The wind carried the sting of fine ash as the Phoenix Rig rolled into a narrow alley flanked by buckled steel and half-collapsed storefronts. Yue Fei leaned out the side hatch, eyes scanning the faded signage above what once might've been a civilian armory.
Lin Xia frowned from her seat behind the front console. "That symbol—it's from the old civilian firearms registry. Restricted gear shop. Probably shut down before the collapse."
"Means if anything's left," Yue added, "it might still be locked inside."
Lu Zhen stopped the rig and pulled up his HUD. The store's reinforced gate was partially jammed, angled by debris—but not completely destroyed. "Looks like someone left in a hurry," he muttered. "Maybe the owner. If this was looted, it would've been wide open."
The building was wedged between the ruins of a laundromat and a delivery station. Part of the street was buckled from an old impact, and glass shimmered like ice on the pavement. A cracked display case still held a faded poster advertising hunting rifles, the edges blackened with soot. The whole place looked like it had frozen mid-escape.
Yue climbed down with her blade drawn. "I don't like the silence."
"Then let's break it carefully," Lu replied.
They approached the side door, partially hidden behind a rusted generator box. Lu reached for the lock—and paused.
[Scan Detected – Mechanical Tripwire Present]Status: Passive Trigger, ActiveDeactivation Possible: YESRisk: Moderate (Spring-loaded piercing bolt)
He held up a hand. "Tripwire. Looks fresh. Someone prepped this place for a return."
Yue crouched beside the doorway, eyes narrowing. "I can cut it."
"No. Let me." Lu knelt, carefully tracing the trigger mechanism behind the door handle. A bent nail, an anchor hook, and a coil of tensioned wire. Crude, but effective.
With slow precision, he disabled it.
[Trap Disarmed – +1 Decomposition EXP]
Inside, dust hung thick in the air. Shelves lined the room, some collapsed, others standing half-empty. Old posters of outdated weapon models peeled from the walls. The place smelled of oil, metal, and sealed time.
"No infected," Lin whispered from the doorway.
Yue swept through the main room quickly, checking corners and behind the counter. "Clear."
As they entered deeper, Lin glanced nervously at the door. "Are we sure this is worth it?"
"We need supplies," Yue said. "This place has protection, traps, and metal shelves. Someone lived here… even if just for a while."
Lu nodded. "And whoever it was left quickly. Which means they didn't take everything."
He headed behind the checkout area where a reinforced locker stood half-open. Inside was a padded case with a pistol—standard, blackened from age, but intact.
[Scan Initiated – Semi-Automatic Pistol]Condition: OperationalRounds Found: 13 x 9mmStatus: Usable with cleaningBlueprint Already Known
"Well," Lu said, lifting it gently, "that's something."
Yue raised an eyebrow. "You needed a backup anyway."
They continued searching. Two small containers of low-grade gunpowder, a box of spent shells, and four shotgun rounds tucked behind a false panel under the display. Near the emergency exit, Lu found a metal cabinet jammed halfway open.
Inside were three disassembled rifles—barrels cracked, triggers rusted, and stocks damaged.
"Too far gone," Yue muttered, shaking her head.
Lu crouched beside them, running his fingers along the twisted pieces.
"These can be reformed," he said quietly. "Even ruins leave a pattern."
He laid the broken parts out and activated his HUD.
[Scan Initiated – Composite Decomposition Mode]Target: Broken Rifle x3Estimated Match Rate: 68%Compatible Blueprint Available: Custom AssemblyProcessing...
The HUD flickered.
[New Blueprint Unlocked – Crude Shotgun (Tier 1.5)]Status: Usable with base componentsAmmo Type: Shotgun Shell (Spread)Effectiveness: Class E → High | Class D → ModerateDurability: MediumCrafting Time: 6 MinutesMental Load: Moderate
Lu exhaled. His hands trembled, but not from fear.
"I never imagined," he murmured, "I'd be building weapons out of salvage one day."
Lin looked impressed. "You built something out of… garbage."
Yue smirked. "He's a walking forge now. Dangerous combo."
Lu gave a lopsided grin and got to work.
"Lin, hold that clamp steady."
She blinked, then moved without hesitation. For the first time, her hands didn't shake. She held the pieces firm, adjusted the light, even passed tools before being asked.
"You've got good reflexes," Lu said, not looking up.
"Maybe fear helps," she replied, voice tight but steady.
Yue gave a nod, almost approving.
Fourteen minutes later, Lu knelt beside the workbench.
[Crafting – Crude Shotgun]Material Synthesis...Assembly Progress: 100%Durability Set: 72%Shotgun Shells Loaded: 2 / 2
[Crafting EXP +25] → Crafting Lv.2: 243 / 300[Decomposition EXP +12] → Decomp Lv.2: 71 / 300
"Done," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
The shotgun was ugly—short, blocky, and patched with scrap. The stock was rewrapped in polymer mesh. The barrel sawed down slightly. But it had weight, and power.
"Ugly," Yue said, almost fondly.
Lu held it with care. "But it'll drop anything that gets too close."
They returned to the Phoenix Rig in quiet satisfaction.
Before leaving, Lin opened the side locker and checked their food.
"…We're down to rations for two days," she said finally. "Three if we stretch it."
Lu frowned. "Figures. No food left in the shop."
Yue closed the back hatch and pointed toward the next block. "I saw a mini-mart half-collapsed down that road. Might be something left in the backroom freezer."
"We should be careful," Lin added. "If this place had traps, that one might too."
"Agreed," Lu said. "We'll scout it before heading to the metro."
Inside the Phoenix Rig, Lin went over the filtration system. Yue double-checked the outer armor panel Lu had reinforced last night. Lu sorted the Vault contents, organizing new ammo and parts.
[Warning – Vault Capacity Near Limit: 9.87 m³ / 10.00 m³]
He ignored the ping and slotted the crude shotgun into the cabin weapon rack.
For the first time since leaving the shelter, they felt ready to face something bigger.
The rig rumbled to life, turning back toward the cracked road.
Another step forward.Another stretch of ash and ruin.