Legendary Shadow Blacksmith

“Where… to next?”

Julian felt the cool wind brush against his face; his hand, clinging to the side of the building. His fingers dug into the concrete like it was soft clay, making him look like a dead leaf desperately swinging on a branch.

[Julian, reach to your left. There’s a solid ledge there. It’ll hold your weight.]

“Okay.” Without hesitation, Julian’s hand found the ledge. His feet followed suit, seeking out footholds on the concrete wall…and if there wasn’t, he created one.

The city of The Below sprawled beneath him, a mass of steel, neon, and chaos. The streets below were packed with people and vehicles; the sound and the constant hum of machinery, entering his ears. There was also a police drone that flew by, scanning the area for any signs of trouble on the streets… completely unaware that someone was actually scaling their buildings.

But of course, Julian was also completely unaware of them as he focused on his task at hand—getting to Ellie as fast as possible.

[Two more steps… careful, the right side is weak. You don’t want it giving out.]

Julian nodded, he could sense the fault in the wall and shifted his weight accordingly, avoiding the weak spot as MEGAN said.

[You’re almost there. One last ledge…]

And with a powerful push, Julian hoisted himself onto the rooftop, landing a little bit clumsily.

“Ho…” He crouched there for a moment, catching his breath. The wind tugged at his jacket; snapping as the dim lights of The Below reflected off his black face mask.

[You… really look like some sort of superhero right now, Julian.]

“A superhero that’s not here when needed,” Julian breathed before standing up and nodding, “Let’s… continue.”

[Julian… Uh… there’s a gap. The next building is 150 meters away.]

Julian stood up, stretching his arms. “How… far?”

[150 meters… Julian, I don’t—]

“Do you think we can make it?” Julian interrupted, his voice calm and steady. He could feel MEGAN’s hesitation, but there was no room for doubt. Not now.

[...With the feats of strength you have done so far, based on my calculations—you can reach the wall but you will start to descend—]

“Let’s do it.”

[But—]

“Just tell me where it is.”

[...Ugh.] After a pause, MEGAN relented. [It’s straight ahead. You’ll need to jump.]

Julian backed up a few steps, his breaths steady despite the challenge ahead. He couldn’t see the distance, but he didn’t need to…

…He trusted MEGAN with his life.

And without another word, Julian sprinted toward the edge of the building, each of his steps almost leaving tiny craters on the rooftop. As he reached the ledge, he pushed off with all his strength, cracking a part of the ledge as he launched himself into the air. The wind rushed past him as he soared across the gap.

[Julian!!]

And then, for a very brief second, everything seemed to hang in the air.

And then bang! His hands slammed into the side of the building.

“Kh…” His fingers dug into the concrete like claws, his body skidding down the wall from the force of the impact.

[J…Julian!]

“I… I think I got it,” Julian grunted, his shoes hissing through the surface as he slowed his descent.

[Julian!? Are you okay!?]

“I’m fine,” Julian replied, his voice calm, despite the sharp pain in his arms from the sudden stop.

[You’re… you’re insane.] MEGAN’s voice trembled, but there was also a slight hint of excitement in mixed in there, [Climb. We’re almost near the taxi.]

“Alright…” And with a grunt of effort, Julian once again climbed upward as MEGAN directed him. And very soon, Julian could hear the humming of the engines of multiple vehicles as they hovered in the air. It was fortunate for him that most vehicles were driven by AI now—if not, well, someone would have definitely spotted him.

[The taxi’s right behind you. 5 meters. Ready to land?]

“Ready,” Julian muttered, pulling himself up one last time before leaping toward the hovering vehicle… and successfully landing on the roof with a slightly hard thud.

[Passenger… detected?]The taxi’s AI chimed softly, [Opening door. Opening door.]

Julian smoothly slid down, slipping inside very carefully with MEGAN’s guidance.

[Please confirm destination.]

“Clevesky General Hospital,” Julian said as he finally allowed himself to rest as the door closed. And without even a second later, the taxi adjusted its path and took off without hesitation, zooming up toward the bright umbrella of Earth that is the Sky Net.

[Julian… are you okay?] MEGAN asked softly, her voice calmer now.

“I’ll… be fine once we get to Ellie.” Julian muttered.

***

“Ellie Summers. Where is she!?”

“W…What!? What!?” The receptionist, a woman, could not help but gasp as Julian just suddenly emerged like a ghost; his fingers, slightly leaving hints of blood on the counter between them,

“Do… do you need medical attention, Sir!?”

