02 / Never A Dull Moment

IN THESE PARTS OF THE CITY there was hardly any kind of law enforcement. Most Guardians spent their time focused on the inner districts. The inner districts were where the rich aristocrats lived, thus they got paid better for ensuring the inner districts were safe. Because of this, the city instituted security guilds. These guilds were responsible for putting out bounties and requests for vigilantes to complete. It was a makeshift form of security for the crime-ridden outer districts.

I made my way through the dark streets of district seven. The city was laid out into nine districts. District One was at the center of the city. This is where the city council resides and rules over the city. Each following district forms a ring around the previous. The second, third, and fourth districts were where the aristocrats lived. They were extremely wealthy. District Four was a business district specifically for the wealthy. If you did not live in one of the first four districts, chances were they wouldn't even let you in their stores. District Six was where the Guardians resided. Each district after that consisted of poorer and poorer people.

District Seven was the largest district out of the nine, and it was good for hunting bounties because the people had just enough money to spend on things they shouldn't.

The city reeked of garbage and ethanol. While there weren't many vehicles around the draft wafted in from district eight which was the main supplier of the city's fuel. There were homeless people sprawled out on each side of the street. Most of whom had lost their senses to their addictions.

After a while, I could see the guild building come into view. It stood out because it was managed by the council, and therefore could be maintained better than the other buildings.

The walls were made of some metal alloy, dark in color. It had accents of red lights running up either side. Outside holographic ads swirled in the air surrounding the guild. This was possible due to the core installed on everyone's neck. While people here were poor, they still loved to spend the little money they had.

I ignored the ads and walked up the staircase into the building. The inside was similar in style to the outside. Unwelcoming and unfriendly. The girl at the counter was new. They went through a new receptionist almost every week.

"Hello sir, how may I help you today?" she asked with a polite smile.

I dropped the cores I had collected on the counter.

"I'm here to collect a bounty."

I could tell she was taken aback by the sight of the cores. She held back her discomfort as she placed all the cores onto a tray. She took the tray to a room in the back. The desk was covered in an ether barrier all the way around it. This prevented people from trying to rob the place. Ether was the most durable material in existence, even ether weapons couldn't break it.

I waited for her to return with my reward as I glanced around the guild. This place was a hub for other hunters. They served sub-par alcohol and food, but if you were a registered hunter they gave you a discount. I glanced over at the request hologram. I noticed a few bounties of interest, but one hunting contract really caught my eye. See bounties weren't the only contracts available. Occasionally, a stray beast would wander into the city. Most of the time these beasts were extremely hostile in a thirst for blood. These requests were easy and paid well. I made sure to save the contract in my core.

The girl came out and stood across from me on the other side of the metal counter.

"Here is your reward, sir" she said, handing me a stack of credits.

I took them and started counting them in front of her. This was standard practice. In the past, there have been numerous receptionists who tried to skim off my rewards.

After ensuring she had given me the six-hundred and fifty credits for the bounty I nodded and went to take my leave. This would cover rent for the month while leaving me a little extra. But I was frugal with my finances, so I could make it last.

"Thank you for your hard work! Oh, and my name is Vira, by the way!" The girl called out as I was leaving.

I wondered how long that positive attitude would last down here in district seven.

I left the guild and headed for the slums. There was a building there that had cheap rent, and nobody asked any questions. It was the perfect place for me.

As I walked the night only grew colder. Even though it was the middle of summer the tall buildings prevented a lot of sunlight from entering the city during the day, as well as stopping the winds from blowing away the city stench. Homeless people and garbage littered the sidewalks. I would occasionally get a glance from one of them, but most of the time they had already been too intoxicated with whatever drug was running rampant in these parts to even notice me.

I got back to the pigsty I called home. I lived on the seventh floor. This was intentional for security reasons. There were no floors higher than that, and it was safe from thieves because of the height.

I entered the codes for the four locks on the door and entered the dark room. The lights flickered as a hum emitted from the dimly lit bulb. The room was plain, stained from some previous tenants. I opened the small refrigerator, pulled out a nutrient-dense soup, and heated it on the inductive stove.

While it was not good in any sense when it came to flavor, it did have all the nutrients you needed to survive. And it was cheap.

I took off my mask and placed it on the counter while I ate the soup. It was extremely bland, but I couldn't care less. Once I finished, I walked over and laid on the old torn-up mattress that came with the place. While it was not very comfortable, there was a sort of comfort I found in it.

Just as I was drifting off to a place far away from this wretched reality, I heard a scream come from outside my window.

It doesn't concern you, get some sleep while you can. I told myself as I attempted to drown out the scream. 

"Th-th-there's a monster! Somebody, anybody, please!" I heard a man scream.

I got up and walked over to the window to see what was going on. Just as I peered out, I knew I was not going to get any sleep tonight.