The gates slammed shut in Eric's face after he was dragged forcefully into one of the tiny cells in the facility. Eric, for the sake of the other girl, had peacefully complied with whatever treatment he received ever since they landed in the secret facility with the four men.
First, they both had been blindfolded and tied in the sleek, black luxury vehicle that drove them. The blindfold was meant to stop anyone from knowing the directions to the facility, but Eric's sharp senses took note of every road, every turning, every rough or smooth route till they came to a stop.
I'll flip the directions in my mind. It should be a piece of cake in case I want to find my way back.
As soon as the four men handed over Eric and the girl to some other men, he knew the leader had lied earlier when he said this organization does not harm the kids. Either that, or these new men are tired of their jobs here and looking for ways to get fired.
Beating these brutes up should be a beginner's task for me. In fact, I can easily subdue everybody here and take over this shithole...
But I must bide my time. Once the girl has been treated and made better by the professionals, I can make my move then.
This place could be my powerhouse and the first chapter of my book in this new world.
I'm gonna rule this organization and the underworld from the shadows.
Ah-ha, check out the youngest underworld lord!
One of the rough men smacked him in the back of the head, jolting him awake from his daydreaming while walking. The gates to a little cell filled with children his age opened up after a card was swiped across an interface by the lock.
"Get in there, you little grunt. An' ye better make no silly move, or ye only hurt yourself," one of them said.
"What about her?" Eric asked while looking at the girl, clutched in both arms by the guards.
"The runt? Oh, she's gonna be fine. Hyper-sensitive, you call it? Sounds like a nice bodyguard for the boss. He'll groom her nice and fine, this one."
Nothing about the way the man spoke assured Eric. He sounded like a wounded old soldier with extreme trauma from the battlefield.
"Don't call her the runt, please," said Eric before finally stepping into the cell.
The gates slammed forcefully.
"The runt, I'll take her to the boss now. You watch. Hahaha."
I promise to feed on your mana first when I start my solo revolution here!
Eric watched angrily as the men left, and the bitter man's laughter echoed down the hall. Then he sat down with a slump, seriously conflicted.
[Mana sources detected in close proximity with host]
[Consume mana]
Hell, I'm not hungry, and I won't be for a while, you know. And besides, they are kids just like me. You want me to consume from people below the age of consent?
[Consume mana to fill mana bank]
No thanks. Not now. I'll do that once I begin my total upturn of power.
"Hey, junkhead," one of the kids walked brazenly to Eric. "What's your ability? Or are you a weak little Barbie too?"
The other kids laughed, most of them forcefully.
Now these kids will force me to listen to the system now? Annoying pieces of shit.
Well, I gotta show them something to prove I'm a special being. I can't tell them the same thing I told the four men about my sharp senses. These kids will only try to bully me for it.
"Well, I have one of the elemental abilities. Fire, that is," announced Eric.
"Whoa! Show us then. Let's see. Be quick!"
Help me here, system. How do I use the fire ability? Hell, I didn't have the time to practice each of my given abilities. I should find some time after all these.
[Like I said earlier, abilities are not like skills. You don't need to ask the system before using it. To use the elemental ability, fire, you have to focus your attention on the core of your belly. That's where the fire ability takes space in your body. For starters, focus hard on it and imagine yourself creating a spark from there. A flame, wild or weak depending on your elemental strength, will come out from your hands. Bend it to your will.]
[There are different forms and methods of attacking with the fire ability. The fire stream, for instance, is used by joining your hands side by side with your palms facing the enemy. A long and lasting stream of fire will erupt from your palms. Each form and method have varying attack range, damage on enemies, and even varying intensity.]
[The fire stream, if not properly used, for instance, can burn down nearby objects even without concentrating much power to it. Its intensity cannot be altered much.]
[Same with fiery claws, power bomb, molten drops, spray of fury, and other attack methods you will and can discover with much practice. Luckily, you have been gifted with immense willpower, so everything is in your range of control. You only need to practice.]
[This explanation goes for all other elemental abilities also. Each ability admits its own attack methods. All come with different forms, stances, methods of control, feeling while using them, and different purposes. You only have to practice a little.]
[Use fire stream against incoming threat to learn?]
What? No.
By the time Eric finished reading the loads of information on the screen before him, the boy and the others had grown rather impatient. Thinking Eric was taking them for a ride, their bully instincts took over.
"Zap him, Billy!"
A boy with blue hair instantly stepped forward and stretched a finger at Eric. An electrical energy, like a mini thunder, flew out of his finger, crackling as it hit Eric. The effect lasted for three seconds.
"Owww! That hurts. You shouldn't do that!"
"Now, show us your fire," the bully leader said threateningly while bending down to Eric's level.