“The Starstream takes. And it takes. And it takes. And it takes…”

~Scholar Jun

Before the apocalypse, Bainbridge was little more than a shit-stain on the map; a small town with nothing to see, and even less to do. The only people who stayed were the poor bastards who couldn’t afford to leave.

It had only taken the end of the world to change the town for the better.

The town had become a hub of survivors. Mortals, supers, military; people from all walks of life congregated together for safety. And yet, when that illusion evaporated, everything went to hell.

Last night was chaos.

Monsters and beasts of all sizes rushed at the town, slaughtering and destroying anything that stood in their way. The soldiers only managed to stop the wave of rabid monsters and mutated animals at the fence; they had to sacrifice ground and countless lives just to last through the night.

Most of those who weren't in the safezone when the world announcement hit weren’t anywhere to be found. There were just too many mangled corpses to sift through.

Bodies of man and beast covered the ground, leaking pools of blood that were so dense that it was impossible to get anywhere without dipping your shoes in the sticky, crimson liquid. Several buildings that survived the shift all this time were caught in the crossfire, collapsing to the ground in a pile of wood and bricks.

It had been hours since the last mutant was put down, and Devin still couldn’t get the rusty taste out of his mouth.

The night was long and hard; Bella had disappeared in the turmoil, and the twins were lost in the sea of panicked faces. Devin spent the night surrounded by a multitude of unfamiliar people, lugging sandbags and bricks to build a defensive position for the soldiers to shoot from.

But now it's over. He sighed. For now.

With the sun rising and the hourly waves of monsters ceased, Devin sat exhausted at the crowded edge of the district, trying not to grimace at the smell of iron that clung to his nose.

“Keep makin’ a face like that, and it’s gonna get stuck.” A familiar voice called out to him.

Devin looked up, blinking the sun out of his eyes to see Gerald holding a case of beer in hand. “First cigarettes, and now beer? Man, where do you even get this stuff?”

“A smart man knows to save for an emergency. I say this is as good a time as any.” Gerald said, sitting next to Devin on his seat on a half collapsed set of stairs. “Saw you luggin’ around ammo and sandbags last night with the rest of ‘em volunteers.”

He shrugged. “Well it was either that, or go to the frontlines with the soldiers.”

“Or you could’ve huddled in a corner like a dog, and waited it out like everybody else.” Gerald punctuated by popping open the bottle in his hands.

Devin gulped, turning his head away from the beer in Gerald’s hand to look over the throng of people. “I’m not like these people. I can’t just sit on my ass, and wait for a problem to get fixed. Especially when there’s things to do.”

“Amen to that son. That’s why men like you and me need a little something to put some pep in your step.” Gerald said, handing Devin the other paper bagged beer in his hand.

A smile tugged on Devin’s lips. “Finally, someone who cares.”

Devin thanked Gerald, and popped the cap off the top using the rusty railing before chugging a quarter of it. It was far warmer and saltier than he was used to, but it still reminded him of good times. Better times.

“So you were helping out last night too?” Devin asked.

“I helped with the evac.” Gerald left the rest unsaid as he stared at bodies and blood in the dirt.

“You know none of this is your fault, right.” Devin said as he took another swig.

“I know… I just…” Gerald started, but he couldn’t finish. Devin saw the flash of guilt in his face before he hid it by chugging the rest of his bottle. He took out another bottle, cracking it open the concrete step they sat on, downing another half of the bottle. “It’s hard.”

Devin agreed with a nod. “Still, that’s not on you.”

“Then who should I blame? God? The Devil? The Magic Man in the Sky?” Gerald asked exasperatedly.

Devin didn’t know what to say, so he wisely chose to not say anything at all. They sat in silence, the odd cry or sob springing from the listless crowd.

Gerald took another swig, then threw his empty bottles over the fence. “Last night was the worst time of my life. I’ve never seen so many dead people, so much blood. Even the blackouts weren’t this bad.” Gerald popped open another beer, downing in it without a pause for breath. “It was worse than war. It was like the world itself wanted us dead.”

“And thanks to you, some of these people get to live to see another day.” Devin reminded him. “Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t change.”

Gerald nodded then nodded again seemingly debating with himself over something. “...Ken showed me something pretty interesting this morning.”

Devin held a hand. He looked around, scanning his surroundings for anyone who might be listening too closely. “I’m going to stop you right there. Too many people around.”

“Right.” Gerald nodded his head, looking around just as Devin had, “Well, he said that he had gotten some help from a friend of ours. I was wondering if I could get some help too.”

Devin sighed tiredly. “I got it. Come find me later, and we’ll figure it out.”

Gerald smiled. “You got it, buddy.” He got up to leave, taking his case of beer with him.

