A crescent moon shone brilliantly in the pitch-black sky as Marcus gripped the steering wheel and continued on another one of his rants; this one about the corruption of the NPD, the Neopolis Police Department. Damien gazed out of the passenger side window as the street lights passed by in regular intervals, his attention fleeting from the ramblings of his new companion. This was a good time to see what he’d unlocked from leveling up.

He eagerly opened the T-deck interface and switched to the Stats & Skills page where a new, highlighted piece of text blinked at him.

Skill Points Available: 1

Skills Mastery Level Description Parry Rookie Deflect oncoming [Weak] projectiles and melee attacks. May exceed physical limits.

Talents Mastery Level Effect S.S. Core

Rookie ???

Way of the Samurai Rookie

[+1] Blades

[+10] Maximum Focus

Gain additional bonuses from Samurai gear

Traits Description - - Titles Description - -

A blinking, upward-facing arrow stood beside both Parry and Way of the Samurai, signaling that they could be upgraded. When Damien held his gaze on the arrow beside Parry, the mastery level jumped from Rookie to Adept, and a small addition was made to the description:

Parry [Adept] Bonuses:

Focus Cost: -10%

Additional Effect: May parry [Blunt] weapons

He reversed the action by declining a small confirmation prompt at the bottom, then placed the point into Way of the Samurai to see what he’d get.

Way of the Samurai [Adept] Bonuses:

Gain additional bonuses from Samurai weapons and armor. [+15%]

May wear [Uncommon] level Samurai armor with no penalties

Damien declined the confirmation then paused to consider his options. Choosing to upgrade Parry meant that he’d be able to use the skill more often due to the lowered Focus cost; something he was certainly eager about as he had no other options to deal with ranged enemies. It would also allow him to parry a new weapon type, another interesting and useful bonus.

Will mastering the skill further allow me to deal with more weapon types?, he pondered. It was an enticing thought, especially after seeing the power of the Skulls Brawler back at the warehouse. Perhaps increasing the Mastery Level further would help him deflect those massive fists. It sounded like a good way to cover his bases moving forward. After all, he had no way of knowing what kind of weapons he would face in the future.

He put that thought to the side and turned his attention toward the Talent. An additional 15% damage bonus to his katana sounded quite good, but it was the only Samurai gear that he had. Without armor, he’d be wasting half of the potential gain; an inefficient choice. The second bonus also sounded nice-- allowing him to wear Uncommon armor without penalty, but it shared the same problem: he had yet to obtain any type of armor. How long would it be before he’d get Uncommon gear?

Before deciding, he took one final look at the S.S. Core, hoping an arrow would appear beside it. Maybe increasing the Mastery Level was the condition to revealing its effect? It was a long shot, but it turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking as the Talent remained unchanged. That left him with only two options.

Might as well pick Parry for the immediate boost, Damien thought as he selected the top arrow and accepted the confirmation prompt. The Mastery Level increased to Adept and the associated bonuses were added to the description, filling him with a sense of satisfaction.

He closed the T-deck interface and stared out at the slow-changing cityscape. The scenery had gradually shifted from a predominantly lifeless industrial sector to a more spirited inner-city, bringing with it a bright and colorful atmosphere. The dazzling and somewhat overbearing city lights stood out in stark contrast to the black canvas in the sky, and the colors melting together into something resembling a blotchy painting. It was all so radiant and alluring, as if begging to be explored.

For now, however, Damien just wanted to let his guard down and relax. Without a debt to pay off and a certain feisty girl to watch over him, he was left without an objective in this strange world. Would a new quest soon pop up to give him some direction?

As far as he could tell, everything was open ended at this point. He didn’t have to tag along with Marcus; he could go wherever he pleased. But Marcus was the only reason he hadn’t been left on his own back at the riverbank. If he’d declined the big pirate’s offer, where exactly would he go? And what would he do? Marcus seemed like a fine enough person, but more than anything, it was out of necessity that Damien decided to along. He was still a fish out of water, and this was the wisest option for now.

Perhaps in time, all of this would start to make sense. But until that happened, and without knowing how long he’d be here, he had to be pragmatic and prepare for the worst. Among other things, he’d need to find a way to make some funds and secure a place to stay. But that probably wasn’t gonna happen in the next few hours. Maybe Marcus would graciously help him out?

That’s when a question popped into Damien’s head: Why was Marcus being so welcoming towards him? Especially since they’d just met a few hours ago. Sure, they’d risked their lives together in a way, but compared to Kat he was far more receptive than Damien had expected. Maybe the big guy simply had a softer nature. At least that’s how it all seemed so far.

After a few seconds of speculation, Damien decided it would be best to simply ask outright. He waited until a natural resting point in Marcus’ rant then brought the question up as amicably as he could.

The square-faced pirate seemed to take it in good stride, the frustration from his rant fizzling out as he answered. “Look Dame, I’m a simple person. My gut feeling tells me you’re a decent guy, and I always listen to my gut. There’s not many people around these parts that I get that feeling from, and it’s never been wrong in the past. Hell, I would’ve been dead twenty times over by now if it was. Plus, I figured I’d help you settle in a little, seeing as you’re starting with nothing. But don’t expect to mooch, I can’t stand freeloaders.”

Another type of person he hates, Damien thought amusingly. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of doing that.”

