INSTALLATION 2 (PART B)
Kael remained seated on the driver’s bench, one hand resting loosely on the reins while the other hovered near the hatchet tucked beside him.
The broad-shouldered man introduced himself as Garrick, but Kael’s attention lingered on the spear in the stranger’s hand.
The shaft had clearly been carved from fresh timber.
The blade, however, was no metal.
It was the sharpened foreleg of an Iron Scythe Mantis.
Dark green blood still clung to its edge.
That meant Garrick had either defeated—or at the very least survived—an encounter with a monster that Kael had deliberately avoided.
Neither possibility made him someone to underestimate.
“I think we’re all interested in talking,” Kael replied evenly.
“The question is whether we’re talking as travelers…
or as enemies.”
A faint murmur spread through the nearby camp.
Several people exchanged glances.
Garrick laughed.
A deep, booming laugh that echoed across the temporary rest point.
“I like you.”
He lowered the spear until its butt rested harmlessly on the stone.
“If I wanted your wagon, I wouldn’t have introduced myself.”
Kael didn’t relax.
Not completely.
But he climbed down from the wagon.
The two men stopped several paces apart.
Up close, Garrick appeared to be in his mid-thirties, nearly two meters tall, with powerful shoulders and numerous fresh cuts covering his arms.
His clothing had once been expensive hiking gear.
Now it was little more than bloodstained rags.
“You’ve fought,” Garrick observed.
“So have you.”
“Too much already.”
The larger man sighed.
“I lost four people before I figured out this damned road had rules.”
Kael’s expression hardened.
“You came here with a group?”
“My family.”
Silence followed.
Garrick stared toward the distant plains for several moments before speaking again.
“My wife…”
“My younger brother…”
“My niece…”
“They all left the road because they heard someone calling for help.”
Kael immediately remembered the silver forest.
The crying voices.
The whispers.
“You found the forest.”
Garrick nodded.
“They never came back.”
For the first time, genuine grief replaced the confidence on his face.
“I couldn’t even recover the bodies.”
Kael understood.
This world punished mistakes instantly.
There were no second chances.
Garrick straightened himself.
“Enough about me.”
He pointed toward the center of the camp.
“We’ve gathered everyone who’s arrived during the last few hours.”
Kael followed him.
The temporary rest point was larger than he had first realized.
The circular platform measured nearly one hundred meters across.
The black road widened around it, creating enough space for dozens of wagons.
Unlike the ordinary road, the stone here shimmered with faint golden light.
The moment Kael stepped onto it, another notification appeared.
SAFE ZONE ENTERED.
Hostile Monsters Cannot Enter.
Road Fatigue Recovery Increased.
Minor Injuries Recover 50% Faster.
Campfire Construction Permitted.
Trading Enabled.
Kael dismissed the screen.
Useful information.
Around him, survivors were slowly organizing themselves.
Some boiled water over crude fires.
Others repaired damaged wagons.
Several examined monster materials spread across blankets.
Everyone looked exhausted.
Everyone looked frightened.
Yet no one had stopped working.
That alone told Kael these people still possessed the will to survive.
An elderly woman approached carrying a clay bowl.
“You look hungry.”
Kael accepted it with a polite nod.
Inside was a thick vegetable stew unlike anything he had ever seen.
Purple roots floated beside bright green mushrooms.
“What is it?”
She smiled wearily.
“Whatever grows near the road.”
“You ate it first?”
“My grandson did.”
Kael raised an eyebrow.
“And?”
“He said it tasted terrible.”
The old woman paused.
“But he’s still alive.”
For the first time since arriving in this strange world, Kael smiled.
“I’ll take that as a recommendation.”
The stew was indeed terrible.
Bitter.
Sour.
Strangely spicy.
Yet the warmth spreading through his body eased the lingering ache in his muscles.
A notification confirmed it.
Road Vegetable Stew Consumed.
Stamina +10.
Minor Fatigue Removed.
Interesting.
Even food possessed attributes here.
As Kael returned the empty bowl, a sharp whistle echoed across the camp.
Everyone turned.
