章 37: Mobile Base

John didn't know had long it had been, but the air was colder and darkness enveloped his surroundings. He rose up to his feet and walked over a window to survey the eerie streets.

There was nothing, as he expected. A monster or two could be seen prowling, looking for prey, but there wasn't a single human soul in sight. He had enough time to recover and so, it was time to do what he came here for, to figure out what that device was.

He took himself to the stairs once more and climbed to the third floor. Trashed furniture and shattered glass littered the third floor. It would be an arduous process to look for that device if it weren't for the ominous crimson glow seeping out of that one room.

He sauntered towards the red light and as he reached the room, he was greeted by what looked like a high-tech, alien altar. There was a sizable red orb at the top, but nothing seemed functional about it. It looked like a decoration.

He took a closer look at the device, but as always, John wasn't one to overthink. Drawn towards the red orb, he placed his hand on it.

The device whirred, emitting that humming noise he had heard before. The building began to shake violently as pieces of the ceiling dropped to the floor and the walls crumbled.

John's eyes narrowed at the projected list, mind racing to decipher its meaning. It appeared to be construction materials that could be harvested from the structure itself.

Steel beams salvaged from the internal structural supports, providing a robust foundation for fortifications. Glass panes from the countless shattered windows. Transparency to monitor surroundings. Wiring and electrical components inside walls. Power systems for security and gear. Concrete and plaster from demolished interior walls. Raw materials for new ones. Office furniture made of metal and wood. Salvage for makeshift armour and weapons. Ceiling tiles and insulation. Components for soundproofing sensitive areas.

The possibilities dawned on John. This device could recycle the entire building into resources. The projection implied that these resources could be reused. The device had the capacity to recycle materials and build things. His pulse quickened at the realisation. He could create whatever he wanted. Defensible walls and lookout points. Booby traps and hidden access routes. This office skeleton could be transformed into a fortress.

John allowed himself a grin despite the tremors. With a functioning headquarters, his capabilities would expand enormously. No longer entirely nomadic, he could centralize supplies and operations. A permanent bastion of safety and power.

The shakes subsided as the device finished its analysis. John placed his hand back on the orb, ready to explore the device's capabilities. The first step in seizing control of his destiny was at hand.

However, there was one problem. The location wasn't ideal. They were too close to Theodore and most of the resources will be claimed by Theodore and his men. But as if reacting to John's thoughts, the device reacted. It began to pulsate with a crimson glow and shake with force.

John took a step back unconsciously, and just as he did, the device vanished right in front of his eyes.

"Huh?" He muttered as he stared blankly at the now empty space. There wasn't any proof of the device's existence. John felt cheated. All this power and potential. Just where the hell was it? But as his mind raced, a low humming sound resonated behind him.

John spun on himself like a whirlwind, gripping his Venomlash tight. He swung a mighty arc towards the direction of the sound and he saw a sphere of light dancing in the air, but it disappeared right before John could touch it. As he slashed at the air, he lost balance and fell flat to the floor.

He lifted himself up and observed the sphere. It simply hovered in the air. John's curiosity was piqued. He trod slowly towards the sphere and reached for it with his hand, but as soon as he did, the sphere seeped into his skin, disappearing seconds later.

As the sphere vanished, John understood. That energy was the device and it could transform to migrate to another location. John smirked, his problems had been solved as if by art of magic. Maybe there was a higher being looking out for him, John thought.

He would look for a suitable location, soon. For now, he needed to have a conversation with Maria. He walked down the stairs of the half-recycled building. It was a truly bizarre sight. Parts of the walls were missing and the windows had holes in them. The power of this device was unfathomable, but John wouldn't worry about the inner workings of such a powerful thing. He just had to make use of it.

He broke into a sprint as he reached the streets. He turned around a corner and two goblins lunged at him through a shop's glass wall. He disposed of them with precise swings of his Venomlash.

[Goblin Killed]

[0.2 Strength Obtained]

As he continued his trip to Maria's shelter, he was stopped by monsters time and time again. First, it was a Razorlin, but he was used to killing them by now and he had grown stronger. Another one of those pesky rat-like beings had tried sneak up on him from a derelict car, but John's swift reactions ensured a more one-sided encounter.

Two times he had been ambushed by monsters. He welcomed the experience, but ambushes could prove problematic. He stopped near a rundown convenience store and materialised a dark, long coat. The coat's texture felt like leather on the fingers, but John could tell it was something else. He donned the coat and his figure blurred with the surroundings. It wasn't enough to make him invisible, but he would be as inconspicuous as possible when combined with his quiet steps.

As John's figure blurred through the desolate streets, Maria's shelter was having its own troubles. Somehow, monsters had sneaked inside the bunker...