The inferno raged until the Sentinels could no longer withstand it.
Their mechanical frames warped, their cores overheated, and soon they collapsed into the flames.
Just like that, the machines no longer moved!
Then, in the midst of the smoke, Kai and the five survivors glanced at the glowing notifications that appeared before their eyes.
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (D) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +300 Experience Points ]
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Hound (E) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +100 Experience Points ]
Several more similar notifications appeared since six Sentinels and three Hounds had been defeated. The points were shared among the five, and although lower than before, they didn't mind it at all.
Furthermore, every survivor had finally reached Level 5!
"I got it! My physique also improved!" Victor said. "Feels like I can work twice as fast now."
Claire blinked as she checked her own notification. "I'm level 5 as well! Wait… I'm still E plus."
"The requirement might be higher now, Claire… Still, everyone will finally get their Gene Skill!" Wallace replied.
"Yeah! Look!" Ralph said excitedly. The Gene Skill was what he was really excited about.
Kai just smiled as he also got the same experience points but he didn't level up.
'Reaching Level 6 is tough...' He mused.
The four Survivors, on the other hand, immediately focused on their own notifications. They basically had the same notifications after Kai reached this level a few days ago.
[ You have leveled up! ]
[ Level: 5 ]
[ Health Points +50 ]
[ Spirit Points +10 ]
[ Gene Skill Points +1 ]
[ Physique Rating Improved: E+ ]
[ Inventory Slots Expanded: +1 ]
It was unfortunate that Claire remained E+ in her Physique Rating, but she could understand that it had a higher requirement now to advance.
Then, her eyes widened as she focused on the Gene Skill she obtained.
[ New Passive Gene Skill Activated! ]
[ Skill: Titan Grip (Level 0) ]
[ Description: Enhances raw physical strength. Increases lifting capacity, melee impact, and resistance against disarm attempts. ]
[ Note: Passive skills cannot be deactivated. Leveling requires Gene Skill Points. ]
She clenched her fists, feeling the subtle surge of power in her muscles. "I… I feel stronger already," she whispered.
Ralph also checked what he got.
[ Skill: Quickdraw (Level 0) ]
[ Description: Enhances weapon handling speed. Reduces reload time, improves weapon switching, and steadies aim while moving. ]
"It's also a passive skill. Nice… This is perfect." Ralph commented. Of course, he immediately tried it as he aimed an object with his revolver. He could immediately tell the difference.
"Mine's better." Wallace said as he also got his Passive Skill.
[ Skill: Swift Stride (Level 0) ]
[ Description: Enhances movement speed and agility. Reduces delay between actions and improves efficiency when retreating or advancing under pressure. ]
He actually got a movement buff! With his Stamina-Related Talent, it made him even better!
Finally, Victor also checked his own passive gene skill.
[ Skill: Adaptive Tinkering (Level 0) ]
[ Description: Improves improvisation with mechanical devices. Speeds up repairs, increases efficiency when modifying weapons, and grants instinctive awareness of mechanical weak points. ]
Victor's eyes lit up as he stared at the notification.
"This… this is incredible." He crouched beside a discarded energy rifle. Soon, his fingers brushed the warped metal.
"This skill is awesome, Kai… I'm telling you. I can already see where it failed… and how to fix it. It's like the machine is talking to me." His grin was wide, proud. "Give me time, and I'll turn their weapons against them."
"That's what I like to hear." Kai replied as he also wanted all the rifles fixed.
For now, however, he had produced buckets of water to finally put out the fire… It took a dozen buckets, but it didn't take that long.
"Wait…"
As the smoke cleared, Kai's keen eyes caught sight of three bodies near the burning spot. The chains had loosened during the chaos, dropping them to the ground.
Because of that, their forms were battered and barely recognizable through the dust and grime.
"Russel, Augustine!" Kai shouted.
The two men moved immediately. Both were seasoned in rescue, and soon, they rushed forward, pulling the bodies away from the heat.
Russel knelt beside them, ready to perform the first aid.
He checked pulses, and one of them just drew his last breath. Seeing his face and body condition, Russel believed that it might be better if he didn't survive.
"One's gone," he said quietly. "But the other two… they were still alive."
Russel was actually worried if they could treat those two women who had somewhat survived.
Their bodies were covered in bruises and scars. Their skin blistered from the fire, but faint breaths escaped their lips.
However, they were going to die at this rate. So they needed quick medical treatment.
"They're breathing," Augustine confirmed, his voice firm. "We can still try saving them."
Without hesitation, they lifted the two patients and carried them toward the underground shelter.
"You're in safe hands now… Don't give up." Russel whispered.
Kai nodded at their quick response, but for now, he had to focus on the items they could loot from the defeated enemy units!