Chapter 211: The Gene Weapon
[ Kai: Guys... Anyone got the Blueprint Fragment for the Advanced Barrier System Generator? ]
Kai didn’t have to wait long before seeing a reply since a chat coming from the Guild Leader would notify the members.
[ Claire: I have 1 fragment, Leader. Just checked, and looks like we need 10 pieces to complete it. ]
[ Wallace: Haha, lucky me. I got 2 fragments and even 2 Core Parts. Guess the System likes me today. ]
[ Victor: I’ve got 1 fragment too. I also have some crafting materials that might help build one. ]
[ Ralph: I don’t have any fragments... Sorry. No crafting materials related to that barrier as well. But I have a lot of Medals now! ]
[ Elena: Ugh... You’re not alone. No fragments for me. Just a bunch of Gift Packs. At least they’re Enhanced ones. ]
[ Marissa: I checked mine... I’ve got 1 fragment... ]
[ Jonas: Leader, I got 2 fragments and a Barrier Core Stabilizer. That should help when we assemble it. ]
[ Aurora: I also have 1 fragment. Didn’t expect it, but I’m glad. ]
[ Farrah: Sorry, none here. Just Survivor’s Medals and other stuff. I wish to trade them later for Grenade Launcher’s smoke and fragmentation rounds. ]
[ Alfie: I’ve got 1 fragment... and about 20 C-Grade Cores. I plan to trade them for later. I need more ammunition and those thruster packs. It was useful against the Dominion.
[ Mei: Same here, just 1 fragment... @Alfie. The Thruster Pack is awesome! But we didn’t get to use them here. ]
Kai smiled after seeing this.
He didn’t hurry to obtain these fragments, but he told them to take care of them for now.
***
After that, Kai checked the other notifications.
This time, it was all about Guild Notifications about them completing various Guild Missions.
Apparently, the Supply Run Mission was completed a total of five times.
[ Mission 1: Supply Run ]
Difficulty: Low
Objective: Submit 100 units of food to the Guild Storage within 30 hours.
Reward: Guild Reputation +50, Energy Core (C-Grade) x5 ]
Then, after the fifth time, the mission had changed.
The difficulty had actually increased!
[ Mission 1: Great Supply Run ]
Difficulty: Mid
Objective: Submit 500 units of food to the Guild Storage within 48 hours.
Reward: Guild Reputation +50, Energy Core (C-Grade) x10, Survivor Medals x5 ]
It was definitely a lot harder to complete without his help since he was the only one who could produce unlimited Food Gift Packs.
Furthermore, the second mission was the same.
It had been completed five times before it was changed to a different or harder mission.
[ Mission 2: Patrol Elimination ]
[ Difficulty: Mid
Objective: Eliminate 1 C-Grade Unit, 5 D-Grade Units and 10 E-Grade Units of the A.I. Army. ]
Reward: Guild Reputation +75, Energy Core (C-Grade) x2, Passive Buff +5% stamina recovery to all Clan Members for 24 hours. ]
As for the third mission, there was no way to complete it yet because he needed 3 more Foreign Survivors to invite.
***
Kai closed the notifications for now, letting the glowing text fade from his vision.
There was still work to be done, so he joined the others in assisting with the looting and hauling of the Hunters and other units.
Not far from the shelter, they had created what resembled a graveyard... or perhaps more accurately, a junkyard.
It was where they piled the A.I. Soldiers and units that were too heavily damaged or too difficult to dismantle for spare parts. Their fate would most likely to be melted in a furnace.
Their metals could be converted into barricades, formed to forge traps, or repurposed for defensive structures.
As for those with intact components, they were carefully carried to the warehouse.
Survivors worked tirelessly as they stripped plating and salvaged the cores inside.
Soon, even the traps were reset, and the barricades were reinforced with fresh layers of steel.
By the time the last body of Hound was dragged into place, darkness had already fallen. And of course, the generators were already on, giving light within the building.
"Good work, everyone! We can all finally rest..." Kai said.
Everyone cheered as they returned to their quarters to rest.
***
Meanwhile, Kai and the others could now focus on the items they had obtained.
"Let’s see..." Kai muttered as he checked his inventory.
His attention fell on the Gene Weapon.
As expected, it was still in cube form with restrained energy.
He held it in his palm, and it was truly heavy, comparable to the low-grade Gene Weapons.
The cube just looked normal, but it was cold to the touch...
"So this is the Specter Edge..." he muttered.
He could not sense the dormant power within, but he knew that it was the real deal when he got the notification.
[ You have obtained a Dormant Gene Weapon. ]
[ Do you wish to awaken it and become its owner? ]
There was only one answer.
"Yes." Kai answered.
[ Activating Gene Weapon – Specter Edge ]
[ Connection in progress... ]
[ Synchronizing Spirit Resonance... ]
[ Warning: Gene Weapon requires a compatible Spirit Flow. ]
[ Compatibility Check: Passed. ]
[ Awakening Sequence Initiated. ]
A low hum filled the air as gears inside the cube began to shift.
Kai’s grip tightened, and the panels unfolded slowly... Soon, thin lines of light spilled out...
The cube then elongated, reshaping itself into a weapon.
Slowly, its true form emerged... a dagger that was lustrous and black!
[ Gene Weapon Awakened: Specter Edge ]
[ Grade: Mid ]
[ Type: Spirit‑Infused Dagger ]
[ Effects: +15% Armor Penetration against mechanical units.
Signal Disruption: Attacks have a chance to disable enemy sensors. ]
[ Hidden Attribute: ??? (Requires further appraisal) ]
Hu~
Kai exhaled. He felt really excited now.
At first glance, it looked like any ordinary dagger, but the System’s notifications told him otherwise. This was no simple blade... it was a weapon designed to cut through armor and disrupt the A.I.’s signal nodes.
He raised it, feeling the weight settle naturally in his hand.
"This... this is perfect," Kai muttered... "Not flashy, but deadly. Exactly what we need."
Now, he couldn’t help but recall Angelo’s shelter.
’I guess it’s time to make a visit..’