From what he had managed to see over the past few days, the surface was a place infested with flying vehicles full of Aberrations wearing uniforms that resembled the clothing used by ancient military forces. Down here, however, there was none of that.
So, in terms of security, the surface was probably quite safe. That left the Cybernetic Underground as a lawless place with no security whatsoever.
That wasn't good.
'But I guess that doesn't matter anymore. Either way, if there's even the slightest chance that something bad could happen, it definitely will. Considering my luck, I wouldn't be surprised if every dangerous creature out there was now looking for me just to kill me.'
He jumped into an alley and hid behind some rusted crates.
'For now, I should change my cloak and try to blend in with the Aberrations.'
He pulled out his improvised backpack made from Sand Octopus shell and sorted through the fabrics and cloaks he had managed to salvage from the ruined city. This time, he chose a black cloak that, unlike the yellowish-white one that stood out far too much, would help him blend in better among the neon lights.
He also took the opportunity to eat a Sweet Flake and continue his journey.
'I still have no idea why these creatures are so afraid of—and disgusted by—humans. I'm sure they'll start looking for me,' he adjusted the backpack on his back. Then he draped the cloak over his shoulders and hid his head beneath the hood.
He wished he had his sword with him as a means of defense, but it was already too late to go back.
'Before they start searching for me, I need to get as far away as possible. I have to find an exit to the surface or locate the asteroid. Either option works for me.'
Once prepared, he left the alley and rejoined the crowd. Fortunately for him, he got out just in time, as two creatures entered the darkness of the alley right after he left.
He glanced back, slightly annoyed by the earlier interruption, but resumed his journey and quickened his pace toward the energy source.
Over the next few hours, everything went smoothly. No one looked at him or paid him any attention. He also made sure not to repeat the same stupid mistake of getting distracted and letting himself be discovered. Once is an accident, twice is coincidence—the third time is already stupidity.
Sure, Nova was good at being a leader, growing plants, or using his Spectrum along with some degree of energy control, but he wasn't a genius. He made mistakes like anyone else, something he had been proving for a long time now.
Back in high school, his grades were average, except for anything related to botany. While he was somewhat decent at Basic Martial Arts for Defense against Aberrations, he didn't stand out for anything other than having a slightly better-than-average appearance.
As far as life was concerned, Nova was a normal guy. He wasn't particularly good at anything, but he also wasn't especially bad at everything else.
'I'm still far away. How long will it take me this time?'
A few days had passed since the incident in the Forbidden District. Now, Nova found himself in a fairly convenient location.
It was a massive dystopian market spreading through the streets in the form of buildings with bright green and purple neon signs. Nearby were food stalls, restaurants serving meals that looked disgusting at first glance, and the occasional business that seemed downright unsettling.
Off to the side, there was a shop where a guy—who looked like some kind of living green gelatin—waved his tentacles over plates filled with a thick, black viscous liquid.
Nova suppressed the nausea and kept going.
'You can find a bit of everything on the other side of the portal, huh…'
It was better not to think too much about it.
The next day, as the lights and crowds became even more prominent, Nova began to notice something strange around him. He felt gazes searching for something without much success. At times, he could see shadows moving between alleys and people in the distance. Occasionally, he could hear voices that might have been talking about him.
In retrospect, that wasn't good.
'This is probably because I now possess the Spectrum of Anticipation, but I can feel gazes and voices directed at me. There are bad intentions behind them.'
He narrowed his eye, thinking.
'It seems my Spectrum is evolving on its own, although…'
The Spectrum of Anticipation wasn't evolving on its own. Each Spectrum was tied to an aspect of the human heart. Anticipation, as a Spectrum, was born from the need to know more than what could be seen, heard, felt, or perceived. Nova had felt that way ever since he fell into the desert. Following that logic, the simple desire to return home, to survive, and to keep moving forward caused his Spectrum to strengthen passively.
Anticipation—the branch of Vigilance—was, in fact, a fairly common Spectrum among humans, along with the branches of Anger, Terror, and Loathing. However, not many managed to develop their Spectrums to the point of becoming unstoppable monsters like First-Level Empaths or Feelers, who transcend any form of classification.
'It doesn't look like my Serenity will do the same.'
With each new Spectrum, Serenity was likely to lose effectiveness. It was well known among humans that for a Spectrum to function properly, one had to be conscious of the emotion required to manifest it. That was why Serenity was extremely rare, since almost no one could remain completely calm at all times.
Returning to the matter at hand, Nova turned at an intersection and tried to stay hidden among the others. However, that sensation of being watched didn't fade—it only grew stronger.
He glanced to the sides and began to suspect everyone. They were Aberrations, after all, and he couldn't trust that they weren't watching him with a thirst for Crimson Blood.
So he continued walking toward the energy source, all while perceiving gazes and hostile intentions.
This went on for several more hours.
***
Suddenly, Nova felt a chill run down his spine. A drop of blood slid down his cheek—the Anticipation was already doing its job. His eye turned orange, and the vision of a near and tragic future began.
It lasted only a second—a brief glimpse of a horrific death. In the vision, Nova felt his head separate from his body with a smooth motion, the wind brushing gently against his neck. He watched as his field of vision fell into the void while his body remained standing, motionless. When his head hit the hard metal-and-concrete ground, the vision ended.
As he returned to reality, he immediately crouched down.
Whoosh!
The whistle of a thin, blade-like object passed over his head, slicing off a few strands of hair. A fraction of a second later, he turned to see who his attacker was.
There were three Aberrations smiling. Nova had seen them before. They were the guys he had encountered at the city's entrance—the ones riding single-wheel motorcycles, screaming like idiots.