The Inhabited

A Giver's Awakening in the Pit

The second episode plunges us deeper into the horrifying reality of the Pit, where Rudo finds himself after being cruelly cast down. As his body plummets, Rudo is consumed by thoughts of revenge against those who condemned him. Strangely, he survives the fall, but the environment is a living nightmare: a desolate wasteland of trash, filth, and rot, where the air is thick and suffocating, and the ground squelches beneath his feet.

A Fight for Survival and a Glimpse of Power

Before Rudo can process his new reality, monstrous creatures emerge from the garbage, charging at him with murderous intent. These grotesque beings, seemingly formed from discarded trash, relentlessly pursue him. Rudo flees in terror, realizing the toxic air is taking a toll on his body, causing him to vomit blood. Cornered and believing his end is near, Rudo's eyes fall upon a human skull, solidifying the horrifying truth: he has been cast into a literal hell.

Just as a monster lunges, a memory of his adoptive father Regto, flashes through his mind. This flicker of the past, coupled with his desire for revenge, ignites something within him. His gloves, given to him by Regto, begin to glow, and a surge of power explodes inside him. He grabs a rusty metal pipe or iron rod, vowing not to die and to take revenge on those who wronged him and murdered his father. With newfound ferocity, Rudo attacks, striking a monster so powerfully it explodes into foul, rotting filth. However, the trash beasts prove resilient, as some regenerate after being destroyed by ordinary means.

Enjin: The Mysterious Cleaner

As Rudo fights, a mysterious masked man observes him from a distance, holding an umbrella. This man, later identified as Enjin, intervenes when Rudo is overwhelmed by a colossal trash monster. Enjin unceremoniously kicks Rudo and slaps a gas mask onto his face, allowing Rudo to finally breathe clearly in the poisonous environment.

Rudo, confused and still groggy, demands answers about their location and the creatures. Enjin, growing impatient, reveals that they are not underground but still on the surface, and all the garbage they see comes from "the people from above", specifically from the Sphere. He explains that the monsters are trash beasts, attracted to noise, and cannot be killed by normal weapons.

Enjin then demonstrates his own abilities, as his umbrella transforms into a powerful weapon, glowing with golden energy. He effortlessly dispatches the trash beasts with incredible speed and power, incinerating them with precision. Rudo watches in stunned disbelief as the monsters struck by Enjin’s transformed umbrella do not regenerate; they are truly dead. Enjin then introduces himself as the Cleaners.

A Chained Journey and a Crushing Betrayal

After Enjin puts his mask back on (due to the foul air), Rudo blacks out and recalls another childhood memory of Regto, who taught him that objects could develop a soul if treated with care. Rudo awakens to find himself chained and being dragged by Enjin. Enjin calmly explains that getting back to the Sphere is impossible for now, as it's constantly moving in the sky. Despite this, Rudo fiercely declares his resolve to return to the surface and make everyone who threw him away pay. He demands Enjin tell him everything about this world and how to get back, refusing to be silenced. Enjin, seemingly intrigued, agrees to teach Rudo everything and takes him to a strange, shadowy location filled with old tools and dusty machines, then abruptly leaves him there.

Moments later, a vehicle approaches, and several masked people emerge, astonished to see Rudo, a Sphereite, alive. They feign kindness, offering to free him from his chains, making Rudo briefly believe they might be better than the people above. However, this is a cruel trick; they tighten his chains even more severely, dragging him into their truck. The men reveal their true, hateful nature: they despise the people of the Sphere for dumping their trash, poisoning their land, creating monsters, and killing their people. They plan to sell Rudo, as live Sphereites fetch a fortune, and openly discuss torturing him. They cruelly force-feed Rudo rotten garbage, mocking him for never having to eat like them.

The Giver's True Power Unleashed

In a moment of intense rage, Rudo bites into the finger of the man forcing food into his mouth, tearing flesh from bone. He declares that he's sick of people treating things—and him—like trash. As he recalls Regto's words about objects having souls, a powerful red aura erupts from his body, shattering the iron chains that bound him. Nearby objects begin to levitate. Enjin, watching from a distance, smirks, confirming his intuition about Rudo's potential.

It is revealed that Rudo is a Giver, a rare individual with the gift to awaken the soul of an object and wield its power. Rudo grabs a piece of the broken chain, which instantly twists and transforms into a deadly weapon in his hands. The terrified men attack, but Rudo, consumed by fury, fights back with overwhelming force. When they manage to knock the chain weapon away, Rudo surprises them (and Enjin) by grabbing a nearby old tire, which also instantly transforms into a new, formidable blade. This ability to imbue multiple objects with life distinguishes him, as Givers typically only use one specific object. Rudo relentlessly takes down his assailants, intending to kill the last man.

However, Enjin intervenes, stopping Rudo's rampage. Rudo, panting and exhausted, bleeding from his nose, struggles to understand what just happened, feeling his power was connected to his gloves. Enjin apologizes for the "test" and acknowledges Rudo's incredible power, so vast that his own body can barely handle it. He offers Rudo a deal: he will tell Rudo everything he wants to know about this world and his abilities, in exchange for Rudo joining his crew of Cleaners, as they desperately need someone like him. Rudo pauses, then hesitantly replies that he's not that interested in joining. And with that, the episode concludes, leaving Rudo at a crossroads in this brutal new world.