《Tides of Athens [sci-fi Litrpg Progression]》 chapter 1 From the journal of archaeologist Ted Austin, the year 2151: This is the second trip we have made to the dead planet of Alpha Centauri, and we have discovered ruins of a lost civilisation. Among these ruins, we have unearthed alien technology that I believe holds the potential to revolutionize humanity. But most intriguing of all is the Astravores, nanobots that draw power from beyond the known third dimension. Through my experiments, we have discovered that they harness cosmic forces and mutate their hosts, their true potential shrouded in mystery. Even more unsettling, the first astronaut team returned to Earth seemingly infected by some alien organism. However, under the scrutiny of scientists, it was revealed that their bodies had been enhanced in ways that border on magic, thanks to the dimension-bending capabilities of these alien nanobots. In conclusion, this new substance holds the power to either propel humanity to new heights or lead to its downfall, as it did for the people of Alpha Centauri. ------------- Present 14, October 2334. Travone woke up with blurry eyes and a head-splitting headache. What was worse was that his mother did not make his situation any easier as she loudly knocked and yelled from behind the reinforced poly plastic door of their shanty apartment. Travone, wake up, Travone, she yelled. Your friend Zishan has been waiting for three minutes. She knocked. I know you can hear me. You better not be late for your last day at school. "Ma, that¡¯s enough. I am awake, am awake." Travone opened his door, glaring at his mother, who, the in turn, took in his brushed face and glared. "By the Founder Pierre Louse, what happened to your face, boy?" "Ma, the founders are not gods. They are just lucky," Travone asserted, making his way past his mother and towards the small bathroom. "Thanks to the founders, we get free coupon credits, and we are able to live in the city." "Ma, the followers of Pierre Louse, are a cultist joke, and they are not good people." "Look," Zaire Lee rushed over to her small alter desk and pulled out credit coupons, pushing them up and into Travone¡¯s face. "Look, these buy our food, and it¡¯s all thanks to his sacrifice." "The coupons are given to those who register for aid with the UNE, and it¡¯s all because this place was destroyed the last time the founders fought." Travone waved his mother''s hand away from his face. Zarai looked at him and shook her head as she watched him put on his shoes and close the door behind himself. She turned around and walked over to the altar and knelt as she had been told to do by the founder priest, who had instructed, praying that one day his boy would come to recognise that the founders are the closest things to gods. ¡ª¡ª¡ª "Hey Travone, your mother still bothering you with that founder cult bullshit," Zishan mocked. "Don''t get me started just because the high-levellers can fly or some stupid shit like. It doesn¡¯t make the gods." "Oh, come on, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t think of getting your own nanobot gem" Zishan asked, a mock smile on his face. "No, I don¡¯t," Travone denied,"it¡¯s too much trouble. Besides, I will have to sell my freedom either to the founder guilds or to the United Nations of Earth." "You are right about that. The UNE needs all the bodies they can get to keep the five founders in check." Zishan said, "I am going to the space navy. They need bodies, too." "Zishan, that''s a hard life, dude; I am going to join the UNE miners." Travone thought aloud. "Come on, Travone Lee, you''re too smart to be a miner working your bones down on that dead planet, bro, just get a loan and study, become suit and live above the clouds in the skyscrapers," he said.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Nah, that¡¯s not my thing," Travone denied. As they walked through the city stacks, they kept an eye out and made sure to avoid the alleyways controlled by the gangs, keeping to the overcrowded street of slow-turning bodies. Those wealthy enough to afford anti-gravity cars used them to fly above buildings and roads, another technology taken from the dead dungeon planet of Alpha Centauri. So even with the credit guilds and the UNE drain from the dungeon planet and Earth, they still do little to clean the streets, letting the waste zones fill the borders of the City Stacks so much for the founders and their great power. "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?" Zishan asked. "I am gonna go the UNE guild and ask for a mining post," Travone answered. "Men, you¡¯re never gonna give that up, are you?" Zishan smirked as he pulled a poster off the train station pillar and tacked it into the crop of his shirt. "What was that pointing at his shirt?" "Ohh this," Zishan pointed at his. It¡¯s a poster of Rowan Kelly. "He has been on a rampage these past few months, and the UNE wants to know where he is since he can cross the ocean any time and be anywhere he wants'' "And Ma thinks they are saints.'' Travone frowned. "No, Rowan ain¡¯t no saint. Everyone knows that," he continued. "You know what happened to his family over a hundred years ago." Of course, who doesn¡¯t, Rowan Kelly? British native and former member of the Exodus Astronaut team that discovered the Astravore nanobots. Fought along with Kai Atkinstone against Russian founder Victor Cheslav Yanovich. Lost his family in a battle for exploration rights on the dungeon planet. He is also known as the strongest welder and is rumoured to have the highest percentage of nanobot integration, making his abilities appear magical and godly. His tragic past and extraordinary abilities have made him a legendary figure in our society. That day went remarkably dull. There were no bar fights, no gang ambushes, and nothing more exciting than the occasional school feast fight. ------- The next day, Travone stood in front of UNE headquarters along with the tourists and fans of the seekers, all of them vying for a chance to see a favourite seeker, and others used their personal coms to take photos of the place. His eyes followed the tall building to the sky, where it split the clouds and smog, allowing him to peer at the blue skies. If only he had been born into a better family, perhaps he would have been living in one of the many city towers, breathing fresh air and eating fresh food and all without stepping off the roads those like him used. Some wishful thinking, that is. Everyone has their own problems, even the Strongest seekers. On the streets, in the open-view restaurants, and on raised landing platforms, Seekers could be seen leaving their hovercrafts, eating and heading into the UNE station undauntedly heading to space port to make their way off the planet looking for adventure. When Travone looked at the seekers, they looked eerie, not in a bad way; they all looked perfect, and their skin had light shin thanks to the Astravores in their bodies. As Travone stood in the labourers'' line at the station, he couldn''t stop his eyes from wandering. He took in the hovercrafts landing and leaving the stone grounds, the tourists the grounds and lastly, the rallying Founders cultists holding signs up in protest to the UNE and the seekers. No doubt the guards were there to deter them as much as protect them from the seekers contracted to the UNE. A loud bang came from a nearby building, loud enough that even as far as he stood, he felt his eyes ring. Crouched down to his knee, Travone looked around and saw the protesting cultists running from the building that had been savaged by the explosion. Those few who had been standing closest to the building did not survive, and those who did came away gravely injured. Ma, where is Ma? Was she part of the crowd? I told her not to do this. I had to find out. I had to call her. Travone used his personal com to go through his contacts and call his mother, and the dialling tone of ringing came back to his ears via the com implant in his ear. Unlike the crowd moving away from the explosion, Travone moved towards fighting and using his elbows to push away the panicking crowd. "You stop, turn around, head to the station." A man wearing the UNE guard uniform held out a hand, yelling at Travone. Then he turned. "We are Under attack! he yelled," and in his hand, a red blade appeared. It took the shape of a sword, but Travone knew it was nothing of the sort. This was the man''s weapon ability, and with it, the man was stronger than any ordinary man; it enhanced his agility and speed, allowing him to move faster than Travone''s eye could follow. "You come with me. Get to safety." Travone felt a hand grabbing him under his shoulder and pulling him towards the building. He tried to free himself, but the hand held him in a vice, and when he turned around, he saw a woman pulling him back. Her face was filled with a slite iron shine, and in her other hand, she held a shield with similar engraves to the sword the uniformed guard held. A shield class Seeker "Lets go. The fools are using guns, and you won''t survive out here," she yelled as the group of hooded figures pulled out their guns and started shooting down the UNE building. She raised her Shield, and Travone heard the bullet hit and rechart off it. With no other choice, Travone kept his head down and rushed into the building, all the while waiting for his mother to pick up the call. "Ma, where are you? Are you okay? where are you!" "What is it, Trev? What happened, and why are you waking me up? did everything go well at the spaceport?" "There was an explosion, and the cultists were fighting with the UNE soldiers and the seekers." "Are you alright? Are the followers all alright." "Yes, ma, I am alright. I was worried for nothing." "If it''s getting dangerous, you should come back and maybe go another time. "No, I can''t. I will send you a few credits. Bye, I love you." "Travone...." "You''re doing alright, kid. For a moment there, it looked like you''d lost someone." a new voice said. "Almost had, thought I did." "Almost? Well, that''s good then, the man said, the name is Kayden Davis." "Travone Lee." "Travone, so you''re here looking for work as a miner." "Perhaps." "The way you walk, it''s your bag. You still feel its weight. You''re not like the seekers. They move different light on their feet," he pointed out. "Unless you carry books and cleaning tools like the archaeologist raised his eyebrows questioningly." "Just looking for a simple job." "Follow me. Everyone is gathering in the hall." He''s not too big I can take him if I try. "Kayden smiled and shook his head in amusement; come on, let''s go." note: Long ago, the dungeon planet popularly known as Alpha Centuari was home to an advanced civilization that harnessed power class gems for warfare. But in their drive for power, they unleashed a catastrophic conflict, permanently altering the planet and its people. Chapter 2 The station hall was large and was filled with an assemblage of people walking in and standing together in groups. On a platform looking down at them, a man of average height much like him wearing specs and weighting for all to settle just ahead of him, and to the right, a seeker stood in lightweight Centaurian Amour, his skin glistening with a heavier metal tinge that a majority of seekers gathering in a corner. Guessing from only that Travone knew he had to at least be above thirty-five per cent integration level with a Gamma ranking next to him, a large pot belly man with massive arms covered with a metallic sheen that was unmistakably similar to the seeker from where Travone stood. "Hey, keep walking," Kayden said, "we''ll be late". Moving through the crowd, all everyone was talking about was the explosion that had just happened. "Did you hear it was cultists?" "I wasn''t there, don''t care." A seeker said, waving a hand to forestall the conversation. "Does anyone know why they even decided to attack at this time?" A female seeker asked. "I think it''s because they heard Rowan Kelly is back on Earth. Thought he had a home on Mars." "It''s not my problem if you want to start something. I am going off the planet in a few hours." "She''s right. Besides, the UNE has Palani Saunders. Even with his black weapon class." " You think he''s strong enough to take on Rowan, with a shield class he got from Pierre Louse." "No, I don''t think so, but the Europeans will surely send Alexandra Friedeberg, and the African Union will send Wian Djal Vermaak." "Shots, well, I don''t wanna be here when founders Fight." Hearing the seekers talking, there was little Travone could do but hope that his mother would survive for more than two months or four before he started planning to return. Stepping forward in Centuarian amour and getting the attention of the crowd by tapping the microphone with his finger, the leader of the expedition started. Seeing that you are all here, I will be bland. After the attack today, the station port will be closed temporarily for investigation. Those of you who have any worries or are no longer sure of the trip, I recommend you stay behind and gather yourselves because this is just a minor occurrence compared to what happens on the dungeon planet. he said, turning his gaze towards the miners and archaeologists. Those who are willing to come with me, even after what you have seen here, will depart in four hours. The big man standing next to him in a UNE mining gold and blue uniform stepped up. Miners head to the registration office. Those who want to stay behind can do so, and those who are coming have one hour to get themselves sorted. "How many do you think left to stay behind?" Travone asked, taking a step forward. "Don''t know. They are fools giving up their only chance to make something of themselves," he mocked. "Well, you can''t blem them, can you?" "Next," the woman seated behind the booth counter that was too small for some her size called, Despite what everyone told themselves, the miners were those desperate enough to leave Earth in order to get the slim chance of coming across an Astravore gem while the Archeloegiste took their time learning about the aliens and their lost civilisation they were genuinely aiming to get a lucky break and discover a new technology they can sell to the Founders or the UNE for a large sum of credits so that would have them not lifting a finger to work in their lives again. "Next," Travone stepped up. "hand over his personal card," the woman asked, watching from behind the reinforced ceramic glass as Travone reached for his wallet and placed his ID card on his side of the counter. She slid it towards her side. "Place your eye on the iris scanner for verification," she said and swapped the card. He did so. Travone Lee African American, five feet nine inches, brown eyes, seventeen status None "Move on through transport leaves in three hours," she grumbled, her voice coming heavy.______ From the Journal of UNE Commander Ichioka Renzo, Rank Delta, the year 2219: President Cook keeps sending more and more seekers and fewer enforces to the Athens Station; already, I have had to set up different rules for the seekers, I have had to set up a neutral zone, and my Wardens and Captains keep reporting the death of miners and archaeologist, and those landing on the dead planet keep smuggling Power Gems back to Earth. The founders and their guilds are testing the regulations and have set up their own camps. With every day that passes, mass fights and duels break out, and I have had to sit down with the guild and section off areas on the dead planet for them to Seek out gems, metals, and knowledge. I have also allowed them to set up an arena so that they can get their frustrations out and minimise the damage on the space station platform. I have also requested engineers to the site to do all the maintenance and expand the platform with housing and bridge conduits to the asteroid belts. I only hope these actions bring about a level of stability. The Athens station was a vertical city with a base foundation to match; it was filled with people from all over the world, and waiting in acclimatisation to become used to space and gravity was one of many things holding his curiosity back. Standing at the window, his eyes were one of many peering up at the structure of the Athens station; his eyes followed the transport ship to the station, which let a group of seekers out.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Is that ''Chain Blade'' Landon Mercer" a minor pointed outside one of the port windows. "Hey, guys over here, look. It''s Chain Blade Landon Mercer. Do you think he''s gonna be in the arena this week?" "I hope so." From the corner of his eye, Travone watched as one of the Younger seekers, not that much older than him, approached the back of star-struck miners filling the view of the windows. "Excuse me, can you step away from the window? You guys have been looking out there since we got here." "No, find another window," the big, burly man replied, waving his hand without turning back. Perhaps his attitude would have been different had he known that seeker was asking politely, but at last, that chance would not come. The young man frowned and placed a heavy hand on the miner; hey, you two, get out of my way. "You''re blocking my view." "What?" he looked at the young man, "I have a right to stand here, and the UNE..." "Guys, look at this fool. The United Nations of Earth. Don''t make the rules here," he said mockingly as his friends and fellow seekers laughed. "In case you forgot, we are not on Earth, the young man said, a sadistic smile playing on his lips." Travone looked around and saw that the miners who had been standing next to the two had given them a wide birth, perhaps not wanting to be apart, and for the few veteran seekers in the room, they simply ignored the situation altogether. Of course, this had to happen. it''s the rich pricks who always have a problem, and no one is going to do anything. Are they just going to ignore what is happening? "So what if we are not on Earth..." Suddenly and faster than Travone believed was possible, the young threw his head into the miner''s nose, sending him to the ground and immediately before anything else could transpire, A woman wearing the gold and blue of the UNE was there twisting the seeker''s arm and sending him to the ground in an arm lock "This may not be Earth, but we have rules. You are under arrest for Unsanctioned harm to a civilian," the woman said. "what? You can''t arrest me. Do you know who my father is, Minister..." before he could finish speaking, the UNE guard reached for her belt and gagged him, opened the door and pushed him out. ''Is there anybody else trying to cause trouble?" She asked, and to the shock of Tarvone, the miners and archaeologists, the three companies the seeker had come with, shook their heads and the veteran seekers who had also watched the altercation simply nodded. "if you wondering why the seekers did nothing to her, it''s because she is a high gamma, probably in her high fifties, and the strongest of them;" Kayden nodded at the seekers. "they, are at least, low gamma, high forties in percentage." "how do you know? How you can tell?'' he peered closer at the woman."I see no difference." ''Her skin, the metallic sheen, is more visible than the two gammas over there. My advice. Learn how to tell them apart; otherwise, you may offend an alpha rank." "Miners gather around." The Foreman called out. "Now that you''re here, my name is Abraham Williamson. I am a foreman in charge of transportation and getting you lot settled in today. I will be showing you around the Athens platform; I will show you where to eat and where you will sleep; the rest is up to you; you can join the guilds or work with the UNE. It''s up to you. Follow me," he said, and without another word, he turned and started walking. The crowd of miners followed him in mass. They walked past open squares, motels, shops selling scrap iron with alien designs, a few stores with men and women in suites looking and taking notes for their bosses on what to buy, clothing shops and even metalworking shops with Centuarian chest plates and amour put out to entice seekers passing by the street. The entire procession, however, came to a stop when a seeker in torn rags, laughing and crying, jumped off a building and attacked his fellow seekers. the seeker in rags reached his hand out, and a spear of alien design formed as he thrust forward. As soon as the weapon came into being, an alarm went off, and the man the spear was heading towards quickly turned a shield barrier surrounding him, causing the astra spear to bounce off. "Hurry up, I think he has overdone it; he is having mental fragmentation," the woman who had been standing next to the man moved faster than the eye could follow and plunged her daggers into the man''s legs, narrowly missing a sharp spear to her throat for her troubles before disappearing once more as the rugged seeker turned to face the woman with the dagger class a shield slammed into him from behind. Turning his spear and moving his body in efficient superhuman dynamism as he thrust it towards the shield user, his spear meeting the energy barrier again. That brief destruction bought the woman enough time to plunge her daggers into the man''s shoulders, rendering both his legs and arms useless. By the time a Warden of the UNE got there, the man had been reduced to crying, laughing motionless as he tried and failed to lift his arms. "What happened to that dude back." "nothing happened to him. He did that to himself," Keyden said. "When seekers reach their limit, they can choose to stop and go back to Earth, or they can end up like what happened back there." "How can that happen? I thought the Astravores made their bodies perfect." "You can''t expect everyone to be the same," Kayden said grimly, remembering a similar incident. Even as Travone noticed, he gave him time to collect himself." Astravore Overload Syndrome." "What." "That''s what it''s called. Astravore Overload Syndrome or AOS. It causes memory loss, hallucinations and even seizures." "Why would anyone do that? It seems too risky." "maybe, but on the bright side, the founders have lived for over two hundred years. Living that long, I would take that risk." "So, as long you don''t go over your limit, it''s safe." "Yeah, now you''re starting to get it," Kayden said. The next stop was the final stop. It was a warehouse, for the lack of a better term. The large room was filled with banked beds and lockers. The bathrooms were located in the back of the building, and in the next building over was a communal food quarter; the two structures looked like temporary housing for the newcomers on the platform. "This is only temporary housing. If you have not found work in two weeks'' time, you will be shipped back to Earth, and your return will be suspended for two years." Williamson stated. Two years, what a joke. I can''t make it any longer than that because people are always dying in the ruins of the dead planet. "Tomorrow, the foremen will come to pick the best of you. For your sake, I hope none of you are left in two weeks," Williamson said." And with that, my work here is done." Chapter 3 In the lower bunk bed he had slept in that night, Travone was woken by the hurried shuffling of feet and a deep voice yelling commands. Travone lifted his head and looked around; from the looks of it, he was not the only one who had been rudely awakened by the inconsiderate voice. Still, the voice came louder and louder as his sleep was washed away. "Wake up, you fucks. I said wake up, or I will pull you out of the blankets." "What''s going," Travone looked up, and to the right was an overweight miner about the same age as him who was pulling his boots in a stormy rush. He stamped his foot down, forcing the shoe to expand over his feet. "What?" the miner asked. "I said, what''s going on." "I don''t know, but I think the foreman came in about a minute ago with some seeker," he pulled up his mining suit and zipped it up. "Hurry up. The foreman tried to wake up, but I think the other guy was tired of waiting." Travone placed his feet down, pulled his shoes out under his pillow, grabbed his miner jacket off the rack and ran following behind the quickly assembling crowd as he forced his shoes on with a limp. "Form up into lines," the foreman yelled out at the quickly gathering crowd, looking at each of their tired faces. He, too, grew weary after all he had been woken in a similar manner five minutes ago, and all because he was not willing to find out if the rumours about Sylas Marak''s shot temper were true and for the fact he was always kept on a short leash by the League of Silver Guild. "Listen up, this is Sylas. He has a few questions for you. He is an Enforcer of his guild, and I hope you all know what that means." Whispers broke outlook. He has to be at least Beta rank. Sylas Marak was a head taller than most men. He wore a jacket and pants over the thin poly plastic leather he wore over his lean body. Along with this, The thick boots he wore matched his dark hair. he would have looked like any ordinary man without the metallic tinge to his skin. If it wasn''t for the reverence the foreman showed him. "I won''t waste my time with you gentlemen. Who saw what happened to the Seeker yesterday, the one who attacked two others with a weapon?" No one said anything, made to step forward or raised their hands. They simply looked to the side, trying to avoid Sylas''s gaze. And as for Sylas, his face grew in frustration. "I was there." Travone raised his hand and waved slightly. "What are you doing?" Travone turned to his side and recognised the boy who had slept in the neighbouring bunk to his whisper. "That''s an enforcer. If you don''t give him what he wants, you may end up floating in space and his a Beta atleast," the young man added. "You come. Follow me." Sylus ordered Travone before he could Lower his hand. I" will bring him back. Once my business is done here." Sylus said to the Foreman. "He better be breathing," the foreman warned. "Hmm." ______ "You said you, saw what happened? Tell me exactly what you think you saw." "Saw a seeker attack two others, and the other two fought back and put him down real good." Sylas stopped, causing Travone to keep walking before he, too, stopped and looked back at the man. "The man they put down was of the League of Silver, and he worked under me. So tell me again what happened." his lips percid his face impressive.