As his car pulled away from the orphanage, Lucian passed an imposing industrial building connected to it, and his features darkened in an instant. The Gladkid sweatshop—a place he could never feel nostalgia for. The memory of the numbness that had once overtaken his body during those grueling fourteen-hour shifts still lingered in his bones. The sobs of suffering children trying to sleep away the pain at night often appeared in his dreams. Lucian pressed the gas pedal to the floor, keen to leave the sweatshop behind as swiftly as possible.
The black Chevrolet could then be seen cruising past Lucian’s dwellings he’d taken refuge in after Gladkid had made the news and was shut down. Soon, the car came to a stop near a bridge going over rotten sewage where Lucian looked to with a dejected gaze. The scene was all too familiar for him. It was the place Elina had revealed she had become an Anointed and that she would be leaving him.
The sight was unbearable. The bridge, surrounded by the stench of human waste, stood as a symbol of his failure to be worthy of Elina. On that somber day, he had stood there, overwhelmed by the loss, as he watched Elina walk away. The noxious odor of restrooms and the putrid slums served as a constant reminder of losing her.
Retracting his hollow expression, Lucian continued onward and reached a strip of rundown houses that appeared as if they’d been carpet bombed. This desolate area was where Wastelanders, who had been cooking Elysium crystal in Hellside, sought refuge after investigators from New DC had discovered their operation following the Gladkid incident. Lucian was their sole neighbor, but their relationship could best be described as strained, to say the least.
More charms and religious symbols appeared as he passed by buildings that had housed cults and other structures where people had been killed by the dozens. Such spiritual symbols remained as a testament to the horrors that had occurred in this place. The more he looked at this disgusting district, the more he hated being there. Eventually, he decided to leave Hellside.
He made his way to the place where things had started looking up in his life, reaching the end of his journey down memory lane—Meager Palace. His eyes fell on Gabriel’s cowboy hat resting on the dashboard. Gabriel had been a MHS worker from South Sun Megacity and was the one to reach out to Lucian and get him into the world of being a Material Harvesting Specialist. For six years, Lucian had a steady job and a good friend. Even “Her” had been more amicable back then, though in hindsight, it seemed like a bait-and-switch.
Lucian shut his eyes, fatigued and worn, and when he let them open again, the car's interior was flooded with sunbeams that had breached the windshield. Slumber had overtaken him, and daybreak had come. Lucian checked the time on his phone and sucked at his teeth seeing two missed calls from “Her.” He grimaced imagining her fury and the schemes she would plot in retaliation to his avoidance of her. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he contemplated the impending confrontation. Yet, his gaze then fell upon Gabriel's cowboy hat, bathed in a golden glow from the morning sun.
Lucian drew a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. If Gabriel was with him, he would have berated Lucian for giving in to her guiles, accusing him of cowardice. Lucian could make his deceased friend proud if he could stay clear of “Her.” All he needed to do was avoid her, and he would remain unscathed.
Lucian hadn’t noticed it before but a young woman had been standing at his car, peering in at him, her hands around her face to get a better view inside. He gripped his chest and felt his heart pound heavily.
However, he calmed almost instantly, as if he had caught fire only for it to be suddenly doused with water. The young woman wasn’t “Her.”
He saw that she was beautiful, with chestnut-colored hair and eyes as green as spring grass. A speckling of freckles dotted her nose and cheekbones. She wore a flannel shirt, tied at the waist to accentuate her curvaceous figure, along with a pair of snug-fitting blue jeans.
He opened the door to let her in.
“Wow,” she responded to his actions, hopping into the passenger seat, “You’re really trusting.”
“You don’t belong here in the slums,” Lucian said, scrutinizing her fashionable clothes and smooth clean skin, “Meaning you must be here for someone. I’m guessing that’s me since you came to my car, which is parked further away from the others. Am I right?”
“Ooh, you’re smart.”
“No, I just made that up. I know you’re Elina’s friend. I remember you from that Monster Gate with the snails.”
She giggled, “You had me there for a second.” Her eyes wandered his visage, taking in his disheveled appearance and injury ridden body. “Hard day at the office?”
Lucian merely looked at her for a moment to measure her and asked straightforwardly, “Are you here because of Elina?”
“Oh, come on. I come all this way to the Broken Ring and you won’t even engage in a little foreplay with me before getting down to business?”
Lucian let out a sigh and introduced himself, “Fine. I’m Lucian Corven, ex-friend of Elina Tiller, grew up an orphan, MHS worker and likeable guy when you get to know me.”
The young woman nodded in satisfaction then responded with a grin, “Amelia Brite, Warden, hot piece of ass, player hater,” her eyes smoldered, “and best friend of Elina Tiller.”
“Congratulations. Now, if you don’t mind. As you can see, I’m not in the best shape to talk.” Like wood inhabited by termites, he was full of countless holes.
The sun glinted off a vial that appeared in Amelia’s hand, its luminescent white contents gleaming within.
