The Steel Armor Shelter was buzzing. The name "B Dollar" was on everyone's lips, but while the crowds looked for a hero, Sohan was looking for a partner.
Sohan found him near the edge of the martial arena—a man who looked ordinary but moved with the grace of a predator. Han Sen.
"You're wasting your time hunting Copper-Toothed beasts," Sohan said, his voice cutting through the noise.
Han Sen didn't turn around, but his hand tightened on his bow. "And you're wasting your breath. I work alone."
"I'm not offering a friendship, Han Sen. I'm offering a location," Sohan stepped forward, his Gene Control subtly masking his Sacred-Blood aura so only Han Sen could feel the faint, dangerous pressure. "There's a Mutant Sand-Crawler nesting in the Red Ravine. It's too fast for a lone archer to pin down, but with my team flushing it out, it's a guaranteed kill. 50/50 split. No questions asked."
Han Sen finally turned, his eyes narrowing. He looked at the four "newbies" standing behind Sohan—Lokesh, Isha, Kiran, and Varun. They looked weak, but their eyes were different. They were calm.
"Why me?" Han Sen asked.
"Because you know the value of silence," Sohan replied. "And because I know you're four months ahead of the curve. You want the genes; I want the experience for my team."
After a long silence, Han Sen nodded. "One hunt. If they slow me down, I leave them for the vultures."
"Fair enough," Sohan said, a thin smile playing on his lips.
As they marched toward the gates, a loud, mocking laugh erupted from the balcony above. Hu Yaxuan (Son of Heaven) stood there, surrounded by his sycophants.
"Look at this! The slum-rat and the beggar-archer are playing house," Hu Yaxuan jeered. "Sohan, did you forget to pay your protection tax this week? Or do I need to break your legs to remind you?"
Sohan didn't even look up. He continued checking Lokesh's armor straps.
"Ignore the barking, Lokesh," Sohan said calmly. "A lion doesn't turn around when a small dog barks."
The shelter went dead silent. No one talked to the Son of Heaven like that. Hu Yaxuan's face turned a deep, ugly red. "You're dead, Sohan! You hear me? Don't bother coming back to this shelter!"
Sohan walked through the gates without a backward glance. He had a Mutant beast to hunt, and his Sacred Alien Bee was humming in his Soul Sea, hungry for the energy of the kill.