Putting away the handphone, Nel took a deep breath and turned around, going in the opposite direction of his home. The sun was gradually setting on the horizon, and the night was nigh. The streets were getting crowded as people were out to enjoy their nightlife.

Nel walked at a brisk pace—not too fast or slow. His destination was somewhere on the east side of the town. As he navigated the crowd, the high-rising buildings faded into the background. Soon, a rather shabby-looking neighborhood appeared. Roads became narrowed and garbage littered on either side, giving off a foul smell. Houses looked substandard and danger prone—as if even a weak gust of wind could blow them away.

The people of this neighborhood lacked the glaze and demeanor of the civilians in the city. They looked dirty, unkempt, and poverty-stricken. Nel’s appearance with his bloody spear couldn’t arouse any reaction from them. As if such a scene was familiar to them. They went on with their business—to wallow in despair and hope for a miracle without working for it.

‘This place hasn't changed at all,’ Nel thought to himself as he took in the surroundings. The people looked as dead inside as he remembered them years ago. It was as if they had given up on everything and refused to move on. ‘Perhaps they’ll never change. Maybe that’s why this place is called an unchanging abyss.’

This place held a few nostalgic memories of him. His journey had started from this place. Years ago, he too was a resident of this despairing abyss called the downtown. But, due to certain factors acting in his favor, he managed to leave this place for the better.

However, today he wasn’t here to reminisce about his past. Nel walked through the familiar streets of downtown and finally arrived at his destination. A dilapidated brick building stood before him, looking like it had seen better days. Amongst many similar structures, it didn't stand out at all—giving perfect cover for the illegal loan farm to thrive.

“Hey, stop!” Before Nel could enter the building, two muscular men came out of the premises to block his path. They looked wearily at him, especially to his bloody spear. Nel frowned and inspected them as they did him. The two men were also hunters—he could feel a faint fluctuation of mana from them.

Seeing Nel stop, one of them gathered the courage to do the talking. They could feel it in their bones; this man was dangerous. Of course, the bloody spear behind him was a huge giveaway. “What do you want?” He asked.

“Loan,” was Nel’s curt reply.

“What?”

XXX

An hour later, Nel came out of the building with a heavy face. After much negotiation and signing an unfair contract, he was able to borrow three hundred thousand credits—the exact amount he needed after including his savings. However, he was in luck. They have hunted a minotaur and sent it to the auction. If nothing goes wrong, everyone should get at least four hundred thousand credits.

There was another place Nel wanted to go before returning home. He had helped to kill a minotaur, a Rank-II beast. He should’ve absorbed a lot of its Gene Essence. Nel wanted to visit a Gene Lab before going back. If he was lucky, perhaps he can add a few points to his attributes.

Gene Essence was a type of energy emitted by a monster after its death, and hunters would absorb it unconsciously. This unique energy was quite miraculous in nature. After entering a hunter’s body, it would directly go to their cells and strengthen them. This process was called [Level up].

Initially, the energy would do whatever it pleased and the hunters just had to hope for the best. Later, scientists developed a machine that can manipulate the Gene essence in a hunter’s body. By using this machine, hunters can direct the Gene essence in a specific direction of their desired growth. The machine was called Gene Enhancing Device or GED for short.

If someone wants speed, they can manipulate the GED and direct the essence to increase their base speed. If someone wanted strength, the machine would strengthen their muscles, making them denser.

Near his rented apartment, there was a Gene Lab of which Nel was a regular member. He had even taken a monthly subscription. The Gene Labs were strictly controlled by the government. Nel entered the administrative office, where an elderly lady sat, looking bored out of her mind. There was not much work for her to do aside from taking records of people who use the GED.

Her attention shifted away from the magazine when Nel approached. A smile lit up on her wrinkly face. “Nelly!” She greeted. Putting away the magazine on the table, she shifted on her chair before resting her hands on the table. “Have you finished your hunt for the day?” She asked, curious.

“Yes,” Nel nodded his head. Fumbling through his pant pocket, he pulled out a small silver-edged card and handed it over to the lady. “I want to use the training room for half an hour.”

“Alright,” she took out a thick book from under the table and opened the latest page. After adding Nel’s name to the latest entry, she handed the card back. “Fifth room is empty.”

“Thanks, Miss Martha.” He took the card back and carefully put it back inside his pocket. However, before he could leave, Martha suddenly asked, “Nelly, are you alright? You look tired to me.”

“Ohh! Yes, I’m fine, just tired is all.” Nel replied, wearing a reassuring smile. Martha squinted her eyes and shook her head. “If you think you are alright, then okay. But, you shouldn’t overdo it. Remember, rest is as much important as work.”

“Got it!” Nel nodded his head then quietly left. As a regular customer, Nel knew this lab like the back of his hand. It didn't take him long to find the fifth room. As he entered through the door, a spacious hall greeted him. In the middle of the hall, there was a humanoid target made from metal and leather. To the left of the room, there was a rectangular device half the size of his full height.

Nel walked over to the device. It was the GED machine, one of the most important things for a hunter. He opened the lid, revealing the true machine—an LED screen over a black body. A hole was present below the screen. Folding his sleeves, he inserted his left hand into the hole.

The LED screen lit up.

Analyzing… Gene Coding… Name: Nelson Edwards Occupation: Hunter Stars: 0 Mana: 20/20 Gense Essence: +2 Attributes:

Strength: 12 [+]

Agility: 9 [+]

Spirit: 4 [+]

Endurance: 5 [+]

Skills

1. none

A smile lit up on Nel’s face. His hunch was indeed correct. After killing the minotaur and including all the monsters he had hunted throughout the month, 2 Gene Essense points were accumulated. Without delay, he pressed his finger on the blinking ‘+’ sign next to agility and spirit attributes.

Making Changes. Please brace yourself!

“Hikk!!” Nel gave off a muffled moan when a burst of current zapped his left hand. However, it wasn’t the end. A few seconds after that, soothing energy rose from his heart and enveloped every part of his body.

The number on the screen had changed.

Attributes:

Strength: 12

Agility: 9(10)

Spirit: 4(5)

Endurance: 5