Chapter 254: Chapter 254- Shop

The city of Meltdown glowed beneath the night sky, neon lights flickering against the glass walls of rebuilt shops and humming generators.

Julian walked quietly beside Aya, his hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the now-bustling street. Her small frame moved beside him, a box of mechanical parts hugged tightly to her chest.

"The atmosphere’s different," Julian said softly, his tone calm, almost thoughtful. "It doesn’t feel like an apocalypse anymore."

Aya’s gaze wandered across the crowded street at the people laughing, at the flickering lamps above them. Her voice, soft but steady, broke through the hum of the city. "You’re right... It was worth it. Protecting them."

Julian glanced at her briefly, the faintest of smiles on his lips. "Yeah... it was."

They walked in silence for a moment, the sound of their steps mixing with the distant music from a bar nearby. Then Aya hesitated, clutching the box a little tighter before saying, her tone quiet and shy, "Um... thank you for coming with me today, Julian."

Julian looked down at her, his expression calm. "It’s fine. I was bored in the room anyway."

Aya lowered her head slightly, her bangs brushing over her glasses. "Still... I’m glad. Everyone else seems completely wiped out because of you..."

Julian arched an eyebrow. "Because of me?"

Aya nodded faintly, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. "You loved me like crazy, you know. Your passion was so intense, it was almost overwhelming."

Her voice dropped to a shy whisper. "Now my body feels like it needs to sleep for days just to recover from your... enthusiasm."

Julian sighed lightly, his voice dry. "So what you’re saying is, I was too enthusiastic."

Aya hid a tiny laugh behind her hand, her usual timid tone softening. "Maybe just a little."

They stopped at a dimly lit hardware shop tucked between two rebuilt cafés, its sign flickering with uneven light Keller’s Parts & Scrap.

The faint scent of metal and machine oil filled the air as Aya crouched down by a crate of broken components, eyes scanning with sharp precision that contrasted her timid demeanor.

Julian watched her from beside the counter, hands still in his pockets. "So," he asked quietly, "what are you planning to make with all that?"

Aya’s fingers paused on a small, half-burnt circuit board. She lifted her gaze toward him, her voice soft but earnest. "Something that can protect you... A device that can act as a shield, maybe even automatically."

Julian tilted his head slightly. "A protective mechanism? Like a defensive unit?"

Aya nodded, her eyes lighting up just a little, that quiet spark she always had when talking about her inventions. "Mm. I’ve been thinking about it since the last battle. If I apply the same energy control techniques I used for the cannon, I might be able to stabilize the output. And with my Blacksmith skill, I can forge the casing strong enough to handle impact."

Julian leaned against the counter, watching her sift through spare parts with both curiosity and mild amusement. "You sound like you’ve already got the blueprint in your head."

Aya’s lips curved faintly, her voice still soft. "Maybe. But the hardest part is finding a proper energy source. I thought... maybe the zombie cores could work. They have condensed energy, almost like biological batteries. If I can regulate the flow—"

Julian cut in, his tone thoughtful. "Zombie cores as power sources."

Aya smiled shyly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes! It’s worth a try. If it works, it could protect our team during close combat. You won’t have to take all the hits yourself."

Julian chuckled quietly. "So this is your way of keeping me from overdoing it again, huh?"

Aya’s cheeks flushed. "M-maybe..." she muttered, pretending to focus on the components again.

Julian reached for a small metallic sphere on the table, studying it under the light. "Then let’s find what you need. If this project of yours can really make things safer, I’m all in."

Aya carefully examined each piece on the counter, copper wires, a stabilizer ring, and a small cracked energy conduit that she insisted she could fix. Julian stood beside her, arms crossed, quietly holding the heavier components she had picked out earlier.

When she finally nodded in satisfaction, Julian asked, "Is that everything?"

Aya looked up from her notes and gave a small nod. "Mm, that should be all."

They brought the pile to the counter, where a middle-aged man with grease-stained gloves began sorting the parts..

In the city of Meltdown, a temporary silver system facilitates trade. This silver is obtained by exchanging Zombie Cores, making transactions simple and efficient for its survivors.

"Let’s see here..." the man muttered, reaching for the old calculator beside him but before reading the total, he suddenly froze. His eyes widened slightly as he looked from Aya to Julian. "Wait a minute... aren’t you two part of the team that defeat the Sky Whale? The ones who stopped the horde from reaching the main gate?"

Aya blinked, startled. "Ah— um, yes... but that was everyone’s effort, not just—"

"Don’t be modest!" the man interrupted with a wide grin, wiping his hands on a rag. "You saved this city. If it weren’t for you lot, my shop wouldn’t even exist right now."

Aya’s cheeks turned a faint pink, and she looked down, fidgeting with her sleeve. "I... I just did what I could."

Julian simply nodded with quiet calm. "We’re glad people can live normally again. That’s more than enough."

The man laughed heartily. "Well, I’ll tell you what, this one’s on me."

Julian raised an eyebrow. "You mean... free?"

"Exactly! Consider it my way of saying thanks."

Julian shook his head. "That’s kind of you, but we’ll still pay. We don’t want to take advantage."

The man waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense! Look, most of these parts came from raids anyway. Scavenged stuff, repaired and resold. I won’t lose a coin, trust me!" He laughed again, leaning on the counter. "Just make something great with it, alright? Something that’ll keep folks like you alive."

Aya looked at the bag of supplies, her voice small but sincere. "Thank you... really."

The man smiled warmly. "You’re welcome, miss engineer."