— You didn't wake up in the middle of shit this time.
Not in the trash. Not on the streets.
So why the hell do you feel more fucked than ever?
Igyris could barely think — he'd just taken a boot to the face.
But it wasn't just any kick.
It was brutal. Raw. Different from anything he'd ever felt.
And it came from a completely deranged woman.
His mouth bled. The metallic taste flooded his tongue.
And still… he laughed.
— HAHAHAHAHAHA! GO TO HELL, BITCH! HAHAHAHA! Gonna destroy the world, huh…? Hah… now I get why I feel so fucked.
I'm stuck in some crazy terrorist's base!
The woman didn't laugh.
Her expression twisted into pure fury — those words had struck deep.
She hit him again. A violent kick to the stomach.
Igyris gagged, bile rising in his throat.
— Listen here, you cursed piece of shit.
She put her right foot on his head, grinding it against the cold metal floor.
— Don't push your luck, pig…
I haven't killed you yet because I need firepower.
Every time she called him "cursed," Igyris froze.
What the hell did that mean? Just an insult? Or something else?
— Look, you cursed trash…
My gang ditched me. Yesterday was too much for them.
They'd wanted out for a while. Dangerous job. Shitty pay.
But ah — looks like I hit the jackpot.
I traded a garbage squad… for a cursed pig who survived Khaelis.
Hehe… lucky me. And you were even carrying this…
She pulled out his amulet — a small cybernetic device he kept in his pocket.
At its center shone a soft white stone. It looked like an Arcane crystal…
But he knew it wasn't.
It never triggered his allergies — no itching, no nausea, nothing.
— Hah… look at this.
Someone carrying such a rotten curse… with a God-Superior stone in his pocket.
Fucking lunatic. So tell me — where did you steal this from?
I know Khaelis's carriage was attacked yesterday.
I know you were the only one who got out alive.
And I also know there's no record of your existence… So tell me — who are you, cursed trash?
Igyris fell silent.
Then, in a slow, ironic, half-apologetic tone, he muttered:
— Look, man… I don't know where you're going with this.
Hah… seems like yesterday sucked for both of us, huh?
So… how about you let me go and give me back my little egg, alright?
He blinked. Clearly lost.
— Heheheh… I see. Damn. I really hit the jackpot.
You don't even know what this thing is, do you?
Of course. NowaGen doesn't have much Arcane influence, after all…
But man…
You don't know shit.
She moved closer, like a scientist studying a rare, pathetic creature.
— Let me ask you something, kid.
When your skin touches Arcane energy… does it itch?
Burn?
Make you want to vomit? Speak.
Igyris's eyes widened.
— HAHAHAHAHAHA! I KNEW IT!
I FINALLY HIT THE LUCK! HAHAHA!
I HIT A FUCKING JACKPOT!!!
She laughed like a deranged child — delighted with her crooked toy.
— From your reflex, it's obvious:
You don't know shit about yourself.
So listen.
There are two kinds of energy in this world.
She began to walk, her voice now softer. Almost… motherly.
— First, there's the Arcane.
You've probably heard of it. It has two forms, pure Arcane and corrupted. But we won't get into that now. Weapons can be infused with it — like Khaelis's sword, for example.
Power levels vary.
That idiot's sword? A relic passed down through generations.
It carries refined Noble Arcane — what we call the Purple Flame.
It's a superior Arcane.
Destruction, defense, refinement… all dialed to the max. The Purple Flame differs a lot from common Arcane in the end... in fact it's the divine flash, for those who were "Chosen by God."
She rolled the stone between her fingers.
— Arcane is a living energy. It flows through the veins of the chosen.
It can be poured into weapons, armor… or stones like this.
The more exposure to Arcane, the more power the stone absorbs.
The more refinement, the more prestige. Weapons bathed with little refinement, whose living Arcane doesn't accept the user, are useless. But in other cases, well, you saw what Khaelis is capable of, right?
She spun around her own axis, apparently a pre-calculated gesture, nothing spontaneous. Her gestures were similarly measured.
— Well, in short, Arcane is living energy, it's matter, its molecules spread, some have proficiency in manifesting such living energy, some more, others much less. There are proficiencies in Arcane abilities too, some have proficiency to manifest physical barriers for example... materialization is a pretty useful ability. In fact, it's one of the abilities of Khaelis's sword, the ShadowStorm.
