The interior of the Aura-Tech Tower's lobby was an assault on the senses a cathedral of polished chrome and shimmering holographic art installations. The air, conditioned to a perfect 22 degrees Celsius, carried the faint, expensive scent of artificial glacier-lily and ozone-filtered oxygen. Kaelen, now an undisputed [30.13] SV, navigated the space with a newfound, almost predatory grace. His violet score, no longer masked, acted like an invisible blade, parting the bustling crowd of mid-tier citizens, whose own SVs ranged from the dull green of [12.0] to the vibrant blue of [25.0]. They averted their gazes, instinctively recognizing the raw power radiating from him.
He didn't walk; he strode. The fatigue that had once been a constant companion had vanished, replaced by an invigorating surge of Aether that coursed through his veins, making his senses sharper, his thoughts clearer. He could almost taste the subtle currents of fear, envy, and cautious respect emanating from the people around him.
He reached the "Critical Care Payment Terminal," an ornate console shimmering with golden light. The clerk, a man with a sharp, bird-like face and a perpetually sneering expression, was mid-sentence, lecturing a low-SV citizen about late fees. His own SV of [12.0] pulsed with self-importance.
"Step aside," Kaelen commanded, his voice deeper, resonating with a subtle, underlying power he didn't even recognize as his own.
The clerk, startled, looked up. His sneer froze on his face, replaced by a pale, wide-eyed stare. The sheer intensity of Kaelen's violet aura seemed to suck the color from the man's features, casting long, wavering shadows across his pristine uniform. He didn't just see a high SV; he saw something unnatural.
"C-C-Citizen! My deepest apologies!" the clerk stammered, his fingers fumbling with the holographic keyboard. "How... how can the esteemed Aura-Tech Infirmary serve a High-Value guest such as yourself?"
[NOTIFICATION: PASSIVE SKILL 'THE PREDATOR'S TAX' TRIGGERED!]
[DETECTION: TARGET 'CLERK' EXHIBITS 'Greed' and 'Fear'. Siphoning 0.05% of SV...]
[SV +0.006]
Kaelen ignored the faint tickle of energy as his SV subtly increased. He was focused on the task at hand. "Patient 909. Lyra. I'm clearing her debt. Now."
"Of course, citizen! Immediately!" The clerk's fingers flew across the keyboard, his previous arrogance utterly dissolved. "Patient 909... ah, Lyra. Her debt is... 12,000 credits? But, s-sir, your account was flagged as a Null just an hour ago. There must be a system error. Perhaps a brief hold on the payment is..."
Kaelen leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. He didn't need to physically threaten the man. He merely allowed a fraction of his [Kinetic Pulse] to manifest. The air around his fist shimmered, warping the light, and the thick, reinforced glass partition between them developed a sudden, spiderweb crack.
"The System says I have the Value," Kaelen stated, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "Are you calling the System a liar?"
"N-No! Not at all! My apologies! A thousand apologies!" The clerk was practically groveling, his face beaded with sweat. He slammed his palm down on the 'Confirm' button. The terminal flashed green.
[TRANSACTION COMPLETE.]
[LYRA'S STATUS: SECURE.]
[SYSTEM REWARD: +2.0 SV (ACT OF PROTECTION)]
[CURRENT SV: 32.19]
Kaelen didn't wait for a receipt. He turned toward the private elevators, his path illuminated by his own violet aura. But before he could reach them, three imposing figures stepped into his way. They wore the pristine white-and-gold trench coats of the District Enforcers, their bodies exuding the cold, sterile confidence of augmented law enforcement. Their leader, a man whose features were obscured by a visored helmet, had a steady, unwavering [SV 45.0] pulsing above his head.
"Halt," the leader commanded, his voice synthesized and devoid of emotion. His hand instinctively went to the hum of his stun-baton, which crackled with blue Aether-electricity. "We received a Level 3 priority report of an 'Unnatural Value Spike' and an alleged 'SV Theft' in Sector 4. A Null named Kaelen is implicated in the assault of a High-Value youth."
Kaelen stopped, his internal System screaming with a cacophony of warnings.
[WARNING! ENFORCER ARMOR IS EQUIPPED WITH 'VALUE-LOCK' TECHNOLOGY!]
[DIRECT EXTRACTION WILL TRIGGER A CITY-WIDE ALARM AND SUMMON HIGH-SOVEREIGN UNITS!]
[SUGGESTION: UTILIZE 'VOID-MIMICRY' TO DISGUISE YOUR SV SIGNATURE.]
"Void-Mimicry," Kaelen thought instantly. He closed his eyes for a microsecond, focusing on the violet flow within his [Black-Hole Core]. He visualized his true SV being compressed, hidden beneath layers of false data.
The brilliant violet [32.19] above his head flickered, rippled, and then solidified into a dull, unassuming green [15.5]. To the Enforcers, he now appeared as a standard mid-tier citizen, perhaps a junior executive or a skilled technician nothing to warrant an SSS-Rank response.
"Assault?" Kaelen repeated, allowing a hint of feigned confusion to enter his voice. He adopted an expression of bewildered innocence. "I'm just here to pay my sister's medical bill. I found a discarded credit-chip in the trash outside, a lucky break. Is it a crime to be fortunate in Onyx Prime?"
The lead Enforcer's visor glowed as his internal scanner swept over Kaelen. "A 15.5? The initial report specifically identified the suspect as a Null... a 0.1, to be precise." He exchanged a glance with his two subordinates, their own visors reflecting his confusion. "The sensors must be malfunctioning again. This damned rain and the Aether-grid fluctuations have been playing havoc with our readings all cycle." He lowered his baton. "Move along, citizen. And be more careful where you 'find' your luck."
As the Enforcers walked past, the tension in Kaelen's shoulders eased, but a cold sweat trickled down his neck. He was a survivor, a predator, but against the full might of the Council's military, he was still just a single glitch. He needed more. He needed to be stronger.
"Wait," Kaelen whispered to his System. "If direct extraction on them triggers an alarm, can I... can I extract the energy from their weapons?"
[SYSTEM RESPONSE: CRITICAL HIT! WEAPONS ARE CLASSIFIED AS 'INANIMATE VALUE'. EXTRACTION IS 100% SILENT AND UNDETECTABLE.]
A dangerous smile touched Kaelen's lips. He slowed his pace. As the last Enforcer, a hulking brute with a heavy Aether-cannon strapped to his back, passed by, Kaelen casually reached out. His fingers brushed against the power-pack integrated into the cannon's frame a fleeting, almost imperceptible contact.
[EXTRACTION INITIATED: AETHER-BATTERY.]
[SUCCESS! RECEIVED: 500 ENERGY UNITS (RAW AETHER).]
[YOU HAVE UNLOCKED SKILL: 'OVERLOAD'.]
The Enforcer's Aether-cannon let out a pathetic hiss and went completely dark. The brute paused, tapped the weapon, then shrugged in confusion, blaming the "malfunctioning grid" as he continued on his patrol.
Kaelen stepped into the elevator, his true violet SV shimmering back into existence. He was going to save his sister. And then, he was going to find whoever engineered this city and show them what happens when a "Zero" learns to calculate infinity.