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Travone tensed and gulped, then started talking. "We were walking down to our quarters when ¡­" "That''s not what happened," Sylas suggested. "What''s that supposed to mean?" Travone asked. "It means my man did not attack first. They did after seeing my Seeker had mental fragmentation, so tell me what happened again." "Wait, you want me to say that?" "Why not" he suggested. "What do I get out of this?" Sylas blurred in front of Travone, and before the young man could step back, a hand grabbed his neck, lifting him in the air and letting him struggle to find ground. I forget myself. "What was your name?" "Travone, he squized out." "Travone, I think there had been a misunderstanding. And why should I give you what you want?" He asked, his voice calm. "Look around you. They don''t care what I do to you. Why should I care?" Looking around, Travone saw the passersby look away, he attempted to look at the vendors but they to turned away refusing to meet his gaze. "Nod, if you understand." Instantly, Travone did as ordered, and with little to no effort, Sylas let go, Dropping him to his knees. "Get up." Getting up, Travone said nothing and did nothing, resolving himself to follow the Seeker. Now I know why none of the other miners wanted to be a part of the enforcers and questions. "Have you come to your wits yet? Because we are here," Sylas said. "What are we doing here I thought you were with the Silvers." he looked at the gold and blue uniformed guards walking in and out the door. "I am with the silvers, this is just a formality and i need you to identify the man you claim to have seen," Sylas pointed out heading towards the door and letting himself into the UNE guard post. "What did the dredge do now?" "The dredge saw what happened to one of mine. You brought in yesterday for drawing," Sylas said. "Oh, right, the sick one. He can''t leave with you, Sylas." "Don''t worry yourself am just here to check up on him. Sylas said to agent behind the desk. "You will have to get two personal signature from people close to him, your boss then return it for his release sign this pad," she handed it to Sylas Who handed it to Travone. "Sign under witness and will go see him." In a dark room, a man was held gagged and bound with thick carbon fibre and chains. His hands were tied to his waist, and his head was sealed off from noise, sight and smell, along with a few others Travone guessed were in the same state of mind, with a click of a button Ayana the UNE agent pulled one of the cases and released a helm over the seekers head. "Is that the man you saw." "Yes." trying to sound confident. Good, that''s all for now, Ayana. I will be back to collect him. "Are we done then?" Travone asked. "Not yet," Sylas said. "We need to visit the Red Quarters." "The red Quarter, what is that?" "You''ll see. We waste time, and I have places to be." Turns out the red quarter had nothing to to do with its color most of the lights in housing and on the streets were neon, the smell of drugs and alchole filling the air,young women stood on streets in tight fitting short dresses. A few corners in they reached one of the motels in the Quarters. "Hey, are you two together looking for some fun." "No, I am looking for Malinda. Is she in?" "She''s busy right now, but I can give you boys the times of your lives," she teased, shifting and swaying her curves. "I think you''re a little too old, don''t you." the woman frowned the worm glow of her redient face fading to the background, and Sylas moved past her "Travone, stay here." Inside the building, moans and grunts could be heard; red cloth filled the doorways, and perfumes, drugs and alcohol mixed together in a dazzling mix that made a man lose his lucidity. "Malinda, Malinda Sylas called as he moved from room to room, pulling lovers off each other and looking for Malinda. "You get up." He grabbed a red-haired woman under the arm, lifting her off a moaning lover. "May I have a word?" "Hey, what are you doing, the young man complained," standing to his and facing Sylas. "Who the fuck are you?" The man jumped to his feet naked as could be and glared at Sylas. here are your manners Delta," Sylas said grabbing the Seeker in one and lifting him off the ground, ''i have business with that girl and in a few minutes she will be retuned to you, nod if you understand." "Yes." the man nodded furiously "Good." Dropping the man to the ground, Sylas turned, and to his displeasure, the girl had run. "Why do they always run?" he muttered Chapter 4 Status Character Overview Name: Sylas Marak Class: Bow Class Integration Level: 74.7% Rank: Beta Attributes Strength 17 Dexterity 30 Constitution 16 Control 35 Perception 37 Skills Acid Bolt (Level10), Hunter¡¯s Mark (Level 10), Phantom Arrow (Level 10), Far Sight (Level 10), Nightfall Cloak (Level 10), Swarm Arrows (Level 10), Frost Swarm(Level 1) Bow Class Passives Focus, Bow Stance, Enhanced Agility, Sense, Danger Sense. ___ "Hunter''s Mark", " Sense" "FarSight." the world around Sylas shifted, showing a glowing stream of colours and echoes of the mark he had placed on the girl when he had touched her. Sylas left the building following the stream of glowing threads" You follow me "he ordered the boy. Sylas walked through the Red Quarter, turned a corner and another and another, and into a large Quarter on the border of the resident quarters. The Resident section of the entire structure was filled with small crates. And out of all of them, he rapped on a plane-looking door of a small apartment. "Malinda, Malinda Jack''s sick," Sylas said "Jack. Sick. What do you mean," a muffled voice sounded from behind the door? "Overuse, I need you to collaborate this young man''s story about the whole incident." The door to the sleeping crate opened slightly. Malinda poked her head outside and looked at Sylas, then at Travone, and back to the metallic-skin-toned man. Are th... are they going to take him away "Why do you care?" He started, then paused, "no matter if I will take care of him," Sylas continued. "What happened to him?" "Travone, that''s your name." he asked for more for his sake than anyone''s. "Explain what happened, as we discussed." After he was done recounting what happened, he could see amusement on Sylas''s face. "That''s what happened," Sylas said. "I hope for your support." ____ If Travone had taken as many turns as Sylas, he wasn''t sure he would get lost. No, with the aimless wandering the man had seemed to do, he was sure he would have given up and yet Sylas seemed unbothered in his pursuit; in fact, it seemed more like an irritation than a hindrance to the man. After the silent walk and turns, he had stopped where he wanted and knocked on a door, seemingly ignoring the few hundred creates in the quarters. At first, it had been made public to Travone, but when he saw the girl''s face, he realised that Sylas knew what he was doing all along. "How did you know she was there," Travone asked. "It''s simple; really, I have the skills." He said, walking out of the quarter, "then what rank are you.. are you a Gamma." "A Gamma, please show some respect. I''m a Beta." Their next stroll took them closer and closer into the Central Qaurter of the Athens platform station; the streets were filled with more people walking about, there were no stalls here, the buildings were reinforced, and the restaurants and shops filled their showcased with fashionable articles of clothing amour and heads of the dead creatures sold to the highest bidders from the eccentrics of Earth. On a far-place quarter next to the Coliseum, the place was filled with small arenas in the quarter Many seekers here sparred with one another, betting and cheering each other on, and the smell of sweat filled the air. Unlike the Dreadges in the Miners Quarters, the seekers in this area recognised a High rank when they saw one. The Zetas, the lowest, the Epsilons, the Deltas, and Even the Gammas, gave Sylas the respect he was due, at least those of the League of Silver. Everyone else, like those few from the Northern Guard or the Ascend institute, gazes at him at a passing glance. "Master Sylas, what are you doing here?" A short-haired middle-aged woman wearing white and blue silvers comes up to them, keeping her face stern. "The guild master sent me. Trust me, I prefer not to be here too, but Domitia doesn''t like things that disturb her." Sylas turned, looking around at the training Zetas and Epislons.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "So its about Sanna and her party. I thought it was temporary. They all vouched for him." she explained. "Where are they?" "Over there, they are waiting for the UNE to let him go." "That''s not possible, Remmy, I am afraid I will not be coming back." "Is it that bad." "Let''s hope not. I need a signature from their team for a judicial hearing and release." "This way," she stammered, "if the psychologists can''t get him to his senses, then extraction." "I don''t know. The problem is that his a son of a very powerful person back on earth, and all we can do is get him sent back." Stepping at the one end of the arena, Vice-captain Sanna, a member of the League of Silver and leader of her party of four now three, stood with as much ease as she could master " Captain Blanche, is this about Remy?" Without missing a bit like a mother talking to a daughter, Blanche cut her short "Were there any signs? you reported he was stable." the five standing behind her shook their heads along. "He was. he said he was feeling a slight headache, and he was at the level of thirty-one, he said he was going to stop at then." "You should have informed me." Captain Blanche said trying to glare and keep her face hidden from Sylas. "There is no need for all of this. Hearing the voice of the Sylas, she turned to him. "We sent word up the chain of command, but we didn''t expect to see you." "Travone, hand her the pad. I need her signature." "Who is this?" She looked at Travone. "He is a witness. He will tell you what happened to your friend," Sylas''s eyes met Travones. "Go on, tell them what happened." And he did from how he jumped off the of to how he attacked the other seekers. "Just sign the pad," Sylas asserted, not saying a word until she finished. You will be sent to Earth for a judicial hearing. After they left the training yards, Sylas stopped and turned to Travone. "Travone, I think we are done here. You can head back to the quarters of the dredge, and I will send you the credits." _____****_____ The next day at the Miners Qaurters, most of the miners that he had come here with were gone, and others stood in stools waiting for foremen to come by, looking for a helping hand. He stood there for hours after his escapades that day, waiting for a chance to get the attention of the foremen. Whenever one came by, they were swarmed by willing labourers, all hearing what the job was doing and whether it was worth the risk or not. "Heard that you took a job with one of the High ranking seekers" "Kayden haven''t seen you around." "Now do you know why people dont want to deal with the Seekers" "Ya never doing that again Travone said, his hand going to his neck, remembering how helpless he had been when Sylas''s eyes landed on him." "Listen do you need a job." Travone looked at him curiously. "What sort of job are you offering." "Got a metal worker who needs some scraps from the surface. He pays credits for parts." "Am good. I''ll take my chances with a mining team, thanks though." "If you change your mind i will be in the Engeneers Quarter," Kayden said turning an heading towards a huge pile of scraps he was pushing towards the other quarter. "You, what are you doing sitting around." A voice called. Travon looked around and noticed he was the only one left standing in the stall. "Do you want to make credits or not," the foreman asked. "Sure." "Well, follow me; the transport craft leaves in seventy-five minutes lets go." The group of miners under the foreman were no more than nine, all waiting for the side until the seekers of the UNE vanguard Guild members escorted them to the planet. The foreman cleared his throat my name is Odion am with the UNE mining sector. The instructions are simple you get paid for how much metal you can get. When i tell you to get to transport you do so, if you see something dangerous you wan to talk me and the Seekers, and lastly don''t go beyond the designated area. "What if we find a power gem," a miner asked. Odion laughed. "If you''re able to find one, then you are lucky bastard, but if you get caught slaking, then I will make sure your never is called up. basically, do a good job, and I will make sure you get a stable income." Odion, Travone and others watched the seekers head into the transport craft and their foreman gave them order to follow along. The craft shook heavily with the vibrations, causing his knee joints to grind and ache; Travones heart beat faster and faster, his nerves were reeling, and the grip of his peak axe tightened. As the ship lowered its altitude in the planet''s atmosphere, a confusing weight overtook his body as the change in gravity took hold. Then came the loud noise from the landing thrusters and the heavy unstable drop as the ship landed. "Put on your breathing masks. The oxygen is thin on the surface," Odoin ordered, "we''ll wait for the seekers to check for any mutated creatures that may have wandered close to the area." The doors opened, and the silvery-skinned Gamma seeker walked out of the ship. After a minute, the other two seekers of a lower rank followed the man outside. Five minutes later, a voice came loud and clear from the outside. "It''s all clear you can come out." the voice called. "You heard the man you two," Odion pointed at Travone, "pull the carts the rest of you get out give them some space don''t forget your tools." On the outside the air stank of dead and iron, Travone stumbled at the uneven ground beneath his feet, the stone and dust mixed with patches of dark soil in the distance masked miners made their way into a gapping maw of a cave that lowered deep into the ground Ahead of the miners the High rank seeker lead the way while the three other seekers took up positions on the hilly tops surrounding the cave. Inside the cave, electric lumps filled the caves, luminating the walls in a dull blue light. They stopped at a wide clearing inside the cave supported by beams The Seeker finished talking to the Odion and then left the cave; Travone assumed the man was heading back to protect the entrance and the area surrounding it. "Everyone gather around," The foreman said he reached into a bag held in one hand and pulled out a shiny-looking piece of metal that gleamed dully in the soft light of the cave, "This is centenarian iron a kilo is worth five hundred credits and you have at least a month to collect as much as you can before we move on to the next location." He pointed to the beams. "You can all take one beam with you. you don''t want a collapse to happen as you work and lose your life in the narrow tunnels, so grab one and get moving, chop, chop everybody." Following the other miners, he did as they did, grabbed a basket from the cart and a beam from the other cart, following a group of three He headed into the deep cave. chapter 5 The sleeping crate Travone had rented was small but comfortable enough in relation to how much he was making every month; for the five hundred credits he made every month, he sent half of them to his mother, that and the coupons that the UNE gave out he hopped that his mother was leaving relatively comfortably as compared to before. His room had an oven where he warmed the packed food, a small extendable toilet seat and a shower pipe to keep himself clean to a certain degree. the rent on the Sleep crate was half of what was left over, and the rest was spent on his food and other essentials. Looking at the time, Travone grabbed his mining pack and tools off the floor by the door and stepped out onto the crowded balcony in the V5 residential quarters; he walked to the end of the quarter''s platform and made his way into the crowded elevator. The neon screens in the Elevator flashed with images of the products, alluring images of men and women, and short clips of the Arena fights. When the elevator reached the mining quarter on the (44) forty-fifth floor, like it was becoming the norm, Travone made his way to the stools until he was collected by his mining team. As usual, they made their way into the transport craft, and not far behind, Seeker Albin Entered and ordered the pilot to take off. It had been three months and as the miners talked, Travone had come to learn more about Seeker Albin. He was a low-ranking Gamma under the UNE who could be spared to do simple tasks such as guarding mining teams and also given the duty of helping the new seekers get their first tour of the planet. With the familiar vibration of the croft touching down on the planet''s surface, Seeker Albin and Forman Odion took the user precautions. The seeker left the transport vessel first, and a minute later, his party followed behind. Then, a call came, and Odoin ordered them to leave for the cave. Travone grabbed a basket to fill with the centenarian iron and a beam and headed into the cave I was working on. Hoping to get more work in for more pay. Travone chose a new section of the tunnel and started digging. Three hours into the dig, his peak axe found a large rock which refused to give way; he grabbed his tool bag and used a chisel to hit the rock over and over, trying to work around it. "Do you need help with that?" Travone turned, and Magnus was there, standing to the side and looking at him with a curious look. Magnus was one of the miners in the tunnel with him; the man had a full beard filled with dirt and a pot belly that said a lot about his vices. "Ya, sure, it''s stack. I''ve been working on it for an hour." Travone said, his hand going to his chin as he inspected the rock. "Am thinking of just grabbing the rope and yanking it out." "Good. deal. I got a rope in my pack," he said, running over to his pack and tossing Travone the ropes; without missing a bit, he tied the rope to the jagged end, pointing out, placed a metal beam across from it and yanked on the rope tightening it. "You ready," Magnus asked. "Ready," Travone replied, and together, the two yanked; at first, it felt as though no progress was being made, and then the rock loosened; with another tag, the two fell to the ground, and the tunnel creaked, bar all cases Magnus was the first o sport the gleam of metal and jumped to his feet rushed past Travone and lifted the gleaming rock in his hand. ''It''s Centuarian iron. I want it.'' Magnus said, lifting the lamp of metal that weighed over five kilograms." You have to give this to me. Listen, I just had a call, and my wife, shes given birth; with this, I can take a month or two off back on earth. You got to help me here, men," he said, cradling the iron like a baby clasp to his chest. What do I get in return?" "If I get something, I promise to give it to you when you need help, too.'' I can''t blem him. No wonder his been working this past month. He''s probably not been eating as well; let them not say I don''t have a good heart. I hope I don''t regret this. "Sure," Travone stammered, lowering his picture axe and shaking his head. "Thank you, thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me," Magnus said, running past Travone, bumping into him, and shouting in jubilation. "Looking at what I found. Look at what I found." he yelled as he left the tunnel, no doubt grabbing the attention of the miners. Moving to Pick his axe off the ground where he had dropped it when Magnus had bumped into him, Travone''s eyes caught a glow in the hole the huge iron had just been in. There is more. He rushed forward and pushed his hand into the hole, wrapped his hand around the glowing metal, and pulled. He wiggled the rock substance, and it got free inch by inch, giving him more leverage to tag and pull; using his other hand, he used all the power his hands could master in the tight space, and the rock got free.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Using his hands, he cleaned the dirt off of it, and his eyes went wide once he realised what he was holding. Of all the things he had expected to find in this small cave out here in the middle of nowhere, this was the last thing he had ever imagined holding. Thick and robust, the gem was bulky with a rectangular form; it felt immovable and reflected the light in deep oranges and reds. "What do you have there, dredge?" Travone turned, and a hand shot out, grabbing his wrist in a wrathful grip. A power gem, nice find, Aldin said and squeezed, causing the gem to leave Travone hand and into his. It seemed it was worth the effort. After he mused, letting go of Travones hand and turning to Odoin. "Foreman. Give the young man two months'' pay," Albin said, his eyes not leaving the class Power Gem. "I don''t have enough to pay him that much." "Don''t worry about taking it out of my pay. This is worth more, he said, passing by Odoin and Magnus, who stood in a mix of disbelief and horror. Travone felt his eyes follow the man, and the anger in him raised as he held his peak axe tight in his grip and before he moved. Odion rushed forward, grabbing his arm and pushing him against the cave wall. "Listen, don''t do something you will regret. You''re alive; that''s better than dead. Let it go, he said next time. My advice is to show nobody until you have absorbed it. "Do YOu think there is still more?" Magnus asked, greed colouring his eyes. "I don''t think so. We got a lot from this place: a chunk of iron and a power gem; I think this place has run out." He turned to Travone, "Stay here. Come down, you have done enough; I don''t want you getting any stupid ideals," Foreman Odoin said "Magnus, come with me, let''s talk about your pay." After they left, Travone fell to his, looked at his hands, and screamed he had. It. He had something that would have changed his life, and it was gone. He looked at the stupid hole that had given him so much and punched it. He hit it as hard as he could and screamed. It was then his tiring arm missed the wall, slid into the hole, and hit something odd, something hollow that echoed like dull wood and all he could think about was Odoin''s words, ''Next time, my advice is to show nobody. Travone looked around frantically, and seeing he was the only one reaching in with his other hand feeling around, he made the hole bigger and pushed his head inside with the light from his hard cap; his fingers felt the edge of something and using his other hand, he pulled he pulled with what little strength he had left a brick tile fell free. There was a structure, a room; no doubt it would be filled with more of the power gems. His mind rushing through all the possibilities, he came to a conclusion as Odoins words came to him again: ''Next time my advise is show nobody. '' Travone pushed the tile back on and pulled himself out of the hole he had made. He looked around for any watching eyes, but none appeared. Travone took the clamps of earth he had dug up and shaved them back into the wall. I have to find out what is behind there. I have to keep it a secret. I won''t let anyone take this from me, not again. As usual, Albin made his way out first after a minute, he gave the signal for the three Zetas to follow him out. After five minutes, the call came, and the miners made their way out; Travone clenched and unclenched his fists, clenched and unclenched his fists, his eyes blank and absent as he thought of a way to get into the alien room without letting anyone else find out. The look in the boy''s eyes; Odion had seen it before, and out there in the dangerous fields of the dead planet, he needed the boy to keep a clear head. Odion''s hand landed on Travone''s shoulder as he made to move past him," listen, I know what Albin did was wrong, but I don''t want you causing trouble. If he looks at you, look the other way, you understand. Don''t dare him." he warned Travone nodded once. After all, his plan was to stay as far away from the man as possible. Unlike the first time. He stepped on the uneven ground of Alpha Centauri; the ground felt flat, or was it that he had gotten used to the stony uneven ground. The workers walked with a jovial spring in their step. After months of their usual activities, the workers talked loudly and with ease. It was just another day at work for Travone, and it was an opportunity to move forward in his life. He looked up at the sky empty of the clouds. The day felt brighter, and deep inside, hope bloomed. Making his way to the cave, Travone saw one of the Zeta-ranked seekers make their way to the top of a hill, as he usually did. The young man, however, in his arrogance and carelessness, missed the sight of a Vilespine prowler, a tiger-like alien creature that launched itself at him, grabbing his head in its jaws and clamping down, causing the seeker''s body to go limp. With its segmented tailbone, the creature let out a clicking sound that chilled all men to the bone. "Vile spine, hold your ground," Albin shouted. With a loud boom, Albin launched himself at the creature, smiling his conjured shield into its face, causing the creature to skitter back off its feet, rolling around and gaining its footing in a second As a shield user, his upon class was not suited to offense, and had it been for only this fact, he would have never retreated, but as a Gamma rank, his strength far surpassed any mortal man on earth. With the presence of centenarian steel in Athens, most shield class users had a way to make up for their high defences and leveraged their high control, constitution and strength. Albin reached down to his waist and grabbed his long centenarian blade dagger in his free hand, and squared up with the beast. Shaking away the confusion, the prowler launched itself forward, and willing to oblige it, Abiln met it with a slam, causing the beast to tear and scratch at him before he wandered it off with a heavy slum to its face. This time, the seeker did not let the creature get its bearing. He launched himself forward with all the strength his legs could master and slummed the creature in its face. The prowler, still reeling from the confusing shield bash, did not have enough time to see the centaurian blade that was aimed at its eye, ending it instantly. Chapter 6 From the unknown collection library on Mars, The primary species of the planet have come to be known as Xyrr''than people; they are a tall species with long arms. The archaeologists say that the entire race was killed off in a civil war, while others say it was something else; they are sceptics; the evidence is in front of us. If we are to adopt this technology into human society, there is a risk it permanently alters our very souls. In the Toombs and dungeons of the planet. There have been reports and encounters recorded as evidence that the fallen race teams have tried to bring back a live sample of the species, but all attempts at communication have failed. I suspect this is due to the mental fragmentation of the Xyrr''than people. I must warn the government of surface planets that whatever it is that happened to this race may happen to the human race. Travone, the other miners, and the low ranks seekers had all froze at the quick succession of events, first when the Vilespine had launched itself at the young man and killed him instantly with a loud crunch, then the boom as Albin had launched himself towards the creature living behind a half-formed crater then lastly it was the fight, it had all taken less than half a minute, and the strength on display had left them all speechless stunned and frozen in fear and wonder. How could he move like that? How did he take all those blows coming out with barely a scratch? Albin turned to the watching crowd of onlookers his gave moving past them and the hill where the ever louder clicking rattle of another Vile spine prowler. As he recalled, the Vilespine prowlers were team killers,. This was because they always fought and hunted in packs of three or five, and as the realization scraped against his mind, he knew the odds of fighting that many vilespine prowlers. "Zetas headed to the ship. We are getting out of here," Albin yelled, launching himself a dozen paces towards the transport, the Zetas, seeing the man who had just killed the monster, panicked in fear and did not wait for any more words to be said; the two moved impossibly fast, their bodies gliding along the surface as they left the stunned miners filled with shock and growing fear. "Get the transport off the ground, or we all die. Do it now" "But the miners" "The miners will slow us down, and those creatures can jump and take down this craft." "We still have to..." Albin did not have any more time to wait. He had seen what a fully grown prowler could do, and he wasn''t betting his life on it. One he had killed had been a female juvenile Vilespine prowler, and he would be remised if he was to fight off a fully grown male Vilespine. Albin grabbed the pilot with little to no effort and pushed him out of the craft; he took the seat, and with a few buttons pushed and turned, the ship''s engines came to life. By the time the two remaining seekers reached the landing, they had to use their considerable inhuman physiology to get onto the hovering transport craft. Over the hill, the clicking sound grew heavier and heavier, and Tarvone looked on in ever-growing shock; the miners, even worse, kept screaming and yelling for help, hoping that the seekers would land the ship. Out to the side, where the sound of rattling bone came from, a creature appeared over the hilly mound; it was bigger than the last, and although the men tried, they failed to hold their screams in s fear, forcing them to stumble, fall, step back and run away from the creature, another of the creature, standing and sniffing at the body of its dead fellos turned and looked up at them an angry grow leaving its throat and a clicking rattle of bone spines doing nothing but increasing the put panic of the miners caught between two beasts. "Running everybody run," Odoin shouted. These were words that could have sprung any man into retreat, and Travone was no better; he ran, unlike the miners who ran away in all directions across the hilly landscape, most avoided the trap of the mining cave all except from one. Travone rashed towards the cave and made it into the tunnel, knocking the beams that held the roof to the ground behind him. Travone reached the hole and looked around. He had forgotten the tools, he had dropped them as he run towards the cave and he looked around and grabbed a slightly jagged rock, and without any hesitation, he grabbed the struck the wall digging into the hole he had covered up the previous day. On the outside the, the screams of dying men filled the air, and the roars of the creatures chasing and killing men. Even worse, the progress Travone was making was slow. He threw the weapon down and dug with his hands, and in the distance, the screams faded, leaving behind the clattering rattle of the Vilespine tail with an increased sense of urgency. Travone dug and dug, and when he stopped to both, he felt a clicking rattle reverberate in the cave. Travone reached into the cave with my hands curved in muddy sweat and felt around for the ridged edges of the alien wall Travone tagged and pulled at the tile in the wall, the clicking grew closer, and the clicking only served to feel is a body with unknown strength he heaved and pulled until finally, the tile brick come free sending him hurtling down on his ass, suddenly the rattling stopped and a roar come from inside the cave causing the entire cave to shake. Pushing his body into the hole, Travone emerged in a small dark room filled with alien pots, kettles and neatly organised vases. Travone did not look back after crawling through the small hole in the wall, He moved past the weird buildings, structural pillars, the wired broken doors, and the weirdly caved walls; Travone heard a sound that made his tired legs sore as they were moved on. There was a crash, and then the rattling of bone spines of the prowler echoed through the empty old ruins. Looking back and forth, Travone could feel the growls reverberate in the air; he turned, pushing at the strange-looking doors, trying one after another, looking back from where he had come, hoping to make it into a room. The room he slipped into was filled with shelves and books, eerily clean, the faint hollow of stones glowed dimly on ancient-looking tables; Tavone found his way behind a shelf, breathing heavily as his eyes darted from place to place; he tried to steady his breathing and tried to make himself smaller, their seated in fear, and trembling in terror Travone yes caught a glimpse of something he had missed in his fear, there on a shelf they sat. the fist was a shield Class gem, convex and round licking golden yellow and soft oranges. A triangular spear-class gem resembling a shaped crystalline gave off vibrant shades of green and turquoise. A dagger-class gem shaped like a teardrop gave off shades of emerald teal and deep blue. Next to that, another hummer class gem, the second one I had seen this week alone. Similarly, it was blocky and robust with red and oranges. The bow class gem was curved and slender, taking on a crescent form of soft blues and purples. This was a treasury of any reach family on the planets on Earth, mars, or the other planets, and that was before the class gems everyone would kill for. The blade class gem and its tapered oval form in the shape of a leaf in silvery blue, and the stuff Class gem, which was a slender column with rich indigo.