"Kenny once lived in the main city but was thrown down here with the rest of us maggots. I still don't know why he ended up here though," Damon thought.
After his parents' demise, Damon's inheritance was taken away by people who worked alongside his father. Each of those greedy pigs took what his father had worked for his entire life with a single swipe.
As for Kenny's story, it was a mystery. However, there was one thing Damon knew about him: he was a part of an evolved group of humans called 'The Curseweavers.'
"Kenny, I have been wondering. You're a Curseweaver, right? With the high regard people have for them, you shouldn't be living in the slum," Damon asked.
"Well, boyo, life in the main cities isn't as praiseworthy as everyone thinks it is. The war with the void creatures has really toppled the remaining humanity's standards; now it's the rule of survival that matters," Kenny replied, lost in thought for a moment.
"Forget about that. People of the main cities are not something to ruffle your feathers about. The question now is, have you eaten?" Kenny asked. Damon wanted to decline the proposal with courtesy; however, his rumbling stomach betrayed him.
"Well, let's head to the back. I have some leftovers that I gathered up to make chicken stew for breakfast," Kenny said, directing Damon to the backroom.
The store's back room was just a five-meter large space, with wooden flooring, a table, and two chairs on opposite sides.
A year ago, when Damon was trying to survive and adapt in the slum, he received a fatal injury that constituted danger to his life if it became infected. But thank the heavens he encountered a scavenger who saved him from being cannibalized; people in the slum were already deciding what part of Damon they should take that could sustain them.
After rescuing him from those monsters, Kenny took care of Damon like a father. He trained him on how to survive and fed him daily.
He was the only one Damon deemed essential above any living organisms on Earth.
Three months ago, Damon decided that Kenny was a kind person who took care of him to this point, prompting the thought of possibly being a burden to him. So, he left to scavenge on his own, to be independent and not depend on anyone.
It was so hard out there that he thought of committing suicide.
However, after all that, he still came back.
"I would become twice a fool if I didn't accept free things literally handed to me, haha," Damon's mind thought menacingly.
Taking a seat, Kenny served each of them a portion of food in bowls to eat.
"Bon appétit, breakfast is served. Chicken stew. I can't promise there's chicken in there though, so don't get your hopes up," Kenny said, grabbing the bowl and slurping the stew harshly.
Damon sighed before performing the same act.
"The taste is awfully familiar; it tastes like rat. Trust me, I know how they taste. I've been eating them for months. And at the same time, it has the taste of chicken too."
Well, either way, Damon ate it all. The sound of bowls hitting the table signaled the end of their meal.
"How about we have a little spar?" Kenny suggested.
"Sure, why not?" Damon replied without hesitation.
---
The dark clouds that shrouded the sky still lingered. Whether it was day or night, darkness concealed the sky as the sun became a myth.
Well, it doesn't bother people anymore; they adapted to the new environment. They could still tell time; the only thing that became a problem was when to slumber.
Space exploration came to a halt. Any aircraft or flying ship would be struck down by the void, and a great calamity would befall them as a result.
They were practically birds in cages, unable to leave Earth even if they tried. The Curseweavers were the only ones who could go against the void and the creatures descended from it.
Damon and Kenny stood opposite each other, ready to begin.
"Let's see how strong your hand-to-hand combat has gotten, shall we?" Kenny said, announcing the beginning of the spar.
"Begin!"
The first to launch an attack was Kenny. He shot the side of his palm toward Damon's head, who quickly avoided the strike by sidestepping.
"Too slow, old man," Damon taunted. However, at that moment, he met a solid kick that slammed him to the white sandy ground.
"I have always told you: never get cocky with your opponents, even if they seem weak," Kenny explained. "Imagine you're fighting a weak opponent with a hidden weapon. You underestimate the opponent and get injured by the weapon. Your speed and focus will be on injury, giving your weak enemy the upper hand in the fight."
"Yeah, I know," Damon said, a devious smirk forming on his lips.
Grabbing a steel rod lying on the ground, he whacked Kenny on the leg, bringing him to his knees. Then he backflipped to distance himself from Kenny, dodging a swing of his arm in the process.
"He sure has great durability. The rod to the leg didn't stop him from attacking; I guess that's the benefit of being a Curseweaver," Damon thought.
"You might have high regard for me because I'm a Curseweaver. However, I am at the Beginner stage. I can't even use my full power, other than abnormal healing, strength, and speed," Kenny said, relocating his broken kneecap and standing on his feet immediately as if he wasn't just injured a minute ago.
"I have to commend you. Using my teachings against me, how smart of you. At least I know you're listening, and as I said, don't get cocky," Kenny stomped his feet on the ground, shattering it, and leaving web-like cracks scattered apart.
"I'll show you the true power of a Curseweaver at the Beginner stage. Ahhhh!"
Suddenly, a burst of yellow aura erupted out of Kenny like a volcanic eruption. His eyes turned completely white, and thin lines of yellow aura covered him like a barrier, booming with power.
"Oh, fuck, I guess I underestimated him once again. I'm in for a whole world of pain," Damon thought, taking a stance with a solemn expression, ready to teach this old fossil new tricks.
--