Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 594 - 290 Royal Cinema_3

Chapter 594: Chapter 290 Royal Cinema_3

All 30 cars were scrap vehicles, but even scrap vehicles could be scavenged. Sure enough, the first car had a lighter, commonplace in Future City but now a treasure. Still, with the lighter, I’d lost the chance to tease Maya by making fire with sticks.

The second car had a can of lighter fluid.

The third car had half a comb, a pity it wasn’t a System Item—barely touched, its teeth broke off and fell away.

Finally, under the canvas of the tenth pickup truck, I found something valuable: a can of gasoline. Now I could finally make Incendiary Grenades.

Next, I saw a two-seater scrap sports car that looked like it might be a highway star. Hoping against hope, I inspected it and sure enough, it was scrap, unfixable. Glancing inside, I spotted something in the back seat. After making sure there were no Mutant Zombies around, I broke the window with my pistol, checking again for zombies lured by the noise.

I reached inside, and from the non-existent rear seat area, which was really for storing items, I retrieved a long cardboard box. In an age when leather had rotted away, this box looked new. So when I picked it up, my heart lifted. Then I felt the weight, or lack of it; the box was light, definitely not a real gun.

Opening the cardboard box, I saw a knife, a very beautiful one. It looked similar to a Tang Sword, with a thin and seemingly fragile blade that felt like it would snap if swung with force, but it was actually a solid knife.

A composite mutated knife, created with the most advanced space technology cold weapon, weighing 0.15 kg. Medium lethality, all other properties quite ordinary. The advantage, of course, was its low weight. The fatal flaw was its low durability. Wonder if Maya is happy or sad? Better hurry and give it to her.

Maya took the mutated knife, her expression very complex after checking its attributes, but she quickly composed herself: "Thank you."

"You’re welcome." Boring. If it were me who had gotten this thing, I’d have thrown a fit and complained.

I continued rummaging through the cars, finding it interesting, more fun than opening mystery boxes. You’re guaranteed to find something in a mystery box, but scrap cars barely have anything, so finding something is a victory. To really scavenge, I should head to the four small streets: East, West, South, North; each lined with three to five shops, surely plentiful in supplies, but I was convinced they were also teeming with more zombies.

The Royal Cinema had a lower density of zombies compared to the factories near the Sawmill, and mutant zombies were rare, with no Titans present—a perfect place for leveling up. What a pity... I looked towards Phantom, kicking myself for that foolish horse. Better a short pain than a prolonged one, I needed to visit Wild Horse Prairie again, and use the ’out with the old, in with the new’ strategy to replace it.

What if Phantom attacked my new mount? Either ditch Phantom or I’d have to kill him. Sigh! I’d have to rope Maya into this, as I, its owner, couldn’t bring myself to do it. Even though I’d hardly interacted with Phantom, the thought of laying a hand on him still presented an inner barrier.

Annoying! The thought dampened my spirit for opening mystery boxes, and I sat on the car hood, consumed by vexation. After quite some time without disturbance from me, and having dealt with a wave of zombies, Maya came out of the east gate, saw me daydreaming, and approached to ask, "Is it about Phantom?"

I nodded. "I shouldn’t have gotten close to him. My demands aren’t high, just an ordinary horse would be fine—no remarkable strengths, no glaring weaknesses." Just like buying a car, a Bentley may be nice, but it’s expensive to maintain. My spray paint costs 20 bucks, Bentley’s costs 800, no way to play with that.

Worst of all was the exclusive mount attribute; you can’t throw it away or give it away.

Maya took a drink of water, wiped her sweat with a towel, and said, "After I joined the guard, I was given a dog."

I asked, "In the end, did they force you to kill your own dog?"

"Why would you think something so evil?" Maya looked at me incredulously, I just chuckled. She continued, "During space missions, one often needs to stay alone in a space for several days, and during those times a dog is the best companion."

I asked, "What happened later?"

Maya said, "Before the migration, I entrusted her to a comrade-in-arms. So I understand that kind of bond."

I quickly said, "No, my attachment to Phantom isn’t that deep—it’s just that I can’t bring myself to do it."

Maya replied, "Wai has affected your judgment. You have no real interactions with Phantom, but because Wai is your companion, you subconsciously view Phantom as one too, which is why you can’t bring yourself to do it. Let’s go to Wild Horse Prairie tomorrow, I’ll come with you."

"Okay."