COI C201
Inside the complex building, where the receptionists finally returned home after the needless staying inside the evacuation area. Thanks to Haw’s help to get them out of there and continue the job of being a cleaner in this entire building. Although the windows are covered in crystallized dust, at least they could feel safe inside. The city guild staffs are getting a good break living with him. Both Shinji and Nanami are still bragging about their boyfriend as they have skipped the daily routine inside the safe zone. In this terrifying place so far, Haw made it into a safe house than they could expect.
It lacks power and water, that’s the most common given when the dusts are consuming the city. With Haw’s experience from being a Dexter Guild member, they could make it viable for them to live here with a certain range of his production. Four female receptionists or staffs are staying here and one guy that is one of the receptionist’s boyfriends. Only two men residing, either is lucky or annoying to have roommates who are pestering about the rooms they want. The boyfriend said to Haw
“How many times I have to tell you to fess up the story of you being burned by a demon?”
“No” The boyfriend hears him like Haw is a badass
“Sure, but I won’t be giving up just yet or I’ll”
His girlfriend stops him “Hey! Leave Haw alone, he is going to out there to recharge the batteries”
“Oh, come on, let me join him. I told you I can take care of this place too”
“But what if I need you in bed”
“Yeah, yeah, our roommates would love to hear your moans in the middle of the . . . Ouch!”
His girlfriend slaps him and be on her way. The other receptionist looks at his girlfriend and said
“You’re keeping me on edge with your quarrels”
“He is my boyfriend. I don’t want him to get hurt”
“Those guys are the ones keeping the place running. Do you want to go back in the Mihayara evacuation area?”
The boyfriend reaches out to his girlfriend, but Haw pulls him away. “What she said is true, I am here just to keep this place working. After that, I’ll be heading back to train the recruit”
“Fine, fine, you should know about my situation here”
“Breaking up with you as you are trying to take care of her? I know mine is open and wrong, but you all agreed not going back there. So, help me and you get all the time you need with her. Just shut up the yelling. You guys are louder than Nanami sneakily peek at your door open to hear . . .”
“Oh fuck! Alright! Don’t mention it again. You’re so shameless when you keep saying that”
They step outside of the apartment and they see dusts flowing through the hallways. The two hears Maser shouting from the other side of the stairs
“HEY! Are you ready?! I am collecting dusts over here”
The boyfriend blows off the dusts then turns to crystal closing in to his mouth. “Sheesh! I mean we are coming, get that second service elevator up and running”
Haw and the boyfriend go up to the elevator and get the lift mechanism up and running, while Maser takes his time to find the elevator itself among the closed doors. The complex building is empty for the most part, other residences are clearing their part of the floors.
The receptionists are gathered together in the living room. Shinji and Nanami sitting on the couch. The girlfriend sits on the chair and while the receptionist, the actual owner of the apartment, sits to the other chair. They turned on the internet tv to watch some random movies in the website. The receptionist felt relief
“I can’t believe it, Haw is something”
Nanami cheers “I know right? If only he wasn’t in the hospital and he will be done it sooner . . .”
The girlfriend reacts “Huh? If he didn’t, he might be in the front line and . . .”
“Ok! Ok! Just don’t give me that look”
The receptionist felt so left out, envy to the girlfriend and not those two bisexuals. Having boyfriend or lover making her wish to have one, and her expectation grew stronger because their boyfriends are something. The boyfriend is becoming more active to be part of a simple technician. The pay wasn’t great, but the people he is working with now is Haw and his new form of business. Who new Shinji makes a business out of his skill and earn a living more than she could’ve earn in a daily basis. Haw in the other hand, is a completed different man from this world.
She didn’t know Enders have more values than any human from Agatheus City. The men in the surface are exploitative. Sex for fun is no different from her city, but they are more open to share than she doesn’t want to have. The Agatheans are better not feel uncomfortable about it, while in this city has very weird kinks. She can’t even compare to it without any experience on dating. Haw is the only man she can talk about it. The best advice if she wanted to leave, it is better to not have one in the first place. If not, then her fate will be in the Enders Bridge’s men. The preferences she had is really idealistic than realistic though.
Shinji knows about here situation as she sits next to her from the couch. “Still wondering of getting a guy?”
“Yeah, I am conflicted between the sex and the role as a partner”
“Yeah, me and Nanami starts to grow on him and making ourselves to be more conserve in the house except in bed”
“Getting yourself matured, that’s kind of hard to understand from your relationship”
“It doesn’t feel kind of weird, we feel like it is normal. Besides us, I think you deserve a normal relationship. Keep your horniness at bay and you might get what you deserved”
“Hah! Says you?”
