Murphy slumped against a broken concrete wall, exhausted. His legs trembled, and his burnt arm throbbed. The silence after the storm made his heavy breathing echo loudly.
"Murphy! Don't move!" Philip rushed to support him. "Just sit still. That wound is deep."
Philip took a deep breath, focusing his mind. He raised both hands over Murphy's right arm and whispered an incantation.
Shing...
A soft, shimmering green light glowed in the morning sun. The charred tissue on Murphy's arm began to knit together. The bleeding stopped... but the light faded as quickly as it appeared, leaving Philip sweating profusely.
"Huff... That's all I can do," Philip collapsed beside him. "My magic isn't strong enough yet... It's going to leave scars."
Murphy lifted his arm. The open wounds were closed, but dark, raised burn marks remained on his forearm and palm—battle scars that would stay forever.
"This is more than enough, little bro..." Murphy patted Philip's head gently. "Thanks."
Philip didn't waste time. He pulled out a first-aid kit and expertly wrapped Murphy's arm in bandages until the mechanical limb looked like a mummified weapon.
"Let's go... We shouldn't stay here," Murphy stood up.
They walked back toward the facility entrance. Philip picked up The Core, wiped off the mud, and carefully stowed it in his backpack. Then, he switched into "Scavenger Mode."
Philip quickly looted the bodies of Gaiman's minions.
"Laser pistol... Spare batteries... Oh! Military-grade rations!"
He swept everything useful into his bag, including shotgun shells and a couple of unused grenades.
"Look at that, Murphy..." Philip pointed to a massive Armored Rover parked nearby. It was Gaiman's personal transport.
"Nice..." Murphy whistled. "Looks bulletproof, and it's got a heavy machine gun on the roof."
They approached the vehicle. Philip placed his hand on the dashboard console, his eyes glowing blue.
"Override Access..."
VROOOM!
The high-performance engine roared to life without a key.
Murphy hopped into the driver's seat, resting his bandaged arm on the leather steering wheel. Philip climbed into the passenger seat, tossing their loot into the back.
"Next stop... The Capital," Murphy hit the gas.
"Hopefully, we'll find answers about the Core there... and a real doctor for your arm," Philip added, pulling up a holographic map.
The armored beast sped off, leaving the ruins and the fallen Warlord behind, heading toward the horizon where the sun was rising.
Their journey in the Rust Lands had truly just begun...