Charles walk a bit far and check his equipment, he had both his dagger on the back of his pant, his gun given by the government, it was sleek, powerful enough to kill but not enough to pierce steel, he also ask for muffler and small modification to disable it because sound was a dangerous weapon in the right hand.

His satchel black bag also on his hip, created by newest fiber, it was resistant to all kind of weather and wouldn’t tear so easily, he wonders if the reason they give him the bag because of they now all his shenanigans so they can see how durable it is.

Even though he had this equipment he still feels it was too little especially when he couldn't buy this thing with money but favor and gift. It was good he had a nice reputation in guard duty, his friend also helps but still.

His shoe also a bit special, it made from super durable and comfortable leather, they said, it was made from new material but he skipped what they say, wear it and starts running test the shoe by jumping, on parkouring, climbing the roof and kicking several innocent, including rock and passerby.

It was a good shoe. His review said.

He kneels down on the ground getting into position but a spider standing in front of him wondering what he is doing.

“I’m prepared to run. My grandfather said it was manly to arrived somewhere with your own feet.”

Beatrice nod but she had a vague feeling that made him questions was she agreeing or not. She made a thread and tied to his hand again and bought him to the left of the house were a mango tree grows, she walks behind the tree and drags a cocoon sized of a small kid. He watches Beatrice lunge her fang and start sucking the cocoon.

Once the girl had her own breakfast she climbed his back and he got into position and start sprinting toward the center of the town.

“He was loud.” He said, continuing to introduce his grandfather and running toward a road that had been paved with a smooth rock people could find.

“He likes to be called grandpapa though I only call him that when I face him most of the time I just referred him as grandpa, some cousin thought it was funny to call him the head house and him official heir.”

There was a stream in front of him, it was connected to the main river and barely width as a sewer with a small homely bridge. He didn’t run toward the bridge instead he runs to the left and jump toward the stream where bunch frog was sitting lily pad or a big rock, he landed on one of the lily pad, water splashed around and water bubble start popping under the lily pad when it seemed he was going to fall, the air bubble popped that propelled him into the air and reveal some kind creature that had been hiding under the lily.

He was flying and catch a branch of a tree, climb it and jump toward a roof before he safely arrived on the ground again.

“Grandpa was my biological grandpa while some uncle and aunt didn't even relate to each other.”

He was quiet, after saying it was weird from other perspective but when his family arrived with the main group and joining the people who build a new town in this old and unknown city, they ake grandpa last name and become a big family.

“Mom said it was very hard not to call each other brother and sister when they share so much during the chaos, food, joy, loss.” He continues to run, some people were bringing a hot bread that probably just get out of the factory, several big animals, like horse and buffalo were carrying goods and people toward their destination.

There were also car, bus, and other vehicles, they are mostly for transportation and belongs the public since a new source of fuel wasn’t distributed, his friend said it was buffed up hamster but he holds his theory until he sees it with his own eye.

A few police were walking with dog police wearing their own vest. They were there to make sure there wasn’t any fighting but they mostly there to stop and punishing mutant owner who let their mutant shit in the street.

It was peaceful, it wasn’t like their previous life but they get by. Before settlement like this build, people keep moving around, sometimes staying at the protected building before it was getting destroyed and then they become nomad again, fighting the monster, bandit, and slaver.

“Granpa was the leader, even though the only good thing he knows was he was ninety and still kicking. Oh, he also likes to scream manly to everyone but I’m sure during that chaos, the word respectable probably get switched with manly especially when he screams at naughty niece for not being manly or him putting his leg on the table is not manly. Basically, everything he doesn't like is not manly.”

There was rumbling behind him like a strong creature was running toward him at high speed, he looks back and saw a young black buffalo, running with a determined eye, carrying more weight and faster than any other. Charles starts adjusting his speed and positioned himself and jumped toward her back.

“To the shortcut, Bu-Bu.” He said, riding the buffalo while looking at the basket of fruit and thinking if it’s okay to take few without being kicked by Ms. Yin. He takes the white strawberry, chewing three of them and to the mandarin orange.

