The slovesa ceasefire shocked the citizens of the Loeric Empire. It had always been expected that they would almost perpetually be at war, and for multiple generations at that.

Speculations were rife amongst the population, especially with media personalities capitalizing on the shocking event. The emperor did not appear to give a public statement at all, instead leaving General Kyle Hawthorn as the spokesperson.

More notably, the flood of would-be explorers and tomb raiders saw a new opportunity to earn even more. Now that the border star systems were considered a lot safer, people were more willing to venture there, resulting in a boom in the number of settlers going to the new border planets to carve out a fresh start.

This, of course, did not matter to anyone in the city called Rockhold in Athen. Though technically not classified as a city under official terms, it still boasted a decent population of a few dozen million people, living in a single large underground cavern reminiscent of an inner zone in New Saint, the main city of Athen.

There were still plenty of ruins and mines to discover on the planet. Even after 200 years of mining and exploration, people were still digging up new stuff all the time, going deeper and deeper. With the Strathon system being the main command centre for the border Legions, there was no safer place to hunt for relics.

No one in New Saint recognized Rockhold as a city, only as a lawless paradise for gangsters and criminal organizations. The New Saint’s city enforcers too had no control over Rockhold as it lay beyond the jurisdiction – only the military forces directly under the owner of the planet could enforce the law there.

None of the previous owners bothered to send troops to increase security here. Rockhold was a stronghold for criminal trade and explorer teams going deep into slovesa ruins, as well as a base for Bee Strathon’s mining operations. The weird mix of interests caused it to become a critical location vital to underground ventures.

Just like the inner zones, the layout of Rockhold was a mess of apartments and office buildings stacked on top of each other. Two dominant buildings stood out from each other – the Bee Strathon’s command centre, where Manager Olson worked, and a towering building only known as the Queen’s Throne.

It was not expensive to live in Rockhold. There were plenty of jobs to go around, even for those who were not willing to take the risk. However, at this very instant, two young men were slumped in an alleyway, arguing with each other. Both wore thick cloaks to cover their bodies, with one scavenging in a trash pile near a restaurant for food.

“Why did we even come here on our own, and with no money at all? Why can’t we just get a proper job at the Explorer’s Guild?” One of the young men complained as he tried to look for edible food, but all he could find were leftover wastepaper, empty rusted containers, lumps of sewage and packaging.

The smell of the sauce wafting in from the nearby restaurant tempted him even more, causing him to be even angrier.

“It was your choice Halyon  - I said you could either follow me up or stay in that town with the rest. No way I’m letting you out back to the Keepers.” Ceres muttered, sitting down and meditating. His expression was hidden behind the same black mask with a red crescent, which was now a little bit dirty from the days of homelessness.

“I’m not going back to the Keepers, but this is ridiculous! How could you even think of surviving here like this? We don’t even have our exosuits.” Halyon shot back in rage, his stomach churning.

“We just need to follow our lead, and everything would be sorted out.  Also, having our exosuits would immediately give us away. Don’t forget Bee Strathon knows our exosuits after that fight at the temple. And we would never have made it past the security scanners.”

“The ‘White Fang’? Really? Finding him will get you the help you need? For all you know, they might throw you back in a vat again.” Halyon recalled the rebel who woke up Ceres during the fight at the research lab, him being the one that shot him with the stun shot in the first place.

“Better than the Keepers finding me and capturing me in one fell swoop the moment I register myself anywhere in this city. Just keep a low profile until we get our lead.” Ceres muttered.

“How about food, huh? I got to eat too!”

The door of the restaurant swung wide open, with the owner stepping out and yelling: “Will you two stupid bums stop arguing outside? You’re chasing our customers away! Fuck off before I call the Queen’s Guards on you!”

Ceres and Halyon quickly scampered away, running to a separate street.

“Look at what you did, now we’ll never find him. The only info we have on him is that he frequents that restaurant!” Ceres cursed at Halyon.

“No, you look at us. No money, no food, no water, no weapons nothing! And fuck the restaurant, we’ve been staking it out for four days and got nothing! You obviously got a false lead.” Halyon shouted back with no holds barred.

“And I’m sure he’ll show up anytime now.”

“Fat chance, ‘hero’. How are we going to get anything done here without money? We can’t even bribe anything here even if we wanted to.”

They continued bickering as they walked down the dodgy streets. Criminal gangs hung out in the open, while prostitutes with various subpar genetic modifications tried to lure customers. Neon signs littered the sky and sides of buildings, with the streets stained with soaked adverts and bits of broken chips.

They passed boarded-up abandoned shops, contrasted by the high number of bodyguards posted outside flashy entrances of clubs and casinos, with clear emblems and tattoos signifying their gang affiliation. Raucous laughter and cheering could be heard along every stretch of the street, with rave groups drinking as much as they could without a care in the world.

Ceres tensed up as they walked past a few Queen’s Guard patrols, hoping to not get spotted.

It was the very definition of a completely free city, except for one golden rule: Don’t fuck with the Queen.

