Chapter 16: 16
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Soon, evening came and darkness fell. The public railbus sped through the last few blocks of Shen City. From the window, Xenith could clearly see the high walls towering over everything around. It had been there since the dawn of new humanity in order to survive.
The wall of Shen City was not too grand in appearance, but its height and strength were lofty; made to withstand attacks from beasts that have permanently resided on Earth. Besides the occasional appearance of smaller-scale rifts such as bestial rifts— Isolated areas had been one of the banes of humanity since the destruction of the Great Rift.
'Not many shops would open late. I should just rest when I arrive.' It was around 7 when the bus passed the Shen City wall. It would take another four hours before it would reach its final stop, which would be around late in the evening. 'Rent would definitely cost me a lot, but… it's way better to pay for honest shelter than getting mugged on the streets'
It would cost around 50 credits for a stay of one day and one night in a cheap apartment, which isn't too bad considering the fact that it definitely is safer than cutting cost and getting to 'pay' for being a cheapskate in the end.
'I guess I'll have to book a stay-in even before arriving.' Xenith thought as he flipped through his phone, checking through an app for the cheapest inn. Even though communication technology regressed since the appearance of otherworldly creatures; a city-wide satellite still provided the people with enough ways to communicate with each other, including life-improving apps such as what Xenith was using.
The city-wide satellite also provided a sufficiently useful map. "A cheap lodging just right across the block I was heading to? Is my birth star finally aligning with lady luck?" Xenith thought. It was rare for lodgings to be situated near a shop, as troubles were often happening in the latter. Guests would obviously be displeased by such.
Xenith immediately booked his stay. He could really use the rest after a strenuous day.
---
Outer district of Shen City, 10:47 in the evening.
The railbus arrived earlier than scheduled. It might have been due to the decrease in stops, as the number of people wanting to go outside the wall had a decrease in number. Xenith stretched as soon as he got off the bus, relieving the pain from sitting for hours.
Following behind him was the hatchling Roc. "The apartment is just a five-minute walk from here, let's go little one." Xenith beckoned the hatchling Roc to follow. The streets in the outer district weren't well-lit, and one could feel that the local government had not paid much attention to it. But if Xenith were to compare it to where they were living in Shen City, this place had it better.
The place they had in Shen City was simply just a terrible neighborhood.
…
Xenith reached the apartment. It wasn't a grand lodging, obviously, but it was enough for a very temporary stay. Xenith was about to enter through the rugged door when he noticed flickering lights across the block. He squinted to have a clearer look; people wearing dark clothes wielding pyro torches could be seen beelining towards a shop.
Xenith was just about to ignore it when he suddenly saw a young man walk out said shop; brandishing an armguard with a "gem" that looked way too familiar for him to overlook. 'Is that not a Rift Summoning Stone?' Xenith muttered.
…
Antique Bracer (Modified)— Reduces all recoil damage by 15% (Defective)
…
Xenith tried to observe the armguard —from afar— to clarify if it really was a summoning stone. What appeared didn't help much, but the term 'Defective' and 'Modified' surely meant something else was up. Unlike the usual gears, which has 'Common' and 'Uncommon', etc. as grades, the peculiar armguard was definitely different.
If it wasn't for the Rift Summoning Stone, Xenith wouldn't have even bothered checking.
But... seeing that the boy wielding the armguard was in some sort of trouble, his conscience (and childish sense of justice), couldn't help but tingle and urge him to help. "I guess there's more to being a New Human than just slaying monsters, huh? With great power comes great responsibility I guess."
---
Finn shakily stood in front of the darkly clothed mob.
He and old man Glen went to bed early after spending the entire afternoon cleaning the shop. It was messy beyond the blood-stained counter and dusty floors; everything was just old and worn-out that Finn had to ask his gramps repeatedly to just throw away some stuff for the place to be tidy.
The old man soundingly slept right after that he had not noticed the mob gradually gathering outside the shop. Finn does have a strong sense in detecting danger, and so he went down and checked if it was something concerning them. Tough luck, the 'gathering' outside was indeed for them.
