[Chapter 18: Level 10]
The drive to the small creek hidden within the dense thicket of the forest was conducted in a haze of mechanical focus. Searanox kept his eyes on the road, but his mind was tethered to the two silent hunters flying kilometers behind them.
"The drones will be our cover," he said quietly, breaking the silence as the car bounced over a stray root. "If the authorities get spotted and shot at... they'll have to make a choice."
─ Adult Human Lv.0 x3
─ [+0.3 Exp]
"...just like that," he continued, his voice unfazed by the notification of more lives extinguished. "They will focus on the drones and keep their distance, thinking it’s some kind of high-tech insurgency. If they observe long enough, they will see the drones simply vanish in a cloud of blue sparks when the TP runs dry. They’ll be left standing in a field of feathers, lost as fuck."
"Lost as fuck," Iris repeated softly. She tasted the phrase, her voice a low vibration in the cramped cabin. She seemed to be cataloging the colloquialism for future tactical use, or perhaps just trying to understand the particular brand of human frustration it represented.
They followed the narrow creek upstream, moving away from the logging roads until the trees thinned just enough for a single, sharp blade of sunlight to pierce through the emerald canopy. The world felt calmer here—deceptively so. The air was cool and smelled of pine needles and damp moss, a sharp contrast to the metallic stench of the industrial farms.
Searanox reached into his hoodie pocket and retrieved the salvage cache he had snatched from the helicopter wreckage. It was palm-sized, a seamless block of matte black metal that felt unnervingly heavy for its size. There were no buttons, no markings, and no visible seams. He pressed his thumb against the surface. Nothing happened.
"I suspect you must channel Tech-Points into it," Iris said calmly, watching him.
He placed his hand flat against the container and focused on the pool of energy in his chest. Blue light began to trace faint, circuit-like lines along the edges of the box. The surface shimmered, vibrating with a low-frequency hum, and then... it stopped.
"Based on my administrative knowledge," Iris continued, "salvage caches often contain schematics, rare materials, or pre-assembled modules. Some allow for a selection process based on the user’s class compatibility. We will see which category this one belongs to."
Her silver eyes were steady, a stark contrast to the blood-soaked chaos they had left behind only an hour ago.
─ System Query: Open [Salvage Cache: Helicopter]?
`Yes.` He thought.
The box dissolved into a swarm of blue particles. A holographic interface unfolded before him, glowing softly in the dappled forest light.
─ Schematic: Drone Part
─ Alloy Plating x15
─ Mana-Infused Engine Core x1
The drone part, Searanox decided instantly. Materials were useless without a way to apply them, and his drones were currently his primary source of income and security.
The other options vanished instantly, replaced by a new object that materialized in the air. It was a small metallic sphere, significantly sleeker and more advanced than his current "orb" models. A single green lens pulsed at its center like a heartbeat, with four retractable protrusions resting dormant along its hull. It hovered silently for a heartbeat above where the box had been.
─ Obtained: Schematic: [Hull, Matte-Black Stealth]
─ You are now able to modify summoned drones.
The knowledge burned itself into his mind—a sudden, sharp download of assembly instructions and aerodynamic data. The sphere and the remaining fragments of the cache vanished in familiar blue sparks, integrated into his system.
They moved to the edge of the creek to wash up. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was enough to keep them from looking like escaped lunatics. The cold water bit into Searanox's skin as he scrubbed away the worst of the gore, his heightened Dhampir senses making the freezing temperature feel like a thousand tiny needles. The water darkened quickly, turning a pale pink... then a murky, deep red as it flowed downstream.
He glanced at Iris. She was cleaning her fur with meticulous, predatory care. Her movements were precise and almost ritualistic, smoothing the matted charcoal strands until they regained their natural luster. By the time they finished, the creek was a muddy crimson, and the local birds had gone silent.
This text was taken from NovelBin. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Iris," he said, pulling on the last set of clean clothes from the supply bag—a simple grey shirt and pants. "Thirty minutes. The drones should be finishing their sweep of the final barns. We move. Now."
She nodded once. He reached out with his mind and severed the tether.
─ [-2 Active Drones]
Still damp and shivering slightly, they returned to the car and drove off. Searanox didn't stick to the paved roads; he turned onto a rugged dirt path before cutting straight across an open, fallow field. He checked the navigation on his phone. The next farm didn't need to be a massive industrial complex. He didn't need thousands of kills anymore. Just a few hundred—maybe a few thousand—would push him over the edge.
Cutting across the acre halved their travel time, though the car’s suspension groaned in protest.
