Chapter 144: Supplies
"Alan!! Alan!! Where is he!?" Vicky was fervently searching for Alan to buy some skills and items, even to learn spells. However, Alan was nowhere to be found.
Just moments earlier, an army soldier had delivered a message indicating that his request to Captain Carter was ready for collection, and he had been summoned to a military facility.
"About time," Alan muttered as he quickly gathered Luis and the three crafters, Shamus, Marie, and Gus, to accompany him. "Senor Alan, where are we going?" Luis inquired.
The group made their way through the massive cruise ship, passing bustling players engaged in various activities. The environment shifted as they descended below decks. The corridors became narrower, and the lighting less vibrant, as they delved deeper into the ship's underbelly.
They finally arrived at a designated facility, one of the below-deck storage rooms that had been transformed into a military supply center. The place was filled with crates, barrels, and all manner of military gear and loot. The atmosphere was distinctly more utilitarian compared to the cruise ship's luxurious upper decks.
Inside, they encountered Sergeant Murphy, who belonged to the same supporting unit as Sergeant Dylan, although he was not the usual person they dealt with. Murphy was there to handle their request and had an air of efficiency about him.
"You are Alan? You came for the stuff?" he asked.
"Yes, I am," Alan confirmed.
"Alright, follow me," Murphy instructed.
Alan followed Sergeant Murphy into one of the newly arranged supply rooms. Inside, the space was crammed with an assortment of items: firearms, melee weapons, clothing, food, and more, all marked as [common] items. However, upon closer inspection, it became evident that most of these items were in a state of disrepair, damaged, or of the lowest quality. The room contained no ammunition, explosives, or anything particularly enticing, not even for someone as resourceful as Luis.
The eclectic assortment of items included a typewriter, a guitar with missing strings, a roll of duct tape that was almost empty, a battered ashtray, a half-broken umbrella, tattered pillows, an oven mitt with a hole in it, a half-used bag of cement, a worn-out teddy bear, a dented cooking pot, an old camera, a nearly empty container of fertilizer, a tarnished gold watch, a bar of soap, a single pen, a deflated basketball, an almost-empty gas canister, a rusty toaster, and even a toy car. The group was baffled by the seemingly useless collection.
"These are all junk!" Luis exclaimed, his disappointment evident. However, Alan's reaction was entirely unexpected.
Alan, on the other hand, was oddly enthusiastic. Sergeant Murphy handed him a pad with a list of 300 [common] items that Alan needed to sign off on.
"These are all yours now," Murphy explained.
The crafters, who had initially been bewildered, were now stunned. Alan had just acquired over 300 seemingly worthless items, and it was clear that he had something specific in mind.
Alan noticed the perplexed expressions on the faces of the crafters and decided to clarify the situation.
Unlike the Blood Patriots, the military has a different way of acquiring resources. They don't take daily survival points from their members. Instead, when it comes to the spoils of war, they claim a share. Soldiers get the first pick and can choose one or two extra items, but the bulk of the loot goes to the support units.
Once the battle is over, the support units are responsible for managing the loot. They prioritize the essential and high-grade items, such as ammunition and explosives. Next, the squad leaders go through these items to resupply the army. Whatever is left, the unwanted or low-quality gear ends up in a storage room like this one.
These items were what he requested from Captain Carter in exchange for the 10,000 portions of potatoes, which were worth 50,000 survival points.
The sergeant bid them farewell, but Alan couldn't let him leave without reminding him of something important.
"Wait, I think you might be forgetting something," Alan said, his tone polite but firm.
The sergeant furrowed his brow and then chuckled as he realized his oversight. "Ah, yes, my apologies. Almost forgot about this," he admitted.
With great care, the sergeant retrieved a small, unassuming black box from his pocket. The box was clearly of significance, evident in the way he handled it. He handed it to Alan, a warm smile on his face.
"The captain seems to hold you in high regard to have granted you this item,"
Luis couldn't contain his excitement and joked, "It looks like a ring box... it's not an engagement ring, is it?"
As the box was opened, it indeed revealed a ring, prompting a surprised reaction from the group.
It was an incredibly valuable artifact, one that was at the top of Alan's wish list. It was an item that had only been available in the final town of the game, and its rarity made it even more desirable.
[Name: Spatial Ring]
[Type: Utility]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: Able to store an item, size 3x3 meters]
[Able To Bring Outside The Game: No]
[Remark: Just like in a wuxia Novel]
This Spatial Ring had been a coveted item, priced at a steep 25,000 survival points in the final town. This particular piece of equipment was now in Alan's possession, a gift from the military, and its potential applications were vast and intriguing.
The New York server's military had held only four of these remarkable [Storage Rings], using them to manage their vast inventory of loot from battles. However, the captain had decided to part with one of them and bestowed it upon Alan.
With the [Storage Ring] now in his possession, Alan was eager to put it to use. He systematically began packing the supplies in the room. It was almost like a magic trick as he stowed weapons, clothes, food, and all manner of equipment inside the small, unassuming ring.
Once the task was completed, instead of returning to the bustling upper deck of the cruise ship, Alan took his companions to a nearby vacant room, with a small window that he claimed as his own. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he looked at Luis and the three crafters and shared his intentions.
"What are we going to do, Senor Alan?" Luis inquired, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Alan responded to their queries with a wide, confident grin. "Crafting, what else!"
The crafters looked at each other, the prospect of unlocking the potential of their newly acquired items and weapons had the team brimming with excitement and anticipation.