Anxiety was visible on the young woman's face, even with clearly flashy, artificial movements; the excitement at teaching was obvious.
— Hah... you know I couldn't give less of a fuck about this, right? GAAHHHRRR!!!
Another kick. Igyris felt his ribs and liver throb; he prepared to scream once more. But there it was, a cutting look from that "sweet young" woman lending her knowledge. He fell silent.
— Please, don't interrupt, okay?... Anyway, back to it. Materialization allows you to materialize objects, like weapons or barriers, only from Arcane molecules that are spread through the air. But doing this depends a lot on proficiency or gift, basically, pure luck. But Arcane allows you to do much more, my little pig, listen.
— Fuck... what a mess.
— Shhh... I won't go deep into other proficiency abilities for now. It's not necessary. But there's something more dangerous than Proficiency abilities. The so-called SanctBlood! Genetic abilities, marked in the blood like runes. These abilities are significantly rare. In short, some are born with their blood infested by refined Arcane, some possessing such a genetic mark imbue Arcane into these marks, causing reactions in their blood. And manifestations of pretty bizarre abilities, by the way. They're annoying. The hardest to kill without a doubt, hahah!
The young woman's voice now took on an even softer tone. A sincere laugh escaped. Momentarily shocking Igyris. But then that cute, cheerful look vanished, replaced by a frightening expression. Completely closed, something bothered her.
— Ok ok... I'm almost done telling you the basics. So listen, Arcane is living energy, got it? That's clear already, it runs through the bodies of the living, blah blah blah, the Purple Flame is the Noble Arcane. More refined, powerful, unfathomably superior. SanctBlood, the genetic Blood Marks, that react to Arcane. Causing whatever the hell they cause. And now we have the first aberration of the day. 6xestas: artificial SanctBlood, a filthy, nasty imitation of these things that are already a mess. 6xestas commonly exists in cyborgs that already possess reactive Arcane energy. In their circuits, programs, components etc., a code of runes is marked, simulating the genetic code of SanctBlood. With that the cyborg feeds this code, the same way a SanctBlood user feeds his blood. The Arcane reacts to the code, and well. It's very ugly...
But then… her voice changed.
Heavier. Darker. More… honest.
— But there's something else.
Older. Uglier. Maybe even stronger, disgusting... revolting.
She stopped walking.
— We call this the Green Flame. It's the total reverse of Arcane and the Purple Flame. The Plagues. The Curses.
The second energy.
It's malevolent.
There's no refinement. Nor purity.
Only disaster. Tragedy. Death.
Objects marked by it become magnets for ruin.
This energy is governed by lesser gods, calamities, black entities.
Worshipped by cults.
Used by men.
And followed by chaos. The Green Flame is native to dimensions of darkness, which house devouring entities.
She stared at Igyris, smiling like someone savoring a secret.
— And then… there are people like you.
The cursed. The Green Flame resides in your body, exactly as the name suggests, a curse. It doesn't kill you. It doesn't rot you, the chaos of a being from the depths runs in your body... boy... you all are so rare that the world almost forgot you exist.
But look at me…
I have one in my base.
He didn't know whether he trembled from fear, rage… or something else.
His heart hammered like a war drum.
But she wasn't finished.
— It seems the Curse inside you is still dormant.
Lucky me.
I wouldn't risk keeping someone like you alive if it were awake.
But I saw it.
You froze Khaelis. Even if only for a moment.
That's not something just anyone can do.
And you didn't even use the smallest fraction of what's inside you.
You…
You're a weapon.
A perfect weapon.
She leaned in and whispered:
— You're going to help me destroy this world.
Igyris heard it again.
"Destroy the world…"
But why?
Why did those words sound so right?
Why did they tickle his skin… not with fear…
but with desire?
Before he could speak, a wave of electricity ripped through his body.
Agony.
Then… nothing.
---
She dragged him by the collar — a dead, limp dog.
Step after step up the metal stairs.
At the top, a scanner registered his iris and the door hissed open.
The turbine tube — built to launch vehicles to maximum speed in an instant.
Inside, a bike.
But not an ordinary one.
Four turbines.
Light weapon mounts.
Matte black finish.
She strapped Igyris to the back seat like luggage.
Climbed on. Adjusted her visor. Hands on the controls.
And, just before ignition, beneath the helmet, a final phrase slipped out… soft as poison on the wind.
— Destroy the world...