Broken Anomaly

Your weapon had been enhanced!

Enhancement detected. Replacing.

Your weapon had been enhanced!

Your weapon now has a slight chance of doing twice the damage!

“Guess that answers one question,” Eric muttered, with a hint of disappointment. “But how do I test this?”

For the past few days, Eric had been running the weapon enhancement dungeon, pushing himself just to earn the reward once more.

That meant that he also had to clear every other dungeon that was nearby, just in case they drew the attention of another monster or another horde of giant rats, further slowing the process.

He wasn't doing it out of necessity but out of sheer curiosity. He wanted to see how the dungeon would interact with a previously enhanced weapon. Now, he had his answer. The old enhancement had been wiped away, replaced by a new, random one.

Eric had considered that that was a possibility, but he really wanted for the previous enhancement to be strengthened. He had no particular interest in the previous enhancement, he just wanted to see the limits of cumulative effects.

“Oh well, time to head back,” he said, his voice relaxed despite the mild frustration. “But before that, I need to find something to carry all this in,” he added as he looked at two shopping carts full of stuff.

If Eric had continued to clear new dungeons, then he would have probably been able to fill multiple carts with rewards. But since he had decided to return to Solace and become stronger back there, he was more than ready to leave days ago.

The only thing that had kept him here was his desire to get the enhancement dungeon reward once more. It was only due to his bad luck that he had lasted this long without getting the reward again. The only good thing that had occurred while he waited for the dungeon reward, was that two of his titles were strengthened in the process.

Solo delver (E): You have cleared all the monsters in a dungeon by yourself. Your progress in dungeons receives a moderate boost. Can be strengthened.

Dungeon runner (E): You have cleared the same dungeon multiple times. You have a moderate chance of earning the dungeon reward. Can be strengthened.

----------

Nobody really had the opportunity to pick their clothes. Most of the clothes that they were using were taken from the lockers, some from the cars in the parking lot, and lastly, some from the littered bodies across the school campus and forest.

The choices of the people from Solace had been limited, and very few people had even bothered to look at the System store. They already knew it would be far too expensive.

So, it came as a real surprise to both Stella and Marcus, that upon their arrival at the gym, now a makeshift cemetery, most people had found something black to wear. It was by no means formal attire, most just wearing a black t-shirt, but it was still astounding.

Stella and Marcus had no problem spending credits on clothes, not because they had an excess of them, but because they considered that the occasion was worth it.

There was also the fact that if either of them really wanted to, they could go out and kill monsters far faster than anyone else currently in Solace, quickly recouping whatever they spent on the clothes.

Though Marcus would have to make a bit of extra effort to find the right monsters, so that he could really shine with his current weapons.

From within the forest, toward the direction of the center of Solace, came six people. They were holding a roughly made coffin, the fruits of the carpenters’ efforts to make usable boards.

To the left was Lydia at the front, holding the coffin. Her face showed clear sorrow, though it wasn’t personal, it was just sorrow at the loss of another human being.

Behind Lydia was Connor, with his usual face that never failed to mask his emotions. Due to the height difference, he was using a piece of cloth to hold the coffin, so that it wouldn’t burden the rest.

On the right was Sam, he was also trying to keep a stoic expression, but he failed, ultimately, his face was a combination of both Lydia’s and Connor’s. Behind Sam was a man that neither Stella nor Marcus had ever seen.

“Friend of the dead?” Marcus asked in a hushed tone.

“Deceased,” Stella said, correcting him, “it sounds better, and I guess he is. But I don’t know, it’s not like visited her every day.”

“So those two are her kids, right?” Marcus asked, pointing at the two children, leading the coffin bearers.

“It would appear so. Now shush,” Stella said, pressing her index finger against her lips.

The two children that they spoke about, were actually entering their teenage years, something easily notice by visual inspection alone. A boy about half a head smaller than Marcus and a slightly shorter girl beside him. They both had platinum blond hair and clear blue eyes.

As Stella watched the kids guide their deceased mother and approach the hole in the ground, where she would be put to rest, her mind kept wandering. She couldn’t help but to think what her friends would say or do in this situation.

Anna would probably be right beside them right now, though she would’ve helped dig the hole. She might’ve even made it on her own, Stella thought, a smile spreading across her face.

Alex would probably be helping with the coffin, and if had the time, he would’ve probably cleared the forest, making the journey far easier. Stella’s smile remained, but then it cracked a bit.

Eric could definitely say something stupid, something that would somehow lessen the moment. But other than that, he would’ve probably helped both Anna and Alex, maybe he would've also done some things himself without anyone knowing.

As Stella let herself be taken by the silence and solemness of the event, it was suddenly broken. “Probably German, right? Maybe Slavic,” a voice said from beside her. “Or just one of the European countries that nobody knows, right?”

Stella recognized the voice, and before she let herself respond instinctively, she remembered where she was and calmly answered. “Have a little respect, will you?” she said as she slowly turned to find Eric eating a pint of melted ice cream.

Eric turned to her a bit amused, he knew exactly why she was like this, she was expecting him to say something that would somehow ruin the moment. He let out a light chuckle. “No, we’re at funeral, have some respect,” he said a bit playfully. “I’ll explain it to you later, but I mean it in a literal way,” he added, his tone conveying some seriousness.

Her curiosity piqued, she raised an eyebrow, but before she could open her mouth, Eric spoke once more.

“Who died anyway?” he asked with a whisper, trying to be respectful, though the way he continued eating his melted ice cream made it hard to take his efforts seriously.

Stella, used to his behavior, answered normally. “Lily Abrahms. She was the first to accept the citizen invitation, remember?”

Eric stopped eating his ice cream for a second and then nodded slightly.

