A soft hiss at the side caused Gale's head to snap at the direction where it came from. He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. It was just a pipe, not a watcher.
Ollie stepped up beside him. "Alright, rookie. Time for those spidey senses to earn their keep. Which way? You feeling anything?"
Gale tried extending his tendrils once more, but it hit an invisible wall at exactly 100 metres. With how large this place was, 100 metres was basically going in blind. He also wasn't used to the feeling of not being able to see anything within a couple of kilometres' radius anymore. As much as he hated the passive on Earth, he could no longer live without it.
"I don't know," Gale said. "There's some kind of interference I can't cut through. It's weird."
"Interference?" Rachel came up behind them.
"Yeah. Whatever it is, it's blocking my... awareness." He nearly slipped and said 'tendrils,' catching himself just in time.
"Red marble to the rescue," Ollie grinned. A red marble materialized in his right hand. "This baby hasn't failed us yet."
"Just remember it doesn't stop ambushes," Kyle said. "If we have to fight, we have to fight."
Ollie flicked the marble up with his thumb. It spun in the air, catching the dim light. As it reached the apex of its arc, there was a sharp crack. The marble exploded into red dust that showered down on them.
"What the fuck?" Clyde stepped back.
"That's not supposed to happen," Rachel said.
"No. It's not," Ollie said. "That only happens if something's actively jamming it."
"But what?" Lily glanced left and right, but found nothing.
"Dunno," Ollie said.
Gale looked down each path again. The middle corridor was wider, with more pipes and tanks. The right path sloped upward, leading to what might be an observation level. The left narrowed between two massive storage tanks.
"We'll have to do this the normal way," Gale said. "Just explore until we find what we're looking for."
"Great plan," Kyle said. "Let's just wander around until one of those flesh things finds us again."
"We don't have many gun syringes left," Lily said. "One wrong move and half of them could be gone just like that."
"Anyone else got a better idea?" Ollie asked. "My ears are wide open."
No one answered.
"We don't have a choice," Ollie looked in the left direction. "We go left."
"Why left?" Rachel asked.
"Because we got nothing else to go off," Ollie said. "And left is as good as any other direction."
"As good a reason as any," Clyde shrugged.
The group moved down the left corridor. Gale took point at the front, eyes scanning the floor, the pipes that acted as walls around them, and the sky. The rail fenced path narrowed between two tankers, making everyone walk into a single file. Some of the pipes went through the path low enough that Kyle and Clyde had to duck under a few of them.
For nearly half an hour, the path winded down between tankers, more tankers and also what looked like processing units with pressure gauges. The air here grew warmer, not because of Rachel, but more so from the hot fluid that ran through the pipes that warmed up the air around them. In the distance, the path opened up to a wider rail fenced path, but something up ahead caught their attention.
"What the hell is that?" Kyle said, pointing at the floor.
Strange growths covered patches of the metal grating on the metal floor, the pipes, and the tankers around. They looked like wet, red-brown membranes that had pulsing veiny structures. Materializing Weber on his right hand, Gale poked one of the larger bulging veins. It bled with deep red blood that flowed down to the edges of Weber.
"That's not good," Clyde said, keeping well away from the stuff.
The pulsing reminded Gale of the flesh warriors' exposed muscle tissue that had tendrils snaking around it, but different. This one bled red and clung to the metal it had attached itself to.
He swept the area for watchers but felt nothing. No stinging sensation on his neck, no eyes tracking their movements. At least for now, it was safe, except for this new thing they encountered.
"It's got the same look as those flesh pounds," Gale said. "Like someone skinned them and painted their insides on the walls."
Ollie bent closer to one patch, squinting his eyes at it. "This looks like the fleshy stuff that was first on the tablet. Remember when we first found it? It had that weird growth on it."
"You think they're related?" Rachel asked.
"Has to be," Ollie straightened. "It's spreading through the facility. It's harmless for now, so let's just go."
