Alex shifted the boots he was using as a pillow around uncomfortably, bunching up the clothes he layered on top of them so the leather buckles used to tighten the boots weren’t digging into his neck as much. He stared blankly at the numerous Network screens he had open in front of him while his mind wandered.

  Before Raymond fled like a bat out of hell, Matt's words confirmed Alex's suspicion that, despite the suppression collar around his neck, he had somehow been able to use some kind of magic. However, the magic seemed to have come at a price. As soon as Raymond bolted the door, Matt slumped with exhaustion, turned around, and shuffled slowly back to his pile of clothes.

  Covered in dirt, his skin looked pale, and the little of his face visible under his beard seemed more haggard than ever before. Though clearly trying to hide it, he moved as though he had strained his whole body attempting to lift a great weight over his head.

  Matt sat heavily, retrieved the keys from his clothes, and touched each one to the collar around his neck, repeating the process with the wrist manacles. When nothing happened, he threw the keys towards Alex, who barely caught them before they struck his chest. Without a word, Matt turned away from Alex, lay down, and pretended to go to sleep.

  The urge to bombard Matt with questions made Alex twitch, but he held himself back. The display of magic might have bypassed the collar's suppression effect, but Alex knew the sudden hope of the keys – and the immediate loss when they failed – was a heavy emotional blow, likely affecting Matt more than any magical backlash from the collar. A backlash, Alex realized, that Matt deemed acceptable because of those keys.

  Alex also had that bitterness on his tongue, though it must have been only a fraction of what the other man had felt. A well of emotions bubbled up as he looked at the curled-up form of Matt. He looked angrily at the ring of keys he still held in his hand. They shimmered for a brief movement before vanishing, returning to his storage space with a thought.

  He was getting better at moving items in and out of his storage space. Before he still had to stare at the item he wanted to move with deep concentration. Most of the time, nothing would happen unless he practically visualized himself picking up the item in his mind’s eye and placing it into a chest or box that represented his dimensional storage space. But the ring of keys had vanished in a heartbeat, with a thought that was barely formed. A dull sense of accomplishment flashed in the back of his mind, but the feeling felt alien in this place – wrong, almost.

  With a heavy sigh, Alex bunched his clothes around him until he found a more comfortable position and brought up the Codex pages for the suppression collar and wrist manacles yet again.

  Item: Suppression Collar [Modified]

  Rarity: Epic

  Rank: Bronze Rank.

  Description: A collar that possesses the ability to suppress various kinds of magic.

  Effect: When worn, this item suppresses the [Aura], [Essence Abilities], and [Racial Abilities] of the wearer.

  * This item has been modified to include additional effects only accessible to the person who implemented the modifications. If anyone besides the original creator, or the one who made the modification places the collar on someone, the additional effects will not activate.

  Racial Ability [Survival Specialist] has succeeded in analyzing {Suppression Collar]. Additional information has been provided. Increase your knowledge in [Artifice Crafting], [Auras], [Ritual Magic], [Astral Theory], and [Magical Theory] to provide more information.

  You do not meet the requirements to craft this item.

  Creator: Raymond Foster

  Rank: Bronze

  Modified by: ???

  Rank: ???

  Additional Details: Several runes have been inscribed on the inside of the collar. These runes absorb mana from nearby sources and – at least in part – appear to be what triggers the suppression effect of the collar. Certain aspects of an ability may also remain active even with the collar in place. This is most commonly seen with abilities that include some form of automatic language translation, though it is not always guaranteed. In some instances, the suppression effect of the collar can by bypassed or negated to a certain extent, though the methods used to accomplish this are currently unknown.

  Modified effects:

  ???

  ???

  ???

  Item: Restraints of the Astral Anchor.

  Rarity: ???

  Rank: ???

  Description: Wrist manacles with suppressive properties similar to [Suppression Collar].

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Effect:

  ???

  ???

  ???

  Racial Ability [Survival Specialist] has failed to analyze [Restraints of the Astral Anchor]. The rank of this item is too high. Please increase your rank to [???] to analyze. Increase your knowledge in [Artifice Crafting], [Auras], [Ritual Magic], [Astral Theory], and [Magical Theory] in order to provide more information.

  You do not meet the requirements to craft this item.

  Alex dismissed the windows with a disappointed thought.

   Alex complained.

  

   Alex said, opening the window to his inventory.

  

  Alex selected the icon of a small green vial and a separate window popped up, displaying the item information.

  

  

   Alex asked.

  

   Alex asked with hopeful dejection.

  

   Alex mused.

   Vi offered.

  That made a lot more sense to Alex, now that she pointed it out. While the inventory and character screens echoed the menus of his old video games, they were closer to the customized spreadsheets or specialized programs fans often built as an extension for the game.

  Thinking of the Network as a computer also explained how it was able to integrate the other racial abilities – not that logic really mattered when it came to explaining magical abilities.

  If the Network was a computer, his other abilities were like programs or apps that could be downloaded and run as mods.

   Vi said, reading his train of thought.

  

   Vi said in a patient tone.

  

   Alex said with realization.

  

  

   Vi said.

   Alex said slowly.

   Vi said approvingly.

  

   Vi said.

   Alex said.

  A sudden thought occurred to him, and he pulled up the rest of his abilities.

  

   Vi said.

   Alex asked.

  A pressure began to build within Alex, like a great weight was slowly being lowered onto his chest. No, not a weight. It was like he was a balloon being pumped with air. He felt himself slowly start to expand, his ribs slowly shifting under his skin. The curious sensation turned uncomfortable, then painful. Alex opened his mouth to cry out, but as soon as he did, it stopped.

   Vi said in a more robotic tone Alex had ever heard from her.

  

  Alex took a slow deep breath, massaging his sore ribs. His lungs were burning, and they felt weak, like they were too small to sustain his own breathing. It was like someone took a twin-size bedsheet and relentlessly stretched it over a king-sized mattress until it fit. The fabric was dangerously taut, the corners of the mattress bowing up under the constant tension from the inefficacious cover.

  

  

  

  

  Alex’s breath started to come a little easier as the built-up tension in his chest dissipated. At least his body wasn’t going to continue to try and tear itself apart.

  

  

   Alex said.

   Vi said, a little bit of personality finally breaking through the apathetic tone she had adopted since the alert message.

  < Racial Gift Mutations are far less common but operate on a much smaller scale than Evolutions. While Evolutions fundamentally alter racial abilities, Mutations typically add or modify any existing effects, and their effects are usually temporary. In this instance, the mutated effects would only apply while Army of One is integrated into the Network.>

   Alex asked, his curiosity finally peaked.

  

  

  

   Alex scoffed, looking around his cell.

  So I decided to through in this quick little chapter, and I hope that it doesn't ruin the pacing for all of those waiting to see what happens next!

  I feel really bad about my reply to that comment now. I totally didn't mean to hype up the next chapter release, only to delay it by adding this chapter instead, I swear!

  I hope you enjoy this chapter regardless, and I promise to releaser the next one quickly!