My luck continues, but in a grim way. I found the remains of a large campsite today, an event called "Woodstock". It looked like everyone had fled in a hurry. I found a good haul of supplies—meal bars, a solar light, and improved camping gear. But then I saw why they ran. Two of the tents were drenched in blood, with massive claw marks torn through the fabric. I saw a trail where a body had been dragged away into the woods. I threw up. I walked in the opposite direction for a long time before I felt safe enough to make camp.
A quiet day in the desert. I stumbled upon another traveling adventurer, a merchant who called himself "The Moving Beetle". He was hunting for bits and had a few interesting items for sale. I bought a journal from him that teaches a new skill, "Weapon Toss"—how to throw my melee weapons. I'll need to find the Android Village to train it, but it’s another tool for the arsenal. Thankfully, it was just a simple trade, no combat.
My luck ran out. Just a simple day of travel, and my cursed ankle gives out again. Another minor injury, which cost me the entire day. I did nothing but rest, eat, and try to recover.
The forest is creepy. I found a section of woods with strange ropes tied between the trees, an unsettling and bizarre sight. As I turned to leave, a distorted screech echoed from the woods and a mutated android, an abomination, came crawling out of the darkness and attacked. It struck me, and I felt a new, terrifying sensation—Poison. A cold fire spreading in my veins, draining my health at the end of every turn. I hit it with my EMP grenade and, thankfully, managed to stun it for a round, giving me a moment to breathe. It struck me again, worsening the poison. This thing was tough, but in the end, I put it down with my God Finger. I was victorious, but the poison was still in me, and my health was dropping. I had to use one of my precious inhaler refills to cure it. A harrowing fight.
My journey led me to a cutscene and the most important discovery of this journey: the Android Village, a hidden sanctuary. An android guide who had been cursed with a sickness called Rust explained their plight—a hardware bug in Alora's update that eventually drives them mad. He gave me a "Disk of Knowledge" for my people.
This was the safe haven I needed. I spent two full days here. I emptied my pack at their shop, selling off all the hoarded loot I'd been carrying—spare shields, laser arms, camping gear. My pack is lighter, but my wallet is heavy. I invested it all back into myself, buying upgrades for my inventory and my active body slots, plus three refills for my inhaler.
Most importantly, I found their "Bit Dojo". I spent my money and time there, and after twelve intense training sessions across both days, I completely mastered the new "Weapon Toss" skill. It's now an auto-hit. I am stronger, cured of my poison, and better equipped than ever.