"Hey, you. Stop admiring your deck and get to security. Hurry!" the girl warned, her voice tight with panic as she poked me with her tongs to snap me out of it.
"Huh?" I pulled my eyes away from my cypher card and finally noticed the crowd forming around me. Their gazes were a messy blend of envy, shock, and quiet grief. A few pairs of eyes, though, were scary. Hate, madness, hostility… all aimed at me even though we were strangers. It sent a chill through me, but I understood. I'd just won a lottery they hadn't managed to win in who knows how long.
I didn't feel like I was in immediate danger, but staying here any longer would only draw more unwanted attention. The girl was right; lingering would help no one. I needed to get out—fast.
"Hurry along the fence. You might run into the guards on patrol," she advised.
I nodded at her gratefully before rushing toward the thinner part of the crowd near the fence, ignoring all the gazes, gossip, jealousy, etc. If I didn't leave now, some of them would eventually work up the nerve to act.
Luckily, the commotion had already drawn the guards. The instant they caught sight of the radiant grim cypher shining in my eyes, the armed patrol rushed over, surrounding me and guided me toward their jeep. They didn't underestimate the crowd for a second, and neither did I. Within moments, we were heading back to the Grimway Station entrance.
A contract with Grimmyth formed outside its realm was nothing short of a miracle—something people spoke about but almost no one had ever witnessed. Now that it had happened, everyone wanted answers. What had I done for Grimmyth to accept my tribute? What were they doing wrong? What made my offering different from theirs?
Those were questions the entire world desperately wanted answered, not just the crowd. I suspected even the guards were curious; instead of dropping me at the entrance and returning to their patrol, they escorted me all the way to the main control unit of the Grimway Station.
The ride there was unsettlingly quiet. I was beginning to think maybe the guards weren't attracted by the crowd, but by the light of my contract ceremony.
At first, I assumed the guards were simply being professional, but now I couldn't help wondering if we had escaped a pack of hyenas only to walk straight into a den of wolves. Still, I wasn't worried for myself. I was a Grimlock now—no ordinary civilian would dare provoke me, let alone try to harm me, unless desperation and envy drove them mad like a few of those faces in the crowd.
Before long, the guards escorted me into one of the luxurious guest rooms reserved for Grimlocks on duty. After settling me inside, they withdrew, telling me to help myself to any of the amenities for free and to remain available, as the city's leaders wished to meet me. When the door closed, only two guards remained stationed outside.
It was clear I was being held against my will—I wasn't free to leave. Realizing the situation was far beyond my strength, I had no thoughts of resisting. Instead, I looked around the room and spotted a menu on the tea table. A room-service menu.
Since everything was free, I didn't hesitate to order as much food as I wanted, along with a medic to treat my broken fingers along with my other injuries and a change of clothes. If I were going to meet the city's leaders, I needed to look presentable.
The leaders were all legendary Grimlocks with authority in F.O.E. If they wished, they could turn my life into a dream or a nightmare. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I planned to use it to my advantage.
I took a quick hot shower and changed into a bathrobe, stuffing my clothes into the laundry bag. I couldn't help but envy the Grimlocks of the City's Grimgate Garrison. They lived a life of luxury, but given that they were responsible for the safety and maintenance of the grimgate, I let out a long sigh, reminded that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
Soon, a knock sounded at the door. I hurried over, assuming it was room service bringing my food and a fresh change of clothes. Instead, it was the on-duty Grimlock medic.
"Please, come in," I said, inviting the blonde medic inside. She refused with a stern expression and, without a word, hurriedly bathed me in a mist of green light as her pupils lit up with a sapling-shaped grim cypher before turning and leaving.
I had heard that Grimlock medics could be aloof, but this felt downright rude—at least until I realized I was standing there in a bathrobe. Perhaps she had misunderstood my intentions.
I didn't dwell on it. As the green light brushed against my body and sank into me, a wave of refreshing vitality surged through my limbs. Feeling thoroughly rejuvenated, I checked my left pinky and ring fingers and found them completely healed.
Simultaneously, I received a prompt from my Grim Cypher:
[ — Fateless —
You have discovered Grim Cypher < Dendron's Descendant > and recorded it in the Fate Index.]
[ — Fate Index —
> Dendron's Descendant: As a descendant of trees, you possess an innate affinity with them. When in the presence of trees or their descendants, all bonus stats gained from grim cards are increased by twenty percent, skill effects granted by grim cards are enhanced by thirty percent, and your recovery is boosted by one hundred percent.
i) Dendron's Mercy: You can convert your gion into healing light, restoring the health of yourself and your allies.
ii) Dendron's Wrath: When facing a tree-type grimmon, all of your grim cards receive a one-hundred percent boost, and your recovery is increased by two-hundred percent.
Note:
i) The effects of Dendron's Descendant stack with the effects of Dendron's Wrath, if their conditions are met.]
"Holy shit," I exclaimed, peeking out the door, intending to clear up the misunderstanding with the medic now that I understood what she was capable of. However, she was nowhere to be seen—only the guards remained, watching me with knowing smiles.