Ged's mind churned with frustration as he weighed Gilgamesh's threat and veiled bribe.
It had been a long time since he had felt this helpless.
The suffocating darkness pressed down on him, amplifying his sense of insignificance. He loathed the feeling, yet no amount of anger or regret could change it. He tried, desperately, to think of a single decision that might have prevented this moment, but deep down, he knew the truth.
Even a perfect life couldn't escape the relentless currents of fate. The river of circumstance always dragged you forward, and dodging one despair only led to another. Suffering was unavoidable.
He had no choice. He had to submit.
Forcing a breath to steady himself, Ged clenched his fists. "Don't worry," he said, his voice tight. "If things go as you say, I'll make sure to prepare a proper gift for you. This bag, however, isn't good enough, so I won't part with it."
Gilgamesh stared at him, silent and imposing in the oppressive gloom.
"Still hesitating? Can't commit?" Gilgamesh's laughter sliced through the silence like a whip. "Strays are always like that. Even when you feed and shelter them, they bite the hand that helps them."
He sighed, shaking his head. "But I suppose it's in your nature. You can't help it." His tone shifted, icy and commanding. "For a few scratches, I'll let it slide. I'm a lenient owner. But make no mistake," his voice dipped into a growl, "if one of my pets scratches hard enough to draw blood, I'll put them down without hesitation."
Before Ged could respond, Gilgamesh moved. With a deliberate motion, he uncovered the bunker's dirt lid, flooding the space with blinding light. Dust swirled as the cover shifted, sending tremors through the ground.
"Respect this leniency," Gilgamesh said as he stepped out of the hole. His voice carried a chilling authority. "If I want something, and it isn't given immediately, I expect it to come with interest later."
"The next time we meet, Ged, you'd better have a proper offering that reflects my sincerity." As Ged scrambled to climb out, Gilgamesh smirked and hurled the dirt covering back into the opening. The heavy soil rained down, threatening to bury Ged alive. Heart pounding, he clawed his way upward, narrowly escaping the crushing weight.
When Ged finally caught his breath outside the hole, Gilgamesh was already gone, his rippling, muscular back radiating authority as he strode toward the library of clay tablets.
Ged stared after him, the sight unsettlingly familiar. It reminded him of his so-called "brother" Wattkinz, who had walked away with the same untouchable confidence, their every step declaring their mastery over the universe.
People like them carried a distinct arrogance, acting as if they existed beyond life's rules and boundaries, expecting others to follow their lead without question, as though any other path was sheer folly.
Strip them of their authority, and they became as insubstantial as air; their ideas capable of filling a room yet never define it.
But power was not nothing. It demanded respect, even if the people wielding it weren't anything special.
Brushing dirt from his clothes, Ged forced himself to move. He joined the line at the trading post, swallowing his humiliation as the depot returned to normal. The curious glances from others faded quickly, but the sting of their judgment lingered.
When Ged reached the front, he handed over the recording stone of drugs he needed replenished. The teller, a Golden Suns member, gave him a sharp, judging glance.
"What?" Ged snapped, his patience fraying.
"Nothing." The teller quickly averted his gaze, taking the stone and scanning its contents. "Fifteen stone," he said, sliding the rock back to Ged.
"Fifteen?" Ged's voice rose, a mix of disbelief and fury. "Are you mad? Has your loyalty to the sector leader sunk so low that you're willing to rob us openly at his own trading post?"
The teller sighed, reaching into his abdomen to retrieve another stone. "These prices come straight from Resh himself."
Ged frowned, taking the rock. Activating it, he watched as Resh's image appeared in his mind.
"Orders to the depot: anyone who hasn't fulfilled their war contributions will face a 50% surcharge. Keep track of their names," Resh's voice said commandingly, the message ending abruptly.
Ged's grip tightened on the rock. "Resh, why are you doing this? Cutting profits will only isolate you further. Without the sixth sector's dealers, who will be willing to stand by you?"
The teller's voice cut through his thoughts. "Ged, you have twenty guns to prepare for us, until then the price stands."
Ged sighed, pulling out 15 kilograms of stone and placing it on the counter. "I lost my copy of the gun workout routine. Could you get me another?"
The teller said nothing, taking the payment before disappearing into a walk-in fridge embedded in the wall. After a few moments, he returned with bundles of animal parts and plants, placing them on the counter.
Ged stored the materials in his abs. "And my gun workout?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, and grab me the latest cave leads while you're at it." He slid an additional five stones across the counter.
