Keros was slowly adopting the principle of treating others how they treated him. Those who treated him well would be treated just as well by him. Those that wronged him? Well, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Reginald had treated him well, so Keros decided he would return that kindness that was shown to him today. All the better that Reginald seemed to be a skilled smith.

-

Keros walked through the door and immediately headed to his room to store the things he had purchased. Afterward, he went to see Zimmer and let him know that his gear was ready.

"Good. Be up early tomorrow. I will be testing your physical capabilities and teaching you the team formations, tactics, signals, and your duties." Zimmer said before waving Keros off

Keros didn't have much more that he needed to do today. He sent uncle Rod a message letting him know that he joined the Dusk Hunters and that he would be staying in the base with the team. Next, he needed to find someone to recommend a place to grab some food nearby, as he was quite hungry. He had found that he needed to eat far more since he awakened.

He went to the lounge since that was the most likely place that he would find another team member. Sure enough, three people were in the lounge, including Shelbs.

"Is there a cheap place to eat nearby?" Keros asked the three

Two clearly didn't care much for Keros and ignored him after a glance. Shelbs however, didn't seem to mind.

"There's a small noodle shop close. It's not the best but it's cheap and they give huge portions. C'mon, I'll show you where it is. I'm pretty hungry myself." Shelbs said as she stood up and stretched.

The two left the building and hit the streets. The sky was already dark by this point, and the neon lights from the nearby buildings were shining brightly on their surroundings. The lights warmed the atmosphere in the area and gave people an energetic feeling.

Keros hadn't known of much outside of his home district, so it was fascinating to see how different some of the other districts were. His home district didn't have these neon lights all around and instead, they just had flat orange lights. Even the people were different. He saw people with tech augmentations, bionic limbs, flashy clothing, jewelry, and weapons. He had never seen these things in his home district. The difference between the two was akin to the difference between night and day.

His home district felt simple, and like everyone was close and connected with one another. Like a village, or a large community. This district felt more lively, but it also felt like everyone was detached from each other. As if everyone was in their own little bubble, and nothing outside of their bubble mattered. It was an odd feeling, and difficult for him to put into words.

However, Keros sort of liked the feeling. It felt freeing. All he had to worry about was himself, and he could do pretty much anything he wanted. It was odd having almost no one to rely on, but the freedom that came with it was intoxicating. Anything he would achieve now would be of his own effort.

Keros smiled when he thought of this. Maybe he couldn't live this lifestyle forever, but he was going to enjoy it while he could.

Soon they reached the shop. There wasn't much on the menu but, like Shelbs said, It was cheap. Cheap is what Keros needed right now. He only had 300 credits left and who knew how long that would have to last him.

Keros was actually quite worried about how poor he was currently. 300 credits wouldn't last him long at all, so he would likely have to find a few odd jobs if they didn't get a mission asap.

It pained him a bit to spend the 40 credits for the bowl of noodles. Luckily the portion was indeed huge, and though the noodles wouldn't support his growth much, it was enough to keep his stomach from growling.

"So, why did you join the Dusk Hunters?" Shelbs asked between slurps

Keros gave an odd look. It was a bit uncouth to talk with your mouth full, not to mention her slurping.

"Money, experience, growth." Keros replied before digging back into the noodles.

"Why not stay in school and just get a part-time job? You'd still grow and make money, and it would be a hell of a lot safer than being a merc." Shelbs asked with an eyebrow raised

"Not enough. I need more money than that would provide, and the school wouldn't help me get stronger fast enough." Keros replied languidly

Shelbs stopped eating and studied Keros. She was trying to figure out if the boy was hungry for power, or just ignorant. Every young person wants to go outside the stronghold, that is until they learn the harsh truth of life on New Genesis.

