**Chapter 9: Beginnings**
1015 Words
The countless nocturnal creatures finally retreated into silence just before dawn.
Arthur opened his eyes, his golden pupil emitting a faint light that swept coldly over the chaotic world like a precision scanner. Finding no immediate danger, the glow gradually faded.
The horizon began to brighten, but the sun did not pierce the oppressive sky. Heavy clouds hung low, stifling the atmosphere.
Radiation clouds gathered overhead, threatening acid rain. Arthur tilted his face upward, studying the ominous formations. He doubted it would rain, but he wasn’t confident. A misstep in such weather could be fatal.
Rain in the Age of the Cactus was nothing like the poetic showers of the Rose Era. Only the strong or extraordinarily resilient could endure its devastation. Arthur had once witnessed a man struggle through the rain, only to collapse and die just as he reached the base’s shelter.
“Susan, wake up! Stop sleeping like the dead—it’s not safe!” Arthur called, irritation creeping into his voice as he glanced at the seemingly lifeless girl beside him.
“Just a little longer...” Susan mumbled, turning over and wrapping her arm around Arthur’s neck. Her full chest pressed firmly against his abdomen.
Two soft mounds pushed against him without reservation, making it nearly impossible for him to resist. Her warm breath teased his neck, tormenting a man who hadn’t touched a woman in half a year.
Arthur wore only a black tank top, and Susan’s casual embrace sent heat coursing through him, as if his body had turned into boiling water.
Looking down, he caught a clear view of the enticing curve beneath her bustier. The deep valley below was almost hypnotizing.
“Damn it!” Arthur shut his eyes tightly and turned his head away, trying to quell the temptation. He knew better than to act on impulse—especially in a place crawling with deadly creatures. Getting caught mid-act by a predator would be far too ironic.
But denying himself entirely? That didn’t seem fair either.
Arthur turned back, his gaze fixed on the enticing view. His fingers twitched, cracking audibly as his resolve wavered.
The sky remained dark as Arthur closed his eyes again, savoring the moment. Slowly, he extended his hand toward the inviting softness—
“Smack!”
A sharp slap echoed. Susan’s furious blue eyes glared at him, practically ablaze.
Arthur, resembling a chastised bear, looked both pale and flushed, his face an awkward mess of emotions.
“Hmph!” Susan, her golden curls bouncing, pounced on Arthur like a wild beast, pinning him beneath her.
Her body was feverishly warm, her cheeks flushed. She hastily fumbled with his pants, leaving Arthur stunned. He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“Wait! Stop, Susan! Not here—it’s not safe!” Arthur protested, on the verge of tears.
Susan, however, was unrelenting. Her determination, coupled with their current surroundings, made the situation farcical.
Realizing he had no choice, Arthur groaned, mustered his strength, and hoisted Susan onto his broad shoulder. Her protests and wriggling were futile against his grip.
“Where are we going?” Susan asked, her voice losing its edge as her enthusiasm waned. She adjusted her disheveled posture and cast a greedy glance at Arthur’s exposed muscles beneath his tank top.
Arthur glanced at the ominous radiation clouds before tapping his pocket, where his green card lay. His decision made, he said, “We’re heading west. I’ve heard there’s a large company out there. We can take on some missions and survive. I’ve still got fifty thousand left. We’ll stop at a supply station along the way and restock.”
“Fine by me. Just protect me, okay?” Susan replied, her golden hair catching the wind like a banner of allure. Her lithe figure exuded a seductive charm that could drive any man wild.
Arthur’s physique, while not as massive as some towering black men, was defined and powerful. His rugged musculature radiated explosive strength, like a dormant giant waiting for the right moment to awaken.
“Let’s go.” Arthur slung his katana over his back, securing it with a white cloth strap. He rubbed his hands together and began to move.
Susan followed, her tight black pants torn in a few places, accentuating her wild beauty. The tight leather clung to her hips, radiating an irresistible allure.
The desert stretched endlessly, its barrenness a result of nuclear devastation. The Earth’s flora, fauna, and humanity had mutated, with some changes proving fatal while others granted enhanced survival capabilities.
The soil had lost its moisture, rivers were saturated with radiation, and even the clouds carried radioactive particles. The Earth’s crust shifted chaotically, disrupting plate tectonics and altering vegetation patterns. Green leaves had turned red, their color unchanging through every season.
Amid this desolation, a four-story-tall mutated mushroom served as a haven for animals seeking refuge from acid rain.
Though acid rain did not fall as expected, Arthur and Susan spent two days and nights traversing the desert, their hunger gnawing at them. Finally, they stumbled upon a human settlement.
Smaller than S187 Base, this independent enclave bore no allegiance to any system. Above its black iron gate, an arched sign read “Barreno Military District” in elegant script.
Two shadows appeared on the horizon, moving swiftly like leopards. A sentry atop the gate raised his high-powered binoculars, observing the approaching figures.
A man and a woman advanced toward the base, unarmed but not unthreatening. The binoculars lingered on the katana strapped to the man’s back and the solid black rod the woman carried.
Satisfied they posed no immediate danger, the sentry allowed himself a longer glance at the woman’s lithe waist and ample chest.
Suddenly, the girl mimed a gun with her fingers, aiming directly at the sentry. She mouthed “bang,” her expression playful yet chilling.
The sentry felt as though a real bullet had struck him. Cold sweat drenched his body, his muscles aching as he wiped his brow.
“What a terrifying woman,” he muttered, his voice trembling.
- Writer
