-----E-----

„So how much is in there?“

„Eh, about seventy silver.“

Ivona and I were outside the dungeon entrance. While we were going out we found a pouch that we missed when first entering. It had a few silver and nothing else.

I don‘t actually know the currency on this planet, but Ivona had an expression that made it look like the seventy silver, was not that much.

We made a campfire and we cooked up a rabbit that Ivona shot a few minutes earlier.

„So, you are a good hunter?“ I wanted to start a conversation, not just stand around awkwardly.

„Since I was 14, I have been hunting on my own.“

Wow, that‘s young.

„Let me guess, your parents didn‘t want you to hunt.“

„Yeah, like I said before, they were opposed to the idea of me being a hunter and an artifact hunter. I always sneak out to test my makeshift crossbow. I had no one to teach me, so it took a while until I finally got good.“

„How old are you now?“ I asked.

„Seventeen.“

Huh, so she has used a crossbow for about four years. She looks like she has used it for far much longer, because of how good she is with it.

„What about you? You don‘t look like you handle a sword really well,“ she said.

I should not make it obvious that I am from a different planet. I have to make something up.

„I haven‘t been good with a sword for a long time. I am twenty-two and still bad at it.“

„Don‘t you have any other weapons that you are good at?“

Well a blaster, but I can‘t tell her that.

„A bow, I am good with one of those. But because of my shield, I wanted to use something more close range.“

That was partially true, I have used a bow a few times before, just to test out these old earth weapons.

„Ah, I see. What about hunting artifacts, how long have you been at it?“

„Since I was sixteen, but my friends and I only found minor artifacts, not these special weapon artifacts. They are barely around in my home continent.“

„What about Vincent, have you and him known each other since childhood?“

„Nah, he is three years older than me, we meet when we both found a lead on an artifact, then after that we became buddies.“

Until he double-crossed me.

Then, like on cue, Vincent showed up, not from the dungeon entrance though. He showed up right when we start to talk about him, what are the odds?

„Hey, Vincent! Glad you are alive!“ I called out.

Where did he even come from? Was there a second entrance?

I looked around for Fiete but didn‘t see him around.

„Where is Fiete?“ Ivona asked.

Vincent looked up at us.

„He fell down a pit. A long one.“

„Wait, what?“

He explained that they needed to cross a stone bridge, but the walls shoot arrows when on it. He said that there was also a gap but Fiete didn‘t make it.

„I told him to be careful, but his foolishness killed him.“

Well damn. I would have felt grief, but I didn‘t know him that much.

„Well, did he die in vain? Did you find the artifact?“

„Yeah, I found it, but no treasure.“

He took out his backpack and showed it to us.

It was a blaster, with a glove that had an elbow and a shoulder pad strapped on.

„A blaster? What are they doing here?“ I asked.

„I was thinking the same, but apparently they are really rare around here.“

„They are,“ Ivona confirmed. „They are seen by only a few artifact hunters. If we sell this. . .“

„No,“ Vincent interrupted.

Just as I thought, he wants it. He would probably do anything to get a hold of. . . Wait a minute.

„I was thinking about connecting to it,“ He said.

Did he maybe. . ?

„Oh, it would be powerful, and you don‘t want to be left out with no artifact.“

He said that apparently blasters are rare around here, where did he get that information? Or did he actually first think it was rare. He might have killed. . .

„Yeah, I would feel much better with this I think.“

He would do something like this. Betrayal, I mean.

„First, you should maybe test it before connecting to it.“

„Oh, you‘re right,“ Vincent said and fired a few blaster bullets at a tree.

„I think I like this,“ he said with a grin.

Well, that was fast.

„Maybe you should fire a few more rounds, just to be sure,“ Ivona said.

Is it just me or does Ivona want to sell it? If it is really rare, then we might get a lot from it.

But with Vincent killing Fiete, I might just be overthinking it. It might just be a coincidence that the artifact is a blaster, and he is actually telling the truth about how Fiete died.

