VIT): 19
Stamina (STA): 18
Agility (AGI): 8
Perception (PER): 8
Anima Affinity (ANM): 1 (Initial Calibration: Shadow Scale Draconic - Provisional)
Cognition (COG): 7
His core attributes had all ticked up by one point automatically. His Anima Affinity now had a numerical value, however small. And he had three more points to allocate himself, plus a skill point. It was a small measure of control, a way to actively shape his terrifying new existence.
He spent hours exploring the new System menus. The "Anima Manifestation Profile (Tier 1)" provided basic data on his "Shadow Scale Draconic Anima," listing potential abilities like "Enhanced Durability (Dermal Plating)," "Low-Light Vision," and "Clawed Appendages (Retractable)," most of which were currently "Latent" or "Partial." The profile noted that his Anima Affinity score would influence the speed and potency of these manifestations.
The "Skill Tree (Basic)" was a branching diagram. Initial branches included "Physical Prowess," "Anima Control," "Sensory Enhancement," and a deeply unsettling "Predatory Development" branch. Each had a few starting skills. The "Anima Control" branch had a skill called "Basic Anima Concealment" – Reduces passive Anima signature and aids in suppressing minor involuntary manifestations. Cost: 1 Skill Point. That one immediately caught his eye.
He had gained new insights, a sliver more control, but the fundamental horror remained. He was a predator, his power intrinsically linked to a cycle of violence and consumption. The System was merely giving him the tools to become a more efficient, and perhaps more controlled, one. As dusk began to settle, casting long, eerie shadows across the ruins, Kai knew that leveling up hadn't changed the monstrous truth of what he was becoming. It had only given it a more detailed interface and a new set of agonizing choices.