{Death 1}
—Soren jolted awake.
Cough. Cough. cough.
The intense need to throw up assaulted his senses.
Cough cough cough... A mix of bitter bile and spit leaked from his mouth.
Unfortunately, he had nothing in his guts to grant true relief.
He slumped back on his bed.
Did I...did I just die?
His mind roiled in horror and disgust. He massaged his head and then patted down his entire body. The teeth of the eldritch reaching to grab and grind him had been so surreal.
A dream—a bad one. But was it? Well, I'm here, so it had to be.
The ceiling—"One Day, I'll Pilot the Stars."
He paused, eyes widening as he rushed to his feet. The posters of Soul Mechas were still on the walls. And the action figures were still there—staring at him.
What in the Neural link network is happening?
He clearly remembered knocking them down.
Immediately, he rushed out of his room—turning back to wear his shoes—and into the workshop. "Machos! Machos!!" His eyes darted around in search of the old man. The workshop, though rough, was still well maintained.
"Machos!!!"
Soren's nose twitched to the smell of soup and rushed into the kitchen area. Machos stood over the charcoal stove, stirring the contents of the pot.
"Hey... there he is. Our newest Soulbound warrior. You've been out for a while now, so I thought to make you a little celebrat..." Machos's words were interrupted by the sudden hug Soren smashed into him.
Crack...
Machos groaned in pain. "Hold it, boy! You're no longer as weak as you used to be. That... Soulbound strength..." He spoke with difficulty.
Soren realized that he was squeezing air out of the man's lungs and backed off.
"Sorry... I... I couldn't hold back." Tears fell from his eyes. Even now, as he looked at the old man, he could still see it. That beast, chomping down for a 'healthy' bite.
"Hey! Hey!! What's the matter, boy? Are you hurt or something? Had a bad dream?" Machos turned his attention from the soup. "Or did that mayor's boy hurt you again?" Machos turned to grab his wrench. "I knew I should have broken his legs the last time. Just because he bonded with a soul, he thinks he's all that, huh?"
Soren remembered. "Vass!" He really wanted to explain, but he had to see things for himself first.
—He rushed out of the workshop.
"Hey, where are you goin'?!"
"The Trash Mecha." Soren replied without turning back.
"Don't make trouble again. And...um...make sure you return early, or the rats will eat your SOUP!" Machos replied, wondering why he had carried the wrench in the first place. "Well, it's his first day as a soulbound warrior." The old man went back to stirring the soup.
Soren ran fast.
As he did, he looked around. There were people going about their day. Touching the Glass' ceremony had recently concluded. It was only natural that they talked about it.
A group of men in rags saw him. "Hey... Is that not the f-rank trash?"
"Yes! It's him. To think he can still show his face in public. If I were the one, I would have gone back to that damn cavern and been lost for another week. No, I would have dug a hole and dove in as I cursed my ancestors for my bad luck in life."
"Hahaha... I always knew it. He is trash. Just like his useless Dungie father." Another one added.
"Hahaha... where is big brother? He always comes up with the best insults at times like this." The first one looked around.
"He went to hunt bats at the cavern, I think."
"Oh, he would have loved this..."
Both men laughed hard. It was probably the hardest Soren had seen these people laugh. But it did not matter to him. "Pencil... Tommy." He rushed to the Trash Mecha in the middle of town.
On getting there, he did not see anyone. It seemed the planned celebration had not begun.
But in that nightmare, it had. Then again, it had been sometime in the evening.
And then—
Whoooshhhh! Pash!!
Flying shit plastered on his face.
"Oh... Who do we have here? Check it out, guys. It's the Turd-face."
Even in Soren's dreams, he recognized that voice. He turned sharply. Vass and his goons. Some had been chosen as Soulbound warriors, and others had not been so lucky.
He swaggered cockily. The clothes he wore were nothing like the rags of the town—a long, bright red tunic, expensive from its look.
No doubt, the Soulbound Knights that came had left gifts in an effort to curry favor with this potential future star.
Soren could not help but look at Vass's temple as he approached. There was no scar there. But he clearly remembered...
"Hey! Hey!! I'm talking to you, turd-face. Or has your F-rank Shade blocked your hearing?"
Maybe I'm not seeing well, Soren thought.
He grabbed Vass's shoulder, leaned in to check.
"Who said you could touch me...?" Vass pushed Soren down; his anger flared instantly. Soul energy was ignited and fire blazed—
"It seems you still don't know your place. I was not done teaching you a lesson last time." A dangerous smile plastered his lips as he approached, cupping his fist.
"Erm... Boss Vass!"
"Shut it! I'm about to get to the good part."
"BOSS VASS!?"
"WHAT?"
The goon pointed to his clothes.
His flames had burnt his clothes. Vass's face turned a shade of red. He hurried to cover his groin area. "Shit! Why didn't you guys tell me? Quick, give me your clothes."
Vass suddenly remembered something. But when he turned, Soren was already far away.
"You better run, turd-face. Because when I see you..."
"The boss's ass is so plump..." A few of them whispered in hushed tones.
"Huh!? Say that again, Stink Breath. I dare you..." Vass got redder.
.....
Soren stopped behind a rundown house. His stamina had improved, but he needed to catch his breath—an action he performed not because he was tired but out of instinct built over time.
Vass is alright. Same with old man Machos.
He decided to check on Tommy and Pencil. Tommy was nearer.
"Tommy! Tommy!" Soren called at the closed window of his friend's room. "Are you in there?"
The window opened a little at the side, and Tommy's mirror smooth egg-shaped head peeped out. He looked left and right. He had that secretive gaze in his eyes. "Soren...it's you. Thank goodness. I was worried about you. You passed out after the ceremony. Come, there is something I want to show you." He opened the door and pulled Soren in.
"What is it, man?" Soren asked. He was really worried something had happened to his friend.
The room was not much different from Soren's, except for the stain or smell of oil, of course. In fact, aside from his constant digging into his nose, Tommy was quite clean, organized, and practically the brains of their friend group.
"Come... I want you to see this." Tommy gestured to the center of the room. There was a cage with a rat. Nothing too special. The town was filled with rats. One could say it had sustained lives and was now a local dish.
But then, Tommy placed his Glassheart close to the cage. "See this." He opened the cage, placed a hand in his nose, removed a booger, and marked the rat.
Soren frowned at this. "Really?"
"Hush... just wait. Trust me." He sat in front of the rat, and then he closed his eyes. "Remember how Soulbounding gives special powers?"
Soren nodded.
This was common knowledge. Apart from the physical enhancement that differed depending on the rank of the soul a person bonded with, certain souls granted special powers. Just like Vass and his flame ability.
Again, this was a privilege reserved for C-rank and above.
Tommy spoke... "Unravel." And a scene Soren would never forget....