Out of the blue, the goblin was struck by a metallic sphere, no larger than a marble. A guttural grunt escaped the creature as it lost its balance and tumbled. Swift as a shadow, William appeared above the fallen monster and executed a precise throat-cut.
“Who's there?” William's voice then called out to the thick underbrush from which the projectile had originated.
A few figures materialized from the woods, fellow Anointed. A tense silence held them in a brief standoff until Penelope broke it.
“Oh, it's you guys! You actually made it!” she cheered, strolling over to the newcomers. “I reached out to these guys to show me the ropes in how to be a scavenger.” Penelope laughed and addressed them directly, “I honestly thought you'd never show. It's been hours since our agreed meeting time! But I'm glad you could make it.” Her cheerful and bubbly demeanor seemed off putting to the strangers.
William observed three Anointed in total. Their gear stood apart from the standard-issue equipment of Base Anointed, each piece meticulously handcrafted from the chitin of various monsters. Sun-dried skin indicated a life spent outdoors.
One of them flaunted a mohawk, the tips dyed a striking shade of blonde, while a slim chain dangled from his nose ring to one of the many earrings that adorned his earlobes. His face was a chaotic canvas of tattoos, resembling a vibrant urban graffiti wall, showing no thought or care given into what was inked.
The apparent leader, who guided their motley crew, sported buzzed sides and a sleek, blonde swoop on top. Intriguing words were tattooed beneath his right eye, bearing the cryptic message, “No Going Back.”
By his side, an armored yet slender young woman wore a perpetually wide, unsettling smile, her teeth gleaming metallic in stark contrast to her straw-like, dry blonde hair. Her eyes, heavily lined with kohl, gave her an almost racoon-like appearance. A tulip tattoo was drawn on her neck, and she carried an old, battered satchel slung across her chest.
Altogether, their rugged and weather-beaten appearance contrasted sharply with the blonde theme they incorporated into their look.
The leader, with his distinctive swoop of blonde hair, stepped forward and extended a hand to William. “I'm Dougy,” he introduced himself, his grip too firm as if he were testing William. He turned to the deeply tattooed man with the blonde-tipped mohawk, who grinned as if he were taunting. “And this is Xavier.”
Dougy then nodded towards the young woman who stood to the side. “And that there is Two Tap,” he said, introducing her. Two Tap’s strange wide metallic smile remained ever present. Her unfocused eyes gave her a distant and detached air, as though she were lost in her own world, far removed from the present moment.
“William,” the mercenary responded and shook the man’s hand but didn’t let go. Dougy looked to the lasting grip with a raised brow. William moved the man’s sleeve up and recognized on his forearm seared flesh, branded numbers. “Slave from the Wastelands. You three are Wastelanders.”
“Ex-slave,” Dougy emphasized with grit, forcibly pulling back his hand. “Seems like you’re well-traveled, aye William?” Not many outside the Wasteland knew of Wastelander ways.
“I know my way around.”
“You a Man Hunter or something?” Xavier stepped forward and brought himself face to face with William, his posture aggressive. William couldn’t make sense of it, but it seemed Xavier was trying to communicate something with him, although the mercenary couldn’t quite guess what it was.
“…No,” William answered carefully, his mind revolving around stories he heard of the savage inhabitants of the Wasteland, yet unable to recall what a “Man Hunter” was. “I don’t even know what that is.”
Xavier narrowed his eyes and scoffed, “Then mind your business, friend.” He slid away as Dougy pulled him backwards by the back of his chitin armor.
“Fuck Man Hunters,” Dougy spat and shook his head. “But this Wall Hugger ain’t one. A bit fat to be an Anointed though. Never seen an Anointed so plump.” His mouth curled into a humorous smile, revealing a row of rotten teeth.
William recognized the term “Wall Hugger” as what Wastelanders used to describe the residents of New DC, who sought safety behind their towering walls while Wastelanders roamed freely, unencumbered. William couldn’t fathom how people could survive out in the Wasteland.
“So plump,” Xavier echoed, snickering.
Two Tap hadn’t stopped smiling since they arrived. William could see himself reflected in her metallic teeth.
The chubby mercenary decided to let go of a well-meaning smile to hide his growing suspicion of this peculiar trio. His droopy eyes scrutinized each Wastelander face one by one. Wastelanders were notoriously untrustworthy, often behaving like bandits and making trade routes between megacities unsafe. Dealing with monsters was hard enough; Wastelanders made life even more treacherous, all for the sake of greed and a misinterpreted sense of “freedom.”
“William has a great body!” Penelope ardently defended. She didn’t want to see William’s feelings hurt. He’d been too kind and patient with her up to this point for her not to support him and his body image.
Unperturbed by the insults, William swiftly shifted the conversation to business. “Have you guys been in the Scav training business long?” William asked Dougy.
