Chapter 18: The Price of Legend**
The golden trail of the **Raider's Vision** was no longer a winding path. It was a straight, gleaming spear piercing through the urban landscape, pointing with fierce urgency toward the heart of the conflict zone. The convoy icon on Klaus's map moved with relentless determination, a pulsing vein of steel and energy toward the city center. The **Shadow** was already calculating routes, overlaying trajectories across his HUD.
`>> Convoy composition: One armored lead vehicle, the target cargo truck (M939 class), and one rear vehicle. All equipped with period-grade armor. Escort Bots: 'Guardian Mk.IV' models, armed with M240B. Threat level: High. <<`
`>> Optimal interception route: Acacia Avenue. The convoy will cross an elevated section with damaged concrete barriers. Offers line of sight and cover. Intercept time: 7 minutes. <<`
Seven minutes. Klaus moved—not as a man, but as an extension of the falling darkness. His muscles, still tingling from the phantom itch of accelerated healing, responded with raw precision. The M16 rested in his hands, the M24 on his back, the M79 grenade launcher within reach. He was a walking arsenal, driven by a single will: to claim what the System offered.
Acacia Avenue was an open wound in the city. The overpass was shattered in several places, its concrete barriers reduced to rubble—perfect firing positions. Klaus took cover behind a massive block that had once been a support pillar. From there, he had a clear view of the road below—a funnel where the convoy would be forced to slow down.
The growl of diesel engines approached, a low hum that made loose metal vibrate. The **Shadow** calibrated his senses, amplifying sounds, adjusting night vision as it automatically engaged.
`>> Convoy at 200 meters. Speed: 40 km/h. Prepare. <<`
Klaus drew a slow breath, the smell of dust and burnt oil filling his lungs. He wasn't the only hunter.
`>> Multiple heat signatures detected. Other units taking position. Two in the office building to the east. Three moving through debris to the west. <<`
Expected. The reward was too great to go unnoticed. The event was a magnet for ambition—and death.
The convoy emerged from the curve. The lead vehicle was a heavy military jeep, an M2 Browning mounted on top, operated by a Guardian Bot—a sharp-edged figure of dull gray metal, its sensor eyes sweeping the area with deadly red light. Behind it rumbled the massive M939 truck, its cargo bed covered with a green tarp—the prize beneath. Another jeep, identical to the first, guarded the rear.
They entered the funnel. The moment had come.
The first shot didn't come from Klaus. It came from the building to the east—a sniper round. The bullet struck the lead jeep's windshield, ricocheting without penetration. The mounted Bot swiveled its weapon with inhuman speed and opened fire.
TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The .50 cal's roar was terrifying, a deafening hammer that shattered what remained of the building's windows. Brief screams were drowned out by the metallic thunder. One of the heat signatures in the building vanished instantly.
The battle had begun.
Klaus ignored the chaos. His focus was the truck. The Shadow highlighted a weak point in his vision: the tires.
`>> Target: Truck's front tires. Immobilize it first. Use the M24. <<`
Klaus lifted the sniper rifle. The world around him faded. There was only the reticle, the truck, and the calm voice of the Shadow in his mind.
`>> Range: 150 meters. Wind: 2 m/s west. Adjustment: 0.3 MOA left. <<`
He exhaled. Pulled the trigger.
CRACK!
The front-right tire exploded with a satisfying pop. The heavy vehicle swerved violently, the driver-Bot wrestling with the wheel. It lost control, crashing head-on into one of the overpass pillars, halting with a shriek of twisted metal.
`>> Primary objective achieved. Convoy immobilized. <<`
The Bots' response was instant and brutal. The front and rear jeeps repositioned to shield the crashed truck, forming a perimeter. The Guardian Mk.IVs disembarked, using the vehicles as cover, their M240Bs spewing fire at every suspected position. The air buzzed with bullets like swarming wasps of death.
Klaus ducked behind his concrete cover as shards of stone flew. He couldn't stay still. Other recruits began to return fire. AK-47 and M16 bursts replied to the Bots' barrage. It was a hell of muzzle flashes, machine guns, and explosions.
`>> Recommendation: Use terrain. Advance using wreckage as cover. Objective: truck's cargo bay. <<`
Klaus nodded. He slung the M24 and gripped his M16. With a smoke grenade in hand, he pulled the pin and threw it forward, a thick gray curtain billowing between him and the convoy.
"Moving!" he muttered—an old habit that sounded strange now.
He dashed low and fast into the smoke. The Shadow guided him via passive thermal sensors, projecting enemy outlines on his HUD. He could see the hot, bright forms of Bots behind the jeeps.
A recruit to his right, trying the same move, was cut in half by a machine gun burst. Klaus ignored the warm blood splattering his face. He reached the charred hull of a bus—first cover point.
