IT HEARD US — The words stayed in Ren’s vision even after the system faded.
The ground under the pump station gate rose another inch.
Metal groaned.
Water trembled in the drainage channel beside them, small rings spreading across the surface again and again.
Sato kept her pistol aimed at the road.
“Move back.” Ren already was.
Shizuka’s hand was locked around his.
Amamiya stepped back until his shoulder hit the concrete wall behind him.
“Please tell me that was pipes.” No one answered him.
The ground knocked again.
Three times.
The same rhythm.
Ren felt it through his shoes.
Not close enough to break through yet.
Close enough to know where they were.
The system opened.
— UNKNOWN MASS DETECTED — — DEPTH: 4.8 M — — MOVEMENT: SLOW — — DIRECTION: UPWARD — — SURFACE BREACH ESTIMATE: 00:01:40 — — RECOMMENDATION: LEAVE AREA — Ren looked past the pump station building, where weeds covered a narrow service gate.
One minute and forty seconds.
Not enough time to argue.
“To the rear fence,” Ren said.
“Let’s escape from there.” Sato glanced over.
“Locked?” “Probably.” Shizuka tightened her grip on the axe.
“Then open it.” Shizuka moved first.
Sato followed, still facing the road.
Amamiya pushed off the wall and hurried after them.
The first crack opened near the pump station gate.
Not wide but long.
The concrete split with a dry sound, then filled with black water from below.
It let out the odor of old drain, rotting mud, and something dead.
Ren reached the service gate.
Locked.
Of course.
He grabbed the chain.
The system opened before he pulled.
— STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS DETECTED — — TARGET: RUSTED PADLOCK SHACKLE — — FORCE REQUIRED: LOW — Ren swung the crowbar down.
Once.
The lock snapped.
Shizuka pulled the gate open.
Sato slipped through first, pistol raised, then turned to cover them.
Ren went next.
Shizuka followed so close her shoulder brushed his arm.
Amamiya squeezed through last and shut the gate behind him.
The pump station yard cracked behind them.
Concrete lifted.
Something black pushed against it from below.
Ren did not wait to see more.
They ran through a narrow maintenance path behind the building.
The path sloped toward a lower service road, half-hidden by weeds and old drainage pipes.
A chain-link fence ran along one side.
Beyond it, Route 136 curved south.
Shirakawa vehicles blocked part of the road.
Two black SUVs.
One white van.
One overturned motorcycle.
Bodies.
Not workers this time.
Armed men.
Black armor.
Plain helmets.
Shirakawa private military.
Sato slowed.
“PMC.” Amamiya looked at the bodies.
“Private military, they have better gear.” Ren looked at the road first.
No hostiles, no witnesses.
The system opened.
— HUMAN PRESENCE: NONE ACTIVE — — HOSTILE PRESENCE: LOW — — CORPSE COUNT: 7 — — EQUIPMENT VALUE: HIGH — — THREAT RETURN WINDOW: SHORT — — RECOMMENDATION: FAST SCAVENGE — Ren stopped.
Sato looked at him.
“You planning to loot them?” “It is necessary.” Shizuka looked at the dead men, then at the cracked pump station behind them.
“Do it fast.” Sato did not argue.
That meant she agreed.
They crossed to the first body.
The man had died with one hand under his chest.
His rifle was gone, probably taken by whoever killed him.
A combat knife stayed strapped to his thigh.
Ren crouched and pulled it free.
The sheath came with it.
Black handle.
Heavy spine.
Short enough for close work.
The system opened.
— WEAPON ACQUIRED — — TYPE: COMBAT DAGGER — — DAMAGE: PIERCING / SLASHING — — COMPATIBILITY: HIGH — — RECOMMENDED SKILL: BLADED WEAPON — Ren turned it once in his hand.
“Shorter but should deal more damage.” Shizuka watched him.
“That one suits you better.” “Yeah, it feels better in my hand.” Ren strapped the sheath to his belt.
He kept the crowbar too.
Blunt for doors.
Blade for flesh.
Sato moved to the second body and checked the vest.
She took two magazines from the front pouch, then froze when she saw the weapon half-hidden under the dead man’s leg.
Compact.Black with folded stock.
Sato pulled it free and checked the chamber with practiced hands.
“MP5.” Amamiya looked up from another body.
