Capítulo 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]
[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...
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Anaesthetic_Dawn What, you thought I was gonna turn the device into a l*li? Think again!
Capítulo 38: Juggernaut
The old textile plant and its surroundings were what citizens would describe as sinister. Abandoned and cut off from the rest of the city, it rarely saw any visitors. Passing by was like walking through a ghost town where the only sounds were the eerie symphony of critters.
But today was different.
Contrary to its usual silence, the area echoed with muffled screams, crashing, and clanking; a dissonant escort for the chaotic tableau.
A solid thud on the cold, concrete street marked John's entrance. He strained as he tried to peer further into the abandoned cityscape. The upper floors of the old textile plant loomed, but everything else was engulfed within the unsettling embrace of a chilling mist.
The mist hung thick, blurring and obscuring; it was a a deathly mystery, as if it held the forbidden in its grasp. Figures moved in the mist, forms changing. Unknowable.
John walked into the haunting blanket as it eddied around him and separated him from the world beyond. The mist clung to him, he felt his skin and clothes dampening and he wondered if the mist was really natural, but he couldn't wonder for long. Swift, rhythmic thuds echoed through the streets, growing louder by the second. John felt the vibrations on the floor growing and he brandish his Venomlash.
John's muscles tensed, radiating a cerulean glow as the thunderous footsteps closed in. With lightning reflexes, he dodged to the right in a dash, narrowly avoiding the colossal figure's charging bulk. The ground shook from the force of the creature's charge, leaving cracks in the concrete.
Recovering with the agility of a true rogue, John swung his Venomlash at the behemoth's limb. The blade cut through flesh with a satisfying _schtick_, spewing dark ichor as the creature roared in pain. It stumbled but didn't fall.
John shifted his stance and delivered a powerful kick to the creature's knee, trying to topple it. The massive leg wavered but held firm, showcasing the monster's sheer resilience.
The creature retaliated with a sweeping punch, but John danced back with razor-thin precision, dodging the impending blow.
With the eerie mist swirling, John activated his Shockwave skill, propelling himself into the air, then gracefully landing behind the creature. He moved like a shadow, hidden by his camouflage coat, circling his colossal foe.
He pressed his back against a crumbling brick wall, peering around the corner, keeping an eye on the colossal figure. As the creature scanned the mist, he spotted a stack of discarded metal crates nearby.
In a swift, crouched dash, he approached the crates, taking care not to make a single noise. He pressed his body against the rusted metal, concealed by the camouflage coat. He knew blending into the mist was essential.
The colossal figure rumbled past, inches away, unaware of John's presence. As it moved farther, John resumed his stealthy pursuit. He became one with the fog, his movements like a spectre amidst the thick blanket of mist.
He advanced cautiously, keeping a calculated distance. Every step, every shift in the mist, was deliberate. The creature let out a low growl, and John froze, hidden amidst the veil of eerie mist.
When the beast resumed its journey, John slinked behind it, now a predator on the prowl. A flicker of movement caught his eye. He spotted an exposed patch on the creature's flank.
With his Venomlash ready, readied himself for a Critical Hit. In a single fluid motion, he sprang from the mist, striking with precision, his blade cutting through the creature's exposed flesh.
In the aftermath of John's strike, the colossal figure went berserk, a Skill that transformed it into a force of pure destruction. Its roars echoed through the mist-shrouded streets, sending shivers down John's spine.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath. He had been prepared to finish it, but his trump card had failed him.
The creature swung its arms wildly, smashing through crumbling buildings and sending debris flying in every direction. The mist churned and swirled as the beast's frenzied movements stirred the air.
John was hidden in the shadows, watching as the creature's eyes glowed with an eerie, malevolent light, evidence of the supernatural power coursing through its veins.
Streets cracked and buckled beneath the colossal figure's massive feet as it thrashed and stomped with unbridled fury. The shockwaves from its blows rattled the very foundations of the city, causing more dilapidated buildings to crumble into ruins.
Windows shattered, and cars were tossed aside like toys, caught in the tempest of destruction. The mist clung to the beast, amplifying its ghastly and unstoppable rampage.
John knew he needed to regain control of the situation. His rogue Skills were his best asset. He activated his Quiet Steps Skill once more, slinking through the chaos, and prepared for another chance to strike.
The eerie streets were a battleground of ruin and chaos, a nightmarish landscape where the supernatural and the rogue met in a deadly, silent dance of survival. The mist swirled around them, creating a disorienting, otherworldly backdrop to the battle. John stalked the creature, staying one step ahead of its thrashing limbs and unpredictable movements. As the beast swung its arms, John dodged with lightning reflexes, barely evading the crushing blows.
He blended into the swirling mist, his Camouflage Coat obscuring his figure. Whilst the beast's power was amplified in its berserk state, it had made it less aware of its surroundings and he waited patiently, biding his time.
Finally, in a brief moment of stillness, the colossal figure hesitated, disoriented by its own berserk state. That was the opening John had been waiting for. John lunged at the beast, his fists brimming with power. He aided his dash with a Shockwave and arrived behind the beast in a second. He gripped his Venomlash tight and swung with every ounce of strength left towards its skull.
The beast turned around at the last second, but it was too late. No amount of supernatural speed was going to help it evade the blade an inch apart from its face.
And that was the last thing it ever saw as John plunged the dagger deep into the creature's skull.
[Juggernaut Killed]
[3 Strength Obtained]
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
Anaesthetic_Dawn
Anaesthetic_Dawn
It's over, guys. I broke the streak. I won't ask you guys to add the book to your library anymore...
Instead, I will ask you for comments and reviews! Let me know if you like the book so far, what you want to see and what you don't want to see! Everything will be considered.
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