By the time night fell over the lower district, I had learned three things about Aetheria.
First, that no matter what time of day it was, somewhere below, above, or within the great factories, something was always happening.
Second, apparently, every competent person in this world wanted money.
And third, Nyx Veyra had no idea how to come up with a plan that didn’t involve stealing something.
"We are really doing this?" I whispered.
Nyx crouched next to me on the rooftop, peering at the street below.
"We could always find a job," I muttered.
She turned her head to look at me slowly.
"Do you know how much you get paid for a legal job?"
"No."
"Then stop talking nonsense."
I sighed and looked down at the street.
There was a three-story building ahead, surrounded by metal fences and guarded by several sentries.
A glowing sign above the entrance read Kessler Exchange, and, according to Nyx, inside, they had enough money, ammo, and Aether components to solve our current problems.
Unfortunately, it also belonged to people who had no love for thieves.
I looked at Nyx’s new mechanical arm.
"What’s inside?"
"Aether Core, ammo, medical supplies, and enough coin to get us to the Skyport," she replied.
"Sounds expensive."
"It is."
"Which is why we are stealing it."
"Exactly."
I nodded. I was beginning to understand how the economy worked in Aetheria.
Everything had a price, and anything worth having was heavily guarded.
It seemed that my initiation to capitalism was going to involve robbing an exchange.
"What’s the plan?"
Nyx gestured to the two guards standing by the side of the building.
"We take them out first," she said.
I looked at the two guards, then back at Nyx.
"There are three of them."
"I didn’t miss any."
"Then why didn’t you mention the third one?"
"Because I planned to shoot him first."
I stared at her.
"That is not what I meant by planning."
She smiled.
"You will learn."
We waited until a steam carriage passed by, leaving a thick trail of white smoke in its wake.
Nyx was the first to move, sliding down the roof and landing silently behind the fence.
I followed her example and was about to copy her when the System spoke.
[Potential hostile entities detected.]
[Suggested action: Avoid direct confrontation.]
"Finally," I muttered.
"A useful suggestion," Nyx said, glancing at me.
"Are you talking to yourself?" I asked.
"Thinking."
"You’re weird."
"So I’ve been told."
We waited in the shadows as the guards passed by.
They wore dark clothing, reinforced with leather and metal plates, and each carried a short rifle with a blue cylinder attached to the underside of the barrels.
They weren’t your average street thugs.
These people were trained soldiers.
I crouched behind a stack of wooden crates as one of the guards passed by.
The System immediately recognized him.
[Target: Kessler Security Guard.]
[Threat Level: Low.]
[Combat Capability: Moderate.]
Good to know.
"Who’s there?" the guard suddenly asked.
My heart skipped a beat as Nyx’s mechanical arm tensed.
I grabbed her wrist, and she turned to look at me.
I shook my head, and she gave me a questioning look.
"Wait," I whispered.
The guard turned around, his rifle raised.
I could hear the sound of his boots clicking against the metal floor as he walked closer.
"Five meters," the System announced.
"Four meters."
"Three meters."
I held my breath as the guard stopped a few feet away from us.
"Damn shift change," he muttered, turning around.
He walked back the way he came, and Nyx gave me a strange look.
"You’re learning," she said.
"I prefer not getting shot."Also useful."
We reached the side of the building, and Nyx pulled out a small metal device from her coat. She used it to open the door, and I stared at her in shock.
"You said we were stealing."
"We are."
"I thought we would have to break in."
"Why?"
"I don’t know."
She stepped inside, and I followed.
The inside of the building was nothing like the slums.
The floors were made of metal, and copper pipes ran along the walls, with Aether lamps providing bright illumination.
Rows of cabinets were lined up along the length of the room, containing various weapons, medical supplies, mechanical parts, and strange glowing crystals.
Even the air smelled different in here.
This was the first time I had seen the other side of Aetheria, and it was a stark contrast to the lower district.
Nyx gestured to one of the cabinets. Inside, there was a small blue crystal encased in metal restraints.
[Aether Core detected.]
[Quality: Standard.]
[Condition: 91%.]
[Upgrade Potential: High.]
I smiled.
"That?"
"Yes."
"How much is it worth?"
"Enough."
I reached for the cabinet.
[Upgrade Energy can be converted into structural bypass.]
"What?"
Nyx looked at me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
I put my hand on the lock, and the System immediately responded.
[Analyzing mechanical structure.]
[Bypass available.]
Several blue lines appeared on the cabinet, indicating the location of the internal mechanism.
I pushed one of the pressure points, and the lock opened.
Nyx stared at me in surprise.
"You could have told me you could do that."
"I didn’t know either."
She shook her head, and I took the Aether Core from the cabinet.
As soon as I touched it, the System displayed another message.
[Upgrade Energy: 6.]
I had gotten one point for getting past the security, and apparently, finding the Aether Core was worth another five.
That should be enough to upgrade it. I looked at Nyx.
"Should I?"
"Not here."
"Why?"
"Because I don’t know what happens when you upgrade an Aether Core."
That was a good point.
I put the core inside my coat and was about to ask her something else when I heard voices coming from the corridor.
"Check the storage room."
"Why?"
"Alarm flickered."
Nyx’s eyes widened.
"Time to go."
We ran as fast as we could, and we reached the side door just as the bell above the entrance began ringing.
So much for being stealthy.
"Damn it," Nyx muttered as we climbed over the fence.
Guards shouted behind us as we jumped over the barrier.
I landed awkwardly on the ground and rolled down the pavement.
Nyx looked down at me.
"Are you alright?"
"Perfect."
"You fell."
"I meant to."
She actually laughed as we ran down the alley.
Gunshots rang out behind us, and I could see sparks flying from the buildings as Aether rounds impacted against them.
Nyx turned around while running and fired a shot at one of the guards.
One of them fell to the ground, and the other took cover behind a stack of crates.
"Keep moving!" Nyx shouted.
I heard the sound of engines approaching, and I turned my head to look.
A carriage was coming down the street toward us.
There were three black vehicles following behind it, each one containing armed guards.
Nyx cursed as the doors to the lead vehicle opened.
A tall man stepped out, wearing heavy armor and a metal mask that covered the lower half of his face.
His left eye was entirely mechanical and glowed a menacing red color.
The System immediately recognized him.
[High-threat entity detected.]
[Designation: Grim Locke.]
[Threat Level: High.]
I swallowed hard as the man raised his rifle.
"Nyx Veyra," he said, his voice distorted by a built-in respirator. "You have been nothing but a nuisance to me."
Nyx raised her revolver.
"Then you are late, Grim."
Grim’s mechanical eye turned to look at me.
"And you have brought me a new toy," he said with a smile. "Kill the boy."
Three rifles were aimed at my chest, and my heart pounded in my ears. The System spoke.
[Emergency Combat Objective.]
[Defeat Grim Locke.]
[Reward: 15 Upgrade Energy.]
[Failure: Death.]
I stared at the message on my HUD. Fifteen points of energy. I looked at Nyx, who was spinning her revolver.
"Stay behind me," she said.
I shook my head.
"No."
She frowned at me.
"Riven."
I stepped forward and met Grim’s gaze. My hands were shaking, but I didn’t back away.
"I think it’s time I learned how to fight."
Grim raised his rifle.
"Then die learning."
The street erupted in gunfire, and, for the first time since getting the System, I ran toward the enemy instead of away from them.