“Ah ah ah,” Devin waggled his fingers. “Leave one, as payment.” Devin said, catching the bottle that flew at his face.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“You be safe out here, buddy.”

“You too. Tell your wife I said hello.” Devin said, waving goodbye to the middle-aged man.

“I should’ve told those idiots to keep their mouths shut.” He wanted to strangle them, but what was done was done. At least it was Gerald; he’s pretty trustworthy.

If a random person comes up to me asking for my help to awaken, then we’re going to have a problem.

He savored his drinks while watching the team of arcanists finish magically constructing a section of dirt wall.There was something entertaining about watching three men stand around staring at dirt moving around by itself.

Didn’t know the Army had a job for moving around dirt. Devin snickered.

When all was said and done, a ten foot wall stood in front of the fence, with a ditch in front to make it more difficult for monsters to traverse over the wall. Although it wouldn’t stop any of the truly powerful monsters and beasts, it would block a majority of them, allowing the supers and military to defend the town more effectively.

Devin scoffed. If only we had that last night.

It’s not like the cards they were using were brand new. With as many numbers the town had, and the weeks they had to prepare for a situation like this, one would think that the leaders of the town would do better, but they were almost just as incompetent as the civilians who had huddled in a corner last night, waiting to be saved.

Most of them had died, and the few that survived lost something, be it friends, family, or whole limbs.

If only. Devin shook his head, finishing his beers, and chucking the empty bottles over the fence just as Gerald did. Someone started to yell over the whispers from the crowd, but Devin ignored it, pulling up his soul card to check his status once again.

+0.1 Power Gained!

+0.1 Meta-Awareness Gained!

Devin Carter

Shards:3214/3214

Circle:Nature’s Elite

Archetype:N/A

Life:48%

Stamina:51%

Arcanium:19%

POW:0.4

ACU:0.5

CHA:0.6

Meta-Awareness:0.3

Meta-Finesse:0.2

Main Deck: Rage, Boar’s Charge, 100% Pure Bleach

Side Deck: Stick Tribe’s Bag o’ Tricks, Stealy’s Red Cap

Skill list: Seize, Subjugate, Destroy, Focus, Refine

Vault: Grey Wolf (2)(Damaged), Rusty’s…, 100% Pure Bleach, Dewey…

Few things had really changed since yesterday, but Devin was not the same man. His Soul Card was no longer bare, filled with cards, skills, and numbers. He had even gained a few stat points yesterday without having to invest a single shard. It was like a sign from heaven that things were looking up for him.

Yet, it was hard to be happy when more than a few people let out gut-wrenching sobs. They had crowded near the town square for safety, but it just felt like a huddle of death and depression.

Maybe I can grind my stats, that way I can use those shards for other things. Reinvest in myself and all that. Devin thought He distracted himself with a daydream, wondering what it would be like to have the same level of strength as Bella, or even Bateman.

“All that power, and the man chose to use it to extort and bully others.” Devin shook his head.

He didn’t regret the man’s death one bit. Although he suspected that Bateman would’ve been able to burn most of the hordes to ashes, it wasn’t worth keeping such a psychopath around. The man was insatiable, short-sighted, and arrogant beyond belief.

People like that were better off disappearing off the face of the Earth instead of amassing power, and dragging everyone else into their shitty game.

“Let’s not waste energy thinking about him.” Devin told himself as he clicked on his archetype, and checked to see if his options had changed.

Trash Man

The Trash Man wields the power of garbage. Often underestimated, they have a unique ability to repurpose trash into potent tools. Their presence brings decay to their enemies while breathing new life into forgotten materials. Despite their gritty exterior, their strength lies in their adaptability and resourcefulness

Scores—POW, M.AWA

Skill—[Junk Reassembly]

Boon—Corpse Recycler

Summoner

The Summoner is a conduit between dimensions, able to call forth creatures, spirits, and constructs to fight for them. Their strength lies in their ability to adapt to various situations, often acting as battlefield tacticians. Their strength and weakness is their dependence on their minions

Scores—ACU, CHA, M.AWA

Skill—[Elemental Pact]

Boon—Familiar’s Bond

Berserker

The Berserker is a whirlwind of destruction, trading control for raw power. Fueled by rage, they charge headfirst into battle, absorbing damage and dealing out even more. Berserkers are the embodiment of chaotic might, gaining strength the more they are wounded.

Scores—POW, ???, ???

Skill—[Unyielding Fury]

Boon—Store Rage

Warning! This choice will irreparably change one of your Meta Scores!

Hunter

The Hunter is a master of tracking, trapping, and striking from the shadows. Whether hunting prey or enemies, the Hunter relies on careful preparation and swift execution, setting traps and weakening foes before moving in for the kill.