They continued forward, the growths becoming more prevalent. In some areas, the membrane completely covered the floor, forcing them to step on it, making wet slopping noises that forced Rachel to burn it as she stepped onto it.
After another ten minutes, they reached what appeared to be a dead end. In front of them was a wall of flesh stretched across the entire corridor over the rail fenced pathway. The membrane had grown so thick it blocked the path completely, forming an organic pulsing stench filled barrier. Small holes dotted its surface, oozing a clear liquid that dripped to the floor.
"End of the line," Kyle said.
Gale stepped forward and raised Weber. "I can cut through it."
Rachel put a hand on his arm, stopping him. "Wait."
She stepped forward, raising her palm. A small ball of fire formed above her hand, growing until it lit up the whole corridor. She directed it toward the flesh wall, releasing it to hover just in front of the flesh wall.
The flesh began to sizzle where it was closest to the fireball. A high-pitched squealing sound filled the air as the flesh shrivelled and blackened. The squealing grew louder, then suddenly stopped as the centre portion of the wall burned away, revealing the path beyond that opened into a large space filled with more of the same pipes and gauges. Over here though, the growths grew thicker, covering most surfaces where most tankers no longer looked like tankers except for their shape.
"Anyone else feel like we're walking through someone's insides?" Kyle asked.
"Shut up," Clyde elbowed him.
"Just saying what everyone's thinking," Kyle said.
"Keep it down," Ollie said. "Sound might travel through these things."
Gale moved forward, keeping his eyes on the ground to avoid stepping on any of the slicker surfaces and avoiding the veiny bulges. Up ahead, another flesh wall blocked their path, this one thicker than the last.
"Another one," he said. "Rachel?"
She created another fireball. As it touched the wall, the flesh wall squealed and withdrew, parts of it actually pulling back from the heat rather than burning, revealing the flesh filled corridor beyond.
The group continued forward, their boots sticking slightly to the fleshy growth that now covered much of the floor. The metallic-sweet smell grew stronger, mixing with something sour that made Gale's nose wrinkle.
Rounding the corner between two large tankers covered in flesh, Gale spotted something on the floor. He raised his hand to signal a stop.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Look," he pointed at the things on the floor.
Two flesh warriors lay sprawled across the walkway, their massive bodies blocking most of the path. Black fluid pooled beneath them. Unlike the ones they'd fought before, these weren't moving at all.
"Are they dead?" Clyde asked, his voice low.
"I think so," Gale said, approaching cautiously.
The first flesh warrior lay face down, its blade-arms splayed. The second was on its back, its metal faceplate partially crushed. But what caught Gale's attention was the state of their torsos. Massive cavities gaped open where their innards should have been.
He crouched beside the nearest one, examining their chests. The flesh warrior's ribcage had been completely hollowed out. The bones showed deep scraping marks. Its internal organs were missing, leaving nothing but an empty cavity lined with ragged tissue.
His head looked around the vicinity, searching for any clue that might've told him who or what did this. This wasn't a clean cut like his blade would've made. This also wasn't an animal feeding on the flesh. The scraping on the bones told him that something had taken out the organs deliberately with a tool.
"Let's keep moving," Gale stood up. "Step around them."
"What killed them?" Lily asked.
"Don't know," Gale said. "But maybe it was bigger than them."
"Great," Kyle said. "Just what we needed to hear."
They navigated around the corpses and continued down the path. After another ten minutes, they encountered a third flesh wall, this one thicker than the previous two.
Rachel stepped forward without being asked, summoning another fireball. The wall squealed and blackened as the fire touched it, creating another passageway for them.
"This is getting old," she sighed.
Beyond the third wall, the narrow pathways opened into a clearing with no other path leading anywhere. Ahead stood a massive building, rising at least twenty stories high. Unlike the pipes and tanks surrounding it, the structure was a simple rectangular block, its walls made of the same metal as everything else but largely free of the fleshy growths.
"Finally," Ollie said. "Something that looks promising."
Lily leaned against a nearby railing, favouring her injured arm. "You're not seriously thinking of going in there?"
