[You Have Reached Level Three. All Wounds Are Healed]
[Access to Market System Granted]
Kai woke with a start, disoriented by the soft chime that echoed through the sparse room. He sat up, blinking sleep from his eyes as he tried to recall where he was. Then it came rushing back - the Silo, the battles, and his newfound companion, Anya.
A quick glance at the Silo Overlay confirmed it - he had reached Level 3. Kai felt a surge of pride and relief. Despite the hardships he had endured, his perseverance had paid off.
[Silo Overlay]
[Kai Jones - Level 3 - Grade - B - Highest Echelon - First]
[Skills : None]
[Endurance : 3]
[Strength : 3 ]
[Dexterity : 4]
[Perception : 2]
[Intelligence : 3]
[Charisma : 3]
[Echelon Quest - (1/3)
[1. Collect Ten Beast Tokens (6/10)]
Kai tapped the Overlay, and a new menu appeared before him. [Access to Market System Granted] the message read. Intrigued, he selected the option, his heart quickening with anticipation.
The Market Overlay materialized, a grid of items awaiting his perusal. Kai studied the interface, trying to decipher its purpose. Unsure of how to proceed, Kai decided to explore the menu further.
[Market Overlay]
[Available Credits : 500]
[Item : Quantity : Price]
[Rusty Screwdriver : 12 : 5 credits]
[Broken Radio : 4 : 15 credits]
[Tarnished Wrench : 8 : 8 credits ]
[Scrap Metal Sheets : 20 : 12 credits]
[Cracked Flashlight : 6 : 10 credits]
[Weathered Toolbox : 2 : 25 credits]
[Frayed Rope (10 ft) : 14 : 6 credits]
[Dented Metal Canister : 9 : 18 credits]
[Worn Leather Gloves : 11 : 7 credits]
[Corroded Bolt Cutters : 3 : 20 credits]
He scanned the listings, wondering what might appear. Would there be weapons, food, or even something to help him escape this underground labyrinth? The possibilities excited and unnerved him.
Kai's gaze drifted to the top of the Market Overlay, where a value was displayed. [Available Credits: 500] it read. Kai frowned, wondering where the five hundred credits came from. After a few moments of thinking he remembered the pouch from the chest.
He dug through his backpack to find the pouch and the coins that were inside. Kai shook his head in surprise at the fact that the pouch was empty now. Somehow, the Silo knew how many credits he had and it was automatically applied to the Market Overlay. He shivered at the oddness he felt in that moment.
He refrained from his urge to buy something right away. Mentally noting what was for sale so that he could see if it changed as the day progressed. Kai spent a few more minutes playing around with the overlay before rising to see if Anya was awake.
Kai rose from the cot, his muscles aching from the previous day's battles. Despite the healing, the fatigue persisted. He winced as he recalled the vicious scorpion-like creature he and Anya had faced.
Stretching his limbs, Kai exited Haven and made his way to the Atrium. The familiar debris and rusted metal greeted him, a stark contrast to the relative comfort of his sanctuary. Kai's gaze swept the cavernous space, searching for any signs of new threats or opportunities.
Kai carefully inspected the barricades, ensuring they remained intact. Satisfied that his traps were still in place, he turned his attention to the Atrium once more. His eyes scanned the area, searching for any movement or potential danger.
A soft rustling caught his ear, and Kai whirled around, his knife at the ready. But instead of a menacing creature, he found a small, scurrying form - one of the glowing rodents he had encountered before. Kai watched as the rat-like creature darted between the debris, seemingly unaware of his presence.
Kai's shoulders relaxed, and he allowed himself a small chuckle. "Just a glow rat," he murmured, the corner of his mouth quirking upward.
"Anya?" Kai called out, walking over towards her door. "Are you awake?"
He waited a few moments before deciding to continue with his morning routine and leave her be.
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* * *
Kai continued his morning cardio routine, his footsteps echoing through the cavernous Atrium. He had lost track of time, but the growling of his stomach reminded him that he should eat soon. His muscles burned from his work out. His physical shape was improving rapidly, despite the lack of more than the nutrition bars to eat.
Just as he was about to head back to Haven, the sound of a door creaking open caught his attention. Kai turned to see Anya emerging from her sanctuary, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
"Good morning," Kai called out, jogging over to greet her. "Did you sleep well?"
Anya nodded, offering him a small smile. "As well as one can, in a place like this," she replied, her Slovenian accent coloring her words.
Kai noticed that Anya was smiling. He jogged over closer to her and bent over to catch his breath.
"I reached level three this morning. I got access to the Market Overlay." Anya said in an almost-giddy voice.
"Nice! So did I. The Super Dangerous and Deadly Large Scorpion really paid off for us." Kai chuckled.
"Yes, it seems we're both doing well," Anya said, her gaze flickering off to the side. Kai assumed she was checking her overlay. "Although, my first echelon quest is to obtain 1,000 credits."
Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "1,000 credits?" he echoed. "Phew."
Anya chewed her lip, her brow furrowing in thought. "Yeah it feels like an impossible amount." She visibly deflated
Kai nodded, his mind thinking over the news. "Well, so did mine at first, and now I have it over half way done.
Kai pointed out the various items for sale. "From what I can tell, the Silo seems to be stocked with a lot of scavenged goods - tools, materials, and the like. Maybe we could find a way to turn a profit on these items?"
"I don't think we can access the Market outside of our sanctuary." Anya said with a frown.
