The barricade held.
So far.
Lu Zhen sat against the cracked pillar, eyes watching dust particles swirl in the flickering emergency lights. Yue Fei, ever alert, crouched near the tunnel mouth, blade resting across her knees. Above them, the world screamed in the dark—but here in this buried subway platform, they had carved out a brief stillness.
But silence didn't mean safety.
Lu opened his HUD and browsed his options.
He only had one round left in his pistol.
"Yue," he whispered.
She glanced over.
"I need to craft more ammo. Thirty seconds per bullet. Cover me?"
"Make it fast," she replied, eyes already scanning the shadows again.
Lu focused. He had enough scrap and gunpowder left for a few shots.
The first bullet formed slowly in his mind: steel reshaped into casing, powder compressed, the primer sealed. It took focus, but the process felt smoother than before.
Crafting Complete – 9mm Ammo Created EXP +1
He loaded it. "Rounds: 2 of 6."
He crafted again.
Crafting Complete – 9mm Ammo Created EXP +1
Three bullets.
Crafting Complete – 9mm Ammo Created EXP +1
Four.
Crafting Complete – 9mm Ammo Created EXP +1
The HUD blinked.
MENTAL LOAD: 50% Warning: Crafting overload threshold approaching. Further strain may reduce focus or cause failure. Recommend rest soon.
Lu exhaled, rubbing the side of his head. His temples buzzed faintly. He closed the crafting panel.
"Rounds: 5 of 6," he muttered.
He checked his pistol. A thin hairline crack had formed along the chamber joint.
Weapon Status: Rusted Frame Pistol Integrity: 58% Misfire Risk: +12% Recommendation: Reinforce or Replace
"Not good," he muttered. But it would have to do—for now.
A low growl echoed from the stairwell above. Yue Fei tensed.
"Something's moving," she said.
"Is there another exit?"
"Maintenance duct behind that breaker panel. It might still open."
They moved carefully. The panel was rusted shut. Lu knelt beside it, placing his palm flat on the corroded surface.
Decomposing: Electrical Panel (Tier 1) Estimated Time: 2 Minutes Yield: Copper Wire, Spring Fragment, Insulation Mesh
He focused. Metal vibrated under his hand as it disassembled, piece by piece.
Decomposition Complete
Copper Wire x1
Spring Fragment x1
Insulation Mesh x1 EXP +10
A soft glow pulsed across his HUD.
Trait Unlocked – Pattern Familiarity I Effect: -2s Craft Time for previously crafted ammo
Lu smiled slightly. "I'm getting faster."
Beyond the duct, they entered a storage corridor filled with old crates and scrap. At the far end, half-buried under rubble, lay a collapsed recon drone.
His eyes widened.
"If I can scan that…"
Recon Drone Frame Detected Material Tier: 2 Scan Time: 8 Minutes Status: Blueprint Locked – Craft Lv.3 Required
He began scanning. Yue took watch.
Minutes crawled by. Static rippled through the broken walls. The radio clicked in his pocket.
At 100%, his HUD chimed.
Blueprint Stored – Scout Drone Frame (Locked) Rest Recommended
His head throbbed sharply. He blinked hard, clearing his vision.
"I got it," he whispered.
Yue caught his shoulder as he staggered slightly.
"Easy," she muttered.
He leaned against the wall, breathing steadily. "We're not ready to fight anything stronger yet. But when I get to Craft Level 3…"
"We'll have a better chance," she finished for him.
Before they could leave, a soft ping blinked in his vision.
Environmental Cache Detected Hidden Utility Box Embedded in Wall Loot Recovered: Damaged Battery Core x1, Scrap Fiber Mesh x1
Not much, but valuable for future crafting.
Lu popped open the utility box and carefully slipped the items into his pack. The battery core was cracked, but it still had some residual energy. The fiber mesh looked like it came from pre-Shift survival gear.
Suddenly, the floor vibrated. A low boom echoed across the city. Dust rained from the tunnel ceiling. Lu's radio glitched again.
Signal Disruption Detected – Base Tianlei Connection Lost Unknown Source – Direction: Northeast
"That's not normal," Yue murmured.
"No," Lu agreed, checking his map. "That wasn't seismic. It was… directed."
She looked at him. "What are you saying?"
"Something's tracking the broadcast. And disrupting it on purpose."
They stood in silence for a moment.
"If Tianlei is still standing," Lu said slowly, "it might not just be a safe zone. It might be a target."
"Then we'd better get there before someone—or something—wipes it off the map."
She turned and led the way back into the tunnel. Lu followed, but glanced one last time at the drone remains. There was still much more to build.
System Status – Lu Zhen
Decomposition Level: 1 EXP: 64 / 100
Crafting Level: 2 EXP: 43 / 300 → 9mm Ammo Crafted: 4 / 10 → Trait: Pattern Familiarity I (Ammo Craft Speed -2s)
Vault: 0.97 m³ / 1.00 m³
Weapon: Rusted Pistol Integrity: 58% (Cracked – Misfire Risk Active) Rounds Loaded: 5 / 6
Blueprints: – Scout Drone Frame (Locked) – Bullet Magazine v0.1 – 9mm Ammo – Gunpowder Synth – Scrap Blade (Unstable) – Survival Barricade – Rusted Frame Pistol
Loot: – Damaged Battery Core – Scrap Fiber Mesh
Signal Tracking: Base Tianlei – Distance: 139.4 km Status: Interrupted
He wasn't just a survivor anymore. He was learning. Forging. And now, the world was watching.