CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Winds of Change
15 minutes later
Marcus sat in the passenger seat of Julien’s car, one foot on the dashboard while he adjusted the straps of his steel shin guards. The damp protective clothes underneath irritated him, a lingering nuisance from last night’s wash. Once satisfied with the fit, Marcus looked out the window. The cityscape sped past, a blur of lights and shadows. Towering apartment complexes gradually gave way to smaller buildings and commercial zones as the car left the city behind.
“Almost there,” Julien muttered, breaking the silence. “Ten more minutes or so.” The man then tapped his phone screen to open the navigation app again. “Yeah, ten.”
Marcus just nodded, his mind shifting back to the task ahead. He looked down at the crate by his feet, his steel shield leaning against it. Inside was his weapon, a basic steel sword, durable and sharp enough for use inside a light blue Sphere. ‘It’s going to be my first time trying you out,’ Marcus thought, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. Just yesterday, he had been slaughtering monsters, and now he was about to do it again, this time with a new weapon and without his companions.
“Remind me again why I agreed to do this?” he asked, his voice strained with fatigue as he suppressed a yawn.
Julien smirked, making a rubbing-coins gesture with his right hand before tapping the wheel playfully. “Because you and I are kindred souls.” As they reached the highway, the Caster shifted gears and reached behind his seat to open his bag. He pulled out two cans of soda, holding one out to Marcus, who shook his head. Julien tossed one of the cans to the backseat, then opened his own one-handed. He took a sip and let out a satisfied sound.
“Like I said at your place. During your Salamander job, I overheard the German brothers talking about your reason for joining us—your sister’s financial debt. So, when I heard that you’re in dire need of credits, like I am, well…” Julien paused, glanced at Marcus, then flashed a smile. “I figured us kindred souls need to help one another out, right?” He took another sip, spilling a bit on his thick leather coat, hastily brushing it off while muttering a curse.
“Right,” Marcus said, checking the straps of his gauntlets next. “And in doing so, we’re going to be running with an unknown crew, without the rest of the Salamanders to back us up, and without their knowledge. Sounds like a perfect plan,” he added sarcastically. He shifted his gaze to the right, spotting a large blue Sphere coming into view in the distance.
“Oh, don’t be like that,” Julien said, amusement tugging at his lips. “Benedict runs a good crew. The payouts are always fair, and I’ve got nothing but love for the man.” He adjusted his rearview mirror before dropping his voice to a low murmur. “Except for that nutcase of a brother. I mean, Benedict is barely able to keep him in check. Sebastian’s tough as nails, even with one arm. But that rage of his... wipes away any intelligence he might have had.” Julien leaned in closer to Marcus, lowering his voice. “I swear I can vaguely hear the wheels spinning in his head, but the hamster? Long dead,” he grinned and returned his focus to the road.
Marcus stared at him, waiting for him to get to the point. As they neared the Sphere, looming in the middle of the highway with blocked-off roads, Julien spoke up again. “Look, working as a Salamander is great. It’s semi-safe, and it’s stable income every few weeks. But I need more than a stable income. I’ve got debts that need more credits than Benedict can realistically offer. You of all people can understand that, right?” Julien asked.
“I do,” Marcus admitted, not faulting the man for the comment, but still not liking how he had agreed to join him today. He remembered how freaked out he had been when the Breacher had knocked on his door and hinted that he knew about his little secret. Marcus had spent the better part of five minutes getting dressed while thinking about what Julien might’ve found out. He had been utterly confused during that time, his mind racing through all the possible secrets Julien could have discovered, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and paranoia. The thought of Julien finding out about Specter and Bastion had sent a cold shiver down his spine.
Even when the man had mentioned that he was there for a job offer, and that he had learned about Marcus’s financial situation, he had remained on edge, occasionally glancing towards his bedroom door, fully aware that Bastion was in there. There were at least a dozen signs scattered around his apartment hinting at something unusual going on. The anxiety had almost paralyzed him, but the urgency in Julien’s voice had pushed him to make a quick decision. He had grabbed his gear and agreed to go along with Julien, if only to get him away from his apartment and ensure his secrets remained safe.