Dougy answered, “Sure, brother. We train folk up real good. Be a matter of time before Penelope will be scavenging all on her lonesome.”
“Did you hear that, William?” Penelope enthused, “I just need to train and I’ll be like you!”
Echoes of William's past memories resurfaced. His sister used to express a similar desire—to be like her big brother, strong and reliable. In Penelope's round, blue doe eyes, he couldn't help but be reminded of what he had lost.
“William…?” Penelope prodded, unsure about the cause of his sudden silence.
“Oh, right.” William muttered, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. “Yea, I’m here, Penelope. I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry.” Penelope smiled widely, causing William to feel as if the sun was shining just for him.
“I knew you were the right guy to pick, William.” Penelope declared, turning to Dougy. “See, didn’t I tell you I knew how to pick people?”
Dougy and his two followers remained silent, staring at the chubby mercenary with indifference. Two Tap's metallic smile continued to gleam.
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William felt a sense of pressure building around him. If these three Anointed Wastelanders turned hostile, he wasn't certain he could ensure Penelope's safety.
“I’m a speed type Anointed,” William said, stating his abilities to get them to show a few of their own cards, “My class is [Black Hand Rogue] and I have the basics as a stealthy speed type such as [Basic Dagger] and invisibility.”
“[Metal Soldier]” Dougy responded, rolling his sleeve back down over his branded numbers, “defense type and all the basic goodies that come with it.”
“[Basic Guard] and a shield ‘Skill’ too?”
“I said all the basic goodies, didn’t I?”
“[Slinger],” Xavier chimed in, producing a slingshot crafted from metal and rubber, “ranged attack type, physical damage. Basic is what basic does and I does all of it. You both saw my handy work with that little gobbie over there.”
“[Wandering Herbalist] class,” Dougy answered for Two Tap, the silent one with the metallic teeth. “She’s got all that’s required for a healer type.”
William nodded toward Penelope, who enthusiastically added, “[Fist Fighter], unarmed physical attack type Anointed. I don’t have a Skill yet but I do have [Basic Unarmed], so I can punch and kick really hard, you know?” She then began to ramble, and William had to gently rein her in.
“Well, we're one support type short, which means we'll need to work a little harder. But if we stay focused, we can make it through,” William said, taking position near Penelope, situating himself between her and the Wastelanders. He then chose the path they would follow. “I believe this is a goblin forest. Our goal is to eliminate enough goblins to draw out the big one and secure its Boss Key.”
“Who put you in charge, Wall Hugger?” Xavier sneered. “The Wall Hugger girlie hired us to teach her Scav ways. You’re just a bodyguard.”
With arms crossed, Dougy stood to the side, wearing an expectant expression, as if waiting for William to back down. After all, he was hired to train Penelope, not to take orders from some fat mercenary.
William began to argue but was interrupted by the sound of a skirmish, diverting their attention.
William signaled for them to follow his lead as he tracked the sounds of battle. They moved towards a clearing filled with heavy thuds and pained goblin cries. Hidden among the trees, the portly mercenary peered through to see a burly figure with red eyes and spiky black hair locked in combat with a group of goblins.
“Whoa, what kind of creature is taking on those goblins?” Dougy whispered in amazement.
“Monsters don’t wear muscle shirts,” William muttered, eyeing the person dressed like someone about to go to the gym, “or wear sweat pants and a tool belt…”
“What if there are secret monster societies where monsters live in a megacity like New DC and they all have jobs and workout in gyms and stuff,” Penelope pondered in wonderment but paused seeing the others look at her oddly. “What? Is that not possible?”
A goblin shrieked as its head was twisted like a bottle cap, silenced by the sound of its neck snapping. Another goblin was slammed, shoved into the dirt like a shovel. The remaining goblins soon became overpowered and were killed as well.
However, a larger goblin stepped forward, grunting and defiantly slapping its round belly in response to the red-eyed man. It began to issue challenging grunts while its green flesh tightened, showcasing its musculature.
“Sub-boss,” William pointed out, “Hobgoblin. Bad luck for that muscle shirt guy. Hobgoblins are no joke.”
The eyes of him and the rest of his group widened as the red-eyed person in the jumpsuit used Aura to deliver a powerful blow to the Hobgoblin, momentarily dropping it.
“Hey!” Penelope cried out, “He’s using the goblin ability!” Her voice caught the red-eyed man's attention, causing him to turn and notice their group hidden in the forest, watching him.
“Quiet, dimwit! We don’t know if he’s hostile or not,” Xavier barked in annoyance at Penelope.
“Who’re you calling a dimwit? You’re the one with the stupid haircut!”