“Neither is Haw, we take very cautiously for you when we are start living here. Except our friend over there when she starts to get the yells”
The girlfriend feels insulted near her, but kept her eyes on the screen except her expression. The receptionist just laughs to the sideline. She still heeds to Haw’s advice. It is better for her to keep herself preserved. There is one thing she had in mind, if Haw can’t go with them. What are those two thinks of him.
She asks “Say, when the Foundation is ready? Do you think you can bring Haw to our world?”
Shinji nudges to Nanami and spoke about it secretly together, and both of them said with an honest smile. “I don’t know, now you mention it. It does make us wondering ourselves to stay here and leave everything our world has to offer”
Nanami talks back “Shinji, are you thinking about abandoning him? I know it’s just sex for all us three, but our memory together”
“It doesn’t change the fact when this city is gone with all the technology it had. Do you want to live like in the medieval ages?”
“I don’t but . . .”
“I’m sorry for being selfish but sex alone won’t fit our daily lifestyle”
The receptionist starts to appreciate more what Haw said even more. It is true before him entering their life. These two are bitches. Haw just joins in for their fun.
Still though, he acts so genuine. It makes him so hard for her to understand where he is coming from. She knew he is from Mountaiwall. Her determination has resolved as she is better off living clean for the rest of her days in this world, and get what she deserved in her love life back in their world. She quietly let the conversation cut off as they continue watching tv.
She whispers to herself “Haw, it is like you can only attract the bad kind of women, thank goodness you’re not taking advantage on us”
She realizes that they themselves are too strong as Haw has his weapons confiscated “A lucky bastard anyway”
Receptionist tries to think it that way, but she can’t. Her smiles keep coming back inside her head about the news of her stalker. Never heard or seen him for sometimes now. The women in social media website are sighting the good news. She checks her device again and the hitlist is slowly progressing. The Judgement Days before did well for only in Fuku City. Now in other districts, even they are in the most difficult time in the cycle, the evidence among the posts have gradually becoming popular to the dark sites. Where every scene found dead suspects, including hers, is there.
She thought it was Haw and his people. All that matters for her it was Haw without asking him if they are the one who are taking action. Out of curiosity, she asks the two
“Uhm, have you ever got into your boyfriend’s work?”
“In our partnership or his own thing, well . . .”
“His own thing, you know. The bunch of women all gathered to sign up . . .”
“You mean that?”
Receptionist nodded, Shinji continues “Those guys are supposed to give security for them, right?”
“I read in social media and the clients they have told their stories about their stalkers being taken out or scared”
Shinji shakes her head and lean to the side towards Nanami. Nanami notices her curling up to her. Both eyes staring at each other and talk softly to one another, leaving the receptionist stays in the sideline. After a few more lines exchanging, in a serious tone. Nanami switches seats with Shinji and told her.
“Is your stalker gone?”
She nodded
“Yeah, well, it’s a coincidence. Haw, our darling, is not involved because his, weapons confiscated, are shit. You know that without his prior weapons. Actually, we know about it. It is better not to tell. You got your problem solve and there is no need to come back to see it in the garbage”
The both of them look very suspicious at the same time provoking in their eyes. They knew, but they won’t tell her. The girlfriends lazily watching tv without any giving notice after what they are talking about. They turned back to their usual everyday selves and continue back watching tv. Receptionist feels regretting to tell them, and more willing to ask it again with Haw. Her curiosity heightens by the sheer seriousness of the two. This secret made her feel cautious after the old incident when the gangs are appearing from the realms. The more she fears. The better she rather avoids. Once again, she is charmed once again by Haw.
Outside of the apartment complex building, who knew that the secret routes build by both Ironno and Haw had purpose during the moon cycle. Haw is already out from the building near the elevator mechanism. The dusts were able seep into the building with any less effort when going through the air vents. The boyfriend is inside the elevator itself going through the parts as it stuck with crystallized dust. After some time, they were able get it down and throw the remaining dusts from the building.
The boyfriend lays flat on the stairs after exposing himself for so long. His true body condition returns. Tired from the maintenance and with his body sores to get it fix. He takes a large jug of his water bottle, and drink it down like his life is depend on it.
“Gulp* Man, I never thought the aches in my body will never coming back again”
“Again? It is supposed to be normal. Cough* I have been outside for so long and I’ve been spitting out glass from my mouth”
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The boyfriend laughs at him “Certainly, you would let me go out there and molded me in glass”
“Like this . . .” Haw shows him his leg is being casted in crystals.
“Whoa, does it hurt?”
