Crafting Gear From Monster Genes

Thump. Thump. Thump.

A dull thud echoed as the blue beast moved forward along the rocky terrain. A single beast was enough to pull carts and several platforms behind it, filled with people, resources, and monster corpses.

To match the pulling power of this beast, it would take at least four cargo trucks, drivers, and fuel. The only fuel this beast needed was a few fresh pieces of meat.

And the best part? This monster truck had an autopilot feature that destroyed all obstacles in its path.

"Grhhhh!" The blue beast snorted as it stood before a rock blocking the path to a passage that was essentially a large crack between two high stone plateaus.

Crack!

As soon as the blue beast lifted its hooves, they crashed down on the rock, shattering it into pieces.

"Hahaha, good boy!" Garius laughed, tossing another chunk of meat forward.

The blue beast’s jaw shot forward, determined not to miss this treat.

At the same time, a few carts behind, two Hunters lay in chains, captured by the Renegades.

"You..." Groza hissed, looking at Kreyn, who was lying down and gazing at the moon hanging above them. "Why the hell are you so calm?"

"What do you want me to do?" Kreyn replied, without turning around. "We’re in shackles, and on their side there’s a dozen rifles and at least two Hunters with a hand-held beast."

"And? Does that mean we should do nothing and just wait?" Groza was outraged.

She couldn’t accept that they’d simply been captured and kidnapped! Her best day in the last few years was completely ruined!

Kreyn’s answer was immediate:

"Yes."

Groza’s face froze in disbelief as a deep laugh rang out from the side:

"Hahahahaha! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen ones like you!"

The man with a short black beard slapped his knee. He and a grim-looking woman were making sure that Groza and Kreyn didn’t actually try to escape.

"No, seriously." The bearded man waved his hand. "You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last to find yourselves in this situation. Do you think no one before you tried to escape?"

Groza narrowed her eyes.

"Are you saying no one has ever succeeded? That can’t be true!"

"Look, you can believe me or not, but you can see it for yourself. You’re not only surrounded but also exhausted after a long battle."

The bearded man spreads his arms wide.

"That young fellow is right, the best course of action is to wait patiently."

"You know..." Kreyn muttered. "You don’t sound very menacing to kidnappers."

In response, the bearded man smiled bitterly.

"It’s just the nature of the job. Living in the middle of the wastelands isn’t easy at all. We’re lucky we found a worthy leader."

"A worthy leader?" Groza raised an eyebrow. "That fool who throws meat at a monster with that stupid smile? Pffft! It’d be hard to come up with a worse option."

For the first time, the grim woman’s voice rang out.

"She’s stupid, isn’t she?"

"You—!"

"Renegades." Kreyn stopped Groza, who was ready to pounce on the woman even with her shackles on.

He stood up, looking at the bearded man.

"Groza called you that. So... Who are you? Apparently, the Crooked Horn isn’t a city like our Dust Star, so why are you here and not in a city?"

The bearded man and woman exchanged glances.

"He’s a newbie, right? Well, not everyone has the chance to live in a city, and not everyone wants to, to be honest. You’re right, the Crooked Horn isn’t a city. It’s many times smaller than Dust Star. Places like this are called the Nodes.

"Basically, they’re any settlements smaller than cities. The Crooked Horn is one of them. But there’s another key difference with the Nodes."

Kreyn gave him a questioning glance. "Hmm?"

"The Nodes are disconnected from the global network. We don’t have Hunter Hubs, nor anything else associated with that structure. Also, as you may have already figured out, all residents of the Nodes are called the Renegades."

Groza jerked her head to the side. "That’s no surprise. You’re savages who kidnap people! In a city, no one would even think of such a thing!"

The bearded man gave a wry smile.

"You think too highly of people."

"True."

Strangely enough, Kreyn nodded in agreement.

"W-What?" Groza exclaimed. "Stop agreeing with them on everything! They’re our enemies! They’re holding us hostage, for God’s sake!"

"Well... That’s true, too." Kreyn shrugged. "But just because they’re enemies doesn’t mean what they say is a lie. I mean, no one attacked us at Dust Star, but that’s a big city. There are definitely some crazy people there."

The grim woman stared at Kreyn.

"He, unlike her, is pretty smart, isn’t he?"

"Yeah, he’s got a sharp mind."

Kreyn glanced at the bearded man.

"The Crooked Horn, what’s that place like?"

"It... It’s a rough place, but if you can stand up for yourself, you can rise to the top pretty quickly!"

The woman nodded. "We’ll be there soon. It won’t be long now."

Thus, their convoy reached one of the entrances to the Crooked Horn.

The Crooked Horn was located in the middle of a spacious plateau. The rocky terrain rose high above, and only narrow paths led to the Crooked Horn.

This Node got its name from its shape, which resembled a curved blade or horn.

"Faster! Faster!" The guard shouted as four men turned the wheels that raised the heavy wooden gates.

Garius waved his hand as the blue monster entered.

Kreyn looked around, and to his surprise, the scene seemed somewhat familiar to him.

Tall buildings resembling towers made of metal scraps and with numerous floors formed narrow, noisy streets. Buildings were everywhere - both on the lower level in front of them and on the rocky slopes to the sides.

Why did this seem familiar to Kreyn?

This was roughly what Sector 18 looked like, where he technically still lived and had spent his entire life. A wealthy neighborhood or area could never look like this.

But the Crooked Horn wasn’t just a larger version of the slums. It was a place with its own identity, and Kreyn realized this the moment he looked up.

The bridges ran between the walls of high plateaus, hanging over the town. They were the ones leading to the highest points and passageways.

"What do you think, Kreyn?" Garius approached them, acting like an old friend rather than the one who captured them and took their gear.

"Not bad, it reminds me of home in a way." Kreyn looked at the bridges.

"Hahahahaha! We have more in common than I thought!"

Step.

Groza stepped forward, glaring menacingly at Garius.

"What do you plan to do with us next?"

"Isn’t it obvious?" Kalysa jumped down from the cart. "You’re our catch, so it’s time to put you to use. We’ll show you to our boss, the true ruler of this Node."

Garius nodded as a smug smirk spread across his face.

"Get ready, he’s not as kind as I am. A lot will depend on you."

"Like what, for example?" Groza frowned.

Garius waved his hand dismissively.

"Whether you’ll become slaves or one of us. How does that choice sound to you?"

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