Ruza went silent after her outburst. Even Robeep understood she needed some space. We found a shaded cubby in a cliff face once the dunes gave way to lightly hilled dust plains. They weren’t really sand, but not really grassy or muddy either - something in between, and very dry. Contemplating my progress helped take my mind off the somber mood which Ruza radiated relentlessly.

  All my attributes had improved by +1, although perception ran away with it, increasing by +4. Beyond that, fixing Robeep and triaging my own head culminated into a mutual total of 5 for both robotics and medicine, while frequent menial labor incremented my laboring. Athletics had also ticked up during our long walk here. But the real gains laid in my combat related skills.

  The mist ghoul was the primary culprit. Notifications tried to distract me while fighting against the adult mistmen, but they were few and far in between. Meanwhile duking it out with the monstrosity spawned piles of them with every exchange. Block and martial arts gained +4 each, owing to my defensiveness and industrial lifter leg, most likely. Yet even heavy weapons grew by +2.

  Some lingering despair managed to infect me. Progress felt slow, especially when compared to the magnitude of dangers all around us. On one hand, becoming a force of nature seemed inevitable. On the other, getting there was guaranteed to kill me. Or worse.

  I needed a way to train, and so did my companions. If we had the luxury of settling down somewhere for a while, lifting weights and whatnot… My final thought before falling asleep summarized the true madness of the world around me. We shouldn’t have escaped the slave camp.

  Ruza still neglected to speak come morning and breakfast. We only forced down half a sandwich each to preserve some of our water supply, although the MRE’s wouldn’t last much longer either. Robeep had been dutifully staring out the excuse of a cave, watching dustbowls roll by from the shadows, sneaking according to the System screen. Usually Ruza busied herself fixing his damage, and there was some on his chest, not to mention the missing arm, but he’d have to bear with it for now. This is going nowhere.

  Tired of the silence, I spoke, standing up straight and forcing some cheer into my voice, “So, where do we go?”

  Ruza, staring at the first five feet in front of her, nearly cut me off, “North to the trees, there is no other way. The cliff curves further to the south and leads into the mist.” She didn’t elaborate.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Well, I tried. We couldn’t avoid the morning sun but by midday the imposing mountain wall provided us with shade. Thoughts of scaling it evaporated in the heat haze. It inclined outwards. Gentle in many places, but sharp just as often. Even with proper tools, the task looked suicidal at best. Oddly enough, clumps of dirt surrounding rusted metal stuck out halfway up the gigantic obstacle, sealing away any hopes of making it past.

  More stump trees popped up and neared. Apparently they inspired Robeep.

  “Even nature can be a weapon,” he half mumbled, half pondered, “imagine dropping such on a village. The destruction! The awe! Unstoppable. I wish to see it. Susawa, saw one off at the base, I compel you.”

  Ruza snorted and her snappiness continued, not even letting me banter a bit. “Their falling is a sight, those idiots probably deserve it too. But it’s not one you want to see.”

  “Please don’t tell me they topple randomly,” I said.

  “Oh, they do, but not randomly,” Ruza said through Robeep’s excited squealing, “you’ll find out sooner or later.”

  I stopped. “Look Ruza, I get it. You’ve been through hell and this place was a big part of it. That’s okay, but we’ve survived everything the wasteland has thrown at us. We’ll make it through this too, whatever it is. And our odds will be better if you prepare us.”

  She didn’t, talking over her shoulder without even turning her head, “There’s nothing to say. You might as well get comfortable, we’re never leaving this place.”

  Needs more time, I guess. Soon enough our surroundings transformed into the strangest forest yet. Vegetation wasn’t quite the right word, but something like moss covered the ground. Ruza plucked a pristine bit off a large, bent rusty pipe and chewed on it silently. It was one thing every environment so far shared, scattered remains of ancient metal.