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I knew it, I knew it. This is it. my chance Forgetting fear and terror, all Travone could feel was excitement; with this, he could join the ranks of the elite Seekers. How long could he leave wondered; there would be no more weakness, no more sickness. Travone hoped he would have the power to finally pay his way out of the Stacks and his mother, Zishan, so he could help them all. He was broken out of his musings by a fertilizer alarming sound of rattling bone spine, the growl that came from behind him, and the glowing eyes that reflected the light of the dusty glass. Travone jumped to the side as the creature launched itself, biting down where he had been mere moments ago; the creature''s tail crushed into the shelf, causing the glass to break and the cylinders holding the gems. Travone looked at the power gems. Then his eyes went up, meeting the cat-like eyes of the Vilespine prowler. Travone ran to the end of a shelf, and when the creature turned to face him, he placed his hands on the shelf and pulled the ancient shelf down; such action could have caused the archaeologists to lose their minds at the waste and riches the Xyrr¡¯than books offered, that however was not something Travone was worried about, all he could think about was making his way as far as possible from the creature, see it stumble and struggling to make it out of the stone rubble. Travone ran as fast as he could and run as far as possible, and when he finally got tired, he slipped into a large room with pillars that stretched high; the floor was covered with old velvet leading towards a throne on either side, dried corpses of the Xyrr¡¯than aliens and their elongated heads bowing towards the throne. Travone ran forward, and on the throne, he saw a statue similar to those on the ground, with the only difference being its large frame, thinking of the statue seated, head straight forward, watching with dull eyes. He slipped behind the throne as he heard the clicking ratling of the vilespines. Behind the ancient throne, Traone caught a glimpse of a metallic substance, and he reached out, grabbing it and holding onto it as a lifeline in the dream room. He tried to look around for another passageway, but it seemed this was the end. Of all the ways, he had thought of dying to some monstrous creature as not far off-fetched but dying so soon after coming close to so much power sent a disturbing test in his mouth. The door opened, and the clicking of the vilespines came into the large room. Louder and louder they grew; one came from his left, sniffing the air in search of its prey, and on the other hand, the last one had made it in and was knowing stalking him as well. The creature-rattling tiles came to a core that grew heavy on Travone''s mind. He shut his eyes and held the blade, steeling himself in the darkness. The ground behind him was shocked, and Travone did not move. He waited, and what he heard made his heart bloom with hope. Someone was there following behind him to kill the creatures. He frowned, remembering Albin and what that man was doing here. With anger and curiosity mixed together, Travone lifted his head and froze. Trazodone lifted his head and froze. He had heard that they were real, but he did not believe the stories the seekers told, yet in front of his very eyes, the figure moved with lethal grace. Like the seekers, he fought with a class weapon, summoning and unsummoning it, and every time he did so, the weapon changed from a spear to a shield to a dagger, causing his body to grow weaker with every change. The creatures circled around him as he fought, but the Xyrr¡¯than didn''t not care; one of the prowlers lunged for his back, and a blue shield stalled its attack as the Xyrr¡¯than attacked with a spear cutting its tail, yet all was not perfect,, the alien stumbled unsteadily his body aged and weakened, and the prowlers to the advantage of this whenever he paused taking a breath, and the gem protruding from his chest dimmed they attacked from opposite ends leaving him wounded, unsteadily he grabbed his spear in one hand and grabbed the lunging creature in the other willing it changes to a dagger before plunging it into the creatures head. The other creature had not been simply waiting. It jumped onto the Xyrr¡¯than¡¯s back, trying to bite chunks out of the alien creature. As they fought, the alien body started degrading faster and faster. As the nanobot astravores were away at his age body, he collapsed to his knees, his appearance grotesque. Then the creature lunged, and with speed, he grabbed its neck and, using the dagger, struck the beast in the eye, causing it to fall limp. Travone did not move. He stood there stunned, and when the gaze of Xyrr¡¯than met his, he immediately felt an alien hand grab his neck. "Xtsraisid, siga add daojbf d df", the creature spoke weekly, but the vice around Travones neck did not ease. I can''t understand you, Travone wizard, and to his utter amazement, the creature nodded and lifted a hand to his head. A blue glow filled the alien''s hand and, like a stream of bees, entered his nose, mouth, and ears. The creature lifted Travone and threw him to the bottom of the stairs. The alien then sat back in its thorn as it watched Travone lose his eyes, nose, ears and tongue before the nanites regrew the organic tissue back; at once, the pain that had been assaulting him stopped instantly. "Do you understand me," a tired, weary voice sounded from the throne "can you hear me" Travone raised his head and looked at the speaking alien; he is nodded in uncertainty as he wondered how and why he understood the creature. "Good, tell me, what do you call yourself," the grizzled voice asked. "My name is Travone he stammered." And what of your race? That was my question." "I am human." "a new young species," he said, his gaze lost in the distance as he recalled ages past. "Good, my wait is over, he coughed, then looked down at Travone. I have waited for them to come, but none ever did. We fought them, keeping them at bay, but even with the weapons we created, they flowed. He looked down at his chest. I have held my strength back, not wanting to lose my mind until I am facing the enemy, but in doing so, my weapon class ate at my body, and even after six hundred years, my time drew nearer. He breathed. He reached into his chest and pulled out the power, he looked at Travone and spoke here you must take it and prepare for they come. When Travone woke up next, he was kneeling in front of the alien; now you must go, the Xyrr¡¯than grabbed his head, reading him, and his mind travelled back to the past, the Xyrr¡¯than was looking for something, and as the blur of memories passed the suddenly stopped at the memory of his sleep crate. Travone opened his eyes, and suddenly, his gaze focused on the surroundings of his small crate in Athens. In his hand, he saw a centurial blade made of black metal. Travone felt exhausted, and as his body fell to his bed, he saw the words written in the air in front of him. Weapon class: Armoury.Acquired. chapter 7 Travone stared at his room through a portal; through the break in reality, his room was torn, its place now a den and looking at him, a VileSpine Prowler; he quivered, his blood freezing in his vines and when the creature jumped at him. His mind spun, bringing him back to reality. The loud voices and bangs at his door woke him up, startling him and forcing his body to react in instinct; Travone grabbed the black centurain blade and faced the creature in his room. He looked right and then left, and then he lowered the thin, short sword only for a loud banging and for voices to come from the front of his sleep crate. What are you doing? Did not you hear? They said the crate was empty. Come on, you don''t know that. He shrugged. Remember that time we overloaded the locks, and we found that rotting foot. He almost gagged. Don''t remind me. Just do your thing. Wait, then how are we splitting whatever the deadman left behind You took the last crate. I will take this one. The other man shrugged and knocked, waited, and looked back at his partner. Seems there is no one inside to override the lock. Travone heard the wrap on the door and looked at his hand, which held the centenarian blade. Then, he backed up at his apartment before lifting the small mattress and throwing the bed underneath it. He rushed and opened the door. Travone opened the door, peering at the mad woman, staring through the small gap. What do you guys want? Oh shit, there is someone in there. The man jumped back. Excuse me, we are the cleaning crew; reports show that the occupant of this place survived an expedition on the dead planet. Do you know him? That''s me, and I am still alive. Well, just place your hand on the scanner, and it will get you out of the database. Travone looked around through the small gap in his door and reached his hand out hesitantly. He placed it on the tablet and saw a green flash, and his name appeared on the slate pad a moment later. What a waste of time, the man grumbled, and together with his partner, they walked away. Travone shut the door, closed his eyes and breathed in and out, trying to come to his nerves, his memories only now flashing back to how close he had come to death; he remembered the ratling clicks of the vilespines and his weary body, yet what was more ominous was the message he got after he had been teleported back. He opened his eyes and could not believe what he was seeing; there at the bottom of his vision was a massage. Weapon Class: Armoury Acquired. He blinked a few more times and looked at his body, new for the first time he was a seeker. Travone rushed to the small mirror, looking at himself, at his skin. He held his eyes open, looking at them as carefully as he could, but there were no faint hints of the metallic hue on his body. Perhaps I have to active the Astravores Activate maybe another word Start that didn''t work Over the next few minutes, He tried all he could, all words he could think of, but nothing happened in the corner of his vision. The alert of his Weapon class was still present and becoming annoying by the minute. He had just got his class, so why was nothing happening? He thought of what the new seekers always did and, to his dismay, knew that it would not be visible. Those rich pricks always had higher-level classes to help them, and those few who got lucky had to find guidebooks for the class gems they controlled. I need to get a class guidebook that should help me start, although I heard they are pretty expensive, and that''s what class is Armoury. Thinking back at this time in the ruins facing the Vilespines, Travone remembered the way the Xyrr¡¯than fought; he remembered the warrior switching from the spear to daggers and using shield abilities in his fight with the Vilespines. Does this mean I have to buy all of them? Even guidebooks aren''t that too expensive. Well, am lucky I got paid two months in advance. Travone did not leave his sleep crate immediately; being ever so weary of the clearing crew and their questions, he placed his head out of the door and looked to the right of the platform and then to the right. Travone stepped out, placed his hood on, and scrambled to the elevator; unlike before, the people travelling between the floors were far and between. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The twenty-fifth floor was the largest platform floor on Athens, and like the others between the tenth and thirteenth floor, the floor was filled with moderately sized housing structures. The place was filled with clean paths and polished buildings, and the people were dressed neatly in suits and dresses. With most seekers not going to the dungeon planet and business personnel were more focused on the arena fights, in essence, it was a retirement home for those who could no longer advance in their levels of integration. If there was a place for the middle class among the seekers of the Athens platform, those with rich families lived here along with the successful Epsilon''s, delta''s, and Gammas. Unlike the paths on the lower floors filled with rubbish, twists, and turns, the paths were cleaned regularly, and organised turns were created, giving room for the Coliseum Arena, shop quarters, residential and industrial. The shops Travone passed by were filled with all sorts of things, from pieces of rocks to alien artifacts, seeker weapons and nano suits. What is most loathsome morally are the shops dedicated to the seekers; the prices of most things are costly, and worse, the power gems cost an arm and a leg. Yet he has no choice. In order to understand his new power, he needs the guidebooks written by the founders, so he slips into the cheapest-looking shop on the floor. The bell rung at Travones entrance, much to his irritation, and the well-dressed man behind the desk greets him formally before looking up and giving him a disgusted look before quickly musking it. How can I help you the man cleared his throat. Am. I am looking for class guidebooks. How many books do you need? All of them. The man froze in step and looked at the dredge guidebooks; so did someone send you. Yes, they need all the guidebooks, Travone said, going along with man''s version of thought. If that''s what you''re looking for, then the Founders Collection is what you are looking for. She placed the box on the desk counter. How much does this cost? This collection of knowledge will set you back for seven thousand credits. What that''s too expensive is just books Travone made to leave. The man shook his head. Listen, I see you kind of come here every once in a while, and if I am not wrong, you got lucky and found a power gem. He looked at the Travone. Seeing that you aren''t denying it, I will give you some advice, the. The guilds and The UNE keep track of every dredges who comes up here. No, they don''t. They can''t do that. It''s the com drive. If they see you buying a book, they will keep track of your file, he said, placing the collection away. If this is too expensive, my advice is to go to the underground; that way, you get what you want, and it''s off the record. Of the fifty floors, the floors below the forty-fifth were neither monitored by the guilds nor the United Nations of Earth. The shops were dark and gloomy, and the paths were lined with tents and garbage from the upper floors; most of the denizens of the lowest floors huddle around the heating pipes and the shops are the majority of the structures in the central quarter. Travone pushes open the tarp of a broken-down shop and looks inside. Unlike the upper floors, the shopkeeper here keeps a list of all the items his selling. Travone felt his nerves tense as he looked from the man to the broken Pilate of iron he used as a board. You, what do you want? The gravely voice asked. Looking for nothing, just want a guidebook, Travone said, trying to play off his interest. You are looking for nothing or a guidebook, which is it. Just give me a guidebook, and I will be out of your hair. The bushy-haired man looks him up and down. Sure, which one. A shield class guidebook or a general class guide, Travone said, further feining his lack of interest. The man looked at him with narrowed eyes, so another dredge got lucky. Here. the man placed a torn, unkempt book on his countertop. Travone grabbed the book, but before he could take it in his hands, the man grabbed his hand. Did you get a class gem? Then don¡¯t answer. I can see it. He looked Travone in the eye. Yeah, you did. Fuck off, it¡¯s none of your business Travone groaned, pulling his hand back. The man raised his hand in mock surrender your right not my business, but the books gonna cost you six hundred credits. The man smiled, showing his blackened teeth. For Travone, he didn¡¯t like the man¡¯s line of questioning, and after a slight bit of hesitation, he placed his credit stick on the table and left with the book, trying not to look back. Back on the thirty-third floor, Travone made it for his sleep crate, the class guidebook hidden in his pants, and his credit account that had two months'' pay had been reduced to four hundred credits, which would be spent on his mother and his sleep crate, leaving him with a few credits to himself. The way back to his sleep crate had been rather odd ever since he left the shop in the underground. Travone felt the odd feeling of someone''s eyes watching him; he took as many twists and turns as he could take before quickly taking the elevator to his room. Travone stepped into his room, and as soon as he closed the door, he felt the hair on the back of his neck and turned to see a man standing in the corner of his room, the light bouncing off his skin, shimmering metallic faintly. A zeta You know people don¡¯t just visit the come to the underground unless they''re very desperate the man said. What do you want? Me nothing, I just want your class gem. The man smirked. It¡¯s hard enough to get one from real seekers. I don¡¯t got what you want. Nah, Nah, Nah, that¡¯s wrong. In an instant, the man moved towards Travone, grabbing his neck with both arms and pushing him against the wall. Where is it? He pulled and banged Travone against the wall. Where is it? Did you absorb it well? Then we have to just get it out of you. Travone punched him, and the man just smiled at him, throwing him down before squeezing even harder. Travone felt his consensuses fade little by little, and the more he fought, the weaker his arms got. I can¡¯t die like this. No, not like this, he thought after coming so close I can''t go like this. Chapter 8 I can¡¯t die like this. No, not like this, he thought after coming so close I can''t go like this. In a fit of desperation, Travone reached under his bed and drew the black blade. With the laser of his energy, he pushed into the man¡¯s neck causing him to loosen his grip and for. Travone to take in lungfuls of air. With an aim to finish the fight, Travone pushed the blade deep, causing blood to splatter his face as his breath came to him. Travone pushed the body off himself and breathed, looking at the black centaurian blade with fear, then wandered. Even though the other man was not a strong seeker, the blade had passed through him with little to no effort. What was worse was that now he had a dead body in his crate. He couldn¡¯t just leave it here; he thought of the smell, and then he thought of the warden¡¯s arresting and questioning him. Travone knew he had to get rid of the body. Travone turned over the body, he grimaced and stepped back. He had just killed a man, he looked at the gashing wound in the man¡¯s neck and. He felt the panic reassert itself. He had to get rid of the body and get another sleep crate. In a rush, Travone turned the man over and took off the thin nano tech leather amour that was like a second skin on the body, where the blood had pooled; a greenish sleek sherd form stood out as the man¡¯s gem class formed. It was nighttime when Travone was done cleaning his room and shoeing his grim prices, and now he was looking at the body, then at the small window, he tried to imagine how it would fit through it and out into the dark corridor. He tried and filed the window in the case was too narrow. It took Travone another hour to get any empty storage box from the flood floor, fill it with the body, and carry it outside. Travone reached the refabrication areas below the fiftieth floor and dumped the body along with the box in one corner alongside garbage. ----- The call came after three silent days. He had stirred at the black blade he had used, still stained with blood, the power class gem that had pooled out of the man''s body, and then there was the thin nano suite that had cleaned off the blood after the smell had started become unbearable and in all that time a call on his com was all he got, not the UNE banging opening his door and arresting him. Travone, are you there? The call came from the com as his mother spoke. Ma am here. What happened, Travon? You sent only one Hundred credits. That''s all I had, ma. You lie; you want to forget me like everyone. Ma, that''s not it. after all that i have done for you she interrupted. I am having a tough time right now, and before he could say anything, he had the beep, and his mother was gone. Credits: He needed more credits, so he should sell the credit, but then they would ask him where he got it. He could have sold the gem, but then he would have had to register his name and where he found it, and that did not raise questions about how he got his hands on two gems. And he needed credits. Making his mind up, Travon would have to take this chance; as a seeker, he would make twice or three times more than he made as a miner, at the very least. The seeker suit was thin and light and hung on his body like a second skin. It covered his body; he grabbed the black centenarian blade, wrapping it in torn cloth; he grabbed his jacket and placed it over his shoulders and hid the power gem. If he was to sell the power gem, he needed the strength to back it up. Before he could see his Status, he carried the guidebook off his bed and flipped through it; the first pages described the activation words, with each activation a Xanthian word for the weapon class. No wonder he had failed to see his Status; he placed the book down and activated the first class. He hoped his conclusions were right. He spoke the word and activated the shield class first. Weapon class: Armoury Shield.Activated. Trying to calm his excitement, he filled through the book, moving on to the next. Weapon class: Armoury Spear.Activated. And the next. Weapon class: Armoury Dagger.Activated. Weapon class: Armoury Bow.Activated. He flipped through the book frantically, and a good chunk of it had been torn out. He did not get the activation words for the staff class, Hammer class and the blade class. Travone felt his anger bloom. How could he have expected anything else from the underground? Done with the book and all the little it could offer, he activated his class Status and felt an electric shiver run through his body. Status Name: Travone Lee Class: Armoury Class Integration Level: 1.1% Rank: Zeta Attributes Attribute Value Strength 2 Dexterity 3 Constitution 1 Control Base Perception 2 A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Skills: None Armoury Class Passives: None. Looking at his Status and the guidebook, he realised that he had got the point for each class, he had got 2 strength points from the spear and shield class, 3 dexterity from the spear, dagger and bow class, 1 constitution point from his shield, and a 2 point perception from the dagger class and the bow class. With all these points accumulated, he had points similar to someone at level five or higher. His decision and deliberations were made, and Travvone left his room and headed to the Seeker station. Standing in front of the seeker station, Travone did not see the Aprocing guard approach him. Hey, boy, the store will be closed for another three hours. Why is it always open? No, son, it''s nighttime on the planet, and not many people are willing to fight the creatures that come out on the planet''s surface. Travone looked out at the start of Alpha Centauri, and before he could speak. The man raised his hand. The platform rotates differently from the planet, but if you are itching for a fight, you can go to the training grounds. The taring groups of UNE were empty at this time, and no doubt most seekers were asleep or indulging in their vices. Those few who custody in the many constructed arenas were those who, much like him, had dreams of reaching the high ranks of the seekers. The room, on the other hand, was large and reminiscent of a large hall. Seeing no point in wasting time, he felt and commanded his weapon class, his astra, for the first time. Armoury Available: Sheild, Spear, Dagger, Bow Sheild he chose, and from within him, he felt the astavores leave his body in a cold wave metallic and focus on his arm into a Reddish ivory metal shield with a flat top and rounded bottom. Mesmerised by the sight, Travone did not notice the loud blaring of the sirens that went off as soon as he manifested his weapon class. Hey, you, what are you doing? Step into the area if you are going to activate your weapon gem. Travone looked up at everyone glaring at him and then realised the sound of warning alarms in the area; he quickly deactivated the shield and looked at the UNE guard walking towards him. There were rules that you were not allowed to activate your weapon outside the area, she repeated. She looked him up and down, and noticing his low level, she shook her head. You must be new. I am. She looked over his shoulder. Rai came over here for a second, she called, gesturing with her hand, and a minute later, a young man similar to Travone in age stood beside him. Hey, I have a job for you. This is... she looked. Travone. Travone pointed out. Travone is new around here. I want you to show him around, sparring with him a bit, and keep him out of trouble. You, she turned on Travone and saw you manifest a shield, thinking of joining the United Nations of Earth Guild; we are always looking for shield uses to protect. Not really, but I''ll think about it Travone said. And you, she looked at Rai. Been training for a while, and it won''t hurt. Besides, we can spar afterwards. Rai shrugged nonchalantly. Rai was a young man of Asian descent with short dark hair and broad shoulders. His dark eyes looked lazily at everything, and he moved with a fighter''s readiness. Good, she nodded. Go ahead, don''t cause me trouble again. This time, Travone made sure to step into the warred area and activated his shield, and again, like before, the cold left his body and solidified into a shield. After all, he couldn''t activate another weapon from his class after the grued had pointed it out and most assuredly noted it. Is it your first? Rai asked his voice deep for his age and lean frame. Yeah, it is. So, do you have any questions he questioned about appraising Travone? Yeah, how do I start? God, you are a rookie, groined a tone of disappointment in his voice. Ok, let''s see what you''ve got. Now, Travone managed to say before Shoulder struck him in the chest, throwing him to the ground. I didn''t think Zetas could hit that hard. I am a high zeta. Don''t sell yourself short, he said, his voice slowed as he held out a hand. Am ready this time. Travone took his stance, looking at Rai, who made no moves; aren''t you gonna use your class weapon. No, it is quite useless. You''re a shield user and a new one at that. There is no way you are a match here; I will show you. Put the shield away. Travone did as Rai said and took on a similar stance as he shook his head. Overdraw, you shouldn''t manifest your weapon that frequently. It is bad for you. That does feel right, Travone said. And before he could get his feet under him, Rai rushed forward, and all he could do was shield himself with his hands. You''re pretty fast for a shield user. Wanting to pay the hest back in kind, Travone rushed forward, aiming blow at Rai''s face. He threw another punch, stepping into the other seekers'' guard and throwing a combination of two hooks and a straight, all of which Rai avoided when he settled for a high maker. Rai closed the distance, stepping into his guard and punching Travone, sending him back, clapping at the pain in his chest. Integration level up What was that? That was a skill. A skill, but you not using your weapon. You can use your skills without manifesting your weapon. You can Travone asked, coughing out blood. In Rai''s case, he had activated his in reflexTravone had been getting faster and faster as he advanced, and his training had kicked in. he had used his Swift Strike skill as soon as he realised the other seeker wouldnt be slowing down. The only conclusion was that he has a very high baseline in his dexterity. Check your stats, Rai said. Travone focused on his Status, and through the pain, he missed the message from his weapon class. Integration level up. Dagger and Shield skills Available: Reflex Guard: Automatically blocks or dodges one incoming attack based on your dexterity and control. Barrier: Creates a protective barrier that absorbs damage for each point in control. Status Name: Travone Lee Class: Armoury Class Integration Level: 2.8% Rank: Zeta Attributes Attribute Value Strength 2>3 Dexterity 3 Constitution 1>2 Control Base>2 Perception 2 Skills: Barrier(Level 1 ), Reflex Guard (Level 1) Armoury Class Passives: None Rai looked down at him. Did you get a skill? Yes, I did. That''s good another way; you took the blow for nothing, Travone whizzed. Chapter 9 After a few more rounds, all that ended in sound onesided defeats against Travone, he laid down, giving at the ceiling of the training ground. How many skills do you have now? Rai questioned. Ain''t that a sensitive question? Perhaps, but you are too weak. I got two skills then. Rai frowned two skills this early must have been a rare class gem. He paused, then spoke again; that''s not good. To increase your rank, all your skills have to be at level 10, and the more you get, the harder it is for you to level up. Isn''t that good sometimes? Usually, people get one or two at most, and that''s at the beginning stages. Yeah, that doesn''t sound good. It depends on what you want, I suppose Rai said. After the training with Rai for the hours till the Seeker station was opened, there was a crowd of seekers and archaeologists who had come to head down to the dead planet. The booths were open, and they were all being registered. What''s your name, boy? You can''t just pass through without scanning your seeker badge the weary-eyed man asked with a skinny face. I don''t have one. Then how did you get your class? There was anger when Travone heard those words. I got it after coming close to death, and that was after you and the UNE took my first class gem. He reached into his pocket while glaring at the small man and placing his mining personnel card on the scanner before he made to move past. Travone knew there was good reason to keep records of those who went missing on the planet; however, he did not have a seeker badge nor the time to purchase one. And besides, he was planning on using a shield the least wanted, and that''s what he would be using. But his next words caused Travone to guide his teeth. Wait, boy, this is a miner''s card; did you register. I think you know that''s not necessary, Rai said, interjecting in on their conversation. And who are you? Rai did not answer the man. He simply placed his seeker badge onto the scanner. Rai Tokisane, the man, read loudly and prove before claiming his nerves I am sorry, Sir, is he in your company. Yes, he is. I hope there is no problem Rai asked in his slow, deep voice. No problem, the man smiled amiably. Please go ahead. Rai Tokisane, that''s your name. Are you some big shot? Not me. My Grandfather is; he is a first generation seeker. Rai said, a deep look on his face. Now, please, no more questions, tomodachi (friend). Of the many great families of the first generation, the house of Tokisan was considered one of the strongest bar the founders; Rai''s Grandfather had become a strong seeker under the Une And filled one of a few power gaps present in the Eastern continents. Had Travone, a boy from the stacks, known who he had been speaking to that morning, he would not have been willing to stay anywhere near the other young man. However, all he could do now was try recalling the names of such people, trying to gain a clue. Everyone on the transport leaves in ten minutes. Those of you who stay behind the next craft will come in an hour, the pilot said, opening the doors of the carrier craft. Without waiting for any more people to enter the transport and risk being left behind, Travone stepped into the ship and found a position near the back. There, he watched subtle arrangements come to be the archaeologist. Most who were not seekers sat at the back, followed by the zetas like him and Rai, then the Epsilons and Deltas, and then there were the strongest seekers, a dozen or so gammas who stood around the entrance of the bay ready to get first pickings when they landed, it would have been fair for the groups to all have an equal chance but the Athens platform was run with a neutral code of strength than the diplomacy of the surface worlds. Halfway through the trip, the ship hit the atmosphere of the planet, and the loud voice of the pilot came loud and clear in the crew bay. We have hit the atmosphere. Seekers, ready yourselves; there is a wyvern in the sky. Travone moved his eyes to the reinforced window port, looking at the scene below where a large leathery reptile creature stocked the hive city turned mountain. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Don''t worry. Wyverns don''t attack ships. They prefer easier prey. hikyou(cowardly). Trvone looked from the window to Rai and then to the other seekers. The zetas, like him, had plane-looking class weapons, and from that point on, the Epsilons started showing variants in their weapons; Travone saw a two-headed spear among theEpsilonn seekers and more among the ranks above that. Manifaste your weapon Travvone. Rai called his action out. With a thought, Travone summoned his shield from his armoury class and couldn''t stop the fear and excitement mirroring his thoughts. When the ship landed, all went as predicted. The Gamma ranks were the first to step out, and the Archeologists were the last to step onto the dusty soils with air filtration masks. Travone froze and panicked. He had forgotten his musk. he looked around at the Archelogistall the while as he tapped his padding. Rai did not miss the look of confusion. Did you forget something. Yeah, my breathing musk. Forgot where I put it. Rai gave him an odd look. You don''t need that. You have a class, he added simply. Travone looked at the cave hole in the mountain and then up at the sky where the wyvern had been flying. He wondered if there would be a time when he would be able to fight something like that; he wondered how much he would make if he was that strong; would he no longer be in a position to worry about money anymore and his mother? This was the reason he was doing all this, barely leaving as he took care of his mother. I wonder how much I will make. I should ask Rai how seekers make their money in the UNE and the guilds. On the outside, it looked like a mountain, while on the inside, it was a ruined hidden city. As he walked alongside Rai, he got what he was aiming to ask him. As he looked on at the towering alien architecture, the roads were narrow, creating dark corridors and hallways and the lack of maintenance had caused some buildings to age and fall into rubble. For the first time, A tingle ran down his spine as he realised he was standing in a dungeon where the Xyrr''thans used to live. The wildlife of the planet had made this their home after the city had been abandoned, and in the still silence, one was able to make out unnatural groans and calls. Seeing he was being left behind, Travone made his way to stride alongside Rai. Hey, it''s my first time here. I just wanted to know how this all works. Rai looked at him with an incredulous look that barded between weariness and suspension. People came for artefacts, and the others came to map out the location. There are some beasts around; fight those, you can avoid those you can''t. He replied. So kill what you can, avoid what you cant seems simple enough. It''s not that simple, he said, stopping and looking at the ever-moving crowd. Tranone stopped beside Rai and looked at the moving crowd and back at Rai, who had his body tensed; he had had of the roumers but never believed yet his mind come to a sobering conclusion in the Dark underground city, if he died here there was no one to be held accountable, if the rules on the platform were anything to go by this place was even more lawless. Will you be coming with me? Yeah, I''d rather have someone watching my back. Travone said, trying to inject assurance into his voice. Arigatou Rai nodded. As they moved through the tunnels, the two followed painted arrows on the walls that led them through the ruined city of a dungeon. They walked for an hour before Rai stopped. The two looked around, holding their weapons in a ready stance, waiting for someone to show up, but nothing did even after ten minutes; keeping the companionable silence, the two kept moving. They moved through a tunnel and into a tower''s lower floors. There, past the surface, they came to a crossroads, and as they were deciding which direction to go, they heard a heavy hissing sound that echoed off the nearby walls. What''s that? dont know. Standing still sweating their backs to one another, he hissing continued from all sides and from between the walls and broken ruins; the creature did not step into the dim light. Rather, it slithered into the open, It was an enormous serpent with black scales and four eyes that coverd the sides of its head. The creature looked at them, and as its body came into view, it circled them, raising its head high in a threatening posture. What is that Travone stammered as he kept his eyes on the creature''s head. That''s bad. It looks like a Death coil. Should we run? We can''t. It''s circled us. Travone wanted to look away from the creature, but fear and an instinct to survive told him not to look away. The creature, seeming tired of the standoff, launched itself at its prey, and just as fast as it came to that decision, Travone launched his sword at the Deathcoil on an intercept course; the creature as well as Travone misjudged the speed, and the Black Centurian blade slid easily into the creature''s neck. The next instant, the creature slammed his shield, its mouth open wide around his shield not far from its neck. He grabbed his blade as the creature threw him to the side, turning to face Rai, whose sword was chipping away at the death coil''s skin, leaving deep wounds. Travone slammed into the wall and lost his vision to the dizziness of a moment. Rai, without a shield, made use of his higher stats to avoid the death coil''s strikes; he parried the creature''s poisonous maw, striking at the softer skin at the top of its nack and its eyes. Travone did not waste time watching. He made up his mind since he couldn''t reach the creature''s head. He focused on his control and strength. He aimed his thin sword at the creature''s head and threw it at the creature''s head. The creature stumbled back, and in that small instant, Rai took the chance. He jumped, and his blade took on a glow, cutting the beast''s heads clean off. Rai took his time, gathered himself and walked over to the Deathcoil''s head. He reached down and grabbed the black centurain blade. He pulled it out, looked at it for a moment and walked over to Travone. Two times. What. Two times, you throw your blade. He pushed Travone against the wall. You are a shield user; that is the only way you can fight. He closed his eyes and stepped back, and Travone watched as he took deep, calming breaths. He held the blade out to him, and Travone gulped. Never do that again, Rai added. Travone watched Rai move to inspect the beast''s head, and his gaze went to the notifications in his status. Integration level up. Integration level up. Bow skill Available: Spectral Arrow: Summon an arrow that hovers around the user and can be shot out based on control and perception. Chapter 10 Status Name: Travone Lee Class: Armoury Class Integration Level: 4.3% Rank: Zeta Attributes Attribute Value Strength 3>4 Dexterity 3>4 Constitution 2>3 Control 2>4 Perception 2 Skills: Barrier(Level 1 ), Reflex Guard (Level 2),Spectral Arrow(Level 1) Armoury Class Passives: None After looking over his class development, Travone stood alongside Rai, pulling apart the Deathcoil''s parts. Why do we need its teeth Travone asked, watching Rai cut free the poisonous fung. They are good for making medicine and weapons. Then, the scales. He asked, hoping to take some notes. Its used for making the leather nano suites, he finished by cutting off a large scale. As they stood looking at the best, the two tensed when they heard someone clapping. They turned, and in front of them, four figures stood looking between them and the dead beast. Their weapons were manifested and ready, and the man leading the group had a sadistic smile. Rai Tokisane ¡ª--------------- Rai Tokisane, your family misses you. Rai, do you know this guy. Yes, Rai nodded. They are bounty hunters. He looked up, taking the measure of the four; their leader wore a thick robe of a coat, and looked unassuming like any ordinary man not too lean nor heavily muscled. He moved and spoke with an air of all arrogance that made him think he was sure of what the outcome of their meeting would be. A female bow user stood at the back, her gaze moving between him and Rai. Her hand was placed over the bow, ready and willing to draw it on the two of them; a shifty-looking hammer user to the right of the bow user, the man had a fine build with dull eyes and a bulky shield user''s was not anything new either he had a large protruding belly his shield was similar to his own with top flat shape and leaf-shaped bottom. The man had a cynical smile on his face, no doubt imagining the wealth we would get from his bounty. Travone did not dare take his eyes off the three and hoped that Rai had a plan to get them out of this position. Travone''s focus went back to Rai. Rai stepped up. Who sent you this time. Your brother sent us he sent it with an explicit message to send a telling message. And what does that mean? Well I don''t know you old families do things differently. I have got your message, what else do you want. Oh, it must have slipped my mind, but they wanted us to bring you back with us. Rai did not wait for the man to finish speaking. he moved. His hand landed on the other man''s jaw, and to his credit, the man took the blow with experienced ease and grabbed onto Rai''s jacket, causing the fight to devolve into a grappling match. Travone Did not wait. He jumped ahead, moving past Rai and threw himself into the female bow user with his shield forward. Travone stumbled back, looking at the fallen seeker; he didn''t. The hammer user slumped his hammer against Travones shield, pushing him back. Travone twisted his body, focusing on his dexterity as he swang his centenarian blade; he did not get to finish the swing; a blow from the hammer struck his hand. Knocking the blade out of his hand and into the rubble. Travone twisted again, hitting the man in the face and sending him stumbling to the ground. Be careful, he''s a mid-rank Zeta, the man yelled from the ground where he had fallen. The shield user used an ability and sprang in front of Travone with a shield bash. Travone was not slow either. He placed a barrier shield in the way. The shield user broke through the barrier like glass and pushed Travone back, coming to a stalemate. Unlike the other shield users, Travone was not restricted to shield class abilities or skills; he triggered Spectral Arrow. The skill activated an arrow manifested in the air above Tarvone; using his control, he guided the arrow to strike the big man in the shoulder. Watch your aim the man yelled out, no doubt yelling at the archer who had Travone did not wait; using his strength in conjuncture with his Reflex Guard skill, he struck out with a blow at the burly man, pushing him back and advancing; before he could take a step forward, a hammer met him in the chest, the difference was that the blow came with a skill that launched him into the wall.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Travone hit the wall and sunk into it, the very wall coming alive and holding him with an ability that transmuted the nearby material to bind something. Travones sight went black, the heavy hit to his chest, causing him to gasp for air. h though he had a broken or cracked rib, and when he came back to his senses after a minute, he found that Rai had been rapped in chains. There we go, was wandering you were going wake up. The leader looked at TRavone from below. We should kill him, take his class gem, the woman said. You know we can''t. He smiled. We have a witness, the leader said, nodding at Rai, who had been caught by an ability from a Staff class. You have a staff class. The man ignored him, turned, and headed in Rai''s direction, where he suddenly stopped in front of the other Youngman. Your brother told us to impart some knowledge to you. He kicked Rai in the gut. As long as we don''t kill you, he will kick again. Rai was glaring at the other man with a look that could kill him. Travone thought of a way to get out, and apart from screaming for help, nothing came to him. He didn''t have any idea, but he knew he had to fight; he had to survive. He looked around himself, and slowly, an idea came to him: he could use his skills. Rai received another blow with a grant and listened to the rumbling man. He focused on his constitution and waited for the inevitable blow. He grit his teeth, but the blow did not come, he waited after a second instead a yell was the nose that he heard as an arrow slummed into the leader of the bounty hunters before disapearung into mots. Rai did not waste time. He manifested his blade and swung at the leader, his blade flowing with a dark edge, slushing the man across his chest; another arrow flew and caught the arch in the leg. The group looked around and they punicked. They have help. There is an archer helping them. Everyone watch out. He yelled as a barrier from his shield user''s surrounded him. Rai kept moving, hitting the shield barrier once, then twice before it shuttered and the hammer wielder swang at him. Rai jumped back, and Travone made his way out of the wall that had bound him. They stood together, ready for another round. Travone''s breaths came in agonizing waves, but it was all he could do to save face; his mind caused his vision to blur, and he did not miss the symptoms of overdrawing on his class gems. Rai kept his eyes fixed on the group; he had used all four of his skills in the fight, and if the fight was going to continue, there was a high risk of overload. Retreat, we did what we could and got paid, the man said, stepping back into the dark ruins, his eyes not leaving the pair once. They waited and waited and waited, but the figures did not reemerge. Do you think we should follow them? No. Good cause I can''t fight any more. Travone fell to his knees and rolled onto his back. Rest, we head back in an hour. Are we going to report them? We can''t; it''s useless if my family sent them, they will get away with it. Travone opened an eye, peering at the other seeker. What is that supposed to mean? There are rules. People can only be held by rules if they can''t get away with them, and the strongest families can''t be held by something like laws they can get away with. He looked around, then turned Travone and did not miss the fact that he was looking for the archer. So they are free, he asked. No, you could report them lunch an investigation, but they will be free in a week and hate you, fuhitsuy¨­ (it''s unnecessary). he explained. They may not have discovered any new path in the dungeon, but they had cleared the way so the next team that would come by the place would have an easier time. And the United Nations of Earth and the Founder Guilds, their actions were worth the pay they would get for an above-average expedition. The Seekers on their way back were a scared bunch. Mostly, the smiles and nonchalance most had come with were gone, replaced by grim faces and uneasy postures; some, however, carried grim trophies of creature heads, while others were less fortunate and settled themselves with the reality of surviving their encounters. Travone looked around, his gaze moving through the gathered seekers as he looked for them, his hand tensed and he glared, in a seatting four raws away they watched as the leader bounty hunter smiled and waved at them. He had bandages wrapped around his chest, this made simmered their anger a bit, but the smile on the man''s face made Travone tense in anger; it was the face of someone who knew they could get away with anything and often did. Remember, we cant do anything to them Rai said turning to look out the port window of the transport ship. Back in Athens, they stepped out of the ship, and the naturally scented artificial air felt more welcoming than the stale, thin, breathable air on the planet. Here, Rai handed him a fang of the death coil. Your first kill. Keep it. You should head back to your residency. I will sell the rest of them and send you the money. Can I trust him? I just met him, but I also don''t know if people can just ignore someone with monster parts walking around in the lower levels, although I could sell them to the scrap workers in the lower levels. But some rich kid like him will get a better price than I will. Perhaps I should let him take the fans to see if I can''t trust him. Travone shrugged. It was my first time, and I wouldn''t know what to do with them. And besides, I need a rest, spare me. When Travone got back to his sleep crate, he threw his black blade and fell onto his bed, the overload on his body forcing his tired body into sleep''s embrace faster than he could have imagined. When he woke up after six hours, he jolted out of his bed. How did I miss that? He focused on his weapon class. Integration level up. Status Name: Travone Lee Class: Armoury Class Integration Level: 5.6% Rank: Zeta Attributes Attribute Value Strength 4>5 Dexterity 4 >5 Constitution 3>4 Control 4 Perception 2>3 Skills: Barrier(Level 1 ), Reflex Guard (Level 2),Spectral Arrow(Level 1) Armoury Class Passives: None He had been hoping for another skill, but he hadn''t gotten one. In summary, he had a shield skill of Barrier, a dagger skill of Reflex Guard and a bow skill in Spectral Arrow. It turned out that even with a black weapon class, the rules applied similarly; he had hoped to get another skill. Maybe if he got his hand on another guidebook. And then there was another problem, the more skills he got, the harder it was for him to level up his integration; the more skills he got, the harder it would be for his body to adjust to his skills. He looked at the come important, and as Rai had promised, he had 4300 credits in his account. As he had promised, he sent five hundred credits to his mother, and he set aside half for the guidebook. I should start looking for a new place. He looked around at the small sleep crate, and the memories of the dead body filled his vision. He needed to get to a new place before they found the body. chapter 11 From the Journal of Scientist Obo Darby Wood: power gems there are seven types of class gems, each giving the user an array of abilities, but like everything, nothing is ever created on large scales with quality in mind; after the death of the founders, we have founder more conclusive evidence that the class gems come in different rarities among the seven classes. The most common among the class weapon gems are those that appear clear and colourful. They give users a fewer number of skills compared to the black weapon classes the founders hold. To this day, we only speculate about how many weapon skills they have. Travone stepped out of his crate; he wore his jacket and pants, and below all that, his seeker suit could be seen like a second skin under his coat; he had a plan; he had decided to get at least two more weapon class, the only problem was he didn''t know how that would affect his attributes this was a test he had to perform. I know. I need to keep this a secret, and I need skills that aren''t that obvious, like the Spectral Arrow, which are skills that do not require my body to perform the actions. If I can get those with my shield class, I can defend and simply use them to attack passively without manifesting another weapon. Travone waited at the entrance of the elevator, seemingly ignorant to the gazes of the Dregdes, the miners and the labourers who lived on these lower levels. He looked around, and the gazes of the men and women around looked sudtly away. Back on the twenty-fifth floor, Travone made his way down the clean paths and the loud, busy-moving stairs, finding the familiar prices of a shop he had jumped into the last time he was looking for a guidebook. he stepped into the building, a ringing doorbell did nothing to ease his nerves; it was the same as last time, reminding him of the fact that he did not belong there; the man behind the counter was the same as last time, neatly dressed he raised his gave from behind the desk counter and looked his way, so your back, the neatly dressed man said, a curious look in his eyes. "Yeah, I am." "and let me guess, you are still in need of those guide books." "Yes, I want two this time, not the collection Travone said, approaching the counter and folding his arms." "Should I assume you have the correct number of credits?" Then he looked at Travone, at the seeker suite, and at the blade on his back; "which ones do I want? I am looking for two. If it''s no bother, he said I need a staff class guide and the sword or blade class guide. "The two will cost you 2000 credits, the man said, or you could try going to the underground. I see it was of benefit." Travone felt his body tense. There was nothing in the underground, there was only death, and he had felt it and been part of it; he remembered the black blade in the man''s neck. He would pay as much as it cost as long as he was never put in the situation again. he remembered the words of that archer back on the dungeon planet and how they were thinking of killing him for his class gem. Travone frowned at the recollection and shook his head. He looked at the books and then up at the man. I will just take one, then. Travon watched as the man placed them both on the counter and waited. Both classes were said to be strong, the blade class for its popularity and the staff class for its versatility. Both were seen as iconic, easy to use and gave their users skills similar to magic. It would be a miracle for any promotion material not to have a user holding a sword or staff; perhaps he should have asked Rai for the activation word. Travone needed more abilities; the blade class would have been his first choice, but the skills it offered in the earlier levels were all close compared and not useful for him. He would have to use the blade along with the skills, and that would be a very big giveaway of his unique class. The staff class, on the other hand, had abilities that could reliably be used passively in a fight without manifesting the weapon. There was the sight of staff users fighting without manifesting their weapons, even at the lowest levels, and he would have a high chance of getting a ranged ability. He made his decision there; if it was a choice between risking exposing himself with blade skills, he would rather have a spell that would not be very clear to prying eyes. "I will take the staff class." He said to bring out his credit chip, ready to pay The shop owner placed his hands over the books. "Why do you want these books? You should already have a weapon class by now." Travone shrugged. "I am starting a collection, and it''s good to know all the possible skills out there." "It always pays to be curious." "I will lend them to you and place your credits on a temporary slate." "Why," he furrowed his brows inquisitively; "why are you doing this?" "The name is Rinus Verschoor," and he gave a slight bow. "Yah so." "Simple, you are a seeker, and having a seeker on my side is very profitable."The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "What does that have to do with this?" "I am a businessman, and sometimes people ask me for rare goods. It''s good to know a seeker for such a request." "So you want me to sell you what I get." "Exactly, we are coming to an understanding." "Okay, I can agree with that. I have another question." With all the training he would need to do to raise the levels of his skills and rank, Travone knew he would have to be going on expeditions more frequently than most other seekers, and if Rinus was willing to become an associate, he would take advantage of this opportunity. Travone cleared his throat. "I want to know which places will help me improve faster." The man raised his eyebrows, and you seemed to be in a rush. If this is the case you could go to the seeker station like you did before, there are mining teams always looking for protection, and then there is the arena if they get desperate and are looking for fame. "Isn''t there any other way? "There is. but you won''t like it, and it needs this specific weapon class." Travone thought through what the Man had said, grabbed his guide book and left the shop. He made his way back to his room to learn about the class in the book before he had to try to get the skill. An hour later, he stepped out of his crate and headed down to the mining floors. He walked over to the mining offices. The offices were filled with grumpy-looking Seekers seated around tables, and their state of office was worn. "Hey, are you looking for work? A female seeker raised her hand and called to him. You knew you looking for work." She asked. The young girl seated next to her simply rolled her eyes. "I am," he said, closing the distance with the woman. "What''s your rank, hon," she asked, sitting up in her chair. "Am a zeta." "Show me your registration," the woman asked. "I must have forgotten it," Travone said. The seeker looked at him with pursed lips and weighed his words before giving her answer "thanks but, I don''t think you will be a good fit," the woman said. Travone stepped away from the two and made his way to a table with a grumpy-looking foreman. After a few words, answers and questions, he was rejected. This happened a few more times. Before he realized. It was the seeker permit he lucked another hurdle that the guilds used to funnel in more seekers, and the miners were not willing to trust unproven seekers. With all his hopes squashed here, Travone had no choice but to look at the other two options; Travone dismissed the option of going to Arena and settled on heading to the training grounds. The training grounds were just that, unlike the last time, the grounds were filled with Seekers, most of them sparring amongst themselves; when he reached the place, Travone looked around, looking for a face in the crowd. Rai was leaning against one wall, watching the spars with an uninterested look. Their eyes met, and Rai nodded. "Did you receive the pay for yesterday''s work?" Rai asked when Travone stood next to him. "I did" Travone replied, and Rai nodded. "When is the next trip?" "I thought I would give you more time to recover, but you seem fine. I should have expected this from a shield user." "Nah, I am ready to go". Rai raised a questioning eyebrow. "Don''t you have any vices or hobbies? After all, it was." "My life