`>> Two Guardians flanking from the east. They're sweeping the area. <<`
Klaus peeked out. Two Bots moved in sync, their guns scanning the rubble. Disciplined. Deadly. He couldn't take them head-on.
His hand brushed the M79's grip. The grenade launcher. Risky—too loud. But it was the only way.
`>> Calculating trajectory. Target: ground between both Bots. Explosion should destabilize them. <<`
He rose, the short, thick tube resting on his shoulder. The Shadow adjusted his arm. *THUMP.* The 40mm grenade arced and detonated precisely between them.
A deep, concussive *BOOM*. The shockwave hurled both Bots backward. One lost an arm, sparks erupting from its chassis. The other staggered—an easy target. Klaus lifted the M16 and fired a short burst, silencing it forever.
>> GUARDIAN BOT MK.IV ELIMINATED. +100 EXP. <<
>> GUARDIAN BOT MK.IV ELIMINATED. +100 EXP. <<
Now the path to the truck was nearly open. The smoke was thinning. He could see the M939's rear bed, its tarp ripped by the crash.
But the other hunters could too.
Two recruits emerged from the western ruins—one with an assault rifle, one with a shotgun. They didn't shoot Klaus immediately. Their eyes were locked on the truck. Greed was a stronger bond than distrust.
A tense standoff. Three humans, one prize, and one remaining Guardian Bot on the rear jeep, its gun still sweeping occasionally to keep scavengers away.
Klaus knew fragile alliances were sometimes the only way. He made a quick signal—tilting his head toward the Bot, then the truck. *He handles the Bot, they take the loot.*
The man with the shotgun hesitated. The one with the rifle nodded. A silent pact—lasting as long as the next heartbeat.
Klaus focused on the rear Bot. Well-protected behind the jeep's armor. A rifle shot wouldn't cut it. He needed something… explosive.
His last Mk2 fragmentation grenade materialized in his hand. He pulled the pin.
`>> Detonation time: 4–5 seconds. Throw over the jeep. <<`
He counted—one, two—and hurled it in a high arc. The grenade cleared the jeep and exploded behind it.
BOOM!
Perfect. The Guardian Bot was thrown aside, its metal frame shattered.
>> GUARDIAN BOT MK.IV ELIMINATED. +100 EXP. <<
The path was clear.
The two recruits wasted no time. They ran toward the truck's back. Klaus followed, M16 raised. The alliance would last only until the first glimpse of treasure.
The man with the shotgun tore the ripped tarp away. Inside, strapped to the truck bed by bands of energy, was the **System Vault**.
Smaller than Klaus expected—briefcase-sized, made of flawless silver-white metal, without a single mark or visible lock. It pulsed softly, data projections swirling across its surface.
"It's ours!" the shotgun man shouted, eyes wide with greed.
His last mistake.
The rifleman, his "ally," didn't hesitate. He raised his AK-47 and fired a burst into the other's back.
>> ENEMY RECRUIT ELIMINATED. +75 EXP. <<
The shotgunner fell forward, an eternal look of shock on his face.
Then the rifleman turned to Klaus, a triumphant grin on his lips. "Thanks for the help, friend. I'll take it from here."
Klaus had expected this. His M16 was already aimed. They fired almost simultaneously.
RAT-TAT-TAT!
PAP-PAP-PAP!
Klaus felt a heavy impact in his vest—like a giant's punch. He staggered but stayed upright. The rifleman wasn't so lucky. Klaus's rounds, guided by Shadow's post-combat precision, struck his neck and shoulder. He collapsed, choking on his own blood.
>> ENEMY RECRUIT ELIMINATED. +75 EXP. <<
Silence. The roar of gunfire was gone. Only distant flames crackled and the wind moaned through broken concrete. Klaus stood alone with the prize.
He approached the Vault. How to open it? No handle, no lock.
`>> The System Vault can only be opened by command—granted to the first recruit who touches it after all escorts are neutralized. <<`
Klaus reached out, fingers brushing the cool, smooth metal.
Instantly, the energy bands vanished. The vault emitted a soft *click* and opened, revealing its contents.
Inside were two items.
The first: a **Plasma Pistol [LEGENDARY]**—sleek, fluid-lined, with a wide barrel and a grip that seemed to mold to his hand before he even touched it. It glowed faintly blue.
>> PLASMA PISTOL 'WHISPER OF RUIN' [LEGENDARY] <<
>> AMMO: RECHARGEABLE ENERGY CELL (100% – 20 SHOTS EQUIVALENT). <<
>> EFFECT: PLASMA SHOTS IGNORE CONVENTIONAL ARMOR AND DEAL MASSIVE THERMAL DAMAGE. <<
>> RECHARGE: REQUIRES SYSTEM STATION OR SPARE ENERGY CELL. <<
The second item: a Shimmering Data Cylinder [LEGENDARY].
