Again, again, and again, Garet moved toward the garbage site, dragging two bags behind him.
"At this rate, I'll never get out of here. I have to think of something, but what?" Garet frowned as he dumped the bags into the junkyard below the city.
Several creatures ran out from under the piles, their long paws rummaging through the trash. It was the Crawlers, monsters that fed on carrion. In this world, this scene was not frightening for a 17-year-old boy.
Monsters lived everywhere, and only the efforts of special people kept them away from the walls.
"If only I could become an Awakened, I won't have to stay in this hellhole! I won't have to run away from this town! I'll fight!" Garet clenched his fist and looked back.
On the upper level, in the very center of the city, loomed a dark tower, green lights flashing from time to time at the peak.
It was the only Thornspire in the city. All the Awakened returned there after their hunts and missions, making it the safest place in the city, but access was restricted.
Although the Awakened were capable of fighting monsters, there weren't enough of them to protect this forgotten city.
Life was difficult, especially in one of the Red Zones. Now, Garet's city didn't even have a name, just City N#20181198, or the Pit as the locals called it. This city was built only a few decades ago, in the hope that the monsters would return to this place only in a hundred years, but apparently, it would happen much sooner.
The Red Zone meant that the risk of a monster attack was very high, as the Energy Core that powered the Pit, like any other quickly built city, attracted the monsters.
Ordinary residents like Garet could only hope that the Monster Wave would be the First Threat or Second Threat level. In that case, they would have a small chance of survival if the Awakened could defend the city.
Garet didn't know how much time he still had. It had been a month since his city was classified as a Red Zone, which meant that monsters could strike at any moment.
Leaving the junkyard, Garet exchanged glances with the officer who was monitoring the sector. He came to close the gate and check that no monsters broke into the city.
"Hey, kid, still working hard?" Konrad asked with a warm smile.
Scratching the back of his head, Garet waved his hand.
"Do I have a choice? Helping the waste plant is the only way to earn any money. By the way, Konrad... What about my applications?"
As soon as the words came out, Konrad's face darkened.
"I'm sorry, young man. No test in Thornspire, no pass to the next rescue team. I'm afraid that if the monsters attack, you'll either have to flee the city in chaos or, like most, hide in the Thornspire and hope for the best."
In the event of a monster attack, the Thornspire would be the last line of defense. People could flee the city as well, but without protection from the Awakened, any run-in with a monster could be the last.
But only one thing was truly upsetting for Garet.
'Damn it! They won't even give me a chance to reach Zenith! What if I succeeded?'
Some believed that luck alone determined whether a person could become an Awakened, while others insisted that it was all down to controllable factors: effort, money, and opportunity.
In reality, both points of view were correct.
Zenith was a special state in which a person became Awakened. Garet, as a poor man, didn't know many details, but everyone knew the two main components of Zenith: energy and urge.
From time to time, people, usually those with money or connections, but sometimes ordinary people, went to the Thornspire for a test. Some managed to reach Zenith, but most did not.
Finding a source of energy at the Thornspire was not a problem, but the urge part was more complicated. Most often, the Awakened forced the candidate to immerse themselves deeply in an emotion that was suitable for the urge.
Not all emotions could be evoked at will, so most often the choice fell on two of the least pleasant ones: pain or fear.
There were many variations. Each Awakened had their own little story of how they reached Zenith. No matter how difficult it was for some, it was worth it.
For five years, since Garet started working at the factory and met Konrad, he had been trying to earn the right to take the test or at least the opportunity to leave the Pit via the safe road.
Every time he failed.
Others didn't even have the chance to try, but that didn't make it any easier.
Tap.
Konrad locked the gate and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't feel bad. Just be careful. If the monsters attack, head for the factory. I'll put together a group to depart. I think I can find a place for you."
"Yeah, thanks, I guess..." Garet frowned.
He was left alone, with cold gusts of wind and the sound of Crawlers scurrying among the debris deep below.
Without energy, reaching Zenith was impossible. Garet only had enough money for food and clothes, and even that was not always enough.
At the same time, a yellow light flashed at the top of the Thornspire, attracting the attention of every resident.
This meant that a group of monsters had been spotted near the city. Then, a green light appeared above the yellow one — the Awakened group marched out on a mission.
Less than ten minutes later, a series of explosions rocked the top of the cliff in front of the city. Several figures moved in the shadows, fighting off the monsters' attempts to reach the walls. It was nothing compared to the Monster Wave.
The residents watched their only defenders at work, hoping to one day achieve Zenith and become one of the Awakened.
"Maybe I'll get something during the Monster Wave? Although... No, it's too risky. I can't put my life on the line."
The color of the Thorn Spire's flash was a signal to the city's residents. There were various combinations, but everyone waited fearfully for one thing: three red flashes, which meant an imminent Monster Wave.
"Hmm?"
Garet raised an eyebrow and cast a glance behind him.
"What is that?"
A monster fell from the cliff, either from fighting another or because an Awakened hunter made a mistake and lost its prey. Not all monsters were valuable on the market, nor were all parts of those that were, but hunting rare monsters could fetch a good price.
This happened from time to time, but something caught Garet's attention when the monster's body hit the ground.
A bright light shot out, as if from a glowing core.
"Could that be the Energy Crystal?" Garet stared in disbelief at the distant, barely visible light.
But there were too many eyes in the city for it to go unnoticed for long.
At that moment, something clicked inside Garet.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward, not afraid of what might happen to him.
All exits from the city were heavily guarded and blocked, all except for the junkyard.
Garet jumped over the fence and slid down a pipe, landing on the highest pile of trash. Sure, there were still the Crawlers below, but not all monsters were equally dangerous.
The Crawlers scattered like cockroaches, frightened by the noise. Garet couldn't defeat them, but they were very timid.
Soon, after making his way through several holes in the fence and mountains of trash, Garet ended up outside the city.
Most would have decided that his actions were reckless, as a random monster lurking in the shadows could attack him, but Garet wasn't going to wait for the Monster Wave to come, which meant death.
"Either I reach Zenith now, or never!"
The Energy Crystals were very rare. They could only appear in so-called Borderline Monsters, the ones that were close to evolving to the next stage.
They could be sold for a good price or used to create equipment, but the Energy Crystals were also an excellent source of energy, meaning that even a simple person could try to reach the Zenith through them.
It is unknown if anyone else noticed this monster, but Garet had to hurry. Even if there was no one among humans as desperate as him, monsters would soon come here, wanting to absorb the energy from the crystal as well.
With a cloud of dust, Garet found himself in front of the monster, the Energy Crystal visible from its chest.
Garet reached out his hand, but at that moment, a rustling sound came from the side.
A creature with red skin stretched over a muscular body emerged from the shadows. A long tongue protruding from its mouth with crooked teeth swayed above the ground, while one black eye with a bright pupil stared intently at the young man in front of it.
Now, they were not hunter and prey, but rivals for treasure.
'Shit, it's not like the Crawlers at all, this... I have to do something!'
Faced with the fear of death, without wasting a moment, Garet ripped the Energy Crystal from the monster, raising his fist high.
The red beast lunged forward, but the process had already begun.
The energy from the crystal ran through Garet's arm in sparkling streams, showing Garet for the first time the power he could achieve if he became an Awakened.
Then, deep within his mind, a light appeared — the sunrise, with rays directed at a single point in the center.
[Contact with the energy has summoned the Dawn. Reach the Dusk through the peak urge.]
Garet's eyes flashed as he listened to the unfamiliar voice.
[Once Zenith is achieved, the Genesis Core will be created.]
Now, Garet had only two choices — die at the monster's claws or become an Awakened and change his life forever.