'Gramps does have a knack at making enemies…' Cold sweat dripped down Finn's back. He was extremely nervous. Although he cautiously wore the bracer just before opening the door, he certainly did not feel confident about wiping the mob clean without risking his life. '30 humans versus one 1-star ranker… This doesn't sound fair, to be honest.'
As soon as Finn was about to make a move; the torches that the mob bore suddenly burned brighter. A person walked out from the middle of the mob, a man missing an arm. A New Human that Finn was unable to detect from the crowd. "Just as I've promised. I'll burn this shop to the ground!" Yelled the new human amputee.
A barrage of gas-powered pyro torches then rained down upon the shop.
The pointed edge of the torches, much like a spearhead, pierced through the thin plyboards of the antique-looking shop. The old and craggy exterior of the building could obviously not withstand such volley of attacks.
Finn, who was at first nervous on what to do, snapped out from his daze the moment he saw his gramps building getting burned down by the torches. "You dare tried scamming my gramps and now blaming him for what happened to you?-- You spineless bastard!"
Angered, Finn activated 'Sprint' as he dashed towards the mob "boss", his fist aiming right at the amputated man's face. "A dishonest man like you do not need a face to show others! Let me break it for you!" Finn, being a New Human, emitted an aura strong enough to pressure the mob of ordinary humans.
Most of those people cleared and scattered as soon as they saw Finn charging.
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Soon, evening came and darkness fell. The public railbus sped through the last few blocks of Shen City. From the window, Xenith could clearly see the high walls towering over everything around. It had been there since the dawn of new humanity in order to survive.
The wall of Shen City was not too grand in appearance, but its height and strength were lofty; made to withstand attacks from beasts that have permanently resided on Earth. Besides the occasional appearance of smaller-scale rifts such as bestial rifts— Isolated areas had been one of the banes of humanity since the destruction of the Great Rift.
'Not many shops would open late. I should just rest when I arrive.' It was around 7 when the bus passed the Shen City wall. It would take another four hours before it would reach its final stop, which would be around late in the evening. 'Rent would definitely cost me a lot, but… it's way better to pay for honest shelter than getting mugged on the streets'
It would cost around 50 credits for a stay of one day and one night in a cheap apartment, which isn't too bad considering the fact that it definitely is safer than cutting cost and getting to 'pay' for being a cheapskate in the end.
'I guess I'll have to book a stay-in even before arriving.' Xenith thought as he flipped through his phone, checking through an app for the cheapest inn. Even though communication technology regressed since the appearance of otherworldly creatures; a city-wide satellite still provided the people with enough ways to communicate with each other, including life-improving apps such as what Xenith was using.
The city-wide satellite also provided a sufficiently useful map. "A cheap lodging just right across the block I was heading to? Is my birth star finally aligning with lady luck?" Xenith thought. It was rare for lodgings to be situated near a shop, as troubles were often happening in the latter. Guests would obviously be displeased by such.
Xenith immediately booked his stay. He could really use the rest after a strenuous day.
---
Outer district of Shen City, 10:47 in the evening.
The railbus arrived earlier than scheduled. It might have been due to the decrease in stops, as the number of people wanting to go outside the wall had a decrease in number. Xenith stretched as soon as he got off the bus, relieving the pain from sitting for hours.
Following behind him was the hatchling Roc. "The apartment is just a five-minute walk from here, let's go little one." Xenith beckoned the hatchling Roc to follow. The streets in the outer district weren't well-lit, and one could feel that the local government had not paid much attention to it. But if Xenith were to compare it to where they were living in Shen City, this place had it better.
The place they had in Shen City was simply just a terrible neighborhood.
…
Xenith reached the apartment. It wasn't a grand lodging, obviously, but it was enough for a very temporary stay. Xenith was about to enter through the rugged door when he noticed flickering lights across the block. He squinted to have a clearer look; people wearing dark clothes wielding pyro torches could be seen beelining towards a shop.
