Clearing the Game at the End of the World

Chapter 63: Inside Out (9)

They say that insomnia usually happens when someone isnt able to finish something they need to do. And that sense of incompletion continuously aggravates the person and prevents them from sleeping. But that also means that someone who has finished their work could sleep like a log.

Hmmmmmph. Hahhhh. Good morning. Its the start of a refreshing day!

That was exactly how I felt right now. Although I did get brutally tortured by two angry beasts after finishing the call, what could they do? The name is already set as Big Dream now. Big Dream Caravan. Hmm. Good. It sticks right to the tongue.

Everything was working out. A great morning, a refreshing cup of water, and

Mmmph! Bmftph!

And the securely tied-up Ian squirming around.

Oh, Metal Jaw. Good morning! How are the restraints? Anything hurting?

Mmmm! Mmmph!

Uh.. Gyosu?

Vex! Good morning~

Huh? Uh, yeah, good morning. But.. Whyd you tie up Jaw?

Oh, this? Its nothing. Theres something we need to do today, and I did this just in case. Should we start heading out? Its going to be a busy day today.

Most people in the Wasteland woke up early in the morning. Because of the lack of electricity, everyones sleep cycle usually moved with the sun, so nobody really slept in. So since Gyosu woke up in a great mood, he thought he might as well tie up Ian while he was sleeping so his next task would become easier.

Screech! Scrape! Scrape!

Mmmmmm! Mmmgph! Mghgpgh! Mmmmmmmmmmm!

Every time Gyosu and Vex scraped something off, Ian, who was tied up with a gag in his mouth, let out a beastly cry.

Hepburn, do we really have to get rid of this? Look at that guys face. Its basically written on there that hes going to kill us the moment hes free.

Then do you want to go around in a car with the Raptors logo inside the Domes territory? If you dont want to get hit with an RPG every mile, then you better scrape it off clean. They told us that the Domes Investigator was going to come around soon. Soon to those Dome bastards means that theyll try and come here as fast as possible!

That was why they were scraping off the paint on the side of Ians truck with metal scraps this early morning. He had tied up Metal Jaw since it looked like he was pretty fond of his car, and he was glad he did. Every single time a scratch was added to the car, Ian cried out as if he was the one being skinned alive.

Think on the bright side. It got a little rough, but after we scratch it off, well write [Big Dream] nice and pretty on top of it.

Screeeeeech

Mraggggghhhh!

Gyosu intentionally slowed down on scratching so Ian could take in all of the sounds. Oh, the sweet taste of revenge!

The sudden change in plans happened after they calmed Ian down by promising him that they will get new parts to repair the Hummer, and the three of them were pumping up water with the manual pump.

Creak Creak

Oi, Gyosu, do we really need all this water? I heard one of the reasons there are a lot of people in Area 47 is because theres a lot of underground water. Dont you think just the automatic pump that comes with the shelter is eno

Shh! Jaw! Stop for a moment! Somethings coming!

The three of them stopped working and quietly listened to what Vex had sensed. As he alerted the others, heavy footsteps and automobile sounds slowly approached the shelter.

Lets go out. I think our guests are here.

It is almost 8 a.m. now. As the rumors said, it seemed like the Domes Investigator was a busy man.

Whiiir Whiiiir

Is that.. that?

Woah. Hepburn, Ive only heard rumors about that thing. This is the first time Im seeing it in real life.

Hey, Ive lived in Area 47 for a pretty long time, and its even my first time seeing it.

After fully arming up and exiting the protection field, they found something approaching them from not too far away. It walked on two feet, and it definitely looked human, but a little chunky black frame was covering the entire figures body.

An Exosuit. What a rich person type of introduction.

Right. Its one of the few rare items that are more expensive than a generator.

Jaw. Wed lose if we fought that, right?

Is that even a question? If even half of the rumors are true, then that things a monster.

Gyosu couldnt deny what Ian said. He had actually used one of those when he was at the Dome. There were mini-missile launchers in the shoulders, and the strong support allowed you to lift up an entire car. It looks like most of the body was exposed because there was only a frame, but there was also a small shield forcefield, so if you increased the output, then you could just charge in without worrying about getting bullets through your body.

It was the reason why the Dome was so obsessed with technology. It was the machine that made the Dome the number 1 organization in the Wasteland. The machine that was approaching their shelter was that type of weapon.

The height looks about 2 meters and 30. They only used to have stupidly big machines back in the day, but they must have made a smaller model. The size down is probably to increase the operation limit?

Looking at that thing, it didnt make sense how the Raptor Society was even fighting the Dome, but that Exosuit is actually a pain to use in the Wasteland.

Since it was such an intricate machine, an expert was needed to handle it every time it broke down, and in the sandy Wasteland, machines like these broke down easily, so long operations were impossible. And even without that problem, it used up too much battery, so it didnt last longer than eight hours. Half of that is when they need to use a shield because of sandstorms. And in battle, in order to raise the shield output to block a 7.62mm bullet, the time halved again. So in actual battle, the time it could be used was only about 1 hour, so the moment the battle lengthened, it just became a convenient coffin for the operator.

