Nameless walked through the bustling street, brushing past the crowded vendors and travelers under the patchwork canopy of tarpaulins and rusted tin. He muttered to himself, "It's nice to be here. I'm somewhat free from harm," as he made his way toward the Scavenger Hut the Refuge Center man had told him about.
His pace slowed. A dull ache gnawed at his stomach.
"Damn... I forgot to eat," he realized. Probably hadn't eaten since before waking up underground.
The familiar smell of grilled meat pulled his gaze to a nearby eatery. It was the same place he'd stumbled into before. Inside, he spotted the same man he had spoken to earlier, now hunched over his phone.
Nameless approached the food counter. The menu was posted above, hand-painted on planks of wood—rice meals, soups, fried dishes. All reminiscent of traditional Filipino cuisine. He picked a combination meal with something that looked like adobo and paid with some of the starting money.
Holding his tray, he walked toward the man. "Can I sit here?"
The man looked up. "Sure, no problem."
Nameless sat down, took a breath, and began eating.
"So," the man said, looking up from his phone, "how was it at the bottom?"
"I only stayed there for less than an hour."
The man raised an eyebrow. "You're not Filipino, are you?"
Nameless chuckled. "No. I didn't even understand what the guy in the Refuge Center said at first."
The man laughed. "Yeah, he's got that fast-talking accent. Like muscle memory."
They both smiled.
"So... this place must be near the Philippines, right?" Nameless asked.
"People say it is the Philippines," the man said casually.
"That explains why everyone's Filipino. I guess I'm not lost after all."
"Why do you say that?"
Nameless paused mid-bite. "My country fell into chaos. A lot of us died. The lucky ones became slaves, including me. Eventually, the captors shipped us off somewhere—and I ended up here."
The man looked at him with a knowing frown. "I'm Filipino. Same hell. Until I got sent here."
"You came from below too?"
"Nah. I woke up nearby. Not everyone drops in from the bottom."
Nameless glanced at the rod strapped to his side. "Can you fight?"
"I don't do well in close range," the man admitted. "But I'm decent with ranged weapons."
Just then, his phone buzzed. He checked it, stood up quickly. "Sorry, gotta go. Urgent thing."
Nameless watched him leave, then returned to his meal. After a moment, he stood, left the eatery, and resumed his original mission.
---
He arrived at a weathered wooden hut. A creaky sign above the door read: Scavenger's Hut. A nearby quest board was plastered with aging papers—requests for various materials.
Nameless scanned them but didn't recognize much. He stepped inside. The room smelled of dust and rusted metal. Behind the desk sat a startled man.
"Y-you must be new," the man said, his eyes locking onto Nameless.
"Is something wrong with me?"
"No, no! Just... not every day a Westerner walks in."
Nameless smirked. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
They both laughed.
"Here to apply?"
"Yes. I want to understand how scavenging works."
The man handed him a form. Nameless filled it out quickly.
"Nameless? That's your actual name?"
"It is now."
"Well then, welcome to the guild. You can check the Quest Board outside, but since you're unfamiliar with the items, just grab any scrap you can find for now. We still pay for that."
"Got it. Thanks."
Nameless left, heading toward the caves.
---
The cave was dark, damp, and colder than expected. Nameless moved fast, vaulting with his rod when needed. He scavenged what he could—metal shards, busted electronics, tangled wires.
His arms strained as he collected more than he could carry. But luck struck—he found a torn duffel bag wedged under a slab of rock. It wasn't pretty, but it held everything.
Just as he turned to leave, a low growl echoed.
A massive rat, twice his size, blocked the path. Its eyes glowed faint red.
"Of course," Nameless muttered.
It lunged. He dropped the duffel and launched upward with his rod, flipping over the creature. Using the cave's ceiling, he propelled himself down, stabbing the rat's back.
The beast thrashed, throwing him into the cave wall. His rod stayed lodged in its back.
Nameless coughed, stood, and charged. He yanked the rod out and jammed it into the rat's skull. It shrieked and collapsed, dead.
Breathing heavy and covered in blood, Nameless grabbed his loot.
More rats emerged.
"Great."
He hurled a heavy scrap at the lead rat. It staggered, causing a pile-up behind it.
Nameless dashed through the exit tunnel, the duffel bouncing against his back.