‘It’s still weird to think Julien does jobs like this on the side,’ Marcus thought. Julien had said he usually took government contracts or freelanced for smaller guilds that needed extra muscle, infrequent enough not to complicate things with the Salamanders. ‘Still, he couldn’t have picked a worse time—right after a Sphere, barely any sleep, and sore from the upgrades.’
He watched Julien pull up at a checkpoint, slowing the car as they approached a security post. After a brief interaction, Julien showed the guard his Breacher credentials on his phone and confirmed that his name was on the list. Seconds later, he nudged Marcus in the ribs. Taking the hint, Marcus retrieved his Breacher ID that was stamped on a metal tag, handing it over to the guard. He ignored the raised eyebrow Julien gave him at seeing the metal tag, keeping his attention on the guard, who nodded after checking the ID.
“Go ahead,” the guard said, stepping to the side to let them through. They followed the road towards a spot that had several other parked cars, close to the Sphere, with large barbwire fencing circling around the entirety of the Sphere. The area was bustling with activity: Breachers gearing up and preparing for the upcoming fight, government officials checking crates, and people wearing guild attire. Marcus scanned the surroundings, taking in the organized chaos.
“So, you know about my sister’s debt. What’s yours?” Marcus asked, turning his attention back to Julien just as he found a spot to park.
Julien sighed, leaning back in his seat for a moment before responding. “My Abilities,” he said, his tone more serious now. “I usually tell people that when I became a Forged, I was lucky enough to have ended up with not one, but two Abilities. I mean, one is rare for a Forged, but two? It has a nice ring to it. The reality is that I bought them.” He let out a chuckle, rubbing the intricate Marks on his arms absentmindedly. “I figured I could stand out a bit more as a Forged and market myself as a more unique Breacher. Keep that bit to yourself, or I’ll burn your apartment down, alright?” The man then smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“I see,” Marcus said as he grabbed his shield and crate before stepping out of the car. Seconds later, the two of them made their way over towards the final checkpoint, joining the line behind a few other Breachers. Julien nodded to one of them, apparently familiar with the person.
“How much did it cost you?” Marcus asked, glancing at the Marks on Julien’s arms, as if trying to figure out how gaining new Abilities even worked.
“More than I could pay off in ten years working for the Salamanders without paying any of my bills, that’s for sure. More importantly, the line of credit that I used to buy the Abilities and get the surgery didn’t go through… normal channels,” the Caster muttered, gripping his staff more firmly at the confession.
“Loan sharks?” Marcus asked dryly, with the other man just nodding in response. The two of them slowly passed through the checkpoint, showing their IDs again before making their way into the inner section, seeing the actual Sphere up close now. It stood in the middle of a highway, roads, bridges, and off-ramps all vaguely visible through the light blue hue of the Sphere’s barrier.
“So what’s the plan?”
“Why? Are we getting cold feet?” Julien asked, flashing him a grin. “Look, it’s a fairly simple gig. A small guild has accepted a government contract to clear this Sphere, seeing as it spawned in the middle of the highway three days ago. Apparently, the guild tried but failed spectacularly the last two days in a row. So, the twenty of us have been generously allowed to participate in helping to kill as many monsters as we can, or at least lure them away from the main group.” He pointed his staff towards a group of Breachers standing near the Sphere, all clad in similar gear and wearing green capes. “So, we’re hired muscle for a standard rate, and we get to sell what we kill. As long as the public record states that the guild closed this Sphere.”
“So, hush money for us while their guild doesn’t lose face?” Marcus asked.
Julien nodded. “It works out for the two of us as well, seeing as our names won’t be listed on public records.”
“That’s great and all. But you do know I’m only an Alpha, right?”
Julien chuckled, waving at a government employee to help unlock their crates. “I’ve seen you handle yourself just fine. Plus, I’ll do all the heavy lifting. I just need an extra shield at my side. And,” he added, thanking the official who opened his crate before leaning closer to Marcus and whispering, “The only reason I even got this spot was that I promised I’d bring a plus one.”
