Chapter 413
Chapter 413
The man who had just emerged from the Change Machine looked as surprised as Jake. For a moment, they simply stared at one another.
Until now, Jake hadn’t even been aware that the Change Machines could allow a user to enter. As it turned out, it was something like a booth. Previously, he had believed these machines to be no different from the other devices that the System allowed humans to develop or use, like vending machines selling various useful items or automated fabricators producing goods of all kinds. Those devices were outward-facing by design, working entirely within themselves, never revealing their inner mechanisms, and certainly never letting a person step inside.
The Change Machines, however, clearly operated differently, granting potential users entry much like a fitting room in a clothing store. He definitely hadn’t expected to find someone inside the Change Machine. While he had known that a person had passed through this street not long ago, there had been no lingering scent from the human when he was inside the device, as it had been sealed shut, preventing Jake from detecting the human’s presence.
Had he paid more attention to the scents drifting through the air, he might have realized that the human who had recently been here was still somewhere along the street. Perhaps, if he had focused more intently on the faint traces of odor, he could have followed them and discovered that the source was inside the Change Machine.
His sense of smell was undoubtedly incredible, but he was still more accustomed to relying on his sight and hearing to detect enemies, a habit carried over from his human past. He knew he needed to spend more time becoming familiar with this sense, as, in certain circumstances, it could prove even more useful for gathering information about the world. Scent could definitely offer insights about his surroundings and expose hidden threats far more effectively than either sight or sound.
Anyway, the human, whose name was Ragnar Artur, continued to stare at him suspiciously. The assault rifle he carried was slung over his shoulder rather than held in his hands. From his expression, it was obvious he hadn’t expected to encounter anyone after stepping out of the Change Machine.
Jake quickly examined the human. Ragnar was of medium height and average build, appearing to be in his early to mid-twenties. He wore a weathered duster coat, and a hefty backpack was strapped to his back. His dark hair, long enough to brush his shoulders, was tied into a loose ponytail, with rebellious strands slipping free to trail across his forehead.
The human was visibly tense. From the way he looked, Jake got the impression that the man was contemplating whether he could reach for his assault rifle and swing it up to shoot at the stranger before him before the stranger did it first.
Jake decided to put him at ease. He raised his hands in a placating gesture and said, “I’m not here to cause trouble. I just came to use the Change Machine, that’s all. But I didn’t realize it was already occupied. With the current state of the world, those things usually sit untouched for days at a time.”
While wearing a human guise, Jake could speak without needing to use the electrolarynx he always carried in his inventory, another benefit of upgrading Morph Disguise to higher ranks.
The human, Ragnar, appeared to relax slightly. His gaze flicked toward a device positioned behind him but snapped back to Jake in an instant, the tension still taut. It was as though Ragnar thought it wasn’t wise to look away from the stranger for even a second, at least not until he was certain Jake posed no threat.
“Yeah,” Ragnar said with a crooked grin. “These devices should have an ‘Occupied’ sign when someone’s inside, or something simple like that.”
Jake gave a thoughtful tilt of his head. “Maybe. But think about it: an obvious sign might just lure trouble. The wrong kind of people could set up an ambush, waiting to rob whoever comes out, catching them completely off guard.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” the human said. He glanced back at the Change Machine behind him. Its door was still open, revealing the cramped interior within. Turning back to Jake, he shook his head with a wry grin. “Come to think of it, stepping inside that thing and letting the door shut was a terrible idea. From in there, you can’t see out, so if somebody had been waiting to ambush me, I wouldn’t have had the slightest clue until it was too late.”
“Well, there aren’t many people left in the world,” Jake said. “Most of the streets are empty most of the time. Unless you were followed by someone, you weren’t in much danger of being ambushed.”
The man let out a short, amused laugh. “True enough, my friend. With Los Demonios gone, things are mostly quiet now. Sure, you still run into the occasional trigger-happy lunatic, but it’s nothing compared to how bad it was back then.”
Jake nodded. Ragnar was silent for a moment, then stuck out his hand. “Name’s Ragnar, by the way.”
Apparently, he was now completely at ease, no longer seeing Jake as a threat. Jake gripped the human’s hand and replied, “I’m Mark.”
They shook. A brief pause followed before Ragnar stepped aside. “Alright. You want to use the device, best not keep you waiting,” he said, gesturing for Jake to proceed.
Jake gave a small nod and headed toward the Change Machine. As he moved past the human, the man called out, “Want me to keep watch while you’re in there?”
Jake slowed his pace just enough to answer, “No need.”
The man frowned. “But what if the wrong kind of people show up and try to ambush you while you’re in there? We were literally talking about that a moment ago!”
“Highly unlikely. Like I said, there aren’t many people around these days. We’re the only two who have traversed this particular street today.” Jake blurted out the last sentence without thinking. Luckily, the human didn’t catch on and didn’t ask how Jake knew. “So don’t worry about me. Go about your business. Don’t trouble yourself over me.”
“Oh, that’s no big deal.” The guy turned out to be surprisingly intrusive. “I’ll be glad to help.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I can take care of myself.” Jake’s tone was firm, ending the matter.
The last sentence he had spoken made Ragnar cast an appraising look at him. “What level are you, by the way?”
“Two hundred eighteen,” Jake said, just before stepping into the Change Machine.
Jake remembered that he had become a mutant after spending some time as a human, starting developing from scratch. This caused him to fall behind humans in terms of progress. To mask this, he stated a level higher than the one he truly possessed.
When Jake turned around to look at the human standing in the exact spot on the pavement. The man’s gaze was sharp, appraising, measuring him as though weighing his worth, and yet, the lack of approval in his expression made it clear he was far from impressed by what he was seeing. Jake glanced around and spotted a small button set into the wall beside the door.
Ragnar parted his lips, ready to speak, but Jake gave him no chance. His fist crashed into the button, sending the two leaves swinging back together almost soundlessly. In that fleeting moment before they fully closed, Jake caught the final glimpse of Ragnar, who was still frowning, his expression suggesting he was deep in thought.