“No, Ellie Summers. I received a call that she was rushed here 3 hours and 11 minutes ago!”

“T…that… “ The receptionist slightly hesitated, but upon seeing the frantic expression on Julian’s face, she quickly checked on her terminal. "She’s…in the ICU. Room 232. Second floor."

[Let’s go!]

“Thank you!” Julian quickly moved toward the elevator, feeling its vibrations as the doors opened. Every second felt like an eternity while he was inside the cold box; his hand that was now holding the cane, slightly trembling.

[You’re… almost there. Right in front of you now.]

“Wait… wait…” When they reached the door, Julian paused for just a second. How could he not, when he could hear the rhythmic beep of medical equipment getting louder? But soon… he had to open it.

[Julian…] MEGAN’s voice softened, [I… I’m not sure how to tell you this.]

As he entered the room, the steady hum of machines greeted him even louder. He could hear them—and all sorts of images entered his mind.

He knows what a dead body looks like now. Does… Ellie look anything close to them?

“Ellie…?” His steps withered as he neared the bed, his fingers brushing the cool metal railing that now caged Ellie. He reached out very carefully, afraid he might touch something he shouldn’t—and soon, he touched her skin. It was cold… but he could hear her breathe.

[Julian… she’s hooked up to a lot of machines…] MEGAN’s voice wavered, unsure of how much to say. She didn’t really want to say anything, but Julian… Julian deserved to know the truth.

“Good… evening,” A man in a white coat entered the room, the sound of his shoes soft but distinct on the hospital floor. “Are you the emergency contact for Ellie Summers?”

Julian quickly turned his shoulder toward the direction of the voice. “Yes.”

“She is…” The doctor paused for a moment as he realized Julian was blind. But after a few breaths, he spoke.

“She’s in stable condition now, but when the responders found her, she was in critical shape. We’re unsure how long she had been like this before help arrived. Her…vital signs are steady, but it’s hard to say when she’ll regain consciousness.”

Julian gripped his cane tighter, his knuckles white. “Will she… wake up?”

“She… should,” The doctor hesitated. “She is out of the woods now, but her mind needs plenty of time to heal.”

“What… happened to her?” Julian’s breath trembled as he gently held Ellie’s hand.

“We’re not sure,” the doctor sighed, “but according to her bruises, wounds, and broken bones… she was most likely beaten.”

“B…broken bones?” A weird breath escaped Julian’s lips, “What…”

"We have reconstructed and regenerated everything, you do not have to worry," the doctor reassured Julian, "As I said, she just needs time to wake up. I’ll… leave you with her for now.”

“O…okay.” Julian nodded, his voice almost cracking. He didn’t respond further as the doctor left the room, leaving him alone with MEGAN and the breathing of the ventilator.

He stood there, frozen, his hand still holding Ellie’s. MEGAN also stared at Ellie, offering Julian the peace he needed right now.

This silence, however, caused Julian’s mind to race—was this happening because of him? Because of Artemia?

“Hm…” His grip tightened on his cane, the anger and guilt swirling inside him; his thoughts, completely in turmoil.

But before he could completely let the guilt overwhelm him, the door creaked open again, and several sets of footsteps entered the room—heavier, unlike the doctor’s.

[Julian…] MEGAN whispered as Julian turned his head so she could see who entered. [There are multiple people coming in. They’re not doctors… and they’re wearing suits.]

“Wearing… suits?”

[Julian, these guys… they don’t look like good news.] MEGAN’s voice rang in his ear, filled with concern. [I’ve never seen them before. I don’t think they’re here for a visit.]

Julian remained silent as the men stopped just a few steps behind him. He could hear the faint sound of leather shoes scuffing the floor and the low murmur of whispered conversation.

“You must be him,” a man’s voice broke the silence, low and laced with arrogance, "The retard."

Julian didn’t completely turn around. He remained beside Ellie, still holding her hand.

“Who… are you?” Julian asked.

“Oh, we’re just here to finalize business,” the man said smoothly. “I think your girlfriend here forgot to tell you about us. We’re from a little company Ms. Summers here had some… dealings with.”

“...Dealings?” Julian gently let go of Ellie’s hand as he felt the apprehension in the man’s voice, “What kind of dealings?”

“Well, let’s just say she borrowed something and forgot to pay up,” the man slightly chuckled, “Nothing serious, you know.”

Julian’s grip on his cane tightened. “What are you talking about? She borrowed something?”