So the Dome didnt shove their faces around everywhere like the Raptors, and instead slowly expanded their city one by one, then took control of the surrounding Areas as their territory. Its operation lasted only an hour, but you were almost invincible for that one hour.

And thats why the Raptors prefer heavy weapons like mortars, miniguns, and flamethrowers. Rifles cant even make a dent in that thing.

And the Investigator that was currently approaching our house was wearing that machine. Seeing that the user and the suit were both covered in blood, they must have had a playdate with mutants on the way.

Or they might have covered themselves with blood to intimidate us. Since the Exosuit is the representation of the Domes power and all.

Whiir Whiiiir Clank!

The investigator stomped his way forward, then stopped in front of the three of us. He opened the Exosuits frame and walked out, extending his hand to us. I firmly grabbed the blood-soaked hand and strongly shook it as I spoke.

Nice to meet you. Im the leader of the Big Dream Caravan, Professor. You can call me Gyosu.

Hahahah. Its a pleasure to meet you too. Im from the Domes Inspection Bureau Area 47 Environmental Management Team. So youre the Gyosu I heard so much about.

Do you. know me?

Of course. Im a fan of your streams.

The man who took out his hat and put it on crookedly had a bright smile on his face.

Ezel Raiden, the second-class inspector of the 47th District Inspection Bureau, did not want to miss this opportunity.

Hey, are you really going to be okay alone?

Yeah, Ezel. You saw the info, it says they seem to live in a dangerous area.

Ah, you dont have to worry about me. I didnt get here as the best thumb twiddler, you know? Honestly, Im confident that I can go to any part of this Area 47 with just a pistol and my bare hands. Im just wearing this suit because I wanted Kimi to stop nagging me.

But thats because.! That caravan has a spice merchant that was famous in Area 43, and their name is BDSM to start with! They definitely have at least a few screws loose!

Aw, dont be so harsh. You have to respect their tastes.

Whiiiir clank!

Ezel got into his assigned suit and scanned his biometric ID to turn it on.

And besides, we dont have that many people. Who knows what the Executive Branch is going to do if all of us go out together?

Thats true. Sigh. They still need to be so political even in this state of the world.

Heheh. Its an automatic add-on that comes with democracy. We have to bear with it. Well then, Ill be heading out!

Yeah! Be careful out there!

Ezel! If something doesnt seem right, signal an emergency right away! Got it?

And so, as Ezel exited the Dome, his co-workers all called out in concern. His destination was the new caravan at the edge of Area 47, BDSMs shelter.

Soygaybar, no, Ezel didnt really think there was anything to worry about.

He could just kick down the Level 1 mutes in Area 47, and he just needed to go around the Psycho Gangs territory. Survivors? There wasnt anyone crazy enough to attack an investigator while living right next to a Domes city. Even if he wanted to worry, there wasnt anything that was a threat.

So that was how Ezel persuaded them that he could go to Gyosus shelter alone. An official chance to visit the personal shelter of the streamer Professor. And it wasnt even dangerous. This was a one-in-a-million chance.

Im seriously curious. The person that uses a voice changer, doesnt use a camera, and never leaks any personal information suddenly created a caravan and started external activities.

Since Domes Inspectors often met outsiders, they were required to major in Psychology as a compulsory subject. The Gyosu that Ezel knew was the typical solo survivor with a very closed-in tendency, but he suddenly started to reveal his personal information and even started to initiate external activities.

They say people die soon when they start to change. Does he have some kind of disease?

All of these questions will be answered once they meet.

Graaaargh!

Pow!

Ugh, I need to tell the cleanup team to work harder. This place is close to a populated area, and there are still level 1 mutants hanging around.

He forgot to turn on the shield again, even when fighting weaklings. Thanks to that, the suit and his body were covered in blood.

Theyll let me take a shower, right?

Ezel looked at the three people waiting for him in the distance and quickened his footsteps.

The man who shook his head looked much more normal than Ezel expected.

His playstyle was like that of a macho or completely intellectual type. Not this?

Ezel looked at the two people standing next to Gyosu. On the right, wearing sunglasses and a bushy beard. A cigarette was bitten with a dissatisfied expression and a tightened forehead. And for a finale, a completely metallic jaw.

Metal JawIan. He is famous as the [Spice Merchant] of Area 43 and a weapons merchant who is even more famous for his occasional complimentary handmade cigarettes. I heard he was working alone, then recently started working with a team.

The information was a week old, making it a little stale, but it was still pretty accurate. The agents in Area 43 went quiet after the regions clan started to move because of problems with the industrial facilities. The agent in Area 45 that infiltrated the underground bunker as a scavenger got caught up with the Raptors and died. So the only source he had left regarding that area was low-quality information collected from the Community.

