Deep in the sewers, a man was slowly opening his eyes contently.
Josh rose from his slumber, lazily stretched, and relaxedly opened his door. On the other side, a group of shivering teenagers stood at attention with large baskets in their hands.
"It's a wonderful morning, isn't it? Time to eat!" He happily commented.
That's when the tremblings teenagers slowly entered Josh's dwelling and began setting up the most sumptuous of feasts: Pancakes, waffles, French toasts, poached eggs, pizza, sushi, and many more!
Josh began devouring it all, enjoying the wonderful goodness. This was life! On the side, the teenagers felt like crying as they watched shellshocked. They saw all of their allowance being swallowed at an unbelievable rate.
They were anxiously hoping that everything would be to the man's liking. They had been so unlucky! Not only was he impossibly strong, but he had marked them with a tracking spell!
Their only path to survival was to repay him for their graffiti crime!
Painting dicks on the sewer walls was supposed to be hilarious! How had it ended up this way?! What would they do if he wasn't satisfied?! He ate in silence, all until he was completely done.
"This was pretty good. The custard and fruits were a nice touch." They sighed in relief.
"It's a shame that there are none left…." Oh no, oh god no!
"…I guess it shall do for now..." Their breathing relaxed slightly.
"Even then, I can't just let you guys go so easily..." Their hearts clenched in their chest.
"Well, you did clean the paint already, so that's great!" They didn't dare relax anymore.
"Say, will you behave in the future?" Josh casually asked them.
They didn't know if they were allowed to speak. Instead, they nodded with so much intensity that they put bubbleheads to shame! As Josh saw the fear in their eyes, he knew that his job was done.
"Fine, you can go." He finally relented. They all ran away, faster than a kid chasing his red ball in the middle of traffic!
He felt good with himself. If anyone asked, he had done it to set them straight! This included having them scrub the walls, clean his room, bring him breakfast, give him shoulder massages, and some other minor stuff.
But now wasn't the time for good actions no more. It was time to join the Gemini recruitment meet! But first, he needed more information. He knew just who to contact for it. Luckily he was bound to be available since the Tower was closed too!
- Josh MF Malum: Hey man, got any news on the event Gemini is organizing?
- Liam the Ultimate Samurai: Event, what event?!
- Josh MF Malum: Never mind then….
For now, he'd simply show up at the venue, which was surprisingly a goddamn palace just outside Metropolis-C! The entire place was locked tight with energy barriers. There was only a tiny entrance, guarded by a dozen of diligent-looking Climbers.
Many visitors awaited their turn to go through check-in. As he waited in the queue, he listened intently to the conversations.
"Look at this perimeter. It's so high-tech!"
"I freaking love this world! Did you guys try the VR and the holograms?!"
"Do you guys have any idea what kind of recruiting Gemini is planning?"
"I don't know, but everyone here has a freaking guild already. It makes no sense."
"Then why did you even come? Wait, I recognize you. You're in Need Healing, right?"
"Hehe, stop guessing. We all came here out of curiosity and a penchant for nostalgia."
So many nodded in agreement to that last statement. Being a Fallen in an entirely new world was extremely daunting. They had all survived and adapted, but it didn't change their roots.
That's when an old man addressed him:
"Youngster, you seem so silent and pensive. What are you thinking about?"
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Josh turned toward the man who had a kind smile and was wearing an armband that said 'volunteer'. He seemed so happy to dedicate himself to making this event a success.
"I'm a bit worried, to be honest. How will they even check our identity? Is the government tracking us? Also, isn't grouping at one spot painting a target on our backs. I heard some people dislike Fallens." Josh replied while frowning.
"Haha, you're overthinking this too much. Don't worry about security, there's so many of us, and the MTA is backing this." He confidently reassured with the surrounding Climbers nodding, some even flexing their muscles. Then he kept going.
"As for the entry, the arches over there detect who's a Fallen. Our soul is different from going through transmigration. However, I'm really not sure how it works, haha. But fear not, this is just a friendly gathering…on a large scale." He concluded.
