The moment Marcus's voice had fallen, the system began to display notifications before his eyes.
[ESTABLISHING CONTRACT...]
[TARGET: WHEELCHAIR]
[COMPATIBILITY: HIGH]
[EP COST: 50]
[CONTRACT ESTABLISHED!]
[NEW CONTRACTED OBJECT: AUTONOMOUS WHEELCHAIR (LEVEL 1, 0% PROFICIENCY)]
[REMAINING EP: 111]
The wheelchair shimmered briefly, a subtle glow emanating from its metallic frame before fading back to its normal appearance. Marcus could feel the difference immediately—a mental connection between himself and the device, similar to what he experienced with his contracted skills, but more tangible, more physical.
"View the status of the wheelchair."
He requested.
[AUTONOMOUS WHEELCHAIR (LEVEL 1, 0% PROFICIENCY)]
[CURRENT EFFECTS: MENTAL CONTROL INTERFACE, REDUCED FRICTION, BASIC AUTONOMOUS MOVEMENT]
[PROJECTED LEVEL 2 EFFECTS: ENHANCED SPEED, IMPROVED TERRAIN HANDLING, BASIC OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE]
Marcus focused on the mental control interface, sending a simple command to the wheelchair: Move forward.
The device responded immediately, gliding smoothly across the floor without any physical input from his hands. Another thought—turn left—and the chair pivoted precisely ninety degrees.
The control was intuitive, as if the wheelchair had become an extension of his body rather than a separate machine. Marcus experimented with more complex movements, testing the limits of the "basic autonomous movement" described by the system. The device could navigate his apartment with reasonable accuracy, avoiding obvious obstacles. However, its movements became less precise when attempting complex maneuvers.
"Allocate 50 EP to the wheelchair."
Marcus instructed, intending to upgrade the contracted tool immediately.
[ALLOCATING 50 EP TO AUTONOMOUS WHEELCHAIR]
[AUTONOMOUS WHEELCHAIR: LEVEL 1 → LEVEL 2]
[PROFICIENCY: 0% → 50%]
[NEW EFFECTS UNLOCKED: ENHANCED SPEED (+30%), IMPROVED TERRAIN
HANDLING, BASIC OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE]
REMAINING EP: 61]
The wheelchair shimmered again, this time with a more pronounced glow that lasted several seconds. When it faded, the device appeared unchanged visually, but Marcus could sense the enhancements through his mental connection to it. He sent a thought-command for a rapid circuit of his apartment. The wheelchair responded with impressive speed, navigating around furniture with unexpected grace and agility.
This was revolutionary. With a Level 2 autonomous wheelchair, Marcus's mobility had improved exponentially. He could navigate difficult terrain that would have been impossible before. He could move at speeds approaching a slow jog. Most importantly, he could direct the chair through thought alone, leaving his hands free for other tasks.
But he wasn't finished. He still had sixty-one Existence Points remaining, enough to significantly enhance one of his existing skills.
"Allocate 61 EP to Wind skill," he decided.
[ALLOCATING 61 EP TO WIND SKILL]
[WIND SKILL: LEVEL 3, 83% → LEVEL 3, 100%]
[PROFICIENCY THRESHOLD REACHED: SKILL EVOLUTION INITIATED]
[WIND SKILL EVOLVING...]
An unexpected sensation washed over Marcus. A tingling began in his chest where the Wind sigil had entered his body and spread outward through his limbs. The system interface flickered and expanded, displaying new information:
[BASIC SKILL: WIND HAS EVOLVED INTO PERSONALIZED SKILL: TEMPEST]
[TEMPEST (LEVEL 4, 0% PROFICIENCY)]
[EFFECTS: ADVANCED AIR MANIPULATION, FLIGHT CAPABILITY, AIR PRESSURE CONTROL, MINOR WEATHER INFLUENCE]
[NEW COMBAT CAPABILITY UNLOCKED: AIR PRESSURE BLADES]
Marcus studied the interface in amazement. Flight capability? Air pressure blades? His basic Wind skill had transformed into something far more powerful—something that could potentially harm a Vitality Wraith.
