Afternoon light stretched long across the river as Owen and Blair continued riding along its edge. The sun hung heavy, reflecting off the slow moving water and making Owen squint. He scanned the horizon again and again, finding nothing but grass, rocks, and distant dunes. "Still no signs of people," Owen said, voice steady but tired. "No smoke, no structures. Just monsters and water."
Blair laughed lightly while steering. "You sound disappointed, boss. You miss the neighbors already?"
Owen replied. "Living in a society is safer than wondering aimlessly in a wasteland. But people can be dangerous, but they make sense."
They rode until the ground abruptly changed. The sand hardened into jagged stone mixed with sharp rubble, too uneven for the bike. Blair stopped without hesitation. "Terrain is shit," she said. "We have to walk."
Before Owen could offer to help, Blair lifted the bike onto her shoulder like it weighed nothing. Owen stared. "You know, every time you do that, it reminds me how unfair our stat difference is."
She smirked. "Stop complaining boss you'll obviously become stronger in the future, you are the boss."
They had taken only a few steps when stone cracked open beside a massive rock formation. A four foot tall insect burst out, its body segmented and glossy, mandibles snapping violently. Blair dropped the bike instantly. "Contact."
She gripped her halberd and charged. The insect screeched and leapt sideways, moving with terrifying speed. Its claws scraped stone as it dodged her first swing. Blair twisted, blade barely missing its head. "Fast bastard," she muttered.
The insect lunged, ramming her chest. She slid back several feet, her feet carving lines in the dirt, but she did not fall. Owen shouted, "Watch its legs, they are lighter!"
Blair ducked as the insect slashed. She swung low, slicing into one leg. Black fluid sprayed, but the creature did not slow. It shrieked and slammed into her again, forcing her to brace the halberd against its mandibles. Metal screeched against chitin.
Owen clenched his fists. "This world is fucked up," he muttered.
Blair growled and shoved, muscles straining. She kicked the insect in the abdomen, then spun, using momentum to cleave deep into its torso. The insect flailed wildly, striking rocks and sending shards flying. It jumped back, then darted forward, biting at her shoulder. She twisted, letting teeth scrape armor instead of flesh.
"Come on bitch," Blair snarled. "Dance with me."
The fight dragged on. The insect moved relentlessly, fast and unpredictable. Blair's strikes carved chunks from it, but it refused to die. It slashed her legs, forced her to retreat, leapt overhead. Finally, Owen yelled, "The neck joint, Blair. Right under the head!"
She nodded once. When the insect lunged again, she stepped inside its reach. The halberd punched upward, blade driving straight through the joint. The insect convulsed violently. Blair ripped the weapon free and brought it down again and again until the creature collapsed into twitching pieces.
Silence returned. Blair stood breathing hard, gore dripping from her blade. "Annoying," she said simply.
Owen exhaled. "Still impressive."
They continued on foot until the ground softened again. Blair set the bike down and mounted it. "Back to riding, boss."
As they biked, attacks came often. Large insects erupted from rocks or lunged from the water. Blair smashed them effortlessly, swinging the halberd one handed while steering. Bodies burst apart, blood and organs scattering across sand and grass. Owen watched, grim but focused, tracking threats and shouting warnings.
Everything felt manageable until the river itself shifted. The water bulged, rippling unnaturally. Something massive moved beneath the surface, long and thick enough to warp the current. Owen's voice tightened. "Blair. That thing is huge... We should distance ourselves from the river."
She nodded without argument and angled the bike farther inland.
Night fell faster than Owen expected. Twin moons rose, pale light revealing movement everywhere near the river. Insects crawled toward the water in swarms. Owen cursed softly. "This is bad. All those fucking insects are heading here."
Blair revved her engine. "Then we definitely do not have to stay."
She pushed the bike hard, racing through the darkness. Insects lunged, some slamming into the bike and shattering under the wheels. Others chased but fell behind. Moonlight guided Blair's path, her reactions sharp and precise.
After a long sprint, the swarms thinned and after a while longer the swarms are far gone. Ahead stood a tall rock formation rising from the desert. Blair slowed and turned away from the river. "There."
They reached the rock and stopped. Before climbing, Owen pulled out the strength serum. His hands trembled slightly. "No more waiting."
He injected himself, pain burning through his muscles. Strength surged. He flexed his hands, surprised. "Peak human," he whispered.
Blair watched closely. "You good?"
"I am," Owen said, then climbed. The rock felt easy under his grip now. Together they reached the top. Owen collapsed onto the stone, breathing hard, staring at the moons above.