The rhythmic hiss of Miyoku’s soldering iron melted away as a deep, low-frequency tremor shuddered through the foundations of Sector 9.
The metal workbench vibrated, sending a small plastic tray of screws rattling against the edge.
Deku Kwanoh caught the tray with effortless precision, his fingers steadying the container before it could spill.
He narrowed his dark eyes, turning his gaze upward toward the heavy, smog-filled sky where the towering corporate spires pierced the upper atmosphere.
Miyoku dropped her tool, her face suddenly pale as she scrambled up from her crate-seat and ran out into the narrow alleyway to look up.
”What is that?” Deku asked, stepping out beside her.
Far in the distance, towering even above the jagged silhouette of the corporate skyscrapers, a colossal pillar of emerald light had burst through the horizon.
It twisted and spiraled like an organic helix of pure vitality, punching straight through the purple clouds and illuminating the desolate slums with an eerie, radioactive luminescence.
“It… it sprouted again. Right in the outer quarantine zone between Sector 9 and the central corporate harvesting grounds.”
The ground shook again, a rolling wave of seismic energy that caused nearby rusted water towers to groan and spill their contents into the streets.
Across the slums, alarms began to blare—harsh, wailing klaxons from the defense organizations and corporate security drones patrolling the perimeter.
In this world, Divine Trees were anomalies created by the extraterrestrial soil experiments.
When they grew, they bore rare, potent fruits that could be processed into high-tier weapons, magical catalysts, or mutation-boosting serums.
But they also acted like beacons, drawing in aggressive extraterrestrial beasts and triggering brutal turf wars between every syndicate, mercenary group, and corporate army within a hundred miles.
”A tree that drops weapons,” Deku murmured, a dark, calculating smirk curling the corners of his lips.
Miyoku turned to him, her eyes wide with alarm.
“Deku, don’t even think about it! That zone is a death trap. The corporate enforcers already have heavy artillery deployed, and the mutants out there are twice as vicious as the ones in the alleys. Even space-time users don’t come back alive from a fresh Divine Tree emergence!”
Deku looked down at her, his dark eyes meeting her terrified, earnest gaze.
The quiet, protective warmth he had felt earlier solidified into absolute resolve.
He reached out, his hand gently resting on her shoulder for a brief second before pulling back.
”Let them deploy their artillery,” Deku said, his voice smooth, cold, and absolute.
“If the world wants to grow new fruit, someone has to harvest it. And nobody takes what’s mine.”
Without another word, Deku turned away from the workbench, his posture straight and unyielding, and marched straight toward the wailing sirens and the glowing pillar of emerald light.