The Craftsman's Touch (3)
While the train barreled toward its destination, I lounged on the plush sofa, scrolling through the comments on the quest I'd accepted on my smartphone.
"As expected... tons of interest..."
A quest issued directly by a constellation. With generous rewards and a provocative title, it was no surprise the views were exploding. Dozens of comments were piling up in real-time below the post, turning the thread into utter chaos.
"Everyone's really fired up..."
Some jockeying to claim the rewards for themselves, others warning it might be a dangerous trap, and even a few just curious about the booze. They were all showing interest in their own ways.
I'd just about finished reading through them all when—
Boom!
"Whoa?!"
A massive impact rocked the entire train. Emergency brakes kicked in, and inertia flung my upper body forward. Already half-reclined on the sofa, I tumbled off and hit the floor with a thud.
"Ow... what the hell? What's going on—"
I scrambled up and rushed to the front window of car 1. Peering outside, I sucked in a sharp breath.
"What... the fuck is this?"
That comment in the gallery warning it seemed fishy flashed in my mind. Yeah, I figured something like this might happen eventually.
"The tracks—"
The rails and the asphalt road beside them were torn up and flipped over. It looked like several bombs had gone off. What the hell had happened around here? In other areas, it was just abandoned cars on roads, maybe some fallen street trees or lampposts at worst. This place looked like a war zone.
"We were almost there..."
With the tracks wrecked, the train couldn't go any further. I could repair them bit by bit with Repair, but that'd take longer than just walking.
"Tch..."
I clicked my tongue, furrowing my brow. The brewery restaurant wasn't far, walkable distance. But stepping out right away gave me pause.
"What's out there?"
This wasn't monster work. At least a boss mob, or maybe people?
I summoned the recon drone waiting behind me.
"Scout the area for monsters or people, and if you can, head to that restaurant from the post too."
Whirr!
The drone nodded its lens at my command and slipped silently out of the train, soaring into the sky. I figured I'd be using the new spear I'd made right away.
"Haa, let's assess first."
I pulled up the live feed and audio from the recon drone on the cockpit monitor and settled in to watch.
First thing that caught my eye on screen: monsters roaming the wasteland.
I spotted them quicker than expected.
"Zombies...? No, why are they that fast?"
Definitely zombies with rotting flesh, but not the shambling ones I'd seen before. These had gleaming eyes and were sprinting at track-star speeds like maniacs.
"Huh?"
And there was a group of humans being chased by those ferocious runners.
"Fuck! We're all dead!!"
"How are those muscle-shredded freaks so fast?!"
Shouts of desperation carried over the feed. A man thrust both hands toward the zombie horde, unleashing a head-sized fireball.
Kaboom!
It hit the ground, erupting in a crimson pillar of flame that not only obliterated the pursuing zombies but blew out the outer wall of a nearby shop building.
"...Suck, that's it, huh...?"
Truth be told, the sprinting zombies puzzled me at first. Threatening, sure, but they didn't seem capable of demolishing tracks and flipping roads. That fireball, though? Yeah, I could guess the culprit.
"...What, again?"
Panning the screen further revealed another survivor group. A burly guy at the front swung a car door like a massive club—crunch! Zombies split in half, carving deep gashes into the asphalt.
Watching the fight, realization hit me, and I let out a hollow chuckle.
"Those busted tracks and terrain... the perps are..."
Awakened drawn by the rewards had turned the landscape to rubble battling zombies. These awakeners were on another level from any I'd seen before. The combat-skilled ones from those posts—probably folks like this.
"Lots of competition."
I clicked my tongue and shut off the monitor. Sightseeing wouldn't cut it; someone else would snag the reward. Good thing the recon drone had spotted the restaurant. Closer than I thought—explains the nearby groups.
"Recon drone, stop area scouting. Guide us straight to the restaurant from here."
It dove from the sky to the train door at my call. I gripped my new spear tight and stepped out. Flanking me: enlarged combat and sniper drones in guard formation.
"Hoo... let's do this."
I glanced between the spear in my hand and the hovering drones, murmuring. Following the recon drone, I disembarked.
Thud! Boom!
"Ugh..."
Outside, the noise I'd blocked hit like a wave. Thanks to other parties blasting skills and drawing aggro, I had a relatively clear path. The drone plotted the shortest route around zombies, leading us through empty alleys. We reached the restaurant in a blink.
Couldn't dodge them all, though.
"Ugh, bunch clustered here."
Right at the front shutter: over a dozen zombies pounding away. Eager to test my new spear, I tightened my grip.
But before I could lunge—
Whirr! Rat-tat-tat!
The combat drone rocketed up behind me, unleashing rifle fire mercilessly. The upgraded firepower exceeded expectations. Zombie heads burst like watermelons, reduced to gray smoke in seconds.
"Whoa..."
I fidgeted awkwardly with the spear, tension feeling silly now.
"...Ah, one left at least."
The last zombie charged me late. I thrust the spear—shunk!
"...Huh?"
No resistance at my fingertips. The spear pierced the thick zombie skull like soft tofu, smooth and effortless. Penetration was listed as good, but this good?
"...Now this is worth clearing that mid-grade dungeon."
Grinning, I withdrew the spear and cautiously knocked on the shutter.
"Hello? Came from the gallery. Open up, please."
"...What'd she say?"
"Zombie noise?"
"No! She says she saw the gallery post..."
"Really?! Open it quick!"
Muffled voices inside. Soon, clattering as they cleared stuff, then the shutter rose. The inner door cracked open.
Seeing my armed drones through the gap, a haggard middle-aged woman collapsed in relief, flinging the door wide.
"Oh god... the constellation sent you. Thank you... thank you so much, miss."
Tears welling, she hustled me inside. The place was a mess, like a family mid-move. Originally a family-run spot, they'd survived post-apocalypse by brewing with leftover ingredients and selling via the gallery exchange.
Then caught HammerWarrior's eye, leading to this rescue post.
In the kitchen, an argument raged.
"Dad! How are we carrying all these heavy bottles?! Life first—ditch 'em and pack light!"
"Yeah, just grab the basics and go. Look, she's here now..."
College-aged son and daughter with backpacks yelled, but apron-clad dad clutched a box of precious glass bottles stubbornly.
"No way! This booze is our lifeline—how can we leave it?! Thanks to it, we've earned points and survived!"
"We can make more!"
"You know how long that takes?!"
That the booze that made the constellation offer a skill enhancement scroll? How insanely good was it?
Eyes curious on the bottles amid the family spat, the mom guiding me tsked and shook her head.
"...Don't get your hopes up. It's not some amazing stuff."
"Huh? ...But the constellation was desperate for it?"
She scowled like it was ridiculous.
"Insanely high proof, and one sip hits you with a hangover like your head's split by an axe the next day. It's rotgut your dad stubbornly revived from some discontinued recipe..."
"...Pardon?"
Some backstory there; she muttered with pursed lips. Dazed, I stared at the brown glass bottles the man hugged so dearly.