The weight of the Builder's mission settled on my shoulders, heavier and more real than any stone I'd ever carried. The fate of the city. Find a new home. Don't fail. No pressure at all.
I found Lyra in the main workshop, where she was already waiting for me. A durable-looking leather pack sat on the long wooden table, its pockets and straps meticulously organized.
"Your mission supplies, Kael-sama," she said with her customary bow. "High-energy ration bars, three full waterskins, mapping tools, and the survey beacon. It is attuned to the Master's energy. Once planted in a stable data zone, he will be able to lock onto its signal."
I slung the pack over my shoulder. It was heavy, but the weight was a grounding force, a tangible reminder of the task ahead. "Thank you, Lyra."
As I turned to leave, I noticed I wasn't the only one preparing for a journey. Across the hall, Silas was checking the tension on a compact, high-tech crossbow, his movements quick and precise. Not far from him, Elara was carefully packing a series of small, rune-etched crystals into a soft velvet pouch, her expression serene and focused.
A knot of confusion tightened in my stomach. Fen and Valerius were already out, likely performing their usual duties maintaining the city's integrity. It was rare for the other three summons to be preparing for separate missions at the same time.
"Are Silas and Elara heading out on missions too?" I asked Lyra, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Lyra's placid expression didn't change, but her amber eyes flickered toward them before returning to me. "Yes," she confirmed. "Their mission is of the utmost importance to the future of this city."
"Oh," I said, a little disappointed. I had secretly hoped for some backup, but it seemed I was on my own after all. "What's their mission?"
"The same as yours," she replied, her tone as calm and factual as if she were commenting on the weather.
I blinked. My brain took a second to parse the information. "Wait… the same as mine? You mean… they're coming with me?"
"That is correct," Lyra affirmed. "A scouting mission into the unstable territories of the wasteland is a high-risk endeavor. The Master would not send you alone. Elara's ability to read the data flow will be crucial in identifying stable zones, and Silas's scouting skills will ensure you reach them without unnecessary conflict."
A tidal wave of relief, so potent it almost made my knees weak, washed over me. I wasn't going alone. I was going with two of the Builder's elite companions. One could see the very code of the world, and the other was a master of stealth and survival. My chances of not dying a horrible death in the wasteland had just skyrocketed.
"But that is not all," Lyra continued, seamlessly dropping another bombshell. "A venture of this magnitude, one that involves the establishment of new territory, requires inter-factional cooperation and oversight. It is a matter of political necessity. As such, one representative from the Adventurer Faction and one from the Administrator Faction will be joining your party."
My relief intensified. This wasn't just a scouting trip anymore; it was a formal expedition. With representatives from the three major factions, this mission had the full weight of the city behind it. The Builder wasn't just sending me out on a prayer; he had organized a proper, politically sound exploration party. It was a testament to how seriously he was taking this.
"We are to rendezvous with them at the west gate," Silas called over, having finished his preparations. He slung the crossbow over his back, his sharp eyes already scanning the exit as if expecting an ambush. "Don't be late."
Elara glided over to us, her pouch of crystals secured at her belt. "The data-streams outside the walls are chaotic," she said, her voice a soft, low hum. "Stay close. It is easy to get… lost."
The three of us walked toward the city gate, a strange and silent trio. Me, the glitched player. The cynical scout. And the enigmatic data-reader. As we approached the massive stone archway of the west gate, I could see two figures already waiting for us, their silhouettes stark against the bright morning light.
I steeled myself, expecting to see a grim, heavily-armored Adventurer—maybe even Vulcan himself—and a stuffy, grey-robed Administrator clutching a rulebook.
As we got closer, the figures resolved. One had a familiar flash of vibrant orange hair. The other, a neat bob of mint-green.
My steps faltered. No. It couldn't be.
Standing there, looking impatient and ready for action, were Erina and Miyuri.
Erina had her sword strapped to her back and a determined look on her face. Miyuri, surprisingly, had traded her neat office uniform for a set of practical, dark blue traveling gear, a thick satchel of what I could only assume was paperwork slung over her shoulder.
"Took you long enough," Erina called out, her hands on her hips. "Some of us have monsters to slay and worlds to explore, you know."
I stared at them, my mouth agape. "Erina? Miyuri? What are you two doing here?"
Erina grinned. "What does it look like? We're your faction representatives."
"But… how?" I stammered. "I thought you had a patrol? And Miyuri, don't you have… forms to file?"
Miyuri pushed her glasses up her nose, a small, determined smile on her face. "This mission supersedes all other priorities, Kael-san. When the Master Builder makes a formal request for a joint expedition, the other factions send their best." She puffed out her chest slightly. "Chief Gideon has assigned me to serve as the official registrar and protocol officer for this expedition. Any new territory must be immediately documented, surveyed, and entered into the municipal record. I am the most qualified."
"And when Vulcan heard the Builder was sending his 'secret weapon' into the wasteland," Erina added, jerking a thumb at me, "he insisted on sending his best scout to keep an eye on things and ensure the Adventurers' interests were represented. And, well…" She gave a dramatic shrug. "Here I am."
I looked at the group assembled before me. Silas, the cynical eye. Elara, the mystical mind. Erina, the fiery sword. Miyuri, the unshakeable order. And me… the key. It was the strangest, most mismatched party I could have ever imagined. An Adventurer, an Administrator, two of the Builder's elite summons, and a glitched player.
And yet, looking at them, I didn't feel a shred of doubt. I felt a surge of confidence. This was a team that could handle anything.
"Alright," Silas said, cutting through the reunion. He was already looking past the gate, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the desolate landscape beyond. "Enough chit-chat. The wasteland isn't going to scout itself."
He was right. The time for talking was over.
With a final, shared nod, the five of us stepped past the threshold of the gate. The familiar, comforting hum of the city's protective barrier faded behind us, replaced by the low, mournful whistle of the wind blowing across the barren plains. The air here was different—raw, untamed, and tinged with the static of corrupted data.
We were in the wasteland. And our mission had begun.