Chapter 1: Grade 2 beast

(AD 3000: 9th Domain, division 33, outer base perimeter, 13:46pm)

Slash! Slash!! Slash!!

Blade used a triple knife work on a mutated beast that attacked him. This mutated beast had long since lost it's calmness and attacked on instinct. This was what Blade was currently facing.

He had been walking around for a very long time now and didn't know how many mutated wild animals he had encountered.

This was the lowest level of scavenging grounds that his strength could carry. Being just a shackle breaker didn't give him much edge over mortals, rather most shackle breakers had to scavenge for resources.

He was already familiar with the habits and habitats of some special animals including the ones he should avoid in case he sights them.

Yet, his body was already covered with bruises and slash marks due to the sheer number of mutated animals he met on his way.

All of a sudden, he stopped as he listened attentively, then with a systematic method of movement, a woosh sound was heard as a blade shot out from his left hand, a sharp wooden like spear was thrown to the right and he had jumped up with an anti-magnetic rifle with his aim on the animal coming in the distance.

Swoosh!

The blade got to the animal first. It ducked it's head low but still got pierced by the spear. In anger it jumped out of the shrubbery it was using as camouflage and shook its head from side to side to dislodge the hook but was met face to face with the AMAG rifle.

BAM!

Blade shot the mutated leopard down to the ground.

It howled in pain for a moment before it died.

Such precision and timing!. The calculations were all performed and repeated in his head before acting. This was done in a fluid manner which showed that he had been doing something of the sort constantly to the point of instinct.

Not all superhumans had extraordinary mental abilities like Blade. But he knew that even before becoming a shackle breaker, he had been calculating this way. Those were times he had detested calculating because his dad used to force him to. Now that was his helper.

Without sitting down to rest, Blade continued his journey before animals that are attracted by the smell of blood from the dead leopard's body come looking for easy meat.

That would be a serious headache to deal with. Imagine being surrounded by lots of mutated beasts! Crap!!! It's better to stop thinking about it lest he jinx himself.

After making a number of turns, his face broke into a relieved smile!

He had found it!!!

Yes he finally found it!

The magnetic detector had picked up an unusually large magnetic field and It was amazing to find out that it was this item that looked old and broken, it was an old fuel pump but Blade knew that so long as he could salvage what's left and turn it into the Agency, he would get 50 black mags for getting an item from the pre-magnetic era!

Why did he need to scavenge for these things? Well it was because the AA discovered that every time a normal object of the pre-magnetic era was gathered together and refined, they could get rid of the Earth's magnetic field around an area using special machines.

The purified magnetic objects were used as a power source for the machines and were also used for a variety of purposes.

As Blade finished unearthing the half buried fuel pump, his magnetic detector picked up another strong signal nearby.

Blade grew excited, this was such a lucky haul he was going to get today!

Immediately he was done with the fuel pump, he added an anti-magnetic film on the body of the fuel pump so that it's magnetic energy wouldn't dissipate. The magnetic film cost just 2 Black mags so it wasn't a stretch to wrap up a magnetic source of 50 black mags.

Then he moved forward in search of the object that radiated such strong magnetic energy. As he got closer, his hair began to stand on end. This was a feeling of discomfort or danger but could also be interpreted as excitement. But from Blade's experience, he felt that it could be danger from the intense magnetic field which could hurt him. So he activated his suit's anti-magnetic shield.

Pop!

A thin film of energy popped out and spread over him. This prevented his skin from coming into contact with magnetic energy directly.

All of a sudden, his eyes widened in delight! What was that in front of him?

It looked like.... the remains of a car!

Blade looked up to the sky and laughed, the heavens were really good to him today.

Now he just had to sit back and enjoy the rest of the month without scavenging. His efforts had rewarded him and surely he would get more than 1000 black mags!

Meanwhile at his blind spot there was movement in the grass, and a small head rose up slowly. The vertical slits for eyes gave this animal away. A mutated snake!

Blade was feeling on top of the world at this moment. His brain started whirring about and making calculations and at the end of it all he laughed whimsically like a mad man.

Do you know what level of supplies he would be qualified to buy from now on? 

All those weapons he couldn't access, the body suit he was in need of, the...

All of a sudden from the corner of his eye, he saw something black extending towards him, his reaction was very fast as he quickly dodged and used the tree branch over head to pull himself up.

Before he could complete his actions, he felt gravity pulling him down. The earth's gravity around him had suddenly increased.

"Sh*t" Blade cursed.

With well practiced movements, he began flailing about to balance his centre of gravity then he hooked up a small button like device and activated it.

Instantly, a small Anti magnetic domain formed around him and allowed him to counter the gravity pulling him.

But before he could celebrate, he saw something out of the corner of his eyes,

"What the f**k!" Blade nearly screamed.