The description matched perfectly: translucent humanoid appearance, elongated limbs, eyes resembling smoldering coals. According to the entry, Vitality Wraiths fed on life energy, particularly from humans with high spiritual sensitivity. They were relatively rare, typically found in urban areas with high Transcendent populations.
Most importantly, the entry detailed their vulnerabilities.
While largely immune to physical attacks, Vitality Wraiths could be damaged by concentrated energy manipulation, particularly Wind, Lightning, and pure Light skills when focused with sufficient intensity.
Wind.
Marcus had chosen his first skill crystal better than he knew. The entry also noted that Wraiths, like most Ethereal entities, operated on a different perceptual framework than humans. They couldn't perceive normal humans clearly, instead sensing patterns of energy and vitality.
This explained why Mrs. Abernathy had been targeted—as his caregiver, she had spent significant time with Marcus, who had brushed against death in the accident. Her proximity to him had likely marked her in the Wraith's perception.
—She was essentially collateral damage in the Wraith's attempt to devour his vitality.
Armed with this new knowledge, Marcus left the library and headed back to the ground floor. He had one more purchase to make before returning home. It was another basic skill crystal to complement his Wind.
The most logical choice would be Lightning, given the Wraith's documented vulnerabilities. However, Lightning crystals were significantly more expensive than Wind, starting at seven thousand credits, more than he had brought with him today.
His next best option was Will, a non-elemental basic skill that enhanced mental focus and, at higher levels, could generate limited telekinetic effects. While not specifically effective against Wraiths according to the Bestiary, enhanced mental focus would help him maximize his Wind skill's potential. Additionally, the telekinetic capabilities might provide him with much-needed mobility options beyond what Wind's levitation could offer.
Marcus located a shop specializing in non-elemental crystals and quickly found a basic Will crystal priced at thirty-five hundred credits, well within his budget. The transaction was smoother than his Wind purchase had been; his Transcendent ID marked him as a legitimate customer, reducing the sales associate's suspicion about his intentions.
With the Will crystal secured in his lap, Marcus returned to the entrance where Devin waited as promised. The driver greeted him warmly and helped him into the van with practiced efficiency.
"Successful day?"
Devin asked as they pulled away from the center.
"Very."
Marcus replied, his mind already racing with plans for the new crystal. He had gathered knowledge, secured his legal status as a Transcendent, and acquired another skill to enhance his capabilities. Most importantly, he now knew his enemy—knew what it was, how it chose its victims, and how it might be destroyed.
The Vitality Wraith that had killed Mrs. Abernathy would never suspect that the disabled man in the wheelchair had become a threat. It would never imagine that its prey had become a predator. As the city passed by outside the van's windows, Marcus allowed himself a small, cold smile. The first pieces of his vengeance were falling into place.
…
Marcus sat cross-legged on his living room floor—a position that would have been impossible for him just days ago. With his Wind skill actively reducing his body weight and providing subtle support, he could now arrange his otherwise useless legs into positions they hadn't achieved in seventeen years.
The Will crystal sat before him on a small cushion, its smoky gray surface catching the afternoon light that filtered through his apartment windows. Unlike during the Wind crystal's activation, Marcus now had a clearer understanding of what to expect. The Terra System had recognized his unique origin and would likely incorporate this new skill into his growing arsenal of contracted abilities.
He expanded the system interface with a thought, checking his status once more:
[USER STATUS: MARCUS THORNE]
[ORIGIN SKILL: LORD OF CONTRACTS (LEVEL 1)]
[CONTRACTED ALLIES: WIND SKILL (LEVEL 3, 83% PROFICIENCY)]
[EXISTENCE POINTS: 34]
[TRANSCENDENT RANK: F]
After returning from the Professional Shopping Center, the previous day's insect hunting had continued, yielding additional EP and pushing his Wind skill closer to the threshold of transformation. According to the system, reaching 100% proficiency would evolve the skill into something more powerful—something personalized to his specific needs and nature.
But first, he needed to integrate the Will skill.
Marcus picked up the gray crystal, feeling its weight in his palms. Unlike the Wind crystal, which had felt cool and somewhat insubstantial, the Will crystal had a surprising density to it, as if its mass exceeded its apparent volume.
"Let's do this."
He murmured with determination, closing his eyes and focusing his concentration on the crystal. As before, he directed his thoughts toward the concept embodied by the crystal, in this case, Will.
Mental fortitude. Unbreakable determination.
The power to impose one's desires upon reality through sheer force of mind. These concepts resonated deeply with Marcus, who had survived seventeen years of isolation and disability through a stubborn refusal to surrender to despair.
The crystal warmed in his hands more quickly than the Wind crystal had, responding to his focused intent. Within minutes, it began to pulse with soft gray light that strengthened with each passing moment. Marcus gritted his teeth, anticipating the pain that had accompanied his first crystal activation.
When it came, the sensation was different—not the burning invasion he had experienced with Wind, but rather an intense pressure behind his eyes, as if his skull were being compressed from all sides. The crystal shattered into particles of light that rearranged into a complex sigil, different from the Wind sigil but clearly related in its fundamental structure.
The sigil hovered before him briefly before shooting forward, impacting his forehead rather than his chest. Marcus gasped as mental pressure intensified, his consciousness expanding in ways he couldn't have anticipated. For a terrifying moment, he felt as if his identity might dissolve under the strain of this new awareness.
Then, abruptly, the pressure subsided. Immediately, the system interface pulsed with new information:
[BASIC SKILL: WILL - ACTIVATED]
[LEVEL 1 - PROFICIENCY: 0%]
[EFFECTS: ENHANCED MENTAL FOCUS, MINOR STRESS/PAIN RESISTANCE]
[SKILL AUTOMATICALLY CONTRACTED THROUGH ORIGIN SKILL]
[NEW CONTRACT ESTABLISHED: WILL SKILL]
[AVAILABLE COMMANDS: ALLOCATE EP, VIEW STATUS, ACTIVATE/DEACTIVATE]
Marcus took a deep breath, assessing the changes in his perception. His thoughts felt sharper, more organized. The chronic pain that had plagued his lower back for years, a constant companion since the accident, had receded to a dull background sensation, manageable through his newly enhanced mental discipline.
"View status of Will skill."
He commanded.
[WILL SKILL - LEVEL 1, 0% PROFICIENCY]
[CURRENT EFFECTS: ENHANCED MENTAL FOCUS (+10%), PAIN RESISTANCE (+5%)]
[PROJECTED LEVEL 2 EFFECTS: ENHANCED MENTAL FOCUS (+25%), PAIN RESISTANCE (+15%), MINOR TELEKINESIS]
Telekinesis wouldn't be available until Level 2, requiring him to accumulate and allocate more EP. But even at Level 1, the benefits were immediately apparent. His mind felt clearer than it had in years, the fog of depression and chronic pain partially lifted by the skill's effects.
"Allocate 30 EPs to Will skill."
Marcus instructed.
[ALLOCATING 30 EP TO WILL SKILL] [WILL SKILL: LEVEL 1 → LEVEL 2]
[PROFICIENCY: 0% → 30%]
[NEW EFFECT UNLOCKED: MINOR TELEKINESIS (RANGE: 2M, MAX WEIGHT: 0.5KG)]
A wave of fatigue washed over Marcus as the system processed the allocation, the sudden advancement of the skill taxing his mental endurance. But the discomfort was worth it for what came next.