Chapter 8 - Wasteland Culture

The rescue team's preparations took nearly an hour.

They stripped the dead enforcers of their gear, distributing unscathed armor and plasma rifles. Though the rescue team needed them more, fairness kept complaints to a minimum.

A few voices usually chirped, but this time, Vincent's leadership had saved them all the night before. Their silent acquiescence prevented further delays.

Reaching Mt. Tabaghak took four hours via a roundabout route. They kept a forty-meter distance from the elk lying in front of the cave's opening, standing guard on high alert.

By the time they slowed their steps, pressing against a cluster of spires, the sun was cooking them alive.

Vincent was only wearing chest armor. The material was synthetic iron, designed to block normal bullets while weighing half of a bulletproof vest. The rest of the team was fully suited up.

There were five of them. Louis, Dan, and Angel were the only ones who had volunteered, and Vincent was thankful for the familiar faces.

"Alright. If I don't come back in ten minutes, I'm probably trying to keep them alive."

He gripped the rope slung over his shoulder tighter. He had no idea what would happen if he left anyone unattended in the void, but the rope would be useful then.

Seeing everyone nod, Vincent slipped into the shadows.

Darkness stretched around him, with only the world above offering any sense of direction—no visible cave system in sight. It wasn't until he floated right by the entrance that the tunnels finally came into view.

'So there's a threshold for seeing through walls… within 15 meters?' He took note of the limitation while scanning for Kazuki's team.

Vincent wasn't worried about getting lost, the cave system lay open before him. In just a few minutes, he came across a woman and a little girl clinging to each other.

Reaching them would take three tunnel openings, and for now, they were safe. After confirming their location, he returned to the group.

"I found your wife and daughter, but there's no sign of your team. Any idea where they might have gone?"

"They left them?" Angel frowned, turning a sharp gaze on Kazuki.

Kazuki's brows drew together, his lips pressing into a thin line. He exhaled, shaking his head. "I don't know. But… we argued before I left. Maybe… maybe they decided to abandon my wife and child."

His slumped shoulders and softened voice made his distress painfully clear, further souring everyone's opinion of the missing team.

Nobody chose to question him deeply. These were common practices in the wasteland.

"Can we start the plan? If the Veil arrives, the fight will be even harder." Kazuki's eyes lifted to the sky, his worry deepening.

Vincent turned to Angel and Dan. "Are you sure you can handle that Vorvik? This isn't the virtual world—we don't have free mechs for protection."

Kazuki sharply turned, his concern palpable. "I need you to keep my wife and daughter safe, Cents. Let them handle the distraction."

Angel's rolled her eyes as she glanced between Kazuki and the Vorvik. "It's just a glorified plasma tank. We can handle it."

"She's right, Cents," Dan added. "Go with Kazuki. We can outrun this thing if we have to."

Louis inhaled sharply, silently rechecking his gun and armor to steady his nerves.

Vincent's worries eased. He gave a nod and stepped back, waiting with Kazuki while the others moved into position.

The three locked gazes briefly before sprinting toward the back of the elk. The noise of their armor reached the Vorvik's ears, but it only squinted at the cave, unbothered.

Dan slung his rifle over his shoulder and grabbed a grenade launcher, lobbing a shot in a high arc as the other two split off from him.

Boom!

The frag grenade exploded on impact, but the elk's thick, earthen hide remained unscathed.

Dan didn't stop. He emptied his launcher, firing four more grenades in quick succession.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The final explosions finally drew the Vorvik's attention.

It stomped the ground, bugling in rage—its whistle blending into a deep, guttural growl.

This time, their ears didn't suffer.

The gear they wore kept incoming sound at a stable frequency, a standard feature of enforcer equipment. But only five of them had survived last night's battle in one piece, and after distributing the gear fairly, Vincent had chosen to keep Kazuki inside the void to protect his hearing.

The Vorvik reared up and turned, its landing sending tremors across a 50-meter radius.

The three distractors instantly scattered.

Lightning crackled as the elk thrust its head forward, hammering the ground as it charged—straight at Dan.