Xenith was just about to ignore it when he suddenly saw a young man walk out said shop; brandishing an armguard with a "gem" that looked way too familiar for him to overlook. 'Is that not a Rift Summoning Stone?' Xenith muttered.
…
Antique Bracer (Modified)— Reduces all recoil damage by 15% (Defective)
…
Xenith tried to observe the armguard —from afar— to clarify if it really was a summoning stone. What appeared didn't help much, but the term 'Defective' and 'Modified' surely meant something else was up. Unlike the usual gears, which has 'Common' and 'Uncommon', etc. as grades, the peculiar armguard was definitely different.
If it wasn't for the Rift Summoning Stone, Xenith wouldn't have even bothered checking.
But... seeing that the boy wielding the armguard was in some sort of trouble, his conscience (and childish sense of justice), couldn't help but tingle and urge him to help. "I guess there's more to being a New Human than just slaying monsters, huh? With great power comes great responsibility I guess."
---
Finn shakily stood in front of the darkly clothed mob.
He and old man Glen went to bed early after spending the entire afternoon cleaning the shop. It was messy beyond the blood-stained counter and dusty floors; everything was just old and worn-out that Finn had to ask his gramps repeatedly to just throw away some stuff for the place to be tidy.
The old man soundingly slept right after that he had not noticed the mob gradually gathering outside the shop. Finn does have a strong sense in detecting danger, and so he went down and checked if it was something concerning them. Tough luck, the 'gathering' outside was indeed for them.
'Gramps does have a knack at making enemies…' Cold sweat dripped down Finn's back. He was extremely nervous. Although he cautiously wore the bracer just before opening the door, he certainly did not feel confident about wiping the mob clean without risking his life. '30 humans versus one 1-star ranker… This doesn't sound fair, to be honest.'
As soon as Finn was about to make a move; the torches that the mob bore suddenly burned brighter. A person walked out from the middle of the mob, a man missing an arm. A New Human that Finn was unable to detect from the crowd. "Just as I've promised. I'll burn this shop to the ground!" Yelled the new human amputee.
A barrage of gas-powered pyro torches then rained down upon the shop.
The pointed edge of the torches, much like a spearhead, pierced through the thin plyboards of the antique-looking shop. The old and craggy exterior of the building could obviously not withstand such volley of attacks.
Finn, who was at first nervous on what to do, snapped out from his daze the moment he saw his gramps building getting burned down by the torches. "You dare tried scamming my gramps and now blaming him for what happened to you?-- You spineless bastard!"
Angered, Finn activated 'Sprint' as he dashed towards the mob "boss", his fist aiming right at the amputated man's face. "A dishonest man like you do not need a face to show others! Let me break it for you!" Finn, being a New Human, emitted an aura strong enough to pressure the mob of ordinary humans.
Most of those people cleared and scattered as soon as they saw Finn charging.
Soon, evening came and darkness fell. The public railbus sped through the last few blocks of Shen City. From the window, Xenith could clearly see the high walls towering over everything around. It had been there since the dawn of new humanity in order to survive.The wall of Shen City was not too grand in appearance, but its height and strength were lofty; made to withstand attacks from beasts that have permanently resided on Earth. Besides the occasional appearance of smaller-scale rifts such as bestial rifts Isolated areas had been one of the banes of humanity since the destruction of the Great Rift.'Not many shops would open late. I should just rest when I arrive.' It was around 7 when the bus passed the Shen City wall. It would take another four hours before it would reach its final stop, which would be around late in the evening. 'Rent would definitely cost me a lot, but it's way better to pay for honest shelter than getting mugged on the streets'It would cost around 50 credits for a stay of one day and one night in a cheap apartment, which isn't too bad considering the fact that it definitely is safer than cutting cost and getting to 'pay' for being a cheapskate in the end.'I guess I'll have to book a stay-in even before arriving.' Xenith thought as he flipped through his phone, checking through an app for the cheapest inn. Even though communication technology regressed since the appearance of otherworldly creatures; a city-wide satellite still provided the people with enough ways to communicate with each other, including life-improving apps such as what Xenith was using.The city-wide satellite also provided a sufficiently useful map. "A cheap lodging just right across the block I was heading to? Is my birth star finally aligning with lady luck?" Xenith thought. It was rare for lodgings to be situated near a shop, as troubles were often happening in the latter. Guests would obviously be displeased by such.Xenith immediately booked his stay. He could really use the rest after a strenuous day.