“Oh, Ellie borrowed quite a bit of money from us,” the man continued. The other people aside from him, also started to chuckle for no reason at all, “She took out a loan, and… well, it’s gotta be paid back. And we did some little digging, I hope you don’t mind…

…and it turns out she’s borrowing money for her retarded boyfriend. You. I didn't even know people like you still existed, Rejects of Humanity.”

[Julian, your heart rate is elevating.] MEGAN calmly whispered in his mind, [And you're not a retard, Julian. You're... special. A Savant. Don't be affected by their words.]

Julian’s breath hitched as soon as he heard that. He wasn't really hearing MEGAN.

Of course… Of course.

Ellie… she had been taking care of him, paying for everything, and he hadn’t even noticed. How… just how stupid could he actually be?

Stupid. So fucking stupid.

She had always been there for him, supporting him, making sure he had everything he needed—his hobbies, their food, all of it… all the expenses. MEGAN also goes through professional routine maintenance—that costs a lot of money.

And he had been too blind to see what she was going through, literally and figuratively.

“I…” Julian swallowed hard, his voice shaking with guilt, “...I didn’t know any of this.”

“Well… now you do.” The man stepped closer, his shoes clicking against the floor as he moved. “And since you’re the emergency contact, that makes you her guardian. Which means… you get to pay her debts. Fun, fun, fun… fun.”

“How much... is it? I will pay for the—Wait…” Julian asked quietly; his voice trembling again, “...You did this to her."

“No, we’re not monsters…” The loan shark chuckled again. “She just… tripped, you know? Maybe this is just bad luck. Maybe it’s something else. Who knows?”

This wasn't the doing of the Master of Shadows. It wasn't Artemia. Not at all. This had been going on for far longer than when he even first wore the LinkGear.

This was his fault... and theirs.

“Oh…” The room felt colder suddenly, and the quiet beeping of the machines seemed louder than before in Julian’s ears. Everything suddenly felt… so small.

“Oh…” Julian repeated as he started walking away from Ellie and toward the door.

“Pft…” One of the loan sharks snorted. “Where are you even going? Are you really going to abandon your girl like that?”

[Julian, I know what you are about to do. Don’t…] MEGAN’s voice was soft but firm as she saw Julian standing by the door. [I know you are angry, I am too… But there is a better way to deal with this.]

“I’m sure there is…” Julian whispered as his lips trembled. He couldn’t let this slide. Not after what they did to Ellie, “...How many of them are there?”

“What… what are you doing?” The loan shark took a step closer, letting out a soft chuckle as he saw Julian turn toward them again. “What’s the plan, tough guy? You’re blind. You gonna—!!!”

Suddenly, Julian’s cane lashed out, hitting the man square in the jaw… completely dislocating it and causing him to instantly faint there and then.

“What the—”

The others barely had time to react before Julian was on them. His movements were swift and deadly, his cane striking with precision. One after another, the loan sharks fell back, groaning in pain as Julian delivered blow after blow, his anger fueling his strength.

“You people…” Julian bared his teeth.

[Julian…] MEGAN wanted to say something—but in truth, she also wanted these men to pay. And so—

[—moving from your left right now. He is enhanced with cyberware.]

The man enhanced with cyberware lunged at Julian. The sound of his enhanced parts filled the room as his claws aimed straight for Julian’s chest.

“W…what the!?” But Julian barely flinched. He shifted to the side, dodging the strike effortlessly as the claws scraped against the wall, throwing sparks, “I thought this man was blind!?”

"You have enhancements…?" Julian’s voice turned even more gritty, “And you… you beat Ellie?”

“Shut up!” The loan shark snarled, throwing another punch, this time with inhuman speed. His fist tore through the air like a bullet… but Julian caught it with ease.

“Hm…” The impact sent vibrations up Julian’s arm, but the only thing he did was let his trembling breaths escape his lips again.

“H…how are you… You also have cyberware installed!?” The thug’s eyes widened in disbelief, “How are you doing—Argh!”

And without a word, Julian twisted the man’s arm backward with a sickening crack, forcing him to his knees.

“Kh—” The thug continued to cry out in pain, but Julian wasn’t done. He brought his cane down with a brutal swing, smashing it across the thug’s head. The blow knocked him out cold in a single strike, sending him crumpling to the floor.

“Ho…” Julian straightened up, his breath calm, his grip on the cane still firm.

The room fell silent. The other loan sharks, who had been so smug a moment ago, now stared at him in shock and fear.

