Walking back into the Lower Districts felt different this time. The last time I was here, I was a "Null" stumbling through the dark, waiting to be eaten. Now, I had a high-collared coat, a majestic (and bossy) cat on my shoulder, and a neon-blue blob hopping along at my heels.
"Bloop," Pod said, his gelatinous body making a wet slapping sound against the metal pavement. He seemed to like the smog; it made his neon glow stand out even more.
"Keep him close, Fuen," Kuro warned, his ears twitching at every shadow. "The 'Bio-Hazard' stunt worked on those idiots in the Fringe, but the people in these districts are more desperate. Some might see a 'poisonous' jelly as a challenge, or a weapon."
"I'm more worried about Kael," I muttered. "I told her I was leaving, and here I am, back in her neighborhood five hours later with a pet."
We reached the familiar rusted garage door of Kael's workshop. I didn't even have to knock—the door hissed open, and Kael stood there, covered in fresh grease and holding a soldering iron like a dagger.
She looked at my new clothes. She looked at Kuro. Then, her eyes dropped to the floor.
"Fuen," she said slowly. "Why is there a glowing puddle of snot following you?"
"This is Pod," I said, trying to sound dignified. "He's our new... tactical support."
Pod jiggled enthusiastically, sending a small spray of neon slime onto Kael's boots.
"He's an Ooze-Kin," Kuro added, hopping off my shoulder onto a workbench. "And he is the key to Fuen's next stage of growth. Now, girl, stop staring. We need a place to lay low.
The Merchants in the Fringe will eventually realize they've been conned, and I'd rather not have a bounty on my head before dinner."
Kael wiped the slime off her boot with a rag, sighing so deeply her shoulders slumped. "Fine. But the 'Trash' human sleeps on the scrap pile, and the 'Tactical Snot' stays in a bucket. I'm not having neon stains on my floor."
I sat down, the adrenaline of the heist finally wearing off. My status bar was still pulsing.
[ STATUS: trash]
[ LEVEL: none]
[ ENERGY: 1% ]
"Kuro," I said, looking at Pod. "You said he was important. Why? He's cute, but he doesn't exactly look like a world-beater."
He didn't answer me, and let out a tired sigh.
Just go to sleep well will see all that tomorrow.
I laid on the scrap pile as I was assigned, the metal edges poking into my back. I stared upward at the dark, oily ceiling of Kael's workshop, my mind spinning. How am I going to do it all? I wondered. Thirty days to become a King in a world that thinks I'm garbage.
Slowly, the hum of the machines faded, and sleep finally took me.
The next morning, everything was perfect. I wasn't Fuen the Null anymore; I was the King of Aethryx. The sky was a brilliant, solid gold, and beautiful fairies with shimmering wings flew in circles around me, singing songs of my greatness. I sat on a throne made of pure light, feeling a power so immense it made my skin glow.
Suddenly, a sweet, lovely-looking fairy fluttered down from the sky. She landed right in front of my face, her eyes twinkling. She reached out toward me, and I leaned in, expecting a royal blessing.
Then, she punched me. Hard.
"Get up, human, or we are gonna serve you as a meatloaf!" the fairy roared. The voice wasn't sweet or musical—it was a deep, gravelly, manly shout that shook my entire brain.
"What?! What?!"
My eyes snapped open. The golden throne vanished. The fairies were gone. Instead, there was a heavy, wet, slimy weight pressed firmly over my nose and mouth. I couldn't breathe. I panicked, flailing my arms as I realized I was back on the scrap pile and something was trying to suffocate me with neon jelly.
Bloop!
I managed to peel the weight off. It was Pod. The jelly landed on the floor with a wet splat, looking up at me with those big, innocent eyes as if he hadn't just tried to end my life.
Beside me, Lord Kuro was sitting on a rusted toolbox. He was in full "Lord" mode, leaning back and calmly licking a paw with a look of supreme attitude.
"Finally," Kuro purred, not even looking up from his grooming. "I was beginning to think your brain had actually turned into mush.
You were muttering about fairies, Fuen. It was embarrassing to listen to."
I sat up, gasping for air and wiping Pod's slime off my chin. "He was on my face, Kuro!
I almost died!"
"He was 'waking' you," Kuro said, flicking his tail. "And that 'fairy' you heard was Kael dropping a crate of scrap metal next to your head. Believe me, human, Pod is more powerful than you right now, so show some respect. Now, move. We are going to practice. It's time you learned how to actually take something down instead of just tripping over your own feet."
I looked at Pod, then at Kuro. The "King" dream felt a million miles away.
"Practice, huh?" I muttered, standing up and shaking the stiffness out of my legs. "Fine.
Let's see if 'The Meatloaf' can actually fight back."