---------

The testing went on for a while, then he finally said he would be connecting to it.

I asked if he wanted to have the blaster on him for life. He just grinned and said „Yes“.

He put the glove on. The screen for the artifact was on the glove, near the wrist. I guess the screen could not really be on the blaster, where would the maker even put it?

Vincent held the blaster firmly and looked at the screen.

There was a text that read: Connect Weilder To Artifact. Then a button was beneath it.

I guess that was what it said back when I first got mine.

Vincent braced and pressed the button.

The connection began via needles piercing him and dispensing the Nanos. He groaned and fell on his knee.

He was withstanding it, but he fell and started shaking, or maybe he was convulsing.

He didn‘t even scream, he just groaned louder.

This is his second time dealing with the Nanos. Last time I gave him some of mine to give him the language. I wonder what happened to the Nanos from my shield?

Then, Vincent abruptly stopped moving and making sounds. He laid there, looking dead.

„Is he dead?“ I asked.

„No, he fell unconscious. Like what happens to most who connect to artifacts.“

Huh, even Vincent can‘t handle the pain. Giving him the language before was likely not needed, the blaster might have given it. Oh well, seeing him suffer is great, he deserves it.

We put him next to the campfire and waited until he woke up.

----------

An hour has passed.

We were eating the cooked rabbit when suddenly Vincent took a large gulp of air and sat up, breathing heavily.

„Hey, now you know the pain I felt when I connected to my shield.“

„Shut up, can I have some water,“ he said with a coarse throat.

Ivona gave him the water container.

„So now we all have artifacts, should we continue towards Penrith?“ I said.

„Vincent, are you able to walk?“

Vincent stopped drinking and looked up.

„Of course I can walk,“ he said and stood up easily.

Did he recover all of his strength while being knocked out? When I woke up from my connection, I felt like I had some strength still in me.

We gave him some food and then after a few minutes later we extinguished the fire and moved once more to Penrith.

When Vincent and I first came here, Vincent had his blaster holster the entire time. So, of course, he put his new artifact blaster there, and it fit perfectly, but why didn‘t Ivona question it? Would it not be strange for him to already have a holster for a blaster? I even have my blaster holster still on me.

Vincent checked the screen for the blaster and changed its color from orange to blue energy, but didn‘t change its shape. When he changed its energy, the glove also changed its color to match the weapon.

I wonder if the glove is special somehow, or it might just be for the screen.

„Well, that should about do it,“ Vincent said to no one in particular, and holstered his blaster and turned his eyes from the screen.

„Did you finish checking all the programs?“ I asked.

„Yeah, there weren‘t as many as I thought there would be.“

„So, are there any powerful ones there?“

„You will find out later when we end up fighting dynami or spiders again.“

Oh, come on. I wanted to know what he got.

Nothing much happened in the next few hours. We just talked about our lives over at the other continent, which was mostly lies, towards Ivona. Then she told us about herself. She lived in Walden most of her life, Walden was a small village in the southernmost part on the continent on a small peninsula. She had a few friends there who are now either dead or taken away by dynami.

„When we get to Penrith, I am going to stock on supplies, and then go back to find my people.“

„Are you going back alone?“ I asked.

„I would appreciate the help, but you guys only wanted to go to the town, right?“

Vincent and I looked at each other. Then Vincent spoke to me in our language.

„We need to find a way off this planet, we shouldn‘t just keep on going on adventures here.“

„You are right about that, but how?“

„We haven‘t yet seen a town or the capital, they might have some tech around. And if not, we should try and find a way for your shield to bring us back.“

When the screen on the shield turned back on, I did check if the program that brought us here was there, but I didn‘t find it. We might need to somehow make a new program that would bring us back.

Is Vincent still okay that we are still together? Is there something he still needs from me? He might just ditch me when we arrive at Penrith.