Ceres was still interested to find out who the Queen was. For someone to have such tight control over Rockhold within the short span of a few recent years was quite amazing. But Halyon was right, right now he was losing hope that he could ever find the ‘White Fang’.

It’s been only a few days since he left the temple and town, marking it a year since he woke up from the vat.

With the collapse of the temple and the Chosen being beaten back, he no longer had a reason to stay around any longer. The Queen’s Guards mission had also been cancelled, and the town did not need to fight to defend the ruin anymore.

However, the town still hired a small group of mercenaries to defend the town, lest Bee Strathon came back for revenge.

Ceres decided to not reveal himself to the mercenaries that came from Rockhold, instead travelling to Rockhold alone. He did not bring Mercer and Yan along, although promising to come back to them once he sorted his stuff out. Finding his friends was still his priority, and it did not feel right to drag capable people away from the town.

However, he had no choice but to drag Halyon along. Leaving a former Keeper in such an area was a recipe for disaster. With Mercer and Yan staying in the town, the chances of his ability being leaked out were minimal. But Halyon was a live bomb that could easily leak his information.

He was also unsure of whom the Queen’s Guards were actually working with. It was natural that criminal organizations like that may be able to play on both sides, treating information as a commodity. If he blatantly showed himself to the town’s hired mercenaries, it might be a terrible mistake for him.

Over the past few days, he had verified certain rumours that the rebellion was active in Rockhold. It made sense, as the rebellion was not able to procure supplies effectively from New Saint. With such a large criminal market in Rockhold, it would be much easier to secure what they needed here. Ceres suspected that the Queen’s Guards must have a major role in it.

Supposedly a prominent rebel commander, the ‘White Fang’ is in charge of rebel operations in this area. Despite almost everyone in Rockhold knowing that the rebels were based in the area, no one really knew exactly where their real base was, nor did they want to find out.

As far as he could summarize, it seemed that the three major forces were the rebellion, the Queen’s Guards and the enforcers from New Saint continuously trying their luck. However, the enforcers did not have jurisdiction over Rockhold.

The enforcers from the city of Athen did not act out in full force, having to negotiate with the Queen first, but discussions have been stalling so far. Ceres had not seen a single enforcer so far, but he had no doubts that there could be multiple eyes watching him, and even more if they were paid enough.

L-Credits made a man strong in Rockhold. It was because of this that Ceres had to find a way to earn a living and some purchasing power before resuming his hunt for the ‘White Fang’ again.

The time that he had spent in the town had made him forget the importance of money.

“I got to find a way to get into the information network of Rockhold without being exposed. Or somehow attract the ‘White Fang’s’ attention.” Ceres also knew that if he were ever exposed to the public, it would be complete chaos.

Luckily, the only people he could think of that knew of him slightly were Paska and the three Bee Strathon soldiers. However, none of them had actually seen his full face properly thanks to the exosuit or the mask he wore inside, so Ceres was still in the clear somewhat.

The two of them walked aimlessly, with Halyon scrounging around for scraps of food, or walking into open-air food stalls and nicking the leftover meals away. “God damn it, I used to be an inner! Why do people even have to live like this?” He complained to himself, with Ceres simply smiling at him.

“Still think every outer or non-inner is a violent piece of shit? Looks like you’re turning into them.”

Halyon didn’t reply, but Ceres could already sense that Halyon had changed drastically over the year since they met. Having grown attached to the town, Halyon had already broken past his previous prejudices and became less judgemental, but he still held a few stereotypes in his head.

Ceres did not want for food, because his body was already brimming with energy. The emotions invoked by everyone around him in a small radius fed him energy directly, the black goo in his body converting it.

He had been slowly refining his ability to invoke emotions in others, using Halyon as a test bed. However, unlike Ceres, Halyon needed food desperately, and the days of hiding in secret were starting to wear on him.

As they walked down yet another dark and dirty alley, Halyon suddenly spotted something, running up and grabbing something from the ground.

“Ceres, look! We get free food and lodging here!” Halyon excitedly flung a wet piece of paper at Ceres’ face, the stench clinging to his skin.

“What the fuck is this?!” Ceres ripped the flyer off his face, reading it. “Arena matches? That’s like the number one way to draw attention to yourself!”

***

In a small office, a middle-aged plump man known as Saul was tapping his finger on the table, leaning back in his ergonomic office chair and staring at the two young men who looked like they just escaped from a horrible war frontline two hours ago. The office was elevated above the arena, which was a large brightly lit circular ring walled by twenty meters of concrete and covered with a defensive forcefield.

The two young men were extremely suspicious, their hair shoddy like they just went through a trash yard, and they both had masks on that covered their faces. The masks looked like they had barely been washed in ages, especially the one with a crescent blood stroke. Saul sighed, concocting a sob story in his head of two young punks who wanted to be cool.

“Do you even understand the job you’re applying for? It’s a dangerous job doing security and clean-up for the arena matches. I had one team of five die recently, you sure you kids are up for it?”

