Kiah made her way down the corridor, her thoughts still lingering on her exchange with Anwyll.
'That guy, there is more to him than meets the eye.'
Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, she hadn't decided yet.
For now, she'd keep him at arm's length. Trust wasn't something she could afford to hand out easily, especially not in a place like this.
She stopped in front of the mechanic shop and pushed the door open.
"Sir Killan?" She called out, stepping inside.
The large car that once took up most of the room was gone, leaving the space feeling more open.
"Sir Killan?!"
"Kiah?"
She turned to the sound of a low hum, the familiar whir of Killan's wheelchair. He rolled in from the hallway, eyes widening slightly as they met hers. Then his expression softened.
"I'm glad you made it, kid."
His voice filled her with warmth. The last time they'd spoken, she hadn't understood the weight behind his concern. Now she did. He'd truly thought she wouldn't return.
"I came to return your stun gun," she said, holding it out. "It helped me a lot."
Killan reached out, placing his gloved hand gently over hers instead of taking the weapon.
"It's yours now. You can keep it."
She hesitated for a second before slowly retracting it. Killan maneuvered around her, heading towards a shelf on the far wall.
"I had a feeling you'd pull through, so I asked a few folks to keep an eye out during raids. I figured you'd be needing something to keep that mind of yours busy. They managed to find some good collections."
He pulled out a small stack of books and handed them to her.
Kiah's eyes widened as she took them, fingers trailing over the covers like they were gold.
To be honest, she'd come partially to return the stun gun. But mostly, she'd hoped to find something to read again, even if it meant rereading old pages. But now? This was better than she'd imagined.
"Thank you, Killan," she said, her voice brightening. A rare grin curved her lips. "This means a lot. Can I read them here?"
"Of course." Killan nodded.
Kiah smiled and tucked herself into the corner, already flipping open the first book. There were five in total, each the size of a small novel. It wasn't big, but she hoped at least one of them held something useful.
She had a growing list of questions. What was the real motive behind the wall? The degenerates? And most especially, the evolution of humans in this world?
How durable was her body? How fast did it heal? She wanted to know everything.
The first book talked a bit about the degenerates. The first pages explained things she already knew. The fall. The irreversible mutation. The Overseer and his salvation.
Degenerates were wiped out. But after the completion of the Wall and the exodus of the elites, they came back stronger, faster, and smarter.
No one knew where they came from or what triggered the new mutations. But soon enough, they became Duskworn's greatest threat. Especially at night.
Kiah's brow furrowed.
'If the first degenerates were just mutated humans, maybe that's why they were easier to handle. But now that humans are more evolved, it makes sense that mutated versions of this era's humans were stronger.'
As she read further, the pages became more informative.
People realized that degenerates could evolve.
'A corrupted, evolving threat was the worst kind of enemy to have.'
The classification came next. Her expression grew colder.
Thrashers, low-level degenerates, the ones they faced at Rustpoint, were nothing compared to the other two ranks.
Wretches, mid-level degenerates, had armored-like skin that made them incredibly difficult to kill. Some had special abilities and were intelligent enough to coordinate attacks. They could organize Thrashers like miniature armies to hunt for humans.
And worst of all? They had sunlight resistance. They could battle from night to day, though they were relatively weaker under sunlight.
Kiah leaned back, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief.
This was worse than she thought. One Wretch was a hassle, and Duskworn was full of them.
Recalling how the degenerates at Rustpoint could withstand the sun for some minutes, it was a sign that they were starting to evolve into wretches.
They had gotten lucky. If they'd stayed a few hours more… she didn't want to think about it.
Finally, she reached the most terrifying rank. Aberrant.
Each was unique, mutated in its own unpredictable way. They could regenerate endlessly. They were often territorial and worshipped by lower tiers. They were capable of thought and speech. They could blend in with humans.
They could regenerate endlessly. Often territorial or worshiped by lower tiers. Capable of thought and even speech, making them blend perfectly with humans.
Kiah felt her stomach twist. They were on another level.
All degenerates grew stronger not through training, but by mutation and absorption. They were good copy-pasters. They could imitate skills, learn instantly, and copy tactics.
They could all turn a human into a degenerate with a bite or decide to kill them for food, depending on their mood.
'This is bad.'
She snapped the book shut as she read the last line.
"Are you okay, kid?"
She looked up. Killan was watching her with a worried frown.
She let out a sigh.
"This world is messed up."
Killan drove his chair closer.
"Ah. I see you were reading about the degenerates. Quite unfortunate creatures, don't you think?"
Kiah sat up straighter, eyeing him.
"Unfortunate?" She raised a brow.
"Yes, unfortunate. Believe it or not, every degenerate once had a family, a name, and a personality. They were someone until nature turned them into a beast."
Kiah knew that much. But that didn't excuse them for what they were now. Monsters.
"You think nature did this?" She added after a moment.
"Nature is complicated. It's a blessing, but can also be a curse when tampered with. The first wave of mutation during the fall was nature's doing. I still remember it like it was yesterday. After the second asteroid hit, people started collapsing. The fever spread. And soon, they turned and devoured their families and friends. It didn't matter if you were a commoner or noble. Everyone suffered."
Killan paused. His eyes showed that he was recalling something from the past. Something haunting.
"That's because nature doesn't discriminate."
"But after the Overseer intervened and eradicated them, there were no more degenerates for years. Not until the wall was built, and the elites left."
"Could it be that they weren't fully eradicated?" Kiah asked. "That they were just hiding?"
Killan shook his head.
"No. They were completely wiped out. I'm sure of it. What we face now is different. They look the same, but they aren't. The mutation before had no rank. They were all mindless monsters to the last one. The degenerates today seem engineered to me."
He paused, his gaze distant.
"They didn't just appear. It started with one showing up after dark, attacking stragglers on the streets. They were minor incidents at first until they blew out of proportion. That's why the REBEL was formed. But even though we haven't made real progress."
Kiah's expression turned into one of agitation.
"And why is that? You have weapons to eradicate them. Why not just kill them instead of piling them up in zones like Rustpoint for tests?"
Killan gave her a small, sad smile. His voice dropped.
"You think we haven't tried? Many of the degenerates in Rustpoint are probably Rebels who went to fight and never came back. We may have weapons, but we don't have the numbers. And the degenerates are evolving faster than we can adapt. Sending troops blindly is suicide. That's the reality."
He looked down, flexing the gloves in his hands.
"We don't want to feed the enemy. What we need is the root. If we can find what's causing the new mutation, the real source, maybe we can stop it once and for all."