Crack!
As the pillars cracked with a snap, the ceiling of the tunnel collapsed, blocking the attack of the Sentinel.
Boom!
The collapse triggered another explosion that made the northern tunnel cave in even faster. The impact then sent shockwaves through the shelter, shaking the walls and scattering dust everywhere.
Smoke and debris poured into the central chamber, choking the air and forcing everyone to cover their mouths.
Several lamps started failing, and the ground trembled as if the entire underground structure might give way.
'This is dangerous…' Kai thought as he hoped that this shelter could take this much disturbance.
For a moment, panic rippled through the survivors.
Workers scrambled to steady supplies, some others even started praying to their gods, and the fighters braced themselves for another assault.
But then… silence.
Everyone covered their mouths as they waited to see whether there would be some movement from the rubble.
Then, a few minutes passed, and the rubble settled… There was still dust everywhere, but it was already acceptable.
Kai finally lowered his revolver and relaxed for a bit…
The others, Claire, Wallace, Victor, and Ralph, exchanged glances. Their faces were pale but relieved that they had succeeded with the plan.
Of course, the residents of the shelter were the happiest about this matter. However, none of them dared to celebrate just yet…
Still, after a few more minutes, they could no longer hold their emotions. With no movement from beyond the collapsed tunnel, the tension broke. The workers cheered, clapping each other on the back.
Some even laughed nervously, celebrating the narrow escape.
But just as Kai was about to speak, a familiar glow filled his vision.
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (D) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +400 Experience Points ]
"What? I got 400 Experience Points!" Claire exclaimed as she saw the message. It was the same for everyone who shot at the enemies.
"That's a lot… We barely assisted in their destruction, but we still got so many experience points. They're even Rank D Sentinels." Victor muttered as he carefully looked at the messages that continued to appear.
[ Congratulations! First Enemy Destruction Achieved. ]
[ Reward Granted: Survivor's Medal x1 ]
[ Survivor's Medal: It can be used to conduct transactions in the Gene Skill Store, with the elusive Secret Merchant, or among the Gene Traders. ]
"Medal… I got one. How about the others?" Ralph asked.
"I got one as well."
"I guess it's the same for everyone's first enemy destruction," Claire and Victor replied.
However, even after seeing these messages, Kai and Wallace focused on something else.
"How about the other three?" they both asked at the same time.
The others froze, realizing they had indeed received only a single confirmation of the enemy's destruction.
"R‑right… Are they still alive?" Ralph said nervously, worried the machines might try to climb out of the rubble.
"Maybe they can't move, and we can just wait until their battery or energy runs out," Kai guessed, since he believed that those androids or machines shouldn't have unlimited energy.
Nonetheless, there was no need to speculate. Just a few moments later, another set of notifications appeared before their eyes…
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (D) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +400 Experience Points ]
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Hound (E) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +200 Experience Points ]
…
[ +200 Experience Points ]
"I leveled up! Yes! Level 4… and just a few more to reach Level 5!" Claire couldn't help but celebrate at the sight of the Level Up notification.
It was the same for the other three. However, they soon realized that leveling up this way didn't give them bonus Health and Spirit points, unlike through the method of consuming a serum!
Instead, they only got the bonus Health and Spirit Points provided by the process of levelling up.
If it were the Alphe Gene Enhancement Serum, the 200 Experience Points would've given them 20 more Health Points and 4 Spirit Points!
"What a letdown…" Victor muttered as he felt that leveling up using the Serum was simply better.
Still, the notifications didn't end yet!
[ Sentinel's Salvageable Loot: Cognitive Processor Unit, Targeting Optic Lens, Exo‑Frame Armor Shard, Energy Power Cell, Plasma Rifle ]
[ Hound's Salvageable Loot: Beastframe Neural Core, Beast Claw Component, Synthetic Muscle Fiber, Hydraulic Joint Cylinder ]
[ Note: Only high‑value salvageable components are listed. Common debris and low‑grade materials are excluded. ]
The group stared at the new message, and their excitement faded into silence.
Ralph clicked his tongue. "Figures… all that salvage, and it's buried under tons of stone."
Claire sighed. "Even if we tried to dig it out, the tunnel would collapse further. It's impossible right now."
Victor rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head.
"And who knows if those components are even intact? The processor, the rifle… they might be shattered beyond use."
Wallace nodded as he knew that he wouldn't want to dig up there. "Not worth the risk. We'd expose ourselves again just to chase scraps."
Kai, on the other hand, kept his gaze on the notification.
'Cognitive Processor Unit. Plasma Rifle. Beastframe Neural Core.'
The names alone gave them a lot of information. Next time, they might need to be careful not to heavily damage those components.
"It's disappointing," Kai admitted. "But the system is at least telling us what's possible. What we could gain if we find a way to salvage safely."
Hearing this, Claire finally managed a faint smile.
"Well, it's at least proof that these machines aren't just threats. They're resources too."
The group agreed to her words as they all moved aside to let the Sanitation Crew and the others clean up the mess in the central chamber...
Soon, they started to relax for a bit.
But then, after everything had calmed down, Dustin finally revealed himself and approached them.
He stopped before Kai and the others and bowed his head slightly. "Leaders… the Elder requests your presence."