"Why not?" Ollie asked.
"I'm not combat ready yet probably for another 24 hours," Lily said, gesturing to her arm. "And that looks more like a storage space. We can just go back and try another path."
"Hold on, hold on, look," Ollie said. "It's wide open spaces, high ceilings. If we get jumped in there, Rachel doesn't have to hold back. Not a big important orb to avoid hitting."
"He's right," Rachel said.
"Plus, splitting up is stupid," Kyle added. "Horror 101."
"We stick together. Gale, take point. Everyone else, stay alert," Ollie said.
Gale nodded and moved toward the building's entrance. The wide door slid open as they approached. The interior lights flickered on automatically, revealing what lay inside.
"Whoa," Kyle whispered.
The building was hollow. No floors divided the space. It was just a single massive room stretching up all twenty stories. Metal shelving units filled the interior, arranged in long aisles that reached 20 storeys high. Mobile platforms and ladders attached to rails allowed access to the upper shelves.
Most of the shelves stood empty, their metal surfaces dulled with age. But scattered throughout were metal crates of various sizes, sealed and untouched.
"Well you're right. It's a warehouse," Clyde said.
Ollie's eyes lit up. "A storage facility. Everyone spread out. Let's see what's in these crates."
Before Gale could say anything, Ollie, Kyle, and Clyde were already moving down different aisles.
"You've got to be kidding me," Lily said.
Rachel shook her head. "This looting has to stop at some point."
Gale watched as Ollie reached a large crate and ran his hands over its surface, searching for an opening mechanism. Kyle had already found a smaller one and was trying to pry it open with his combat knife. Clyde circled his target, a similar size to Kyle's crate.
He moved down one of the aisles, examining the shelves as he went. Most were open and empty, but about halfway down, he spotted a medium-sized crate tucked away in a corner.
Gale approached it carefully. The crate was rectangular, about the size of a microwave oven. Its surface was smooth except for small indentations on either side. He ran his fingers along the edges, finding nothing that looked like a conventional latch.
After several minutes of turning it over and around, he noticed that the indentations on the sides lined up perfectly with where his thumbs would naturally rest if he picked up the crate. On a hunch, he pressed both at the same time.
There was a soft click, and the top of the crate slid open smoothly. Inside, nestled in a form-fitting cushion, was a black rectangular prism about the size of a deck of cards.
"Huh," Gale said, picking it up. The object was heavier than it looked. About half the size of the crate itself which was already around 40kg.
"Gale, seriously you too?" Rachel called out from behind. She and Lily had followed him down the aisle.
"Look at you," Lily said. "Kyle and Clyde aren't good influences."
"It looked shiny," Gale said. "And I was curious."
"We're supposed to be finding the power plant controls, not looting," Rachel sighed.
Analyze.
[Essence Power Cell]
[Rating: Cu+/Cu+]
[Rated Life Time: 1 Star]
Guide, what's 1 star equivalent to in Earth time? Gale mouthed to himself, suddenly wishing he'd asked about the timestamp notations earlier.
[1 Star approximately equivalent to 100 Earth years]
Gale stared at the power cell in his hand. A hundred years? But what did the Cu+/Cu+ rating mean? How much power does this thing hold? There were too many unknowns. Too many questions he could ask, and would it be possible if he could sell it back on Earth?
Damn. They might be right. Maybe he was learning from the worst influences. He stored it in his space storage. If it wasn't broken, might as well take it.
"Hey! Everyone get over here!" Kyle shouted from a different aisle.
Gale headed toward the sound, Rachel and Lily trailing behind. When they reached three aisles over, Kyle stood by an opened crate at the far end of the warehouse. Clyde hovered beside him, looking like they were defending their treasure. Ollie approached from another aisle, tucking something into his pocket.
As they got closer, Kyle's face split into a shit-eating grin. He closed the crate lid and turned it away from the others who came closer.
"Hold it right there," he said. "Don't come any closer."
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, clenching her fist.
"Establishing boundaries," Kyle said. "This is my find. Finders keepers."
