2026-03-07 02:22:57Max held the spare ammunition in his hand, and thankfully, it slid neatly into another pocket. It sat snugly inside, secured well enough that it wouldn’t fall out while he moved.
Once everything was arranged, he felt somewhat prepared. "Alright. Organized." Now that he understood the items couldn’t be returned to his Inventory, he made a mental note not to open any more Caches unless it was truly necessary. Still, Max decided to open the Cache Selection panel again so he could store more unopened packs in his Inventory. [ Inventory: Energy Cache (Basic) ×1 Entertainment Cache (Basic) ×1 Food Cache (Basic) ×5 Medical Cache (Basic) ×1 Shelter Cache (Basic) ×1 Stealth Cache (Basic) ×1 Survival Tools Cache (Basic) ×1 Transport Cache (Basic) ×1 Water Cache (Basic) ×5 Weapon Cache (Basic) ×1 ] That process had taken quite a while since there was no option to select multiple Caches at once. He had to add each one individually. Even so, he deliberately stored extra Food and Water Caches for obvious reasons. Once he felt satisfied, he tightened his hold on the hatchet and lightly tapped the revolver resting at his side. With his equipment secured, Max stood and scanned the endless stretch of garbage around him. The stench still hung heavily in the air, but now he felt a little more ready. Whoosh! A light wind brushed past him from the east. Max decided to follow it. Now, what do we have here… Hopefully this dump hides something useful, Max thought, remembering Atom from a movie he had once watched. Of course, that place had been more of a scrapyard than a landfill like this one… but he still held onto a bit of hope. That kind of treasure— "Maybe I should look for an area filled with broken machines like that scrapyard," Max muttered as he slowly walked forward, scanning the terrain around him. Besides, the piles of rotting food and decaying waste were becoming unbearable. He needed to move—not only because of the smell but also because of the risk of disease. If he lingered here too long, he might fall sick before any real threat even showed up. The silence weighed heavily as he walked past towering heaps of trash, shattered furniture, and rusted metal pieces. After a while, he finally reached the edge of the dump. A message appeared before his eyes. [ Warning: Moving further will remove your Beginner Protection. ] "Ahh..." Max stopped immediately. He stared at the invisible border and the world beyond it, hidden behind piles of debris. "...So this is the boundary," he murmured. He slowly let out a breath before turning away and heading in another direction, still following the wind. A few minutes later, Max’s eyes suddenly brightened. In the distance, he spotted sections of the dump where twisted metal glinted faintly beneath the dull gray sky. It was exactly what he had been hoping to find—a scrapyard-like area. Broken appliances, rusted engines, and fragments of old machines were piled together in uneven mounds. The place wasn’t pretty, but at least the air here didn’t carry the same rotting odor. Max preferred this part of the dump. However, the presence of murky puddles and what looked like lurking insects reminded him to stay alert. Still, compared to the earlier area filled with decay, this was definitely better. "Better stay near the machines," he muttered. "Lower chance of infection… and maybe I can salvage something useful." As long as he avoided getting cut by the rusted metal scattered everywhere, he should be fine. Since hunger hadn’t kicked in yet, Max focused on exploring the scrapyard area while carefully studying the layout of the entire dump. While observing his surroundings, he noticed several unstable trash piles that looked ready to collapse with the slightest disturbance. For now, he made sure to avoid them. "Nothing..." After a thorough search, he eventually left the scrapyard section. His goal was to map the entire region covered by the Beginner Protection. Each time the system warning appeared, signaling he was about to step outside the protected zone, he stopped and changed direction. Even so, he carefully memorized certain salvage spots—areas filled with broken machines, twisted metal, and damaged appliances that might prove useful later. "Aahhh..." Max was a little startled when he noticed a few rats running across the trash. Squeak-squeak! They scurried between piles of debris. So I’ve got some neighbors here… Their small eyes glimmered briefly in the dim light before they disappeared into narrow tunnels and cracks beneath the garbage. Max wrinkled his nose. Without his Infinite Cache talent, he probably would’ve been forced to purify the stale water nearby—or worse, cook rats just to survive. The thought alone made him shiver. He kept moving, silently grateful for the sturdy boots he was wearing. Thanks to them, he didn’t have to worry much about where he stepped. Whether it was jagged metal, broken glass, or brittle plastic, the boots protected him well. "Hmm?" Max paused beside a mound of shattered appliances. He crouched down and brushed away dirt and grime from the dented drum of an old washing machine. For a second, he thought he had spotted a snake, but when he lifted the metal slightly, it turned out to be a cluster of loose wires dangling inside. Continuing his exploration, he began mentally dividing the dump into several zones. To the west were areas filled with food rot and general waste. Near the stagnant pools were clusters of insects. Unstable trash mounds were scattered across multiple sections, while the eastern side contained most of the metal scraps. It wasn’t much, but at least he had a better understanding of the area now. Just as Max felt he had finished mapping the entire protected region, the rats suddenly scattered. They vanished into the garbage as if fleeing from something. "Hmm?" Max immediately sensed that something wasn’t right. He tightened his grip on the hatchet. Then he felt it. At first it was faint—almost impossible to notice. But the vibration beneath his feet slowly grew stronger. A chill crawled down his spine. Something was coming, and he could feel it!