He raised his hand experimentally, focusing on the newly evolved Tempest skill. The air around his fingers visibly distorted, compressing into a thin, nearly transparent edge. With a flick of his wrist, he directed the compressed air toward an empty soda can sitting on his coffee table. The invisible blade sliced through the aluminum as if it were paper, cutting the can cleanly in half.
"Holy shit!"
Marcus exclaimed for the second time that night.
He had weapons now. Actual weapons, not mere utilities. The Tempest skill's air pressure blades could cut through metal. What might they do to a Vitality Wraith's ethereal form?
According to the Bestiary, Wraiths were vulnerable to concentrated energy manipulation, particularly Wind skills when focused with sufficient intensity. His evolved Tempest skill should qualify.
The flight capability excited him equally. He focused on the sensation of rising, of defying gravity, not just through the partial levitation his Wind skill had provided but through true flight. His body lifted from the wheelchair, hovering several inches above the seat. Then he was startled at the success and lost concentration, settling back down.
It would take practice, significant practice, to master these new abilities. But for the first time since Mrs. Abernathy's death, Marcus felt a surge of confidence. He was no longer merely planning revenge; he was becoming capable of executing it.
His thoughts turned to the Will skill, still at Level 2 with thirty percent proficiency. If Wind's evolution into Tempest was any indication, Will might transform into something equally powerful when maximized. What might that evolved skill become? Enhanced telekinesis, certainly, but perhaps something more—something uniquely suited to his personality and needs.
The night was growing late, and exhaustion from the evening's activities weighed heavily on Marcus. The excursion to the garbage area had drained him. Establishing the wheelchair contract had required focus. The evolution of his Wind skill into Tempest had pushed his newfound abilities to their current limits.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. He needed to practice with his evolved skill, to master flight and the air pressure blades. He needed to continue accumulating Existence Points to enhance his Will skill. Most importantly, he needed to develop a strategy for locating and confronting the Vitality Wraith that had killed Mrs. Abernathy.
As he prepared for bed, Marcus activated his autonomous wheelchair with a thought, directing it to position itself perfectly beside his bed. Using a combination of Tempest's levitation and Will's telekinesis, he transferred himself to the mattress with unprecedented ease.
For the first time in seventeen years, Marcus felt something beyond vengeance, beyond hatred, beyond the bitter resignation that had defined his existence since the accident.
—A sense of power filled him. He felt liberated.
…
The next morning, Marcus awoke to an unexpected sound—his doorbell. He sat up quickly, disoriented. No one ever visited him. Mrs. Abernathy had a key and never needed to ring the bell. The building management always called before sending maintenance personnel.
Who could it be? The question nagged at him, becoming alert.
"Status."
He whispered to the system interface, which expanded immediately in his field of vision.
[USER STATUS: MARCUS THORNE]
[ORIGIN SKILL: LORD OF CONTRACTS (LEVEL 1)]
[CONTRACTED ALLIES: TEMPEST (LEVEL 4, 0%), WILL (LEVEL 2, 30%), AUTONOMOUS WHEELCHAIR (LEVEL 2, 50%)]
[EXISTENCE POINTS: 0]
[TRANSCENDENT RANK: F]
His status showed nothing unusual, which meant he didn't need to worry about immediate confrontation. His resources were depleted after yesterday's allocations, but his contracted allies remained active and ready.
The doorbell rang again, more insistent this time. Marcus sent a mental command to his wheelchair, which glided smoothly to his bedside. He transferred himself into it with a combination of skills—Tempest providing lift, Will ensuring precision, and the device itself adjusting its position for optimal transfer.
"Who's there?"
He called out, directing his wheelchair toward the apartment door.
"Devin! From City Access Transport!"
A voice replied.
Marcus frowned. The transport driver? What was he doing here?
Marcus hadn't scheduled a pickup for today.
Cautiously, he approached the door and checked through the peephole. Sure enough, Devin stood in the hallway, dressed in civilian clothes rather than his company uniform. He held what appeared to be a small paper bag.
After a moment's hesitation, Marcus unlocked and opened the door, maintaining a safe distance.
"Devin. What brings you here?"
The driver smiled awkwardly.
"Hey, Mr. Thorne. Sorry to drop by unannounced. I, uh... I was driving by and thought I'd check in. You seemed different yesterday, and I..."
He lifted the paper bag.
"I brought bagels."