17 End of Day 1 (1/2)

Micheal flew from building to building, making use of his momentum to quickly move through the skyscrapers. This method of flight was somewhat dangerous, considering that some of the Morenkai liked to scale buildings.

Most of the Morenkai that appeared on the rooftops were ones that either scaled the outside of a building or made their way through the inside all the way to the roof.

While the percent of Morenkai that would take either route was quite small, the sheer multitude of the beings that existed, swarming down below, meant a significant number climbed upwards.

As for how the Morenkai came to be, well, that was part of the big secret of the First Layer as well.

'Flying like this at night is doable. In the daytime, though…' Micheal's eyes flashed as he soared through the air, gliding across a large gap towards one particularly large skyscraper.

'It's possible I'd get shot down.'

While the Morenkai might not pay attention to him, that didn't mean other humans wouldn't. Some of the big or small organizations were fiercely territorial, barring anyone from entering their controlled skyscrapers.

In a reality where the rule of law had greatly devolved, it was often every man for himself. Trust was a rare commodity in the First Layer.

Micheal could vividly recall hearing about one of the raids the Black Flag Pirates had committed against a smaller organization, the Blue Devil Alliance.

The fighters from the Black Flag Pirates had used grappling hooks and ropes to latch on to the lower part of the Blue Devil Alliance-controlled skyscraper, where they had their main base. Warriors had snuck across into the depths of the skyscraper, infiltrating the building. They had then launched a surprise ambush, wreaking havoc and decimating the group.

'Though, it's not like the Blue Devil Alliance were angels either.' They might have been a smaller group, but they were almost as bad as the Black Flag Pirates when it came to murder and intimidation. If and when the same situation came about in this timeline, Micheal had no plans on trying to stop it.

Micheal soon made his way across and past a dozen different skyscrapers, using the faint glow from certain windows to see. The night was notoriously dark in the First Layer, but the fact that he was flying where the only sources of light could be found was a big boon.

Finally, he reached one skyscraper in particular he decided that he liked. He had no idea if it was occupied or not, but by this point, he didn't care. He just wanted to find a place to rest.

After observing it for a brief period, he noted that there was no one standing guard on or visible in it. He moved into the skyscraper from a lounge patio, sneaking in.

The quiet hum of various air conditioning units was a pleasant backdrop as he carefully crept down a couple of floors, on full alert.

He didn't hear or see anyone. Most people tended to inhabit the upper floors, instead of the lower ones. The chances of running into a Morenkai were much lower the higher up you went.

Of course, even if he did run into one, he could make short work of it, so that wasn't an issue for Micheal.

Soon, on the 17th floor, he picked out a room. It was functionally identical to his other room, complete with a hidden doorstop, one he found under the bed. He set up shop again, blocking off the door and returning to his bed.

Roughly an hour passed as Micheal returned to his meditative Cultivation State. This time, he went uninterrupted, able to focus on getting stronger in peace.

After the hour of focus, he called up his status screen.

— - Status — -

Name: Micheal Care

Points: 157

Race: Human

Age: 18

- Stats -

Strength - 23

Endurance - 17

Recovery - 13

Soul - 10

- Abilities - (3/7)

Life Orb Master

Ki Cultivator (Mortal Tier)

Grandmaster Sword Mastery (1/5)

.

'Nice.' He smiled as he looked at it, pleased. He had made progress in his Strength, Endurance, and Recovery stats, all of them increasing by 1. To have such an increase in literally his first day, it was already blazing fast progress. Most people took a very long time to see visible gains in their Ki Cultivator Ability.

'With my experience, I should be able to make relatively fast progress in cultivating. Once I get a few thousand more Points, I can even speed that up using some of the secrets I know.' His eyes flashed cheerfully.

rummbblllleee

Just as Micheal was celebrating, he felt his stomach rumble, reminding him he hadn't eaten yet today.

'Hmm… Shop… Food Selection… Let's see, give me a juicy filet mignon and a side of fries, with honey mustard sauce!' He went over some of the mental options in his head before making a decision.

'It costs 6 Points? Pricey, but I won't turn it down.'

WHOOSH

A moment later, a plate of steaming steak and fries, with a few cups of sauce, appeared right on Micheal's bed. There was even a fork and knife. He grinned as he saw this, the magical Shop never ceasing to amaze him. He took a deep breath, savoring the scent. All of this would disappear in 30 minutes, the plate, utensils, and any leftovers.

”Mmmm!” Micheal bit into the filet mignon, feeling the juices of the steak combine with the sautéed butter and warm sauce. He grabbed a couple of fries, dipping them in one of the sauces to add to his bite as he chewed.