"I think you're mistaken about this life. About mercenaries and the outside." Shelbs said before beginning to eat again

"Why do you think that? You think you understand my reasons?" Keros asked slightly irritated

"Because being a mercenary isn't as glamorous as people think. All young people believe that mercenaries are loved and welcomed like celebrities but, the truth is the opposite. The lifestyle we live causes some mercenaries to become quite rough and callous, and that doesn't mesh well with the soft civilians inside the stronghold. Not to mention some seem to think we are just dogs that do the bidding of the truly strong." Shelbs replied with a hint of disdain in her voice when she spoke of the 'soft' people

"And it's dangerous outside the stronghold. You can't understand just how dangerous is it until you experience it. There is a reason we have to live cramped in this little bubble that is Enceladus. You might think that we are strong enough to rule this world but, we are STILL at the bottom of the food chain." Shelbs continued, and she wasn't finished

"The beasts outside are incredibly terrifying. Some are giant with a tooth as big as you are, and some are small but can be even more dangerous than the big ones. You might have seen a dead one on the media but make no mistake Keros, It is completely different when you face down a beast while it's breathing." Shelbs finished while staring directly into Keros' eyes. Her demeanor was completely different than usual and while it was firm and steady, a hint of fear could be sensed within her.

Keros thought about what she said. It was true that he was ignorant, even he understood that fact. He wanted glory and fame. who didn't? That wasn't his reason for becoming a mercenary though so it wasn't a deal-breaker if he couldn't obtain fame. As for the danger, he wanted it. He knew the only way he could grow to become truly strong would be by facing constant danger and honing his skills while perched on the edge of a blade.

"Why did you become a mercenary then? Better yet, why are you still a mercenary? Surely if it is that bad you would have left the life." Keros asked

"Ignorance. I was ignorant of the truth as many of the young crowd that decides to become a merc. I stay in it because it has already become a part of who I am. I don't have many other options, and there is no way I'm going to become a civilian." Shelbs said before sighing.

The conversation ended there. Neither would elaborate on the details in their lives that lead them to this point. They continued eating, and after Shelbs finished off the second bowl of noodles, they left back to the base.

Keros paid more attention to Shelbs on the walk back. She had returned to her carefree demeanor. She didn't seem to care about the opinion of those around her, and she didn't bother putting up a facade of grace. The way she walked, spoke, and ate all seemed to show that she was comfortable being who she was. She didn't need other people's approval. Keros liked that about her. That is the attitude that a confident strong person should have.

What was the use of grace, or a refined demeanor, in their life? Would it help when fighting a beast? Would it help when dealing with the cunning people that surrounded them? No. No, it wouldn't.

Strength. Capability. That is what mattered to people like them! Grace and refinement were for the weak that liked to peacock and pretend that they were superior. The strong had no need for it.

Keros didn't know if Shelbs was strong but regardless, she had the attitude that he believed the strong would have. Maybe one day Keros would act the same way.

-

*Beep. Beep. Beep.*

Keros raised his arm to his face and tapped on his commlink to shut off the alarm. The clock displayed 5:30. He sat up and began his morning routine.

During meditation, he was able to pull in another light. Most of his gains came in the form of increasing his proficiency at the technique. The lucky experience the day before allowed him to get a feel for the strength and control needed to pull in that energy. Today he spent much of his time honing that control, and he noticed that it was considerably easier to manage the power and ripples. If he kept up at this pace then before long he would be pulling in tens of energy streams per meditation session.

Keros put on his work out clothes and headed outside. He would use the open area in front of the building to do his training today. It wasn't as convenient as the gym at the military base, but it was familiar. Luckily there was training equipment in the storage building that he could use.

He trained for three hours again today, and he was exhausted by the time he finished. He spent more time than he would have liked putting up the equipment he had used. Keros finished the rest of his morning routine by washing himself and went to the lounge. Zimmer would likely be coming to him soon to test him and teach him.

Until that happened though, Keros had nothing to do. He was in an unfamiliar district, surrounded by people that he didn't know.

He thought it would be best to become acquainted with the team members. They would be a huge part of his life, indefinitely. The better their relationship, the easier his life would be in the coming days.

Keros spent some time trying to have a conversation with the only other person in the lounge right now. However, all he received were very curt responses from the thin man. The man was either too engrossed in his commlink, or just didn't wish to converse with Keros. Keros took that as a cue to stop bothering him.

After a few minutes, the silence was broken by a plump young woman coming into the lounge. She appeared to be around 16 and was dressed neatly in colorful clothing.