“That’s the impression I got.” Marcus said as he changed lanes. “You may be starting at square one, but a man’s gotta forge his own path in life. No matter what your path is, you gotta go all out. You gotta make moves. You gotta make a name for yourself.”

Those words stuck with Damien as he turned his attention back to sightseeing. Name for myself, huh?

The surroundings had become more cramped as they progressed deeper toward the city center, rivers of people and cars now flowing through the streets. Red lights halted their progress every other intersection as traffic flowed with a density he had not previously seen. Despite the late night, the city appeared to be fully awake.

As they slowed to stop at yet another red light, Damien noticed a cluster of what were presumably police cars pulled over on the side of the road. Red and blue lights flickered from the top of the silver cars and the letters NPD were written boldly on the sides.

A few feet a way from the cars, a group of silver, armored uniforms were kicking at someone who was lying on the ground, each blow causing the recipient to writhe in pain. The culprit didn’t appear to be resisting, but the cops didn’t let off their assault. Damien winced as he watched on. “Seems a little excessive, don’t you think?”

“That’s what I was talking about earlier; they’re nothing more than thugs who pretend to enforce the law. The truth is that Neopolis has become lawless over time.” He let out a disgusted grunt. “This is what happens when corruption is allowed to run rampant; they don’t even bother hiding it anymore.”

The traffic light turned green and they drove through the intersection, leaving the flashing lights of the parked cop cars behind.

“The situation’s not perfect but what can you do about it?” Marcus said, “ The way I see it, we all gotta make the most of a shitty situation. When things get this bad, opportunities inevitably pop up. You know what they say: In the absence of law and order, chaos arises. And let me tell you, where there’s chaos, there’s space to make a name for yourself. Hell, if you’re so inclined, you can take over the entire city, with or without the help of the law.”

Damien didn’t say anything as he pondered what he was hearing. Were things really this wild and lawless out here?

Marcus cut the brief silence with a laugh. “I talk about taking over the city like it’s no big deal. In reality, it’s easy to say but hard as fuck to do. Especially when everyone else is fighting for it. The government, the gangs, the corps; they’re all vying for control. Pirates like us just stand on the sidelines and make moves whenever we can.”

Damien nodded along as they turned on to a bustling street filled with what were evidently bars and clubs on each side. The people here appeared to be on the younger side of adulthood and they were all dressed to impress, each one looking more stylishly outlandish than the last. If they were searching for a place to get a drink, they’d certainly found it.

As they drove deeper into the rode, Damien noticed that all of the buildings seemed to follow a similar design, except one: a single giant tower with vibrant purple lights labeling it ‘Club Monrel’. It was an impressive sight that stood out from the rest, and the lineup of patrons waiting to get in went all the way around the block.

“Is this the party region that you mentioned earlier?” Damien asked as two girl drunkly stumbled on to the road in front of them. “The west side?”

Marcus honked at the girls then slowly drove on the opposite side of the road to overtake them. “Nah, we’re still in the city center. The west side is a whole different animal.”

“So is this a typical day as a Pirate? Shootouts with gangs by day, partying by night?”

Marcus chuckled as he drove up to Club Monrel and parked in a V.I.P. parking spot directly in front of the entrance. “Most Pirates prefer to keep it low key. Under the radar. But some such as myself consider that a boring way to live. What’s the point of doing big things if you don’t get the credit for it? The way I see it, if you make power moves you should get respect for it. And respect is the foundation to making a name for yourself.” He turned off the vehicle and nodded toward the club entrance.

Damien stepped out of the truck and was immediately greeted with energetic music blaring from inside the club.

“Of course, it’s not all peaches and sunshine.” Marcus said as he stepped toward the entrance. “You gotta take the good with the bad. Having a name brings a lot of heat from both law enforcement as well as street people. But in my eyes, the good outweighs the bad.”

Damien felt the gaze of the other club-goers as he followed behind Marcus, the two of them ignoring the line entirely. At the entrance stood a bouncer who appeared to be made almost entirely of muscle, and a sign behind him read “No Weapons Permitted.”

Marcus walked up to the bouncer with no hesitation and gave him a fist bump before nodding backwards. “This is Damien. He’s cool.”

The walking muscle sized Damien up, his jaws clamoring at a piece of gum as if it owed him money. After a moment, he gave a silent nod then stepped aside, letting the duo in. No mention was made of the katana clipped to Damien’s side or the shotgun strapped across Marcus’ back.

So much for the sign…

When Damien stepped inside, the music quickly became overwhelming; an upbeat, throbbing bass line driving into his chest with a dense thud.

There was another line up to get further inside, but Marcus waved him towards a discreet side-door which turned out to be an elevator. They ascended to the 10th floor where the door opened to reveal a massive lounge with the letters V.I.P. engraved into the wall in seductive print. To the left stood a bar counter and to the right was a symphony of lights bathing a group of dancers on what must’ve been the dance floor.

“It’s all on me tonight,” Marcus said as he stepped toward the bar. “I dunno about you, but I need to get smashed after that chase.”

Damien still wasn't sure if he'd actually have a drink, but he thanked him for the gesture.

As they approached the bar, a group of girls huddled around the counter noticed them and excitedly waved them over. They were all skimpily dressed and gorgeous from what Damien could see, each one more beautiful than the next.

“Those your friends?” Damien asked.

“Not friends. A better term might be groupies,” Marcus said before letting out a deep laugh. “Like I said, having a name gets you a lot of perks.”