The teller snorted but complied. "These leads are experimental. Our old source stopped responding, so we're trying a new one," he muttered. He retrieved three clay tablets from the wall and handed them to Ged.
"What is this?" He saw that the first two contained the gun workout and the cave leads, but the third one gave him pause.
"Conscription notice," the teller said flatly. His eyes narrowed as he slid the tablet across the counter. "You don't have to respond immediately, but it would be wise to prepare a good reason if you plan to ignore it altogether."
Ged frowned but wasn't surprised. He had known something like this was coming. Nodding sharply, he decided to look over the conscription later and tucked the three tablets into his abs. Without another word, he turned and left the depot, hoping to leave behind the weight of his uncertain future.
As he drilled through the earth toward the surface, his gaze flicked back toward the library. Gilgamesh loomed silently amidst the endless rows of clay tablets, never once looking up from his work. It was as if their encounter had already faded into insignificance.
Ged clicked his tongue, his jaw tightening as he glared at the towering figure. "Your day will come," he thought bitterly. "I will make sure of it." Shaking off the resentment bubbling within, he refocused on the task at hand, carving a path through the stone walls on his way to the surface.
When Ged emerged from the depot, the oppressive weight of his thoughts began to lift, and his composure gradually returned. Moving quickly across the stone fields, his steps grew purposeful as he headed back to Fitch and Trevor at the drug den.
At the cave entrance, he paused. Trevor and Fitch sat slumped on the drug bench, visibly bored. With no work to occupy them, they had resorted to idle chatter. The moment they spotted Ged, they bolted upright, panic flashing across their faces.
"Ged!" Trevor blurted, his voice high-pitched with nerves. "We were just taking a short break! I swear I was about to check the transmitters again."
"It's not our fault," Fitch added defensively. "The day's been slow. Most of our customers are probably laying low after yesterday's protest."
Ged tried to glare at them but gave up with a sigh. "It's fine," he said evenly. "Just make sure to check the transmitters again in thirty minutes."
He turned to the fridge, opening it to sort the stored drugs, carefully organizing the space as his thoughts wandered.
Trevor shifted uneasily in his seat. "Need help with anything, boss?" he asked tentatively.
"Not from you, no," Ged replied curtly, without looking up. The sharpness of his tone made Trevor shrink back into his chair.
Closing the fridge, Ged turned his attention to Fitch. "You're still practicing bodybuilding, right?"
Fitch raised an eyebrow and nodded.
Ged pulled a clay tablet from his abs and handed it over. "Train with this instead of your usual bicep routine. Resh wants us to make twenty."
Fitch scanned the manual, his expression twisting into a grimace. "Boss, I can't. My coach banned artifact exercises. This workout will interfere too much with my training plan. I need to stay in peak condition to get a scholarship."
"You're aiming for an academy spot?" Ged asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted a position in the underground. What changed?"
Fitch hesitated, avoiding Ged's gaze. "I still want to work in the underground, but I need options. Even if I make it to the academy, I'd still want to do underground work on the side."
"I see," Ged murmured, stroking his chin. The idea of the academy lingered in his thoughts.
Noticing Ged's momentary distraction, Fitch's face brightened. "Are you thinking about joining the circuit too?" Fitch asked. "I forgot we're close in age. You always seem older. When's your eighteenth? I bet you'd crush it if you competed."
Fitch was right. His eighteenth birthday was just a week away, but the academy wasn't on Ged's radar. Since he was fifteen, he had devoted everything to carving out a life in the underground. The circuit and the academy had never seemed like viable paths.
"My birthday's next week," Ged said simply. "But I've got no plans for academy. I'm stretched too thin. I'll help you with this workout, though. You handle half, and I'll take care of the rest. That way, you can focus on your training for your shows next year."
"Just ten..." Fitch muttered, scanning the tablet again. "If you're doing it too, I guess I can manage."
"Good," Ged said, offering a quick thanks. Guilt tugged at him as he returned to the fridge. He had already outsourced his half of the workload to Gore, leaving Fitch to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility.
As Ged worked, the thought of the academy lingered. Fitch's ambitions were admirable, but for Ged, the academy was not a realistic path. Its strict regulations on physique size and the prohibition of Blue Water made it incompatible with the life he had built. Still, with Resh's fate uncertain, the academy might serve as a fallback if the underground spiraled into chaos. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was an option he couldn't entirely dismiss.