doesn''t allow me to." Rai nodded to himself mentally And. For some reason, Travone thought that the other youth had been testing him, and Rai had actually been doing this very thing; if he was to get people he could trust, a man with no vices was a good start, and if he had used up all the credits he had sent him then this was something he could use call on Travones loyalty and Trust. "Do you wish to spar, then?" "Yes, I do." I have unlocked the staff class and need another skill for that class, and if I get a skill that does not require me to use my staff, it will be a victory for me. Then, I can simply go solo and level up my skills. Before they could move over into the Arena, A voice called out to Rai, stepping in their way. The youth was taller than Travone by half a head and taller than Rai by a head and a half; his arms were long, his body was for his body, and he moved with ease. Besides him stood two others. Rai breathed in, calming himself . "Mathies, what do you want." "I want nothing but to congratulate a Genius Zeta like you. I am just surprised that you keep such company." Rai had four skills, and leveling them up was testing his patience more and more. Like all weapon classes, the first-generation families knew it was easier to get skills at the lower levels and much harder to get more than one at the highest levels. And since this was the case, his father and grandfather had made sure he got four skills at the beginning, all of which he had to get to the highest level before advancing and hoping to get even more. "So you come to gloat." "No, of course not. I just want to introduce myself to your friend." He stepped over to Travone. "I am Mathies Wichers of the Wichers house." He held out a hand. "Travone," he said, looking at the hand with a blank stare. "You have come train. Would you mind joining me for a spar?" I don''t mind after all; that''s why I came here. "You can''t do that," Rai objected. "Why not? I am sure he can make his own decision." "You are an epsilon; he''s a zeta." Rai exclaimed as two of Mathies''s retainer stepped up. Then there is no better challenge. I will take it easy on him, Mathies countered. "Sure," Travone shrugged. If he could get another skill or two from this, he would be willing to take the man on. Travone took his place on one end of the Arena, and Mathies took his place on the other end. "He is a dagger class user with very good skills. Be careful watch for his hands." "His hands," Travone looked confused at Rais''s suggestion. "Yes, now be ready and focus on your constitution stat." "Before we begin, what class are you in? I would like to know how hard it is to push." Mathies asked as he stretched his long arms. There was no doubt in Travone,s mind that the youth had a longer reach than him. Chapter 12 "Before we begin, what class are you in? I would like to know how hard it is to push." Mathies asked as he stretched his long arms. There was no doubt in Travone''s mind that the youth had a longer reach than him. "Am a shield class," Travone said, bouncing on his feet, trying to get his blood pumping. Since this was a used to spurring, he knew the two would not be using their weapon manifestation, but class skills would be acceptable. It was a known fact that drawing a weapon on the Athens platform was a declaration of intent to kill. Using skills, on the other hand, was acceptable because the skills interacted with one another based on stats, and this was considered less dangerous. "A shield class I may not have to hold back after all," he said, sparing a glance for Rai a spark in his eyes. Travone did not wait for any more provocations, or rather, he was ignorant about the subtle political probs of the powerful houses of Earth and Sol. He stepped into the ring and readied himself. Travone jumped up and down and held his arms out in a boxer''s pose Zishan had taught him he hoped to meet Zishan again. Mathies looked at him amused, and the two behind the youth laughed at his stance. "He''s new at this." "No one fights monsters in that stance." "He doesn''t have a stance skill." the other two mocked. Travone furrowed his brows. "What''s a stance skill?" "Come on, boys, we all know his zeta," Mathies admonished his companions as he stepped into the ring. Unlike Trayvon, who held his arms up, Mathies took on a relaxed pose. "You can take the first step," he said. "I will wait." ¡ª "I will wait." He did not need more invitations than that. Travone launched himself forward, throwing one blow after another. Mathies moved with blows flowing like water and avoiding most of the blows. His miscalculation of Travone''s ability came a little too late when strength empowered blow hit him in the chest, causing his eyes in irritated surprise; his irritation to grow with the second bow that glanced off his shoulder. Had they lied to him, Mathies thought he would be fighting a shield user, and they weren''t known for their high dexterity or speed. He activated his skill, his hand glowing with a purple light. Travone had not forgotten what Rai had told him, and as soon as he saw the skill activate and, he moved to step back only for the blow to hit his chin causing him to stagger back to one end of the ring. Travone had not noticed anything; one minute, Mathies''s hand were in a guard, and the next, he was stuck; remembering what Rai had told him, he focused on his constitution, quickly recovering from the daze. "You''re pretty quick for a shield user," Mathies said. And before Travone could register the words, Mathies was moving again. On instinct, Travone activated reflex guard and felt the muscles in his body tense and flow, guiding his actions with efficient grace; he blocked the first few blows. As he attacked, Mathies grew more confused by the minute. Was his speed really slower than that of a shield user, or was it something else? He used more of his dexterity and struck Travone in the gut; the blow that had been aimed to finish the fight, however, was parried with easy movement. His eyes widened in glee at the realization. The boy was a shield user, and the thing that confused him became clear: Tarvon was using a skill he was familiar with. The timing of the skill was not easy to time as the fight went on; using Reflex Guard had come easy at first, but Mathies had kept increasing his speed steadily in a perceptible burst. The change was timing when the bursts of speed would come, and in the few seconds he had to activate his skill, the third barrage of blows came, and Travone was only able to block and parried two blows, allowing three and two blows to land, what he had not accounted for was how high the other youths dexterity truly was, as those time had slowed for him his body moved sluggishly as Reflex Guard missed all the blows causing all the hits to land, Travone stepped back, but he was to slow he activated his barrier skill, but his control was not much for the other seeker''s strength stat. The barrier broke, and the blow struck him, sending Travone sending him back. "That''s quite some skills for a shield user," Matheis said in a calm, chill voice. "So far, you have used Reflex Guard and Barrier, which are good abilities for shield users, but this fight has become boring to me, so I will end it." Travone activated Reflex Guard too late, and a blow caught him in the chest, causing him to wince in pain as he stumbled back. "Do you have anything else to show me?" Travone had a spectral arrow, but he doubted it would be able to do anything to the man, and then there was the other problem of his class using bow skill that would surely not go unnoticed. Even now, Rai''s conclusion about his new companion was tethering on the positive side more than anything; he watched as Travone struck the first blow, which was exceptional for someone with his class. The confusing problem came when Travone was put on the backside. He had used a skill that was rare among shield users. Reflex Guard from the books and guides he had been forced to read as a young child before he chose his class, he found that there were some skills that appeared across all classes, most of which were passives, the active skills, on the other hand, were rare to get and reflex guard was one of them, it was a skill primarily seen fast and foremost among blade class users, dagger class users and very rarely among hammer users and even more rarely among shield class users, the skill was one of the few defensives skills the dagger and blade classes got. But Travone had used it, and even more, telling was Rai sure to know that Travone used a special shield power gem to get his class. When Travone saw that Mathies had the reach advantage, he resorted to another plan. He rushed the Epsilon and took him to the ground, then let out a fury of punches, most of which missed. On the ground was the worst place an agile fighter like Mathies could possibly be; he had not thought it possible. Mathies had simply come here to advise another street rat away from Rai Tokisane, the so-called genius of four skills. The last thing he expected to find was another Zeta who could push him this way. He had tried to restrict his abilities to the lower ranks of his capabilities, but whenever he had, the street rat kept pushing him back. Tired of whatever joke Rai was playing at, he activated his new skill. He got at the Epsilon rank, his body became incorporeal, and he slipped out from under the Rai¡¯s brute. The draw was going to cost him, but he didn''t care at that moment Travone stood up. He had been sure of his victory that time, but he had not expected a skill like that. he looked at his opponent and steadied himself in a fighting stance. Mathies simply gave him an angry glare. He was tired of playing games when TRavone made his move. Mathies did not hold back, using his tats to the fullest. He dodged the punch aimed for his face, and he punched the Trvne with all the power of his stats. Tarvone did not know what happened; he stumbled back, dazed as pain coursed through his body. After that blow, Travone could barely stand the strain on his constitution stat, causing his body to shake. He tried to doge but the blow landed in his gut and sent him to the ground. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Rai, I think your boys are done. He put up a good fight, but I am done playing games." "Am not done yet, Travone grabbed onto Mathies and pulled himself up." He brought his arms up, ready to continue. Mathies punched him again, trying to get rid of the street rat. "Let go." Mathies punched down hard, and in anger, Travone held onto the man''s hand. he did not let him. If there was anything to prove this was it, he would get stronger. "Is that all you got?" He smiled a toothy bloody grin. "Mathies!" "That''s enough," the UNE guard said, jumping into the arena and grabbing Mathies''s arm. "Stop, or I will arrest you." Rai was looking down at Travon. It was not every day one from the families of the first generation was caught off guard by something new, something intriguing; in Rai''s case, he had never cared for fascination The rest of their siblings showed that he had never seen any merit in picking up the brightest star in the sky; he had never wanted it. Ever since he was young, he had found the world so dull and empty, with nothing to hold him or his interests. After all, he had grown up to the sight of those very things, he had seen the fastest and newest jets, and tasted the most exotic of foods, and when he got to his class, that was the first time his life had been thrown out of its flow. It all started when he visited his second grandfather, a man who had been lost to the stagnance of the world, the muteness of existing not enough to trouble a man like him. Like rumors said, he sat in his chambers meditating for hours , with no need to eat, or drink. For one, at the rank of Alpha, he was one of the simplest of men or women of the first generation. Often leaving his quarters to walk the streets like any ordinary man. "You want to truly find what you looking for. Perhaps you should find away from your father," he had said in a drunk cascade of ramblings. That night, the man had had one of his ramblings. Although Okuma Tokisane was at the highest rank, he also liked to remind himself of his own humanity. Rai shook him as he remembered the man; he looked at the Travone on the bed and shook his head in wonder. So what am I going to do with you? In the Infirmary on the 25th floor, Rai sat waiting. Thinking. Don''t worry about him, he will be alright in a couple of hours." The doctor said "Are you sure? "I am sure this always happens with new zetas who push their weight around." "Then, will he wake soon?" "Soon, no," the medic said, "perhaps in a few more hours or two." "Well then, I will leave him in your care." Rai walked down the paths of the platform like any other person; he was not the son of the Tokisane house or grandchild of two powerful first generations here on the platform; there were people stronger than him, and even a few as well-established as him. It was a new feeling to be an average man on the among men. he felt relief. Rai didn''t know what he was doing. More to that, another question he asked was why he was doing this. He was Rai Tokisane, son of the house. He did not need to go be here, but here he was, standing in front of the elevator and waiting to take it to the lower floors. It would all have been relaxing had he planned this journey, but no, he hadn''t Travone had lit a spark in his eyes, and he had wondered what path someone like him took to be that strong, not physically but mentally, he wanted to feel what drove his new friend to take on such a foolish challenge. As he had expected, the lower levels were nothing out of the ordinary the paths were narrow and wet, and dump and vendors filled the place selling warmed pre-canned food; he walked through the paths, turning and weaving through the messily constructed structures, and even he had to wonder how these people with no class got used to all these he looked at a miner seated with a few others watching an arena match toasting and eating all in joyful spirits, he turned to a man walking along the street buying something he folded in poster paper before moving. It was all like another world to him; this person did not care about power. They lived simpler lives , happier lives without any complications. A twinge of jealousy struck him. Then what would it be like to have an ordinary life? He shook his head and kept moving. He reached a residential quarter and reached into his pocket. He looked at the card, then back at the clustering of the sleeping crate. He grimaced. ''This is really where he lives," he turned back and left for the upper floor. Those few who saw him followed him with their eyes and never left him until he had left for the upper floors. As for Travone, he knew he had done something seriously dumb. He should have listened to Rai and surrendered, or even better, he should have surrendered when he had been given the chance. "He opened his eyes, and he groaned at the sharp light striking his eyes. "Are you awake? Rai asked "Yes, I am, "Did you get what you wanted from that fight, "Yes, sure did, he said, smiling before opening his weapon interface. Integration level up. Staff skills Available: Bind: Locks an enemy within translucent chains temporarily based on control and Strength. Status Name: Travone Lee Class: Armoury Class Integration Level: 6.0% Rank: Zeta Attributes Attribute Value Strength 5 Dexterity 5 Constitution 4>6 Control 4 Perception 3 Skills: Barrier(Level 1>2 ), Reflex Guard (Level 2>4),Spectral Arrow(Level 1) Bind (Level1) Armoury Class Passives: None "Mathies will not forget what you have done here,'' Rai said "Of course, he won''t." "Should I be scared?" "Maybe, but I can''t know how he will react the next time he sees you." Travone didn''t care about how the other man reacted. --------- Albin Albin sat in one of the comfortable chairs in the halls of the main station, waiting for the call to come in and cursing his luck. His position in the UnitedNations of Earth on the Athens platform had been tenuous at best, with a few misdemeanours he thought he would work off with his time working with mining teams and helping discipline the new Zeta''s who did not obey the orders of the superior in the UNE. He thought for sure that his case was going to be held up by the useless backlog and give him time to prepare his story and justifications for losing a mining team on the dungeon planet. Soon after he had reduced his probationary period with the class gem he had delivered Sadly, that was not the case. He had got the summons early that day to report to Captain Hector Naud¨¦, a Gamma like himself who was in charge of overseeing his probationary sentence. There were some that were until he got stuck in the low levels of the Gamma rank, and Hector Naud¨¦ kept on receiving promotions and praise from the higher-ups. It was infuriating because whenever the other man got a chance to lord it over him, he did just. "Officer Albin, the captain will see you now," the secretary said, looking down at him. "Albin, it hasn''t been a long time since you stepped into my office." Captain Hector Naud¨¦ greeted Chapter 13 ------ Captain Hector Naud¨¦ stood in his office, walking from one end to another, a contemplative look plastered on his face, his comlink active as he talked back and forth, his speech as inquiring as his steps. Hector wore an immaculate clean suit, with a single button on his chest and a gold and blue sash. He had a ring on his index finger. "yes, vice commander." "....." "how long will you be gone for." "....." "Two months is really necessary for both of you." The voice on the end grew loud and sharp before the call suddenly ended. Hector stopped and looked at Albin. "Do you know who that was?" He raised his hand, forestalling all words. "Never mind that it was Guild''s vice commander. Orders have come, and all the betas and vice commander and commander have been called back to Earth because of Rowan." "It''s just a formality. It should be no big deal, surely." This is Rowan Kelly. We are talking about if he''s started moving again. No one knows what he can do. "That does not affect us this far on the platform," Albin said. Hector shook his head, looking at Albin like a small child who could not see the big picture. "If Rowan is moving, then the Guild of Spiders." "They can''t be moving." Albin tried only to frown as Hector nodded. "All the Guilds and UNE are not taking chances, and that leaves the administration to the people at the rank of gamma." Albin did not reply. "He simply let Hector rent his anger." Hector looked up at Albin, and then there was you. "With all that''s going on, you ended up losing a mining team." Albin had been standing straight, but the remainder of the lost team caused him to stand even straighter and clench his jaw, so he did not reply. Hector looked up and stopped leaning forward on his desk; he looked up at Albin." I will be relocating you to another station, your last station, a probationary station; think of it as your last chance before you are sent back to Earth." "You can''t." "I can and I will; in fact, I already have." He pushed forward the papers You will be stationed on the platform. "I hope you understand what that means." Albin knew what that meant, or rather, he knew that more deeply than anyone else that Earth and the other surface worlds were a cage with restrictions; being restricted to the platform was the road to that cage; it meant that you couldn''t level up and that meant you would stagnant, do that long enough and some times you could never reach the highest levels. For someone like Albin, who often got splitting headaches when he fought, it meant his chance of reaching the next level was closed off; it meant Hector was restricting his growth even more and not giving him the opportunity to gain one or two more levels of integration. Albin kept his mouth shut, his jaws clenched, and his eyes straight forward. "Your new station is with the enforcers you will be escorting escorting Enforcer Natasha Hudson, on her investigations with all the Betas and Deltas gone more and more of gammas and lower ranks are beginning to act up." "Hector you ..." Hector raised, and Albin clenched his jaws. Hector reached for his call button, call in enforcer. "Natasha." Enforcer Natasha Hudson was not the most eye-catching of women; in fact, she was nothing special compared to Albin, one would say, looking at both of them standing side by side. She was a zeta, one of those who could not advance less they risk crippling themselves; she was, for lack of better words, ordinary as far as Seekers went. Her hair was short, exposing the cybernetic augmentations that made up her spine to help her keep up with other seekers of her level. "Natasha, you wanted help with your investigations ever since you came back. You have requested help; he nodded towards the other man; this is Albin. He will be helping you." "Yes, sir will he listen to my suggestions." "Of course, they are your investigations. You take the lead." Hector took a seat. "Albin knows his place." Natasha nodded in confirmation of her role in leading the pair''s actions. "So, is there anything else in the records that you have found in the backlogged system? He turned to her and kept talking. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It was because of her that he was here. Were they playing a game? He could not hold his tongue any more, his fists clenched by his sides. He could not let these people do this and ignore him. "She is a Zeta. She''s a Scriptjack, a hacker." Albin spoke up. "Albin," Hector turned to him to show respect. "She earned her right to be an enforcer; if you can not control yourself, you leave us and prepare yourself." Albin stood in the elevator, waiting impatiently for the doors to open; when they did, he stepped out on the mining floor and strode towards the Seeker''s station. "What happened, Albin?" Amelia, the larger-than-life Seeker, asked, following him to his desk with a playful smile on her face. "It''s Hector, I am being reassigned to the platform", his nose flaring. "You must have pissed him off badly, or was it the mining team you lost" she snorted. "What do you know?" Albin slammed his hands down on his desk, rose and glared. "My bad, I didn''t know how bad it was", she raised her hands. Albin glared at the man for a bit longer and settled down. He opened his desk cabinet, grabbed a bag, and pushed his papers, receipts, and everything else on his desk into the bag. He reached for another drawer under his, grabbed his weapon belt filled with knives and short blades and slung it over his shoulder; he looked around, kicked his desk, startling everyone, and then walked out. --- "Albin, she nodded, "hope a day was enough for you to get your things sorted." "Do you know why he assigned it to you?" "If you''re asking if I requested it for you specifically, I did not." She looked up from the folder. If the UNE thought they were going to push him around, they were wrong. They had another thing coming, placing him under a zeta of all things. Hector was going mad with power. He looked at Natasha, turned his head to the side, slightly looking at her desk space, and placed his weapon belt on her desk. She looked down at worn belt weapons marring her desk and then back up at Albin; her face was blank when she spoke again. "I will get you a desk when I see your work hours have exceeded a week''s time each time." She looked back down, signed a few papers, and placed them under the desk. "It would help if you talked to the quartermaster. We won''t be needing those." Albin felt plain naked. In fact, he felt robbed of all his arms when he got back to the offices. He had been given a locker to stash his uniform, and his blades and daggers had been secured in the office weapon storage. They had asked for his name, and along with a tag, he had watched his belongings being taken and locked behind one of the many secure safes by the quartermaster. In contrast, the quartermaster handed Natasha her weapon belt, which held a personal firearm in the holster. "A Taser gun, why?" Albin asked, his eyes never leaving the heavy Taser pistol. She slung it around her waist, pulled her heavy pistol out, placed her hand over the slide and, pulled back, pressed down the plunger in the centre of the slide, causing the slide to go forward. She depressed the magazine, released the button, and removed the magazine. "Heavy Taser round. four or three shots capable of disrupting gamma abilities." She reinserted the magazine and engaged in safety."drawing my astra will cause the alarms to go off so this is better than nothing." "hmm" Natasha looked at him from the side before she stepped away and headed to the merge, where they were holding the dead bodies. Like any police station on the surface worlds, they had a merge that let the UNE investigate the dead bodies found at crime scenes. "what are we doing here?" Albin asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Natasha did not answer, walking to a section of a wall where she placed her hand over a screen slate, releasing the seal, and a table body slid into the open. "This is Otis Berry. His body was found stuffed in a wooden box in the lower districts." "So." "Otis Berry is one of those working as a smuggler and is associated with over fifteen killings of Zeta rank seekers." "An underground smuggler, what else?" He is dead, a blade to his neck. Either he got careless, or someone much stronger is targeting those in the underground, Natasha said, her face going thoughtful as she looked at the body. "Did the body have the power gem when they found it?" "No, the thinking is he was killed and stripped of the class gem." "So what are you going to do." "We, she emphasized, looking at the other seekers, are going to the underground. ___ If one entered the underground from the north-end elevator on the higher floors of the platform, one would end up on a busy, shady, dark corridor path in the underground. The streets were filled with shady stools, and their keepers covered their faces and kept to the darkness of their stools. "Disgusting," Albin said as he stepped into a wet, oily puddle, "did we really have to come here." Natasha gave him a side glance but said nothing. She was getting to know the man more and more and his causal disregard for those he believed were below him. Otis Berry has a working relationship with a shopkeeper down here. "Then you should hurry up and get us out of here." The torn shop was found more profound in the underground; it was one of the few located in a semi-built building. The shopkeeper looked up from picking his nose and noticed the blue and gold of the United Nations of Earth. The skinny man reached under his counter and grabbed a kinetic shotgun. Natasha froze at the sight, and Albin simply raised his hand, treating the man like a nuisance more than anything else. "Barrier Hold" Albin raised his hand, encasing the other man in a soft glowing bubble of energy that surrounded his entire body, preventing anything from entering or leaving the space. "Don''t take another step," the man threatened, pointing his gun at the two and using his hand to feel at the barrier encasing him and his eyes frozen open. "I am an investigator. You know Otis Berry, he was found dead," she asked, regaining her confidence with a gentle smile. "Did you kill him." the man accused. "No, not us. We thought you knew who did." "Fuck you guys, you''re trying to frame me," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a come and clicked a button. "What is that," Natasha asked, looking at the device in the man''s hand. "Who have you called?" "the man smiled, and the next moment, five figures entered the rundown building. "Do you actually think this proves anything?" Albin mocked. "surrender, and we will take it easy on you." "You are all under arrest, surrender, and we will take you in for questioning she shot back. "You''re outnumbered, and Blackwell will want to see you." His eyes flashed in excitement. chapter 14 The shopkeep furiously battered against the shimmering barrier; his face contorted in frustration and rage. ¡°Someone get me out of here! You! Hurry up!¡± he pointed towards one of the thugs who had swaggered into the room, his voice rising with desperation. Albin, standing nearby with a grim look, scoffed, ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± But not a Moment later, he watched in a mix of horror and disbelief as the thug struck the shield with increasing ferocity; with a final, forceful blow, the barrier shattered like fragile glass, and Albin shouted, ¡°That¡¯s an epsilon! Watch out!¡± Natasha instinctively grabbed her heavy taser gun, her face paling as she aimed it at the grinning shopkeeper, who now held his shotgun pointed at her, his eyes narrowed with malicious amusement. ¡°How about it?¡± he proposed, ¡°lower your guns, and I will be civil about this¡± he aimed his weapon at them, but his eyes never left Natasha. ¡°This is why I hate this place,¡± Albin muttered, his expression hardening as he stepped forward. Channeling his above-average agility, he blurred past a thug to his right, seizing him by the collar and hurling him into the shopkeeper with a heavy thud. In that moment, Natasha seized the opportunity, unleashing a flurry of rounds. ¡°Focus Shift! Focus Surge!¡± With her abilities activated, the world around Natasha slowed to her perception as she aimed with flawless precision at the cloaked figures that threatened her. Albin moved faster than the thugs, charging through the flames conjured by one of the Epsilon thugs, kicking him back and into the counter, leaving a bewildered silence in their wake before Albin spun to confront the shopkeeper. He seized the man by the collar and slammed him against the wall. Gripping the shotgun in the man¡¯s clammy hand, Albin crushed it as though it were nothing more than a leaf in his other hand. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him; we still need answers from him,¡± Natasha said. As though this little scrap hadn''t been enough, another figure entered the room. ¡°Mert! Did you call my boys to be laid out on the ground by UNE dogs?¡± the new arrival drawled, leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe, exuding arrogance. He looked around at the scene, seemingly unfazed by the chaos surrounding him. ¡°Boss, they just walked in!¡± Mert sputtered, panic lacing his voice. Natasha''s eyes widened, recognition flooding her features as she instinctively stepped back, levelling her heavy pistol at this newcomer. ¡°Gilbert Innsson,¡± she spat, ¡°Gamma rank... a smuggler. I have questions for you.¡± A smirk crept across Gilbert¡¯s face as he scratched his greying beard. ¡°Good, you know who I am, but your kind doesn¡¯t come down here often,¡± he replied. So what is this about? Albin''s muscles tensed at the mention of Gilbert¡¯s rank: a Gamma. ¡°How about you tell me what you want, and we can end this like civilized people,¡± Gilbert suggested. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re going to let you go?¡± Albin shot back. Natasha stepped forward, instinctually blocking Albin¡¯s path, knowing full well that a confrontation with Gilbert would lead them nowhere good¡ªhe was a known and powerful seeker, and she had already read enough reports to realize this fight would not favor them. ¡°They¡¯re asking about Otis. They say someone put him on ice,¡± Mert whimpered, struggling against Albin¡¯s iron grip. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°We want to know what happened to him,¡± Natasha insisted, maintaining her grip on the heavy pistol as her aim remained steady. ¡°Mert! What happened to Otis?¡± Gilbert demanded. ¡°I sent him out to follow a boy. He was looking for a class guidebook. Think the fellow had just got a class gem...¡± Mert''s voice trailed off. "And" ¡°And... and he didn¡¯t come back,¡± Mert completed and shook his head, turning his sultry gaze towards Natasha. ¡°There, you have it. Is there anything else?¡± Gilbert''s eyes flickered briefly to Albin, a hint of taunting malice behind them. ¡°We''ll contact you if we need anything else,¡± Natasha said. When they finally left the underground, Albin was agitated, anger and simmering as he thought back to the they Natasha had handled the situation when Gilbert had appeared. His reassignment as a UNE platform enforcer had seemed promising, but now he found himself dealing in politics with criminals. ¡°I thought we were supposed to arrest him,¡± Albin growled. ¡°We can¡¯t; he¡¯s too strong, even for you! And in case you forgot, the highest-ranking people on this platform right now are high-level Gammas. Do you want to start a war with the smugglers?¡± Natasha countered. ¡°So what, we can win if we hit the them hard and fast ?¡± Albin retorted. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. If we start doing that, the Gammas will see that they can do whatever they want¡ªven those under the thumb of the guild leaders.¡± She explained. Albin paused, realization creeping into his mind; those with that level of strength were numerous compared to ranks, with seekers stalling for years, unable to advance. For a seeker to reach Gamma was seen as normal¡ªmost never progressed further, content with their abilities, strong enough to push their weight around, but for many, the alien nanobots¡ªthe astravores¡ªthat granted them power come at the cost of invading and damaging their minds, often driving them to madness. An hour later, The two stepped into the UNE Central Station and made their way up to the surveillance control room. The space was filled with the incessant hum of computer systems. The air was saturated with the beeping of machines, screens glowing with cascading vertical text, and tech-wearied individuals with cables running into their bodies engrossed in their work, their eyes glued to the illuminated monitors. Natasha approached a nearby screen, retrieving her slate from her back. She clicked a few buttons with a practiced hand and pulled up several vidoes that showed fottage of tse leaving the under ground before transferring it to her personal slate computer. ¡°I have footage of the victim leaving the underground. Take a look,¡± she instructed Albin, who eagerly accepted the tablet. His eyes flicked over the screen as shadows flickered in the video, revealing a figure who moved stealthily from shadow to shadow, tracking someone. ¡°A dagger class user? Is this¡­ is this Otis? And why is he following this person?¡± Albin pondered aloud. ¡°Yes, if we find this person, we can figure out why he was killed.¡± Natasha¡¯s mind raced. ¡°Do you think he followed the wrong mark?¡± ¡°Wrong mark or not, whoever this person is, they managed to kill him,¡± she replied, her voice unwavering. ¡°Look, they¡¯re heading towards the residential area; that¡¯s our next stop.¡± Albin frowned. ¡°That section of the residential area is overpopulated. It will take us a month to interview all those people.¡± ¡°We have to!¡± Natasha insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t want Gilbert sending his men to find out what happened to Otis.¡± With that, the duo made their way to the lower floors of the station. They took an elevator, stepped into an officeshop and soon found themselves standing in front of an elderly woman seated behind a cluttered desk. She looked up at them with a weary sigh and expression of skepticism and impatience. ¡°What can I do for you, young miss?¡± she asked, nodding at Natasha while sizing up Albin with a searching gaze. ¡°We need to know about the residents of the quarter.¡± ¡°There are so many residents; which ones do you want?¡± she replied, crisp and condescending. ¡°I want to see the records of those who used their electronic key.¡± The woman raised an incredulous eyebrow. ¡°Still, There are so many people coming and going at odd hours; it won¡¯t be easy to track them.¡± ¡°Then show us all of them,¡± Natasha said, her impatience slipping through. ¡°In fact, show us all the records from today.¡± With a skeptical glance, the woman leaned back, crossing her arms. ¡°May I know what the United of Earth is looking for in my quarter?¡± ¡°Someone died,¡± Natasha replied bluntly. The woman¡¯ simply arched an eyebrow as she regarded Natasha. ¡°Someone is dead? And why is this particular death so important?¡± ¡°A seeker died,¡± Natasha said. The woman¡¯s eyes narrowed as she settled back into her seat. ¡°Of course,¡± she replied disdainfully, unconsciously revealing her bias. ¡°The UNE cares about seekers; everyone else is nothing more than poultry to be left to the side.¡± She resumed her professional demeanor, fingers flying over her keyboard. ¡°Here, these are the records.¡± ¡°Is this all of them?¡± Albin asked incredulously. ¡°We don''t want you wasting our time?¡± ¡°I assure you, boy, you''re the one wasting my time,¡± the old woman shot back. Albin frowned at the old crone grabbed the tablet in her hands and turned on his heel as he left the officeshop. It did not take long for Natasha to catch up with him. She looked up and over his shoulder at the slate and then scanned the expansive structure surrounding them. ¡°Well, let¡¯s begin; these people won¡¯t wait for us,¡± she urged. Chapter 15 Status Name: Travone Lee Class: Armoury Class Integration Level: 8.3% Rank: Zeta Attribute Value Strength 5>8 Dexterity 5>8 Constitution 6>8 Control 4>6 Perception 3>7 Skills: Barrier(Level 2>5 ), Reflex Guard (Level 4>6),Spectral Arrow(Level 1) Bind (Level 1 ) Armoury Class Passives: None Travone looked at his gains over the past week. He wasn''t one to gloat, but the gains he made as he sparred with Rai were very noticeable. He had always wondered why the strong often got what they wanted, pushed their ideals to others or got away with things, but now he was slowly beginning to understand. As he moved down the narrow streets of the lower levels, he noticed the wary glances from the miners, labourers, scrapers, and engineers who populated the seating and eating at the stalls. They did not look for so long, less they enocoure his wrath. He knew this even though it was the feeling that he was alone in this place where he did not belong. The people suddenly gave him clues, and this became more noticeable. Yet, within that moment, a piercing sense of isolation took hold. These streets, with their stink of sweat and smoke, felt foreign to him, filled with wary eyes that conveyed a deeper fear of his presence. When Rai had told him to get a new place, he had thought about it, but trips down to the planet had consumed his time. Now, no matter if he had to change his view, he would have to get a new place, perhaps something on the twenty-ninth floor, a place that felt cleaner and less tainted by fear and distrust. He remembered his mother and his home in the stacks. What would Zishan think? What would his mother say? He quickly dismissed the idea. He knew his mother was the religious type, or it better to say she was a fanatic who worshipped seekers and their powers. He walked over to a food stall he had frequented before. The stall owner greeted him, and Travone could feel the tension in the man''s body as he ordered, "What can I get for you." ¡°I need some noodles and skewers,¡± he said as his gaze flicked to a neighboring stool where a man heartily consumed canned beef stew that had a faint smell of synthetic plastics that made Travone wrinkle his nose in disgust. He was beginning to understand why the seeker had a particular test. The Astravores coursing through his body sharpened his senses, allowing him to detect the iron in the air, the sound of leather of work boots scuffing against the grimy pavement, and the underlying hint of sulfur that clung to everything and plastics. When he focused on his ears, his perception could pick up the chewing, saliva, and slurping sounds as the man noticed him, then turned his back to him and kept slurping down his food; this was probably the man''s daily meal. ¡°Here¡¯s your order to go,¡± the stall owner announced, handing him a paper bag. "Thanks", Travone made to take his order when he felt the owner¡¯s bony fingers linger on the bag. The man¡¯s eyes narrowed, and then he spoke. ¡°Your kind aren¡¯t known to be down here. You should leave us hardworking folks to do what we do.¡± Travone didn¡¯t respond, so he pulled his hand away and left the stall and its owner. He glanced down at the crinkled paper bag wrapped around the food, and now that he focused on it, he could smell it now, deep and unnatural. It had a smell of something he could not smell. ¡°Hey, you! I think you¡¯re on the wrong floor!¡± a man''s voice yelled out at him. Travone did not recognize the voice and didn¡¯t acknowledge it. ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t you hear me? Your kind should be up there! God only knows how many of us your kind have gotten killed!¡± The words ignited something within him. Was it anger? He dismissed it and kept walking, ignoring the curses hurled in his direction¡ªcurses aimed at him, his family, his very existence as a seeker, and at his father, whom he had never met. He kept moving. But he had to stop at some point. Because the man following on his heels did not stop at the insults. No, he stopped at the stopped at the sound of the clanging pipe hitting his back ¡°Did he even feel it¡± ¡°Of course he didn''t. ¡° ¡°What¡¯s someone like you doing here?¡± one man demanded, flanked by four others. ¡°The red quarter is on the north side,¡± another chimed in. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you around here; you should get out.¡± Travone could feel their hostility directed towards him. Travone turned, looked at the five gathered men, and pursed his lips. He did not speak; he simply grew confused and frustrated. He was a seeker, and that was fine, but what were they thinking? Travone could probably harm them very easily. The voices echoed around him, layered with taunts and threats. ¡°Go away; you can¡¯t win this."Travones voice was calm. "There¡¯s only one of you,¡± one of the men jeered. Travone moved then, his body moving faster than stale, unmoving air. His body felt light as he took a step, and in a moment, he was in front of the other man. The man''s eyes widened, and before he could speak, Travones hand balled into a fist and punched the engineer in the gut; the man''s air left his lungs as he started dry heaving on the ground. The other men looked at him in shock, then back down to their comrade. They looked back up at him, took a step back and ran away down the narrow path. Travone did not notice the men step back and run. He looked down at his hands, and a shiver ran down his spine. He had acted so fast without thinking with the knowledge that he could harm the man; his hand shook, and he stepped.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. He was one of them. What had gotten into him to do such a thing? He looked around at the squeamish people hiding their glances; he looked back, grabbed his food neatly wrapped in a paper bag and moved away from the scene. The eyes followed him through the narrow paths of the lower levels they followed in the elevator. ¡°I really need to find a new place to live,¡± he murmured. Just then, a voice cut through his thoughts. ¡°Hey, you! Young man, get over here! I need to have a word with you!¡± Travone turned to see the quartermaster, an elderly woman whose sharp eyes regarded him. ¡°You want to talk to me?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, you. I don¡¯t have time for this. Follow me,¡± she beckoned. Reluctantly, he fell into step beside her. ¡°There have been UNE agents asking about dead seekers.¡± His heart raced at her words; he was immediately alert. ¡°Dead seekers? Here?¡± He shifted his gaze toward the elevators, anxiety prickling at the back of his mind. ¡°What are you worried about, boy?¡± The quartermaster glanced at him knowingly. ¡°Did they say anything else to you ?¡± he pressed. ¡°They said they saw a seeker enter my quarter, and a few days later, he was found dead. Do you happen to know anything about this?¡± she asked. Travone cleared his throat, the sweat trickling down his back. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, his voice steady. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± she said. ¡°But a word of advice: people are complaining about you. A seeker down here is a little suspicious. ¡± The weight of her words settled heavily on him. ¡°But you saw me the first day I came to rent a room!¡± he protested weakly. ¡°Yes, I did,¡± she replied, waving her hand casually, ¡°but if seekers are ending up dead in my quarter, then I must ask you to leave. The residents don¡¯t feel too well when the UNE and the guilds start throwing their weight around down here. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± he nodded, heart sinking. ¡°If you can excuse me, I will get going. I plan to leave today.¡± ¡°Good.¡± --- Travone had begun to feel uncomfortable as he moved through the residential quarter. He kept glancing around nervously, evaluating the well-kept buildings and the residents who shared the space with seekers, noticing the distinct difference in atmosphere as he navigated through a more organized area. Shops were meticulously lined up; seekers walked in pairs and groups, enjoying the openness of the environment he hadn¡¯t experienced on the lower floors. The quartermaster¡¯s station on this level stood grander and better decorated than the old woman''s office down below. A large man sat behind a desk, his oversized frame somehow fitting the authority of the space, his glasses barely resting on the bridge of his nose as he offered Travone a welcoming smile. ¡°So, what can I do for you?¡± he asked, his toothy grin somehow reassuring yet intimidating. ¡°I need a room on this floor,¡± Travone said. ¡°A room on this floor? That¡¯s good! I suppose you know how much that will cost?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. I need the cheapest one available,¡± Travone replied. ¡°Oh, come on. This isn¡¯t the lower floors; all the rooms are equally sourced and sized!¡± The man smiled and handed Travone a slate containing an electronic document for his perusal. Travone scrolled through the digital listings, his eyes widening in disbelief at the spacious accommodations listed. ¡°How can they even afford this? Do they share the rooms? There are more seekers than dredges; how does everyone have a room this big?¡± ¡°Oh, do you have a companion?¡± the man inquired.¡°Not to worry; we have bigger rooms, as long as you can afford it.¡± Travone felt disoriented as he visualized ceiling heights and ample space, something he hadn¡¯t experienced in what felt like ages. It would have been rather confusing how the space was located on the Athens platform if one didn''t know the shape it took on. Unlike old space stations, it was uniquely shaped like a diamond and had a maze of narrow hallways the lower you got, yet here everything felt thoughtfully constructed and inviting. it had a narrow top where the first floor was located, a wide section of the medium floors and at the bottom, the platform narrowed again to the 50th floor. ¡°Let¡¯s see. We have a room on the seventh level of the structure, or you can get one in the second level of the structure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The one on the seventh floor,¡± Travone confirmed decisively. ¡°Just like that?¡± The man seemed surprised before smiling again, but Travone did not wait for him to draw out any negotiation. He pushed his personal card against the tablet, feeling a sinking pit in his stomach as the credits were transferred. With the UNE snooping around the lower levels of the platform, he needed to settle quickly and distance himself from the suspicion that would come his way regarding the death of a seeker. After all, he was right in assuming that they were looking for the person he had killed, a seeker. Then they were right on his track. Travone found himself contemplating the best way to disguise the power stone he had scavenged from the corpse during the fight¡ªthat was a liability that needed careful handling. ¡°I hope you can pay the rent, but if you can''t, you can take part in the dueling arena on this floor,¡± the quartermaster informed him. ¡°No, I can get the money.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s very good. Here¡¯s the keycard. When you¡¯re ready, you can move in anytime,¡± the man said. The move had taken him about two hours. He needed only to fit everything he owned in the crate into a curry box: his few clothes, his mining gear and his mask; then, he simply had to walk carefully while avoiding the UNE that was snooping around on the lower floor. all in all, it went as smoothly as could, with some seekers giving him curious glances and not approaching him. It proved smoother than anticipated, even avoiding any curious glances from other seekers. The room into which he stepped was just the right size¡ªnot too big, not too small¡ªall too welcome after sleeping in a crate. It had a separate bathroom and a designated space for the kitchen and sleeping area, although technically it felt like a studio due to its openness. Onto the next problem then, Travone glanced at the dagger power gem he had located off the corpse after his fight; he shifted clothes and pulled a well-wrapped piece of clothing out of the carry box, knowing he could not simply hand it over or attempt to sell it; that would bring about questions he wouldn''t want to have any part in. ¡°Perhaps if I take it to the dungeons and casually walk out with it, I can claim I found it there,¡± he thought, calculating the risks. He realized he¡¯d need Rai to join him on another dive soon. Travone woke the following day, feeling well-rested yet apprehensive as a call from Rai informed him of a mass transport carrier heading to the dungeon planet, and they would meet at the transport station. He strapped on his new sheath to hold his blade, donned his jacket and pants over his suit, and exited the room, nerves tingling. Unlike the lower floors, the residential quarters where he rented now had an empty balcony, and the paths below were relatively quiet as only a few individuals stirred in the early hours when the star illuminated the platform, marking the dawn of a new day on the planet. The steady beat of his heart echoed in his chest as he made his way up to the transport station. ¡°You made it!¡± Rai looked up, his body still and his back straight as he stood next to the wall and glared at the yawning pilot. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d show up this early,¡± Travone said. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter; you¡¯re here,¡± Rai said, dismissing the pilot''s lethargy. ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a rush.¡± ¡°Yes, I must go now. Fights on the high floors among the Gammas are becoming more frequent,¡± Rai stated.Travone leaned in, curiosity piqued. ¡°Is someone looking for you?¡± Sure, he had known about the the higher floor¡¯s politics, but Travone had never guessed Rai to be the sort associated with it. ¡°The politics of the higher floors should not concern you,¡± Rai replied, shaking his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°The sooner we get moving, the better.¡± Travone nodded, his hands instinctively gripping the bag at his side. ¡°I can agree with you on that.¡± ¡°Everyone, all aboard! We move in fifteen minutes; the ship will leave as soon as the station aligns with the planet,¡± the pilot announced, stirring an air of urgency. Metallic doors opened to the transport vessel, and the few gathered seekers this early in the day rushed inside. chapter 16 "What do you think, Travone." "Sure, there''s no harm in it," Travone replied, his tone casual yet calculated. As they spoke, Rai noticed Travone¡¯s fingers absentmindedly tapping the small bag tied to his waist. Rai took a moment to glance at the bag, but the thought quickly faded; after all, he was still evading his brother and the UNE-sponsored families who were fighting for power in the absence of the Delta ranks and Beta ranks. "So what direction are we headed," Rai asked. The deeper they ventured into the dead hive city, the more their surroundings shifted from a distant murmur of academic scholars and half-druck adventuring seekers to the unsettling silence of the abandoned city only the distant echoes of their footsteps on the cracked stone floors. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Chapter 17 The hound barreled into Travone, and he tried and failed to hold the creature''s weight back, sending him crashing to the ground. Its claws firmed into his astra shield, and it snapped viciously at his head. He instinctively activated his [reflex guard], deftly manoeuvring his head away and shield in position just in time to deflect the creature¡¯s maw, the metallic sheen of his astra shield glinting as he got back onto his feet. Meanwhile, Rai was facing two wolves and was in a peril of his own. With his back exposed, one hound lunged at his leg, gripping tightly and tugging to unbalance him. In a quick reaction, Rai''s instincts kicked in, and he swung his sword, leaving a deep flesh wound on the wretched creature''s neck. This sent it sprawling backwards with a pained yelp as it collapsed. With three of the feral hounds defeated, the alpha growled a warning, a command, causing the rest of the hounds to advance in pairs. One of the hounds rushed in from behind, slamming into Travone with a force that knocked him off his balance. He staggered, catching himself and turning only to notice that the black alpha hound was also making its move. These other hounds were there to distract him. "It''s coming! Watch out!" Travone shouted as he raised his hand, calling forth the [bind] skill, which held the creature at bay for but a moment before it lunged again. Travone twisted to the side, narrowly escaping the hound¡¯s sharp jaws as it scraped past him, and he instantly felt lighter from the close call, tapping at his waist in search of the small bag holding his power stone. No, No, No, that''s mine. Travone thought as he threw himself against the wolf, jumping for his throat and cutting it in two down the middle. He shoved his shield into another hound, his blade cutting through the air as he advanced toward the alpha hound, each step more purposeful, focused and steady than the last, leading him into the middle of the creatures that easily surrounded him. "Stop, Travone! That¡¯s dangerous!" Rai called out, fear tinging his voice as he noticed his peril too late; he had become surrounded. Travone, his eyes focused dimly on the black hound, heard Rai¡¯s voice telling him to stop; he glanced back to see Rai struggling against incoming hounds, his glance taking in the four other hounds surrounding him and realising how bad their situation was getting. He quickly stole a glance at the alpha and cursed; the creature was now clutching Rai¡¯s waist bag in its jaws, and Travone made his choice. Shoving back against the three other hounds closing in on him and keeping him away from Rai, he swung his black blade, determined to ward them off while attempting to retrieve his shield, only to find it ensnared in one of the creatures'' gnashing jaws. As he tried to cut down the beast, he felt an unexpected pull on his boots, which threw him off balance and sent him crashing to the ground. Despite his strength stat, the creatures overpowered him, and with Rai equally restrained by two other hounds, the alpha continued to watch, seemingly calculating its next move while chewing on the waist bag. Feeling a sense of desperation wash over him, anger quickly came to the forefront of his mind as he swayed. No other options; Travone activated his bow skill. A [Spectral arrow] materialized before him; it did so by transmuting from the materials around the minor metals filled with an iron from the soil, glowing and held by his control stat and shot forth, striking the iron-jawed hound that was gripping his boots. Not losing momentum, he conjured another arrow, this time aimed at a hound lunging at Rai, catching it in the side and causing it to whimper. With his balance regained, he stood and slashed down at the beast, holding his shield in its teeth with his black centurain blade, getting himself free to manoeuvre. "No, no, no!" Travone shouted, moving toward the alpha before turning to run after the retreating pack, but Rai grabbed his hand, fear twisting in his stomach. "Where are you going?" he demanded. "What was that?" Travone didn¡¯t answer, intent on following the creatures into the trench. "What¡¯s in that bag?" Rai pressed, but Travone remained silent as he plunged deeper into the dark. "Where are you going? What class do you have?" Rai could not stop the questions from coming from his own mouth as he stammered. Travone kept moving, leaving his companion behind, and Rai shouted, "Who are you? Tell me, and I will help you!"The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. But Travone''s face was firmed, his eyes focused as he turned to Rai. "I don¡¯t need your help!" he insisted, his lips pursed. "The hell you don¡¯t! You¡¯re gonna get yourself killed if you go down that trench, baka!" Rai warned. Travone shot him another glare, tightening his grip on his black blade, and he pressed on after the iron-jawed hounds, leaving Rai with no choice but to follow closely behind him in a distance. Integration Level Up ! Integration Level Up ! Barrier(Level up). Reflex Guard (Level up). Spectral Arrow(Level up). Bind (Level up ). Shield Skill Acquired! Passive: Anchor Stance - Increases resistance to being pushed, pulled, or knocked back reliant on strength and Dexterity. --- Travone moved deliberately, slowly, keeping his body cloaked in the shadows of buildings, taking care to minimize the sound of his steps in the dungeon city. He followed the dark blood on the ground, looking down and then up. I should turn back, he thought. But then he remembered that the quartermaster had said they were looking for him. This was his alibi, and he had made up his mind. A hand landed on his shoulder, and the glint of his astra dagger materialized in his palm as he turned, its sharp edge catching the faintest light. He placed it where a person''s neck should have been, he guessed. Behind him, Rai had followed closely, blending into the surroundings, his brow furrowing as he processed the strange display of power he had seen minutes ago. How was Travone able to conjure a spectral arrow, a rare skill even among bow users? Does he have two class gems, or does he have even more? Even the [Reflex guard] skill he uses must be from the dagger class, but tests have been done, and no one can handle that much overdraw. Following behind Travone, Rai mirrored his movements, stopping when Travone did, waiting for shadows and growls to move on, and trying to keep his gaze fixed on the other boy''s back. He was instinctively drawn to the dark green blood staining the rocky floor¡ªa trail that led deeper into dangerous caves, but he couldn''t stop himself. With someone like Travone on his side, he could even build his own guild. Rai moved through the dark city, his body stiffening at every movement as his eyes darted around, following behind. He inched closer to Travone, placing a hand on his shoulder. The sudden movement prompting the dagger to appear threateningly against his throat. "So now you''re using daggers," Rai muttered, surprised in his voice. Travone''s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at