The next morning, a faint orange sunlight struggled to pierce through the toxic smog covering the city.
Murphy led Philip out for breakfast on the rooftop of a container stack that served as the community plaza. Both held skewers of low-grade grilled meat. Below them lay 'Riverside,' or the Rust Port Slum—a massive shantytown stretching along the banks of the 'Black River.' The water was dark, oily, and foul-smelling, yet it was the only lifeline for the hundreds of thousands of refugees abandoned outside the city walls.
"See that faint shadow over there, pipsqueak?"
Murphy pointed his skewer westward. Far beyond the concrete jungle and severed highways, the Forbidden Palace loomed atop the central highland (Floating District), shrouded in mist like a ghostly memory of the past.
"That's the target. It's a three-day trek through the ruins, minimum."
Philip nodded, then sighed heavily as he watched the crowds below fighting to collect filtered water and scavenge along the muddy banks.
"It gets more crowded every day," Philip muttered. "Why do they stay? Why do we stay? This kingdom is huge. Why can't we leave?"
"And go where?" Murphy chewed his meat, gesturing to the horizon.
"North is the 'Dragon Spine Range,' mountains so high birds can't fly over them. South is the 'Raging Sea,' filled with monsters. We are trapped by nature on one side, and by the locked city gates on the other. The people here are refugees unwanted by the King and rejected by the world."
Murphy paused, his eyes hardening as he looked toward a massive structure upstream—a fortress made of reinforced shipping containers, guarded by heavily armed men.
"And right here inside the cage... we have 'Boss Kaiman' stepping on our necks," Murphy spat the name out with disgust.
"Kaiman..." Philip clenched his fist. "That tyrant with the 'Gift'. He seized all the water filtration plants and taxes us until we starve."
"Yeah... and it's not just his army of thugs. The man himself is the real deal." Murphy lowered his voice. "They call his ability 'Warlord's Physique'. He moves faster than the eye can follow, and his punches are heavy enough to tear through shipping containers like paper."
"And I heard he uses magic too?"
"Yeah, minor Pyromancy," Murphy nodded grimly. "He can conjure flames with a snap of his fingers. Anyone who fights him doesn't just get their bones pulverized by his speed and strength—they get burned alive... That's why no one dares to challenge him."
Murphy slapped a firm hand on his brother's shoulder, snapping him back to reality.
"That's why we need that King's treasure. Money is power. With enough of it, we can buy protection from the likes of Kaiman... Let's go, Philip. We need to move before the locals catch our scent."