"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 straight — he'd just taken a boot to the face.
But it wasn't just any kick.
It was brutal. Raw. Unlike 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! GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE, BITCH! HAHAHAHA! Destroy the world, huh…? Hah… now I get why I feel so screwed.
I'm stuck in some terrorist nutjob's shitty-ass base!
The woman didn't laugh.
Her expression twisted into pure fury — those words had hit deep.
She struck again. A vicious kick to his gut.
Igyris gagged, bile rising in his throat.
— Listen here, you cursed piece of shit.
She pressed her right foot against his head, grinding it into the cold metal floor.
— Don't push your luck, pig…
I didn't kill you yet 'cause I need firepower.
Every time she called him "cursed," Igyris froze.
What the hell did that even mean? Just an insult? Or something else?
— Look, you cursed trash…
My crew ditched me. Yesterday was too much for them.
They'd wanted out for a while. Dangerous job. Shitty pay.
But hey — seems like I hit the goddamn 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 tucked in his pocket.
At its center glowed a soft white stone. It looked like an Arcane crystal…
But he knew it wasn't.
It had never triggered his allergies — no itching, no nausea, no nothing.
— Hah… would you look at that.
Someone carrying such a rotten curse… with a god-tier stone in his pocket.
Fucking lunatic. So, tell me — where'd you steal this from?
I know Khaelis's carriage was attacked yesterday.
I know you were the only one who made it out alive.
And I also know there's not a single record of your existence…
So tell me — who are you, cursed trash?
Igyris was silent.
Then, in a sluggish, ironic tone, half-apologetic, he muttered:
— Look, man… I don't know where you're going with this.
Hah… seems like yesterday sucked for both of us, right?
So… how about you let me go and give me back my little egg, yeah?
He blinked. Clearly lost.
— Heheheh… I see. Damn. I really hit the jackpot.
You don't even know what this thing is, huh?
Knew it. NowaGen doesn't have much Arcane influence, after all…
But man…
You don't know shit.
She leaned in, like a scientist studying some rare, pathetic creature.
— Lemme ask you something, kid.
When your skin touches Arcane energy… does it itch?
Burn?
Make you wanna puke?
Speak.
Igyris's eyes widened.
— HAHAHAHAHAHA! I KNEW IT!
FINALLY HIT THE JACKPOT! HAHAHA!
I WON THE FUCKING LOTTERY!
She laughed like a deranged child — delighted by her twisted toy.
— From that reaction, it's obvious:
You don't know shit about yourself.
So listen up.
There are two kinds of energy in this world.
She began to pace, voice lighter now. Almost… motherly.
— First, there's the Arcane.
You've probably heard of it.
Weapons can be infused with it — like Khaelis's sword, for example.
Power levels vary.
That dumbass's sword? A relic passed down for generations.
It carries refined Noble Arcane — what we call the Purple Flame.
It's a superior Arcane.
Destruction, defense, refinement… all dialed up to eleven.
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 one.
The more exposure to Arcane, the more power a stone absorbs.
The more refinement, the more prestige.
But then… her voice changed.
Heavier.
Darker.
More… honest.
— But there's something else.
Older. Uglier. Maybe even stronger.
She stopped walking.
— The Plagues. The Curses.
The second energy.
It's malevolent.
There's no refinement. No purity.
Only disaster. Tragedy. Death.
Objects marked by it become magnets for ruin.
This energy is ruled by lower gods, calamities, black entities.
Worshipped by cults.
Used by men.
And followed by chaos.
She stared at Igyris, smiling like someone savoring a secret.
— And then… there are people like you.
The cursed ones.
So rare the world's nearly forgotten they exist.
But look at me…
I've got one in my base.
He didn't know if he was trembling from fear, rage… or something else.
His heart pounded like a war drum.
But she wasn't done.
— Looks like the Curse inside you is still dormant.
Lucky me.
Wouldn't risk keeping someone like you alive if it were awake.
But I saw it.
You froze Khaelis. Even if just for a moment.
That's not something just anyone can do.
And you didn't even use the tiniest fraction of what's inside you.
You…
You're a weapon.
A perfect weapon.
She leaned in close. And whispered:
— You're going to help me destroy this world.
Igyris heard it again.
"Destroy the world…"
But why?
Why did those words feel so right?
Why did they send chills through his skin… not from fear…
but from desire?
Before he could speak, a surge of electricity ripped through his body.
Agony.
Then… nothing.
---
She dragged him by the collar — a limp, unconscious dog.
Step after step up the metal stairs.
At the top, a scanner registered her iris and hissed open.
The turbine tube — built to blast vehicles to max speed in an instant.
Inside, a bike.
But not a normal one.
Four turbines.
Light weapon mounts.
Matte black.
She strapped Igyris to the back seat like luggage.
Climbed on. Adjusted her visor. Hands on controls.
And just before ignition, beneath her helmet, a final phrase slipped out…
soft as poison on the wind.
— Destroy the world...