  Dense brown bushes rose up to twice my height all about, like poorly maintained maze hedges. The intertwining brush crumbled with a touch, giving way to anything but the extremely faint breeze. Oddest of all was the lack of any sounds or smells - beyond a faint chemical tinge, reminding me of hospitals or the dentist, clinical almost. And of course massive, solid branchless trees, higher than I dared guess, wide as a truck was long.

  At first the fragility of the bush annoyed me, dashing hopes of turning them into something useful. But the feeling quickly flipped into gratitude when their dissolution, paired with sharp yet strange guttural barking, announced an assailant. A four-legged animal the size of a particularly large dog, almost entirely covered in bone aside from infrequent spots of blue-grey, charged us from straight ahead.

  “Finally, battle!” Robeep said.

  The others readied themselves, unnecessarily. My temper flared, already on edge due to Ruza’s closedness, and left me unwilling to take any shit. I bellowed a war cry, she cursed. Plank rose high, the motion continued and culminated into a downward two-handed swing, caving in the rabid wildlife’s head in a single, critical stroke fueled by frustration. A notification popped, +1 heavy weapons. And screw you too, System.

  The animal stilled immediately. It was strange, the bony front claws stretched wide while the back ones aimed forwards. Similarly, the back knees bent forwards while the front ones faced back and slightly to the sides.

  “That was uncalled for,” Robeep said, “you must learn to share, Susawa.” He quieted, muttering to himself about me jealously guarding my position as the murder king.

  “Whatever, at least we’ll have some real food tonight. If we can find some proper firewood at least.”

  My words brought Ruza out of her lethargy. “You wish to eat it…?” Her emotional rollercoaster was clear as day, at first shock, and then confusion, followed by sympathy. She continued, “You don’t know, do you? Surely you must have noticed…”

  Enough. “I’ve had it with this cryptic shit. If things are so bad you’re only making them worse by not talking about it. At least have the damn decency to tell me so I know what’s coming. That way, we can be prepared for the future!”

  Her voice rose, “And what do you know?! While you lived a life sheltered by a machine god, I suffered alone in the wastes! You want to know what’s coming? Take a good look at the bone beast, and then at yourself. How it has escaped you that the bones grow and never stop, I will never know.” She pointed at the dead… not quite animal. “But there’s your future!”

  Oh shit. The little hints came together. Once broken plate on my stomach had healed, leaving the seams slightly thicker than the rest. My hand brushed a broken horn, snapped at the curve by the robot guardian, wherefrom a small but palpable point emerged in the middle.

  Suddenly every dull white aberration on my body demanded attention. Had this protrusion grown bigger? Was this plate wider? My shoulders flexed, joints explored their range of motion. A little stiffer? Or am I imagining things? Flashbacks of my leg being eaten crowded my thoughts. Shit, shit, shit, they’re on the inside too.

  Even Robeep looked up from his self-absorption. His screen eyes seemed to round a little, softening his gaze. Ruza recognized my panic and calmed, apologizing. “I went too far, I’m sorr-”

  Her words disarmed any lingering anger, because now I understood exactly how she must feel, what doom in the distance meant. As always this world knew no mercy and the next problem piled unto the last. She had been interrupted by shrieking, not too far off. Yet her reaction surprised me, spitting in contempt and lowering her shoulders as if resigned.

  “Here they come,” she sighed, “stay calm and leave the… talking… to me. Robeep, no violence, not even a threat, and definitely no speaking, whatever you do!”

  His nod signaled that he understood. Following his lead, I did the same. My heart beat faster as the screams drew closer and closer, until figures started bursting through the growth. Some were Admorak like me, others Nightlanders like Ruza. There were humans, swarm folk and other half-clothed peoples I failed to recognize. All shouted incoherently at the top of their lungs, wildly waving clubs, rusted iron and dead branches.

  I nearly fell on my ass, startled when Ruza replied in kind, letting out a shrill cry that threatened to pierce my eardrums. It undulated, lowering and rising in pitch, going on until her air emptied out. They lowered their weapons and slowed, silent. She took in another deep breath, and then burst out a single, sharp high note. The biggest among them answered with a drawn out rumble and they all cheered.

  What the hell?