"Woah, weird. Yeah I can't pull mine up either." Kai confirmed.
They walked together back inside Haven and Kai sat down on the cot. "I can access it now, how about you?"
"Yeah, maybe we just have to be close?" Anya replied.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Better probably since you actually went to college and all." Kai said with a smile, earning a small chuckle from Anya.
Anya studied the listings, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "And what about the Beast Tokens we've been collecting? Could those be worth something?"
Kai nodded, remembering the glowing tokens he had earned from his battles. "I'm not sure, but it's worth a try. Maybe we could try to sell them, or use them to purchase something valuable."
He played with the Market Overlay until he figured out how to sell items. He placed a beast token up for sale and then checked his quest to make sure it didn't remove one from the requirements.
[Market Overlay]
[Available Credits : 500]
[Item : Quantity : Price]
[Tier 2 Beast Token : 1 : 20]
"Okay, listed one of the beast tokens." Kai muttered.
[1. Collect Ten Beast Tokens (6/10)]
"Oh good, so I can list a token without it removing it from my quest. It listed the token as a tier two beast token and priced it at twenty credits." Kai said. "Hey, Anya, how many credits do you have?"
"Uhh. Zero. How many do you have?" She replied with an odd look.
"I found a locked chest a few days ago and it had a pouch with coins in it. It seems like they were worth five hundred credits." Kai responded.
"Wow. That's like half of my…" Anya started but trailed off.
"Yeah, half of your quest. The physical tokens disappeared, how do you think we transfer them between us?" Kai asked.
"Hah well yes you know me, master of the Silo system and all, let me wave my magical wand and i'll get right back to you." Anya huffed and a slightly strained silence fell between them.
"What do you know about these echelon quests?" Anya asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Kai shrugged. "Same as you, I imagine," he admitted.
Anya nodded, her expression contemplative. "Do you think they're our way out of this place?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
* * *
Kai considered Anya's question, his brow furrowing in thought. "I'm not sure if they're a way out, exactly," he said slowly. "But they do seem to be a path forward, a way to progress and hopefully gain more power in this place."
He glanced around the small sanctuary, taking in the bare essentials it provided. "I mean, look at how much we've already accomplished - we're both level three, we've got a safe place to stay, and we've even managed to earn some credits." He paused, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And we've survived some pretty nasty critters."
Anya nodded, her expression thoughtful. "That's true," she conceded. "But I can't help but wonder if there might be others out there, others who could help us or who we could help." She looked down at her hands, her fingers fidgeting nervously. "I just... I feel so alone, even with you here. One minute, I'm at college, surrounded by thousands and now…"
Kai reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I know," he said softly. "But we're in this together, Anya. And who knows, maybe we'll find a way to connect with other survivors. In the meantime, let's focus on what we can do to make our situation a little better, huh?"
Anya nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "Okay," she said, her voice steadier. "So what's our plan?"
Kai grinned and gestured to the Market Overlay still displayed in front of them. "Well, first things first, let's see if we can't turn these Beast Tokens into something useful." He tapped the listing he had created, watching as the credits balance updated. "Looks like I got twenty credits for that one. Not bad, but we've got a long way to go to reach your goal."
Anya leaned in, her eyes scanning the screen. "Maybe we could try sending a message through the Market, see if anyone else is out there and willing to trade?"
"What are you thinking?" Kai asked her.
"We can write down a message and then list it at 1 credit. If anyone else is watching the Market Overlay, they can buy it and respond." Anya theorized.
Kai nodded, his fingers already moving to create a new listing. "Good idea." He quickly scribbled a brief message on a scrap of metal, then listed it for sale at a single credit.
[Market Overlay]
[Available Credits: 520]
[Item: Quantity: Price]
[Scrap Metal (Message) : 1: 1 credit]
"There," he said, sitting back "Well, the name might be hard for someone to notice, it called it 'Scrap Metal (Message)'."
Anya chewed her lip, her gaze fixed on the screen. "Do you think anyone will respond?"
Kai shrugged. "Hard to say. In the meantime, we should probably start planning our next move."
"What do you mean?" Anya asked, her brow furrowing.
"Well, we've got a couple options," Kai explained. "We could try to lure in more of those Beasts, earn some more tokens, and see if we can't get you closer to that 1,000 credit goal. Or we could try to explore the Silo a bit more, see if we can't find any other survivors or resources."
Anya's expression grew pensive. "I'm not sure I'm ready to go back out there," she admitted. "Those creatures, they..." She shuddered, the memory of the battle clearly still fresh in her mind.
Kai nodded in understanding. "I get it. But we can't just hole up in here forever, you know? We've got to keep moving forward if we want to have any chance of getting out of this place."
"I know, I know," Anya sighed. "It's just... it's all so overwhelming. I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water as it is."
Kai reached out and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Hey, we're in this together, remember?"
Anya offered him a small, grateful smile. "Okay."
"Tell you what," he said finally. "Why don't we give it a day or two, see if anyone responds to that message we sent? In the meantime, we can start planning our next move. Maybe we can find a way to tackle both the quest and the exploration, you know?"
"In the mean time, you should start exercising every day. The nutrition bars seem to cover the needs of our bodies. My morning exercises have gotten easier since I started them when I entered." Kai suggested.
"Did you just call me fat?" Anya said with an impressive eye-roll.
Kai just chuckled and bit into a nutrition bar.