>> DATA CYLINDER 'PROGMATRIX' [LEGENDARY] <<
>> CONTENTS: BLUEPRINT FOR NANOTECH ARMOR SYSTEM. <<
>> VALUE: PRICELESS ON THE BAZAAR. <<
Klaus was breathless. More than he could've imagined. A weapon of the future—and the plans for armor to match. A fortune that could rocket him beyond his current Silver Rank.
He picked up both. They were surprisingly light. Touching the pistol sent a wave of raw, lethal power up his arm. He stowed both into his ring immediately. Too valuable to show.
As soon as the vault was emptied, it dissolved into particles of light.
>> EVENT 'CONVOY RAID' COMPLETED. <<
>> REWARD GRANTED TO: UNIT [KLAUS]. <<
>> 5,000 CREDITS ADDED. <<
A wave of exhaustion—delayed by adrenaline—nearly toppled him. He looked around. The battlefield was a slaughterhouse. Bodies of recruits and Bots lay scattered among wreckage. Smoke still drifted into the night sky.
He had to move.
`>> Exclusion Zone shifting. Current location will be consumed in 18 minutes. <<`
`>> Extraction Zones available: 2. Marked on map. <<`
Two blue markers blinked on his HUD—one atop the tallest skyscraper, the other deep in the sewer system. For a pragmatic collector, the choice was obvious: the sewers. Less visible, fewer ambushes.
Before leaving, his gaze lingered on the absence of one person—the woman he'd spared back in the museum. She wasn't here. Maybe she'd escaped. The thought was fleeting, meaningless beside the weight of the legendary loot in his inventory.
His journey to the sewer entrance was a silent sprint through a ghost city. The sounds of battle were gone. Those who remained, like him, were running for extraction.
The entrance was a dark, reeking hole behind a rusted grate he cut open with pliers. He descended into the damp blackness, the Shadow's night vision painting his path in shades of green. The stench was nauseating—but it smelled like survival.
He followed the blue marker for kilometers through slippery tunnels. Finally, he reached a wide concrete chamber. In the center, an extraction platform identical to the one at Necropolis-7 shimmered softly, its blue light reflecting on stagnant water.
He wasn't alone.
Leaning against the wall stood a man in a worn but clean military uniform, holding an M16 like Klaus's. His face was lined, eyes tired but sharp. The man from Necropolis-7—the one Klaus had traded with.
They stared at each other in silence. The dripping water was the only sound.
"The Collector," the man rasped. "Should've known you'd make it here."
Klaus didn't reply. His hand hovered near the M16. The Shadow analyzed him—searching for threats.
`>> Hostile unit. Threat level: Moderate. Wounded—slight limp right leg. <<`
"I don't want trouble," the man said, raising his hands slowly. "I just want out. Same as you."
Klaus assessed him. A survivor—like himself. Killing him would be easy. But unnecessary. The event was over. The loot secured. Logic dictated efficiency, and efficiency now meant extraction, not execution.
"The convoy?" the man asked, eyes searching Klaus's.
Klaus's face remained unreadable. "Neutralized."
"By you."
Klaus neither confirmed nor denied. He simply stepped toward the platform.
The man watched, resignation and a hint of admiration in his eyes. "You've changed. Back at the armory—you were dangerous. Now… you're something else."
Klaus stopped at the platform's edge. Turned back one last time.
"Everyone changes here," he said softly, his voice echoing through the damp chamber. "Or dies."
Then he stepped onto the platform.
>> EXTRACTION CONFIRMED FOR: UNIT [KLAUS]. <<
The blue light flared, enveloping him. The world—the man, the sewer, the stench, the Canyons of Perdition—dissolved into lines of energy.
He had survived. Again. But this time, he carried more than resources. With the Progmatrix, he wouldn't just be another lucky recruit. He would become a force within the System itself.
The transition was smooth. When his vision cleared, he stood once again in the sterile white post-match chamber. Fatigue hit like a freight train, but he remained upright.
The System panel materialized before him, glowing gold.
>> SOLO MATCH: CANYON OF PERDITION – COMPLETED. <<
>> RANK: RAIDER [SILVER TIER – PROMOTION PENDING]. <<
>> REWARDS CALCULATING... <<
Klaus didn't wait for the standard loot summary. He already had what mattered. He touched the inventory ring, feeling the phantom weight of the Plasma Pistol and the Data Cylinder. A cold, determined smile crossed his face.
The Canyon of Perdition was behind him. The next step was clear: return to the Bazaar, sell what he didn't need, and commission the construction of his new armor. The road to power lay open—and Klaus, the Collector, the Raider, was ready to walk it.
The ordinary man who had entered Necropolis-7 was gone.
In his place stood a rising warlord—forged in battle, guided by the whisper of an AI.
The real game, he knew, had only just begun.