The first thing that came to my nose as I stepped outside was the smell.
Aetheria smelled of something that was once a factory, drowned in gasoline, wet iron, and sewage.
I pulled my coat over my nose and looked down the alley.
It was even better than the view from the widow, if such a place could be called that.
Along the brick wall, pipes carried black liquid away, and thick cables hung like vines from the ceiling.
People walked past me in the narrow street, paying no attention to my presence.
Probably a good sign.
I still had no idea what the social etiquette was here, and I was not going to find out by staring too long at someone’s mechanical face.
I stepped out on the street, and the noise almost knocked me off my feet.
Steam engines roared, metal wheels shrieked against the rails, vendors shouted their offers above the din.
Somewhere above me, an airship let out a deafening blast of its horn.
I instinctively ducked.
"Jesus!"
Nobody paid any attention.
It seemed that the floating leviathans that dotted the sky were a common enough sight that people barely reacted to their noise.
I slowly looked up, taking in the sight of the ship from before, now visible between the buildings.
It was not alone, as several smaller vessels surrounded it, hovering at a distance.
They were not pretty ships.
Most had been cobbled together from old parts, engines, and propellers, and various weapons, and still managed to fly.
I stared in awe.
Back home, humanity had spent centuries dreaming of floating cities.
Here, they were commonplace.
I turned my head as a mechanical carriage screeched past me, splashing dirty water all over my boots.
"Watch where you’re going, idiot!"
I turned to the driver, who was already halfway down the street.
I looked at the filth on my clothes.
"I’m beginning to hate this place."
My stomach growled.
I looked around, then sighed.
Right.
Before trying to uncover the mysteries of this world, I had to solve a more immediate problem.
Namely, food.
I followed the delicious smell to a street market, which was practically built underneath the railway.
Everything here vibrated with the sound of the trains passing overhead.
Stalls sold spare mechanical parts, strange fruits, steaming meat, glowing liquids in bottles, and weapons that looked far deadlier than anything I had ever owned.
I stopped by a food stand and peered at the various tasty-looking dishes.
The vendor behind the counter gave me a look as I hesitated.
"How much?"
The old woman gave me a long look. "Three coppers."
I froze.
"...I don’t have any."
She stared me down, her expression darkening.
"Then don’t ask."Fair enough."
I stepped back before things got ugly.
My stomach growled again.
This time, even the System decided to chime in.
[Host biological condition detected.]
[Hunger: 73%.]
I narrowed my eyes at the message. "You don’t need to tell me."
[Suggestion: Acquire currency.]
"Thank you, Captain Obvious."
I turned to leave, but the sound of screaming stopped me.
Not the drunken shouts and angry arguments that were common enough in this place.
This was the sound of real panic.
I turned toward the commotion.
People were running away from something down the street.
A woman stumbled over a stack of boxes and scrambled to her feet.
"Get out of the way!"
Something exploded in the distance, and the crowd scattered.
I caught sight of three men in dark coats surrounding a woman.
They had a pistol each, and one of them raised it to shoot.
"You’re finished, Nyx!"
The woman smiled.
It was not a pretty smile.
It was the smile of someone who had accepted that there was nothing left to lose.
"Then come finish me."
The first shot rang out as she dove to the side, the bullet tearing into the brick wall where her head had been.
Her own revolver barked in response, and one of the men dropped to the ground.
The other two hesitated, but she wasted no time shooting the second one in the chest.
The last man turned to run, but Nyx shot him in the leg, and he fell to the ground.
Nyx lowered her pistol, her breathing ragged. Blood ran down her side, and her mechanical shoulder sparked.
My System suddenly flared to life.
[Unique Individual Detected.]
[Name: Nyx Veyra.]
[Status: Critical.]
[Potential: Extremely High.]
I blinked at the message. "Potential?"
[Combat potential detected.]
[Mechanical limb severely damaged.]
[Aether poisoning detected.]
[Recommended action: Upgrade.]
I turned my gaze to the woman, who was trying to reload her pistol with her good hand.
She dropped the cartridge in frustration. "Damn it."
She was about to bend down and pick it up when the sound of approaching footsteps reached my ears.
More men were coming. Nyx heard them as well, and she looked down the street.
"More bounty hunters."
I stepped closer, and she immediately leveled her revolver at me.
"Stay back."
I raised my hands in a calming gesture. "Relax. I’m not asking for any trouble."
"I’m not asking for any trouble either."
"Okay, but you’re bleeding."
Her expression hardened. "That’s none of your business."
"Normally, I’d agree."
I glanced at the System, which was still open.
[Upgrade available.]
I looked at Nyx’s mechanical arm, then at the approaching bounty hunters.
Something inside me made the decision before my brain caught up.
"Your arm."
Her eyebrow twitched. "What about it?"
"I can fix it."
She laughed. "You?"
"Yes."
"You’re a mechanic?"No."
"Doctor?"
"No."
"Engineer?"
"No."
She stared me down. "Then what exactly are you?"
I could have lied. Instead, I gave her the simplest answer possible. "Someone who can upgrade things."
Her expression softened, if only slightly. "You’re insane."
"That’s possible."
The sound of the men getting closer spurred me to action.
Nyx looked behind me, then at me again.
"Whatever you’re planning, do it quickly."
I reached out and gently touched her mechanical arm.
She flinched at the touch, and the System suddenly expanded in my vision.
[Target confirmed: Nyx Veyra.]
[Mechanical Limb: 17% functionality.]
[Aether Core: Damaged.]
[Body condition: Critical.]
[Available Upgrade Path detected.]
A new menu option appeared.
[Crimson Arm.]
[Upgrade Cost: 5 Upgrade Energy.]
I swallowed.
I had exactly five Upgrade Energy left.
If I spent them, I would have nothing in reserve. No second chance.
No emergency upgrade.
Nothing.
The bounty hunters were already on the street when I looked back at Nyx.
She raised her pistol, but I only looked at the System, then at her, then at the men approaching.
I smiled. "Well then."
I placed my hand on her broken mechanical arm. "Let’s see what five points can do."
[Upgrade initiated.]
Red light flashed over the street as I stared at the new upgrade option.
Nyx’s eyes widened in shock as her mechanical arm began to glow.
And for the first time since arriving in Aetheria, I realized something.
Maybe I was not the only one who had been given a second chance.
Perhaps I had just found the first person worth upgrading.