Only three orders came through for the rest of the day, leaving Ged and his employees with four long hours of boredom. Even Barry didn't bother to order, forcing Ged to split the day's losses with Fitch and Trevor.
Thanks to Barry's earlier spoils, the day wasn't a complete disaster. Ged managed to bag 25 kilograms of mass, but the haul left him with a sour expression as he tucked it away.
After the others took their share of 10 kilograms each, Trevor, still unusually energetic, turned to them. "What plans do you have tonight?" he asked.
"Library, then working out," Fitch replied flatly, already halfway out the door.
"I'm going to check for caves," Ged said as he locked the fridge with an Eagle Paint seal.
Trevor's eyes lit up. "Boss, if you're clearing caves, could you help me out? Remember the cave I told you about that opened in my house? The noises are driving me crazy, and I can't handle it alone." He hesitated before adding, "I'll even let you take 80 percent of the spoils if you clear it for me."
Ged narrowed his eyes, skeptical. Pulling out his clay tablet, he checked the leads in Trevor's area. Nothing had been logged. Either the cave was newly formed, or whoever mapped the leads had overlooked it.
Brand-new caves were unpredictable. Some took years to mature as the planet's poison retreated, while others were ready for immediate harvest. Trevor's eagerness hinted at disappointment, but Ged figured he could at least investigate. He might even collect a partial stone from a few Eagle Spawn for his troubles.
"I'll take a look," Ged finally said.
Trevor grinned and eagerly wrapped up the day's closing tasks.
The journey to Trevor's home wasn't far. The structure resembled Ged's, with a similar surface entrance. As they stepped inside, the sounds of loud and incessant scratching greeted Ged's ears.
"It's just downstairs," Trevor said, leading the way. In his room, Ged was met with a chaotic sight: half the space had been consumed by the jagged maw of a natural cave. Trevor's bed leaned awkwardly against the incline. Near the opening, Eagle Spawn clawed furiously at the shimmering blue barrier that protected the house from collapse.
"See?" Trevor said, gesturing at the creatures with exaggerated righteousness. "Now do you understand why I was late this morning for work?"
Ged ignored his tone, his focus locked on the cave. "Trevor, get me a light," he ordered.
Grumbling under his breath, Trevor left and returned moments later with a flashlight artifact.
Activating it with his core, Ged shone the beam into the cave. The light revealed faint blue glimmers scattered deeper within, sparkling like distant stars.
"Blue Crystals," Ged muttered, his voice low.
Trevor's eyes widened in awe before narrowing in disbelief. "Wait, seriously? Blue Crystals? Here? That's insane! Isn't that supposed to be really good?"
Ged let out a long sigh, dragging a hand down his face in frustration.
"Trevor," he said, his tone sharp, "did you seriously not bother to check what kind of cave opened up in your own house before asking me to clear it?"
"I didn't have time!" Trevor flinched under Ged's scowl. "I got home late and… might've been a little high, okay? The noises were awful... I just wanted to sleep!"
Ged dismissed Trevor's excuses, his mind racing. Blue Crystal Mines were a rare and valuable discovery, but they came with immense challenges. Extracting Blue Water required a notoriously grueling full-body workout routine, so cruel and dangerous that it was often used as a form of punishment for gang members and rivals. Despite its brutality, the workout was widely practiced and remained a closely guarded secret among powerful organizations.
Ged had never held a high enough position to access this technique. Fully exploiting the mine's potential would require involving others, a perilous move given his tenuous standing in the underground. If he entrusted Resh with the task and Resh fell, who would step in to seize control? With Gilgamesh expecting his allegiance and the fractures within the Golden Suns deepening, the danger of losing everything this boon could offer loomed larger than ever, leaving his head pounding.
After a long silence, Ged exhaled sharply, his frustration giving way to cold clarity. With a powerful strike, his fist crashed into the wall, sending shards of stone tumbling to the floor.
Trevor flinched, his heart pounding as the sudden violence left him unsure of Ged's intent.
Stooping down, Ged picked up two jagged stones of similar size from the rubble and thrust them into Trevor's hands.
"Plug your ears while you sleep," Ged said curtly. "The Spawn stay for now. The cave hasn't matured yet."
Trevor stared at the makeshift earplugs, dread pooling in his gut. "You're not clearing it?"
"This cave," Ged said softly, his voice resolute, "will either kill us or make us unimaginably rich."