Lily rolled her eyes. "We don't have time for this bullshit."
"Language," Kyle said, wagging a finger.
"Just show us what you found," Ollie stepped forward.
Kyle held up a hand. "Back off, Glory. I got dibs on whatever the fuck this is."
"Where the fuck was team cuts in our agreement?" Ollie said.
"The billionaire thinks he needs more money," Clyde said, moving to stand beside his brother. "Cute. But it's finders keepers. That's raid law."
The air temperature spiked suddenly, sweat beading on Gale's forehead. Everyone turned to look at Rachel, whose fingertips glowed faintly orange on her fist that already had a bulging vein.
"Show us. Now." Her voice came across as menacing that even Gale felt the killing intent.
Kyle swallowed hard, then popped open the crate. "Fine. But I still get first claim."
He reached in and pulled out a small glass tube about the size of his index finger. Inside, suspended in clear liquid, floated a square silicon object no bigger than a postage stamp.
"Look at this shit!" Kyle held it up to the light.
Clyde grinned. "Read the label."
"'Quantum Nano Core,'" Kyle read from tiny text etched into the glass. "Not as flashy as RAE's orb thing, but this baby will go for gazillions in the current phase of mundane tech development."
Ollie leaned in for a closer look. "How do you know what it does?"
"I don't," Kyle said. "But it says 'quantum' and 'nano' in the name, so it's gotta be worth something."
Clyde closed in on Gale and crouched down to whisper loudly in his ear. "Hey, rookie. If you store it in that space storage of yours, I can cut you in for a percentage of that gazillion."
The offer was tempting. Gale wasn't one of those people that looked away from money. He was already working for Ollie, even paid well enough that he didn't really need any more money. But then again, in the world of adults that he read online, more money meant a better life. That was like a universal trait of every adult. And if he was going to fit in and become an adult, he should act like other adults. Now, he was starting to see it from Kyle and Clyde's point of view. The answer was obvious.
"I'll do it," Gale smiled, extending his hand out.
Rachel sighed loudly.
Kyle carefully handed the tube to Gale, who slipped it into his space storage. "Don't lose it, rookie. That's our retirement fund."
"What about you, Ollie?" Lily asked. "Find anything interesting?"
Ollie shrugged. "Just a bunch of battery-looking stuff. Nothing special. Already put it in my storage box." His casual tone didn't quite match the gleam in his eyes.
"What about you, Clyde?" Rachel asked.
Clyde pulled something from the crate by his feet. Square metal plates that had the same etchings as they'd seen throughout the facility.
"Found this," he said. "Same patterns as everywhere else. Might make a cool decoration for the apartment." He tossed it to Gale. "Mind storing this too?"
Gale caught it one-handed and it dematerialized before it touched his hand into the space storage.
The moment the metal disappeared, a chill ran down his spine. Not the usual watching sensation. Something different that clawed at his throat. The others felt it too. Their postures stiffened, heads turning toward the warehouse entrance.
"What was that?" Gale asked.
Everyone looked at the entrance of the warehouse. Lily's shoulders visibly trembled. Kyle and Clyde glanced left and right.
The pressure that came from whatever was as strong as the Divine Beast they had encountered at Hotel Frankley, maybe even stronger. Combining the signature weights of Lily's, Ollie's and Rachel's didn't come close to whatever was heading their way.
"Corrupted. But it fucking feels like a Pestilent," Ollie whispered, wincing in the direction of the entrance. "Hide. Now!"
The group scattered. Gale dove behind a large empty crate, pressing his back against the cold metal. Kyle and Clyde disappeared down an aisle to his right. Rachel pulled Lily behind a tall shelving unit. Ollie slipped behind a support column near the entrance.
Through a gap between crates, Gale watched the warehouse door. The clawing feeling grew stronger. It was the same sensation he felt when he first saw the knight crash land on the meadows, an unbreakable monster.
His hand clenched. Weber ready to materialize at any sign that a fight was going to happen, even if he knew there was no winning.