Marcus sighed and nodded, understanding the situation a bit better. As he retrieved his steel sword from the crate, he gave it a few practice swings to warm himself up, despite his protesting sore muscles. He then picked up his shield, adjusting the straps to ensure a snug fit. ‘This better be worth it,’ he thought before they walked towards the group of Breachers, blending in with the others gearing up for the task ahead.
Marcus observed the mix of equipment among his fellow Breachers—some donned full steel armor, while others opted for more modern styles with open sleeves, proudly displaying the Marks on their skin. He noticed that most of them were equipped with melee weapons—swords, axes, maces—along with the occasional spear.
“No pistols and assault rifles?” Marcus thought out loud, scanning the crowd again to confirm his observation. He also noticed the absence of grenades or mines. “They don’t have a license?”
“Hmm?” Julien asked as they took up a position off to the side. “Oh, some might have the proper license, but the stipulations today only allow melee weaponry. It's not that rare when recruiting external help at this level—less risk of friendly fire and all that. I’m also limited to only close-range use of my Abilities.”
Marcus nodded, figuring it made sense not to have people shooting left and right and accidentally hitting others further in the Sphere, or being mistaken for a threat at a distance. He could understand the rationale behind minimizing the risk of friendly fire in such chaotic environments. However, he also thought it was foolish not to trust in ranged weaponry that had been proven to work inside easier Spheres like this. Despite the crude simplicity of melee combat compared to firearms, there was something primal and direct about it that Marcus could appreciate.
He glanced at Julien, who seemed completely at ease with the arrangement, despite being a Caster. As the minutes ticked by, the tension in the air grew palpable. The Breachers finished their preparations, the chatter dying down as the time to enter the Sphere approached. Marcus took a deep breath, steeling himself for the battle ahead. The promise of another payout to help his sister weighed heavily on his mind, driving him to push past his fatigue and focus on the mission.
Julien grabbed another soda, cracked it open, and took a swig as he eyed the Breachers belonging to the guild in the distance, watching them slowly line up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before speaking up. “Looks like they’re serious enough this time. Let’s just look busy and let them handle the rest.”
Marcus just nodded in response, his eyes scanning the barrier of the Sphere and seeing the distorted scene beyond it. One of the guild representatives then made their way over to their group, going through the explanations once more. The guild would enter from the north 30 minutes after the other party had entered from the south, making a straight path towards the Orb itself. The plan was that with fewer monsters protecting the Orb, the guild would succeed this time.
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Marcus listened as the representative explained the demands for their team: they were only required to act as a lure and could avoid fighting monsters if they weren’t up for it. In the end, all twenty had to sign a waiver, agreeing to proceed without expecting help or rescue from the guild if things went badly. The two of them agreed to the terms before stepping closer to the Sphere.
Marcus swung his weapon a few more times, feeling the difference in weight compared to the axes and knives he had been using recently. He glanced at Julien, who was staring at his equipment before saying, “Did you get your gear at a flea market? I mean, even the armor already has scratches on it.”
“I’m broke, remember?” Marcus retorted, suddenly aware of how much damage his gear had taken before he even officially used it in the field. He noticed a few other Breachers warming up, while the Guild members began circling around the Sphere, heading north. Marcus tightened his grip on his shield, wondering how much of an improvement the two points in Strength would really give him. ‘A bit of field testing in an monster filled Sphere. What could go wrong?’ he thought as he suppressed the urge to chuckle.
Their group waited in place for a while longer, anticipating the signal to enter the Sphere. Some of the Breachers shifted nervously, while others seemed eager, faces set with determination. Julien glanced at Marcus and gave him a reassuring nod. Moments later, they heard the signal to proceed, and the group began moving toward the barrier. Some of the Breachers hesitated, their steps faltering as they neared the Sphere’s edge, while others just stepped through like it was normal for them, their weapons at the ready.