---Outer district of Shen City, 10:47 in the evening.The railbus arrived earlier than scheduled. It might have been due to the decrease in stops, as the number of people wanting to go outside the wall had a decrease in number. Xenith stretched as soon as he got off the bus, relieving the pain from sitting for hours.Following behind him was the hatchling Roc. "The apartment is just a five-minute walk from here, let's go little one." Xenith beckoned the hatchling Roc to follow. The streets in the outer district weren't well-lit, and one could feel that the local government had not paid much attention to it. But if Xenith were to compare it to where they were living in Shen City, this place had it better.The place they had in Shen City was simply just a terrible neighborhood.Xenith reached the apartment. It wasn't a grand lodging, obviously, but it was enough for a very temporary stay. Xenith was about to enter through the rugged door when he noticed flickering lights across the block. He squinted to have a clearer look; people wearing dark clothes wielding pyro torches could be seen beelining towards a shop.Xenith was just about to ignore it when he suddenly saw a young man walk out said shop; brandishing an armguard with a "gem" that looked way too familiar for him to overlook. 'Is that not a Rift Summoning Stone?' Xenith muttered.Antique Bracer Modified Reduces all recoil damage by 15% DefectiveXenith tried to observe the armguard from afar to clarify if it really was a summoning stone. What appeared didn't help much, but the term 'Defective' and 'Modified' surely meant something else was up. Unlike the usual gears, which has 'Common' and 'Uncommon', etc. as grades, the peculiar armguard was definitely different.If it wasn't for the Rift Summoning Stone, Xenith wouldn't have even bothered checking.But... seeing that the boy wielding the armguard was in some sort of trouble, his conscience and childish sense of justice, couldn't help but tingle and urge him to help. "I guess there's more to being a New Human than just slaying monsters, huh? With great power comes great responsibility I guess."---Finn shakily stood in front of the darkly clothed mob.He and old man Glen went to bed early after spending the entire afternoon cleaning the shop. It was messy beyond the blood-stained counter and dusty floors; everything was just old and worn-out that Finn had to ask his gramps repeatedly to just throw away some stuff for the place to be tidy.The old man soundingly slept right after that he had not noticed the mob gradually gathering outside the shop. Finn does have a strong sense in detecting danger, and so he went down and checked if it was something concerning them. Tough luck, the 'gathering' outside was indeed for them.'Gramps does have a knack at making enemies' Cold sweat dripped down Finn's back. He was extremely nervous. Although he cautiously wore the bracer just before opening the door, he certainly did not feel confident about wiping the mob clean without risking his life. '30 humans versus one 1-star ranker This doesn't sound fair, to be honest.'As soon as Finn was about to make a move; the torches that the mob bore suddenly burned brighter. A person walked out from the middle of the mob, a man missing an arm. A New Human that Finn was unable to detect from the crowd. "Just as I've promised. I'll burn this shop to the ground!" Yelled the new human amputee.A barrage of gas-powered pyro torches then rained down upon the shop.The pointed edge of the torches, much like a spearhead, pierced through the thin plyboards of the antique-looking shop. The old and craggy exterior of the building could obviously not withstand such volley of attacks.Finn, who was at first nervous on what to do, snapped out from his daze the moment he saw his gramps building getting burned down by the torches. "You dare tried scamming my gramps and now blaming him for what happened to you?-- You spineless bastard!"Angered, Finn activated 'Sprint' as he dashed towards the mob "boss", his fist aiming right at the amputated man's face. "A dishonest man like you do not need a face to show others! Let me break it for you!" Finn, being a New Human, emitted an aura strong enough to pressure the mob of ordinary humans.Most of those people cleared and scattered as soon as they saw Finn charging.