Halyon looked at Ceres before the both of them turned back to the middle-aged man and nodded vigorously. Saul sighed, shaking his head at the sight of desperation coming from the two young men. “Well, whatever, it’s your life, do what you want. Daily pay is 20 L-credits, plus a bonus for each rogue fighter you subdue. Bonus is also provided for the wildlife we let loose in the arena. If you can’t do it, get another team to do it. Don’t push it and make things look bad for me, you hear?”

Ceres and Halyon nodded in agreement.

“Good, you start today. Go get cleaned up and change into a uniform. Try to find a team before the matches start. We got a few matches tomorrow, so try to just hang back and learn the ropes.” Saul got his guards to usher the two young men out of the office.

The guards escorted them as they walked down to the arena, with Ceres still wondering if this was the best option to make money or connections to find the ‘White Fang’. Sure, they were strong, but was the bonus good enough to warrant working this kind of job? He looked at Halyon, who was simply happy to finally get a proper hot meal. “Fine, at least we won’t be out on the streets any longer.”

They were led to a dorm area, where the other employees stayed. There were plenty of older men, though there were a few kids that were even younger than him. They eyed the two newcomers warily as they entered.

“This will be your living place from now on. No fighting is allowed here, else you’re out. Schedule is on the wall. Hash it out with the others where you’re going.” The guard said stoically before leaving them behind. Halyon looked at the other hundred and twenty people in the dorm all staring at them, gulping. He wondered if there was some sort of hazing procedure, and started to regret ever recommending this place.

A burly guy pushed his way through the dorm, walking straight up to Ceres and Halyon, who were taking off their cloaks and placing them in their assigned wardrobe. Ceres sighed as he recalled the simpler times when he lived in the military orphanage dorm, feeling nostalgic until the burly man’s hand grabbed his shoulder.

Halyon got into a fighting posture, while Ceres turned around, staring at the burly man.

“So, fresh meat to replace Tim and the others huh?” Despite Ceres having grown taller and stronger, the burly man was still much larger than him, obviously jacked on steroids.

“Yes, we have no money so we’re here to work,” Ceres responded dryly. Halyon expected a fight to break out, but instead, the burly man patted Ceres on the shoulder. “We’re all trying, brother. It’s not easy living here undercover from inner oppression. But your… ’friend’ here… he an inner?” The burly man eyed Halyon with disgust.

Ceres shook his head. “He got a condition. Albino. Same Zone.”

“Oh wow, that’s terrible. Hope you get it fixed. I know a few docs in-house that can fix it for you. Name’s Cain, great to meet you. I’ll make sure you won’t die, at least if you follow my orders.”

Ceres nodded as Cain walked off, the rest of the dorm returning to their free time, chatting and playing around. “Wow, outers really got it out for inners huh?” Halyon muttered to Ceres as they both headed to the bath. “And I’m not albino.”

“How about you try being called a ‘second-class’ citizen and let me know.”

The bath was probably the best thing Halyon had ever experienced recently, despite having lived as an inner. The two-week-long journey up to Rockhold from the town was nowhere near pleasant, and the last few days of living in filth made him earn a greater appreciation for the smaller things in life.

Refreshed, they returned to their dorms, while Ceres overheard a few conversations in the dorm.

“You hear about that slovesa ceasefire? More and more idiots coming to Rockhold to try their luck with the ruins nearby – haven’t they already been picked clean?”

“That’s good, boost the local economy even more so I can get out of this dangerous job. Maybe I should return to being an explorer.”

“And lose your prosthetic arm? You haven’t paid off your debt to Saul yet you know.”

“Well at the rate the arena matches are going, I’m going to lose both my arm and my life. I’m more afraid of the fighters that go crazy using unlicensed combat stimulants rather than the animals we keep.”

“Hold on, with the ceasefire, does it mean the slovesa are all off-limits right now as ‘wildlife’?”

“No one fucking cares down here in Rockhold, not even the previous owner, Cardenia Hawthorn, could enforce anything around here. She herself even came here to bet on matches and shuttle racing back in the day!”

Ceres raised an eyebrow, surprised in hearing that Cardenia used to frequent Rockhold. Now that Ceres seriously thought about it, where the hell did Cardenia run to? There were rumours of her going off-world, but if she was on Athen, Ceres would definitely like some answers to what happened to him. Assuming the deposed owner knew anything at all, of course.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever watched a licensed combat match before,” Halyon said on the side, causing Ceres to stare at him like he was a madman.

“Seriously? You’ve never seen a trial by combat? The riot teams that used to fight in the inner zones?” Ceres asked incredulously, shocked that there could be people on Athen who had never seen a proper riot before.

“My dad always told me it was unsightly and violent, so I have never seen it before.” Halyon shook his head.

“So you signed up for the licensed killing of suspected violent outers and rebels.”  Ceres sarcastically replied.

Halyon sighed, not bothering to argue with Ceres. “As I said before, I didn’t choose it. I failed the qualifiers, what else was I supposed to do? Become a miner? All the inners know that if the enforcers dangle a carrot in front of you, you take it without thinking.”

He eyed the schedule on the wall, which showed a simple daily schedule everyone adhered to. “Well, looks simple enough. Cleaning, break, feeding, break and cleaning again. Wait, feeding?”