Focusing his attention on a pen lying on the coffee table, Marcus extended his mental reach toward it. He visualized an invisible hand reaching out, grasping the pen, lifting it. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then, with a subtle tremor, the pen rose unsteadily into the air, hovering about six inches above the table's surface.
"Holy shit!"
Marcus exclaimed, his concentration nearly breaking from sheer amazement. The pen wobbled but remained airborne, responding to his mental directions with increasing stability as he adjusted to the sensation of telekinetic manipulation.
For nearly an hour, he practiced lifting various small objects—pens, remote controls, his phone—until his head throbbed with exertion. The telekinesis worked but required significant mental energy to maintain. The system had labeled it "Minor Telekinesis" for good reason; the half-kilogram weight limit severely restricted its practical applications.
Still, combined with his Wind skill's levitation effects, even this limited telekinetic ability opened new possibilities. For the first time since the accident, Marcus could reach items on high shelves without assistance. He could retrieve dropped objects without the awkward maneuvering that his wheelchair had always necessitated. Small freedoms, perhaps, but meaningful nonetheless.
When mental fatigue forced him to stop, Marcus returned to the system interface.
"Show me my remaining EP and both skill statuses."
He requested, staring into the void.
[EXISTENCE POINTS: 4]
[WIND SKILL: LEVEL 3, 83% PROFICIENCY]
[WILL SKILL: LEVEL 2, 30% PROFICIENCY]
Four points. Barely enough to make a difference in either skill. He needed more, and insect hunting had diminishing returns. The apartment had a finite pest population, and Marcus had already eliminated most of it over the past two days.
—He needed larger sources of EP, which meant larger targets.
The system had classified various urban pests by their EP yield. Insects provided 1-2 points each, while rodents like mice and rats could yield 5-10 points depending on size and health. Urban wildlife such as pigeons, squirrels, and stray animals offered more substantial returns, though hunting such creatures raised both practical and ethical concerns.
Marcus had never considered himself a cruel person. Before the accident, he had been a compassionate child with healthy empathy. Even after years of isolation and bitterness, the thought of deliberately harming animals for personal gain made him uncomfortable.
Yet the memory of Mrs. Abernathy's death haunted him—the Vitality Wraith's burning coal eyes as it fed on her life essence. That memory hardened his resolve. Discomfort was a small price he had to pay for vengeance. For justice.
A plan began to form in his mind. The apartment building had a persistent rodent problem in the garbage collection area behind the structure. The management company had installed traps and bait stations, but the rats always returned. If he could harvest EP from creatures already condemned to death by conventional pest control, wouldn't that be more ethical than hunting healthy animals?
The idea of venturing outside again, especially to the building's rear service area, presented logistical challenges. His wheelchair wasn't designed for the uneven terrain of the alleyway, and despite his growing proficiency with Wind's levitation, he wasn't yet capable of sustained flight.
But there was another option—one he had considered earlier but dismissed as a luxury he couldn't afford. With his Will skill providing telekinesis and his Wind skill offering levitation, perhaps he could manage the excursion after all.
Marcus focused on his wheelchair, activating the Contract Visualization he had discovered the previous day. The golden thread connecting him to the chair materialized, stronger now than when he had first perceived it.
[POTENTIAL CONTRACT DETECTED: WHEELCHAIR]
[COMPATIBILITY: HIGH]
[EP COST TO ESTABLISH CONTRACT: 50]
[POTENTIAL BENEFITS: ENHANCED CONTROL, REDUCED FRICTION, AUTONOMOUS MOVEMENT CAPABILITIES]
Fifty points. It was far more than he currently possessed. But if the trip to the garbage area proved successful, he might accumulate enough EP from rodent extermination to establish the contract later.
For now, he would rely on his existing abilities.
Marcus waited until nightfall, when most residents would be in their apartments and unlikely to visit the garbage area. Using his Wind skill to reduce his body weight and Will to telekinetically assist with steering, he navigated to the elevator and descended to the ground floor.
The night security guard nodded as he passed through the lobby.
"Evening, Mr. Thorne. Don't see you out much at this hour."
"Needed some air," Marcus replied, trying to sound casual despite his racing heart. This was the furthest he had ventured alone in years, except for his visit to the Professional Shopping Center.
"Well, be careful out there. Neighborhood's not what it used to be after dark."
Marcus nodded and continued through the building's rear exit, which featured a ramp for accessibility. The moment he entered the alleyway, the smell hit him—a pungent mixture of rotting food, household chemicals, and the distinct odor of rodent infestation.
The large dumpsters sat about twenty meters from the exit. Under normal circumstances, navigating the uneven pavement in his wheelchair would have been challenging for Marcus. But with Wind reducing his weight and Will enhancing his control, he managed the terrain with unexpected ease.
As he approached the dumpsters, Marcus activated his enhanced perception, focusing on detecting movement in the shadowy areas around the garbage containers. Almost immediately, he spotted his targets—rats, at least a dozen of them, scurrying around the base of the dumpsters in search of food scraps.
Now came the difficult part. He had brought a small canister of compressed air, typically used for cleaning electronic equipment. With his telekinetic ability, he could direct the aerosol spray at the rodents from a distance, the freezing chemicals would cause rapid death without prolonged suffering.
It wasn't a pleasant solution, but it was efficient and, he hoped, relatively humane.
Taking a deep breath, Marcus extended his telekinetic awareness toward the nearest rat—a large specimen guarding a particularly attractive food scrap. Using his mind, he lifted the canister, aimed it carefully, and pressed the trigger.
The rat collapsed almost instantly as the freezing spray hit it, its body seizing briefly before becoming still. A soft chime from the system confirmed his success:
[EXISTENCE POINTS GAINED: +8]
[TOTAL EP: 12]
The process was easier than he had feared. The rats, focused on their scavenging, paid little attention to him. One by one, he dispatched them with the device, each death adding to his EP total. By the time he had eliminated all visible rodents, nearly twenty in total, his system showed a substantial increase:
[EXISTENCE POINTS GAINED: +157]
[TOTAL EP: 161]
The yield varied significantly between rodents. The largest rats had provided up to 12 points each, while smaller ones yielded as few as 5. Still, the total far exceeded what he had managed through insect extermination.
More importantly, the EP total now exceeded the 50 points required to establish a contract with his wheelchair.
Marcus returned to his apartment, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. The ethical implications of what he had done troubled him slightly, but he rationalized that the rats would have been killed by conventional pest control eventually. At least this way, their deaths served a greater purpose beyond simply ceasing to be a nuisance.
Back in his living room, he opened the system interface once more.
"Establish a contract with the wheelchair."
He commanded, his voice betraying his anticipation.