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Chapter 321
Heavy blades tore through steel while mounted cannons blasted holes through nearby structures. The impacts, shook walls and sent pieces of scrap metal flying through the air.Then people began dying.Guards screamed as the Reapers cut through their positions, blood spreading across the ground as bodies fell.Tianna gritted her teeth.“Keep fighting! They’re slow! We can overwhelm them!”More grenades flew across the battlefield. Smoke covered the ground while fire and explosions erupted from every direction. The defenders fought desperately to prevent the machines from reaching the inner areas of the shelter.One Reaper reached the mess hall, only for its foot to become trapped in a weighted net.Zayne immediately took advantage of this. He fired a grenade launcher directly into its chest.Boom!The explosion tore through its armor and sent the Reaper crashing into the pit. Yet even after taking the blast, the machine remained active. Its optics still glowed while its arms clawed agai
Chapter 320
Crash!A massive explosion shook the ground as the serpent-like vessel slammed into the Advanced Barrier System. The protective dome flashed violently under the impact before cracking apart and collapsing into nothing.“No way…”“It’s destroyed!”“Careful! Look above!”The serpent itself could not survive the collision either. Its segmented body broke apart in the blast, sending pieces of metal across the battlefield. The damage, however, had already been done. New Ark-45 had lost its barrier, leaving the shelter exposed to anything that could reach it from the air.Tianna’s expression turned grim. Without the barrier, there was nothing stopping flying vessels from entering the shelter directly. Their available weapons were limited to rifles, pistols, grenade launchers, portable disruptor units, and the traps scattered around the perimeter. None of those were designed for proper anti-aircraft combat. Their only real advantage came from the plasma rifles carried by the modified Reapers
Chapter 319
As it drew closer, Tianna realized it was unlike anything they had encountered before.This was something entirely new.The vessel moved through the sky like a giant mechanical serpent. Its body was long and segmented, each section connected by flexible joints and covered in overlapping metal scales. Even more disturbing were the five humanoid figures clinging to its back.They looked like armored Reapers riding the enormous flying serpent.Tianna’s expression changed. “What in the world…”Zayne frowned as he studied the strange vessel. He could not tell whether it was simply a transportation device or another mechanical creature capable of attacking them.“Doesn’t matter what it’s called. It’s coming for us!”The serpent suddenly dipped lower and accelerated toward the shelter.As soon as it crossed into range, the Advanced Barrier System activated.Bam!A shimmering dome of energy erupted around New Ark-45. The serpent slammed into the barrier with tremendous force, its body bucklin
Chapter 318
Meanwhile, over the continent of Versailles, the crimson sky remained stretched across the heavens like an open wound that refused to heal. The people of New Ark-45 had spent an entire day beneath it, yet they still could not become accustomed to the sight. A day had passed since the colossal mechanical structures appeared in the distance, and although they had not moved, their presence kept the defenders on edge. Nobody knew what they were capable of. Would they release enormous humanoid machines from the sky? Could they deploy dozens of Dragoons at once? The defenders had no answers, and that uncertainty was almost as frightening as the machines themselves.Tianna stood atop one of the watchtowers, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. New Ark-45 had brought out every telescope and pair of binoculars available from Max’s Caches. Some of the telescopes were old relics recovered from abandoned observatories, while others had been salvaged during scavenger missions. Scouts took turns
Chapter 317
Max did not leave immediately after completing his final purchase. Instead, he turned his attention toward the four super soldiers and the child. He had bought them, but that did not mean he knew anything about the people who would now be living in his shelter.He introduced himself first.“I’m Max. You’re mine now, but not as slaves. You’ll fight with me, and I’ll make sure you live.”The four soldiers did not immediately trust him. Their expressions remained cautious, but after a moment, they began introducing themselves.The broadest of the four spoke first. “I am Draxen.”The man with long gray hair followed. “Call me Castor.”The third had a scar running across his jaw. “Korval.”The last man gave only his name. “Serric.”Max nodded as he memorized each one. They were no longer nameless soldiers he had purchased from an auction. They were Draxen, Castor, Korval, and Serric, four men who had survived long enough to become super soldiers and whom Max now intended to keep alive.He
Chapter 316
Max studied the young man with renewed curiosity. What shocked him was not that the boy was being sold at an auction, but the nature of his gene. It was an extraordinary ability, one that could protect the boy from mutation and allow him to return to his original human form regardless of how many modifications were forced onto his body. A safeguard like that was incredibly rare, and in the hands of someone cruel, its value could be exploited endlessly. Max could already think of several ways a twisted person might use the boy if they had no concern for his well-being.Looking around the hall, however, Max noticed the reactions of several elderly men and middle-aged women. Their expressions made it clear that the boy was not being purchased out of kindness. Whatever intentions they had, Max had no doubt the child would suffer if he fell into the wrong hands. He could not simply stand by and let that happen. “Whatever… I still have a couple of thousand,” Max muttered to himself before r
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