“You sound happy.” “This is going to serve us better.” She checked the magazine, then the safety, then the sling.
The system opened in Ren’s vision.
— PARTY MEMBER: SATO — — HANDGUN: 4/5 — — SUBMACHINE GUN: 4/5 — — RIFLE HANDLING: 2/5 — — POLICE TACTICS: 4/5 — — CLOSE QUARTER ENTRY: 3/5 — — THREAT ASSESSMENT: 4/5 — Ren blinked.
Party member.
The system had never shown it like this before.
Sato worked with the MP5 with familiarity.
Ren understood the group formation without needing the system to say it.
Sato handles short and medium range with her MP5.
Shizuka stayed close to Ren with the fire axe.
Amamiya watches the rear and handles locks.
Ren stood as vanguard in case things got ugly.
Then the system opened again.
— PARTY MEMBER: SHIZUKA — — KENDO: 5/5 — — BATON: 3/5 — — AXE: 2/5 — — REACTION SPEED: 4/5 — — PROTECTIVE INSTINCT: 5/5 — Shizuka glanced at him.
“What?” “Nothing.” “You looked at me weird.” “I was checking your axe.” She narrowed her eyes.
“Later.” Her gaze sharpened.
She accepted it for now.
Amamiya crouched beside another PMC body and pulled a suppressor from a pouch.
“Well, this is expensive.” Sato looked over.
“Give me that.” He handed it over.
She checked the thread and fitted it to the MP5.
“Not perfect, but it will hold.” Ren pointed at the dead man’s belt.
“More.” Amamiya checked it.
Two pistol magazines.
A folded knife.
Small flashlight.
Zip ties.
He took all of it.
The system opened.
— PARTY MEMBER: AMAMIYA — — LOCK PICKING: 4/5 — — HANDGUN: 3/5 — — DECEPTION: 4/5 — — NEGOTIATION: 4/5 — — ESCAPE PLANNING: 3/5 — — RISK READING: 4/5 — Sato finished checking the MP5 and looked at Ren.
“You done staring at everyone?” Ren met her eyes.
“Almost.” Shizuka moved to Ren’s side.
“Time to go.” The ground near the pump station cracked louder behind them and a section of concrete folded inward.
Something moved below the broken yard.
Not an ant.
It was too big for ants.
Ren saw a black curve under the ground, slick with water and mud, then it sank again.
The system opened.
— UNKNOWN MASS: SURFACE CONTACT — — DIRECT ENGAGEMENT: NOT ADVISED — — ROUTE WINDOW CLOSING — Gunfire started down the main road.
Sato turned toward it.
“Shirakawa.” Amamiya listened.
“Automatic fire.
More than one group.” The system opened.
— CREATURE EXTERMINATION DETECTED — — DISTANCE FROM REN: 93 M — — CREDIT RANGE: VALID — — CREDIT GAINED: +3 — — CREDIT BALANCE: 28 — Ren stopped.
Then another burst of gunfire.
Screaming.
Then something shrieked.
The system opened again.
— CREATURE EXTERMINATION DETECTED — — DISTANCE FROM REN: 88 M — — CREDIT RANGE: VALID — — CREDIT GAINED: +3 — — CREDIT BALANCE: 31 — Shizuka saw his face.
“What?” “More bad feeling,” Ren said.
“That is not what she asked.” “It is what I am answering.” Sato stared at him.
The MP5 rested low in her hands.
“You are hiding something.” Ren’s silence made Amamiya look up.
Sato’s mouth tightened.
Ren did not explain.
He looked toward the road where gunfire kept cracking.
The system pulsed again.
— CREATURE DEATH DETECTED — — DISTANCE FROM REN: 81 M — — CREDIT RANGE: VALID — — CREDIT GAINED: +4 — — CREDIT BALANCE: 35 — Ren took two steps toward a low concrete barrier beside the service road, as close as possible to the edge.
Shizuka caught his hand.
“Ren.” “I’m not going in.” “Then why?” “Range.
I’m trying to get in range.” She understood.
“You are farming.” Ren looked at her.
The word sounded wrong in this world.
But it was true.
“Yes.” Sato’s eyes narrowed.
“Farming what?” Amamiya lifted one hand.
“I vote we do not ask the question that makes him answer like that.” Sato ignored him.
Ren crouched behind the barrier and looked through a crack between two parked vehicles.