Haw smashes it to the wall and a sound of his bones cracked. He then pours some healing potion and some fresh water to thoroughly cleaned it. The boyfriend steers away from Haw’s misaligned leg.
He is being grossed out “Why you have to show it to me like that? Show some decency”
Haw shows himself a sense of dark humor. He scuffles himself with his own pain to relief from the exposed dusts. No sounds of grief in pain, he treats like as his prosthetics. The boyfriend keeps ignoring until Haw sits next to him.
“Of all the humor in this world, why it has to be dark humors?” The boyfriend couldn’t hold himself to complain.
“What is there to laugh in this apocalypse?”
“A life living it . . . Never mind, I have my talks with the other people and you and the Enders are really dark to make it funny. I can understand the jokes from the dwarves, but you can be good horror story teller, you know that”
He lays his head back against the wall, tapping away. Haw sees him acting a little bit under the weather.
“Yet we get out from the whiners in the evacuation area”
“Laugh* And we are here trying to get away from it”
Both laughs, and the boyfriend laughs even louder. The experience of staying in the evacuation area is really dense in the amount mana around them. He feels the worse around it as the mana keeps annoy them without fail. It is obvious of the convenience provided for everyone, but he feels so off. The endless flow spells come and go and sight to see many others excessively using their magic. The realization of the authentic, organic, and realistic are what he is missing. The mana he feels around them are starting lose its pleasant. It nulls the boyfriend too much that they need to get out.
In this apartment complex, alone. Along with the staffs from the city guild, the taste of reality made them sick. That feeling is better than surrounded with mana all the time. He starts asking this question to Haw
“It got me thinking, why am I feeling sick when I get myself into a realm for so long?”
“I thought you told me you can get your answer in the internet”
“I have, but I want to know more. They say all kind of stuff of symptoms and remedies. A remedy for real? I am not buying it unless you going to tell me differently”
Haw tries to remembers this kind of phenomenon. Compressed mana gathering is one thing, but making them sick of it is the other. If he is able to get this right, then what Myrrkei’s time going around this city might work. Here he goes
“It could be the cause of original natural instinct. Human beings weren’t supposed to be adapting along with mana. Born with it or not, the obvious of our bodies really need its natural sensation. The neutral mana can be able to get your body protected and shroud yourself with illusion. Except it was the brain that thought of it, other parts of the sense of your body will be fooled easily . . .”
“. . . You can change anything you want from the outside but the inside needs that you require real substance. Example I learn about water, you drink within your own spells, and lasts longer than it should inside of you. The water though you created is nothing nutritious about it. It only fills the emptiness of your body. It tricks the brain, and the rest of the body follows with it. The nutrients though, not even healing could stop the body from detecting what it is missing. The body needs it to be able for the body to get properly be healthy. Although, there is no signs of people getting a slow death from having mana in their systems . . .”
“. . . To be more worrisome for all of us, that is one of many possibilities for neutral mana will control your body”
“What? I am just asking for a remedy, not a full-blown lecture” The boyfriend couldn’t move and continue to listen to him for a bit.
“I’m telling you first of the causes”
“Well, that’s too long for me to listen it all”
“You can take your leave if you’re not interested”
The boyfriend struggles to get up, even his mana is gone. Honestly, he is feeling a bit better without his mana in him. It is strange, but an ironically this is what Haw said to him before. He slowly admitted
“Fine, you win. Please continue”
“Besides controlling your body with excessive mana, the most of obvious cure to most human is always expelled it like waste. Furthermore, sometimes the mana you have can be a hindrance to us. There are people who have less mana to use it than have it all. But your people are different, and somehow you are feeling sick of it. Maybe acute sickening or your body is now sharing the symptoms of ours. Like you said before, you are getting sick. Now you are getting better without it”
“Yeah, do you think it was the dusts that cures me?”
“Sounds suicidal if you think it that way”
The boyfriend is getting better truly. He also admits that the dust hurts him than curing him.
Haw continues “You’ve been in the evacuation area for a week or so. It is quick recover for anyone who are little sick in the mana. People won’t notice it if they are busy themselves to make them comfortable in there”
“Alright, I think the cure was not staying there for long”
“By the way, you already starting to feel sick that quickly. I won’t say anymore from this. I’ll excuse myself”
The boyfriend keeps to himself. He slowly realized all he is been through with his girlfriend. The assurance from what Haw said to him is complicated, but he never thought the problems were a lot more to learn than he would bring up.
“Fuck! Then the mana overdose isn’t farfetched either. We clearly need to stay away from those guys spreading mana too much”
He slowly picks himself up steadily. The elevator starts to go down. A smile from his face to see it working again. The next step is going back to the apartment in this condition.