It was a road tax, he justified. His shortcut where small forest where some mutant already lived and wasn’t really that good place to build a house or other building, but it was a more straightforward route to the market. Thir first trip there wasn't peaceful like this, it was bloody, something he and Bu-Bu work alone, forging their own path by leaving countless corpse until he made himself a threat toward the mutant there.

Though he was the one who does all the job, he still admires Bu-Bu for sticking with him and brave enough to stand inside a zone when she hadn't even grown a horn.

He hops down just before Bu-Bu arrived at the market, he didn't want getting kicked especially since he still eating the orange and start to walk to the school but before he gets in, he toward a public bathroom and sat Beatrice for a talk.

“Do you have to scare my mother.”

“Hisssh.” Beatrice raised her leg and moved it like a centipede so she could to climbed his back again.

“I don’t care If you think she’s rude, it’s her house, she can do whatever she wants.” He said trying to block the spider from hugging his face. “Listen, I need you to stay out of school, it may look I don’t care but I don’t want to be known as that boy with the creepy spider so, If you don’t mind-”

“Sheesh.”

“Stop hissing how do you that, spider can’t hiss.” He put Beatrice down again and speak more sternly. “You can’t follow me to school and I will never believe you to play dead, just stay here. And wait for me.”

Did he succeed persuading her. No, he was the kind of guy who use physical force to win n argument, unfortunately, he had to put Beatrice into the list people he can’t bully for laugh.

“Beatrice.” Charles pushed her for the last time but she wouldn’t, so he sigh and bring Beatrice inside the school since he doesn’t want to be late.

He walks to the school and they were herded toward giant aula where they forced to heard welcoming speech by the headmaster but this is a school like isn’t this just a waste of time. So instead of hearing the speech, he looks around searching for a fellow monster lover like him and he founds a surprising amount of fellow monster lover.

Having a monster is a new trend, a trend for younger people since older people were, well they watched their old world destroyed by this creature so by the exception the mutant is pet or member o their family they saw mutant as food or enemy.

Having monster as a pet certainly cool and some pragmatic parent had seen them as an additional guard for their children but as he said, mutant wouldn't obey you just because you catch them, even if you made them docile, how do you know they wouldn’t harm your children or run away from the asshole who take them from their house.

So it wasn’t surprised when it was, cat, dog, bird, and other domesticated animals who already close with the human before the calamity. It made him feel high and mighty, his partner wasn't a wuss that only know to eat unlike them Beatrice is a certified predator, she also more beautiful than this trash tier animal, are they even smart enough to understand human speech.

He scoffs and starts drowning in an achievement that wasn’t his own. Charles was in that state for several more minute, looking on the passing mortal, scoffing at their ignorance then bought back to

reality when he heard his class placement.

He found the class after a bit of walk and stands at the door, peeking some student who already been there. There was a boy who was taller than him, a girl who pretty than he is and a guy who is more beautiful than him. He feels self-conscious, it wasn’t that he was shy but he was bad at socializing. Every time he opens his mouth it would just become a disaster that everyone regrets but after he had analyzed the situation, he would give himself one hour limit before he got out the class.

He picks a chair then starts wandering around the class, seeing the board and spinning the globe until someone calls him. He looks back and saw a runt kid with clothes that look bigger than him waving at him and pointing at his shoulder.

“Is that spider.” He asked.

Charles nod and take a chair to join the boy. “Her name is Beatrice and I’m Charles.”

“Me name Mikail.” The boy rapidly nods and made his bang look ready to fly thanks to his overenthusiasm. Charles didn't blame the boy, after all, Beatrice is the coolest mutant you can get.

“And this is my bro, Atlas.” He said slapping the sleeping boy who sits beside him until he sees a similar face but instead of the black eye, it was sharp yellow that stares to him. It made him freeze and made his hand move toward his dagger until Atlas glare at his brother, punching his shoulder and sleep again.