Ahead, Shirakawa PMC had formed a rough line around a small transport truck.
Three men fired into a drainage ditch.
Two ants climbed over the road divider.
One was larger than the cat-sized ones from before.
Its shell was thicker.
Darker.
Bullets hit it and sparked.
The ant staggered, then kept moving.
A Shirakawa man fired a full burst into its head.
The ant dropped only after the second man fired into the joint under its neck.
The system opened.
— MUTATED ANT VARIANT DETECTED — — ARMOR DENSITY: INCREASED — — SMALL ARMS EFFECTIVENESS: REDUCED — — WEAK POINTS: JOINTS / UNDERSIDE / MANDIBLE BASE — — THREAT LEVEL: HIGH — Ren watched.
Learning mattered more than living.
A third ant hit a PMC man from the side and took him down.
Sato raised the MP5.
Ren pushed her barrel down.
“Not our fight.” Her eyes cut to him.
“He is alive.” “He is already dead.” The man screamed once.
Then stopped.
The system pulsed.
— HUMAN DEATH DETECTED — — HARVEST EVENT COMPLETE — — COUNT: +1 — No credits.
Human death gave harvest count, not XChange.
The next burst killed another ant.
— CREATURE EXTERMINATION DETECTED — — DISTANCE FROM REN: 72 M — — CREDIT RANGE: VALID — — CREDIT GAINED: +5 — — CREDIT BALANCE: 40 — Ren backed away.
“That’s enough.” Shizuka did not let go of his hand until he moved with her.
Sato stared at him.
“You were letting them fight.” “Yes.” “They are Shirakawa.” “Yes.” Sato’s jaw tightened.
“They are still people.” Ren looked at her.
“Not ours.” The words landed hard.
Shizuka stayed silent.
Amamiya looked away first.
Sato held Ren’s stare for one second longer, then looked toward the firefight.
Her face did not soften.
But she did not argue.
Because she knew he was right.
They moved south through the service lane, away from the gunfire and the thing under the pump station.
Ren’s credit balance sat at forty in the back of his vision.
The XChange flickered.
— SAFE WINDOW: PARTIAL — — SKILL CATEGORY UPDATED — — NEW SKILL AVAILABLE — — MAP MAKING: 20 CREDITS — — BLADED WEAPON: 25 CREDITS — — BLUNT WEAPON: 15 CREDITS — — SILENT STEP: 30 CREDITS — — COPY SKILL: LOCKED FROM PURCHASE — — COPY SKILL CONDITION: OBSERVE PARTY MEMBER UNDER PRESSURE — Ren slowed and focused on the list.
Forty credits.
Map Making.
Bladed Weapon.
Blunt Weapon.
He had a crowbar.
He had a dagger.
He had no map.
The city kept changing faster than the streets did.
Map first.
Then blade.
A thought was enough to trigger the purchase.
— PURCHASE CONFIRMED — — MAP MAKING: -20 — — CREDIT BALANCE: 20 — Something unfolded behind Ren’s eyes.
A sense of place.
The path behind them formed in his mind as pale lines.
Pharmacy.
Back lane.
Clinic route.
Pump station.
Firefight zone.
Cracked road.
Dog patterns.
Ant emergence points.
Bodies.
Supplies.
The map did not show everything.
Only what he had seen.
Only what the system had touched.
But it stayed.
— MAP MAKING ACTIVE — — AREA: SOUTH CLINIC DISTRICT — — EXPLORED ROUTES: 7 — — HOSTILES: 11 — — CIVILIANS: 18 — — SUPPLIES: 6 — — DANGER ZONES: 5 — — UNKNOWN ZONES: 9 — Ren stopped walking for half a second.
Now he could see a part of the world.
Not everything.
Enough information to keep them moving.
He turned toward an alley and stopped before entering.
Sato stopped.
“Why there?” “This way is much safer.” She looked down the alley, then back at him.
“How do you know that from here?” Ren did not answer.
Shizuka stepped in.
“His instinct is correct most of the time.” Sato looked at her and kept quiet for now.
The alley led between two apartment blocks and opened into a rear parking area.
Three police officers lay near a patrol van.
Dead.
Two had been shot.
One had bite wounds.
Ren looked at Sato.
She had gone still.
“You know them?” he asked.
She walked to the first body.
“No.” Then the second.
“No.” The third.
Her jaw tightened.