The red-eyed man became too distracted, allowing the Hobgoblin to recover and retaliate with a punch, its blow surrounded by a radiant light, striking the man's abdomen. He was lifted off his feet and coughed up blood before falling a few feet away in the dirt. Before the Hobgoblin could follow up on its attack, a dagger suddenly plunged into its back, prompting a furious roar as a portly man materialized seemingly out of thin air behind it.
William had seized the opportunity, turning invisible to deliver a sudden, unexpected strike to the Hobgoblin.
“Now!” William shouted to the red-eyed man, whose fist began to glow white with Aura.
The red-eyed man sprang to his feet, launching his attack. The forceful blow left the Hobgoblin dazed, causing it to stumble as if inebriated. It struggled to maintain its balance, but a metallic ball struck it between the eyes, further destabilizing it.
Concealed within a bush, Xavier smirked, satisfied with his precise shot from the slingshot.
Dougy suddenly emerged behind the monster, lifting its legs and slamming it, as if engaged in a wrestling match. The red-eyed man appeared ready to join in, but Two Tap blocked his way and tossed herbs at his body.
“What the…” the red-eyed man began but paused when he witnessed the herbs erupt into vapor, which enveloped him. Under the influence of the vaporized herbs, his injuries seemed to vanish as if they were mere drawings on paper being erased. The peculiar girl with metal teeth had healed him.
“Don't worry, sir,” William reassured as he plunged his dagger into the fallen Hobgoblin's green throat, causing blood to spew like struck oil from the earth. “We've got this monster under control.” The Hobgoblin shoved the portly man aside and struggled to its feet, its thick hands clutching its throat in a desperate attempt to stop the blood flow.
“Penelope!” William called out, seeing this as an opportunity for the young novice to gain experience. “Finish it off!” The Hobgoblin was already on the brink of death, but letting the young amateur take the final blow could boost her confidence.
She nodded with determination and sprinted as fast as her Anointed body could carry her, leaping into the air with a flying kick.
“Hiyah!” she exclaimed, soaring through the air like a missile.
“Why would she attempt such a big move...?” William muttered in disbelief. He watched as the young girl, her pigtails flowing in the wind, completely missed her target, collided with a looming tree branch, and knocked herself out. “Penelope...!”
The Hobgoblin remained oblivious to Penelope flying past it. The towering creature, no longer concerned with its bleeding throat, continued its erratic shuffling, reaching out to swipe at the humans in a desperate attempt to take one of them down with it. The red-eyed man skillfully dodged its frenzied attacks, tripped it to the ground, and delivered a glowing punch to its face, silencing it in a burst of purple blood.
“Phew,” the red-eyed man exhaled with a mix of satisfaction and joy. “I've just taken down my first sub-boss!” Those around him regarded him with caution. An awkward cough escaped his mouth, as he had momentarily forgotten how menacing his voice sounded in his transformed state. His muscular frame then suddenly shrunk, his spiky hair fell into a mop-like style, and his teeth lost their sharpness. The redness in his irises faded to a hazel hue.
“Whoa…” Dougy reacted with surprise to the sudden change.
“So, he really isn’t a monster,” Xavier marveled, “Is he like a vampire Anointed or something?”
Two Tap continued to maintain her silence, her eyes vacant, her posture slouched.
“I’m Lucian,” the no longer red-eyed man introduced himself, then gave the three tattooed individuals a sidelong glance filled with suspicion, “Why would a bunch of Wastelanders help me?” He could recognize their look anywhere having dealt with their kind in Hellside for so many years.
“Do you think you know all about us Wastelanders or something?” Dougy retorted with a touch of indignation. Xavier's gaze hardened, reacting to Lucian's distrustful tone.
“I know Wastelanders pump the Broken Ring with Elysium crystal and poisoned the last few neighborhoods I’ve lived in with it,” Lucian continued, his gaze shifting to Two Tap. He recognized her permanent smile, lethargic posture, and despondent eyes, clear signs of Elysium crystal use.
Lucian paused as he noticed something oddly familiar in Two Tap's expression, and his gaze then shifted to Dougy's scowling, nearly hairless face, accentuated by nearly invisible blonde eyebrows. Both Dougy and the high Wastelander girl had a strange air of familiarity about them, as if he'd crossed paths with them before.
Lucian felt as if he had met them in Hellside years ago but was unsure.
“Is this how they say ‘thank you’ in New DC? Ungrateful Wall Hugger,” Dougy hissed, spitting on the ground at Lucian’s feet, “Should’ve let you die to that greenie.”
“I was winning until you guys distracted me.”
“Maybe we should introduce him to some Wastelander hospitality,” Xavier threatened, his slingshot appearing in his hand.
“It’ll make him act right, that’s for sure,” Dougy agreed. His skin shifted abruptly, taking on a metallic sheen that reflected the forest around them in cold, unyielding steel. It seemed as though he had become a living, breathing suit of armor.