Worth the risk

It became apparently obvious that there was no way to convince Alex to go through with the Madame's request as such the party began scouring the market throughout the entire Airport searching for three bone scorpion carapaces. The inherent problem with the bartering system is everyone is looking for an oddly specific item in order to trade.

As such, even if they found someone who was willing to trade the materials they needed, they would often have to trade with numerous other people, just to get the proper goods the person with the carapace wanted.

The party exhausted nearly half a day bartering until they finally got the three Bone Carapaces. They were lucky that there were indeed three of them up for trade. However, they had to go through two different merchants to get all three.

It was quite the hassle, but when all was said and done it had proven much easier than going out and killing the bone scorpions themselves. Those wretched beasts were difficult to kill and had a reputation for aggroing anything within a 5-meter vicinity. Only a fool would go out and hunt them when they could trade for them. Even if it took half a day to reach the proper agreements.

After acquiring the items, Cassie met with Lucas in the Swan Song Tavern and exchanged the goods. The intelligence she received about the location of a large, untapped liquor supply was better than she had imagined and was well worth the effort. The information included a map, as well as a detailed list of what to expect in the area.

Cassie was extremely excited until she looked at the location on the map, it immediately became obvious why nobody had ransacked the location. It was located directly in the strip and quite a distance into the area.

The location would require the party to go deep behind enemy lines in order to reach the liquor store. It was an extremely dangerous mission and one that required a great degree of stealth to accomplish.

However, the rewards were definitely worth the risk, if they could find a safe passage to the area, they could repeatedly resupply the Swan Song Tavern, and continue to earn a huge fortune in terms of vouchers. Which would allow them to trade for practically any item they might require.

After a deep discussion, the party came up with a plan of action. They would circumvent the strip as much as possible, and go through the back alleys to reach the location. It was risky, as they could easily get cornered by any number of hostiles, however, it was a far superior option than rushing headfirst into the strip which had practically become a monster kingdom at this point.

The party spent the rest of the day acquiring the equipment necessary to take on such an endeavor and prepared accordingly. By the dawn of the next day, they would meet up at the entrance of the airport and head out.

...

The night passed peacefully, and the light of day began to spread across the sky. Alex had already awoken an hour ago, and headed to the rendezvous point. He had struggled to sleep, and after hours of attempting to do so, he finally decided to just stay awake, and wait for the others to show up.

He was drinking a fresh cup of coffee that had been mixed with some strange herbs that started growing in the area after the environment began to shift. It was not just the fauna that had evolved drastically, the new plantlife was mysterious and powerful in its own right.

There were some people who had been experimenting with the herbs, and their uses, and discovered a root that had an effect similar to cocaine, but without the negative effects. This root was referred to informally as "sugar root" and was used by many as an additive to all kinds of food and drinks. It supplied the weary slayers with the energy to fight, even when their bodies and minds were completely exhausted.

If it weren't for this miracle herb Alex would find it difficult to get out of bed most days. Nevertheless, his body and mind were completely energized as he tapped his foot rapidly while waiting for his party to arrive.

It was raining once more, and he was sitting outside the airport on a bench in his parka, his shimmering vest was concealed beneath the burly jacket, and if one paid close attention to his fists they could see shining rope wraps similar to the style used by ancient Thai warriors.

He had a large backpack on his back, and a gym bag slung around his shoulder. Without reliable transportation, it was difficult to carry items securely in this post-apocalyptic world. Most scavengers used numerous bags they carried on their persons to stash their supplies.

After finishing his coffee he noticed the others approach his location. He threw the disposable cup on the ground and crushed it. The entire party was equipped similarly to him, albeit with their own weapons, and were well prepared for the mission. They seemed excited and even eager for the mission.

Alex on the other hand looked emotionally exhausted. Though he had just consumed a cup of sugar root coffee, and his mind and body were fully energized. His spirit was not something so easily rejuvenated. Surviving in this unforgiving world was a never-ending chore, and he seldom had an outlet to relieve his endless anxiety. Nevertheless, the blonde-haired youth forced a smile as he greeted his comrades.

"Are we all ready to head out?"

Cassie looked over the team one last time to make sure they had not forgotten anything of importance. After confirming they were properly prepared she nodded

"Follow me"

With that, the team followed the daring young woman who had been elected as their leader into the ruins of the city of Las Vegas. The difficulties that lie ahead of the eager party would prove to be more than expected as they sought wealth and fame in this vast wasteland of a world.