Keros observed her for a moment.

'She probably hands clerical duties, or is a part of logistics.' Keros thought. She didn't look like a fighter, and she had a relaxed aura. It wouldn't make sense for her to be a part of the combat team.

The woman noticed Keros and began to scrutinize him. Her eyes darted around his body, remaining on one spot for a moment before darting to another spot.

"You're Keros, I assume?" She said with a soft dainty voice after she had finished

Keros nodded

"My name is Tasha. I'm one of the three that handle the clerical work for the Dusk Hunters." Tasha said raising her chin in a proud manner

"Nice to meet you, Tasha. I guess you already know, I'm the porter." Keros replied

"Yes yes. It's good that we have a porter now. We can take on an extra mission, or just collect more treasures since we now have you to carry it all!" Tasha said enthusiastically.

"Mhm, hopefully, we get a mission soon. I'm not used to being idle." Keros replied hoping to get some information from this bubbly woman

"Hope no longer Keros. The details on the next mission will be ironed out today. We managed to find two great missions yesterday, and luckily when we got back we found that we can accept them both! All thanks to you joining." Tasha said with a shine in her eye. It seemed Keros was her idol.

"Awesome." Keros simply replied though he was more excited than he let on.

"Quite excited aren't ya brat? Let me fix that. You hold us back, and we will leave you behind! We don't have any need for those that hold us back." The thin man finally chimed in

Keros frowned. These people barely knew him at all and had no right to treat him like crap. Their assumptions that he was weak might not be entirely misplaced, but shouldn't they at least give him and chance before they ridiculed him? He would take it for now, but he would remember how these people treated him, and if their attitude didn't change when the tables turned then he would act accordingly.

"I understand oh great one. I wouldn't want to drag someone of your caliber down. I'll do my best." Keros said mockingly

This was all he could do to console himself. It burned at his pride that he had to accept such treatment, but he didn't have much of a choice if he wanted to reach his goals.

"Joke now brat. If you weren't one of my teammates, I'd take your head right now. I'll settle for watching a beast take it from your shoulders." The man said with an almost sinister grin.

"Alright, enough! You two are acting like a bunch of hooligans... Seriously though Keros, you need to put some meat on those bones! As you are now, it's going to be hard to carry all the treasure!" Tasha stepped in to stop the two

"Hard is fine... Actually, hard is good." Keros responded. He wouldn't bother to argue anymore. His actions would speak for him.

Tasha kept up lecturing Keros about getting bigger so he could carry more loot. Keros simply listened and kept his mouth shut.

Luckily, Tasha was called out of the lounge shortly after she began.

The lounge began to fill with the other team members, and all of them were from the combat team. It appeared that all of the clerical team, as well as the Captain and Zimmer, were handling something, likely the mission details that Tasha had spoken of earlier.

Keros kept to himself while the rest all conversed merrily amongst each other. He observed how the ones that treated him bad, acted when they were talking to others. The indignation from how they treated him fueled his desire to get stronger.

'Soon. Soon these people will be beneath me.' Keros thought.

-

The doors to the lounge opened up and the Captain came through. He was followed by Zimmer and the three clerical members including Tasha.

"We have two new missions. Prepare today, we will be heading out early tomorrow morning." Captain Lionell bellowed with a grin

Everyone in the room showed excitement and happiness at the news

"The details are as follows. We are tasked with obtaining the gallbladder of a Blue Tongue Snake, as well as the ovary of a Tenrec. We will get an increased reward based on the size of the Snake, and the species of Tenric. For every five meters increase in size over twenty meters the Snake we will get a fifteen percent higher commission." The Captain said before taking a moment to observe the team

All showed enthused expressions. Looks like the snake would be a good payout for them!

"The Tenrec bonus will be more difficult. First, Any adult Tenrec will be accepted for the full commission. However, The bonus will be double the price for a Tailless Tenrec, and quadruple the price for a White-eyed Tailless Tenrec." Caption Lionell finished

The team sighed. Tenrecs were common, but Tailless Tenrecs were rare and difficult to handle. They are highly aggressive and the sharp quills provide a natural deterrence. While they have bad eyesight, their other senses are increased which makes it very hard to sneak up on them.