Stella continued, her voice softening. “Apparently, she had been sick since before the System arrived. Yesterday, she just... didn’t wake up.”

“Didn’t leveling up help?” Eric asked, his brow furrowing slightly. “Just investing a couple levels in vitality should have at least made her last a little bit longer, right?”

Stella shook her head. “She never leveled up. She only ran until she got here, and after that, she didn’t do anything that gave her experience.”

Eric paused, his plastic spoon sinking into his ice cream. “Didn’t they have a quest for getting here? And for that matter, don’t a bunch of things give experience, like cooking sewing and the like?”

“Only Lydia and Connor got a quest,” Stella replied, her tone turning serious. “No one else got one. As for why she didn’t get experience from anything else.” She shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Now, silence.”

----------

The funeral was really short. Nobody said anything, as nobody really knew the woman. Her kids were young, and they were uncomfortable with the situation as a whole, so they also didn’t say anything.

The man that helped carry the coffin turned out to be no one special, just someone that was nearby and wanted to help.

Some part of the children was thankful that the people of their new home did all of this for their mother, but another part of them thought differently.

They knew that the only reason they had gone so far was because they owed her their lives. Without her, nobody would’ve known where they were, and most of them would’ve died while unconscious.

Thoughts beyond their control began to pop up in their minds. However, there was nothing dark or sinister behind their origin, they were just normal thoughts for a teenager to have, especially in their situation. The thoughts went to extremes as they didn’t know how to process what was going on.

As everyone began to leave, the girl’s hand curled into a fist. A fist, that while small, was the only thing she could do to show her anger to the world.

She had always known that her mother might die, they had already talked about it more than once. But with her arrival at Solace and seeing everyone doing things that could easily be considered miracles, it gave her some hope.

She had even been one of the few who had seen the people fighting the trolls, though her vision was blurry at the time. With clenched teeth, she was ready to make a vow between herself and the world. “I will—”

“So dramatic,” someone from behind said, interrupting her. The casual tone of the voice served to deny her conviction. “I don’t think I was like you when I was your age. Was I?” the speaker said, turning to another.

The girl turned and recognized Stella, she had seen her around, and people said she was the mayor. The one who had spoken and was eating ice cream, however, was a man she didn’t recognize.

Stella’s expression hardened as she smacked the speaker on the back. “They just buried their mother. Have some respect,” Stella said in a serious tone.

Unfazed by Stella’s tone and words, the strange man inched the pint of ice cream toward the siblings. “Ice cream?” the speaker asked. “No? All mine then,” the speaker quickly added, not really allowing them to answer as he downed all the remaining ice cream in one gulp.

“Name’s Eric, what’s yours?” the speaker asked, looking directly at the girl, somehow knowing that she was the one that usually talked between the two siblings.

The girl glared at Eric, unsure how to respond, and turned her gaze toward Stella, as if seeking approval. Stella noticed and just nodded back.

“Sofie and he’s Jasper,” Sofie said, with as much confidence as she could muster, which wasn’t much.

“See, Jasper is totally a foreign name,” Eric said, turning to Stella, only to be met with an expression that said, “Are you kidding me right now?”

Stella took a deep breath because what followed was nothing but her explaining what would happen going forward. Her tone was gentle but firm. It was as much for them as it was for her.

The first thing they needed to know was that they would be relocated to the same place as the other children who had lost their parents. The personal cabin that their mother was using was actually one ready for demolition and had only been left for last as a gesture. But now the time had come to tear it down.

Eric walked forward and lowered himself on one knee. “A reward for your mother did,” he said casually, giving both of the children some credits. “Don’t spend it all in one place—or do, I don’t care,” he added with a shrug.

Stella hadn’t asked how much he gave them, and Eric playfully told her it was a secret, he even asked the children to keep it between them.

Eric’s actions alleviated her a bit. Stella knew she had to do this so that there were no problems down the line. It hurt her when she had to look directly at the faces of the children she had to break the news to.

----------

As the trio of friends walked back, Eric broke the silence, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “Am I the only the only one who thought about our parents?”

Stella’s face shifted a bit, a tinge of sorrow appearing. “No, no you weren’t,” she said, the corners of her mouth shaking a bit. “At least both of our parents are still alive.”

“Fair,” Eric said, his expression now changing to fit his tone. “Think they’ll come here?”

“If we do as well as we hope, then I don’t see how they won’t,” Stella said as she gained control of her expression once more. “For all their faults, they were really good at their jobs. Your parents are probably thriving.”

“Yeah,” was the only word that left Eric’s mouth.

Marcus had been a silent observer since Eric’s casual return during the funeral. He remained silent as both Eric and Stella talked to the children, letting them handle everything.

For all his injuries and constant visits to the hospital, Marcus found it difficult to connect with others over death. He could process it internally, but expressing that connection outwardly was a different challenge. That’s why he had stepped back, allowing the other two to handle the situation.

However, as soon as they were far enough from the others, the atmosphere shifted between Eric and Stella.

Now he was hearing something he rarely did; Eric and Stella talking about their parents. He guessed that the only person who might know more than he did was Anna, but even then, he wasn’t sure.

He knew at least one of the faults Stella was referring to, maybe even two. But the way they spoke about their parents made him curious. What kind of job could they have had that would allow Eric’s parents to thrive so well? And how can they be so sure that both of their parents alive. There wasn’t even a hint of doubt in their words. The questions gnawed at him.

----------

Somewhere deep within the southern continent, were two figures stood back-to-back, wide grins etched across their faces.

Before them, the sandy desert had become a graveyard, littered with the corpses of monsters, humans, and other beings, proof of their ability to wreck chaos. Death was their calling, and the world had finally allowed them to be free.

Behind the duo, a small group cleaned up the stragglers.