19 Choosing the Nexus

Walking in the pouring rain, Adam returned home. His plans to take a stroll around the Third Ring had been ruined not only by the bad weather but also by a strange man who had mysteriously appeared and disappeared just as much.

'Wilfred... Apparently, he knows that I was left out of the Morton Observatory test, but nothing more. Black Swan... I'll have to find out about that as well as the Lower Ring, where the hell is it?' Adam pondered with a grimace before opening the door.

Citadel F1 was divided into many sectors, it was the place to find everything or more. Everyone knew about the slums, Third Ring, Second Ring, and First Ring. Each of these four zones was smaller and richer than the previous one, but Adam only now recognized that there was another Ring.

"Brother! You're back!" Trici exclaimed joyfully, rushing over to Adam.

His little sister's smile was enough to free his mind from all the heavy thoughts and focus on something important - family.

"Hey, how's it going? Are you getting used to your new room yet?" Adam, with a happy face, mussed Trici's hair.

"Ughum! By the way, thank Silvana from me again..." Trici shyly said.

"Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow.

"She gave me a VR headset, there are so many interesting games on there! I can't stop playing them!"

'Well, well, first a constructor, now something bigger, right? Knowing Silvana, it's unlikely she did it for nothing though... the important thing is to keep Trici happy.' 

At the same moment, a tall silhouette emerged from the kitchen.

"Oh, Adam, you've recovered so quickly, I can tell you're my son!" Leona exclaimed vigorously, clenching her fist.

Adam's face twisted as Leona held a cleaver covered in blood, her white chef's apron looked like a butcher's, and it was all emphasized by her smirk.

"I take it we have meat for dinner tonight, hah, in the slums, we could only dream of such a thing." Adam scratched the back of his head.

"Not just meat! Also, shrimp! Everything just the way you like it!" Leona uttered before returning to the kitchen.

'Silvana... Damn, you really are omnipresent.' Adam thought.

Leona, as his mother, knew what Adam's favorite foods were, but when they lived in the slums they had only eaten meat a few times, shrimp was out of the question. So, only one person could tell about it so quickly.

After dinner, Adam headed to his room, sat down at his PC, and began searching for what he wanted to know about.

He spent a few hours mulling over the Nexus, just as Silvana had said it was the choice of a lifetime.

'I don't need a weapon... a shield either, maybe a coat?' Adam pondered, scrolling through dozens of photos of various Nexuses.

Then, he shook his head.

'No, I have to think not about what I want or what would look cool, but what might be useful.' Adam leaned back in his chair.

He stared at the ceiling for a long time, remembering all his battles, against Silver Weaver, against the Lizards, against Living Strings, and of course against Prime Stone Goliath. Then, his eyes went wide as he had an idea.

"Right! That's what I need... but, I need Silvana's help, she's probably asleep by now... though it's still worth writing." Adam muttered before sending Silvana a few messages.

It was already very late, and even he was getting sleepy. After all, he had been resting in the hospital for most of the day, and he was a Phantom, which meant he could sleep a few hours less than a normal person.

Adam stretched, about to sink into bed, but as soon as he stood up from his chair he got a response from Silvana.

"Holy shit...? Is she even asleep?" Adam tilted his head in shock, "Is she definitely human? Maybe she's actually a robot?"

...

After a hard workout, Adam and Silvana sat together at a cafe known for its wide selection of steaks.

Silvana ordered only a cup of coffee and dessert, while Adam destroyed one steak after another. Not only because he was hungry, but also because he had the opportunity. He had more meat on his plate now than he'd eaten in a year. That kind of thing couldn't be more gratifying. 

"Are you sure this is the kind of Nexus you want?" Silvana asked with a serious expression. Holograms with various articles and Nexuses floated in front of her. 

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem?"

"No. Honestly, I'm a little surprised. Obviously, I've been thinking about what kind of Nexus would be good for you, too, and I was going to give you my options. Well, you've exceeded expectations. It's not a weapon, has no flaws, emphasizes your Order, and still gives you what you, so desperately need. I'm just concerned that you made this choice in just one day." 

Adam shrugged nonchalantly.

"It just means I'll get my Nexus sooner and can spend a few days practicing."

Silvana nodded, took the cup in her hand, and took a short sip.

"By the way. Silvana, do you know anything about Black Swan?" Adam asked, shoving down a piece of meat.

"Hmm? Since when did you become interested in birds? Black Swans are a rare species of swan, and there are only a few dozen of them living in the Citadel, under protection." Silvana replied, slightly puzzled.

Adam waved his hand, "I'm not talking about a bird, but some group, gang, or organization, I'm not exactly sure. Here, look at this."

Adam pulled out a black card, placed it on the table.

In a heartbeat, Silvana's eyes went wide, she quickly closed the card, hiding it under her palm.

"Who the hell gave you this?"

"If I'm not mistaken that man's name was Wilfred. Although it might not have been him, this man suggested I visit the Black Swan, and it seems to be in some Lower Ring." Adam replied calmly, not taking the situation as seriously as Silvana, though she had her reasons. 

Silvana's face went pale. It was the first time Adam had ever seen such an expression on her face, he even lost his appetite.

Then, Silvana paid the bill through her tablet and quickly headed for the exit.

"Come on. This is not the place to talk about it."

Adam hurriedly, finishing the last bite followed her.

'She paid for me? Hah, that's nicer than I expected.' Adam thought.

While Silvana's worry was growing, Adam was thinking about other things altogether.

...

With the lights dimmed, surrounded by monitors, Adam sat across from Silvana at her home.

"Adam, what do you know about the Citadel? Don't take my words as rude, but it's pretty hard to get an education in the slums."

"Well... I only know about the walls, the Three Rings, the slums, and the observatories. I think everyone even an infant knows that. Although, becoming a Phantom has broadened my knowledge a bit." Adam replied quietly.

Silvana sighed heavily.

"In that case, you are about to learn something new about our Citadel." Silvana said before snapping her fingers.

A massive 3D model of the Citadel appeared between them. If Adam wanted to, he could zoom in on a particular place and examine every neighborhood or even building that interested him.

However, Adam immediately noticed that when he reached the ground level where the high walls began, the hologram did not end. There was something else underground.

There were buildings and streets there too, but almost everything was under a veil of darkness, like a forbidden zone.

"This is the Lower Ring. I'd say it's the flip side of the coin of our Citadel. The people there don't obey the government, they're not under the control of departments or affiliated with the military, at least officially. There isn't one force that controls everything, it's all divided into areas under the influence of one of the organizations." Silvana explained in a cold voice.

"And... Black Swan is one of them." Adam muttered.

Silvana nodded deeply.

"I suggest you don't mess with them. Not that the Lower Ring is an enemy of the Citadel, but they have their own methods and rules, both in society and in fighting monsters." Silvana calmly replied, fully confident that this was the end of their conversation.

"No."

"What...?" Silvana puzzled as she looked at Adam.

She got a shocked expression, and a chill ran down her spine with natural goosebumps.

Adam's eyes seemed to swirl like merciless whirlwinds in the depths of the abyss, gathering into themselves all the darkness and misery of this world.

"I will go there, to the Lower Ring and the Black Swan."

"But... Why...?"

"Because some people are more like monsters than monsters themselves."