“Kobayashi.” No one spoke.
Sato crouched.
Her hand hovered near the officer’s shoulder but did not touch.
Then she exhaled once and started checking his belt.
Amamiya watched her.
Sato looked back.
“What?” He shook his head.
“Nothing.” She took two magazines, a radio battery, and a small pouch with medical tape.
Then she closed the dead officer’s eyes with two fingers.
Ren respected that more than a prayer.
The system opened near the patrol van.
— RESOURCE DETECTED — — AMMUNITION: HANDGUN MAGAZINE x3 — — MEDICAL KIT: 1 — — BATON: 1 — — RADIO BATTERY: 2 — — BODY ARMOR: DAMAGED — — RISK: LOW — Ren started looting the van without hesitation.
He took the medical kit, batteries, tape, and one spare baton.
Shizuka took the baton and tucked it into her bag.
Sato loaded one handgun magazine into her pouch and passed another to Amamiya.
He stared at it.
“You are giving criminal ammo now?” “I am giving you an opportunity to stay alive.” “Thanks.” “Good.” Ren opened the XChange again.
— CREDIT BALANCE: 20 — — BLUNT WEAPON: 15 CREDITS — — BLADED WEAPON: 25 CREDITS — — HANDGUN: COPY AVAILABLE — — SOURCE: AMAMIYA — — OBSERVED UNDER PRESSURE: YES — — COST: 18 CREDITS — Ren stared at the last line.
Copy available.
He looked at Amamiya, who was loading the magazine with careful hands.
Handgun handling.
Eighteen credits.
It would leave him almost empty.
But Sato had an MP5.
Amamiya had a pistol.
Ren had no idea how to safely handle one if he had to pick one up.
He bought it.
— PURCHASE CONFIRMED — — COPY SKILL: HANDGUN — — SOURCE: AMAMIYA — — COST: -18 — — CREDIT BALANCE: 2 — The world vanished for one second.
Pages flashed through Ren’s mind.
Hands checking a chamber.
Thumb dropping a magazine.
Palm seating it back in.
Finger straight along the frame.
Front sight over rear sight.
A jammed round cleared with a sharp pull.
A magazine changed under shaking breath.
A wrist locked firm to stop limp-wristing.
A muzzle lowered before turning.
It felt like days.
It lasted for a second.
Ren blinked.
Amamiya’s handgun no longer looked like a black shape.
It looked like steps.
Enough to know what not to do.
The system opened.
— SKILL ACQUIRED — — HANDGUN: 2/5 — — SOURCE BASE: AMAMIYA — — BODY ADAPTATION: INCOMPLETE — — PRACTICE REQUIRED — Ren inhaled.
Shizuka looked at him.
“Ren?” He shook his head once.
“Later.” Again, Sato had seen his pause.
“We do not have later forever,” she said.
Ren looked at her.
“We can have later as long as we stay alive.” For the first time, Sato smiled properly.
Shizuka did not like that.
She stepped closer to Ren’s left side.
Sato noticed and said nothing.
A sound came from the far side of the parking area.
A soft laugh.
Ren turned.
A flash of yellow moved between two parked cars.
Gone.
The system opened so fast it almost hurt.
— INTENT DETECTED — — TARGET: REN KURONO — — ACTION: THEFT — — LIKELY OBJECT: TOKEN BUNDLE — — THEFT SKILL: HIGH — — DETECTION WITHOUT SYSTEM: UNLIKELY — Unconsciously Ren’s hand went to his bag.
Sato saw his movement.
“What?” Ren looked toward the cars.
“Someone watching.” Amamiya looked around and spotted no one.
“Yellow jacket?” Sato raised the MP5.
“Do not shoot.” Shizuka’s voice was flat.
Sato glanced at her.
“I was not going to.” “You thought about it.” “It’s just a thought.” Ren stepped toward the parked cars.
Shizuka caught his wrist.
“Not alone.” “I know.” They moved together.
Two cars.
A van.
A rusted scooter.
No one.
On the hood of the last car sat a police cuff key.
Small.
Silver.
Placed where they would see it.
Sato stared.
Then cursed under her breath.
“That brat.” Amamiya leaned closer.
“She leaves gifts?” “She leaves insults.” Ren looked at the cuff key.
The system opened.
