Tom perched on the dented hood of an old car, trying to catch some air. The rush from battling that rodent had worn off, leaving behind a throbbing pain in his foot along with a growling belly.
He held the two daggers he had looted from the dead NPC up to the dim, purple light. They were ugly. The metal was chipped, the handles were wrapped in rotting leather, and they smelled like old blood.
[ Jagged Daggers (Common) ]
[ Durability: 12/50 ]
[ Damage: 5-8 ]
[ Description: These have seen better days. If you hit something too hard, they might turn into dust. ]
"Great," Tom muttered. "I finally get a weapon, and it has the structural integrity of a cracker."
He stared at his arm. Despite the gray, slick skin, it owed its look to the Scrap Metal Essence taken from the rat during that last clash. Strange sensation. His finger pressed into the forearm - like jabbing a plastic helmet. Tough? Sure. Unbreakable? Not even close.
He had to try out what he could do now. Facing the rat was pure fear, no control at all. It felt like swinging wildly, just trying not to get hurt. To make it in Aetheria, he couldn't run anymore; he'd have to chase instead.
He had to repair those blades.
Tom got on his feet. Though his ankle was tight, the skin-tough effect kept things stable - almost like a wrap made from inside. Off he went, moving further into the Rustlands.
The junkyard stretched on forever. A tangle of smashed vehicles, bent metal frames, yet piles of garbage climbing high, vanishing into the sky. Each dark corner seemed alive. Any sound felt like it came from teeth grinding or talons scraping stone.
Twenty minutes into his walk, a rustle broke the silence.
Crunch. Snap. Grind.
It was like a trash compactor crunching metal - sharp, clanky, kinda nasty.
Tom ducked low behind some worn-out tires. Then he glanced above them.
In a tiny open patch, one creature after another chewed on scraps. These bugs looked like oversized beetles - each nearly as wide as a bin lid. Their backs gleamed dark, mirroring the dull glow above. One crunched down hard, then another, tearing through steel tubes as if they were snacks.
[ Rust Beetle - Level 3 ]
[ HP: 80/80 ]
[ Passive: Iron Shell (High physical defense) ]
"Level 3," Tom whispered. "And they eat iron pipes for breakfast. My daggers are basically rusty spoons compared to those jaws."
He checked his weapons. Stabbing that dark shell would snap his blades. After which, he'd end up like a snack.
He kept his eyes on them. Those bugs moved sluggish, shuffling forward using their short, thick legs. As one twisted sideways, a glimpse of light-colored tender meat peeked out beneath its tough shell.
"Okay," Tom thought. "The back is a tank. The belly is a marshmallow."
He'd figured something out.
He glanced around, searching for a stone. Then he spotted chunky rubble - about like a grapefruit - with rough edges.
"Hey! You're hideous!" Tom yelled.
He tossed the stone. As it flew, it hit the nearest bug - smack on its glossy skull.
Thonk.
The beetle quit chewing. Yet it twitched its feelers like it was furious. Then it spun around to face Tom, making a sharp buzzing sound. Meanwhile, the other two kept munching on those tasty tubes, not paying attention.
"One at a time," Tom called, moving out from behind the tires.
"Get over here if you want me!"
The beetle charged.
Well, "charged" might've been too much. Instead, it shuffled along - kinda like a grocery cart stuck on one wobbly caster.
Tom stood there, waiting. Even though his heart raced, pounding hard in his chest, he stayed focused. The fear from fighting that rat had faded away. Instead of reacting, he started calculating.
Beetle speed: Slow.
My speed: Slightly less slow.
Target: The belly.
As the bug got close - just five feet off - it snapped its mouth wide, aiming for Tom's leg instead.
Tom stayed put. Instead, he moved sideways. When the bug went by, that's when he hit it with his foot.
He didn't kick it hard. Breaking his toes on the shell wasn't worth it. Instead, he slid his foot beneath the beetle's edge then raised it up.
He picked it up while turning mattresses in poor neighborhoods, hunting spare coins. That's where he got the idea - using pressure smartly.
The beetle flipped sideways. As it flailed its tiny limbs above, trapped upside down much like a turtle.
"Sorry, buddy," Tom said. "Physics wins."
He jumped.
He dropped hard, knees hitting the bug's bare white belly. It shrieked out loud. Without waiting, he slammed his knives deep into the tender spot.
-15
-18 (Critical Hit!)
Green blood splattered Tom's palms. The bug twisted, attempting to flip. Tom kept pressing it flat. A second stab tore through its shell. One more followed after.
"Die, die, die," he puffed every time he hit.
It felt harsh - nothing like silver-screen heroes. Not shiny or proud at all. Grimy, ugly stuff filled the days. Yet somehow, it got things done.
[ You have slain Rust Beetle (Level 3) ]
[ Exp +15 ]
Tom slid away from the lifeless insect, plopping down on the ground while brushing goo from his cheek.
"Gross," he said. "Why is everything in this game so slimy?"
He looked at his daggers. They were in bad shape. The right one had a new chip in the blade. The durability had dropped to 8/50.
"One more fight and these things are going to snap," Tom realized.
He stared at the lifeless beetle. Despite being dead inside, its dark shell stayed smooth, gleaming under the light.
Hold on," Tom remarked. His mind began to work.
His fingers touched the dark surface.
"System," he said. "What can I get?"
The glitchy grey box appeared.
[ TARGET ANALYZED: RUST BEETLE ]
[ AVAILABLE ESSENCE: PHYSICAL HARDNESS ]
[ TIER 1 EXTRACTION DETECTED ]
"Hardness," Tom repeated.
His daggers were cracking, barely holding together. Yet the outer layer stayed tough, like it couldn't be harmed.
"System," Tom commanded. "Extract the Hardness. But don't give it to me. Apply it to the daggers."
[ CONFIRMING... ]
[ TARGET: JAGGED DAGGERS ]
[ INITIATING INFUSION... ]
ZZZZZT.
This time, the power skipped Tom's arm. Instead, it raced down his fingers, slipping into the blades.
The beetle's hard cover went pale and got fragile. Soon it broke apart into tiny bits. That dark glow seeped out, flowing like mist, curling round the old metal edges.
The rust didn't disappear, but it changed. It grew darker. The jagged edges of the metal seemed to fuse together, becoming solid and dense. The rotting leather handle tightened and turned black.
[ EXTRACTION COMPLETE ]
[ ITEM UPGRADE SUCCESSFUL ]
[ New Item: Reinforced Beetle-Bone Daggers ]
[ Grade: Common -> Uncommon ]
[ Damage: 12-15 ]
[ Durability: 80/80 ]
[ Special Trait: Durable Edge (Weapons will not chip against hard armor) ]
Yeah!" Tom shouted, lifting the fresh gear high. Now they seemed risky, like they might slice a vehicle's side right open.
He noticed a sudden ache in his skull. Then he pressed his fingers to his forehead.
[ Mental Integrity: 35% ]
"Okay, okay," Tom winced. "Using the magic headache power costs brain cells. I need to be careful."
He turned toward the open space. One beetle kept chewing on the tube, while another joined in. Neither saw that their buddy had stopped moving.
Tom got to his feet, spinning the dark-edged knives he'd just gotten. Then a sly grin spread across his mouth.
"Hey, guys," he called out. "I need more materials."