him. Realising who it was, a silent acknowledgement passed between them. "You¡¯re still following me," Travone remarked, the dagger lowered slightly but still ready. I, too, have secrets, and it takes time for people to trust," Rai replied earnestly, determination etched on his features. Travone regarded him for a moment and nodded slowly. I won¡¯t ask what¡¯s inside that bag, but I will help," Rai added. "Aren¡¯t you scared of what¡¯s down here?" Travone pressed, his voice gruff yet softening slightly. "No, I will follow you, and we¡¯ll see," Rai said resolutely, his expression unwavering. The two pressed forward, the atmosphere thickening as they moved a few blocks deeper into the deathly silent city, descending further towards the heart of the dungeon, and shadows creeping in around them. With each step, the space became darker, the stagnant air damp with the earthy smell of sulphur; they tried to keep their breathing normal and low to blend into the silence. They watched and followed and eventually reached a balcony, ducking out of sight as they observed a small, secluded garden, or what used to be one with faintly glowing grass where the remaining hounds rested, their bodies glistening with flesh wounds. A break in the surface had the hounds between it and the pair. Deep below, in that break, a cavernous pit yawned beneath them. The alpha hound growled ominously into the darkness, keeping a watchful eye on it in the churning motions deep below. "Tomodachi. Friend, this is too far. We have to turn back," Rai urged, closing his eyes and breathing gently, calming himself . "That creature has my power stone," Travone insisted, resolve creeping into his tone as he looked down at the hounds. "It¡¯s just a power gem; it¡¯s not worth your life," Rai wanted to say but held his silence, unsure of the value of the power gem to Travone. "What do you think? Is this their den?" Travone asked as he leaned forward slightly. "No, the creatures are moving," Rai replied the creatures as they ran and jumped to the other side of the deep crack, nodding. They watched the creatures run and jump on barely, making it across and holding onto the edge before pulling itself up. The creatures descended further down, where small patches of grass tried to cast away the shadows. He glanced down at his hands, trembling slightly as he weighed his options. They had been following the hounds for so long. Perhaps giving it up was the wiser choice. "Are you coming?" Rai asked, unflinching despite what he had seemed like a minute ago. Travone hesitated, but the look of calm in Rai had given him pause. He ignored all his worries. If Rai was willing to do it, so was he. Finally, he shook his head and steeled himself. "How are your injuries?" Rai inquired, concern momentarily breaking through the tension in Travone''s mind. "They¡¯re healing; lucky for us, the creature is more of a coward," Travone replied, his voice steady even as he felt the sting bruises left after the Astra in his blood did its best to heal his body. like the hounds before they moved down the incline the lost alien civilization once used as stairs until they approached the torn garden and deep crack in the ground. Rai peered over the edge, wondering what had the alpha black hound so scared and growling in the challenge. He found his feet stumbling back in shock. His left hand clutched his chest in alarm, and his right hand conjured his astra blade, prepared for anything. "What, what is that?" he gasped. Travone approached the deep crack in the surface and leaned forward to look. When he felt a surge of dread rise within him, he looked down, and what he saw was... perhaps giving it up was the wiser choice. The crack, a pit thousands of meters wide, caused his head to spin and, even worse, the thing or things that were deep down. His heart froze as he glimpsed the serpentine form churning in the viscous liquid below. The creature''s massive body dwarfed them, and the entire floor of the hive city, its unfathomable size, lurking just beneath the depths. "Whatever it is, if it comes out, it could bring the whole city down with it," he muttered, stumbling back in fear as his mind raced with possibilities. "What was that?" he managed to ask through clenched teeth. "Don¡¯t know, but let¡¯s get your bag and leave," Rai responded, his eyes never leaving the deep crack. Travone saw Rai''s gaze, seeing on focus reflected back at him, and pushed aside his doubts. "We Jump." "We Jump, we can''t worry about whatever that thing is right now", Rai repeated. Travone held his breath, closed his eyes, and breathed in deep and out. He met Rai''s eyes and nodded. Then, without a word, he ran and made the leap. Flowing closely behind Rai, Rai made the jump, and despite the fear telling them to turn back and run away, they continued to track the iron-jawed hounds'' movement, heading further into the unknown. "Are you keeping track of all this?" Travone checked in. "Yes, I am," Rai confirmed, his resolve apparent. "After all, if the hounds are using it, it must be safe. The only creatures we need to worry about are the iron-jawed hounds." "Reckon we can come back and report more of this to the UNE?" he asked a glimmer of hope amid the chaos. "Of course! I don¡¯t think anyone has come this far," Rai assured him. But then, Travone abruptly stopped, a tide of fear cresting within him¡ªwas it too quiet? Had the hounds ceased their movements? He looked around, only to find Rai gesturing for him to come closer. Travone obeyed, standing by Rai, who was already peering down at an open platform that lay ahead. What awaited them was a headless suit of armour, a grotesque relic of the past beckoning to them amid the darkness, ready to unveil secrets long thought buried in the shadows of the ruined city. "What is that?" Chapter 18 ¡°What is that?¡± Travone¡¯s voice trembled slightly as he and Rai stared at the figure before them. The creature resembled something dead given life, headless yet moving; it was humanoid in shape but exuded an eerie lifelessness, standing tall and lanky in a glimmering silver set of centaurain armour that caught the faintest hint of light. Jagged black cords snaked out from its back, intertwining with silver cartridges that rattled softly along its spine as it strolled aimlessly, an astra spear held loosely in its skeletal hands. ¡°What is it?¡±Travone asked again, his brows furrowed in confusion and fear. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Rai replied, shaking his head, causing his short hair to frame his face, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it in the books I read.¡± Rai felt a surge of frustration. ¡°Then what the hell are we looking at?¡± he snapped. ¡°It looks like a surviving Xyrr¡¯than, only it¡¯s headless,¡± Rai frowned, his eyes narrowing as he cautiously observed the figure. ¡°Then how is it moving?¡± ¡°It must be using some alien relic,¡± Rai replied, noting how the iron-jawed hounds in the distance began to move, their wary eyes glancing toward the headless creature. ¡°Look at how the ironjaws are moving.¡± Travone nodded in the distance, where the iron jaws were moving slowly, creeping in a low position as they tried to avoid getting the attention of the suit. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re trying to avoid it; we should too.¡± ¡°Wait, let my body cam get a good view,¡± Travone said, angling his device at the strange armoured entity. ¡°We should hurry up before the transport ship leaves.¡± Cautiously, they followed the hound¡¯s path, keeping the suit in their periphery and trying to avoid the headless suit, not willing to find out what it was capable of or how dangerous it could be; a howl rang out from the direction they were headed, sending shivers down Rai''s spine and Travone could do nothing but freeze in terror as he watched the headless suite turn. They glanced at each other in terror, realizing it wasn¡¯t the suit causing the sudden noise¡ªthe alpha had spotted them and glared at them with a mocking wolfish smirk. The headless suit froze, its armour clinking ominously as it registered the disturbance presence. In an instant, Rai and Travone felt it. They felt a primal urge to flee, and they both took a step back, retreating swiftly instep from the black hound and from the headless suit; it did not take long for them to kick off in a sprint. They hardly made it far before the headless armoured figure landed right in front of them, blocking their path. ¡°Move!¡± Rai shouted, swinging his astra blade down at the suit, but the creature moved faster than either of them could anticipate before he could connect. Its astra spear swang wide, batting away his sword and moving its other gaunt hand, struck Rai¡¯s chest, sending him flying backwards, stumbling hard into Travone, who struggled to steady them both. ¡°That thing is a Delta Rank!¡± Rai gasped, breathless, as shock coursed through him, trying to gasp for air that had left his lungs when the creature struck his chest. ¡°A Delta? We can¡¯t fight that!¡± The two exchanged frantic glances and then bolted down a side path, urgency fuelling their desperate blind escape. They sprinted blindly through the darkened structures, into places that were clearly not marked by exploration paint other seekers used to mark the previous passages. They could feel the creature practically on their heels pursuing them, the echoing pitter-patter of their own movements masking the sound of its relentless chase.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. They ran for what felt like hours, their lungs burning and hearts racing, the transport ship now a distant memory. Broken rubble of what had once been homes littered their path as they ducked into the shadows, stopping at corners and hiding in dark spaces between crumbling walls. And the headless Xyrr¡¯than in the suit would still be seen following them. ¡°How does it know where we are?¡± Travone panted, exhausted but unwilling to slow down. ¡°Fear and inescapable instinct,¡± Rai replied, his voice strained. ¡°It must be something we¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± Travone¡¯s voice came out in a rough whisper as they paused against a jagged wall, his body pressed into the debris of a broken wall. A faint scraping metal sound against the floors caused them to halt; their eyes were wide with terror as they tried to keep their breathing as quiet as possible. ¡°We should find a way back,¡± Rai suggested in a silent whisper, glancing nervously down the path they had come from. They both stood still as the suit moved past them and continued its aimless wandering. Time seemed to stretch as they watched it roam, and they were ensnared by the silence surrounding them as they tried not to make any sudden movements and draw the suit towards their hiding place. The transponders connected to the transport ship kept on blinking red, reminding them that the ship had left the planet and they would not be escaping any time soon. They had to find a place to banker down. Hours passed slowly, and if any man were courageous enough to close their eyes in search of sleep in the dark and dead city, Travone would have called them a madman. He simply could not bear thinking of closing his eyes to the noises and death cries of prey and predators of the monsters in the city, amplifying their fears and making everything seem more real and a mere step away. They stifled their breaths every once in a while, holding tight to the walls, silent shadows hoping to go unnoticed. As the new day dawned, their resolve began to solidify. It was hours later when the transponder signals came back to life, buzzes signalling that it was time to return. They moved cautiously toward the junction where Rai had faced the headless suit the first time and hopped to head back across the deep trench in the ground and to the higher levels; their hearts were racing, and deep down, Travone knew he had to give up, on the power gem. But just as they neared, they paused first in confusion, then in anger, before a dreadful understanding washed over them¡ªthe hounds and their alpha were already waiting at the junction, sniffing the air with alertness. When the alpha caught sight of them, it howled, a sound vibrating deep within Travone¡¯s chest, and flashes of how the headless suit quickly rushed to the forefront of his mind as he realised the creature was trying to get them killed by the hands of the suit. Travones conclusion was further bolstered by the smaller hounds that were shivering nervously and tucking their tails between their legs. ¡°It''s no doubt drawing the headless humanoid suit of armor to us,¡± Travone said, panic flooding his words. His eyes traced around the alpha hound, and he thought to himself as he cursed inwardly. The bag that I came for is nowhere to be found! ¡°Fuck! Is it trying to get the suit here?¡± Rai exclaimed, glancing nervously at Travone. ¡°We need to fight them before the headless suit finds us!¡± But before they could react and attack the Hounds, the sound of scraping metal against stone grew ever closer, like an oncoming hailstorm; louder and louder it grew until suddenly it came into view, an astra spear coated in black blood in its hand. The few hounds unable to control their fear quickly ran away, leaving only the alpha and one other behind, resolutely glaring at Travone and Rai with predatory mockery. It was as if they were all waiting for the suit to notice the other party as none of them, man or beast, dared to move; the alpha and the remaining hound were unwilling to make the first move against the two humans. The headless suit appeared between them, its silver armour gleaming ominously even in the dim light, moving slowly among them. It approached Rai, stopping inches from his face before pivoting and continuing toward the far wall. Travone seized the opportunity, drawing his astra shield instinctively, when suddenly, the creature stopped and faced him, inspecting his presence curiously. For a moment, time stood still as Travone tried to hold his breath and grimaced as bile rose as he looked at the clean smell lump of neck bone and flesh where the head had been cut off just as he felt he could no longer hold his breath in the suit moved on. Watching the scene unfold, the alpha hound seemed strangely smug, an expression that ignited something within Travone. He suddenly got an idea and focused his energy on another skill¡ªa Spectral Arrow. The creature remained still, an almost amused look upon its dead features as it regarded Travone. When the arrow struck, The Black Alpha hound yelped and recoiled back and suddenly glared at the two who still remained motionless. The hound looked to the side and watched as the suit tensed and turned towards the noise. For the hounds, there was no time to waste, and the remaining smaller hound ran off, not willing to wait around to see how the suit would react to its alpha''s cry of pain. The hound looked between them, and Travone and Rai froze, then it looked at the suit; it was the instinct for survival greater than those to relish a hunt took off, sprinting around a corner, scrambling to escape the oncoming chaos and slaughter. Travone prayed for the suit to move, and just like that, it obeyed; its headless form dropped low to the ground, touching the floor, sensing vibrations around it. And in an instant, it was gone, darting from sight faster than either of them could properly register. The two seekers did not hesitate, dashing in the opposite direction and aiming for the surface. The power gem they had come searching for had been forgotten as their steps took them closer to the surface. Travone ran hard and fast, daring not to look back, the echo of his pounding heartbeat drowning out everything else as they fled back up on the known path of the ancient city they had used to descend. The fear of the unknown twisted in his gut, urging him onward, knowing that to stop could mean the end. Chapter 19 Albin, Athens platform Residential Quarter. "We have interviewed everyone here, but there are no seekers out here unless you think the dredges can kill one of us." Albin asked, glancing around at the non-seekers and lifting his nose up to near, the metallic sheen of his skin reflecting the dim light of lower levels. "You." Albin turned to face a rugged man standing defiantly in the street, his worn jacket fraying at the edges, resembling the roughness of his demeanor. "We¡¯ve seen your lot around here in the past few day and god knows what you are up to bothering us hardworking folks. while you look down on us. " The man¡¯s eyes were fierce, his brow furrowed with anger. He did his best to hold his haking leg still as he challenged Albin. "Mind your own business, dredge." Albin looked him up and down and, seeing nothing of worth, dismissed the man, his jaw set in irritation. He had no time to deal with idiots, especially after they were making no ground on the case. Natasha, feeling the atmosphere thicken with tension, quietly urged, "We should leave. " Her gaze flitted toward the watchful crowd, their faces hardened with suspicion as they turned from the stalls where they were having their piece meals. Mike and his crew had been willing to let it go the first time as long as the seekers didn''t bother them. That was until a few days ago when a seeker leaving in the quarter had hurt one of his crewmates. It wasn''t enough for them to simply get what they wanted or command him and his crew like servant boys when out on expeditions. No, they had to come down here and ask them more questions. Sure, when a seeker dies, they send two to look into the matter, but when one of the dredges dies, no one cares. Mike faded up, and he and his boys had planned to surround this pair for a while now. Albin moved his eyes away from the man and to the side. He put on a smile as he realised they were being surrounded. A couple of the dredges had gathered up around them. "Everyone, stay away if you don¡¯t want to get yourself thrown out into orbit!" Albin warned, eyes looking deep into the other man''s as the threat rolled off his tongue, audible enough for everyone on the narrow street to hear. "You can¡¯t kill all of us!" the dredge shouted defiantly, rallying the onlookers, his voice rising first in desperation as he gestured at the gathering crowd before gaining a smug look as more of the people around gathered closer. ¡°You useless fool!" In the instant Albin''s patience was wearing thin, he moved swiftly. He seized the man by his shirt collar, the fabric trembling under the pressure of his grip. The dredge, surprisingly quick for his build, pulled an old model gun from his jacket and lifted it, pointing the barrel menacingly in Albin''s face. "Well, shoot, see if that works," Albin taunted a smirk of derision on his lips. The dredge squeezed the trigger, the bullet flying true only to bounce harmlessly off Albin''s metallic skin, the sound causing the few gathered people to grasp only to hear the dropping clang of metal against the floor echo off the floor in the silent aftermath. Albin reacted swiftly as the man''s eyes went wide , lunging forward to grasp the gun tightly in his other arm, forcing the dredge to relinquish his hold as he squeezed the arm that, ended with a snapping of bones. A howling, unsightly cry left the man''s mouth as Albin hurled him into a nearby stall, scattering dishes in every direction. "Hey! You can¡¯t just come down here and do what you want!" the stall owner bellowed, rising righteously in indignation. The crowd, which had begun to scatter in fear, regained their boldness, their confidence feeding off the commotion. Natasha braced herself, adrenaline coursing through her as she readied her taser gun. Her pulse quickening, she unholstered her gun, changed the setting to substance, raised it, and let off a shot, the gun pointing up. She looked around at the crowd that was growing. Angry by the second. "Our work here is done; you won¡¯t be seeing us again," she said firmly, her voice coming loudly above the agitated crowd, briefly halting them as she holstered her weapon. She turned to Albin. "Come, I still have some questions for the quartermaster." Entering the quartermaster''s shop, a smell of aged paper and faded ink enveloped them, the atmosphere heavy with an antique charm, contrasting sharply with the chaos in the distance outside. The quartermaster, as usual, had her slim figure in a posture bent over her desk in dim lighting as she looked down at her desk intently, flipping through a neatly organized set of cards, her fingers adorned with rings that shimmered, turning each face-up or face down to reveal a Tarot. She looked up with rheumy eyes, assessing the entrance of her shop with practiced caution as they stepped into the room. "Officer Natasha, is there something I can help you with?" she asked, her voice smooth yet edged with fatigue, which spoke of long hours spent in service to those in her community. Albin interjected before Natasha could respond, "Those dredges of yours need to be kept in line." The quartermaster met his gaze with her old steady eyes. "The people of the quarter have their own rights; you should know that as a UNE officer, Mr. Albin." She pivoted her attention back toward Natasha, her expression softening slightly. "So how can I help?" Natasha took a breath, looked between the two, and stepped in front of Albin. "I have a few more questions for you, quartermaster. The people in your quarter say that there was a seeker living in one of your crates." The quartermaster sighed, her weathered features settling into a mask of contemplation. "Yes, this happens all the time. Sometimes they get lucky, find a power stone on their expeditions, and off they go." Natasha felt a flicker of frustration at the nonchalance in the woman¡¯s tone. ¡°You never told us this the first time,¡± she pointed out, her brow knitting together. "You are the UNE; I thought you kept track of every seeker in the Athens station." The quartermaster raised an eyebrow, her voice steady as she replied. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Are you trying to mean something by that?" Albin asked with an edge in his voice as he stepped forward to lean over the small old woman, who did not seem bothered by his intimidation. Natasha stepped in front of Albin. "No, we don¡¯t," she clarified, attempting to calm the charged atmosphere. "So you want to see his documents?" "Yes, Can we get his documents?" Natasha asked, feeling a mild headache start to come on. The quartermaster¡¯s eyes lit up as she accessed her residential database, her optic implants glowing softly as she contemplated the officer¡¯s request. "Sure," she agreed, and the slate in Albin''s hand pulsed to life with a muted glow before he quickly opened it, scanning for the required documents with urgency. The room was quiet as the two women took the time to let Albin look through the document. They watched as Albin''s face went from angry frustration to recognition to confusion, the voices of the crowd outside fading into a dull hum as he tried to understand his brows farrowing. ___ Albin stared at the image on the slate, his expression frozen in a mix of shock and disbelief, as though he had stumbled upon a ghost from the past. For seekers, whose bodies were filled with nanites, introducing advanced cyber technology and prosthetic enhancing augmentations greatly reduced the chances of a seeker increasing their integration, unlike a normal human, where it would be of an advantage. And a few, like Natasha, went to Ripper docs after they stopped levelling up. Natasha observed Albin''s reaction closely, unable to decipher the whirlwind of emotions battling on Albin''s face; at first, it was rage, astonishment, and bafflement that he couldn¡¯t contain. With a sudden burst of frustration, he flung the slate back into her hands and dashed out of the shop, leaving Natasha uncertainly looking at the empty spot he had stood in a moment ago. "Albin, what is it? Albin, where are you going?" she tried following him into the street but lost sight of him amidst the bustling stalls and moving crowd of the shady marketplace. Stepping back into the shop, she extended the slate toward the quartermaster, her voice tinged with urgency. "Who is this? Do you know them?" The old woman peered at the image and replied, "The boy''s name is Travone Lee. One of the lucky ones¡ªgot himself a power-class gem down in the mining sites." The quartermaster shook her head; if all the rumours she heard were true, then a boy like Mr lee with no backing was in for a rough time, even worse if he was found guilty. The extraction could kill him or cripple him, she sighed, shaking her head sadly. Natasha thanked her and rushed back outside. She looked around and connected to her coms, "Albin, report in." "He¡¯s dead! I left him dead on that planet!" He mattered"¡ªhow is he alive?" Albin thought, grappling with the unsettling realization, "Not only is he alive, but he had also obtained a rare power-class gem. What the fuck is going on." Albin was speeding towards the mining floor now, desperation and a small bit of fear about the truth of what really happened; he was not scared of the boy; no, he was worried about Natasha handing him over to Hector and thus leading to even more scrutiny of his work as a UNE agent. "Can''t these bastards stay dead? The boy even has a power class gem. That must be it." The elevator chimed, and he made his way to the mining station; he showed his badge to a technician in the room and demanded access to the footage of the abandoned mine he had previously overseen. The once abandoned site had become a breeding ground for vile spines; he looked at the wandering creatures, and just like before, even he wasn''t sure of surviving that many vile spines¡ªbut how could a boy like Travone survive in such a place then? "You''re back, Albin?" a voice called out from behind him, and he turned to find Amelia approaching him with a questioning look, a mocking smile and humming a cheerful tune. "No, I¡¯m looking for someone," he muttered, looking and flipping through the slate with twitching fingers. "Have you seen this person before?" he lifted the slate up to the large woman to see. Amelia squinted, recalling something from her previous days about the face she was seeing. "He looks familiar¡ªsaw him once. He was looking for a job, but I turned him down." "So he¡¯s alive," he thought aloud, causing Amelia to raise an eyebrow, So the question now is how Travone managed to leave that nightmarish planet and where he had gained such power. He was not scared of whatever would happen when Natasha or the UNE found him; no, he was fascinated, angry, and curious. In fact, if he got his hands on him, he would be the first to know what kind of power or relic it was. Then, he would decide whether to kill him or not. It could be devastating if Hector discovered this connection, but I would have to stay one step ahead. Albin took the elevator back up to the twenty floors, his determination hardening. Arriving in the UNE arena section, he began asking around, his anxiety mounting with each passing hour. Unlike most of the seekers who went to their quarters when the dungeon planet eclipsed us, Albin found himself entering the bureaucratic maze of the UNE offices, which were spaced into cubicles, his patience thinning. "Excuse me," he said, Approaching the office counter, "Have you seen this boy around here?" he inquired. The receptionist shrugged, her expressions showing that she did not recognise. "Not that face. I can''t remember seeing it around, but may I ask why you¡¯re looking for him?" Albin''s jaw muscles tightened as he replied, "He''s under investigation." The receptionist raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued, "Well, if he''s been around these parts, perhaps the cameras caught something follow me then." Following her lead, he was led to a back room where a script jack sat connected to the large mainframe with cables," here I the footage," she started, and Albin stepped forward, connecting his slate to the facial recognition of the main frame. Albin did not have that many cybernetic implants; he had a simple communication implant that he used for communication. Even with all the precautions he took, he was still a gamma rank, which frustrated him to no end. He was doing everything right, so why waste stack in the low gamma ranks? Albin fixed his gaze on the array of screens lining the walls of the small office, each displaying timelines and video feeds from various locations. He combed through every available feed with fervour, his obsession propelling him as he poured over hours of footage like a man possessed. Time slipped away as minutes turned into hours, and Albin''s enchanted perception strained against the enormous task of sifting through minutiae. Just when he thought he might have to abandon his search, he spotted an epsilon entering the ring with a zeta rank, adrenaline surging as he recognized Travone¡ªdressed in black nano-leather with a Centurian blade strapped securely to his back. He watched intently as Travone handed off his weapon to someone nearby before stepping into the ring. He watched as the fight began. The sheer tenacity and strength Travone displayed were undeniable as he fought, his movements fluid and powerful, but Albin¡¯s anticipation faltered as he saw the Epsilon begin to take things seriously, the tides shifting in an instant. Albin felt a sense of glee mixed with frustration. He wanted to know Travone¡¯s secret, how he had survived and found the resourcefulness to compete. Realizing he needed this footage, Albin downloaded the clips to his slate, determined to analyze every fragment of the recent battle. But he didn¡¯t stop there; he asked the jack to compile an algorithm that began a cross-referencing task, seeking not just the familiar face of Travone but also another parameter ¡ªsomeone who might have accompanied him. An hour ticked away as he delved into the depths of the records, and suddenly, he flagged another clip featuring two figures exiting the platform for the dungeon planet. Fast-forwarding through breathless moments, he scrutinized and watched as seekers disembarked from the ship. Albin¡¯s eyes darted across the faces, but he didn¡¯t see them¡ªdid they die? Momentarily, he felt dissatisfied with losing out on whatever the boy had found, then frustrated with the time wasted, not to mention the worries that had turned over and over in his mind when he thought that Hector and Natasha would get their hands on him. Just then, Natasha approached from behind, breaking his focus. "Albin, did you find anything?" she asked, peering intently at the screens. "No, he went down to the planet and never came back," he admitted, frustration evident in his tone. "But you should stay here and keep looking; you''re better at this than I am." "You seem to think he killed Otis?" she pressed. Albin shrugged, "He''s simply a suspect, and I want to look into him." Natasha studied him silently, doubt etched across her features, but she was unable to dissuade him. "Here, go ahead." He stood up, a silent invitation. ¡°Take a try; I¡¯m going to look around.