A young woman stood atop a large wagon near the center of the safe zone.
She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, dressed in practical outdoor clothing with a bow slung across her back.
Unlike most survivors, she carried herself with remarkable confidence.
“My name is Elena.”
Her clear voice reached every corner of the camp.
“We’ve counted thirty-seven surviving travelers.”
She pointed toward the edge of the platform.
“At sunset the protection disappears.”
Uneasy whispers spread immediately.
“No one knows what happens afterward.”
“So before then…”
“We need information.”
She drew several rough symbols onto a wooden board.
“Who has encountered monsters?”
Nearly every hand rose.
“Different types?”
Again, many hands.
“Can anyone read the floating messages?”
Everyone raised a hand.
Good.
The system appeared universal.
Elena continued.
“We’ve learned several important things.”
She pointed toward the first symbol.
“First.”
“The road protects us.”
“No confirmed survivor has ignored that rule.”
She pointed toward another.
“Second.”
“Monsters guard territories.”
“They usually don’t pursue travelers very far.”
Kael silently agreed.
That matched his encounter with the mantis.
“Third.”
“Resources are limited.”
“Food doesn’t magically appear.”
“If we don’t cooperate…”
“…many of us won’t survive the week.”
The camp fell silent.
Everyone understood.
Cooperation sounded ideal.
Reality rarely matched ideals.
A thin man suddenly stepped forward.
“And who put you in charge?”
Several people nodded.
Another survivor folded his arms.
“Yeah.”
“Why should we listen to you?”
Elena remained calm.
“I never said I was in charge.”
“I’m simply sharing information.”
The thin man scoffed.
“Information isn’t free.”
His gaze wandered across nearby wagons.
“Some of you already have monster materials.”
“Others have better supplies.”
“We should redistribute everything equally.”
Immediately, arguments erupted.
“I fought for mine!”
“My husband died getting those hides!”
“Why should I give away food?”
“Because children are starving!”
Within seconds, the peaceful camp dissolved into shouting.
Kael watched without speaking.
He had seen similar situations after natural disasters.
Fear always uncovered the cracks hidden beneath civilization.
Some people chose cooperation.
Others chose greed.
Neither side remained calm for long.
Garrick suddenly stepped forward.
His massive spear struck the stone with a thunderous clang.
The noise silenced everyone.
“We’re wasting time.”
He slowly looked around the gathering.
“Anyone who wants to share…”
“Share.”
“Anyone who doesn’t…”
“Keep your supplies.”
“No stealing.”
“No threats.”
“The first person who attacks another traveler…”
He lifted the mantis spear.
“…answers to me.”
Several people swallowed nervously.
No one challenged him.
For now…
Order returned.
Kael quietly returned to his wagon.
His Road Forge talent still occupied his thoughts.
He opened the blueprint again.
Reinforced Survival Wagon.
Most materials were already collected.
Only Iron Components remained.
His gaze drifted toward Garrick’s spear.
Iron Scythe Mantis…
Its armor…
Its limbs…
Perhaps monster bodies contained exactly what he needed.
If so…
Avoiding every fight would eventually become impossible.
A sudden chime interrupted his thoughts.
Every traveler looked toward the sky.
Golden letters appeared above the safe zone.
SAFE PERIOD ENDING.
TIME REMAINING:
00:59:59
One hour.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
People hurried to strengthen wagon wheels.
Campfires were extinguished.
Weapons were checked repeatedly.
Parents gathered children close.
Even Garrick’s confident expression became serious.
Kael climbed onto his wagon.
He looked toward the endless road stretching beyond the temporary camp.
Somewhere ahead waited the First Rest Station.
Somewhere beyond that…
Unknown dangers.
Unknown allies.
Unknown opportunities.
The Road Forge talent had chosen him for a reason.
He intended to discover why.
As the final rays of sunlight touched the horizon, the black stone road trembled ever so slightly.
Far in the distance, dozens of crimson lights opened one after another.
Eyes.
Hundreds of them.
Watching.
Waiting.
The first night on the Endless Road had finally arrived.
END OF INSTALLATION 2