The hover bus stopped at the MoonAfter District, a quiet part of Gametopia, east of the Metropolitan City of Gametopia.
It was a much better district when compared to the Sunshine District, with proper housing space and constructed buildings. But it was most common among the middle-class citizens of the city and even less, accounting for more than 30% of the total population.
It stopped at a terminal, a bus stop, to be precise, where Paxton came off the bus.
His gaze lingered on the clear, blue skies, the sun's rays sending warm hues down to the earth.
'....Well, shall we?' he thought before walking down the walkway.
Paxton may have become a player now, but he was still far from actually being one. Of course, he needed to work as one to exercise his occupation, but that would be after taking care of things at home.
'More or less so'.
It wasn't a difficult thing, though, he expected to face….the usual.
After passing a few fenced houses and greeting familiar neighbours, he got to one particularly, average-looking duplex. Well, just like the rest, with the same white fence and lawn next to the building.
He glanced up at the building, the sounds of chatter piercing his ear from the interior.
'Hah….' he thought as a sigh escaped his lips.
This was the home he grew up in and probably the cause of much of his suffering for many parts of his years spent in Gametopia.
'Though, the whole thing is just a ridicule for their inferiority complex'.
He walked up to the door, tapped the doorbell and waited patiently. He could feel an unease brew within him, a gnawing feeling to get out of there but for some reason, he felt he needed to at least see them one more time.
'...and what could I possibly do against a family that has a Pro Player as a son'.
Becoming a Pro Player wasn't an easy feat, as one needed to be at least Level 120.
He was just at Level 5.
Soon, the door clicked and opened, revealing a young girl, about thirteen, with blonde hair and crimson shade eyes.
She glanced up at Paxton, a frown creasing on her lips and suddenly shut the door at him.
Paxton stared at the door blankly, a chuckle escaping his lips as he turned around to walk away.
'....Well, what was I expecting?' he thought, but now, he needed to come to another destination to stay the night.
Just when he reached the gate, the door sprung open again, revealing an older version of the girl from before.
He glanced back, his lips turning upside down.
'....Not That I enjoy suffering, but I just need a place to stay….and let's just say This is like a tribute….to the people that let me stay in their home….begrudgingly or not'.
"You came back, Paxton," the older woman said, crossing her hands as a stern frown formed on her lips. "And What? You think I will let you in after the stunt you pulled?" She asked with a hint of hesitation in her voice.
Paxton stared at her for a moment, a mix of emotions storming within when he got a peek at the dining area.
The interior houses were sort of built tightly to increase the number of houses that could be built in the area. So, seeing the living area and dining area from outside was a common thing. The father, his Uncle-in-law you might say, and her three other kids. The girl was the youngest, and her male twins were the same age as him.
There, he could spot the whole family, of course, without their prestigious Eldest son.
He glanced at the woman. "Aunt Sasha, I didn't mean to take the exam without your permission. I only did it because it was in the heat of the moment".
"The heat of the moment?" The woman, Sasha, suddenly descended the stairs, walked up to him and raised her hand in the air, ready to slap it across his face. But Paxton, watching the whole scene in slow motion, suddenly caught her hand, stopping it in mid-air.
A tense silence grew between them as the others watched, surprise etched in their expression.
Sasha's face contorted, a frown forming as her forehead turned crimson from repressed rage.
"How dare you?! Huh?!"
She suddenly raised her other hand and attempted to hit him again, but he caught it, his gaze never leaving hers.
Her displeasure deepened, pulling her hands away from him and pushing him.
"Get out! How dare you?! Do you want us dead?! Huh?! Is that it?! How dare you raise your hand to your aunt?! The woman that protected you all your fruitless life?!"
Paxton took his steps further backwards, the neighbours slowly popping their heads to watch the scene unfold.
This was normal for them here, but Paxton wasn't going to let that continue.