“Metacelluar Revitalizine,” Lucian murmured in awe, recognizing the substance often referred to as a “health potion,” a name borrowed from video games. He had spent six years of his life harvesting the materials for such potions but had never been so close to the final product due to its extravagant cost.
Without hesitation, Amelia pressed the vial into Lucian's hand. He tilted it back and drank the liquid without a second thought. A searing heat coursed through his body, swiftly replaced by a cool sensation akin to a wintry breeze. Lucian lifted his oversized muscle shirt and found that all his wounds had vanished, as if he had never been pierced by wooden spears or riddled with machine gun fire.
Wiping his mouth, he coughed awkwardly and expressed his gratitude, “Thanks, Melly. I owe you one.”
“Melly?” Amelia echoed in confusion, tilting her head.
“Sorry, I have a bad habit of giving people nicknames.”
“No, don't be. I love it. But now that I've done something for you, maybe it's your turn to do something for me?” Her voice had carried a playful undertone until now, but it had shifted to something more expectant.
Lucian anticipated her request might involve Elina, his expression turning wary. However, to his surprise, Amelia began to rub his face with a towel embedded with glowing dust.
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“It’s a washcloth with Gateshard dust embedded in it,” Amelia explained, “It’s to clean off the blood and dirt from your face.”
Muffled by the cloth, Lucian asked, “Why are you doing this, Melly?”
“I’m genuinely loving the nickname, Lush.” She decided that she couldn’t be the only one with a nickname.
“Yea, I don’t like that name.”
Amelia removed the washcloth to unveil the clean face of a young man with balanced features. His nose was neither too prominent nor too repressed. His lips formed a curved line, resembling cursive writing. A low brow cast a shadow over his unwavering eyes, which bore the marks of a challenging life. Within them lingered a dark depth she couldn’t penetrate.
For a brief moment, she stylized his grimy black hair to gain a clearer perspective of his appearance.
“Wow,” she remarked, staring at him like he had been shipwrecked and landed on an island that only she occupied. “I was right about you. You are hot.”
Lucian couldn’t guess to what game she was playing but decided to say nothing. The health potion she provided him had affected how much he was willing to tolerate. She could start raving like a lunatic and he’d let her stay in the car until she was finished. A health potion was that valuable.
Amelia leaned closer to him and stared into his eyes.
“Do you ever miss her?” she asked, her breath brushing lightly against Lucian.
Lucian’s eyes looked past the windshield at the gloomy ruins of the Broken Ring, answering, “Elina? She’s…no longer the girl from the orphanage that I knew.”
“She hurt you.”
Lucian’s eyes became downcast as a humorless chuckle left his lips.
“Once upon a time, she did. And then she became a goal.” The image of her walking away from him on that Hellside bridge came to him, only to be replaced when they finally reunited in a Monster Gate. She had achieved their shared dream of becoming a Warden, while he had ended up as a mere laborer.
“Now, I don’t even recognize her.” he said, his gaze forlorn yet blazing as he locked eyes with Amelia. “Is that the answer you were looking for?”
“Careful how you look at me, big guy,” Amelia purred and moved her face closer to his. “I might just want to find out what made Elina so emotional about you…” Her playful expression gradually transformed into one of wonder, her eyes beginning to sparkle. Her lips pursed as she leaned in closer to Lucian. Heat radiated from her face, her cheeks painted red with a blush. There was barely enough space between their lips for a piece of paper to slip through when Amelia suddenly stopped.
After a moment, she broke into laughter, “Would you get a load of this?” She leaned away still laughing. “A hot babe like me can’t get you to move. Do you not find me attractive?”
Lucian’s face had remained passive in light of her games. He answered her, “Never could trust a beautiful woman.”
Amelia’s laugh continued, yet her eyes were trained on him, still measuring, analyzing.
When her laughter ran out, she said, “Alright, Lush. I’m beginning to see what bothers Elina so much about you. You’ve been kind—a good sport for letting me have my fun.”
In the sunlight, his face mirrored in her pupils as she extended her hand to him. Lucian, with no reason to resist, accepted her gesture. Her touch was gentle, her smile slight.
“So, no longer a MHS worker but one of the Anointed now,” she commented, feeling the sinewy muscles in his hand that felt like coiling snakes. The hand did not belong to a normal human. Lucian remained silent, uncertain of her intentions. She then retrieved her phone and aimed its camera at his arm. A blue laser shot from the lens and conducted a scan.
“Whoa,” Lucian awed. He’d never seen a Gatetech phone so close before.
“You’re a Base Anointed, like me. What’s your class?” Amelia asked, her green eyes watching the readings of an app appearing on her phone screen.
“…one sec,” Lucian replied and summoned the Master System with a thought. Before him, a floating screen like a hologram titled “Status,” was showing him his stats.