The more he heard and the more suspicious Josh became of the whole thing. The positive discrimination was utter BS. Why would only they be able to attend? It was preparing the stage for a catastrophe to happen.
But, he wouldn't be a killjoy as he even gave a quick perfunctory "Oh, I see! It sounds nice!" as a reply. Soon enough, it was his turn to enter the premises. Now, this would be the decisive moment.
He had to admit, this place looked so professional! Banners represented a few of the most important guilds of Metropolis-C and the ???????????? symbol associated with the MTA. Once one factored in that Gemini was the host, then it was obviously safe…right?
This place looked so friendly too! The volunteers' smiles were as radiant as warm. There was even a table with free muffins and free medallions that were Earth-shaped. There was no way that these people were ill-intended!
But as he came closer, he sensed something. It was a feeling he was extremely familiar with, one that took him a few seconds to pinpoint what it was. It was hidden so deep that it was almost undetectable.
Josh felt his blood completely freeze over as he involuntarily shivered. He unconsciously clenched his fists, refraining from making a scene. This thing was terrifying and so fucking wrong!
This arch gave him the same feeling as a freaking magical contract! He would know, given how many he had been using recently. Could it all be a misunderstanding? No goddamn way!
He could almost hear the arch asking him if he wanted to establish a magical contract with it. He felt its pull, seemingly trying to get him into a contract with it. That's when a young and pretty volunteer flashed him a beautiful smile.
"Hello, Sir! Once inside, just follow the directives of the ones in charge, treat your fellow Climbers with respect and have fun!" She happily uttered.
Who the fuck were the ones in charge in such a case? The volunteers? The organizers? Whoever this arch belonged to? This extremely vague agreement felt so damn sketchy!
"Sir? Please step forward. The others behind you are waiting," She gently reminded him as she looked so innocent!— and probably was.
All of this had been designed to lower their mental barriers! Josh couldn't help but shudder at how scheming this was. What should he do?! He hesitated but then realized that this thing worked exactly like a magical contract. He could feel it!
These things only worked when one wholeheartedly signed them. This had to work in the same manner! That's how he stepped forward while repeating internally akin to a protective mantra: "I don't want your bullshit contract!"
The passage to the other side only took a second, but it was one of the longest seconds of his life. He felt the arch try to establish a contract with him, sending tendrils of energy his way, trying to bind him to its magic.
Yet, his convictions allowed him to shrug it all off. To the troublesome contract arch, Josh internally mumbled: "You have no power here!" Then it was over, just like that.
He found himself in a colorful and beautiful world, with a garden full of sunflowers. It was akin to a fairy tale: so very pretty and dark at its core! Josh could only hope to be wrong but he had seen too much of the world to believe it.
The Climbers were happily strolling all over the place while the ones outside were so eager to enter. This would be their refuge from the outside world, or so they naively hoped. Now the question was, what would he do about it?!
He had a moral duty to warn people about it! But, would it accomplish anything? Would his word alone be enough to convince people to steer clear of this place? He could see the way they gazed at it, probably not!
Josh definitely had made a reputation for himself. If he were to reveal his identity right now, he could probably save a few. However, he would get kicked out of the event and he also lacked concrete proof.
What was he going to say? That he could feel it? Many Rankers couldn't even sense killing intent! He could always request that one appraiser to confirm it, but how long would that even take?
He decisively took his UW out before messaging an old friend:
- Josh MF Malum: Hey, do you know anything about the Gemini Fallen event? Tell me honestly what's going on.
- Dario the Dragon: For you to message me out of the blue, it must be serious. They received authorization from the MTA to host it. Is there anyone targeting it?
- Josh MF Malum: The entrance is an artifact that works just like a magical contract. Do you know what this means?
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- Dario the Dragon: It means that we have a huge fucking problem….
Creator's Thought
As much as I wanted to warn them all, it probably wouldn't have worked. Humans are quick to judge and biased as fuck! Considering the mood, the crowd would have definitely lashed at me. I didn't feel like dealing with a mindless mob.