“He’s sleepy.” Mikail rubs his shoulder and drags his chair to observe Beatrice more closely, he was astounded with this boy lack of fear by staring Beatrice so close, after all, Beatrice is that kind beauty who can be appreciated once you are very far away,

They sat there staring at each other and had glaring contest until at the end Beatrice win by default.

He gets back from Beatrice, rubbing his back and look away from her. “She’s creepy.”

“She’s my beauty.” He said rubbing the spider. “And she just eats so she was bit quiet.”

“What kind of food she eats.”

“I don’t know, she hunts herself but it was big as you.” He smiled and looking at the small boy.

“Sh- did she eat children.” Mikail gasp and finally realized that he had trapped himself between eight-legged, furry monster and his grumpy brother. There are no safe place or escape route or him.

“She didn’t eat children.” Said a voice behind Mikail, Atlas had finally woken again and glaring at Mikail and Charles.

“How did you know.” He crosses his arm and stares at his brother.

“Because of the mayor.” Said both Charles and Atlas at the same time, they both look at each other and Charles bow his head and give the stage to Atlas.

“Ehm.” Atlas clear his throat and step above the table, he looks up, watching this sickly young man who now filled with vigor.

“All hail Lord Silver,” Atlas screamed and raise his hand in the air, worshipping invisible figure they couldn't see.

“All hail Lord Silver.” Several young man and woman follow Atlas, raising their had and calling their deities.

“Just explain it.” Charles rubs his ear but it was too late, he already wake the cult, no one can stop them until they finished glorifying and tell everyone their Lord is a god who descends to this lowly land. Someone had pushed a table in front of the class and this random children suddenly become a cohesive unit who slowly turn the class into the mini theater and start kidnaping people who, unfortunately, walk near their class.

The projector had been placed, the curtain had been closed, the door had been guarded with a girl with an orange cat and everyone fears for their life. There was tense silence when the cult turns the projector and he heard people start whispering, while the cult member sitting at the floor while their eye already plastered toward the whiteboard.

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“Are we just going to stay here.”

“Be quiet, I heard this cult, they would get personal if you tried to run away.”

“Like, what.”

“They hug you and force you into their non-violence group.”

The projector had finally turned distracting everyone from their unknown fate.

“Look at his manly muscle.” In the screen a blond man, who he one hundred percent sure was an actor, kneeling on a grave while the camera keeps shooting at his perfect, manly muscle while his face was down, like remembering something tragic.

“That guy looks like he needs a toilet.”

“Shh.”

“Look at his exotic hair lock and his chiseled jaw.” From a lonely grave on the hill, it changes into a beautiful harbor, a lone man stood there with a bear wearing silver armor, his hair fluttered in the nonexistent wind and he smiled despite the coming mutilated monster that seems to carries all the waste in the ocean.

It irks him and made him chuckle at the people rection, here he was, Silver a man with an absolute mystery about his past, a hero who probably come from ancient time, a real savior to humanity turned and sell as a cheesy, dumb muscled protagonist.

“Lord Silver is great.” Said the boy beside him, Charles bit his banana chip and Beatrice chew some cricket she caught. Does someone was falling into these? he didn’t know what to call it, propaganda just sound negative. Sure, they add some fabricated stories here and there, the fact it was an actor, didn’t help their case but he didn’t want to call it propaganda, he like Silver.

“Well, he is. He was the one who offers a solution to the Calamity, fight fire with fire, a wall is useless since we don’t have technology or material to build strong one that could protect us from monster and heck even if we can, they still can fly or jump above the wall. Partnership with Monster especially King level is the surest way to protect the settlement and fight the Myth. Silver also responsible for many life, he fights monster as big skyscraper and strong as nukes.”

It was also the answer to the previous question. The mayor is basically why they can live in peace, he was their own local Silver. Whose job was to make everyone follow the rule, including the mutant who live inside his town. Yes, the city didn’t just house human, there was this thing called zone, a place where the mutant had taken place like home, it can be a part of a river, swamp or small worst that either too dangerous to live or too bothersome to make it safe.

