As they made their way to the base, Dave had a few questions to ask. And that was basically about the mother crystal. He's been frequently hearing about it, and the system had also mentioned something about it.
But despite its apparent importance, Dave still had no idea what the mother crystal actually was. And since everyone here seemed to be in the know, he decided to approach Simbi, hoping she could shed some light on the subject.
"Hey Simbi, can I ask you something?" Dave said, falling into step beside her. "What's the deal with the mother crystal? Why are those guys trying so hard to find it?"
Simbi's expression turned serious as she replied, "It's no surprise, really." She paused a bit before continuing.
"In a world gone mad, everyone is fighting to be in possession of the crystal. The rewards and special items it holds would make two friends turn on each other. Since you know, the world is now in chaos, there's no use of money any more. The new aim now is the mother crystal." Simbi explained.
"Ohh." Dave said, realising its significance, but he couldn't help but wonder what she meant by the rewards and special items. It sounds similar to the system he obtained.
So he decided to pressure her with more question. "Can you explain further? This is actually my first time hearing about the mother crystal," Dave admitted, causing Simbi to halt in her tracks and stare at him surprisingly.
"Have you been holed up in a cave all this time? This is exactly two weeks since the apocalypse started. How have you managed to survive till now and still, have no idea about the mother crystal?" Simbi asked, her tone laced with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
"I've been suspecting you since. You won't tell me what happened to you. Even though you claimed to be meeting someone here, it doesn't make sense to be in the same place for two weeks." Simbi said, her pace quickening as she continued on, leaving Dave struggling to keep up.
Dave's eyes widened in realization. Two weeks? How could that be? His memories only went back to the moment when the world around him descended into chaos. He thought it was only a day, he didn't realize he's been out for this long.
Does it mean he was unconscious for a total of two weeks? A growing sense of unease crept up his spine as he hurried after Simbi, his mind reeling with questions.
He needed to know what had happened during those times, especially news about a certain group of people. What if he ends of meeting them in the base they were heading to?
He quickened his pace to catch up with Simbi, sensing her growing suspicion. "Simbi, listen." He pulled her backwards, away from the rest of the group.
"I've been in the dark about everything for the past two weeks, and there's a reason for that." he said, his voice laced with a hint of urgency.
"You know I said I was here to meet someone, that was a lie. I didn't come here voluntarily, I was kidnapped."
Simbi slowed down, her eyes narrowing slightly as she turned to face him. Dave took a deep breath as he launched into explanation.
He went on to explain how he had been captured by Tyler after the school's interclass swimming competition. He revealed the part where he was carried into a strange van, and then to an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city – the same one where Simbi and the others had found him.
He was beaten, almost to death but his life was spared, thanks to the falling meteors that had caused a distraction at that moment. He tried escaping but during his attempt, he had blacked out completely; claiming to be due to exhaustion.
"That was all I knew as I passed out, only to wake up today and find everywhere in chaos." Dave explained, his words pouring out like a relief, dispelling the suspicions that clouded Simbi's eyes moments ago.
Simbi's gaze softened, her expression transforming from disbelief to concern. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes scanning Dave from head to toe, taking in the familiar sight of his tracksuit, worn and torn in places.
The torn parts seemed to confirm Dave's tale of the torture he received from Tyler and his gang. This wasn't his first time bullying others, everyone in school already knew Tyler's bullying nature, which it only added to her belief in Dave's story.
Apart from Dave, Tyler would also target other students he find annoying, including girls, with his relentless bullying. This was just his nature - cruel and unapologetic.
Yet, despite his notorious behavior, none of the teachers dared to correct him or hold him accountable. The reason being the fact that he was the principal's son.
Just so they won't get on the principal's bad side, they would deliberately turn a blind eye to Tyler's misdeeds, disregarding any reports or complaints filed against him. This unchecked power had only empowered Tyler, allowing his bullying to continue unchecked.