Marcus and Julien stuck together, their movements synchronized as they stepped through the gel-like barrier and emerged on the other side. Inside the Sphere, the highway stretched out before them, complete with bridges, off-ramps, and abandoned cars, all bathed in an eerie blue glow. The landscape appeared almost normal, untouched by the typical mutations found in other Spheres. The stillness was unsettling, a stark contrast to what Marcus had expected. He took a few seconds to scan the environment, looking for a potential threat, but not spotting any. He noticed the other Breachers dispersing in various directions. Some stuck together in small groups or pairs, while the majority went off on their own, each seeking their fortune independently.
‘This is foolish,’ Marcus thought, knowing they’d be without backup.
Julien noticed Marcus’s gaze and chuckled. “A lot of Breachers don’t like working together when dealing with these types of contracts. They’d rather avoid sharing loot or simply don’t trust each other,” he explained. “It’s not ideal, but it’s the way things are. That and people are idiots.”
They began walking forward, the silence broken by the occasional creak of metal as they climbed onto deserted cars or trucks for a better view. Each time he did, he could see the vehicles that had been abandoned in mid-commute. The scene was surreal, a snapshot of chaos frozen in time. ‘People must’ve freaked out when the Sphere suddenly formed around them, destroying all electronic systems,’ Marcus thought as he peered into cars, spotting a children’s car seats in the back. ‘Let’s just hope they all got out.’ Beyond that, he noted the absence of significant mutations to the vehicles and the environment. If not for the giant blue Sphere encasing them, it might have felt like a normal, albeit deserted, stretch of highway.
After a while, he noticed bits of broken asphalt piled in small lumps under some of the cars. Curious, Marcus used his shield to shift bits of debris to the side. As he moved the pieces of asphalt, he uncovered what appeared to be pieces of buried Glass and ripped apart monster flesh. ‘It’s similar to what Specter had seen in the other Sphere,’ he thought while doing his best to look surprised, as if this was his first time seeing such a thing.
“What is this?” he muttered, grabbing the Glass to inspect it.
Julien, seeing Marcus’s reaction, stepped closer. “Found some buried treasure?” he asked, his tone carrying some hints that almost bordered being impressed. “Monsters occasionally kill a few of their own to bury Glass pieces. It’s part of their reproductive cycle, you might say. They’re essentially planting seeds for new Orbs to form in the future.”
Marcus did his best to look suitably confused and intrigued, as not to reveal that he had literally seen it happening up close as Specter. “So, the entire terrain could become a potential deadzone if it’s not cleaned up?”
Julien nodded gravely. “Exactly. If we don’t deal with these buried Glass pieces, they can eventually form new Orbs, and then we’re right back where we started, or worse. It’s why thorough cleanup is essential after clearing a Sphere.” He looked around, his gaze scanning the area with a keen eye. “It’s not just about killing monsters. It’s about preventing future outbreaks.”
Marcus just pocketed the piece of Glass and continued moving forward with Julien before the man suddenly pointed ahead, spotting their first monster. It was a human-like creature, walking on two feet, with elongated limbs and covered in a mix of fur and thick, grayish skin. Its long arms dragged along the ground as it moved, its head swiveling as it searched for prey. When it spotted them, it let out a guttural growl and started moving toward them with surprising speed.
“Naturally, those guild bastards left that part out,” Julien spat angrily, holding out his staff and readying himself. The monster rushed towards them, but barely managed to take five steps before the first stream of fire hit it in the side of its head. A second and third stream followed, slamming the creature into the ground and incinerating it in moments.
Marcus stood there, shield and sword in hand, watching as the monster slowly became undone and feeling quite useless in that moment. “What did you mean by that?” he finally asked, as Julien made his way to the charred corpse, extinguishing the flames before prying out the Glass.
Julien pointed at the monster before speaking up, “Each Sphere can produce monsters based on the genetic material it has to work with. Most of the time, we face hybrids of different animals—birds, cats, insects, or larger beasts in rural areas. Occasionally, we encounter variants with human traits, because a civilian or even a Breacher got killed inside one. Those guild twats left that part out.”
“Are these variants more dangerous?” Marcus asked, recalling the first time he saw such a monster—a mixture of a cat and a human—at the tech expo.
“They can be,” Julien replied, scratching his chin. “I mean, I would rather fight them than bear or gorilla variants, but humanoids tend to be more intelligent… or at least, they can be. Most Breachers dislike them because they tend to look weird and freak you out more.”
