The second rat took longer to tame, and costed me my last units of metal scrap. I rode them around the plateau and found them worth the effort. They were agreeable and maneuverable, and so much so, that I was able to ride them, despite never having riding lessons ever.
I named them Tiberius and Titus, after the emperors of Rome. The reason? Nothing in particular.
I so enjoyed riding the mounts that I failed to notice that I have completed the tasks and have obtained the reward. And only found out, I struck gold when I opened the inventory.
[TR-18 Electronic Helmet
Highly durable helmet with quick appraisal and identification system, air filtration system and thermal vision.
Crafting Materials
High-Grade Metal Scrap x20 + Electronic Wire x10 + Small Battery x2 = TR-18 Electronic Helmet x1]
With that kind of helmet, scavenging in the wasteland would be a lot safer and easier. Not to mention, it would be fashionably better. The current helmet I had on made me look like an ancient Greek warrior.
Eager to craft it and to try my new mount, I descended the plateau, just five hours before the day ends. I strapped Caesar on Tiberius' saddle, to solve his problem of having wheels for feet. The bot, as expected, knew how to use the reins.
The boring thirty-minute walk has been reduced to five minutes, and I soon found myself in front of the mound of waste I have started mining from yesterday. I instructed Caesar to deal with any hostile mob, so I could focus on scavenging.
Yet, I would not hear gunshot all throughout the day or any other noise, apart from from my own strikes and the nearby clanging of metals. While Tiberius was in Caesar's disposal, Titus grazed near my position, feasting himself in the nearby metal piles.
[Obtained Metal Wire x1]
[Obtained Electrical Wire x1]
[Obtained Hex Nut x1]
[Obtained High-Grade Metal x1]
[Obtained Nails x1]
Unfortunately, the same terrible drop variety hampered my scavenging. And I would receive a large number of certain materials but would receive not a single unit of others.
Infuriated, I took a break and attempted to find any way to better my luck. I browsed through the items, searching for anything that might enhance drop rate or drop variety, but there were no potions or magical food. Though everything have been unscientific, the system refuses to incorporate any magic.
Accidentally, as I was browsing the inventory, I clicked on one of the equipment slots.
[Metal Chest plate
Armor made out of metal scraps. Effective against Low-Level Mobs.
Armor: 10]
[Upgrade]
[Reinforced Metal Chest plate
Armor reinforced by high-grade metal scraps. Effective against Low-Level and Medium-Level Mobs.
Armor: 20]
Requirements:
Metal Chest plate x1 + High-Grade Metal x20 = Reinforced Metal Chest plate x1]
I refused to upgrade, not having the necessary materials. But I hastily checked if the pickaxe was upgradable as well.
[Pickaxe
Used to scavenge.
Yield Rate: 100%]
[Upgrade]
[Advanced Pickaxe
Used to scavenge.
Yield Rate: 300%
Requirements:
Pickaxe x1 + Tech-Grade Metal Scraps x20 = Advanced Pickaxe x1]
I was downcast. Tech-Grade Metal Scraps can only be acquired from Level Three regions. And I haven't even entered Level 2 areas.
With a sigh, I accepted the fact that I will need to work hard, at least until my equipments improved. After chomping down a slice of melon, I started my scavenging again.
Two hours before sundown and the requirements were yet to be completed.
High-Grade Metal Scrap x142
Electrical Wire x89
Small Battery x0
For some inexplicable reason, small batteries will not drop. But I could only continue, believing it to be mere coincidence. Patience was a virtue I was willing to develop.
Yet when another hour passed and not a single batters still dropped, I slammed the pickaxe to the ground in irritation. Titus was startled by my action, making me check myself.
"Nope, let's finish this now." I said, my pride speaking.
I mounted Titus and rode towards another mound. Then started scavenging again.
[Obtained High-Grade Metal Scrap x1]
[Obtained Metal Barrel x1]
[Obtained Nails x5]
[Obtained Metal Chain x2]
The first strikes were discouraging, and the thought of giving up had never been so much louder that day. But at last, at my tenth strike, my suffering was put to an end.
[Obtained Small Battery x4]
As soon as I had all the material, I summoned the crafting window.
[TR-18 Electronic Helmet x1 Crafted]
[Acquired 250xp]
The helmet looked like a gas mask, which technically it was. There were two holes for the eyes, covered with green colored transparent glass.
When I put it on, the helmet auto-adjusted and fitted snugly on the frame of my head. The color of my surrounding change to green.
{Calibrating}
{Calibration Complete}
The helmet immediately went to work and, through its thermal vision, displayed four rats about five hundred meters away in the direction I was facing.
When I turned to face the bot and the mounts, I noticed mutated rats, only a hundred-meter away ahead of them.
At first, I thought it was simply because of the helmet that I was seeing mobs, I wouldn't normally notice. But then I rotated, and found packs of rats in every direction.
I pulled out my helmet, thinking it was malfunctioning, and when I did, I understood why. Because of the helmet's night vision, I have failed to notice that the day had dimmed and Thyra was almost gone in the horizon.
"Let's get out of here before we get surrounded." I said to the bot as I mounted Titus.
"Caesar deal with any hostile mob that comes our way."
I reequipped the helmet and pulled out both of my pistols. Since having another weapon in hand, is still faster than reloading.
"Lead the way!" I barked at the bot.
Just as the mounts started accelerating, a distorted howl rung out from behind us.
When I looked back, from several hundreds of meters away, I saw a giant-looking centipede rise from the mountains of waste.
[?????????]
{Creature Unknown}