Chapter 53: Black-hearted Manager
Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Black-hearted Manager
After confirming there was nothing else of use on the battlefield,
Bena nodded and said to Number 3, "Alright, Number 3. You take care of the keys for these three motorcycles. We’re preparing to leave."
Meanwhile, Number 2 continued a final sweep of the area, ensuring no possible clues were missed.
His Enhanced Observation skill proved invaluable here. His eyes, like scanners, meticulously inspected every inch of ground.
Once they were certain nothing was left behind,
the three of them each mounted a dirt bike and rode back the way they came, heading toward the pool.
The dirt bikes performed remarkably well, maintaining a stable speed even on the rugged, uneven terrain.
They quickly returned to where Number 1 was waiting.
Seeing them return safely, a glint of relief flashed in Number 1’s eyes.
"What’s the situation??"
Number 1’s voice came through the speaker. Though still faint, a hint of concern was audible in it.
Bena hopped off his bike, hurried over to Number 1, and briefly reported their findings.
"We found three dirt bikes, and they look to be in perfect condition."
After speaking, Bena glanced at the nearby cave entrance.
"Wait out here for us a bit longer. I’m going to see if there’s anything good inside."
Another search followed, but much to Bena’s disappointment, the cave held nothing useful besides a few corpses that were already starting to decay.
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Ye Yun stared at the motorcycles before him, his face filled with pleasant surprise.
Although he’d already gotten the news via his communication bracer, he was still thrilled to see them in person.
[Crude Dirt Bike (Green)]
[Type: Vehicle]
[Speed: 0-80 km/h]
[Defense: 5]
[A motorcycle modified in a civilian workshop, possessing some off-road capability.]
[Requirements: Strength 4, Agility 4, Observation 4]
[Durability: 92%]
[Charge: 80%]
’Good stuff.’
’With these, the exploration team won’t have to rely solely on their feet anymore. Our exploration range will increase in a single stroke.’
Furthermore, while they hadn’t managed to get any useful supplies from the enemy’s lair or the battlefield,
the mutated gray wolf by itself had yielded plenty of good loot.
[Damaged Gray Wolf Pelt (Green)] x5
[Description: Pelt taken from a mutated gray wolf, but it was severely damaged in the fight.]
[Mutated Gray Wolf Fang (Green)] x9
[Description: A tooth taken from a mutated gray wolf.]
[Mutated Gray Wolf Claw (Green)] x4
[Description: A sharp claw taken from a mutated gray wolf.]
[D-Grade Radiation Core (Blue)]
[Description: A special core obtained from a powerful mutated creature.]
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The haul from a single battle was substantial: nearly twenty Green components, one Blue component, and dozens of White ones.
The cost of this battle wasn’t too high, either. According to Bena’s report, more than half of Number 1’s body had been smashed to pieces during the fight.
However, in Ye Yun’s view, a price like that was completely acceptable.
After all, as long as a bionoid wasn’t destroyed on the spot, its lost durability could be fully replenished in the maintenance bay after returning to the shelter.
Ye Yun picked up the newly acquired [D-Grade Radiation Core (Blue)] and examined it closely.
The object was about the size of a matchbox and looked like an ordinary sapphire, but it was obviously much heavier than a normal gem.
It felt less like a gem and more like some kind of high-density ore.
This wasn’t the first time Ye Yun had obtained one of these. He had also received a [D-Grade Radiation Core (Blue)] when he killed that black mutated lizard earlier.
He just didn’t know what it was used for yet.
Ye Yun had seen people selling this item on the Exchange before.
Obviously, he wasn’t the only one with the power to kill such large mutated creatures.
However, it was clear those people didn’t know its purpose either; otherwise, they wouldn’t be selling it.
After all, the number of Blue items on the Exchange was still very small.
Ye Yun opened a private chat room.
Ye Yun:
[D-Grade Radiation Core (Blue)] - does anyone know what this thing is for?
His question immediately brought the quiet chat room to life.
Brother Ye, you got one too? My bionoid brought one back for me this morning, and I was just about to ask if you knew what it was for.
A Blue component! That’s Brother Ye for you! All I find are White and Green components, and here you are, already researching Blue ones!
Those seem to drop from large mutated creatures. I got one before, but I had no idea what it was for, so I just tossed it in my warehouse.
I listed mine on the Exchange right away to see if anyone wanted it.
People in the wasteland buy those things.
·············
Ye Yun’s eyes narrowed at that message.
He immediately contacted the person who sent it.
Ye Yun:
Owen, who’s buying them? Is that something you heard, or personal experience?
Owen:
Brother Ye, my guy Pike is the one who told me.
Oh, right, Pike is the wastelander who joined my shelter after the first crisis ended.
He used to work on a hunting team. He said he’d seen cores like this back then—some merchant guilds and caravans in the wasteland buy them up, but he isn’t clear on their specific use.
If you want to find out more, you’ll probably have to find a caravan or go directly to one of the wasteland towns and ask.
Seeing that he couldn’t get any more information, Ye Yun exchanged a few pleasantries with the man before closing the communication link.
’Looks like figuring out its true purpose will require more clues and exploration. For now, this thing is just a decoration.’
Ye Yun didn’t have everyone continue exploring.
Number 1’s durability was severely damaged, and a full repair would take some time.
Of course, the most important reason was Bena. As a living person, he had already been working at high intensity for twelve hours, a period that included a fierce battle.
If Ye Yun didn’t let him get a proper rest, he felt the man might just drop dead from overwork sooner or later.
He watched Number 2 and Number 3, who had just completed their exploration mission and were now diligently producing water and food cubes inside the shelter.
Ye Yun felt he needed to find a way to recruit another member for the shelter.
After all, bionoids could work 24 hours a day without a break, but ordinary humans couldn’t.
Ye Yun couldn’t shake the feeling that keeping the bionoids in the shelter to do manual labor was a waste of their talents.
Although Lina could also go out, her physical stats were on the low side, so the role she could play wasn’t very significant.
What he really wanted now was to find another wasteland resident like Bena, someone with a certain degree of combat capability.
Of course, it would be even better if he could encounter an esper with special abilities, like Xisuo and Simon.