Sometimes later, Maser heard Haw about his conversation with the boyfriend. “I have heard you. It is clearly the density of their magic is pushing off the natural being going into their realm. Like fresh air made out of magic, they still breathe coming from their mouth. We don’t know how hazardous it gets. It must be those people rarely using their mana. The people won’t be getting killed off by it. They could receive side effects, like cold or bad morning wake ups”
“So, there is nothing serious. Even the part they will be controlled”
“I don’t know about that, but it is possible in any means. I would gladly take a time to observe such epidemic. Getting controlled by mana they won’t even release it, that would be a great detrimental of negligence not letting them control their mana until someone can do it against them. It is a dangerous reference of a demon can do”
“Is there demon who does that?”
“It is just one of the examples, it is kind of smart though. Staying away from the possibility getting caught by them. Ironically, this is the demon’s world now”
After Maser finishes his side of work, the building has the basics with limited routes for them to go down. No mana allowed to be use in the building, and a painful walk down to the stairs. The both of them should’ve use the elevator, and they didn’t. Haw has some extra need of help of him for the future. Maser re-explains to him
“You need me to help you to train your recruit? I know the city turns into a dusty wasteland according to the citizen themselves. I am more concern about the outlaws entering the city”
“I’ll be there with you along the way. It is the best opportunity to see how the citizens do their enemies. I hear only stories of them managed to caught so many in their past adventures”
“They were able to catch mostly humans. The death toll was so high to the gobins. They were not experience so well against them with their shamanism. I think they will be surely going to catch them alive than getting them killed”
“That’s a bother for the Enders”
“Yeah, Enders are still having their hands dirty in red. Don’t blame them because the Archaic says so”
They reach the exit of the building, and the crystals on their feet feels it being crushed, stuck, or pierced in their boots. Maser gritted his teeth, moving slightly towards him as he catches him.
“I can’t stand walking in shards like glass. So, I am willing to join your recruit’s training, if you give me boots that resist these bleeding shards”
“I’m glad, don’t worry, where we are going to meet up. The ferry will be the place for them to gather”
“The ferry, I thought the trainee is allowed to get into the island. He has the blessing”
“He plays like Enders but he will be bringing his own team”
“With me included means they are not experience”
“Or maybe they are not keen to kill yet”
“They did though”
“Those were what they called as monsters. They are facing real people”
“That’s something I don’t want to hear from them. Criminals as they are, it is really forgiving send them to the deaths than capturing them in the hands of our Archaic, Lady Hivites”
“That’s right, how did she convinced them to capture than to kill?”
“Coins, there is no given that they have the purchase powers before, and how this city gets their rights to buy your city’s resources”
“Truly I have no comment on it”
“Good”
Maser left, and Haw closes the door. The difficulty of closing the door where it starts to crystallized again. There are a few people in this building lending their hands to close it. One blow inside the building, dusty winds, touch them and quickly backs away. Haw thought it so as they are helpless as their bodies being covered in crystals that fast. They don’t have proper mana control, even if they have, the amount of their auras is sure hardened to compressed.
They apologized “Sorry, I don’t think we can thank you enough what you have done”
“There is something I need to be paid for my works, but it will be you to decide for my gratitude in the next cycle”
“Oh, we will. Thanks again. Oh, by the way, how many people can go back here now?”
Haw remembers only two elevators are functioning and the stairs are too tight go up and down as it only goes through tightly for one person in length.
“I think people who are residing a handful of floors”
“Then what about the rest of the utilities, do you think you can clean it all off”
“I can’t”
“But why?” The residences are giving an empathetic look, expecting him to finish it all will full capacity electricity and water. Haw is doing this to help his girlfriend to return here without them knowing his purpose.
“I have so much to do, and help of a friend. What you see inside is still a long way to go”
Others weren’t happy to hear that, they saw him and the others able to break through the crystals than they could. Other floors are a mess and difficult to get through.
They pressured him as more gathered around him. Desperate to come home and others who are not wanting to go back to the evacuation area. Their selfishness is getting through to their heads. Haw feels the presence of their powers going through his body. The aura is immense and forces him down to his knees. One of the residences, grew greedy for her own good.
“Sorry, but there are people here want to go back. They have suffered enough from current events and lacks the experience to get this building working. You can at least give a little more help for us”
Haw, without any potions on him to negate the force of magic crushing him to his knees. The residences were so kind before, and now troublemakers put them to the truth of their intentions. They heard about him able to clear the building with ease against the dusts and crystals. It took him a few days and able to get it down without a problem. The other residences tried to stop them. They can’t, the crazy residences are willing to fight as their apartments were not cleared. The woman is holding him down trying to be nice, and at the same time threatening him out of desperation.
