Hiba scratched his head in bewilderment. "But you said i got more strong... But still don't surpass you?" he muttered, perplexed.
Avanz adjusted his glasses coolly. "Well, your potential is planetary-level. Train properly, and you might surpass me," he replied flatly. He continued, "More importantly... We need a way to reach outer space. One option is posting a job request on the work board." He stroked his chin thoughtfully before turning to walk out of the forest.
Hiba hurried after him. "Work board?"
"Yep. It's a board in the city center where you can list jobs with specific rewards... Basically the opposite of quest boards in games, where players get tasks from NPCs." They strolled toward downtown Trillion under a gentle morning sun, birdsong trailing behind them.
---
In the eastern district of Trillion stood Liveretue Orphanage-a grand structure of polished teak wood painted in muted grays and blues. Inside lived eleven children cared for by mechanical guardians programmed for household chores.
A golden-haired girl with shimmering amber eyes sat alone on a bench, her face shadowed with gloom as she read. Closing the book over her face, she sighed. "Since moving to this orphanage... I've had no friends. Not that I blame anyone but myself..." Her voice trembled with guilt.
"I'm Aurum Luxika. I used to live at Jaya Wijaya Orphanage... until I was falsely accused of stealing 5 billion rupiah. But it wasn't me!" She clenched the book until its cover bent.
Footsteps approached. "Thud, thud." Aurum looked up to see a tall boy with dark green hair and snake-like violet eyes smiling down at her. "Hi! I'm Clarke Miffty," he said, waving. "You've been alone too long. Wanna join us?" He thumbed toward a table where five other kids chatted.
Aurum's eyes lit up. "R-really? You'd want me...?" she stammered, nervous. Clarke patted her head gently. "Of course." Blushing, Aurum took his hand and let him lead her to the group.
The children welcomed her warmly. Laughter and camaraderie melted her anxieties. I hope this friendship isn't another lie, she thought, a small smile breaking through.
As they talked, a wheeled robot clattered over, placing teacups on the table. Clarke lifted his cup delicately. "Hey, ever heard about the amulet hidden in the basement here?" he whispered, eyes gleaming.
The group froze. "Amulet? The artifact that can awaken Arsene?" asked a spiky-haired boy.
Clarke grinned. "Yep. With it, we could do anything-help people, gain power..." His gaze turned sly. "...or even control the world."
Aurum stared at him earnestly. "You'd choose to do good, right?"
Clarke's smile softened. "Naturally."
---
That night, the children sneaked into the basement after deactivating the robots. Clarke pried open an ancient box, unleashing a blinding light. Inside lay a radiant amulet, its diamond-shaped pendant glowing ominously.
The group formed a circle as Clarke channeled Ren-life energy-into the artifact. Chains of light erupted, flooding the room with violent hues. The ground quaked; walls cracked.
One by one, the children collapsed. Beth, a boy with wild yellow hair, clutched his chest after two pulses. Nuue, a blue-haired girl, and Eleph, a red-haired boy, crumpled after four. Only Aurum remained standing, dozens of lights swirling within her.
"Stop! You'll drain your Ren!" Clarke shouted, panicked.
Aurum slumped, sweat-drenched but calm. "I don't feel tired... just... ancestral voices in my mind."
Clarke stared in awe. "Unbelievable. Are you even human?" He laughed bitterly before raising his arms triumphantly. "With this power, we'll control the extraterrestrials manipulating humanity-their forced breeding, their experiments for new energy!"
Aurum frowned. "Control them? I thought we wanted a better life..."
Clarke's eyes hardened. "This is for better human life. Those creatures use humans as slave, doing sex for make a newborn baby that have power source that mixed with two power source, that made new power source. We'll end their tyranny, and show them what human potency really is."
-To Be Continued-