Sera's eyes gazed at the opened metal door as she stepped closer to the open bulkhead. "Save the party for later, were not safe yet."
Rosa's laugh echoed, "Oh, Sera's, lighten up," she teased, her hand brushing Jin's shoulder, and breath warm against his ear. "Clara's our tech goddess, and Jin's our clumsy knight. We're an unstoppable bunch, right, hero?" Her playful nudge sent Jin's pipe wobbling.
"R-Rosa, I'm not that clumsy!" Jin said, as he moved away blushing.
Sector C-3 was a scene of utter chaos. Overturned furniture and scattered debris littered the floor. Workstations lay on their sides, their contents spilled across the metal decking. Tools were scattered everywhere—wrenches, diagnostic tablets, even a child's worn teddy bear lying face down in a puddle and then a torn HazMat suit hung from a broken console.
But it was the walls that made Jin's blood run cold. They were smeared with something dark, a sticky, liquid substance that seemed to pulse with a faint, sickly light.
Jin took a hesitant step forward. "Asha, what are we looking at?"
"Caution: Unknown fungal traces consistent with Mutagen Class II detected on surrounding surfaces. Origin undetermined. Spores appear dormant but viable. Exposure risk: Moderate to severe depending on activation triggers."
Jin's jaw clenched tight. "So... should we hold our breath?" he asked.
"Don't worry, Jin. I'll alert you to the precise millisecond you need to panic. Until then, try to breathe normally and refrain from touching the walls."
"Gee, thanks Asha, I guess" Jin managed a grim chuckle, it kept his heart from racing off the rails as they stepped deeper into the chamber, his boots splashing through puddles of unidentifiable liquid.
The temperature dropped noticeably with each step, their breath becoming visible in the frigid air.
Rosa's voice cut through the silence: "Anyone else getting that 'we're-being-watched-by-something-that-wants-to-eat-our-faces' vibe?"
Sera scanned the dark corners of the room, "Ahh..yeah Rosa, Just keep your eyes open."
"Agreed," Rosa muttered, "Let's find what we came for and get the hell out. This place is giving me the creeps."
Jin crouched beside a ruptured vent. Something had melted its way through the reinforced steel, the metal was warped outward, as if tremendous pressure had been applied from within. Claw marks scored the edges, too large and too symmetrical to be anything natural.
Jin's boots slowed as he reached the edge of a partially collapsed corridor. His eyes narrowed, scanning the faint impressions on the dust-covered metal floor.
"Jin, Trace detected: four-point claw pattern. Symmetry consistent with apex predatory motion."
Jin crouched, following the odd gouges etched into the steel.
Asha continued "Pressure indentation depth suggests entity mass between 180 and 220 pounds. Estimated time of movement: 3.7 hours ago."
Jin felt a chill crawl down his spine. "So... Is it still nearby?"
"Affirmative. Based on pattern analysis, the entity is wandering in the area."
Jin slowly rose from his position, his grip tightening around his pipe. "Great. Another recipe for a bad day."
The implications struck Jin, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Not only was whatever had left these marks powerful, it was also clever enough to move through the station's mechanical arteries without being noticed by using the ventilation system as a highway.
His HUD abruptly flickered as Jin was wrapping up his explanation of what he had witnessed to the group. A deep chime vibrated in his ears, followed by a sharp pulse of light filling the edge of his vision.
_______________________________
[PRIORITY QUEST – STALKER IN THE DARK]
Classification: Reactive Encounter | Initiated via Passive PER Check
Objective:
Examine Sector C-3's claw marks and trail. Remain hidden, do not alert the unidentified entity, and arrive at the Control Room safely without coming into contact with them (optional). Survive and fend off the threat if engagement takes place.
Description:
In the depths of the Vault, something is hunting. Jin has seen the incredibly deadly claw patterns of an apex predator. It may already be aware of the group's movements because of its recent presence. To avoid becoming its prey, the squad must move with extreme caution, employing stealth and cooperation.
Asha's Note:
"Assessment of threat: EXTREME. Engagement is not recommended unless absolutely necessary. Go ahead as if your mushy organs depended on it, since they do."
Success Conditions:
Make it through the next encounter. All team members should arrive at the control room. Examine the entity's trail or try to trick it into falling into a trap (optional bonus).
Failure Conditions:
Death of a team member The entity launches a surprise attack after becoming fully aware. Loss of critical morale (less than 40%)
Progress:
✓Claw marks identified
✓Asha analysis confirmed threat
• Control Room reached
•Threat neutralized or evaded
Potential Rewards:
+250 EXP (Survival)
+300 EXP (Kill)
Unlock Passive Skill: Predator Instinct (Lv. 1) – Increased awareness of lurking threats and ambush patterns.
+Affinity Boost (with all companions if Jin protects them during ambush)
New Lore Unlocked: [The Crawler Variants – Origin Class]
______________________________
"Woah! A new quest Asha!" Jin shouted, the three girls suddenly looked towards him curiously.
"is this… a new skill? For real?" The quiet awe in Jin's voice, somewhere between excitement and disbelief, was unavoidable. The others looked at him curiously as the moment slipped out louder than planned.
Rosa raised an eyebrow. With her fingers still hovering over her tool pouch, Clara's head cocked. Sera's posture changed slightly and she focused entirely on him.
Jin rubbed the back of his neck with a faint, sheepish grin.
"Indeed, Jin. You have a statistically ridiculous ability to survive in the face of overwhelming odds. Your innate ability to detect danger is reflected in your predator instinct."
They reached another sealed door after their steps. Beneath the scorch marks and plasma scoring, the faded Vault-Tec insignia was hardly discernible, its once-bright face twisted into a face that seemed to be screaming in agony.
Clara moved forward. "S-stand back. I'll try the manual override. The keypad's… rusted, but still intact I can crack it open."
In the tense silence came the metallic clack-clack-click of her tools. A few seconds later, the door clicked open with a grudging, shuddering groan.
Dust particles floated through the shafts inside. Weapon racks, the majority of which had long since been empty by scavengers or survivors, lined the walls. But Sera's breath caught when she saw what was embedded in the far wall, hidden behind reinforced transparent aluminum.
"Jackpot," Sera whispered. "That's military grade. Pre-war spec."
Behind its shield, the VX-07 Pulse-Lance shone brightly. Circuitry that pulsed with faint green bioluminescence was cradled in a matte black composite housing. Below, a power cell was in its cradle, and indicator lights indicated that it was 28% charged, which, if used properly, would be sufficient for a prolonged firefight..
Sera lifted the weapon. The plasma rifle hummed softly in her hands, its systems automatically calibrating to her biometrics and combat stance. For the first time since they'd entered this nightmare, she smiled and it was terrifying.
"Model: VX-07 Pulse-Lance. Standard Vault combat plasma rifle. Current efficiency: 71%. Tactical assessment: Seraphina's combat effectiveness increased by 340%. Estimated kill potential: Catastrophic—assuming she maintains current emotional state."