183. Ground Level
Bonus Scene
Daniel adjusted the straps on his armor. The hardened leather panels were hand-stitched into the clothes, reinforced with a layer of denim. Glancing down, he picked at a small stitch of the wacked thread his sister had used and shifted the leather dagger sheath at his belt to be less noticeable.
The spring sun had just begun to rise over the nearby repurposed warehouses. Daniel realized that while the warmth from his gear was currently a blessing, in a few more weeks it would become unbearable.
Really, he was just willing to look anywhere other than at the passing patrol. It wasn’t that powerful people made him feel nervous, but it was hard not to feel small when a group of level tens to fifteens passed within spitting distance.
Hunters. They were real adventurers with real power. One of them must have even passed the Hunters Association test to carry a weapon, because the large sword strapped to his back gleamed in a way that made his heart skip a beat.
They all wore real gear, no doubt crafted by other Awakened or received as rewards from Rifts. It made him look down at his own equipment once again and sigh.
Still, he’d Awakened on his own. Despite the Hunters’ unwillingness to sponsor him due to his family’s debt, he’d made his own way. It had cost him the corpse and mana stone within his kill, but the party that had taken him was nice enough to share what they knew.
It wasn’t until he had seen things up close, seen the cost of the life he wanted to live, that he hesitated. He sighed, rubbed his temples, and pulled up his Trait.
| {Bestial Birth} - Your skill slots are halved. You gain 1 additional Free Point per level. |