Kael woke up just before dawn on Saturday morning to the sounds of the camp stirring to life. Every muscle in his body ached with a deep, unfamiliar soreness. The previous day's sewer crawl had been more physically taxing than years of sitting at a desk. But underneath the pain, he felt a current of energy, a thrum of potential from the Mature Slime Core he had absorbed.
He limped to the mess hall. The "bonus rations" were a welcome sight: a steaming bowl of rice porridge, bubur ayam, with actual shredded chicken and a hard-boiled egg on top. It was the most luxurious meal he'd had in what felt like a lifetime.
As he ate, he saw Joko and Siti at a nearby table. Joko caught his eye and gave a curt, single nod of acknowledgement, a gesture that spoke volumes. Siti offered a small, friendly wave. They weren't friends, not yet, but they were a unit. They had survived together.
Curious about his new skill, Kael activated [Code Perception] and focused on his bowl. The data stream was instantly richer and more detailed than before.
// Item: Fortified Chicken Porridge // Quality: Uncommon // Status: Warm // Effect: Restores 30 Stamina over 1 hour. Temporarily increases Cold Resistance by 5%. // Note: A well-made, morale-boosting meal.
Kael's eyes widened. Data Analysis. It didn't just tell him what things were, it told him what they did. He glanced over at Siti.
// Name: Siti // Class: [Spearman] // Level: 2 // HP: 110/110, MP: 25/25 // Status: Hopeful, Sore, Grateful
He could see her level. He could see her health. He could even see her emotional state. This skill was a paradigm shift. It was the difference between looking at a machine and having its full technical manual instantly downloaded into your brain. The price of that disgusting sewer crawl had been steep, but the reward was immeasurable.
After breakfast, he made his way to the workshop. As expected, Joko and Siti were already there, talking with Mang Ujang.
"Ah, the Lamplighter arrives," the foreman grinned. "Slept well? Good. Because today's job is a pain in the neck."
He unrolled a crude map of a ventilation system. "The ducts for the medical bay are choked with a new type of Glow-Fungus. It's not aggressive, but the spores it releases are mildly hypnotic. Breathe in too much, and you'll get dizzy, start seeing things, maybe walk into a wall until you knock yourself out. Worse, the fungus has attracted pests."
He tapped a sketch of a multi-legged, insect-like creature. "Level 2 [Spore-Mites]. They're fast, they nest in the fungus, and they bite. Your job is to go in, destroy the main fungus clusters, and kill any mites you find. The med bay needs its clean air back."
The gear this time was different. Thick cloth masks, heavy gloves, and knee pads for crawling. Again, Mang Ujang offered Kael a headlamp. Again, Kael politely refused.
"The fungus glows, right?" Kael asked. "I can amplify its natural light. It should be enough."
Joko grunted. "Kid's got his methods, Mang. They work."
Ujang shrugged and led them to the back of the medical bay, a clean, well-maintained brick building that was the heart of the camp's health services. He pointed to a small, square metal hatch on the wall, about two feet off the ground.
"That's your way in. It's gonna be tight, claustrophobic. Don't get lost."
The three of them stood before the dark opening. It was a stark contrast to the wide-open sewer tunnels. This would be a crawl, a squeeze through tight metal spaces.
"First sewers, now vents," Joko grumbled, cracking his knuckles. "At least it's dry this time."
Siti adjusted her mask, her initial fear now tempered with a quiet determination. She had survived yesterday; she could survive today.
Kael looked at the dark, cramped maw of the ventilation shaft. Another dirty job. Another chance to get stronger. Another step on the long, dark road to Cibinong. He pulled his own mask on, the rough cloth a familiar discomfort.
"Ready when you are," he said to his team.