Chapter 5: Nexus Discovery
However, what the gang leader failed to realize was that his members didn't think the same way he did. He was experienced and wise, qualities that earned him his position as a gang leader. But his men lacked that same foresight.
"How dare you attack one of our members!" Another gang member exclaimed loudly as he pointed his gun towards the head of the scrapper who stabbed his teammate.
"Go on, then! Shoot!" the scrapper barked, unflinching. Unlike the gang member, who clearly hesitated, he showed no fear. In one quick motion, he slashed the man's arm with the same knife he used to stab their buddy.
"Argh!" The gang member immediately pulled his hand holding the gun away in pain.
"Attack them!" The scrapper yelled loudly.
Every scrapper immediately started attacking the gang members.
Their reason wasn't that one of them ordered them to attack. In the first place, that guy wasn't even their leader, nor did they have any leader. They simply decided to follow because, at least by attacking the gang members, they had a chance of escaping this place. If they stayed any longer, who knows what this gang would do to them, right? They might even just decide on the spot to eliminate all of them in hopes that one of them is the perpetrator they've been looking for.
Seeing this, the gang leader finally realized his mistake. At first, he thought that as long as he left them alone, they'd eventually accept his demand. But it turns out that when a mouse is cornered, it will fight back, no matter how terrifying the predator may be. "Attack anyone who dares to disobey us!"
"You heard the boss, kill them!"
Seemingly in an instant, a riot broke out between the scrappers and the gang members.
Watching everything unfold just as planned, Kael, Lawrence, and Jayem seized the moment to make their escape.
The mess created by the scrappers and gang members was more than enough disturbance to act as a distraction for Kael and his group to escape unnoticed.
At least, that's what they thought.
"There they are," the gang leader muttered to himself as his eyes caught the attention of three people using the riot as a means to escape from the junk shop. In truth, this was his real reason for telling his people to start attacking the scrappers, because he believes that as long as he plays out his part in their plan, he'll eventually be able to find them. And he was right.
However, instead of chasing after them, he quietly whispered to one of his nearby underlings to bring a few trusted men and follow the trio in secret.
He doesn't know anything about the other guy who saved them, nor does he care about him, but he was very familiar with Lawrence and Jayem, and his attention was solely focused on those two. He believes that as long as he follows the duo's operation closely, he'll ultimately be able to catch something big.
Moreover, even if he doesn't, as long as he can catch the duo, he'll still get a huge reward since many people are hunting Lawrence and Jayem. Those gangs and organizations the duo had wronged in the past would no doubt reward him greatly once he offered the two to them.
"Enjoy while it lasts," The gang leader smiled before finally leaving. As for the problem with the scrappers and the fire, he'll let his second and third in command handle the mess. Losing a few scrappers wasn't a huge loss in Rustfall because tomorrow, a huge influx of scrappers will certainly come in once they find out there's less competition in his junk shop.
Still unaware of the gang leader's plan, Kael, Lawrence, and Jayem continued to the apartment complex where Kael was living.
"Your base is here?" Lawrence couldn't help asking as he saw the apartment complex in front of them. This kind of place wasn't anything special at all.
"Temporarily," Kael responded without giving more hints about his current circumstances, as he doesn't want to lessen the chance of successfully recruiting the two. He might have done the duo a huge favor by saving them, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll readily agree to join the group he's about to create.
"Alright…" Lawrence chose to believe Kael this time.
Soon, the trio finally entered Kael's apartment.
It wasn't small, but it also wasn't big. Its size was just enough to fit all the primary and functional spaces a house needs.
But what's surprising is that Kael seems to have converted his living room into a temporary bedroom using a bunk bed, thus leaving only a small area to act as a living room, as if already certain that they'll come with him. Moreover, he also prepared two computers besides the bunk bed.
Unbeknownst to the duo, two computers were ones Kael had stolen from someone's apartment the day before. He had prepared them in advance, knowing that once Avalon opened, only one person could enter per portal, and they needed three. He already had one, so he only needed two more computers.
"I've prepared a temporary resting area for the two of you," Kael explained as he put his luggage on top of the table and opened it.
Lawrence and Jayem quickly approach with curiosity.
"These are basic survival gear used when someone is going out in the wilds?" Lawrence wasn't unfamiliar with the tools inside Kael's luggage. He turned to Jayem and nodded.
Jayem nodded his head in response as this scene finally confirms their suspicion that this operation would likely involve going to one of the other four continents. That's because there is no wilderness in Rustfall. This continent is basically no different from a desert, with all its natural resources harvested by the other four continents.
He turned to look at the two computers and thought, "Those two computers should be used to research the target continent."
"I'll prepare a set for each of us. In the meantime, find a way to change clothes that fit for the wilderness," Kael instructed as he took out all the tools from the luggage one by one and proceeded to his room to get two more bags that he would distribute to the two.
Lawrence and Jayem nodded their heads and left Kael's apartment to look for clothes to steal. This was an apartment complex, and given Rustfall's environment, it shouldn't take long for them to find that kind of clothing. Perhaps they could even get a pair each so that they can have spares to change and bring some for Kael as well.
As soon as the duo left, Kael glimpse at the clock and noticed that there were only less than thirty minutes left for the portal to Avalon to open.
"This time, I'll do it right!" Kayn swore to himself. He had already achieved success in his first life, but now, he was determined to reach even greater heights. A level where he could handle whatever Nexus would throw at him.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Lawrence and Jayem finally returned, bringing with them five sets of wilderness outfits.
At the same time, Kael was finally done setting things up with his computer and the other two computers.
"What's up with the computers?" Lawrence curiously asked. The placement of computers before was already good.
"You'll know soon…" Kael smiled as he took out a worn-out but still working television from his bedroom. He plugged it in and switched the channel to today's special announcement from Nexus.
Kael turned to the confused duo and said, "I know the two of you are still confused, so I'll let them answer your question." He pointed to the screen of the television, where a barely visible live news was being shown.
Lawrence and Jayem nodded their heads and sat on a worn-out sofa to watch.
Kael also sat on a monoblock chair to listen as well. Albeit he was already very familiar with what the news was all about, since he could never forget this day for the rest of his life.
On the screen, a female announcer received a bunch of documents from one of Nexus's scientists. It was a report about a newly discovered planet.
"So, before the President of Nexus shows everyone the invention they've created, I'll first talk about a new planet they've discovered not so long ago. Trust me, this is related to the invention."
As the female announcer started reading through the document, her expression shifted from delight to surprise, until it finally settled into one of shock.
"Ehem!"
"To summarize the report, Nexus has just discovered a new planet called Avalon. Based on the initial data they've gathered, it appears to be a paradise, rich in untouched resources and minerals. But danger comes alongside it, as this uncharted world is teeming with unknown life forms, unstable environments, and forces we have yet to understand."