Obsidian led Texas through a series of quick, twisting turns. He didn't explain how, but somehow—he shook the Sweepers off their trail in record time.
A few steps later, the monsters were already gone, as if they'd never been there.
This guy… he knows this place well, Texas thought, studying the back of the boy in front of her.
He moved like he knew every inch of the terrain. Just a few loops and turns, and he'd already lost most of the monsters. If I'd tried that on my own, I'd probably be lost by now—or in a monster's stomach.
She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"Hey… what's your name?"
"Ask me later," Obsidian replied without looking back.
Texas opened her mouth to press, but ultimately let the matter drop with a sigh.
"Then… where are we going?"
She glanced ahead. He wasn't slowing down—clearly leading her somewhere.
"You'll see in a second. Just a few more steps… ah. Here we are."
Obsidian's voice softened, and as he stepped aside, a small wooden cabin came into view.
His eyes lit up slightly at the sight.
Texas, by contrast, looked at the modest little hut like it was a dream half-taken form.
"…This place is…"
"This city is called the City. And this right here is one of the last few areas that hasn't fallen."
Obsidian exhaled and extended his hand toward her.
"My name is Obsidian. I'm a Fixer here in the City… and you?"
"…Texas," she replied, guarded but honest. "You could say I'm a traveler. But those monsters outside… what the hell were they?"
She cast a glance at the surroundings—mostly forested—and couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, those?" Obsidian said casually. "They're probably something called Sweepers."
Seeing that Texas still looked bewildered, he added:
"I think they're native to this City. I came here from outside too. So while a lot of this is still bizarre to me… I've gotten used to it. More or less."
He turned and gestured toward the wooden cabin. "Come on. I'll explain the City to you inside."
Even as he spoke, Obsidian quietly used his city-wide awareness to locate the Sweeper Texas had killed earlier and moved its corpse into the cabin.
And as he did, he felt something close to tears rising.
Finally! After all this time…
Because he couldn't take physical action as the city's will, Obsidian had never been able to kill a monster himself. Which meant—he'd never once been able to collect Madness. But now, with that Sweeper dead, he finally had the chance to gain his first batch of it.
Composing himself, he kept walking forward as he began explaining.
"I arrived in this City about six months ago. It was already in ruins when I got here… Still technically a mobile city, but overrun with monsters—like the one you just fought. Tons of different species, too. The spot we're standing in now is probably the only safe zone left."
"That said… danger and opportunity go hand-in-hand here. That's actually why I became a Fixer. But I'll get to that in a moment."
He stepped into the hut, Texas following just behind.
The moment she entered, she spotted the Sweeper corpse she'd taken down earlier—and blinked in surprise.
"I figured the body would be useful, so I grabbed it on the way."
Obsidian said it offhandedly, then turned to Texas, expression a little more serious.
"…That danger-and-opportunity thing you mentioned. What did you mean?"
She looked at him curiously. After all, he had saved her life. That earned him a baseline level of trust.
So she asked.
"It's just what it sounds like. You've seen the danger for yourself. But in the middle of it, there's also potential. The key lies in this—" he pointed at the well beside him, "—this is the source of that opportunity."
He spoke steadily now, his tone almost persuasive.
"All you have to do is throw the corpse of a slain monster into the well. In return, it'll give you something back—compensation. That's what being a Fixer in this City is: killing monsters and receiving rewards from the well."
Yes. That was Obsidian's plan.
If he wanted to recruit outsiders to help him reclaim the City, he needed to offer them something worthwhile.
And what better hook than a gacha system?
He'd take a small share of the Madness each time they brought back kills. They could use the rest to roll for rewards—leveling up, staying motivated, diving deeper into the Outskirts…
And as for Obsidian? He'd take his cut. Pure profit.
"…You get rewards for killing monsters?" Texas muttered, mulling it over.
"That's one way to look at it," he replied.
"But how does the well… give rewards? That part doesn't make any sense."
Her voice was soft, skeptical. Obsidian only smiled.
"Easy. We've got a dead monster right here, don't we? Let's use it."
And with that, he grabbed the Sweeper's body and tossed it straight into the well.
Each roll required 130 Madness. And this single Sweeper—because it was his first kill, and the first Sweeper used in the system—netted Obsidian a whopping 400 Madness.
He took a deep breath, his heart racing, and shouted in his mind:
"Well! Gimme a roll!"
In the next instant, 390 Madness vanished—three full rolls, without hesitation!
And before Texas's stunned eyes, the moment the corpse hit the water, the well began to echo faintly with the sound of chains. Then a faint glow started rising from its depths—dull gray at first, gradually shifting…
Texas could only stare, speechless.
Until now, she'd taken Obsidian's words with a grain of salt. She trusted him, yes—but his claims still felt surreal.
But seeing this with her own eyes, even she had to admit… he might actually be telling the truth.
This City… this place has things beyond imagination…
She subtly pinched the back of her hand, grounding herself in the moment.
If what he's saying really is true…
Maybe… just maybe… she could stay here a while.
If there was a chance to grow stronger, to escape the weight of her past—then this place might be the best hiding place she could ask for.
Obsidian, standing beside her, had no idea what she was thinking.
Right now, he was too busy riding a wave of pure, giddy joy.
Watching the golden glow burst from the well, he felt the urge to break into song right then and there.
"HOLY CRAP—IT'S GOLD!!"
"Three single rolls and I pulled a gold—do you even know what kind of luck that is?!"