Angel and Louis noticed immediately. They skidded to a stop, pivoted sharply, and opened fire on the Vorvik's face.

Angel's shots were precise. Every bullet found its mark, bursting into its glowing eyes.

The elk's charge halted. Its narrowed gaze now locked onto Angel.

Without hesitation, she slung her rifle and bolted toward the spires.

Vincent, still in the void with Kazuki, watched closely, gripping his shoulder. He waited until the team successfully reached the rock cluster, who were using it as cover in case the Vorvik unleashed its lightning blast.

Then, they reappeared right inside the cave's entrance.

Kazuki's breath hitched. "W-What happened?"

"They've got the Vorvik's attention. Let's go."

Vincent patted his back and jogged deeper into the cave.

Kazuki remained frozen for a moment, his knuckles turning white as his fists clenched. He gritted his teeth, his eyes darkening—a decision taking root in his mind.

Vincent led the way, moving through three tunnel openings with ease. The cave trembled from the battle outside, but no stalactites threatened to fall.

As soon as the woman and child came into view, Vincent stepped aside.

Kazuki sprinted past him, gathering his family into his arms. His shoulders trembled, the weight of fear and relief unraveling him.

His wife and daughter clung to him, sobbing, mirroring his heartache.

Vincent gave them their moment, slipping into the void to scan for any unexpected intruders.

A minute later, he reappeared. By then, Kazuki had composed himself.

"Ready?" Vincent asked, shifting slightly, already prepared to leave.

Kazuki hesitated, his expression faltering before he nodded. "Yeah… Thank you."

Vincent shrugged. "Just help me get a cleaner, then we're even."

Kazuki managed a weak smile, the motion straining his face.

Vincent understood his hesitation. After reuniting with his family, putting his life at risk again should have been a difficult decision.

He said nothing more. With a simple wave, he turned and jogged off, fearing the team outside might need help.

The signs of battle were clear—the once-standing spires lay shattered, debris littering the battlefield. In the distance, the Vorvik sprinted, halted, turned, then sprinted again.

The team was holding their own.

Vincent glanced back at Kazuki, who remained in the cave's entrance.

"Good. Looks like all we need to do now is disengage—"

Tchk!

A needle pierced the back of his neck, directly targeting the parasite embedded in his spine.

Vincent crumbled, his cheek pressing against the cold ground. He tried to slip into the void, but only a low, static hum echoed in his mind, followed by a dull ache in his neck.

His eyes flickered as his muscles refused to obey.

Paralysis.

Black military boots entered his field of vision—half visible, half vanishing—accompanied by the soft swaying of an invisible fabric.

Unlike the cloaked enforcers, this equipment mimicked a chameleon. The more still its user remained, the more effective it was at hiding.

'Fuck! What's a warden doing all the way out here?!'

Even as his blood boiled with frustration, Vincent's mind stayed unnervingly calm. The paralysis affected his entirety, the shot should have sent him straight to slumber.

"Target acquired. Surprisingly conscious."

"H-Hey, we had a deal."

Kazuki's voice wavered, uncertain and shaken.

"Indeed."

In an instant, three bodies hit the floor as the unknown warden fired three shots from his silenced pistol.

"Am I doing this right? Isn't this part of their culture?"

Vincent could no longer see the boots. The sound of footsteps halted behind him.

"Fine, stop yelling at me. I'm doing my job. Look, I got what the Iron Warden failed to capture~"

The needle in his neck dug deeper as a leather collar tightened around his throat. Vincent's vision blurred to white as bursts of static filled his mind.

The parasite screamed in agony.

"Send a team here. These beggars managed to damage the Vorvik we were hunting. Don't let them loot it. Huh? No. There's only three of them. Yes. I'm not kidding. Ah, fuck—"

Vincent's vision returned as the warden continued his conversation. At the corner of his eye, a blur of dark green hair flashed before disappearing just as quickly.

"Hang on. This guy's still awake."

Tchk!

Another needle was shot into his arm, and the paralysis forced his eyelids into a helpless shutdown.

Vincent's mind began to falter, slipping into unconsciousness.

The last thing he registered was his body being dragged, accompanied by the echoing whistle of the warden.