“Is that why.” He said looking Beatrice, the mayor was strong but not only that, he had killed all mutant who was a threat to him and presumable Beatrice if she keeps growing.

He didn’t know where he would put Beatrice power level but she wasn’t an ordinary Mutant. Growing from the size of a child's thumb to the size of a small dog speak for her power and her dark skin trait also clued where she hangs out all these years.

He wonders why some mutant wants to partner with a human. The earth had grown bigger, the land had been scattered like some cosmic toddler had come to earth and hate the geography of earth and start making his own.

It destroyed many nations and created a new continent and island. Something that baffles many people how the effect wasn't devastating as land big as America broke and thrown to the next ocean without causing many causalities and why the building still intact.

Beside something obvious like the day getting longer there are still many mysteries about this new earth including the mutant.

Civilization also wasn’t that different but at the beginning it was unrecognizable.

There were many raids from the monster, sometimes a myth who passing by able to completely destroy a city, raid, and massacre had become an everyday occurrence. There was so much death that it was very optimistic to say the human population was twenty percent what it used to.

It was human killing human, mutant killing human, mutant killing mutant. Everyone seems ready to plunge into mutual destruction until people like Silver show up and time had clear the fog of chaos, showing everyone they had space for each other and more if they wish.

Beatrice probably search him so the mayor didn’t kill her, she wasn’t in that level yet but she feels Beatrice desire to grow and if she made partner with a human then it would be okay to let her live. Even its sounds ruthless but that just human nature despite the birth of creature called monster they still unbeatable in that regard.

He stood up, stealing his heart, he had a goal now and it made him lost interest toward the cult and certainly not the girl who block the door.

“I’m sorry you have to protect me but I promise I become your protector, too.” He said and he heard the spider squeal again. He was going to help Beatrice goes beyond and he would protect the city and the human settlement. As soon he declares his goal the room become completely dark.

Is this the sign from God, was this his way to tell him, he was on the right path.

Click.

A student had turned the light when the projector died and a girl, wearing a thick jacket, with cream-colored hair, was holding the projector plug.

“Don’t misuse the school properly.” Said the girl, her voice was wispy, like a sheltered girl who used to see the world behind glass but her gaze was steady even if her body shaking by being stared by so many eyes.

“We are showing Lord Siver to the world, educating the crowd what glorious being He is, the projector should feel lucky to be chosen as Our Lord tool.” Said one of a cult member who had talent in words.

The girl still had the plug look at the class again. “Silver is not a hero he-”

“Booo.”

“Heathen, get away from here.”

“*******.” Now that was too far, yet still, many insults were hurled toward the girl and it turned into a threat, like pulling her hair and taking her ugly jacket. Charles didn’t mind about the threat, after all, it was a threat and even if someone did it, other people would stop them but he doesn’t want to leave the class without adding his own piece even though he was the sole reason why this situation came to be.

“Silver is many things.” He said, standing in front of the class and staring at the girl. “But whoever denies he wasn’t a hero had a grudge against him or a deranged person.”

“What.” The girl was surprised by his arrival boy and more when there wasn’t Lord attached when he addresses Silver.

“I said you’re retarded.” Said Charles straightforwardly.

“I don’t know who you are but I just stopping the misuse of school item and telling people the truth.” He gazes at the member of the cult at her last sentence. “And I’m not retarded.”

Charles mouth twitched and bow his head.

“Then forgive me, maybe you’re right, after all, the mayor couldn’t produce a stupid child.” He said glancing at the crowd, the girl was still steady, probably too naive to realize what would happen if he releases that information.

“No wonder...”

“Guess that how you become if you had a golden spoon...”

“Just because she was his daughter she thinks she can do anything...” There are many more whisper spread into the class, the girl still clueless but she slowly realized that no one was in her side and the whisper had become louder.

“If you weren’t stupid then there should be a reason why you said such horrible thing to Silver.” He speaks again, slowly controlling the mob, he knew the girl didn't deserve this but he was curious mightly curios. Are you a strong tree that could withstand the biggest storm or a parrot who echo the word of the adult around you.

