Kai’s heart beat faster as the two won stepped inside.
Their casual clothes, loose and soft, were a rare sight in this harsh world. They exchanged a glance, then looked at him with a hint of nervousness.
Kai froze. ’Wait... what’s with that look?’
The silence stretched, and it was awkward.
He already imagined many scenarios in his mind, and it was all spinning in the wrong direction. ’Don’t tell ... they want to sleep here? Together?’
His face heated instantly. Threeso? The thought made him choke, and he quickly shook his head, embarrassed at himself.
But then Althea broke the silence. It seed that she had already gathered enough courage.
"Kai... It’s not what you think."
Sera smiled, looking at Kai’s expression before she stepped forward. "We found sothing. Sothing hidden in this building."
Kai blinked, his embarrassnt fading into confusion. "Found... what?"
Althea took a deep breath. "When we were searching the old rooms, the ones that used to hold prisoners, we stumbled into a ssy storage area. It’s now the storage room for the extra folding bicycles you have given, but before that, we found sothing in it. There were iron ingots... or so we thought."
Kai’s confusion deepened. "Ingots? tal bars?"
Sera raised her hand. "Yes... That’s what we thought. But when we touched them... they changed."
Before Kai could ask, a blade suddenly appeared in Sera’s grip. It wasn’t glowing or ornate, but sharp and solid, about two feet long. The tal seed alive, responding to her presence.
With his Keen Senses, Kai could feel that Sera had no intention to harm him, so he didn’t overreact.
Still, he was impressed by how the blade just appeared out of nowhere!
Kai’s eyes widened. "What the hell...?"
Althea stepped forward, and another blade manifested in her hand, identical in size but slightly different in texture, as if tailored to her. "They’re not ordinary weapons. Once we touched them, they bound to us. Permanently. We can call them forth at will, but no one else can use them."
Kai stared, stunned. He had never heard of such a thing. Weapons that appeared from nothing, tied to the wielder’s body? It defied everything he knew.
Sera lowered her blade and continued. "We heard about these once, from another prisoner back when we were still locked up here. He ntioned sothing about Gene Weapons... tools forged to resonate with a survivor’s genes. They’re unlike other weapons. We heard that they amplify the wielder’s own strength, their own talent. They beco part of you."
Kai’s pulse quickened.
’Bound weapons...?’
Now, it made sense why I didn’t imdiately inform him about this.
Althea nodded. "That’s why we ca tonight. We wanted you to know before tomorrow. These blades aren’t like scavenged swords or rifles. They’re ours now, and we might be able to help when the Field Tyrants arrive."
Kai leaned back, his earlier embarrassnt replaced by awe.
"Is there more ingots?" Kai asked.
Unfortunately, the two shook their heads.
"I see... That’s fine."
The discovery of the Gene Weapon was monuntal. It was sothing that the system hadn’t even ntioned before. Even the traders, Diego and Santiago, do not have any of them.
In short, these Gene Weapons must be extrely precious. It was a pity that he could not get one for himself, but it was alright!
Kai sat back, still processing the weight of what they had revealed. It seed that their combat plan would have so changes... Though he had to test the sharpness of the blade and combat skills of these two later.
Nonetheless, the awkwardness from earlier had dissolved...
But Sera wasn’t finished. She leaned against the edge of his desk while her blade was fading back into nothingness, and gave him a sly look. "You know, Kai... if you really wanted, we could stay here tonight. Share the bed."
Kai’s heart skipped as he looked at her. "W‑what?!"
He had already seen everything from the two when they rescued them from the Sentinel. However, it was still different now...
Then, Althea chuckled... "Don’t look so nervous. We’re only teasing. Unless... you’re really interested in our bodies that beca atshields."
Kai coughed as he realized that they were just playing around...
He took a deep breath, trying to regain composure. "You two... unbelievable."
Sera laughed softly, then tilted her head. "Relax, Shelter Leader. We’re not here to steal your bed. But if you want us to keep you company, we might consider it... in exchange for sothing."
Kai narrowed his eyes. "Exchange?"
Althea stepped closer, her tone was playful. "More smoke grenades. And ammunition for our revolvers. Tomorrow’s going to be dangerous, and we’d rather not run dry when the Field Tyrants show up."
Kai exhaled, realizing their ga. They had co with nervousness, but also with a bit of teasing to lighten the tension.
"It’s fine, you can get them without offering your bodies. Those gene weapons, I hope they’ll be useful," he said, shaking his head with a faint smile. "You’ll get your grenades and ammo. But don’t think I’ll forget how you tried to ss with tonight."
Sera grinned. "Oh, we’ll make sure you rember."
Althea winked as she turned toward the door. "Sweet dreams, Kai..."
The two slipped out, leaving Kai alone with his racing thoughts.
***
The next day, the survivors gathered in the ss hall, finishing their simple breakfast of preserved rations and Aurora’s fresh sprouts.
Everyone was a bit nervous as every conversation seed subdued. Everyone knew what day it was.
Soon, the system notification arrived. The glowing text appeared before Kai and the Survivors.
[ Global Event: Field Tyrant Hunt Begins ]
[ Hostile Operation Active ]
[ Objective: Hunt or survive against newly deployed chanical Field Bosses now active across the continent.
Deploynt: Field Tyrants have begun patrolling designated zones. Each Tyrant is accompanied by Sentinel Escorts and Spyder Rangers.
Rewards: High Experience Points, Rare Loot Drops, Survivor’s dals, Gene Enhancent Materials, and more.
Warning: Field Tyrants are unique boss‑class constructs. Each possesses specialized combat procedures and devastating area attacks. Survivors are advised to form hunting parties before engaging. ]
[ Special Notice: Gene Traders have been sighted in random locations. Survivor’s dals may be exchanged for Gene Skills, Enhancent Serums, or rare genetic resources. ]
[ Countdown: Event duration: 10 days. Survive until the end or claim victory through successful hunts. ]
User Comments
0 comments from readers