Chapter 13: The First Night in the Canyon
The dust from the shootout still seemed to hang in the air, mixed with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the iron scent of blood. Klaus didn't wait. Following his sharpened instinct and the silent advice of the **Shadow**, he moved, a ghost among the concrete skeletons of the ruined city.
`>> The Cryptolite emission is weak. It is likely buried or in a shielded location. Approach with caution. <<`
The location was a semi-destroyed gas station. The tanks had exploded long ago, leaving behind a charred shell and a shallow crater. The Shadow directed Klaus to the back, where a management office had its steel door still miraculously intact.
The lock gave way with a single, precise shot from the M9, the sound muffled by the building's hull. Inside, the air was stale, smelling of moldy paper and rodents. And in the middle of the floor, on top of a burned desk, a soft blue light pulsed. The **Cryptolite**. It was an elongated piece of crystal, the size of a lighter, with circuits of light dancing inside it.
>> CRYPTOLITE [RARE] COLLECTED. <<
>> VALUE: 750c AT THE BAZAAR. <<
>> SECONDARY OBJECTIVE UPDATED: 1/10 CRYPTOLITES. <<
Klaus stored it in the ring. 750 credits. A good start. But the Shadow was right; the real value was in the superior equipment.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in a methodical and tense search. The threat of encounters with other recruits armed with rifles was constant. He heard distant bursts of AK-47s, the characteristic *crack* of a sniper rifle, and the muffled roar of an armored vehicle in the distance. The Canyon was a battlefield from another era, and he was in the middle of it, armed only with a submachine gun.
He avoided direct confrontation, prioritizing collection. In a destroyed military van, he found the day's treasure: an **M16A4 Assault Rifle [UNCOMMON]** and four STANAG magazines.
>> 5.56mm AMMO - 120 ROUNDS (4.0 kg) <<
Now, yes. He felt complete. The MP5 was for close-quarters urban combat. The M16 was for engaging threats at medium range. He transferred the MP5 to the ring, keeping the M16 in his hands. The weight of the rifle, the feel of the plastic and cold metal, was a immense comfort.
The sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, a cruel beauty over the desolate landscape. The temperature dropped drastically. The desert night would be icy.
`>> Temperature will drop to 5°C. Risk of hypothermia is moderate. Recommend finding shelter with thermal insulation. <<`
Klaus found refuge in the basement of a looted supermarket. The staircase had collapsed, so he used a rope he had found to descend. The place was cold, dark, and smelled of decay, but it was defensible and hidden.
He ate a cold ration pack, his first meal since the match started. As he chewed, the Shadow gave a status report.
`>> Current Inventory: <<`
`>> - M16A4 (4.5 kg) + 120 rounds. <<`
`>> - MP5 (2.5 kg) + 90 rounds. <<`
`>> - M9 (1.0 kg) + 15 rounds. <<`
`>> - Interceptor Body Armor (6.0 kg). <<`
`>> - Cryptolite [RARE]. <<`
`>> - Basic Kit (water, rations, bandages) (3.0 kg). <<`
`>> Total Weight: Approximately 45 kg. Ring Capacity: 955 kg available. <<`
`>> Day 1 Analysis: Collection efficiency: 92%. Hostile encounters: 1. Eliminations: 1. Status: Stable. <<`
It was a good start. He was armed, had a clear objective, and had survived the first day without major incidents.
But the night in the Canyon was not silent. Unlike Necropolis-7, the sounds were more... mechanical. The distant rumble of a generator, the clanking of metal treads—**Patrol Bots** of a heavier model, clearly based on early 21st-century technology.
Around midnight, the Shadow alerted him.
`>> Alert. Seismic signature detected. Pattern matches light armored vehicle. Approaching. Distance: 300 meters and closing. <<`
Klaus rose silently, grabbing the M16. He positioned himself at the basement entrance, a crack in the rubble that gave him a limited view of the street.
A rusty **Humvee**, with an M2 Browning machine gun mounted on top, cruised down the street at reduced speed. Two recruits were inside, one driving and the other operating the machine gun, wearing a helmet with night vision.
`>> Avoid engagement. The .50 cal machine gun will penetrate your position easily. <<`
Klaus didn't need to be told twice. He crouched down, becoming a shadow. The Humvee passed, its headlights cutting through the darkness like knives. They were hunting.
He stayed awake all night, the Shadow acting as his extra senses, alerting him to any suspicious noise or movement. Day 1 ended not with a sigh of relief, but with the constant tension of a new, more hostile and merciless environment.
He was no longer a rookie. He was a veteran being tested on a larger battlefield. And as the cold of the early hours seeped into his bones, Klaus knew one thing: the next nine days would be hell. But it was a hell he was learning to master.