¡± As he left, Natasha tried to protest, but Albin was closing the door behind him. He felt an instinctual feeling tagging at his mind ¡ªif Travone had defied all odds and survived those vile spines, then there was no doubt he was alive. If he had uncovered some alien artefact that permitted him to escape, Albin knew he needed to find it; it might hold the key, the thing he had been looking for all this time. Chapter 20 Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. not Chapter Patreon massage Welcome to Athens Vault on Patreon! ??? Dive into the immersive world of Tides of Athens¡ªa rich sci-fantasy universe filled with complex characters, intricate lore, and boundless possibilities. By joining this journey, you¡¯re not just supporting the creation of captivating stories; you¡¯re becoming part of the storytelling process itself! Here¡¯s what awaits you: Your support fuels the creativity behind Tides of Athens and beyond, helping bring untold stories to life. Whether you¡¯re here to uncover hidden lore, spark new ideas, or simply enjoy a fantastic journey, there¡¯s a place for you in this vibrant community.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Together, let¡¯s write history¡ªand the future¡ªof this world. Join now and make your mark! ????? Chapter 21 The next day, after dragging the battered boy up and down the platform and ignoring the calls from Natasha, Albin waited for Travone to regain his senses following a night of torture as light filtered into the room, illuminating the bruises and cuts that marred Travone¡¯s face. Like any bow class and few dagger class users, the quartermaster had not missed the previous night''s commotion. "What did the boy do?" the quartermaster asked, knitting his brow as he scrutinized the dishevelled state of the room. Albin stood in the doorway, holding onto Travone. "He is under investigation for murder, and I was taking some time to question him," Albin replied with an edge of irritation. The quartermaster glanced past Albin at the disarray, a frown etching deeper lines on his weathered face. "Hope you don¡¯t mind, but that¡¯s a lot of damage. I¡¯ll have to write a report about this," he said with an air of resignation. "Go ahead. This fucker right here wanted to fight," Albin shot back, casting a disdainful look over his shoulder at Travone, who could barely stand on his own. "Well, get on with it. Get him out of here," the quartermaster said, heading back to his shop office. He couldn¡¯t bear to be part of the charade. Dragged through the quarter like a lowly thief or strung-out addict, Travone felt his sense of shame like a cold wave. Half-conscious, he replayed the past few days'' events in his mind: perhaps this was the worst thing he had ever done; he shouldn''t have hidden the truth. Many eyes tried to recognize him, and when they didn''t, they turned back to their lives, indifferent to his suffering. He felt lost and hatred for the world; it had abandoned him, but what was worse and twisted was that he was weak. Albin was a Gamma rank; Travone¡¯s Zeta rank made him feel painfully vulnerable even with his unique class. Albin had shattered Travone''s spirit, breaking him, and he would go to the planet and retrieve the relic. Albin strode into the UNE station, a perverse smile played on his lips, dragging Travone along. He surveyed the seated UNE officers, locking eyes with the strongest Gamma ranks in the station. "You, you, you, and you!" he pointed, commanding their attention. "Come with me! Hector has tasked me with an investigation, and I need capable hands for an expedition to the dungeon planet." "Who¡¯s the kid?" a sharp-eyed female officer asked, regarding Travone with suspicion. "Don¡¯t worry about him; he¡¯s a suspect," Albin replied dismissively. "Where are we headed?" another officer queried, curiosity piqued. "We¡¯re clearing out a mine." Unlike typical ship boarding, when UNE officers flagged a transport to embark, Travone watched as the seekers were ordered off the ship. The few who did not listen were pushed out while the officers reminded them of the UNE authority. Much like them, it did not take long for him to be unceremoniously thrown inside the craft along with hardened officers. "Where are we headed?" the pilot asked, glancing at Albin. "Here are the coordinates. It¡¯s going to be an assault," Albin stated flatly. "What are we expecting down there?" the pilot inquired, her brows knitted with concern. "Vile spines. We''ll jump out, only land when it¡¯s clear," Albin advised coolly. Flung onto the floors of the transport craft, Travone''s body ached as he was manhandled, each jolt sending sharp pains through him. The feeling only got worse when the ship took off, and he shut his eyes, futilely dreaming of escape. When the pilot arrived at the coordinates, she looked down and frowned. "Officer Albin, there are a lot of prowlers down there¡ªare you sure about this?" the pilot asked. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Albin shot a glance back at the Gamma officers before returning his gaze to the pilot. "Lower us down. I¡¯ve wasted enough time getting here." He turned to his fellow officers, a sense of bravado in his tone, "Boys, it¡¯s time." He marched over to where Travone was slumped and, without warning, yanked him up by the arm. "You¡¯re coming with us." "Are you sure about this, Albin?" one of the officers questioned, eyeing the dusty earth below sprawling with radish black figures moving around. "Yeah, that¡¯s a lot of vile spines down there. I thought you guys were the strongest," Albin mocked with a derisive laugh. One officer looked around, smiled, became emboldened, and leapt from the transport craft, landing more than fourteen meters down with a thud. Meanwhile, another unsheathed a long silver centenarian blade called his Astra shield and jumped into action. Through all of this, the pilot simply observed four metallic-skinned humans descend onto the planet¡¯s surface, ready to engage the prowlers. It took a few minutes of looking down, "Lower us down! The Zeta rank over here won¡¯t survive that landing!" one of the officers barked, glancing back at Travone. And he was right; Travone''s stomach churned at the thought of jumping from such a height. He pulled away instinctively, wrestling against Albin¡¯s iron grip at the back of his neck. "I can¡¯t land it. It¡¯s too dangerous!" the pilot protested. Albin took a moment to consider and then decisively pointed, "Lower us! The vile spines are being held back by the others." The pilot''s eyes darted to the airspace, quickly calculating their options. "Alright," she said, Before he knew it, the ship was being lowered close enough for even Travone to survive a fall from the ship. "Are you ready?" Albin asked, but he didn¡¯t wait for a response. One moment, Travone was struggling to remain inside the cramped transport, and the next, he was plummeting, falling more than a dozen feet to the ground below. Grey sandy earth awaited his impact, a foreboding reminder of the dangers that lurked just beneath the surface. Travone found himself paralyzed, his limbs refusing to respond as panic coursed through him. He blinked, trying to focus on the distant figure of a vile spine approaching swiftly. It strode faster towards him. Its spiny back gleamed ominously in the dim light, and its toothy maw dripped with saliva as it licked its green tongue over its lips in hunger. It looked at him with a predatory gaze. Just as it was about to pounce, a shadow fell over it, and he watched in a blurry haze as a figure descended, daggers in hand, plunging them into the creature¡¯s back. The vile spine thrashed violently, yet the officer drove his fists into the monster¡¯s head, stunning it, before seizing the daggers embedded in its eyes. To Travone''s confusion, the figure placed the daggers into the holster on his back. A sense of dread filled him¡ªthis wasn¡¯t just any dagger class user; it was Albin, utilizing Centurian iron weapons with finesse, which made his heart sink. "Are you still alive, boy?" Albin''s voice cut through the fog of his mind, and Travone flinched at the sound. "Good. That means we can keep moving." A female officer''s voice was interrupted from behind, and there was a tense urgency in her tone. "What?" Albin snapped in irritation. "That was a lot of prowlers. Mike got injured; he won¡¯t survive." "Then take him back," Albin ordered curtly. "In fact, you can all go back. Tell the pilot to land; you can escort him back." ¡°What of you?¡± the female officer pressed. "I''m on a mission, and if I''m successful, I won¡¯t need to board the transport craft." A rough tug on Travone¡¯s jacket signalled that he was being pulled away; he was led past the onlooking officers, their eyes filled with the judgment that marked him as a criminal. All he could do was look down, a pit of shame growing in his chest as he was guided like a dog towards the mining cave. Inside, the dark walls echoed with the sounds of wind against each stone and beam, reminding him of his toil. In one corner, a nest was made, and in it were human bones that sent a chill down his spine. Albin''s voice jolted him back to reality. "Where is it?" he demanded, shoving Travone forward. Bloodied and swollen, as the alien astravores coursed through his body as they tried to heal him, Travone could only weakly gesture, feeling his body sluggish as it fought to recover. Albin noticed the caved-in soil and bent down. Curious, he lifted an alien tile and looked up at the soil, "Is it behind here?" Travone struggled to respond, his throat dry. He nearly choked on saliva, his senses dulled from exhaustion. Albin nodded to himself with excitement; he placed his hand on the collapsed entrance and activated his skill: "Repel." The force of Albin¡¯s Gamma rank sent shockwaves through the cave, causing the walls to implode inward spectacularly, leaving a gaping tunnel. A craved frenzy of triumph etched itself in Albin¡¯s eyes as he looked around at the ancient-looking structure. He took an unsteady step forward in reverence as he proclaimed, "By the Founders, boy, you have brought me what I needed. Witness my ascent to power!" Had Travone been able to focus, he might have realized that the path leading Albin was more illuminated than before, each room well-lit by lanterns and with little or no obstacles in its path. He pointed toward a large door, and all he could think of was the alien that he had seen fighting behind the door. There was only a mix of fear and hope, hope that maybe it would kill Albin, and then hopefully, he could find a way to escape. Albin pushed him back roughly as he strode towards the door, shoving against it with all his might, but it wouldn''t budge. Just as he whirled around to punish Travone for the inconvenience, a faint click echoed in the stillness, and to his astonishment, the massive alien doors swung open, effortlessly giving way as though he were being welcomed. Interlude "I can sense my body failing, as a lord. I might have betrayed my people, but even the other lords have abandoned their soul weapons. I can feel it; there is nothing left on this planet. It is dead, left to the whims of the galaxy. My soul feels empty because I have given away my weapon as well¡ªthe strongest of the black weapons. I hope for one thing, Mother Galaxy, that he finds the weapon''s true purpose. With the armory lodged in that boy¡¯s soul, I have tampered with his mind, hoping I will live and die in peace for the next standard year. I sent him back through a portal for my convenience more than his, and I hoped never to see him again." chapter 22 Natasha found herself moving through the dim white lighting of the expanse of the UNE mining floors. She felt she wanted to pull her hair out as she searched for Albin. She had been talking to Amelia, a towering woman whose presence matched her robust frame, but Albin had vanished without a trace, leaving her uneasy and frustrated. An hour or two passed as she tried to hail him. She had gone to his residence on the 20th floor and knocked, but there was no answer, so she repeated her attempts, which was brushed aside. ¡°So, Miss Amelia, where did he go after he spoke to you?¡± Natasha inquired, her voice taut with urgency. ¡°Don''t know, but whoever that kid is, if he¡¯s gotten on Albin''s bad side, don''t be surprised if you find him floating in orbit,¡± Amelia replied, her brows knit with a mix of concern and grim laughter. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Natasha asserted, though doubt gnawed at her confidently spoken words. ¡°And you¡¯ve known him for how long?¡± a sceptical Amelia challenged. ¡°He¡¯s a suspect, and I haven¡¯t even spoken to him yet,¡± Natasha defended. ¡°Let me see the picture again. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the kid alright.¡± Wanted a job with me,¡± Amelia said, peering closer at the slate pad Natasha held up. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Natasha pressed, a sense of urgency quickening her pulse. ¡°Don¡¯t know, but you best get moving,¡± Amelia replied, urgency creeping into her tone. Wasting no time, Natasha raced back to the station, determination surging through her veins. She dove into the supercomputers, crossing her legs as she immersed herself in the search, fixated not on the boy Travone but on Albin. The hours slipped by, sunset giving way to night as she poured over digital records. ¡°Officer Natasha!¡± a voice startled her from behind, pulling her from her reverie and out of the tangled web of data she had immersed herself in. She turned, her blank stare altering to one of focus as she recognized the urgency in the voice. ¡°Who is it? What do they want?¡± she snapped, the tension in her shoulders evident. ¡°It¡¯s someone from the top floors. They want to speak to you.¡± The implications were heavy. Was it Hector? Had he discovered that Albin was conducting his own mission? The knot in her stomach tightened; she had been put in charge of the investigation while Albin was off pursuing his own agenda. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll be out soon,¡± she said, reaching for the cords connected to her back, swiftly disconnecting herself before covering up her cybernetic spine, a fleeting moment of vulnerability overshadowed by the situation''s urgency. She walked to the door, pushing it open with a sense of dread swirling within her. ¡°Who is it?¡± Natasha asked, anxiety creeping into her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t know, but it doesn¡¯t look good,¡± came the reply from the same female officer who had escorted Albin moments earlier. If only Natasha had asked more questions earlier, but she had been too wrapped up in her own crisis, trying to locate Albin and the suspect he had apprehended. As she traversed the corridor down the stairs, she was led into a well-lit room overflowing with an atmosphere thick with tension. A coffee mug rested to the side, steam still swirling lazily in the air. Behind a desk sat a young Asian man, his expression clouded with anxiety, while a Gamma-ranked seeker stood beside him, his hands replaced with some form of Centurian metal, the gleaming surface catching the light. Seated on the other side was an older man whose closed eyes belied a world of indifference around him. Natasha paused, taking a breath before bowing in the traditional manner expected from the eastern families, before seating herself across from them. ¡°My name is Rai,¡± the young man announced without introducing his intimidating companions. ¡°They told me you know this man.¡± The large man¡¯s optics glowed momentarily, and an image filled Natasha''s vision. An involuntary twitch threatened to escape as she gazed at the image. ¡°Yes, I do,¡± she confirmed, maintaining her composure, ¡°He¡¯s my partner.¡± ¡°And where is your partner, Miss Natasha?¡± His voice was calm, but the underlying menace made her heart race. A cold sweat formed on her brow as she felt another twitch; he had not once mentioned her name. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Natasha admitted, the truth sliding out darker than she had hoped. ¡°Well, Miss Natasha, your partner arrested my companion, whom I have been sponsoring¡ª¡± the cement of her anxiety hardened. ¡°You were sponsoring a suspect? Then you have no jurisdiction,¡± she interjected, the firm resolves in her voice barely masking her rising panic. ¡°Yes, but I came to see if he was being held here, and to my knowledge, he has been taken to the planet surface.¡± Natasha¡¯s eyes widened, fear pulsing through her veins. ¡°Do you know why he would do that?¡± Rai continued, his tone unyielding. ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± she answered, a sick feeling creeping into the pits of her stomach. ¡°Well, for your sake, I hope he is not harmed by this partner of yours,¡± Rai said, the weight of his words pressing down on her, ¡°because the Tokisane high family will not be pleased.¡± ¡°If you will excuse me, I will go to the planet and get him,¡± he declared, rising with an imperious authority that filled the room. ¡°Please, go ahead,¡± Natasha replied, feeling dread and urgency. Raising his hand as if dismissing her concern, Rai strode from the room, his companions following closely behind. Natasha wasted no time; dread tugged at her as she felt her hair pull taut against her scalp, tension tightening into a headache. ¡°Officer Monique, come with me,¡± she ordered, determination flooding her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Monique asked, trailing closely behind her. ¡°To the planet¡¯s surface.¡± Monique halted abruptly, her expression shifting. ¡°I¡¯m not going back down there!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natasha inquired, bewildered. ¡°Yeah, me and a few senior officers went down there with your partner¡ªand Mike almost got killed!¡± Monique exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief. ¡°You mean to tell me that you were down there?¡± the pilot asked. ¡°Yeah, an hour ago,¡± she replied, exasperated. Natasha gritted her teeth, feeling the venom of the situation in her veins. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go by myself!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡ªpick someone else!¡± Monique shouted back, but Natasha was already set on her course. There was no way she would allow Albin to run wild on this mission; she needed to find him and bring him to justice. Time was slipping away, and the vortex of chaos was waiting¡ªand she would not let it swallow her whole. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡ªOfficer Albin''s eyes widened as he stepped into the grand room, its opulence rivalling the most luxurious chambers of corporate towers on the world''s surface. The sprawling space was adorned with intricate alien designs that shimmered in the dim light, casting a ghostly glow around the eerie atmosphere. His focus was drawn away from the boy at his feet, who lay completely weakened as he froze in front of a majestic throne where an otherworldly figure sat. The creature''s skin glistened faintly, complementing the dull yellow hue of its glowing eyes. The eyes surveyed Albin with a sharp intensity that belied any stereotype of mindless creatures. ¡°You man-child,¡± the alien lord spoke, its voice echoing with an unsettling resonance, ¡°are you in need of help?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Travone wheezed. The tension hung thick as the alien''s gaze shifted to the boy, demanding something profound and inexplicable. ¡°Do you remember?¡± it inquired, the weight of the question pressing heavily upon them. ¡°No,¡± Travone gasped, despair evident in his tone. Albin observed, disbelief coursing through him as he recognized the alien''s potential¡ªthe ability to heal, yet not without conditions. ¡°I will not heal all your pain lest it becomes a crutch,¡± the alien stated firmly, watching the boy''s reaction closely. Just then, the alien raised a hand adorned with ornate rings, one of which broke apart into a cloud of metallic dust that rushed towards Travone, healing his wounds before Albin''s eyes. It seemed like magic, and envy twisted in his gut as he activated his shield and gripped Travone''s black blade tightly, ready for confrontation. The creature regarded him with an appraising glance and then turned to its arsenal of black weapons with determined intent. ¡°Officer,¡± the pilot''s voice crackled through the comms, ¡°if you¡¯re not back in ten minutes, I will have to leave. The sun is setting on the planet, and I won¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°Give me twenty minutes; if I''m not back by then, I won¡¯t hold it against you,¡± Natasha responded, her voice resolute as she ventured towards the cave. The remnants of fallen prowlers stood stark in contrast to the darkness surrounding her. As Natasha delved deeper, haunted by the mine''s eerie whispers, she discovered remnants of alien ruins, a secret the officers kept from her during their reports. Following vibrant lights echoing softly with distant sounds, she dashed headlong into the fray. Meanwhile, Albin wasted no time, rushing forward to intercept the creature, colliding with his shield against its spiny form. The contact surprised him; he had expected a much cleverer defence. He estimated the creature to be at least in the gamma ranking and noted the absence of a power-class gem. Summoning his strength, he invoked his ability, ¡°Repel,¡± anticipating the monster would be thrust back. To his dismay, the alien retaliated with an unexpected ferocity, grappling his shield and twisting the situation to its advantage. Albin slammed his head into the creature¡¯s grotesque nose, sending it staggering, then activated a barrier. He lunged, hoping to force the creature into the wall. The ensuing struggle was fierce as the alien struck down at his shield, Albin''s face twisting in shock as he realized how adept the creature was at countering a shield user¡¯s moves. It was a battle of wits and strength, revealing the beast¡¯s intelligence. Albin employed his barrier sensitivity, perceiving everything around him within the dome of protection as he calculated his next move. The creature''s strength was formidable, and as it applied pressure, he felt the painful crack of bone, forced to relinquish Travone¡¯s weapon amidst agony. The black dagger descended towards him again, a reminder of the stakes at play. Yet he noticed the alien''s attacks were growing slower, like a fading shadow. A smile crept across his face as he gauged the weakening resolve of his foe¡ªthe alien was exhausting itself. Little did he know how right he was, for the Xyrr¡¯than lord¡¯s power dwindled with every exchange, having relinquished its black class gem to the boy. Despite its centuries of experience, the alien lord had restrained itself, fearful of unleashing its brethren''s madness and rage. Albin summoned another barrier, anticipating an imminent attack, yet the alien lord refrained, waiting patiently as it had come to understand the dialogue of combat. Years of life had taught it the predictable patterns of shield users, so it remained still, letting tension build in the air. ¡°Come on, you monster! Attack!¡± Albin taunted, the thrill of the challenge igniting his competitive spirit. As Natasha arrived, the alien lord stayed silent, unyielding in the standoff, looking to assess the unfolding confrontation that held the fate of all involved in a perilous balance. Natasha burst into the room, her heart racing as she froze at the scene before her. "Albin! What are you doing? What is that thing?" she cried, panic in her eyes. Albin turned towards her, but just as he did, he felt the alien lord shift, its elongated frame glimmering threateningly under the dim lighting. Instinctively, he stopped using his shield barrier and activated his Shield Bind skill, but it was too late. The Xyrr¡¯than lord, intricate designs etched into its skin and glowing yellow eyes, feigned one way before lunging forward with a speed that belied its size, driving a black dagger deep into his gut. The pain radiated through Albin as he felt the cold metal slide further into his body as if the weapon was siphoning his strength. He punched the alien away, feeling the impact register, and watched as the creature staggered back yet remained poised, poised for its next move. Natasha¡¯s mind raced; she glanced at Travone, crumpled on the ground, groaning in agony, then back at Albin, who appeared lost in his pain. The sight of the Xyrr¡¯than lord filled her with dread, the creature exuding an aura of otherworldly power that suffocated the air around her. Mustering her courage, she knew that fighting this alien was futile; her instinct screamed at her to flee. If she could save Travone, it would be enough. She rushed to him, attempting to lift his limp body, but the weight of his suffering felt too heavy as she struggled to pick him up. The Xyrr¡¯than lord, having dispatched Albin for now, turned to her, unfurling its alien limbs as it approached. The last thing Natasha remembered was the alien¡¯s hand reaching for her, a searing pain engulfing her throat that sent alarms blaring in her mind as her vision blurred. Darkness swallowed her whole. When she regained consciousness, the alien lord loomed over her and the unconscious boy, eyes like molten gold fixed on her. ¡°You, female humman, can you understand me?¡± it asked, an unsettling calmness in its voice. Natasha''s heart thudded in her chest as she bolted upright, adrenaline flooding her system. She instinctively summoned her Astra bow, its form glowing faintly as she manifested it. The alien regarded her with curiosity, its eerie calm seemingly belied by the intensity of its presence. ¡°Can you understand me now?¡± it repeated. A glance to her side revealed Albin writhing on the ground, tears spilling down his cheeks as he grappled with the pain of the dagger still embedded in his gut. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± Albin shouted through gritted teeth, his voice strained with agony. The alien, unfazed, casually struck the other pair of daggers against its ornate throne, a sharp sound that sent a thrill of fear through Natasha as Albin let out a heart-wrenching cry that felt out of place for a man of his stature. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± the Xyrr¡¯than lord prompted again. This time, Natasha¡¯s fear mingled with confusion as she felt a strange bond forming amidst the chaos; she could comprehend the creature¡¯s spoken words. ¡°Lower your soul weapon, human,¡± the alien commanded authoritatively. Slowly, she lowered her Astra bow, the weapon dropping from her grasp. ¡°You¡­you call it a soul weapon? Why?¡± Her voice trembled, holding back a rising storm of emotions. ¡°Because it¡¯s the closest thing we have to bridging the gap between body and soul using our advanced technology, but I am not here to discuss philosophy,¡± the lord replied. As she gathered her courage, Natasha¡¯s mind flashed with questions, ¡°What do you want, then?¡± ¡°From you, I want nothing,¡± it replied before nodding at Travone. ¡°From him, everything. The boy needs to find the purpose of what he has.¡± A pang of desperation filled her. ¡°Will you let us go?¡± she asked, fearing the worst. ¡°You two yes, him no.¡± The alien pointed at Albin, who doubled over in pain. Natasha¡¯s heart sank, her eyes darting around as the alien summoned a portal beneath Travone, lifting him away. As the black blade was also dragged into the rift in space, another portal materialized behind her, leading back to her room. Without a word, she stepped through, her heart pounding, and instantly felt the difference in gravity; the familiar sensation of safety felt jarring compared to the chaos she had just escaped. She turned back just in time to see the alien removing its rings, dropping them into the portal with the boy. ¡°Will I find you again?¡± Natasha asked, uncertainty gnawing at her. ¡°No,¡± the alien answered abruptly, and even as it replied, part of her breathed a sigh of relief; she wasn''t sure she wanted to encounter that creature again. In her room, Natasha¡¯s emotions churned¡ªa mix of excitement and dread washed over her. Though she didn¡¯t know if this was the outcome she had been searching for, she felt it was undeniably something significant, a shift in her reality that hinted at a more significant purpose unfolding before her.