We looked back at Ivona, it would be nice to have her around, but she had to save her folks, and we need to find something to get us off this planet.

„Sorry that we can‘t come with you to find them, we have our own task to take care of.“

„It‘s fine, I can handle myself. Besides, I could find others to help me.“

---------

Night approached and we made camp. Then the next day came and we finally saw Penrith.

„There it is, that‘s Penrith,“ Ivona said.

We arrived in town and looked around. The town wasn‘t that big, and it didn‘t look like it had any tech around, but there were a few people who possessed what looked like artifact weapons. They might be artifact hunters.

„Well, this is our stop, we should part ways here.“

„Thank you, Ivona, for bringing us here. You have been a big help,“ I said.

„Before I go, do you both have an identification card? I would assume not because you are not from this continent.“

We looked at each other, then back.

„We don‘t have one,“ we both said.

„If you two want to go to bigger cities or the capital, you would need one.“

Ah, crap.

„How can we get one?“

„Don‘t worry, I‘ll help you both. But Ethan, you need a last name.“

„Huh? Why?“

Why do I have to have a last name? Isn‘t it fine without one?

„It‘s easier to identify a person with a last name, and there might be other Ethans around. And it‘s the law to have one.“

I wanted to reserve my last name from one of my parents when I ever find their names. But I guess I have to get one here, it should be fine, when we get off the planet I would just throw the ID away and rename myself back to Ethan.

„Alright fine.“

I thought for a moment.

It‘s hard to find a last name, but then I looked at my shield.

„Ethan. . . Shield.“

„Shield? Is that going to be your last name?“ Vincent said confused.

„If I am going to be stuck with this forever, I might as well have it in my name.“

„Okay, Ethan Shield and Vincent Grey. I know someone here that could help you get your ID‘s.“

„Do they cost a lot?“

„Yes, but he is my friend and can give it to you for free.“

Is this ID going to be forged or something?

„I would need your information about age, height, and all that though.“

„Can‘t we come with you to see this person?“ I asked.

„He does not want to be known by others.“

Suspicious, but I trust her. How does she know someone who could do something like this?

She gave us a paper and pencil, we wrote down all that she said we needed, without even realizing it at first, we wrote down with their writing system. I didn‘t even want to think about how that happened. She then made us put our fingerprint on the paper as well. We didn‘t have any ink so she said blood works just fine.

I took out a knife and cut a tiny bit from my finger and pressed down on the paper, Vincent did the same.

When we wrote down on the paper for Ivona, she asked us about our birthdate.

Vincent and I looked at each other.

We don‘t know the months of the planet, not even the year!

So we made something up and told our ages, but not the year. Surprisingly, she looked fine with what we gave her.

We finished up and she told us to wait at a tavern nearby.

We went there and bought some drinks and sat down.

„So, Vincent, are you going to betray me again?“

„Maybe,“ he said with a composed face and took a sip.

Wow, he just said that. That is incredible.

„Really?“

„If I would have said no, then you would think I was lying, so maybe. That was the best option for me.“

Huh. I guess he is right about that.

Vincent is such an interesting man. I only want to work with him to get off the planet, then when we arrive back to familiar ground, I will leave him. I don‘t want to be around him any longer. He is likely thinking the same.

Some time passed, and Ivona finally showed up.

„Here it is.“

We took a look at it.

Ethan Shield, 22.

Sex: Male.

Height: 169 CM.

Hair: Blond.

Eyes: Blue.

Then there was some other stuff with numbers and all that, I didn‘t look much more at it. Except for I guessed was the year. I counted the years after my fake birth on the planet, and it seems the year here is 434.

I glanced over towards Vincent‘s card.

Vincent Grey, 25.

Sex: Male.

Height: 176 CM.

Hair: Black.

Eyes: Grey

The cards had our fingerprints, this really looked like an ID card. I haven‘t seen a real one before, but it looked genuine.

We thanked her for this and she parted ways from us. We rented a place to sleep and slept for the night.