"I'm so sorry, I had no idea," Simbi said, her voice filled with empathy. "So, you've been asleep for the past 14 days?" She asked, trying to wrap her head around the astonishing fact.
Dave nodded wryly, a hint of dark humor in his tone. "Yeah, if you put it that way. I slept through the apocalypse. A feat I'm surprised about myself, considering everything that has happened." He replied, chuckling.
"So, have you seen Tyler since the apocalypse started? Did you ever come across him or the rest of his gangs?" Dave asked.
"Nope, I haven't." Simbi replied. "If he's to appear in front of me, I'll kick him so hard in the balls for doing such thing to you." She claimed, which had only caused Dave to laugh.
"Funny." He said. "We only started speaking well today, but it seems as if we've known each other for a long time."
"I know right. I'm an antisocial person, I only started opening up to others after the apocalypse began. But I feel even more comfortable talking to you. Probably because you're my only classmate present, and also my quarters-mate." Simbi revealed.
"And scratch that, we've known each other for long. Since junior year till now, that's a long time, you know."
"Yeah, you're right." Dave said.
[New Progress has been made!]
[Host Simbi has developed a 70% trust and affection for the user. Reward has been successfully granted]
[You can now proceed to the next step!]
'Next step? What next step?' Dave thought.
[There are several options available for you to recharge, and increase your energy level. It will be reasonable if you could explore all of these options on a woman that has a 70% affection for you]
'Hugs, Kiss, intimacy, is that what you want me to do with her?' Dave's cheek turned a shade of red as he thought of these options. But his flushing moment was suddenly interrupted when Simbi started talking.
"The mother crystal," Simbi said. "They are found in the crater of fallen meteors. They have a reddish hue which radiates with an otherworldly glow and it has this pulsating energy surrounding it."
Once the mother crystal has been retrieved and smashed to the ground, it transforms into a special item, sometimes it could be a box overflowing with guns and other weapons, or it could be a specially crafted tool designed to aid the survival of people in the apocalypse.
The things the mother crystal could do does sound interesting to Dave, and he would like to get one himself, but that was when Simbi had spoken up again. It was as if she could read his thoughts.
"I know what you're thinking but obtaining the mother crystal isn't as easy as you think." Simbi said, causing Dave's eyes to furrow a little bit.
She then continued. "We noticed that once a meteor crashes and a mother crystal forms, it begins to spawn creatures. Initially, they emerge as an infant, but they rapidly grow into formidable beasts at a very fast rate."
These beasts are spawned in vast numbers by the Mother Crystal, and they appear to be fiercely protective of it. As long as the crystal remains intact, it will continue to produce more beasts, making it extremely difficult for anyone to obtain it.
The crystal's ability to spawn an endless horde of defenders ensures its own protection, rendering it nearly impossible to claim.
Gunther and a much larger group than their current one had fought valiantly to obtain a mother crystal. The losses were much and what they obtained after eventually smashing the crystal was a special backpack with a void space. It was able to store an endless amount of things, including a person.
Yet it wasn't what the group were hoping for. They felt disappointed that after their desperate attempt to obtain guns and weapons, they had obtained a useless backpack instead.
After risking everything, only to obtain a less important items in return, many of the members had lost the hope to search for mother crystals anymore. Same as most people all over the country.
"So, don't think of obtaining them on your own. You might get killed in the process." She warned, to which Dave nodded to, but deep in his mind he had another plan.
Listening to Simbi's explanations on what had happened to Gunther's group. He couldn't help but wonder what the base looks like, and how it managed to maintain a sense of community and purpose in the current world.
It seemed impossible that people could still unite and work together, especially during a time when surviving was the ultimate goal, and diversity, sure was meant to occur.
The idea of a functioning base, with people working together towards a common goal, was a way Gunther's group had chosen to survive the current apocalypse.
"Alright, we're here. Welcome to the casino base." Simbi announced.