the cheap boots had rubbed the skin off her heels, leaving hot, stinging

a path through the crowded, filthy streets, she aggressively interacted

appeared. Weapons, blueprints, seeds, and medical supplies. Everything was

. Her eyes darted

Medical

ilization for severe organ degradation. Specifically ef

50 Crypt

starting funds. But Terra had zero choice. She coul

stored in System Inventory.

mmed into his back, bouncing off his hard mus

tanding in front of the side entrance was a man. He was incredibly tall, easily six foot three, with broad shoulders and lean, predatory muscles. He wore a

n-a silver falcon. He was arrogant, heavily elitist, and held abso

Terra. She saw his nostrils flare in disgust as he took in her

mooth, cultured, but dripping with absolute venom. "What are you d

tepping forward. She didn't have

Corbin said simply. "You told me to guard this door. You told me not to let anyone in, especia

inal Terra's cruel orders to punish her, refusing to break protocol. He thought Rhys w

s dying," Terra said, her voice shak

v. "Is this a trick?" Corbin asked Zev, ignoring T

His voice was tight, anxious. "If he

out another word, Corbin turned around. He punched a complex code into the rusted keypad next to the door. The heavy metal door clic

into the sub-basement. The basement was entirely dark, save for a single flickering yellow bulb hanging from the ce

ked like parchment paper ready to crumble. His lower half was a massive, powerful aquatic tail, covered in iridescent blue scales. But the scales were no longer glowing.

dry Terra's own eyes stung. She reached out and pressed her fingers to his neck. His skin was te

"He's... dried out," Corbin said, his cultured voice cracking. "I didn't know. T

ly. She didn't look at them. Sh

t the cold, metallic surface of a small cylinder materialize in her hand. She pulled it out. It was a heav

s massive hand gripped Terra's shoulder. "You're n

ng off his hand. "It will stabilize his cellular h

ver Rhys. She found the thickest cluster of cracked scales near his waist, where his major ar