When he turned his eyes to the leftthe complete opposite type of persona short and old-looking man was standing there.

Unidentified. This is probably the new team member of the spice merchant. Lightly armed and with slightly bent knees. Seeing that his heels are raised, hes wary of me right now. Was he a scavenger? He looks pretty agile.

Oi, Mister Investigator. Whats with the scan? You interested in me?

Looking at the large man who snarled at him just for quickly glancing at them, Ezel replied with a wide smile.

Of course. Im very interested in you all. Im an investigator. Im just doing my job by investigating, you know?

Hmm.

Jaw, just keep quiet if youre going to get trampled on like that.

Ill talk to you later, shortie.

Relationship of the MembersVery Friendly.

Just from their short conversation, Ezel could tell right away that the two were very close. The common trait that most Wasteland people had was that they were hostile toward everyone. Even within the same group, any aggressive behavior towards them could end up in a blood-seeking fight. The fact that they could make such an aggressive joke meant that they trusted their relationship wont be affected by it and that their relationship was created past the hostile wall.

Now, we cant just stand here all day. Why dont we go in?

And Professor, aka Gyosu, who was actively leading the situation, had a smiling mask on. His impression was that of a very average Wasteland survivor, unlike the two very unique people next to him, sort of like the Squidward between Spongebob and Patrick.

Hes leading the situation very naturally. It definitely feels like hes the leader of this group. But I dont know why. Wasnt Professor just a gamer who made a concept Lets Play for money? He does look pretty toned, but thats all of the Wasteland people. What is the connection between Area 43s weapons dealer and a poor streamer? Ugh, I need to do my job. I need to coldly analyze this situation, but this is too much fun!

The IDs Soygaybar and Professor knew each other for almost five years. He was a little proud that the guy was now the head of a group and was also excited by the fact that Gyosu didnt recognize him. It felt like he was waiting for the main protagonist of a surprise party to enter their house.

Tzzzz tzzz

As he listened to the unique sound of the protection field, Ezel hardened his determination.

Ill use this chance to reveal Gyosus secrets and every other inch of his life, from the important stuff to which side of socks he puts on first! It could be useful information I could trade with Speedwagon too!

And the first thing he saw after entering the protection field was a half-destroyed car, a Buggy often seen in the Wasteland, and an incredibly big.

Raptors.. armored car?

I told you so! They know what it was even without the mark!

Idiot! Gyosu explained it earlier! The fact that its gone is important! It shows that it isnt part of the Raptors anymore!

The bickering between the two people confirmed his assumption. A Raptors armored truck, and the biggest one from them at that. Theres usually at least one legion from the Raptors when they use a car like this, so why is this here?

Looking at Ezels shocked expression, Ian explained what happened as if he knew what he was thinking.

I stole it and ran.

.Pardon?

You look too young to be deaf. Are you okay? I took it and ran! When I came out of Raptor!

Ah.. then, uh, you.

You can call me Metal Jaw.

Then, Mr. Metal Jaw, are you from the Raptor Society?

You say it as if its not obvious. I got sick and tired of their shitty ways, so I left. And I lost this chin when I left.

He didnt have much thought about doing work when he came here, but he got an unexpected haul. Ezel took out his notes and wrote [Spice Merchant, Metal JawEx-Raptor, Need Caution] / [BDSM Wealthy] and looked around some more.

Shuffle shuffle

[Facility Defenses Medium-Low: One defense turret, one active defense auto turret.]

An ordinary, medium-sized, entry-level shelter. Aside from the fact that they owned three cars, with only three people living here, there didnt seem to be more significant information.

After roughly sketching the surrounding area, Ezel maintained a bright expression as he talked to Gyosu.

Well, it would be polite to tell you the objective of todays visit. As you are aware, the Domes objective as a group is to regain law and order in the Wasteland and restabilize the world. In that context, we collect information about the people living near the cities to check if the individual or group might be a potential harm to the Areas environment. We understand that personal information is a very sensitive topic to people that live in this period. Still, we hope that you will kindly understand this as the price for living in the safe environment that the Dome provides.

A safe environment, you say Area 47 is known to have the most Psycho Gang members out of all the areas. Is that some kind of joke? Dark humor?

Hahahaha, not in the least. The fact that there are many Psycho Gang members verifies the fact that the average lifespan of this Area is incredibly high, doesnt it? Usually, people all die off before turning crazy like that.

As Ezel confidently fought back against the arguments that Gyosu threw at him, he continued to work through the tasks he needed to finish.

Now then, since youre a caravan, should we check the main products you plan to sell?

Do we have to show them? I dont just show my stuff to anyone.

Its a mandatory process. It wont be bad. According to the type of product, the Dome might even think of purchasing.

Bullshit. It feels as shitty as dancing naked. Follow me. Ill show you the stuff.

As Ezel followed Metal Jaw to the back of the giant truck, he could feel the gazes of Gyosu and the small man piercing his back.