“E… enough!” one of them gasped, holding up his hands in surrender. “You win, alright? Just… just let us go.”

Julian stood over them, breathing heavily, his cane held tight in his hand. This wasn’t enough, not at all. He should kill them, hurt them for what they did.

[Julian, listen. Let them go. They’re not worth it. You’re better than this.] MEGAN hurried, [And Julian, it wasn’t only them who put Ellie on that bed… you did too.]

Julian’s grip on his cane loosened as soon as he heard that.

The loan sharks scrambled to their feet as they saw this, backing away quickly.

“This isn’t over, you hear me?” one of them spat. “Our… our company is well-connected. You mess with us, and you’ll have a whole army on your—”

And without even letting them speak, Julian approached all of them and started tapping their bodies. They wondered what Julian was doing at first, but then he pulled out all their IDs.

“MEGAN, scan their faces. And memorize their IDs.”

[I already have, Julian. I have found their social media and cross-referenced all of it to know where they live. They are very active. All of them are also working for a company called Chow Chow Fried Rice—most likely a front. They are not legal and would probably not be able to report what happened here.]

“I know where you live now…” Julian let out a small but very deep sigh, “I know where your women are, your mother, your daughters… If you try anything… I’ll find you…and I’ll find them.”

“W…what!?”

The loan sharks froze as they all looked at Julian’s mechanical eyes. They knew what MEGAN was, and they knew what the AI was capable of. They knew that Julian wasn’t bluffing.

“What… what are we even going to say to our boss!?”

“You figure that out,” Julian started walking back to Ellie, “And if your boss wants to come after someone, I live in Park House suites. Unit 1506.”

Without another word, they just left the room, the door closing violently behind them.

[That was incredibly stupid, Julian—you should not have told them where you live.]

“They clearly know who I am, MEGAN. They even know about my... condition. That means they probably already know where I live too,” Julian sighed as he stood beside Ellie’s bed, “And I won’t even be there… I’ll stay by Ellie’s side until she wakes up."

[What is happening with you, Julian?] MEGAN's words stretched, [Ever since you started the Otherworld, it's like you're becoming a different person. Please, I believe you've been gifted power for a reason... don't use it for something bad again.]

"Maybe this is just who I am, MEGAN..." Julian gently held Ellie's hand, "...Maybe I'm just meant to hurt people. I've already killed people in Artemia, real people. And I don't... I don't even feel guilty about it anymore."

[Stop being so pathetic. They tried to kill you first, Julian.]

"It... doesn't matter, does it?" Julian sighed, "I still killed them, in cold blood. And if this was Artemia, I would have... I would have probably hurt them... I would have probably killed those men too. I know, MEGAN, I know I'm stupid. I know I don't know a lot of things, but I know this...

...this power I gained, I am going to use it to protect the people I love. Ellie, You.”

But he didn't. He had failed Ellie—again. And now, he had to make things right.

[Julian…] MEGAN’s voice was soft, almost apologetic. But soon, it turned almost mechanical. [...We need money. Real money. And if those loan sharks come again, I don’t like you using violence again. I… have a proposal I wish to discuss with you to solve our current predicament.]

“What… is it?”

[There’s a way to help her, Julian. I’ve been receiving notifications from your followers in Artemia. They’ve been wanting to donate to you, to send gifts—but your gifting option is still locked.]

“Donations...”

[Yes. But it won't be enough. And there’s something else.] MEGAN hesitated for a moment before continuing. [You can ask Humanity Engineering to activate a live chat in Otherworld. You could… see what they’re saying about you in real-time. I was thinking about this…

…but I could also leave you messages—of course, I won’t make it obvious that I personally know you. There is also the issue that you do not know how to read, we need to work on that.]

“There’s…” Julian hummed, “...something like that?”

[Do you remember the streamer who approached you? It was mentioned by him—and I searched it up, and I searched him up too, Julian…] MEGAN continued, [...And he makes Newbies like you famous. We need him.]

“Hm…”

[…And there’s an unknown number that has been calling us ever since you got off Otherworld—I think it’s him, Julian. I have searched him up too and found him. He has connections with Humanity Engineering, it’s possible he got your number from them.]

“Hm…” Julian was quiet for a moment, thinking. Then, finally, he nodded. “Check if it’s him. And if it is… set up a meeting. And MEGAN, search everything about the Master of Shadows or anything that might be related to it after you're done with that.”

[Got it, Julian…

…I’ll handle everything. Just stay with Ellie for now.]