As soon as Grim spoke, it became clear to me that weaponry powered by Aether was created by individuals who thought that an excellent solution to any problem was to make it explode.
The six men behind him raised their rifles.
Nyx moved to my side.
"Stay behind me."
I looked at the Aether Revolver in my hands.
"No."
She gave me a strange look.
"Riven."
"I upgraded it for a reason."
Grim chuckled.
"Confidence is good."
He raised his rifle.
"Overconfidence is entertaining."
He fired the first shot.
I pulled the trigger.
The world turned blue as my revolver blew backward, almost breaking my arm, firing a compressed bolt of Aether straight into the shot.
The two bullets collided, and a shockwave blew the glass from one of the windows.
I stared at my revolver.
Nyx stared at my revolver.
Even Grim stared at it for a moment.
I slowly lowered the weapon.
"Well then."
I looked at the gun in my grip.
"That was way more impressive than I expected."
Grim’s mechanical eye narrowed.
"Interesting."
He fired again.
This time I dodged the shot, which tore a portion of the wall from behind Grim’s men.
It wasn’t just the impact of the Aether energy that blew two of the guards away.
Even the blue energy itself rippled across the metal surface like some kind of liquid before erupting violently in all directions.
Nyx wasted no time.
Her Crimson Arm opened up, the plates along her bicep sliding apart to reveal a glowing red chamber within.
She punched the nearest guard in the face sending him flying through a table.
I watched the man on the floor before looking back at Nyx.
"Your arm is getting pretty scary."
She fired her revolver at another guard.
"So is yours."
I shot the weapon, and my Aether Revolver fired another round.
It sent yet another enemy falling to the floor.
[Combat synchronization increasing.]
[Aether Revolver proficiency: 7%.]
I nearly laughed.
Seven percent.
It seemed the system was going to force me to learn how to shoot while people tried to kill me.
No problem.
I took cover behind a workbench as the next three guards closed in on Nyx.
She slid between the men with an almost feral grace, her mechanical hand grabbing one of the guard’s rifles by the muzzle and twisting it to the side.
The weapon fired point blank into the ceiling as she drove her elbow into the man’s windpipe.
Another one of the guards tried to attack her from behind, but I shot his weapon.
[System indication: Optimal trajectory.]
I pulled the trigger, and a blue shot rang out, striking the man’s rifle in the middle.
It exploded in his hands, blowing him backward with it.
Nyx gave me a thumbs-up.
"Nice shot."
"I’m getting better at this."
"You’re still terrible."
"I’m at seven percent."Exactly."
Grim finally stepped forward.
The floor trembled slightly under his mechanical feet as he raised his rifle.
The weapon’s barrel unfolded itself, branching out and rotating into three pieces that formed something like a portable cannon.
My System suddenly flared red.
[Danger.]
[Enemy weapon output exceeds current defensive capability.]
I exhaled sharply.
"New."
Grim fired, and with a shout, Nyx pulled me behind a thick metal workbench as the explosion roared past us, throwing the room into chaos.
Shelves tipped over and glass crashed to the floor as explosions of Aether energy showered the workshop in blue sparks, filling the space with thick smoke.
I coughed as I pulled myself up behind the workbench.
"Is he always this intense?"
Nyx reloaded her revolver as she replied.
"Unfortunately."
"We need to get out of here."
"Agreed."
She gestured toward the back of the room.
We ran toward the exit as Grim yelled behind us.
"You can’t run forever!"
I glanced over my shoulder as we exited the building.
"Watch me."
Nyx and I ran down the alley as the city’s lights flickered overhead.
Steam hissed from vents along the ground, and mechanical lights stretched out before us.
It took three alleys before she finally slowed down.
"We need to find someplace to hide."
I looked at her.
"Didn’t you say that there was a merchant who could help us?"
"Yes."
"Then let’s go find him."
Her eyes widened in surprise.
"You’re talking about Silas."That’s the guy?"
"Yes."
"What does he sell?"
"Information."
"That’s it?"
"Information is more valuable than weapons."
I gave her a look, but followed her nonetheless.
Nyx and I headed deeper into the city.
The buildings began to change as we left the slums behind.
The roads stretched out to meet larger structures, and the Aether lamps burned brighter.
The mechanical carriages became neater, and even the people changed.
Instead of tattered clothes, they wore more refined mechanical accessories and garments.
I saw a woman with a glowing brass spine that ran down her back under a transparent coat and a man with an eye made of gemstones.
A child carried a clockwork bird that fluttered beside his head like a pet.
The sheer opulence of it all made me realize how much Aetheria had to offer.
It wasn’t just the wealth of the city that separated the classes, though.
Its very technology distinguished the two.
The richer you were, the more human your enhancements became.
Meanwhile, the poorer citizens looked more like cyborgs walking among regular people.
Nyx looked at me.
"Don’t get distracted."I’m just looking."
"Looking gets people killed here."
"Noted."
It wasn’t long before we arrived at what looked like an enormous mansion.
It sat behind a set of thick fences, with glowing Aether flowers planted along the edges of the estate.
I looked at Nyx.
"This isn’t Silas’s place."
"No."
"Then whose is it?"
She smiled.
"A merchant’s."
I stared at her in disbelief.
"Why are we here?"
"Because Silas wants something from inside."
"You said we were supposed to meet him."
"We are."
She gestured toward the building.
"He’s inside."
I looked at the mansion, then the guards, then back at Nyx.
"You are telling me that our information broker is a rich merchant?"
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"It means he steals from the merchant."
I sighed.
"Of course he does."
Nyx led the way as we approached the mansion’s fences.
She pulled out a small device as she spoke.
"There’s a service entrance around the back."
We snuck through the dark alley as she spoke.
The mansion was massive on the inside, its walls decorated with metal accents and large mechanical clocks.
Chandeliers of crystal hung from the ceiling, and Aether lamps bathed the room in a golden hue, casting shadows over expensive furnishings.
It was nothing like the slums.
In fact, it hardly looked like Aetheria at all.
Not until we heard the scream.
We both froze as the sound echoed through the hall.
It came from the second story, and Nyx immediately reached for her revolver.
"Stay here,"
I followed her as she ran up the stairs leading to the room.
A man in an elegant suit stood outside the door, blood streaking down his sleeve.
He looked at us as we approached.
"You!"
Nyx raised her gun.
"Where is Silas?"
The man pointed inside the room.
"He’s with her."
"With who?"
A woman’s voice answered from within the room.
"That’s enough."
The door creaked open, revealing a young woman dressed in a black evening gown reinforced with thin metallic plates.
Her silver hair cascaded down one shoulder, and faint blue light surrounded her eyes.
I couldn’t shake this strange sensation.
At the same time, my System suddenly updated.
[Unique Individual Detected.]
[Name: Cyra Valt.]
[Aether compatibility: Extraordinary.]
[Current condition: Sealed.]
[Potential: Unknown.]
I stared at the woman in disbelief.
Nyx whispered.
"Riven."
"Hmm?"
"Don’t."
"Don’t what?"
"Whatever you were thinking."
I looked at Cyra, then at the System.
Another message appeared.
[Upgrade Potential: Extremely High.]
I smiled.
"Too late."
Cyra’s glowing eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
I raised my hands.
"Riven Vex."
She looked at Nyx.
Then at me.
"Why does your presence feel like an Aether storm?"
I had no idea what to say, but before I could respond, my System displayed yet another message.
[New Upgrade Target Detected.]
[Potential evolution path discovered.]
I stared at Cyra.
And suddenly, I understood.
The woman wasn’t just some random passenger on this mission.
She was something far more important.
Another upgrade path for me.