— UNKNOWN FEMALE PROFILE UPDATED — — BEHAVIOR: PROVOCATIVE CONTACT — — THEFT ATTEMPT: ABORTED — — INTENT: TESTING — — NAME: UNKNOWN — Sato picked up the cuff key.
“She heard us coming and still stayed close enough to play.” Amamiya looked around.
“I miss normal thieves.
They stole things and left.” A voice came from above them.
Young.
Light.
Too pleased with itself.
“Normal thieves get caught.” They all looked up.
On the second-floor balcony, a girl in a yellow jacket sat on the railing with one knee up.
Slightly shorter than Ren from the look of her frame, lean and quick, with a grin that made the ruined street feel briefly more annoying than deadly.
She looked at Sato first.
“Hi, scary police lady.” Sato aimed the MP5 near her, not at her.
“Yuki.” Ren’s eyes narrowed.
Name acquired.
The system opened.
— UNKNOWN FEMALE IDENTIFIED — — NAME: YUKI — — AGE: 18 — — THREAT TYPE: THEFT / MISDIRECTION — — PICKPOCKETING: 5/5 — — STEALTH: 4/5 — — SILENT STEP: 4/5 — — ESCAPE MOVEMENT: 5/5 — — SOCIAL PRESSURE: 4/5 — Yuki looked from Sato to Shizuka, then to Ren.
Her smile widened.
“Oh.” Shizuka’s hand tightened around Ren’s wrist.
Yuki leaned forward slightly.
“You saw me.” Ren did not answer.
Yuki’s eyes brightened.
“No way.” The ground shook in the distance.
Yuki did not look away from Ren.
“You noticed even before I touched your bag.” Ren stayed still.
Sato snapped, “Get down.” Yuki looked at her.
“You still owe me for the cuffs thing.” “I owe you a night in a cell.” “Scary.” Amamiya whispered, “She is exactly as annoying as advertised.” Yuki looked at him.
“Broker uncle talks too much.” Amamiya touched his chest.
“Uncle?” Shizuka stepped slightly in front of Ren.
Yuki saw it.
Her grin turned sharper.
“Oh.
That side is taken.” Sato’s eyebrow lifted.
Yuki looked at Sato, then at Ren’s right side.
“And that side too?” Sato said, “Get down before you get to eat something from me.” Yuki looked toward the road behind them.
For the first time, her smile thinned.
“Too late for that.” The map in Ren’s mind turned red near the next block.
The system opened.
— HOSTILE MOVEMENT DETECTED — — SHIRAKAWA PMC: 5 — — MUTATED ANT GROUP: 6 — — CONVERGENCE: 00:00:50 — — CIVILIAN PRESENCE: 4 — — ROUTE STATUS: COMPROMISED — Yuki pointed behind the building with her thumb.
“You can take the roof if you are heading south.
Staying on the street will get you shot at.” Sato stared at her.
“You expect us to trust you?” “No.
I expect you to want to stay alive.” Yuki looked at Ren again.
“And I want to know how he saw me.” Ren said, “No.” Her grin came back.
“Whoa.
I got rejected.” Shizuka said, “Leave.” Yuki tilted her head.
“Bossy.” Shizuka’s face did not change.
“I am the boss.” Ren looked at the map in his mind.
Roof path.
South.
Unknown but better than staying in the street.
“Lead the way.” Sato looked at him.
“Ren.” He did not look away from Yuki.
“She knows the way.” Yuki tapped her chin.
“Payment?” Sato lifted the MP5 slightly.
Yuki sighed.
“Police are so bad at romance.” Shizuka’s eyes went cold.
Ren pointed the crowbar toward the street where the system map was turning darker.
“Payment is when we leave before they reach us.” Yuki looked at him for one long second.
Then smiled like he had passed some private test.
“Fine.
But you owe me one answer.” “No.” “One hint.” “No.” “One tiny secret.” “No.” Yuki laughed.
“Wow.
This is going to be fun.” Shizuka said, “It is not.” Yuki hopped down from the balcony to an air-conditioner unit, then to a narrow ledge, then to the top of a vending machine, landing light enough that the metal barely complained.
The system pulsed.
— MOVEMENT ANALYSIS — — SILENT STEP: 4/5 — — ESCAPE MOVEMENT: 5/5 — — COPY CONDITION: PARTIAL OBSERVATION — Ren mentally filed it.
Later.
Not now.
