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Jhon adjusted his seat, feeling the gentle vibration of the bus's engine beneath his feet. The landscape passed through the armored windows: ruined buildings, abandoned vehicles corroded by time and nature, and wild vegetation slowly reclaiming what had once been human domain. The heat of Rio de Janeiro, even years after the Event, was still a burden, but the bus's air conditioning made it bearable.
He was about to focus on the radar map to identify the safest point to stop when a light flashed on his HUD, indicating a private message.
[PRIVATE MESSAGE]
By: TAKE
Subject: First to Reach Level 2
"Jhon, you really did it! Word spread through global chat. No one has managed to reach Level 2 yet, at least not that we know of. Congratulations. That's... impressive. It means you have access to resources and upgrades most of us can't even dream of. I... I'm in a tough spot here. My group is trapped in the Old Battery Factory area, east of where you were. We've been attacked by a horde of Ravagers (Rank B), and our vehicles are in tatters. We have many injured. I know it's a bold request, but if you could... we desperately need help. My name is Lua. I was the one who warned you about the Courageous Explorer earlier. Please, Jhon."
Jhon read the message, his eyes fixed on the name "Lua." It was the same person who had warned him in the beginning, showing a certain sense of ethics in a brutal world. The Old Battery Factory... he knew the area. It was a maze of concrete and twisted metal, and if her vehicles were in tatters, the situation was truly critical. Ravagers (Rank B) were agile and ferocious creatures, known for their speed and sharp claws, unlike the Giant Beast's brute strength.
"Loli, what does the radar show for the Old Battery Factory?" Jhon asked, his voice low.
Loli projected the area onto the map. "The energy signature is massive, Jhon. There are at least three Ravagers (Rank B), and a large concentration of Stalkers (Rank G). The survivors' vital signs are weak. There's a cluster indicating the damaged vehicles. It's a high-risk situation. My former master would have run in the opposite direction and tripped over his own feet!"
Jhon took a deep breath. He had just saved one group. Now, another was asking for help. The temptation to focus on his own goals and continue honing his power was strong. But the voice in the chat, the genuine panic, and the gratitude he had felt from the rescued survivors stirred something within him. He now had the power to make a difference. And if he had the power, he should use it.
Page 56
Jhon glanced in the shuttle's rearview mirror, which now had high-resolution screens showing a clear view of what lay behind. Elara, Marco, Liam, and Sarah were in the medical pod, some sleeping exhaustedly, others watching the landscape with a mixture of apprehension and hope. They were his new burden, his new crew. And he wouldn't leave them behind.
"Loli," Jhon said, his voice firm and resolute, the route to the main road veering in his mind. "Plot a course for the Old Battery Factory. Full speed ahead. Let's help Lua."
"John, this is a high-risk area. Fuel consumption will be significant. And your new passengers..." Loli began, sounding cautious.
"The Legendary Stabilized Energy Crystal (A) is in my inventory, Loli. Use it to fuel the bus. No worries about gas now," Jhon interrupted her, the confidence in his voice unwavering. "As for the passengers, they'll be safe inside the armored bus. My priority now is to rescue Lua and her group."
"Understood, Jhon! Calculating the fastest route to the Old Battery Factory," Loli replied, her systems adjusting.
The bus turned sharply, leaving the dusty trail of the initial route for the main road and cutting across rougher terrain heading east. The engine, now maxed out at Level 2, roared with renewed force, propelling the metal behemoth with surprising agility. Jhon felt every vibration of the machine, like an extension of his own body.
The landscape began to change. Open fields gave way to more rugged terrain, with decrepit industrial structures looming on the horizon, the twisted skeletons of a lost civilization. The Old Battery Factory was a cluster of crumbling warehouses and rusting metal towers, a nightmarish landscape that exuded an aura of danger and abandonment.
As they approached, the sounds of battle became audible: the piercing roar of the Ravagers, the screams of humans, the sound of ripping metal. Jhon activated his enhanced thermal vision, and the world around him transformed into a heat map. The heat signatures of the monsters and the faintest points of the wounded survivors appeared clearly on the screen and in his own vision.
He could see the Ravagers: agile creatures with lean, muscular bodies and long, sharp claws on their front and back legs. Their eyes, even in thermal vision, resembled glowing points of intense heat, indicating their predatory nature. They moved with astonishing speed, charging toward the wreckage of a vehicle, where the few remaining survivors struggled to defend themselves. The metallic smell of blood was almost palpable in the air as the bus sliced through.
Jhon was in complete control. His mind was clear. He was the leader now. The rescued survivors, the messages of help, his newfound power—it all fit together. He had a mission bigger than just his own survival. He had a chance to truly make a difference. And with the bus transformed into a mobile fortress and his skills evolved, he was ready for the challenge.