His heartbeat getting faster it starts becoming painful, he wants to know what happens, he wants to know if she survived. In fact, it reminds him of The Moth, he wants to know how spider eats but more he wants to know if the moth could break free from the web he put her or would she fail and become the food.

“Maybe I can’t answer that,” Atlas said, Charles, break free from his thought shrugs and wonder how Atlas going to play this, he realized he shouldn’t interrupt too much, after all, he wasn’t a member of their cult, if he does all the work then they wouldn’t have a face anymore.

“I believe why Ms. Mithra had said that horrible thing because it was hard for her to understand Us, The lower class. As a high class, how could she know our suffering and the salvation Lord Silver gave to us. He saves us from Evil Mutant and Myth but Ms. Mithra shouldn't know that since his father always protects her, up there in her giant mansion.” Despite portraying as the good guy, Atlas mannerism and glare didn’t mirror his word, he looks like he wants to choke Mithra instead of educating her.

“Stop it.” Said Mithra glaring at Atlas. “Don’t paint me like I’m a spoiled princess, I eat the bread from the factory and the vegetable and fruit we grow at the edge of the town. My father may be rich but what we're going to do with the money, there are no more vacation spot or luxury car and our mansion didn’t belong solely to us, he had many employees, the scientist and the researcher need a lot of space and protection. Stop twisting the truth in your liking.”

The crowd silent, she said many good points but alas he still had a habit to open his mouth.

“But didn’t we receive a shipment from the capital every month. Who knows what kind thing in there, who knows...” he let the word hang in the air, people whispered and glancing at the girl again.

“That right, how did we know she said the truth for all we know she had her own chef and butler.”

“Yeah and she said Silver is terrorist, there must be something wrong with her.” Along with the remark, there were also deeper emotion, snide and jealousy.

Well, he shouldn’t be surprised someone feeling jealous and was that a thumb up from Atlas, couldn't you be more blatant that we basically bullying a girl to the point lynching her.

The girl clenched her fist, her chest up and down and her eye feels hot glaring at the two boys who made this situation worse.

“Silver is criminal.” She said seeing everyone looking at her. “He is a madman who doesn’t know any method besides killing, a dangerous vigilante who thinks himself judge and the jury. Calling him a hero is poison to the community, we are not a caveman who only know killing as a method to solve the problem and he is the malefactor of the Hurrican Massacre.”

“Fuck you.” Atlas pointing at the girl and walking in front of her while he was choking on the banana chip, Atlas looks ready to beat up the girl and he doesn’t want that, he wants to test the girl mental not her body. He was trying to tack his brain and find some ways to cool the room and applaud the girl on making her own stand.

“You tell us not to twist the truth but you speak like the Hurricane some kind saint, they fuck-

“They are circus group.” Cut Charles, he needs to control the situation and he didn’t want to be connected to this kind level of fuck up. Hurricane Group is something need to be told wisely especially in the room full of teenagers.

“According to the news and the evidence they found, Hurricane group are former circus member, we didn’t know if they come from the same group or not since Silver didn’t give us proper corpse but their modus is moved from settlement to settlement, collecting any human and mutant they found along the way and once they arrived on a settlement they will build a huge bright tent and invite

people to watch their show.”

“So long you had money or something precious you can come and watch the most authentic show in the history, sit tight and prepare to have the time on your life and if you critic our perfect performance, relax we have a special show for you, said the Ringmaster every time they open the tent. I hope everyone had a clue who is Hurricane group and if you want to know what kind show they did, please find it yourself.” He finished but they still glare at each other do come back into a spatting contest.

“Silver is a hero, he saves people live and basically our hope to make the world safe again, you're probably should check your head or stop being an arrogant princess.”

“I never deny in him saving people, do you think it’s okay for him to act like whatever he wants, we barely grasping with our population and this retard were running around reducing our number more.”

“He always kills the bad guys you dumbass. You’re saying it’s okay for the outsider to continue living.”