"This is my house, Aunt. You took it from me under the guise of being my legal guardian. I know how the paperwork goes, but I decided to comply and remain silent because you were my father's sister".
His lips curled downwards, a stern gaze from his ambient eyes, like that of the sun.
"All that is about to change. You have toiled with me for the last time….and I will get back my father's property from you".
Sasha scoffed.
"Oh?! You think because you're a player now, you can just talk to me however you like?!" Her voice raised in pitch, sending waves of discomfort in Paxton as he managed to shrug it off.
"Get out!" She cried out, pointing at the fence, her chest puffing from her rage. There was no minced word, and definitely no subtle explanations. She wanted him out.
'So much for somewhere to sleep'.
Paxton was aware of a lot of things, including his father, mother, wealth and causes, but he had remained quiet, biding time.
They say Server Links tend to be heritable, and it has proven so…but other times, there are a chosen few within the family that showcase that talent.
'People like Rolyn' he thought before he turned around to leave.
"I will come back for what is mine" he stated firmly.
There may be nothing for him to do now, but in a few level-ups, all that would be taken care of.
'Where do I sleep now….I'm penniless'.
He thought, his footsteps echoing as he heard the door to his former house close violently.
'I may have just put a death warrant on my head….but it'll take a while before they find me'.
It was one of the contract benefits. Your location is hidden until you pay up your end of the deal, of course, that is half of the resources you earn from farming in gates.
'...but even better, Pro Players can't mess with Novices, Amateurs or Interm. They're considered too weak, so he'll send people in my league…'
That makes it better.
His thoughts swirled for a while before he sighed, pulled out his phone and searched for a contact name.
It read Mark Fitzo.
'...time to ask an old friend for a favour'.
He walked away into the distance, out of his former district and his former home, to a future-ready to be grasped by him.
****
NEXT DAY.
It was an early morning, and Paxton had just arrived in one of the unfamiliar yet popular districts of the town.
Sunset District.
It was a close part to the Sunshine, only a lot manageable, but that didn't make it any better.
He was resting his back on a railing next to an unused train railroad while his ear pads were on.
An early morning meant a good start for one's job and he was here, bright and strong for it.
A few seconds of silence came in and a pull-up van came driving in through a corner, the sound of its wheels turning sending tremors down the broken, tarred road.
It caught his attention easily as he turned in the direction of the familiar-looking Clean-up truck.
It stopped next to him, and two men quickly walked out soon after.
"You're here early". The familiar voice of Milo pierced the air as he walked up to Paxton with Carpy.
"The faster I start, the faster you get paid". Psctok replied with a grunt as he backed off from the railings.
"That's my boy" the two men laughed out loud as they walked down the train rail, their footsteps echoing from clanging on the metal parts.
"There's a Fly Fighter Gate just up ahead…it's an insect-type Glitch".
"I did my studies on Glitches, I'm aware of their types". Paxton responded, uninterested. "How does the government not know about these gate openings?"
Milo and Carpy glanced at each other, and then the boy behind them.
"Well, we get to it first, and block off all information once we get it….of course it's only half-witt Web Gates we get to, like Storm and Turbulent….but the other ones….are pretty difficult to get, Kid"
Paxton nodded, glancing away from them towards the sky. "How many times can I farm in it?"
By then, they had gotten to a train stop, where a small office stood next to it.
It was blocked but the two men easily bypassed it and walked towards the door. Opening it, and revealing a truth hidden to many.
"As much as you want, kid. It has already been farmed….we have many more like this of course, but Novices tend to stand well against Insect-type Glitches". Milo replied, a sigh escaping his lips.
Paxton nodded, his gaze landing on the pulsating portal, white in colour, with thick white webs spreading out from it, all over the office.
It was like a cocoon for a giant spider, only a large slit in the middle.
The two men gestured for him to get in.
"We'll be here waiting".
Paxton nodded, his steps readied as he walked towards it.
"Well, shall we?"