Strength: D
Agility: D
Endurance: C
Essence: F
Potency: F
Lucian's eyes scanned the list of attributes, each with its own purpose. “Strength” measured physical power, while “Agility” captured speed and nimbleness, encompassing everything from sprints to acrobatics.
“Endurance” related to durability and the ability to withstand hits—a sort of health indicator most Anointed referred to as “HP,” like in video games. Next came “Essence” and “Potency”, which initially puzzled Lucian when he researched them. These stats represented energy and the quality of energy-based attacks.
Most Anointed relied on specific energy types to fuel their abilities. Magic users harnessed “Mana”, while physical fighters channeled “Aura”. Additionally, there were varied energy sources like “Spirit Power,” “Necrotic Pulse” and some others.
“What’s wrong?” Amelia asked, seeing Lucian’s chagrin.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a bit disappointed…” Lucian muttered, sliding the uninspiring “Status” screen away to bring up another screen.
“It’s okay, Lush. We all start somewhere.”
Lush gauged her for a moment before saying, “My class is [Beast Mimic] – Anomalous-type potential.”
“Growth-type? Oh. Well, I still think you’re great.”
Lucian understood her reaction. Most classes were graded as Basic, Uncommon, Rare, Exotic, and the most elusive class grade: Legendary. A class grade showed the potential for how far a class could develop and how strong an Anointed could become.
Growth-type classes were not classified using the standard grading system applied to other classes. Instead, they were designated their own unique grade: Anomalous. When growth-type classes initially appeared, there was speculation that they held boundless potential, perhaps even exceeding the capabilities of Legendary classes. However, it became evident that growth-type classes required rigorous training and remarkable luck to advance to the level of Uncommon grade, let alone anything beyond.
“I’ve never heard of [Beast Mimic],” Amelia probed.
Lucian read what was in his floating screen: “[Beast Mimic]: A class that copies the abilities of monsters. This is a special class gained only by eating the Sacred Fruit of monsters.”
“Huh,” Lucian muttered, “It’s kind of a monster class.”
His eyes went down a list to what was labeled as “Spells”: “[Angry Gremlin]: Mimic gremlins and their ability to transform into a more robust and powerful form.” He swiped away from the screen to bring up a screen titled “Combat Arts”: “[Basic Polearm]: A combat art revolving in the basics of using polearm weapons. User will be able to use basic combat stances, attacks and defense techniques with any polearm.” Swiping to another screen he read a screen called “Magic Arts”: “[Mimicry of the Wild]: Magic of the Beast Mimic used to copy monster abilities.”
“I have one ‘Spell,’ one ‘Combat Art and one ‘Magic Art’,’” Lucian murmured, eyeing the Master System screen. Hearing no response, he turned to find Amelia watching him silently. They shared a quiet moment, their gazes locked.
“Can we become friends, Lush?” Amelia suddenly asked. She added to be more convincing, “I never betray my friends, ever.”
“…Sure, why not?” Lucian eventually answered, seeing something in Amelia he couldn’t exactly trust, but something familiar that he couldn’t help but grasp onto. Additionally, although her emphasis on loyalty seemed a bit forward, it still felt reassuring.
Amelia took out her phone and exchanged numbers with him.
“I just graduated college and am now working as a Warden. Since you just became an Anointed and you’re around my level, we should work together.” She slid her phone into her jeans and stepped out of the vehicle but before she closed the door, she looked back at him when a thought bugged her. “Why are you so trusting of me?” She couldn’t understand. Most people in the Broken Ring were like frightened deer aware of predators or they were the predator themselves, hunting the terrified prey.
Lucian seemed like neither.
“You remind of someone I grew up with back in Gladkid,” Lucian answered simply.
“I like that answer. See you around, Lush,” she said, smiling at him before strutting away. After a few minutes, he heard the roar of an engine before he saw a Pontiac firebird drive past with Amelia in it, her eyes giving him a final glance before departing.
“Yea, she’s trouble,” Lucian murmured.
Lucian looked at Meager Palace for one last time. He would have to leave for good. His hands instinctively patted his pockets despite knowing no money would be there. In the rearview mirror, his Gatetech tools sat there on the backseat, representing an option. He looked to the cowboy hat on the dashboard and seemed to make up his mind, the cowboy hat showing him another path he’d rather take.
Gabriel had told him to live their dream. They had shared so many thoughts about becoming Anointed and here he was, as an Anointed. He couldn’t afford to test for a license to be a Warden and he knew no Anointed that would take him under their wing. There was only one option and that was to become a Scav. But only the most reckless and desperate Anointed scavenged Wild Gates in the Wasteland.
Lucian made up his mind.
He put the cowboy hat on and pushed it the furthest it could go on his head. He then turned on the radio and turned it to any mariachi music he could find. Pulling out of the parking lot, he stepped on the gas.
His chevy tore down the road and went toward the city exit, the same road he and Gabriel had traveled just yesterday. He thought he could hear the Mexican cowboy for a moment as the sun hit him but he was unsure. Nevertheless, he picked up speed.