Gunfire started behind them.
Shirakawa voices shouted.
Then ants clicked.
Yuki pointed to a service ladder behind the apartment block.
“Hurry up the ladder.” Sato moved first this time, MP5 ready.
Shizuka pulled Ren with her.
Amamiya stared at the ladder.
“I hate climbing.” Yuki flashed past him.
“You hate everything.” “At least, I am consistent.” They climbed.
Behind them, the parking area filled with boots, shouting, and the first black legs crawling over the far wall.
Ren reached the roof and turned back once.
Not to help.
To count.
Shirakawa PMC fired at the ants below.
One ant dropped.
— CREATURE DEATH DETECTED — — DISTANCE FROM REN: 49 M — — CREDIT RANGE: VALID — — CREDIT GAINED: +5 — — CREDIT BALANCE: 7 — Another died under gunfire from one of the PMC men.
— CREATURE DEATH DETECTED — — DISTANCE FROM REN: 53 M — — CREDIT RANGE: VALID — — CREDIT GAINED: +5 — — CREDIT BALANCE: 12 — Sato grabbed his jacket and pulled.
“Do not stand there.” Ren turned.
“Moving.” Yuki watched him from the next rooftop, eyes bright.
“You were waiting for something.” Ren crossed the narrow gap between buildings.
“No.” “Liar.” Shizuka landed beside him.
“He said no.” Yuki smiled at her.
“I heard.” “Then keep moving.” Yuki turned and ran along the roof edge.
“Follow me, scary people.” Amamiya climbed onto the roof last, breathing hard.
“I would like everyone to know I am not built for rooftops.” Sato covered the rear.
“Take this as training.” “That is not how bodies work.” Ren’s map expanded as they crossed the roofline.
Alleys below.
Hostiles behind.
Ants spreading through the parking area.
Civilians hiding in apartments.
One supply marker in a rooftop storage shed.
One danger zone near a water tank.
The system opened.
— MAP MAKING UPDATED — — ROOF ROUTE ADDED — — HOSTILES: 17 — — CIVILIANS: 22 — — SUPPLIES: 7 — — DANGER ZONES: 6 — — SAFE ROUTES: 1 — The safe route pointed south.
For now.
Yuki stopped at the edge of the next building and looked back at Ren.
“Hey.” Ren did not answer.
“How did you see me?” “It’s a secret.” She smiled wider.
“If I guess right, do I get a prize?” “No.” “What if I steal the prize?” Shizuka stepped beside Ren.
“Try.” Yuki looked at Shizuka’s axe, then at her face.
“No thanks.
I like my fingers.” Sato reached them.
“Enough flirting with the pickpocket.” Yuki turned to Sato.
“Jealous?” Sato aimed the MP5 down at the street, not at her.
“Busy.” Yuki looked at Ren’s right side.
“Sure.” Ren looked south.
The roof continued three more buildings before dropping toward an old shopping arcade.
Beyond that, the road bent toward the hills.
Toward Kuroshima.
Toward the Rift.
Toward the bracelet.
Then the system flickered.
Not with fear.
Not this time.
With direction.
— SOUTH ROUTE TEMPORARILY OPEN — — PURSUIT: BEHIND — — UNKNOWN THIRD SIGNAL: BELOW — — MAP MAKING: ACTIVE — — XCHANGE CREDIT BALANCE: 12 — — RECOMMENDATION: MOVE — Ren took Shizuka’s hand.
“South.” Shizuka nodded.
Sato checked the magazine in her MP5.
Amamiya checked his pockets, then looked at Yuki.
“If anything is missing, I am blaming you.” Yuki smiled.
“If anything important is missing, you won’t notice.” Amamiya went pale.
Sato said, “Yuki.” “What?” “Do not steal from them.” Yuki looked at Ren.
Her eyes stayed too bright.
“I already tried.” Shizuka’s hand tightened.
Ren did not look at Yuki.
“Keep moving.” Yuki laughed softly and ran ahead.
Behind them, the roof shook as something under the street knocked once.
Then twice.
Then three times.
The same rhythm.
The system opened.
— UNKNOWN THIRD SIGNAL: TRACKING — — ROUTE BELOW: UNSAFE — — ROOF ROUTE: TEMPORARY — Ren looked at the roof ahead.
Temporary was enough.
For now.
Chapter 17 ~ End