“Of course it is, not all outsider is a bandit and how do we know Silver just kill the bad guy do you have proof-”

Charles didn’t really want to take a side in the argument but inside he sides with Silver. Yet he didn’t voice his opinion, it just... wrong. There are so many things unknown about Silver, they didn’t even know his real name hence people call him by his most popular moniker, Silver, The Silver Hero or

The King who rode a Bear.

Did he want to be a hero.

Silver is a hero to him but did he want to. He tries to imagine himself as a person who already partnered with a strong mutant, chaos, and death everywhere and he tries to help as best as he can and maybe sometimes he didn’t have a lot of choices, he didn’t want to become a hero so he continues to avoid the public and government but he never went too far, never hide from them because he was the few people who can fight horde of beast without dying.

Is Silver a hero, did he want this, this attention, hate, expectation that the people throw onto his shoulder. What does he feel when he becomes one of Humanity pillar of hope. Can you refuse that kind position, the more he thought about it, the more hurt his head, Charles had put himself in Silver position, no matter how selfish and unfeeling he sometimes is, he can’t reject it, knowing life will be gone because his inaction is maddening.

He sighs and looks at the still ongoing argument, he had lost interest in their debate, until he can hear the answer himself from Silver he’s not going to join in but since he made the show, he wants to add the last explosion.

“Does it matter.” He said and he found much glare directed at him, he suddenly becomes a ‘Mithra’ but he got all their attention something he just realized probably a talent he had. “I mean, Is her opinion matter.” He raised his hand and pointing at the punchbag.

“Are you trying to-”

“Shhh.” He steps down from the table putting Beatrice to her shoulder, the spider seems very chill among this show, but maybe it's not her taste.

“I mean since when a liar opinion is valued,” he said walking to the front and looking at the crowd.

“That’s right.” He pointed at the girl before he could defend herself. “You said you weren’t spoiled but clearly you just lying.”

“I’M NOT SPOILED.” The girl screamed, like a spoiled child.

“You, Ms. Mithra is a liar. The truth is in front of us and if you want to see the truth then it was there, inside your jacket is the Truest Truth.”

He had bought all the attention toward People start noticing the bulgy jacket Mithra wear and they notice something was moving inside it. He was smiling as she holds her jacket but it didn’t work because everyone can see the bulge moving around, she tries to deny the truth but truth cannot be hidden.

Many were gasping while he was giddy and try not to jump from joy. How perfect the creature was, how perfect his reveal to the crowd. It was a beautiful white ferret, a fur that seems to be brushed and sprinkled with pearl, its red eye was glaring at her master's enemy while wind blowing around the powerful mutant.

Charles almost smirked, he wants to smile so wide he can show his teeth but he restraint himself, in all it’s glory the mutant had show itself, comparing to their pitiful pet the ferret had won, from look to power, no matter how prideful he was to Beatrice the ferret had beat her, the subtle blue motif in its fur, the pure white wing the sprouted from its shoulder with grossly but manly scar on the base like the wing had been grown forcefully just add the charm to the mutant.

A powerful one who control the wind, a ferret who had gone toward powerful mutation and lived to tell the story, it deserved to be called a monster.

“Not even my Beatrice can beat her in look and gene.” He said, patting his beautiful lady. “You still can kill it, though.” He said to Beatrice, she was silent in fact she doesn't even try to compare herself. Charles grumbles he was trying to defend her but she doesn’t even care.

“Icarus isn’t a gift, I found him myself.” Sid Mithra still glaring at him.

He shrugs and opens his mouth again.

“Well, what a lucky citizen we are, a powerful protector and a daughter who touched by the heaven, to be able to found a mutant who can control an element, I only heard King level do that.” He said finishing his piece and his last chip. The card had been laid, whether she lies or telling the truth she was trapped in loss/loss situation, if it’s a gift the mob can call her spoiled, if he had told the truth the mob would envy and jealousy on the girl.

He let Beatrice crawl in his body, fixing his bag and walks out the room, this time with a lighter heart because her pet was still absolute apex in this class and like a good boy he is, Charles leaves the mess he made without cleaning it.