A month after The Eclipse, Jax began his hunt.
Not for monsters, but for more seeds.
His future knowledge was his greatest weapon.
He remembered a minor news story from his past life about a low-level gang in the Yeongdeungpo district.
Their leader, a thug named "Bulldog," had gotten his hands on a seed and used his minor strength-enhancing power to consolidate his turf before being taken down by an official Hunter guild a few months later.
The article mentioned he'd found the seed in an abandoned textile warehouse.
Jax cased the warehouse for two days.
It was exactly as he remembered—a dilapidated brick structure controlled by Bulldog and his crew.
He waited until nightfall, then slipped in through a broken window.
The warehouse was cavernous and dark.
He could hear the drunken laughter of the gangsters from an office on the far side.
Using his telekinesis, he floated silently through the shadows, his feet never touching the dusty floor.
He scanned the area, his eyes searching for the tell-tale golden glint.
He found it nestled in a crate of rotted fabric.
As he reached for it, a voice barked from behind him.
"Hey! The hell are you doing here, kid?"
Two of Bulldog's thugs had spotted him.
They smirked, cracking their knuckles as they advanced.
"Lost, little boy? Give us your wallet and we might not break your legs."
Jax sighed.
He turned to face them, his expression a mask of neutral indifference.
"I'll just take the shiny thing and be on my way."
The thugs laughed.
The first one threw a sloppy punch.
Jax didn't even move his body.
With a flick of his mind, an unseen force slammed into the thug's chest, sending him flying backward into a stack of pallets.
The second thug froze, his eyes wide with confusion and fear.
Before he could scream, a loose pipe from the ceiling silently detached itself, flew through the air, and smacked him hard on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.
Jax walked over, picked up the golden seed, and swallowed it without hesitation.
[New Seed Detected. Commencing Trait Extraction...][Activating Trait: Unbound.][Ability Acquired!][System Window Updated.]
Abilities:
Slot 1: Telekinesis (Rank: S)Slot 2: Kinetic Enhancement (Rank: B)Slot 3: [???]Slot 4: [???]Slot 5: [???]
A B-Rank ability that allowed him to store and release kinetic energy, amplifying his physical power.
It was a perfect complement to his boxing.
He felt the new power settle within him.
He was getting stronger.
He slipped back out into the night, leaving two unconscious thugs and a very confused gang leader in his wake.
Two slots filled. Three to go.