Gallery Lord (1)
We hurried our steps to escape the horde of zombies chasing us. Sure, I'd smashed up that section of the tracks, but it was just one stretch. A short detour around it brought us right back to where the rails continued unbroken.
I arrived and casually extended my hand to summon the train.
"Alright, everyone, hop on."
Kuung! The summoned train landed perfectly on the empty tracks with a heavy vibration.
"Wha..."
"A train... it's a train, but..."
The family gaped as the train materialized out of thin air. They froze at the sight of its spiked exterior and mounted turrets, looking intimidated.
"W-We have to ride this train...?"
"It's scary..."
"Looks brutal on the outside, but it's cozy inside. Come on, get in quick—zombies could catch up any second."
I urged the stiff family along and opened the passenger car door. With a soft psshh, the door slid open, revealing the luxurious interior bathed in warm, comfortable lighting.
"Huh? The inside is actually..."
"Whoa..."
"Pretty nice...?"
Gasps of admiration escaped their lips as they took in the plush seats and carpeted floors—so different from the train's menacing shell. They'd probably braced themselves for rattling in a truck bed or endless walking day and night. Compared to that, my train's interior seemed like a dream.
They filed in slowly.
"Oh... this is really nice."
"Just set your bags anywhere comfortable, and water's in the back."
"Whew..."
They sank cautiously into the soft seats, sighing with relief. Meanwhile, the father kept scanning anxiously for his booze crates.
"My liquor..."
Weeing—thunk.
Just then, the combat drone carrying the luggage set the crate of glass bottles lightly on the empty seat right beside him. Only then did the father hug it like a long-lost treasure, looking like he'd conquered the world.
"...Hmph."
I glanced at the mother across from me. With the booze crate hogging the spot where the couple should sit side by side, I worried she might be upset. But she looked relieved, sinking deep into her seat with a carefree expression.
"Ahh, no boozy hubby next to me—bliss."
"Mom! People are right here..."
Her teasing remark broke the ice; the tense son and daughter finally burst into laughter. Up close, it was clear they'd suffered surrounded by zombies for ages—dark circles ringed their eyes.
"Thank you so much, miss. But... where are we headed now?"
I smiled at the mother's question.
"Yeouido Safe Zone. In this mess, nowhere's safer."
From what I'd glimpsed, it really was secure. High population density, plenty of awakeners, and infrastructure starting to stabilize. Plus, with credits, you could improve your quality of life—perfect for this family.
They'll rack up credits fast.
They'd already won over one constellation; if it was dangling skill enhancement tickets as rewards, credits would be a breeze.
And heading to Yeouido served a second purpose.
While I'm there, I'll scout deeper with the recon drone.
I wanted to peek inside, spot awakeners, and eavesdrop on those politicians' talk. The siblings were there anyway, so it made sense. My recon drone's silent flight and bugging features made it ideal.
"Make yourselves comfy, then. We'll depart soon."
"Okay."
"Haven't slept without worry in forever."
I returned to the cab of car 1 and pushed the lever forward.
As before, we arrived smoothly at Singil Station, and the train glided to a gentle stop.
"We're here."
"...Huh?"
"Ah, oof... overslept..."
Free from zombies at last, the family must've relaxed—the whole lot snored away, mouths agape in identical poses. I hated to wake them right away, so I paused midway to farm crates with the drone. But their exhaustion ran deep; even at Singil, no one stirred.
As they carefully disembarked with their precious booze crates, the soldiers I'd met before approached first this time.
"Ah, you're back! Glad you're safe."
"More survivors this time..."
When I explained I'd brought people for the safe zone, they bowed politely, saying we'd worked hard, and radioed for escorts.
But the soldiers kept glancing behind me—into empty air.
What're they staring at?
I turned. Their eyes fixed on the combat drone and sniper drone hovering there. I'd forgotten to stand them down, so they'd trailed me naturally as escorts.
Eh, no need to hide 'em.
One soldier cleared his throat, face flushed, and mustered courage.
"Um... if it's not too much trouble, could we take a photo?"
"Sure? Yeah, go ahead."
I smiled awkwardly and stepped aside. Honestly, for a split second, I'd thought they wanted a pic with me. But their gazes locked on the drones.
They do look badass.
Straight out of an SF flick—killer robot vibes.
As I scratched my cheek and moved, a message popped up in the air.
'HammerWarrior' is deeply moved by how perfectly you protected their brewmaster and booze!
Transaction complete. Rewards granted.
Additional reward granted.
"Oh..."
As I read the messages, items rained down from the air: skill enhancement tickets and 10 mid-grade mana stones. That was the promised reward. Then, finally, a black orb a bit bigger than a bowling ball popped out—
Kuung! It crashed onto the platform with a thunderous boom, the vibration tingling up to my toes.
"Wh-What was that...?"
"Bowling ball...?"
The restaurant family and soldiers jumped, scanning warily around me.
"Ah, uh... just trade rewards dropping. Combat drone! Sniper drone! Get these into the train."
The drones, striking poses for the soldiers' photos, scampered over at my command, scooping up the bowling-ball item and mana stones with their mechanical arms.
"Ah..."
"Should've taken more pics..."
Deep sighs and regrets escaped the phone-wielding soldiers as the drones vanished inside.
Soon, escorts arrived, and the restaurant family bowed repeatedly in farewell.
"Thank you so much."
"...Especially, take this..."
"Ah..."
I accepted a bottle of brown liquor. Didn't need it... but couldn't refuse.
Satisfaction fulfilled.
Turrets and passenger car modifications unlocked.
Confirming the family safely inside the zone, I boarded car 1 with light steps. Solid rewards and satisfaction secured—time for purpose two.
I parked the train a bit away from Singil Station. Yeouido was distant, but post-upgrade, the recon drone could handle long-range solo flights.
"Recon drone."
I called it.
"Silent flight mode on, max altitude. Scout Yeouido Safe Zone stealthily. I'll command details from the cab."
The drone blinked its lens and slipped out soundlessly. The cab monitor lit up with live Yeouido footage. It weaved through tree leaves and building shadows undetected.
"Survivors are piling up."
"Houses are still standing, at least..."
"Man... how many people used to cram in here—"
No one noticed the drone overhead. I wanted key Yeouido intel—especially politicians discussing awakeners or the zone. Plan: bug high-rises and guarded buildings' windows. Gut feeling said big talks happened there.
The drone neared a slightly open window on the first high-rise; clear voices from a meeting room filtered in.
"Awakeners guarding the zone say dungeons and city monsters are getting stronger lately."
"True. Low-grade mana stones popping up more in the exchange... things are turning serious."
I knew about rising dungeon difficulty and monster evolution. Worth pondering later, but other info first.
"Next spot."
The drone pivoted smoothly to a high terrace on another building. Two suited men smoked, chatting.
"How's the assemblyman's thing going?"
"Bought an item with a tracker from the exchange. Should trace it soon."
That snippet jolted me bolt upright in the cab chair.
Assemblyman? Tracker?
Politicians? I ordered the drone closer.
"'Soon'? You bought the tracked item—send people now that we have the location."
"Well... rough location pinged, but it's far and high-risk. Needs awakener teamwork, and you know they're not cooperating with us lately."
"Damn... headache."
I heard the man irritably grinding out his cigarette. Frowning in the cab, unease flickered.
Made them buy a tracked item from the exchange?
If these were politician goons, target was probably Signal with the gallery skill. Past rumors matched. They'd hidden a tracker in something and baited Signal into buying it.
I fired a warning message to Signal. Might need to ask location and go protect them.