Some people tend to stay silent just after they got saved.
Zed and his friends walked in silence, having little to say. They were from a small place, and all they needed to do was provide a reference letter to the Wild Divers, then entry into the city.
A burly, bald man who looked like a bear sized Zed up and extended his hand.
"Gun."
With a smirk on Adrian's face, Zed slowly handed over his weapon.
To his surprise, the man inspected the gun, then returned it to Zed without any fuss.
Scanning Zed from head to toe, he nodded and said:
"Newford doesn't ban firearms. Troublesome Awakened who cause chaos will be captured and turned into pieces in lab."
He emphasized the word 'Awakened.'
This made sense, considering it was the early stages of the disaster, and not all Awakened had powers that could fully support and protect a city.
If they couldn't create enough value, they might even become a burden.
At this time, Awakened body might have more value.
Zed took back his gun, habitually raising his right hand to rest on his left shoulder in salute.
The man returned in same, but a flicker of confusion crossed his face.
"How do you know this?"
Zed's eyes went blank, but he quickly realized his mistake.
The salute was something he learned from a previous life of Wild Divers, a way to show that they weren't interested in hunting you and didn't see you as prey.
They also make it a way to say 'hi' in later days.
"I have a scouting type of ability," Zed answered quickly.
The guard looked at Zed approvingly and said:
"Well, that's great. You should check out the new Awakened Hall. They seem to be recruiting you type of Awakened. Newford will definitely welcome you."
"Thank you. Have a wonderful day," Zed replied with a smile.
He had a good impression of these guards, as this wasn't his first time being saved by city guards. Most of time, not every powerful Awakened were willing to stand guard near the wilderness. They preferred to stay in their lavishly decorated mansions, surrounded by beautiful maids.
As he was lost in thought, Adrian and Coco approached.
Coco was laughing, but Adrian's face was filled with anger. Even from several feet away, Zed could hear his complaints.
"Hey! how can the guards of this big city be so rude? They even wanted to unsheathe my sword! Can you imagine? They want to test my abilities exactly here?"
Coco shrugged and said:
"It's ok. They just wanted to check it, maybe to prevent smuggling."
"That's not the point!" Adrian interrupted, raising his sword indignantly.
"This is everything to me."
Zed and Coco exchanged a knowing glance. This was something they could all agree on.
After checking into the inn, Zed and Adrian hit the streets, while Coco went to attend to other tasks, something to do with the Academy.
'I've never been to that place. It seems like Coco really has quite the talent,' Zed thought.
Now that he was an Awakened as well, maybe he'd have a chance to join a similar institution and go to larger cities. The talented Awakened he heard are all from various academies eventually became the main of humanity's defense.
As he thought, they entered a bustling marketplace.
Looking around, Zed marveled at how lively the human-built market was amid the ashes. Stalls lined both sides of the street, showing various supplies and goods. The sky had just turned dark, and some merchants had already lit their stalls, attempting to attract customers.
In the shadows, the figures of people stretched out, and the crowd was somewhat cramped. Children weaved in and out between the adults' feet, occasionally looking up and apologizing. To Zed's surprise, some people even took out coins to give to these unfortunate street children.
In such a mad world like now, sympathy for others was a luxury few could afford. Sometimes, the people who showing kindness to others are thoses Zed truly pity.
However, in this city, Zed just saw a scene reminiscent of the previous century – a shoeshine boy receiving a tip. It was bustling with life, unlike anything Zed had seen since his rebirth.
"Welcome!"
Shopkeepers in the marketplace greeted every passerby with politeness and warmth.
Zed noticed several men standing near the entrances of a few shops, resembling guards or bouncers. He couldn't help but wonder if someone had started to crack down on violent crime here.
Although puzzled, he continued walking.
The marketplace was vast, and they walked for a while before stopping in front of a particular store. Or more accurately, it was Adrian who stopped.
Zed glanced around the store and quickly understood why Adrian had been drawn in.
It was a store selling blades.
"Sir, what can I help you with?"
The store owner, rubbing his hands together, greeted them with a smile.
He didn't look like a blacksmith. It was obvious that his merchandise came from elsewhere. Zed frowned, finding it quite strange.
A shop selling cold weapons now? Who would be their target audience?
"Hello... that blade... may I take a look?" Adrian pointed at a knife hanging on an iron rack beneath a shelf, his voice trembling.
Zed followed his gaze. The blade appeared ordinary, save for a few glittering rhinestones embedded in its handle. Otherwise, it couldn't have been more common. Yet, this simple knife made Adrian trembling.
"Of course," the shopkeeper replied, placing the knife on the counter.
He pointed at the weapons displayed in the window, "If you're a fan of cold weapons, feel free to try anything – daggers, short swords, bayonets, battle-axes, or any other kind of blade. They're quite affordable at 200 pounds each, and we offer discounts if you get more."
"Thank you."
Adrian bowed politely. It was clear that anything related to blades made him more solemn than usual. His hands trembled as he reached for the knife on the counter, but he couldn't seem to grasp it.
"Sir, do you like this one?"
The shopkeeper asked with a knowing smile again, his eyes seemingly capable of piercing through the human soul, as if he had already discerned Adrian's deepest desires.
"Yes, I... I... I want to buy it."
"Very well. Please make your payment."
Payment? Hearing the shopkeeper's words, Adrian snapped back to reality. However, he confused, unsure of what he was doing.
"Is there a problem, sir?" The man keep asking.
"No... no, it's nothing," Adrian replied, shaking his head in confusion.
"Please wrap it up for me. I'll pay, I'll take it."
"Alright, thank you."
The shopkeeper packaged the knife in a box and handed it to Adrian. But just as Adrian reached out to take it, Zed grabbed his wrist.
"Hey, Adrian, wake up!"
Zed urged. Adrian stared back at him, bewildered, as Zed uttered words that struck fear in his heart.
"Adrian! Adrian! Don't buy this knife yet. What about your own blade? Where is it?"
"Wh... where is my blade?"
As the two stunded, the shopkeeper looked at Zed with surprise, his gaze staying on Zed's feet for a long moment. Then, he suddenly crouched down and vanished into the ground, leaving behind a lingering shadow.
Adrian got a blade in his hand, but it is not his previous one.
The situation had taken a bizarre turn in short period. Zed and Adrian found themselves surrounded by a group of city dwellers. The shop, somehow, vanishing without a trace. All that remained was a dark shadow on the floor.
"Special Forces!"
Just after a big shout, Zed and Adrian found themselves surrounded, with guns pointed at them. A young officer stepped forward, cautiously picking up a radio.
"Head, this is West City. We have another incident of ability theft," he reported.
He glanced at Adrian and Zed's feet for a second before continuing:
"It seems both of their ability have been stolen."