The men paused as shouting and fighting echoed in the distance, signaling that other Breachers were also encountering monsters.
“Heads up,” Julien said, pointing his staff at an abandoned truck in the distance. The trailer door creaked open, and long-legged humanoid monsters crawled out. “Four... no... five of them.”
“I’ll back you up,” Marcus said, raising his shield and sword as he took up a position beside him.
The monsters rushed toward them, their grotesque forms a mockery of nature. Julien unleashed streams of fire left and right, hitting numerous monsters, incinerating their fur, and burning their skin and faces. The monsters continued moving forward despite the flames, their resilience evident, although clearly blinded because of the fire. Julien calmly moved backward, maintaining a measured pace as he focused on killing them, dragging Marcus along with him.
Hearing commotion behind him, Marcus turned around and spotted another monster making its way towards them, having crawled underneath a nearby car. “One behind us. I’ll deal with it!” he shouted, alerting Julien before he rushed the creature, preventing it from catching them off guard. ‘We missed this one when we passed that spot. Did they try and ambush us?’ he thought, recalling Julien’s words about their intelligence.
Marcus engaged the monster with shield and sword, cutting and stabbing as he closed in. The creature was surprisingly durable and strong, its long forearms swiping at him with vicious force. Each missed strike ripped apart chunks of asphalt or dented nearby car frames, further showcasing the monster’s lethality. Marcus blocked and deflected blows with his shield, striking back at tendons and arteries with his sword when he felt safe to do so.
As the monster slowed from blood loss, Marcus delivered a final blow to its throat, killing it. As the creature collapsed, Marcus caught his breath and glanced back at Julien, seeing the man finishing off the last monsters with ease.
- - -
“You handled that well,” Julien said a few minutes later, joining Marcus just as he started to pry out the Glass from the fallen creature. “Benedict really did well in picking you. You have a knack for fighting. Still, it’s a shame you’ve got such a crappy power rating.” As if realizing what he said might come off as insulting, Julien quickly looked at his watch to check how much time had passed. “Anyway, the main party should’ve gone in from the north by now. Let’s find a decent spot to hold out. Hopefully we can snag a couple more bits of Glass while we’re here. Alright?”
“Yeah, sure,” Marcus said as he stored away his piece of Glass, mentally keeping track of it and the leftovers he still had back in his apartment. ‘Who knows, Specter might be waiting for me with another dozen pieces as well,’ he thought before the two men made their way over to a nearby off-ramp, slowly ascending toward the bridge to get a better vantage point.
When they reached it, Marcus looked out and saw figures in the distance. “Looks like the others are doing alright.” He could vaguely make out smaller groups of Breachers fighting monsters, with some in pitched battles while others were just slaughtering the creatures with ease.
“Back then,” Marcus suddenly said, causing Julien to shift his attention to him, “with the Salamanders. My sister said your Power rating was 27. That makes you Beta+ rank, right?”
“Emphasis on the plus portion, please,” Julien chipped in, a cocky grin gracing his features. “Yes it does. What about it?”
“This is a light blue Sphere. You should be able to handle a higher blue, right?” Marcus asked as he observed the numerous fights happening in the distance. “Why stick to light blue ones?”
Julien paused for a moment as if musing over the question. “Safety, I guess?”
Marcus raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with the answer.
“What? I meant it. Sure, Beta+ means that I can technically deal with more difficult Spheres, but I’m not looking forward to that. The higher rating I got only means that I’d have a ‘chance’ to survive in a stronger Sphere, not do well, like in a light blue one. Benedict occasionally lets us tackle stronger Spheres, but it’s a real slog, and we usually team up with other parties to even stand a chance. Stronger Spheres have more monsters, or tougher ones that have more Glass in them. There’s more variants of them, and the mutation to the environment is also a lot more potent. So, no. I’d rather not tackle harder Spheres, nor do I have the Mana for it. Besides, someone has to take care of you Alphas, right?” Julien grinned.
“Mana for it?” Marcus asked, wondering just what the man meant, seeing as Julien had been flinging streams of fire left and right.