A threat so strong where he kept himself in posture, his body is bending in the wrong way and his joints are aching to break. The aggressive residences are keep going until they hear his bones crack. Haw stood firmly showing his eyes bleeding and stains occurred in blood somewhere in his clothes.
“You’re mad”
The woman is trembling and angry at the same time. The threats she gave felt nothing, the man is crazy enough to never give what they wanted. She stops, Haw takes a heavy breathing and he is sweating from her intense power.
The other residences come to his aid. “Are you ok? AAH!”
Another angry residence throws a fit, pushes the other residences, and thrown him to the entrance door. Haw bears it with restraints. The residences have enough and tried to stop the fight. They check on him, he is unconscious. Both residences, side with Haw and against him, are quarrelling.
“What are you guys doing? He is the one who take care of the building for us”
“You know he is an Enders. They can do more than just an entire building. You see how they did in Taiyou Industries”
“How can you compare him from the entire group? They are not a homogenize society. Not even this world is homogenized”
“Hey man, are you alright? Damn it, the healing won’t work because of the dusts”
“Shit! We are killing him. He is being crystallized in his joints. Fuck!”
“He shouldn’t be taking us lightly after doing it half done in this apartment complex”
“Stop it! How about you take care of the entire building yourself?”
“We can! But we can’t because of these shitty dusts”
“SHUT UP, SHUT UP”
The argument keeps going until the aggressive residences were being blasted by a powerful spell coming from the elevator. Two staffs from the city guild appeared, enraged. Revealing their true strengths as their levels of mana control exceeded them. More than mastery of their RAPs, these two releases it at full purpose. The aggressive residences were not only ceased of using their magic, but able to manipulate the dusts to chase them. The bursts of the crystals to break free from its clutches to Haw. The other residences feel their mana is panicking and shaken too greatly as they fear themselves against the wall.
Shinji and Nanami aren’t showing any mercy. They sense their lover pulsing faintly, but alive, and remained his eyes closed breathing slowly. The mana they have are the same with the others, the control is different, and the sheer willpower engulfed by rage. Dare they to scream at them from what they have done, they mustn’t. The emotional response to have someone they love discriminated, they shouldn’t. The eyes of the people who are trying to hurt him, unfazed. After the last few steps getting closer to their arms on to Haw, the aggressive residences are fully in case inside the crystals.
Exposed perfectly without getting others around them affected, they tried to breakthrough with their natural strength. Their punches turned scratches, the scratches become desperate banging all around their bodies, and after all of that, it becomes silent. They brought Haw up to their care, the more Shinji and Nanami feel the condition of his body ever so painful. The silent lying body of Haw was not easily keep hidden, their connection with him reached through inside. The part of his head can’t be connected, and they search deeply in his wounds.
Both of them intentionally ignored the aggressive residences. When the elevator is closed as they went back in, the residences tried to break the crystal imprisonment. It was impossible. They continue to trapped in there with little of their real self being revealed. The illusion of their real health to give face among them. Horrified how they look. They hid their appearance slowly with little strength they have. The mana dependency is giving off many terrifying realities. If they continue to keep that way, from what they learn from the community. They become the images of useless people to the society.
Haw feels his body with warmth. A warmth without a blanket and the bed is sure where his body lies down. Time is already at night. All of his pain is gone and nothing else to feel the numb of his broken bones. Feeling down where he should be numb, coursing up by someone’s hand rubbing his legs up to his chest. Little moist, a little strong tug, and hands massaging him. No words coming from them, mouth shut, they keep quiet, and Haw continue to feel the same sensation. He feels something strong below his waist.
The boyfriend and the other two receptionists heard the commotion. They can’t believe the people are now losing their minds. Disappointed from what he heard. He asks the receptionist
“They are the same as us, but desperate”
“Yeah, I never would see people getting worse after living inside the evacuation area”
His girlfriend comes in to the apartment after checking out what the two did to the residences. “They didn’t able to break their spell. Their darling is something”
“Hey!” The boyfriend argues
“Don’t be jealous” She wasn’t making a joke.
The receptionist listens what the girlfriend about the situation from the ground floor. Shinji and Nanami weren’t kidding how far they learn to control their mana. They even know how to redirect the crystals toward them. The city guild is pushing their next level of mana control. She said to them
“Did Haw helped them improved?”
The boyfriend didn’t believe it “I don’t think so”
The girlfriend follows “Me too”
They are starting to get worried. The people are becoming stronger and more delusional.