New Safe Zone (2)
After diligently going back and forth between the train and the liquor store twice, I finally managed to sweep up all the booze the two constellations had demanded. Just in case, I warned the kids to be careful. They absolutely couldn't drink any of it by mistake.
With the wall on one side now solidly stocked with liquor behind me, I pulled out the worn book I'd gotten from the counter just moments ago and appraised it.
◈ Upon use, acquire Elf Language and Dwarf Language skills at Lv.1
"A set item..." Was it fate, or a gift from the constellations? It was just the thing to give me the Elf Language skill. And since it was marked (1), there were probably others out there too.
The usage was straightforward. As soon as I opened the first page, the book dissolved into light and seeped into me. Foreign knowledge flooded into my mind.
Elf Language Lv.1 acquired
Dwarf Language Lv.1 acquired
Since it was only Lv.1, it was just basic stuff like simple greetings or yes/no responses etched into my brain.
"...Ah, uh."
...I understood it in my head, but the pronunciation wouldn't come out right. All that emerged from my mouth was the voice of someone with a headache. I'd probably need some practice with the sounds.
Once I got the hang of it, would I be the first to hold a conversation with an elf? I calmed myself down and headed back to the cab of car 1.
'Check the cameras first.'
I turned on the monitor and switched the recon drone's view to the elf.
The elf on screen was hopping lightly from rooftop to rooftop with a pleased gait. Looking closer, she was harvesting usable branches and oddly shaped fruits from the massive green trees that had sprouted through the rooftops around her.
'Those fruits look pretty unique.'
If it wasn't something I just didn't know about, they were probably not native to Earth. I hadn't had time to look around when the monsters were chasing her earlier, but those dungeon-break trees had fruits hanging sporadically from them.
'She's harvesting them so carefully, so they must be edible?'
Confirming the elf was safely going about her business, I switched the camera to the nine survivors.
They seemed busy in their own way. The screen lit up to show the nine catching their breath, slumped on the ground after what looked like a fierce battle with monsters. Corpses littered the area around them.
After a short breather, they grabbed their weapons and started diligently clearing inside and around the building.
Their base was none other than a large bank building at the street corner intersection.
"...Not a bad spot."
Being at the corner gave them a wide field of view, and as a big bank, the building itself looked fortified for security. Thick glass, sturdy double iron shutters, and even fire doors visible inside the shutters. Spacious enough for multiple people, with plenty of separated rooms like consultation offices and break rooms—perfect for storage or dividing up for sleep.
Thankfully, both the elf and the nine survivors were safely continuing their survival efforts.
But then, after roughly tidying the bank interior and sitting in a circle on the floor, they all pulled out their smartphones in unison, as if on cue, and started tapping away furiously.
"Huh? Suddenly checking the gallery?"
Smartphones right after catching their breath? Curious, I logged into the Survivor Gallery to see what they were up to.
The moment I opened it, there was a post pinned at the very top. The title screamed that it was from the nine.
Elf present within 2km radius.
Magic Girl present (might be a guy).
Watched dungeon break live.
Numerous low-grade+ monsters nearby.
Safe zone made entirely of gallery dwellers online 9+ hours a day.
Base is a bank—experience what it's like to rob one.
Many thanks in advance.
"..."
They'd barely cleared the bank before posting a promo for their safe zone on the gallery. Sure, nine people might make it feel a bit shaky as a safe zone, so advertising made sense...
"They're quick on the draw..."
I closed the gallery promo window and decided to head to the bank with the nine first.
To be precise, they'd contacted me first via the gallery's messaging.
As I was reading the post and chuckling wryly, a notification pinged. It was a request to take them to a specific spot for some items needed to build their safe zone. In exchange, they'd give me all the mana stones and monster byproducts they'd gathered while clearing it out.
It wasn't a tough ask compared to the reward, so I accepted. Plus, I was curious to see how they'd band together to build a safe zone.
I stopped the train on the tracks as close to the bank as possible and got off.
"They've cleaned it up nicely."
There was some distance from the tracks to the bank, but no monster encounters on the way. They'd been thorough.
I stood in front of the bank and cautiously knocked on the door. The shutter rose immediately, as if they'd been waiting, and two people emerged from inside dragging large bags and a handcart.
"You're here. We've been waiting."
"Somehow..."
"Pardon?"
With the interior cleaning and perimeter sweep not fully done, they couldn't spare more manpower, so just two were coming aboard. A tall tattooed woman and a burly, relatively tall man.
Seeing those two hauling huge bags and a cart made them look like they'd just robbed the place.
We headed straight to the train. But once aboard, the pair's vibe was odd. I got them sitting apart since they weren't close, but I could see the guy glancing nervously at the woman.
When the tattooed woman casually raised her hand to brush back her messy hair, the man—two cars away on the sofa—turtled his neck in like a scared turtle.
'What the hell happened between them?'
Something during monster cleanup? I asked about the request to jog my memory.
"You wanted to go to the nearby big mart, right?"
"Yes."
The man nodded. A big mart. I tilted my head.
"Most stuff there would've been looted ages ago..."
He shook his head at my words.
"We're after things people probably overlooked."
"Like?"
"Bed sheets, blankets, pillows—bedding stuff. Glue, tape... and a ton of long hoses."
Blankets and tape made sense for sleeping or barricades, but hoses?
"What for the hoses?"
The tattooed woman flatly spread her palm. A gust stirred indoors. My bangs lifted with a whoosh. The wind flowed from her fingertips.
The man explained, eyeing her.
"Connect long hoses and use this wind to easily pull water from distant tanks into the bank. All sorts of uses."
"Ah, got it."
By the time we finished talking, the train reached tracks with a clear view of the mart. From afar, the entrance was smashed glass and scattered carts—looted to hell, as expected.
"We're here. Entrance looks rough—"
As I peered out and went to open car 3's door, it happened.
"Hold up."
My icy tone froze their rising movements. I squinted at the distant mart. A silhouette flickered past.
"...People inside."
Not one or two. Easily over five silhouettes on the first floor alone. Thought it'd be looted, not occupied.
I switched to the train's camera in the cab, zoomed in. Crude weapons of steel pipes and beast bones, wielded by robed figures. Creepy vibe.
"..."
"Hmm..."
Delivering the news, the tattooed woman gripped her machete handle. The man looked conflicted.
"...Maybe we can talk them down?"
"...Hmm."
Their ragged robes and bone clubs looked sketchy, but we could try talking. We were outnumbered a bit, but our gear and power edged them out if it came to blows.
We decided to at least attempt dialogue. Humans wouldn't attack on sight, right? Fully prepped, we approached with the golem and drone in tow.
One robed man approached me with a friendly smile.
"Well, hello... Nice to meet you."
A bespectacled guy in robes. What was with the robes and bone clubs? Uniform?
"Need something from the mart?"
"Yes."
He asked like he knew already. Well, survivors come for stuff.
"Bedding, tape, that sort. Got anything you need? We could trade."
"Haha, we have extras. Happy to give 'em."
Good news. But he eyed us three and said,
"You all have such fine faces."
'Yours look like shit.' The retort rose to my lips, but I swallowed it, forcing a smile.
"Oh, thanks."
His eyes glinted oddly, then he got to the point.
"Care to hear about the great Kim Ohson Leader, come to save this ruined world?"
"..."
We three stared blankly. Cult vibes, hardcore fanatic.
No hesitation, I shut it down cold.
"No thanks."
The air shifted suddenly.