“I am a Caster because of the two Abilities I bought, but I’m still limited by my Mana reserves and how much I can recharge,” Julien explained as he held out his staff to Marcus, letting him inspect it for a moment. Julien pointed at parts of the staff that seemed to shimmer, with Marcus able to make out a different type of material inside. “I don’t need the staff for my Abilities, but it helps me amplify them. The staff itself has Mana batteries worked inside the length of it. So, I can draw on that to keep me in the fight longer.”
Marcus examined the staff closer, focusing on it. He didn’t feel much beyond a little jolt, but when he pressed one of the black Marks on his right hand against it, he felt a greater response. “I can feel it,” he said, careful not to actually draw anything out. “This is incredibly useful. Why doesn’t everyone use Batteries like this?”
“A lot of them do, but it takes time to get used to items like these, and you can’t just slot them in swords or axes, because it usually compromises the structural integrity of the weapon. Still, belts, rings, amulets, and other stuff works great. But even if you had a lot of them, and it costs quite a bit, storing and retrieving Mana from them is inefficient. Like, I need to push in nearly three times the amount I can actually pull out later, and the process is even worse when I try and pull it out quickly. But, it works for me.” Julien shrugged before leaning on the bridge's rail, looking down below in a curious way before spitting once, timing to see when it would land. A soft pop echoed up, and a grin appeared on Julien's face. “So, how much is the debt you—or rather, your sister—owes?”
Marcus joined the man by leaning his back against the railing. “No idea, exactly. I’m not quite sure when the debt began. But worst-case scenario is roughly five Glass per day for the last thirteen years or so.” He heard Julien let out a low whistle in response, something that Marcus fully agreed with. “And that’s not even factoring in how much more expensive Glass was years ago.”
They stood there for a while in silence before Julien spoke up. “So, who’s holding her leash?”
“You mean the debt?” Marcus asked, hearing the other man let out a ‘hmhm’. “Her guild.”
“That sucks,” Julien said, scratching his chin before leaning over the ledge again to spit once more, this time hitting a car on the highway below with a soft thud. “Guilds can be tricky, even more so than other parties or loan sharks. Lots of laws, stipulations in contracts, and other things.”
Marcus just nodded, feeling a bit irritated at the tone of the conversation and almost wishing there was another monster to keep them entertained, or at least change the topic. Part of him wanted to shift the conversation to Mana-batteries—learn about their use, cost, to figure out whether they’d work in his robots.
He could hear the occasional shouting and screaming monsters in the distance, but it was too far for them to quickly reach. Bored, Marcus moved away from the ledge to a nearby car with an open door. After checking for danger, he slid into the passenger seat, placing his shield and sword beside him.
“This feels weird.”
“What does?” Julien asked.
“Us... this,” Marcus said, his tone stiffening as he gestured around him. “We’re in a Sphere filled with monsters. We should be out there, doing something. Instead, we’re just hanging out.”
“We are doing something,” Julien countered as he slowly made his way over to Marcus, placing his staff on the car's hood before sitting down on it. “The guild just wants us to take the pressure off from the center. We’re doing that by just being here, screaming, arguing, even smelling all human-like. Trust me—” Julien suddenly stopped, noticing something happening around them as the Sphere itself began to shatter. “See, they did it.”
Marcus leaned out of the car to look up at the Sphere breaking apart. As the fragments fell, a violent gust suddenly hit them, shattering nearby car windows, including Marcus’s. He brushed away bits of broken glass and shook his clothes to clear the rest as dust settled around them.
He looked up again, confusion hitting him as he suddenly saw the blue shimmering hue of a Barrier. He looked around and saw the same thing everywhere, the realization slowly sinking in that they were in a Sphere again, although it was much smaller than before, around a third of its previous size. “What the hell was that?”
“Credits,” Julien muttered softly, eyes widening. The Caster jumped off the car, grabbed his staff, and ran toward the ledge of the bridge, peering outwards and seeing other Breachers in the distance starting to run around. “Come on, we need to hurry. There’s a second Orb in play and it’s unclaimed.”