Tenrec ovaries were heavily sought after treasure since they could be made into medicine and ingested. This would increase fertility in women. The male counterpart was also sought after since it could improve a male's potency. People who were having trouble conceiving would resort to ingesting these in hopes of having a child.

As for the White-eyed Tailless Tenrec, most of them hadn't ever heard of it. It must be either extremely difficult to find, or out of their capabilities.

"Enjoy today, because this trip outside Enceladus will be a long one. We won't be coming back until our bags are full!" Captain Lionell yelled out with a big grin, sweeping his eyes over and locking onto Keros.

He didn't say anything, but his eyes showed his expectation. He was hopeful that Keros would be an addition that would allow them to bring back much more treasure than usual.

The Captain said no more and left back towards his office. Zimmer called out to Keros and gestured him to follow.

-

"Lift this bar over your head. After every rep ill be adding ten kilos. You'll continue until you can't lift the bar." Zimmer said after moving many weights onto the front yard.

The bar had 45 kilos on it to start. Keros could lift this much easy.

Keros began. The bar flew up at a fast but steady rate. Soon the bar was back on the ground and Keros seemed relaxed.

Soon he went through twenty-two reps. He felt as though he had almost reached his limit. The weight was up to two-hundred and sixty-five kilos already. He knew of none his age that could overhead press more than one-hundred and eighty kilos. He had even broken his record of two-hundred and twenty kilos.

Zimmer added more weight and stepped back to observe.

Keros ground his feet into the grass, mashing it down and getting better traction. his hands wrapped around the bar and his wrists curled back and forth a few times before he found the grip he liked. He took a few deep breaths before he gritted his teeth and pulled up.

The bar was yanked up with a burst of power and Keros caught it with his chest. His left leg had stretched out in front of him to steady himself. He took a moment before pressing up as hard as he could.

The bar slowly lifted, until his arms were nearly at full extension. He had done it. Two-Hundred and seventy-five kilos!

Keros dropped the bar forward while taking a step back. The weights slammed into the ground with a heavy thud. Luckily they were made from strong materials so there was no worry that they would be damaged.

Both Keros and Zimmer knew that he couldn't lift the next one, so this test ended there.

Zimmer tapped a few times on his commlink, probably documenting the results, before going to the storage building. He came back with a thick vest and a jump rope.

"We don't have the amount of room I'd like for the next test, so we will do it this way. Put on this vest, it's weighted. You'll jump rope until you can't continue." Zimmer said as he handed the vest to Keros.

Keros weighed it in his hand, it's about ninety kilos. He put it on over his shirt and tightened it so it wouldn't rub too much. Taking the jump rope and stepping back, he began.

He kept a steady brisk pace for a long time, and when he felt like he was running out of steam he would dial back the pace a bit. He had started at a speed akin to a fast jog but now, after almost an hour and a half, he was at the speed of a slow walk. He managed to keep going for more than thirty more minutes before he fell back on his butt, leaned to the side, and retched.

Zimmer once again tapped on his commlink before speaking

"That's all. Since you shouldn't partake in combat we won't bother testing your battle capabilities. I can see you're pretty much tapped as is anyway. I will start teaching you the formations and tactics now." He said.

Hours were spent with Zimmer explaining the various tactics, formations, procedures, safety measures, and other important information. They went over many areas multiple times so Keros could commit them to memory.

"put all of the equipment back and go prepare for tomorrow." Zimmer said before returning to the building.

Keros spent some time recuperating before returning all of the equipment to the storage building. He was covered in sweat, and the musk of it wafted off him for meters. He went to take a shower before anything else.

After, he began preparing his things so he would be able to find them quickly in the morning. Zimmer brought him an odd large backpack that he would need to carry. It was already filled to the brim with many things. He would have to carry all of the extra supplies the team would need, and when the bag was emptied of the supplies, it would be filled with the things they obtained to sell.

Keros wore a mocking smile when he thought of how he would look with all of his things and this huge bag. Now he understood why he had to jump rope with ninety kilos added.