บท 1: Monster gen fluid
In the midst of a squalid and grimy expanse, towering mounds of refuse resembled mountains. Amidst this scene, a cadre of waste scavengers ambled about, methodically sifting through the heaps to uncover salvageable items.
Mondays held a special allure for these scavengers, as it marked the day when the weekly congregation of refuse was dispatched to the waste repository. Typically, amidst the discarded items, a trove of potentially useful articles could be discovered, and if fortune smiled, novel finds awaited.
In the ranks of these scavengers, a contingent comprised several children, predominantly those forsaken by their parents. Among them was Ren Kanazawa, a 12-year-old who had been scavenging since the age of 5. Ren stood out because he never sought items for utilitarian purposes or for profit.
Initially, the other scavengers derided him, considering him naive for accumulating seemingly worthless trash. However, their amusement turned to astonishment as they observed Ren fashioning something meaningful from these discarded fragments.
At times, he fashioned peculiar radios that fetched 5 yon each. Not long ago, he ingeniously crafted a hair trimmer, commanding a price of 10 yon. This child demonstrated a remarkable aptitude for transforming seemingly worthless refuse into valuable commodities.
Envy stirred within the hearts of other scavengers towards Ren, but their abilities fell short of replicating his craft.
One fateful day, a jealous scavenger attempted to rob Ren, only to be thrashed by two thugs. It was revealed that Ren had aligned himself with the gang by sharing a portion of his earnings. After that incident, an unspoken agreement pervaded the slum – none dared to disturb the young scavenger.
"Hmm, this cable looks brand new."
Ren casually tossed the cable into the basket slung across his back, perpetuating his slow perusal of the trash-laden landscape below.
His keen, observant eyes caught a glinting object in the distance. Swiftly descending the garbage-laden hill, Ren meticulously sifted through the refuse, retrieving the luminous object that had captivated his attention.
Examining the item, Ren discovered it to be a securely sealed metal box, adorned with small lights on both sides. Undeterred by the challenge, he resolved to unlock its secrets.
Drawing a wire from his pocket, Ren deftly inserted it into the keyhole, methodically twisting and turning. After a measured duration, he exerted a firm tug, successfully unlatching the box.
Within its confines, Ren uncovered a cylindrical glass vessel containing a radiant green liquid. Suddenly, his gaze fixated on an inverted light blue triangular logo.
"Blue Triangle Company?" Ren's eyes widened in astonishment. He was cognizant of the company's role in mass-producing monster gene fluid, obtaining creatures from genomancers, and synthesizing relatively weak monster gene fluids for commercial purposes.
"But aren't they never sold green monster gene fluid? Is this a new product? Why consign it to the trash?" Ren pondered aloud, his confusion palpable.
After a contemplative pause, Ren resolved to transport the discovery home. Placing the monster gene fluid back into the box, he nestled it within his basket, strategically concealing it beneath an array of miscellaneous refuse to mitigate any undue attention.
Having scoured for additional items for a while, Ren ultimately opted to commence his journey homeward.
"Ren, it's still daylight. Are you heading home already?"
"No promising finds today. I'll make my way home."
Ren greeted some other children who, like him, made a living scavenging for trash. Their fate was far worse than Ren's, as they often faced harassment from adult scavengers, and their money was frequently stolen. However, Ren couldn't do anything about it. He struggled to make ends meet himself, so how could he find time to help others?
Ren eventually arrived at a place that could hardly be called a home. Its walls were constructed from three layers of cardboard, fused together and covered with plastic to fend off rain. The top part was protected by a few weathered sheets of metal.
This shack consisted of only two rooms: one served as the kitchen and the place where he assembled various electronic devices, while the other doubled as his bed and a space for studying using a few second-hand books he had bought or found.
Ren placed his trash basket in the kitchen and carried the metal box into his room. He opened the box again and extracted the monster gene fluid.
"Is it better to use it myself or sell it?"
There was a risk in using this monster gene fluid on Ren's own body. He didn't know the type or potency of this particular monster gene. Moreover, if it failed, the consequences could be severe, potentially even costing him his life.
Yet, even if Ren wanted to sell it, he didn't know where to do so. If he were found with this item, there would be people attempting to snatch the monster gene fluid from him. If not handled carefully, Ren's life might be at stake.
"Selling or using it myself seems equally risky. In that case, I better use it myself."
Ren took a deep breath and exhaled. He attempted to brace himself. He then removed the cap from the cylindrical glass, lifted it slowly, and drank the fluid inside.
"Oh, it's surprisingly sweet."
After saying that, a sudden wave of pain engulfed his entire body.
"Aargh!" Ren cried out in agony, feeling as if his entire body was being bitten by fiery ants.
The sensations Ren experienced were sharp, intense, and occasionally piercing. He also felt heat spreading from the surface of his skin into his internal organs. This heat was accompanied by a burning sensation that made him scream and writhe in pain.
Slowly, Ren noticed his skin turning red. His vision became slightly blurry. The dizziness that ensued worsened his condition. Ren wondered, was he going to die?
But before losing consciousness, a holographic screen appeared in front of him.
[Congratulations, you have successfully activated the gene tracking system.]
[Ding! The system has detected the presence of Felis Ignis gene in the host's body.]
[Commencing the correction of gene balance within the host's body.]
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