Hoku got up and started manically shovelling clumps of sand to the side. After about five minutes, there was a Hoku-sized hole in the ground.
[This Action Will Not Aid Your Survivability]
He completely ignored his System, instead inspecting the hole.
"System, can I store this in my inventory?" He asked, holding up the can of water.
[Negative, Data Is Incompatible]
He firmly stuck his can in the sand to the side and lay into the hole, encasing the lower parts of his body in the desert tomb, covered by the shadow of the mound that housed the cave's entrance. His head tilted up to where System's words last appeared.
"System! Summon Rhythm Tracker"
[Fabricating Artefact]
[48%]
[74%]
[100%]
Above Hoku's face, the molecules in the air freeze, becoming suspended water particles, making his eyes expand in surprise, before forming into a solid object. And at last, Rhythm Tracker dropped into his hands.
"Thanks!"
He puts the object over his ears, closing his eyes, peacefully lying back in the sand coffin.
The sky was an empty black void. He shifted his head to the side, towards the back of the cave entrance.
Hoku could now barely see the underside of the cave, as well as a clearer outline of the top side, and just like before, the other side was somewhat visible, likely dampened by the solid object in the way as well as the lack of vibration in the sand.
The closer parts of the ground appeared as weak groups of white particles on the surface, while the further parts of the ground merged into the black sky.
But somewhere out in the distant void, he spotted a growing white spot. 'Gotcha.'
He attentively watched the spot, shifting his body around in discomfort and opening his eyes every now and then to prove to himself that he was still awake. 10 minutes passed by.
"System, they're not changing direction, they're coming right for me."
Hoku could now make out the rough shape of the approaching scavengers; there were a couple of people riding on this make-shift sled across the dunes. One was leaning on the side. The others were sitting inside.
The sled was being led by a thin, sharp creature.
The light yellow rings that were being generated by the aggressive pattering of the creature's feet were now starting to reach the cave entrance. By the time they got there, they became transparent bands that washed over the area and quickly dissipated.
"System... hold me, I'm scared." He whispered.
[The Closest Signal Is Now 0.75 Lixos Away]
"This Lixos is pretty big, huh, either that, or they're taking their sweet time."
Hoku suddenly opened his eyes.
"Wait, system, did you shut off the distress signal?"
[I Have Not]
He squinted at System's response.
"Is it like a waypoint type, or a player tracking type?"
"Uh-"
"Does it remain in the spot you put it in, or does it update to my current location?"
[The Differences Are Negligible In This Context]
"No, no, they're not." He affirmed sitting back up.
"If the scavengers are tracking me-"
System interrupts.
[That Is Highly Unlikely]
"IF they are tracking my updated location, they'll know I'm still out here and not down in the cave or something."
[No One Can Enter Th-]
"Shit, I forgot. But still they'll know I haven't left this area."
"If it's displaying my current updated location right now, they'll search this whole area till they find me."
[You're Concerns Are Unfound]
"So which is it, player or waypoint?"
[The Distress Signal Is Binded To Your System Signal]
"Shut it off!"
[User, Hoku While Your Wariness Is Understandable Considering Your Situation]
[I Must Warn That This Decision Will Negatively Impact Your Rate Of Survivability]
"Ok?"
[Thus, I Cannot Carry Out This Command]
"WHY ELSE ARE THEY SPEEDING IN MY DIRECTION!!!"
"Aren't you MY system?"
"I Hoku Vi Bri-"
[Removing The Signal Now Will Have Zero Effect On The Scavenger's Movement]
"Just do it."
[Help Will Not Arrive]
"You can put it back on when they pass by."
"Please."
[..]
[The Distress Signal Has Been Deactivated]
"Thank you", he said softly.
Hoku returned to his position and continued to watch the scavengers as they were beginning to close in. A sigh escaped from him, but it couldn't disguise his furiously beating heart.
"System," he whispered sincerely. "Put this away." Indicating to Rhythm Tracker that was now in his desperately shaking hands.
It vanished.
Hoku glanced over at his can, which was implanted at the side, protruding slightly. He started pushing it further down. But before it could be fully submerged, His hand stopped. He wanted to rationalise this as a move to protect his minuscule water supply, but in reality, his first thought drifted to the bud inside.
As he could now hear the pattering from the monster's footsteps that he had formerly seen. He finished his turn by burying the rest of his body, pushing his arms deep into the sand. All that remained above the surface was his face.
***
Patter Patter Patter.
The sled hisses through the sand. The cracking of a harsh whip assaults the desert wind. And last but not least, a bold voice pierces through it all.
"Woohoo, let's get a move on, boys!"
The sound of the sled peaks, then quickly fades as the monster driving it slows pace.
The shuffling of footsteps can be heard as two of the scavengers reach the cave entrance.
"What's this doin' all the way out here?" The bold-voiced scavenger asks.
A new voice enters, melodic yet scratchy, "Keh Keh Keh, come out little one," he jeered.
A mound, somewhere in the sand, shudders.
"I'll go fetch 'im."
The man with the bold voice turns away from the cave.
"Gups, get out here, boy!" He exclaimed towards the sled.
the mound exhales in sheer relief.
"I'm coming!" another voice, younger and higher-pitched, yet boyish, with an earnest enthusiasm.
His approaching steps squeak slightly in the sand.
Suddenly, a warped crackle rings out, followed by the bold voice cutting through the air.
"Gah! The hell?!" He shouts.
"Baldervich?" Guppy calls out in a high-pitched voice, slowing his steps.
"Godamn it!"
Baldervich barks incoherently in his booming voice.
"A Barrier?"
"Guppy, I swear to god if this is some kind of trap, we'll feed you to the sidvars." Baldervich growls.
Guppy laughs.
He then starts rustling through his pockets
A sharp drilling sound starts, then quickly stops.
"Huh!"
"I can't get through," he cries like a kid finding coal for Christmas.
"Ger! You sayin's we came out here for nothin'."
"Aww... and I was looking forward to cutting someone open." The melodic voice returns.
"Forget it, we take em alive this time, got it?" Baldervich commands.
"If 'e comes out, that is."
"He was here just a second ago, I swear," Guppy says with genuine disappointment.
"You know what I think," Baldervich starts.
"I think that dog's makin' fun of us."
"Get out here, coward!" he shouted, kicking at the barrier, which only made him angrier as the barrier would kick him back.
"Let's go," Guppy says.
"You scared, boy?"
"It's weird."
"The strength of this hex structure is strong."
"But there's barely any residue left behind."
"Ay, What does that mean?" Baldervich questions.
"Well, I dunno, but we might've just missed him."
"HUH!" Baldervich screams.
"Bullshit! you think he ran?!"
"Like I said, I dunno!"
The group fell silent.
"Hold on, I'll grab the gullometer," Guppy says, clapping his hands together.
"Bring my hammer while you're at it, kid."
Some time passes. Baldervich decided to pick a losing fight with the purple wall of energy as he continued to aggressively blabber into the cave entrance. At some point, the sound that the barrier made when it was hit became loud, like a gong. He must've received his hammer. The third member with the scratchy, melodic voice sat close by, whistling an unnerving tune, violently scraping two pieces of metal together.
Guppy, meanwhile, had drifted out to the side farther into the sand. He was wandering around with a strange device that made a loud whirring sound. Every so often, it would tick and beep rapidly at the press of a button
The machine produced a grainy, inconsistently pitched voice through its speaker:
[Th3 Clos3-Cl-Cl Closest Sign@l Is 0 Lixos Awoi]