`If the car breaks down, fine, he thought grimly. If Iris is right, technology as we know it will be useless soon anyway. Without functional electronics or a stable power grid, this thing won't drive a meter once the Mana Infusion hits.`
"Iris," he said, tapping the screen mounted beside the steering wheel. "This green area here—this forest. That's where we stay until the System fully descends. I don't want to be anywhere near a city when that shit happens."
"I understand," she replied, her gaze shifting from the screen to the passing landscape. "Cities will become death traps. Dense populations of unprepared humans will attract high-level predators looking for an easy harvest. The forest provides concealment and natural barriers."
He parked just inside the tree line of the designated forest, far enough from the road to be invisible to passing patrols. The engine died, replaced by the sound of rustling leaves and distant, mocking birdsong. The air here smelled of damp earth and pine—clean, almost refreshing compared to the metallic stench that had clung to their skin for the last twenty-four hours.
"Let's finish this," he said.
He summoned a single drone.
─ [+1 Active Drone]
─ [-5 TP]
The machine drifted away toward a nearby small-scale farm he’d identified on the map, its blue lens glowing faintly in the twilight. Searanox leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. The notifications began to flow into his mind—steady, rhythmic, and distant. Death and reward, reduced to cold, hard numbers. A grim, mechanical lullaby.
"Sleep, Iris," he murmured, his voice heavy. "It was a long day."
Sunlight was filtering through the leaves, dappling the dashboard in gold, when Searanox woke. A sudden jolt of urgency snapped him fully alert. He rubbed his face and immediately checked the kill feed.
─ Adult Chicken Lv.0 x9,450
─ [+472.5 Exp]
Then, he pulled up his status.
[Status]
─ Name: Searanox
─ Class: Dronemancer
─ Level: 9
─ Exp: 19,986.2 / 20,000
He was so close he could practically taste the level-up. He focused, pushing his Tech-Points into the air.
─ [+1 Active Drone]
─ [-5 TP]
He sent the second unit to reinforce the first, commanding them to sweep the remaining coops with maximum aggression. The notifications accelerated, scrolling past his eyes in a blur of white text. Then, the world seemed to pause for a heartbeat.
─ Adult Chicken Lv.0 x276
─ [+13.8 Exp]
─ Bing! Level Up. You are now Level 10.
A wave of crystalline clarity washed over him, far more intense than any previous level-up. It felt as if a heavy veil had been lifted from his senses.
─ New Drone Types Unlocked: Assault, Offensive, Defensive, Healing, Travel, Cargo, Reconnaissance.
─ Congratulations! You are the first inhabitant of this sector to reach Level 10.
─ Reward: +5% All Stats.
─ [+5% All Stats Applied.]
Searanox gripped the steering wheel, feeling the surge of power through his limbs. But the system wasn't finished. A massive, gold-bordered window slammed open in his field of vision, pulsing with a light that made his eyes ache.
─ Alert! For reaching Level 10 as a Progenitor before the System's Descent, you have been granted a System Boon.
─ [System Boon: Overcome Adversity]
─ The effect of [Summon Air Drone] is multiplied by 10.
─ TP cost for [Summon Air Drone] reduced to 0.
─ Note: This effect remains active until the official System Descent.
Searanox exhaled slowly, his breath hitching in his chest as he read the fine print.
─ Skill [Summon Air Drone] Leveled Up!
─ Type: Summoning / Tactical Support
─ Cooldown: 15 seconds per Drone
─ Drone Slots: 3 (1 + Skill Level)
─ Skill Level: 2
─ Skill [Overcharge] Leveled Up!
─ Type: Buff / Enhancement
─ Cost: 10 TP per use
─ Duration: 10 seconds (5 x Skill Level)
─ Effect: +50% Performance (25% x Skill Level)
─ Skill Level: 2
─ Skill [Salvage] Leveled Up!
─ Type: Resource / Utility
─ Cost: 20 TP per use
─ Cooldown: 1 minute
─ Skill Level: 2
He stared at the 'Boon' notification. The math was staggering. With 3 slots and a 10x multiplier, and zero mana cost... he didn't just have drones anymore. He had an air force.
"What the FUCK!!!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the silent forest.
Iris sat bolt upright, her hand instinctively going for the hilt of the Zweihänder in the back seat. "Searanox? Threat assessment?"
"No threat," he panted, a manic, hysterical grin spreading across his face. He turned to her, his eyes glowing with an intensity she had never seen. "Iris... the game just broke. We aren't just surviving the Descent. We're going to own it."