Eater Blade: Grinding in Apocalypse-Chapter 56: APOCALYPSE TAG-TEAM: DUO FORMED.

A soft chime echoed in Johnquis’s ear. A screen flickered open:

[DUO REQUEST]

You have been invited to form a Duo with: [Savier]

Accept? [Yes] / [No]

He hovered for a second, then clicked Yes.

Their Eater Blades pulsed in sync — a faint hum passing between them.

[DUO FORMED]

Duo Members: [Savier] / [Johnquis]

Duo Status: [Active]

D-Tier Access: [UNLOCKED]

Savier whooped. "Hell yeah — D-Tier access, baby!"

"Right. Now we can push past this system wall. Just so you remember, when you’re unranked, you’re stuck scraping the bottom. F-Tier hunts, two or three Eaters at best, scraps for feed. I’ve spent half my life cleaning up that trash."

"This whole system’s ass-backwards. Why the hell does the Guild force us to buddy up just to get real work?"

Johnquis jabbed a thumb at the screen. "Simple. Out here? You try to solo everything — you’re dead. Someone’s gotta watch your back, help you grind up. No partner? No feed. No feed? You’re worm food."

He swiped open his profile. Another flick, the Quest Board popped into view:

[QUEST BOARD]

Current Rank: Bronze

Feed Count: 50,800 / 70,000

Rank Access: E-Tier Only

Next Unlock: D-Tier (70,000 Feed – Steel Rank)

[F-TIER]

Access: [Available]

Status: [19]

Requirement: [None – Open to All]

[E-TIER]

Access: [Available]

Status: [12]

Requirement: [Feed Count: 20,000]

[D-TIER]

Access: [Available] (via Duo/Squad only)

Status: [4]

Requirement: [Feed Count: 70,000]

Note: [Duo access temporarily bypasses rank requirement.]

Reminder: You are currently eligible for F-Tier and E- tier quests only. To unlock higher-tier solo missions, increase your Feed Count to 70,000.

Forming a Duo or Squad allows early access to higher tiers, at your own risk.

Johnquis scanned the board, eyes narrowed. "Come on... show me where that muddy bastard’s nesting..."

The D-Tier Quest Board popped up in front of them.

[QUEST AVAILABLE – D-TIER]

Title: Rot in the Walls

Location: Sector 6 — Sojo Hotel

Objective: Locate and destroy Eater Nest

Bonus Condition: Clear within 3 hours

Feed Count Reward: +6,000 bonus (on success)

Posted: 61 days ago

[QUEST AVAILABLE – D-TIER]

Title: Hellhole

Location: Sector 6 – South to North Station

Objective: Locate and destroy Eater Nest

Bonus Condition: Eliminate all the higher Eaters

Feed Count Reward: +6,000 bonus (on success)

Posted: 2,557 days ago

[See More...] (Click to expand)

He flicked the first one open. A map bloomed in front of him, an exclamation mark pulsing over the Sojo Hotel.

"Absolutely not. It’s too far from here."

He swiped to the next one. The map pulsed again, this time, the South to North Station under Sector 6. He tilted his head as the location marker pinged: they were standing right on top of it.

"Obviously this is it. ’Hellhole.’ Says it all."

A slow grin tugged at his mouth. "Found you, my bonus feed count..."

Savier laughed behind him. "Two thousand five hundred days? Who the hell even posted that? The goddamn dinosaurs?"

Johnquis snorted, flicking to expand the details. "That’s... seven years. This nest has been around for seven years. That’s not ordinary. If there’s a Digger down there, it’s been busy. A nest that old — it’s got an army by now. Probably a queen pumping out fresh spawn."

Savier leaned in, eyes glinting. "Makes me even more excited! I wanna see how that mud-bastard built its little kingdom. Seven years? Hell, I might hit bronze off this alone! Come on — let’s crack it open!"

Johnquis shot him a look. "Wait. Seven years and no squad cleared it? Or how many squads went down that hole and never came back? This might be a damn graveyard."

He tapped the [Bonus Condition] line. "Eliminate all higher Eaters... There could be dozens down there."

Savier just shrugged, fangs flashing. "With me? Doesn’t matter what’s crawling around — my hybrid blade’ll chew through ’em all."

Johnquis scoffed. "Stop running your mouth. Sector 6 was sealed after the breakouts, remember? Old subway lines run under it — three levels deep. If a Digger’s tunneling, that nest’s probably stitched into every drain and crawlspace under this block."

Dancer huffed, claws scraping concrete as she prowled a tight circle, her head cocked toward the hex wall still buzzing in front of them. Her eyes locked on the hole, pupils thin slits.

Savier nudged Johnquis with his elbow. "Look at her! She’s more fired up than me — look at those eyes. She’s still peeking down there, sniffin’ for that muddy freak. Bet she wants a taste more than I do, ha!"

Johnquis smirked. "You two... this quest’s different. You feel it, don’t you? There’s danger down there."

Dancer flicked her eyes at him, that sharp bloodlust mixing with something soft — almost pleading. Like a mutt begging to be let off the chain. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

"Oh, come on! You bloodthirsty little nemesis..." Johnquis muttered. "Never lost that hunger, did you?"

Savier leaned down, practically nose to nose with Dancer, wagging a finger like he was scolding a naughty dog.

"Oi, you little murder mutt — if you really wanna go digging for bones, you gotta do better than that look. C’mon, do the eyes! Give him the big, sad puppy eyes."

Dancer’s ears twitched, but she just blinked at him, eyes gleaming like a reptile’s... zero softness.

Savier grinned, unfazed. He tapped the tip of her snout with his finger. "No, no! You gotta whine a bit, too! ’Master, pleeease, let’s go kill the big bad Digger! I’ll be so good, I’ll gut ’em all nice and clean for you!’ Try it, say it!"

Dancer’s claws clicked together once, just enough to make him flinch. She let out a tiny, rattling purr that sounded more like a growl from hell.

Johnquis watched them, deadpan, taking in Savier’s stupid little routine and Dancer’s unamused stare.

"She’s going to bite your nose off if you keep that up."

Savier chuckled, standing back up and wiping the sweat from his brow. "Worth it. If she learns how to beg, maybe you’ll finally listen to someone when they say ’Johnkiss, pick the damn quest already!’"

Dancer just dropped into a tense crouch again, eyes locked on the grate. So still she looked carved from bone and blood.

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