"I want a mechanic shop".
"…"
There was silence for a few seconds as every head in the room turned to look at Leon. Talia had a silent question on her face.
'What do you guys do?' Back in the plateau when Leon asked that question, it wasn't just to know how the Freegrid Collective operates, it was also to understand Talia's plan for the crew so he would know how to adapt to it.
Afterall, he had his own plans.
His main goal after awakening was simple- recover his memories and if possible, learn the origins of his System.
Talia may have said she would help him, but Leon had an alternative if Talia's help didn't work out- his System. And the System's requirement to unlock his memories was to get stronger and rise through the ranks.
At first, he didn't know how to go about this other than to rely on Talia's crew, but during the siege, he unlocked the System's Ascended Counter that tracked his growth and that changed everything.
He finally knew what he had to do.
With his subsequent experiment with the blueprint that he got as the reward for helping Talia, he confirmed the principles that he needed to grow as a Mechanist.
If he wanted to grow as fast as possible and complete his Ascended Counter, he needed to act like his Class dictated, he needed to act like a real mechanic.
That entailed getting blueprints, if possible creating blueprints, performing repairs, innovating, and essentially just being a mechanic.
Despite their descriptions, he didn't know exactly how the Wastes was before now, so his plans were still vague.
But after entering this community, he finalized his plans.
The Wastes exceeded his expectations in so many ways, but in hindsight, it wasn't too shocking considering just how much damage Omnicore's rule and tyranny was causing to the world.
But all this struggle between factions, to Leon, it was something external. It didn't really concern him.
Yes, after hearing what Talia said, he wouldn't deliberately see a child being sold into slavery and stay quiet.
But at the same time, he didn't make it his goal to fight Omnicore yet. Not only did he not have the power, he didn't even have the knowledge to know and truly understand the world situation yet.
For now, his immediate goal was getting stronger and the easiest way to it was to become a mechanic.
After coming here, his first impression of the Wastes was a big refugee camp, and in a cyberpunk world, Leon could easily think of a hundred different reasons why the community would need a mechanic.
'I can use them to easily get my Ascended Counter to 1000, while at the same time also practicing my Mechanist abilities and equipping myself'.
'I can also use the opportunity to teach Rex and Kain the principles of growing as a Mechanist. And if possible, I can also help Talia stop the Warlord'.
Leon took a deep breath to organize his thoughts, and then he looked straight at Talia and said. "I want to help".
"After everything that you said about the Warlord, it's clear that he needs to be brought to justice. For that, I'm willing to help, but the best way to help as a Mechanist is to be a true mechanic".
"Rex and Kain can join me".
"From what I've seen here, the market need for a mechanic is available, all we need to do is grab the opportunity".
"All I need to thrive here is to understand the market for mechanics. By building a mechanic shop here, not only can we provide services to people that need it, we can also get paid while improving our abilities".
"You don't have money now right? With this, we can also help the crew make money. Apart from paying the inn, I believe there are a lot of other things that we need money to be able to do".
"Not just that," Leon looked straight into Talia's eyes. "You may be E Rank now, but for you to run from him before, I'm willing to bet that the Warlord Parasite is also E Rank".
"That means nothing is set in stone".
"Maybe you can, but it's not guaranteed that you can defeat him alone. Besides, he has a gang behind him, I believe that's why you're asking for reinforcement from the Freegrid Collective".
"But we don't know how long it'll take for reinforcement to arrive".
"I don't know how it works, but I'll think the Freegrid Collective has a system in place to handle mission and mission result submissions. There's a process to it, and even if you ask for reinforcements, there's a chance it won't arrive immediately".
"And since you're already back, I don't think it'll take long before Parasite also knows that you're back. Afterall, he has a gang here".
"So, you need…, no, the crew needs a contingency plan and as Mechanists, we can provide that". Leon glanced at Kain and Rex.
"I believe this is the best way that we can help the crew. I already have a lot of blueprints, what I lack is resources. If I can get money through the shop, then get resources, with Rex and Kain's help, we can properly equip the crew".
"That way, our collective strength will increase which will also raise our chances of taking on Parasite and his Zmer gang".
"He's right," Kain said the next moment. "Why didn't I think of that?" He grumbled in a low voice to himself.
Talia looked at Leon for a few seconds, and then she nodded. "Your suggestion makes sense. I support it".
Leon flashed a smile. "Thank you".
"It's for the crew," Talia said perfunctorily. "I should be the one thanking you. If things go well, you'll be helping me to complete my mission".
"But I don't have money to rent a shop for you".
"There's no need," Leon smiled again. He already thought it through during the time that they walked to the inn.
"Most shops out there don't have a building, most just directly put their goods out in the open. Not only is it cheap, it also allows passersby to easily see what you're selling or what service that you're offering".
"We can start by doing the same. Afterall, if things go according to plan, we won't be staying for long. We just need to take care of Parasite, rescue the slaves, complete the mission and leave, right?"
"Right," Talia nodded.
She took a deep breath. "I'm really glad I listened to my instincts and invited you to join the crew back then". Talia smiled.
Then, her face turned serious as she looked at her crewmates. "This is a dangerous mission. Parasite is not some bum, he's a bonafide E Rank Gene Augur who've been in that rank for years. He has a lot of experience".
"The fact that he has a warehouse means he's been in the business for a long time, and the fact that the Freegrid Collective only detected it now says a lot about him. He's smart".
"We can't afford to be impulsive about this, we have to be meticulous".
"If we rush, every single one of us may die," her voice turned grave. "Parasite is dangerous, but the Zmer gang is equally as dangerous".
"If we really want to stand a chance at completing this mission, we need to be patient and gather information".
"Only with enough information will we be able to defeat him in his home".
"We can't afford to tick him off," she said seriously. "We need to infiltrate deep to truly learn about him and all his warehouses. Only then will we strike, only then will we save the slaves".
Talia looked at them again. "I have a few ideas for what we should first do already, but like Leon says, we need money".
"Also, I need to inform the Freegrid Collective of the truth concerning Parasite. That means I have to break the cyber net".
She looked at Ghostwire. "Leroi will go with me. Our task is simple; we have to break out of Parasite's LAN net and send a message to complete the initial mission and seek reinforcement without alerting him".
"Kain, you and Rex should help Leon go around the community. I leave the shop idea to you".
With that, she looked at Brick.
She didn't beat around the bush as she said. "We need information. While we're gone, I want you to use any means you can to gather information about the Zmer gang and Parasite's current status".
"Let's meet in the evening and report our progress".
"Yes boss".
At that moment, Talia stretched her limbs slightly as they made cracking sounds, then she said. "I know it's been a long journey. We're tired, I know, but we have to do this for those children".
She looked at Leon. "That applies to you too".
Leon shook his head with a calm smile. "There's no need, I'm still fresh and full of energy".
Talia nodded.
They exchanged a few more details as Talia gave Leon clear warnings on certain rules of the Wastes that he should not break, and finally, she left with Ghostwire.
At the same time, Leon also mobilized Kain and Rex before leaving the inn.
A few minutes later, Brick also left.