The beginning was difficult for every Awakened. Those who successfully passed the test at the Thornspire needed preparation for their new life as Awakened. They had to learn how everything worked, how to become stronger, and how to survive.
Most importantly, every new Awakened needed rest because reaching Zenith was often accompanied by stress. This was not surprising, because if your peak urge became pain or fear, your mind might not be able to withstand it without a few days of silence.
Thus, the picture Garet was seeing right now was the worst possible scenario.
Three red flashes.
The Monster Wave was approaching, and the countdown was in minutes. If the Thornspire had sounded the alarm, it meant that someone had spotted the horde of monsters from one of the watchtowers, most likely a soldier on duty.
"No, no, no!" Garet's lips trembled. "Why now?!"
Electric discharges ran through his eyes as the Genesis Core didn't want him to panic. Before taking action, he had to learn something else about himself.
[Name: Garet
Stage: First Genesis
Zenith: Crimson Blight
Grid: Initial Anchor
Dusk and Dawn: Rapture.]
That was all the information about Garet that was available to his Genesis Core. It was only the beginning, but given the situation, it could all end sooner than expected.
"Damn it! Don't try to distract me!" Garet waved his hand as he looked up.
There were only minutes left before the monsters attacked the Pit, and the first monsters may have already passed through the watchtowers.
"Right, the factory, I have to get there!" Garet exclaimed inwardly as he ran toward the city with all his might.
It seemed like the right decision would be to go to the Thornspire, since Garet was now an Awakened, but no one knew that except him. He had reached Zenith in the wild, outside the city, which was very rare.
People who didn't get the chance to take the test at Thornspire usually didn't take risks like Garet, but he simply couldn't pass up this opportunity.
Step. Step. Step.
Garet ran, looking at the bright lights, gradually approaching the junkyard.
He didn't think about it that day, but the arrival of the Monster Wave happened at the best possible time for him. Only he and the red beast were fighting for the Energy Crystal. Some people noticed the light as well, but a little later than Garet.
This slight delay caused the Monster Wave to distract everyone, plunging the city into chaos, except for Garet, who was already on his way.
Whooooosh.
"Hurry up! Everyone, gather at the entrance!" Konrad waved his arm in an attempt to control the crowd of frightened people. "If we're lucky, we'll be part of the first rescue team to the Iron Gate!"
As a guard officer, Konrad had some influence even though he was just a commoner. He couldn't get Garet out of the test at the Thornspire, but he could give people the chance to evacuate among the first, especially considering that he had connections at the Iron Gate.
Many people ran out of their homes and headed for Konrad, knowing that he could help them. But among them all, Konrad was trying to find only one person.
"Come on, Garet, where are you? You know these streets better than anyone else! How could you suddenly disappear?!"
Konrad looked at the Thornspire.
"Did you go there? Shit, they won't take you, Garet, because you're..."
Crash. Crash. Crash.
A rustling sound behind him made Konrad turn around.
The sound echoed through the iron beams, then down a hanging pipe, as a young man with deep, dark eyes appeared behind a chain-link fence.
"Kid!" Konrad exclaimed happily, waving his hand.
At that moment, his face froze. Several long arms grabbed the edges—one of the Crawlers had decided to pursue Garet.
In a hurry, Konrad reached for the revolver on his belt. Even if it was just a simple weapon and not a Catalyst, it could still be effective against the weakest monsters.
The Catalysts were rare and expensive. Usually, only the Awakened had such weapons, as only they could use them to their full power. It was all about the energy emanating from the Genesis Core.
Still, the six red, incendiary cartridges in Konrad's revolver could at least drive the Crawler away.
'Shit! Too long!'
Crash.
At the same moment, Garet spun around as his fist slammed into the monster's faceless, gray-skinned head. The blow was powerful enough to knock the Crawler back into the trash can.
"What the hell…?" Konrad blinked several times. He couldn't believe his own eyes.
"Hey! I'm here!" Garet exclaimed, waving his hand. His knuckles were scratched, the blow hadn't been easy, but he wasn't about to be intimidated by a bunch of scared scavengers.
Konrad hugged Garet, then squeezed his shoulder tightly.
"You, is it you…?"
Garet nodded as electric discharges flashed across his eyes in confirmation.
Konrad had many questions, but he understood that now was not the time for that. The situation was urgent.
"Alright, I'm happy for you. In ten minutes, we can leave the city. My friends from the Iron Gate knew that the Pit wouldn't last long, not under the Monster Wave."
Without saying a word, Garet turned east, looking at the watchtowers on both sides of the gorge.
"But can we hold out that long?"
Immediately after his words, dozens of red lights, the eyes of monsters, appeared in the darkness, knocking down the towers in their path. Explosions rang out in fiery blasts, moving in a chain from one tower to another.
It became clear to everyone in the city that it would not be five minutes before the monsters reached the walls, and the Thornspire was not strong enough to protect them.
"Mr. Konrad!"
A girl in a dark blue guard uniform ran up to them from the factory. Her light hair reached her shoulders, and her eyes were full of concern.
"Thornspire reports that the Second Manifest has been spotted among the monsters!"
Konrad's gaze darkened.
"Tsk, and this is only the beginning. That means we're no longer at Second Threat Level, but higher. Thank you, Cirka. Now we know that evacuation is the right decision."
To the sounds of approaching explosions and monster roars, Garet, Konrad, Cirka, and the people from the factory headed for the western wall of the Pit. They weren't the only ones there. Some had gone north or south, the most desperate still hoping to find shelter at the Thornspire.
Panic was growing, but hope remained, as many people were waiting for help from neighboring towns that were aware that the Pit was in the Red Zone.
"Here!" Konrad exclaimed, pointing to a row of red lights in the distance coming from the northwest. "That's our guy! Forward! We have to move now!"
Everyone followed Konrad as Garet turned back, taking one last look at the Thornspire in the distance.
Dozens of shadows climbed the tower walls, while the streets burned with fire. Those who had placed their hope in the power of the Awakened had made the wrong choice.
With sadness in his eyes, Garet turned away, clenching his fists tightly.
"I have to leave my home, and this will be the last time! I will become strong enough that I will never have to run again!"