Scores—ACU, M.AWA

Skill—[Camouflage]

Boon—Trapsmith

Duelist

The Duelist is a master of one-on-one combat, thriving in close-quarters fights where skill, agility, and precision are key. They rely on their agility and quick reflexes to outmaneuver and outthink their opponents, making them deadly in single combat. Duelists prefer light armor and use feints and parries to gain the upper hand, always striking when the moment is right.

Scores—ACU, M.FIN, ???

Skill—[Blink Strike]

Boon—Terminal Reflexes

Spiritsmith

A Spirit Smith forges weapons and armor from spirits and astral entities. Through their unique craft, they can imbue objects with mystical power, creating legendary weapons or cursed artifacts. They are both warriors and artisans, capable of turning their creations into tools of immense power on the battlefield.

Scores—CHA, M.FIN, M.AWA

Skill—[Phantom Forge]

Boon—Ego Extraction

Although the increase in choice is appealing, I don’t know if any of these would be a good fit. Although a few of the choices were interesting—especially Soulsmith—none of that mattered if he couldn't survive in a world that was growing bigger and more dangerous by the day. Yesterday had proven that strength mattered more than anything, everything from Big Bertha to Bateman screaming to death.

Then there was the hordes the soldiers beat back with a horde of their own supers and a hailstorm of bullets. Devin shudder as he recollected the scene from last night.

I want something I can abuse the ever-living crap out of. And for some reason, Trashman seemed to be the most versatile.

"I don't want to be a garbage man for the rest of my life. I would rather wait for some better options." He sighed, then stood up with a stretch, ready to start the day and get some things done.

“Hey!” Someone yelled directly behind him, roughly grabbing onto his shoulder. Devin nearly manifested his red cap until he noticed it was one of the builders that were working on the wall.

“What’s up?” Devin said, keeping his voice calm and even.

“You threw that bottle at the wall, you fuckface. You like to shit on other people’s jobs?” The guy shoved Devin back, sending him sprawling to the ground.

“What the hell is your problem?!” Devin yelled back. “That shit doesn’t even matter. If you're gonna get triggered over a little glass bottle hitting your mound of dirt, then you might want to do the whole thing over again.”

The dense flock of people began to shift around the two of them. Some even backed away, giving the two men some space.

“Doesn’t matter? Doesn’t matter?! So this whole wall we’re building with zero sleep doesn’t matter.” He yelled at the top of his lungs, punctuating every word with a shove. “How about we throw you out of town and see how you handle those monsters since you’re so tough.” He grabbed Devin’s shoulder—

A hand reached out of the crowd and grabbed the man’s arm, holding it firmly in place despite the man’s obvious efforts to rip his arm free.

“Is there a problem here?” Bella asked. Although she was shorter than both Devin and the soldier, her presence still loomed over the both of them.

“Let go, you bitch!” The builder struggled to pull his arm back, going as far as to slide his feet on the ground using all his weight in his efforts. All he succeeded in doing was looking like a child about to be admonished by their parents.

Bella scoffed. “Gladly.” The two blurred, and sent a huge dust cloud billowing into the air. When the dust settled, it revealed Bella dusting off her clothes, and the now unmoving man with his face stuffed three inches in the dirt.

The swarming people gave the siblings a wide berth as the two of them quickly fled the scene. They left the edge of town, following the foot traffic even deeper into the neighborhood.

“Was that really necessary?” Devin asked, keenly aware of the many eyes on their backs.

“The guy had it coming.” Bella shook her head. “He’s lucky actually, some people would’ve killed him on the spot just for invading their personal space.”

He sighed, “What are you even doing here? I thought you had something very, super, totally important.”

“I would be on my way right now, but my idiot brother refuses to come with me.”

“I’m a grown man. Have been for years. I don't need a babysitter.”

“Oh, excuse me for your, and the twerps’ lives yesterday.”

Devin halted in the middle of the street. “You don’t have to be here. You can just get back on your flying carpet, or whatever you used to get here, and kick rocks for all I care.”

Bella kept her eyes on the street ahead, her expression hardening with every word Devin said.

“We barely even know each other anymore.” Devin continued. “It's been almost ten years since I went into foster care; that’s more than half my life. I came here because I thought I would have a home to come back to at the end of the world, but now I don't even have that.”

Bella started walking, increasing her pace by the second. “I get it, so you can shut up now. I’ll leave you alone just like you want so badly.” The assassin’s form melted into a shadow.

“It’s only been one since Mom left too.” A disembodied voice said before her presence disappeared altogether, leaving Devin all alone.

Devin kept staring at the spot she disappeared in, feeling terrible for some reason.

Arcanium above 20%

Arcanium Shock Status dissipated