er fractured ribs from grating. Stepping carefully over the snoring bodies of the other laborers unti

d root she had saved from her meager rations the day before. It wasn't much, but i

lled the air. Stalls made of animal skins and rough wood lined the paths, displaying

l, the jostling of the crowd sending sharp stabs of pain through her side, she overheard two merchants arguing loudly. "You expect me to pay full price for this?" one yelled, slamming a slab of meat down. "The beast str

ing the system scan. The blue

ic. No eco

an merchant. His skin had a faint blue tint, and he smelled of salt

t at the sight of her mud-caked clothes and hooded face. "Get lost, tra

rner of the stall. A torn, dirty burlap sack was wedged under a table. A few shr

She activated the scan again,

ected: Primitive gene sequen

excitement that threatened to break through. She pointed a dir

that bag of mo

You mean those hard-shelled nuts from the far north? They'

You can have the garbage." He snatched the root from her and kicked

t to let it press too hard against her injured chest. She even scrabbled in the dirt to retrieve the

," one of them jeered.

he crowd. She didn't stop until she found a narrow, dark alley between two stone

re she opened the sack. She thrust her hand inside, her finge

r chime sound

ocked staple foo

golden fireworks. A notification p

rd received: 100

appeared imme

rial received: [Tier 1

. She bit her lip hard, fighting the urge to scream wi

ut they glowed with a warm, pure white light. She could feel the energy radiating from

g them against her skin where they wouldn't be seen. The gl

alley. A patrol squad was marching past,

houlder, letting it hang like a piece of discarded padding. The weight pulled at her torso, making h

iving them plenty of room. But as she watched them pass, the fear in her eyes was gone, replac