---
Back at the hut, the man behind the desk blinked in surprise.
"That's... impressive. How'd it go?"
"Fought some giant rats."
"I can tell. You're drenched in blood. Go clean yourself—last thing we need is infections."
Nameless nodded. The man led him to a small bathing area.
While Nameless washed, singing random tunes, the man prepared a reward—money and spare clothes.
When Nameless stepped out, refreshed and dressed, the man handed over the reward.
"Thank you. For everything," Nameless said.
"Keep it up and you'll be a regular in no time."
Nameless smiled, then left.
---
He returned to the eatery, hungry again. The same man from before showed up, taking the seat beside him.
"New clothes?"
"Scavenger life," Nameless replied between bites.
"Nice. I keep coming here hoping to find someone. Been three days now."
"No clues?"
The man shook his head. Just then, his phone rang. He answered in Filipino. Nameless waited.
After the call, the man looked at him.
"Can you help me with something?"
"Pay me, and I'm in."
---
The cave echoed with their footsteps. Donnie—Nameless now knew his name—led the way.
"How far?" Nameless asked.
"We're close. Just ahead—"
A rat lunged. Nameless hurled his rod, piercing its skull mid-air. He retrieved it in one swift motion.
Two more followed. Nameless and Donnie fought side by side—Nameless with his rod and his gun, Donnie sniping with a rifle.
"Got ammo?" Nameless asked.
Donnie tossed him a mag. It fit. Nameless nodded in gratitude.
They fought off the rest. Eventually, they reached a dead end—rubble blocked the path.
Donnie took another call. Then pulled out dynamite.
"We blast it. Run far when I light it."
"Ready."
They ignited the fuse and sprinted. The explosion sent dust after them but did no harm.
Through the haze, a woman stepped forward, holding a glowing slab of metal like a flashlight.
"Long time no see, Dianne!" Donnie called.
"You too, Donnie!"
They embraced.
Nameless approached. "So your name is Donnie, huh."
They laughed.
"This is Nameless. He's a scavenger. Helped me out."
"Nice name," Dianne said. "I'm his sister."
They walked back to town, chatting. Dianne showed them a flash drive with a strange symbol. Nameless noted it.
"You must be good," he said.
"One of the best, actually. So was Donnie, before he got injured."
"Blurry left eye," Donnie explained. "Used to be the town's announcer and lookout."
"People still know you?"
"Used to. Fame doesn't last here."
---
Cheers erupted as they returned to town. Dianne waved at familiar faces.
"Looks like we're drinking tonight," she joked.
"I'll pass," Nameless replied.
Donnie laughed. "Low profile's working too well."
"On purpose," Donnie admitted. "Lots of great people came before me. They're forgotten now."
"So fame here's short-lived."
"Basically."
Suddenly, alarms blared. A voice announced: "Giants spotted near the perimeter."
Nameless felt his blood surge. "Where is it? I'm going."
Dianne pointed. Nameless bolted.
"Sigurado ba siya sa kaniyang ginagawa? (Is he sure of what he's doing?)" Dianne asked.
"Nakakapagtaka naman na tinanong mo iyan (It's strange that you asked that)," Donnie replied.
---
Nameless arrived to see a giant fighting two collared ones.
"Gerald!" he recognized.
He leaped onto a giant's arm, stabbed its collar—but nothing happened. It grabbed him.
Gerald threw the giant away, then tossed Nameless toward a power grid.
"Charge the rod!"
Nameless obeyed. The rod glowed cyan. With Gerald's help, he launched into the air and pierced one of the giant's collar. A shockwave burst out, disabling both giants' collars.
They stood together.
"Gerald!" Nameless grinned.
"Told you I'd find a way," Gerald smiled.
The freed giants were amazed.
"Who are they?" Nameless asked.
"Giants. Like me."
Before long, a squad of armed townspeople arrived.
"Leave, giants!" one shouted.
Nameless tried to stop them, but Gerald intervened.
"We'll go. Don't worry. Meet us in the tunnels later."
They vanished into the shadows.
Nameless walked back, frustration lingering.
Donnie waited. "What you did was incredible."
"And yet, they're still treated like monsters."
"Protocol. But we're not stopping you from seeing them again."
"I'll meet them later. For now... I'm tired."
The two walked into town, side by side.