Abandoned Factory, North Gate.
Marcus looked down at the timer in his hand; the five-minute wait was up.
"Next group: Byrne, Selena. Step forward."
"Coming," Byrne replied, reactivating the ore crate's hover-stabilizers.
Positioned on either side, the two of them pushed the crate toward the North Gate. As they passed Marcus, the iron-blooded proctor watched them with a faint, inscrutable smile. Byrne remained expressionless, walking straight past him. Selena gave a slight nod as a courtesy, but neither showed any intent to linger.
The moment they stepped through the gate, a powerful gust of grit-laden wind struck them head-on, whipping their hair and making it difficult to keep their eyes open. Byrne instinctively raised a hand to shield his face, gauged the wind direction against their heading, and shouted to Selena, "Keep your head down and lean into it! Move with the wind!"
Selena complied immediately. Together, they pushed the crate through the swirling yellow sands, struggling with every step. Gradually, the factory gates receded and eventually vanished from sight.
A few minutes later, as the wind died down slightly, they found a leeward slope to take a short break. Byrne squatted to check the hover-unit while slapping the dust off his clothes. Selena pulled the compass from her rucksack to cross-reference their map.
"The wind shifted suddenly. We're drifting a bit," she noted. "We need to adjust our course, or we'll miss the waypoint."
After confirming the hover-unit was functional, Byrne stood up. "Well, since no one's around, let's try to open this ore crate and see what's inside."
Selena nodded and immediately moved to the hidden spot she had discovered earlier, her fingertip resting lightly against the slightly protruding metal plate. Just as she was about to apply pressure, she paused and looked back at Byrne. "Almost forgot—check the perimeter first. See if anyone is hiding."
"On it."
Byrne stepped back, leaning against the slope as his eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings. The wasteland remained a blur of yellow sand; aside from the howling wind, there wasn't a sound to be heard.
"Clear. No one's around."
Reassured, Selena hooked her fingertip under the metal protrusion and yanked outward.
Click!
The metal plate popped open, revealing a palm-sized recess with a circular rotary switch embedded at the bottom. Selena stared at the switch, her finger hovering over it, hesitant to move.
"This doesn't look like a standard latch. It looks more like... a power valve?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Let me look."
Byrne leaned in for a closer inspection. The switch was engraved with fine energy-conduction patterns that reminded him of the power-core valves he used to repair. After a moment, he rubbed his chin and said, "It definitely is. Try turning it half a turn counter-clockwise. Don't force it; watch out for any internal triggers."
"Okay."
Following Byrne's instructions, Selena gripped the dial and slowly rotated it. Her movements were exceptionally cautious, using just enough force to move it, terrified that a single slip might turn it too far. Neither of them knew if this simple valve hid one of Marcus's traps—perhaps an explosive charge or a beacon for a tracking signal.
Fortunately, their fears were unfounded. When the dial reached the half-turn mark, it clicked precisely into place. Immediately, a muffled mechanical thud echoed from within the crate, as if a lock had been disengaged. A metal panel on the side of the crate recessed slightly and then slid to the left, revealing a gap two fingers wide.
Byrne gripped the edge of the panel and carefully pulled it all the way open. The sight inside left them both stunned.
The interior of the crate was partitioned into two layers. The upper section, which took up most of the space, was filled with ordinary Plass-iron ore. However, in the lower compartment, resting on a thick layer of shock-absorbing foam, were ten pale blue crystal batteries, neatly arranged alongside a sealed metal box of unknown contents.
It took a moment for Selena to find her voice. "Ten crystal batteries hidden in an ore crate... what exactly is Marcus playing at?"
Byrne didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up one of the batteries to weigh it. It was heavy, with a stable energy glow—higher quality than the spare they had been issued. Then, he tried to budge the metal box. It was incredibly heavy; he couldn't move it an inch, and he suspected even with Selena's help, they wouldn't be able to lift it.
Byrne patted the metal box. "It seems Marcus's 'test' is just a front. The real goal is to get this box into the city."
"Isn't that a bit much?" Selena asked, puzzled. "With his status and resources, why go through such an elaborate ruse? He could just have his subordinates drive it in."
Byrne let out a tired sigh. "If only it were that simple. Think about where we're delivering this: Blackstone City, a place under the direct jurisdiction of Governor David Rick. And who is Marcus, really? On paper, he's a proctor for the Ministry of Finance. But look at that heavy armor and that ruthless streak—does he look like a civil servant to you?"
A realization dawned on Selena. "You mean... the contents of this box can't handle the light of day?"
"Most likely." Byrne toyed with the battery in his hand. "Think about why he set up this 'death test.' Why set such cruel rules and force us to kill each other? If you ask me, he never wanted 'warriors.' He wanted a group of desperate outlaws who, in order to survive, would do whatever it takes to get these crates back to Blackstone City."
Outlaws...
Selena whispered the word. She didn't want to believe such a cynical theory. After a moment's thought, she countered, "But isn't he afraid one of us will discover the secret and sell the information to the Governor's Palace?"
"Heh, you're overthinking it." Byrne smirked, placing the battery back in its slot. "Did you forget the third rule? No outside help, no cooperation. Anyone who goes to the Governor's Palace is breaking the rules, and their end would be worse than Sonny's. More importantly..."
Byrne paused, turning to lock eyes with Selena. His voice turned solemn. "The batteries in this crate are the bait that keeps us on the hook. With these, we don't have to stop for days; we can leave our competitors in the dust. Who would give up a guaranteed chance at survival for an unknown metal box? Would you, Selena? Would you take that gamble?"
Selena fell silent. She had to admit that Byrne was right.