Fallout Game Merchant 2.0-Chapter 83: Here we go again...

Six sat back in his chair, rubbing his temples as his gaze flickered between the reports on Tanya's brutal dismantling of the Hidden Valley Brotherhood, and the glowing system screens notifications flooded in detailing his rewards, accompanied by the familiar ding sounds.

Ding!

[Quest Complete: Still in the Dark]

[Objective: Successfully Deal with the Hidden Valley Brotherhood]

[Reward: Super rare Gold-Tier Item Legendary effect mod]

Legendary effect mod:

Allows you to craft legendary modifications on your armor, weapons, power armor, and even items.

Ding!

[Level Up!]

[Level 20 has been reached!]

"Finally."

He muttered, opening his character sheet. This level-up felt like a long time coming. He leaned forward, pushing points into SPEECH, maxing it to 100. His new Speech skill shimmered with a golden glow, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Maxed Speech? Time to become the smoothest talker in the Mojave."

He dumped a few leftover points into ENERGY WEAPONS, bringing it up to 38, not quite mastering it yet, but getting there. Then came the perk selection. Solar Powered caught his eye, offering a buff that would make him a powerhouse during daylight hours.

"Strength and healing during the day? Not bad at all."

Six mused as he selected it.

"Good excuse to stay outdoors and in the sun."

Ding!

[SPEECH has been maxed!]

[Gained perk Talk No Jutsu]

Talk No Jutsu:

With it, you can talk to the evilest, depressed, and twisted people and make them change their entire lives in minutes. Which is canon... Just don't look too closely at the success rate.

Note: In reality, this gives a 50/50 chance of success.

Six read the perk's description twice, blinking in disbelief. Talk No Jutsu? He leaned back, exhaling a half-laugh, half-sigh.

"Of course. A 50/50 shot at turning psychos into saints through a speech bubble. What could possibly go wrong?"

The absurdity of it wasn't lost on him. But if it worked, it would save him from all the constant fighting. A well-timed conversation could change everything—though, knowing the Mojave, it might just backfire spectacularly.

He pushed aside the system window, his thoughts returning to Tanya's latest conquest. She had been efficient, ruthless, and terrifyingly competent. The girl didn't even hesitate to execute Hardin, setting an example for anyone who dared defy her. If the old Brotherhood wasn't already shaking in its boots, they would be soon.

He sighed, rubbing his face.

"A Knightmare-armored six-year-old dismantling old-world zealots like a warlord... Rebecca's going to have a field day with this."

Just as he was preparing to summon Tanya for a debrief, the system chimed again:

Ding!

[New Invasion]

[Invasion Countdown: 6 Days Remaining]

[Warning: A rift to another world is opening. Prepare for hostile encounters and unpredictable changes to the environment.]

Six sat up straight, his heart skipping a beat.

"Another invasion already?"

His eyes narrowed as he pulled up the invasion status window, the countdown steadily ticking down. Whatever was coming, it wouldn't be like the last times.

He knew they'd need every weapon, every ally, and every ounce of cunning to face it. Tanya had just secured Hidden Valley, which gave them an advantage—but it was clear they wouldn't have much time to consolidate their gains.

"Well, talk or no talk."

Six muttered.

"I've got six days to prepare... and maybe see if this Talk No Jutsu nonsense actually works."

He stood, cracking his neck and heading toward Rebecca, who was already waiting by the door with a raised eyebrow.

"Another invasion?"

She asked, more curious than concerned.

Six gave her a small, wry smile.

"Yep. And this time... I might have to sweet-talk our way through some of it."

Rebecca chuckled, crossing her arms.

"Good luck with that. And don't even think about leaving me behind."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

With a final glance at the countdown timer, Six clenched his fists. The Mojave was about to face another storm—but this time, he had maxed Speech, a chaotic daughter leading an army, a shiny new perk that might just change the odds, and now he had to prepare for the invasion in the now snowed unspoiled wilderness of Utah's Zion National Park.

If only it didn't have a coin flip's chance of working...

Six stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing out at the serene, snow-blanketed wilderness of Zion National Park. The normally warm, rugged landscape was transformed into a silent, pristine expanse of white, with pine trees bowing under the weight of snow and frozen rivers glistening beneath the low winter light.

It was a stark, surreal contrast to the dusty Mojave he had left behind. The countdown timer in his System ticked ominously, the last seconds slipping away before the next invasion struck.

This invasion would be different—he knew that. The enemy wouldn't just be zombies or mutated beasts; it was something smarter, more adaptable, and far deadlier. Maxing out his Speech skill hadn't been just a vanity pursuit.

It was a necessity. This time, brute force wouldn't be enough. He needed to sway minds, make deals, and manipulate his enemies into fighting each other before they reached him.

Six clenched his fists, feeling the cold metal of his gauntlets press against his knuckles. Rebecca was waiting inside the camp he built, checking the magazines of her weapons in her Punisher's containers. She hadn't let him come alone this time.

Raul Tejada, the old ghoul gunslinger, was nearby too, adjusting his T-R80 armor. In this frozen wilderness, Six knew he'd need every sharp shot and fast reflex available.

Installed at the canyon cliffs, artillery cannons were already calibrated for cold-weather combat. The anchor point was reinforced with turrets to plow through invaders in the snowdrifts and armored enough to endure ambushes from whatever horrors this invasion brought.

B1 Battle Droids and automated Knightmare armors, wrapped in cold-resistant plating, stood at attention, patrolling the cliffs. The facility's robot factory in Goodsprings had churned out additional models tailored for reconnaissance and sabotage—stealth variants that could blend into the snow like shadows.

And then there was the wildcard—the children. Tanya and August, both reincarnators with dangerous potential, had insisted on joining this mission. Tanya's tactical genius and August's instinctive brutality were invaluable, but keeping them reined in was like juggling grenades with the pins removed.

Six glanced at the base holographic map. The few surviving White Legs—a savage tribe native to Zion—could become an asset, provided he could exploit their hatred for outsiders.

But other factions lurked in the wilderness too, including the reclusive Dead Horses and Sorrows, whose leaders held grudges and secrets in equal measure.

Maxing his Speech skill meant he could weave deals between these factions—or break them entirely, setting them at each other's throats. The trick would be balancing alliances just long enough for the invasion to pass.

The countdown hit 00:00, and the invasion began. A shrill wind howled through the canyon, and the snowstorm thickened, obscuring everything beyond a few feet. Then came the familiar flash of light, and the sky above Zion split open as enemy forces poured into the wilderness.

Six watched the first wave emerge through the snow—giant armored beasts resembling a twisted blend of super mutants and a dead knight. Overhead, flooding horrors, looking like a mutation of multiple mouths stitched with an alien feeling, shrieked as they swooped through the blizzard.

A message flickered across his System screen:

[INVASION EVENT: Survive the next 24 hours]

[Bonus objectives: Gain local alliances]

[Bonus objectives: Disable enemy supply nodes.]

Rebecca leaned in beside him, her sniper rifle slung across her back.

"So what's the plan, Big guy?"

Six gave her a grin that barely hid his nerves.

"We're gonna talk our way out of this—then shoot the ones who don't listen."

She chuckled, but her gaze stayed locked on the growing shapes in the snow.

"Just make sure it's them getting shot and not us."

With a deep breath, Six slid down the snowy embankment toward a White Legs outpost. A pack of raiders spotted him but lowered their weapons, curious about the man brazen enough to approach in the middle of an invasion. The leader grunted,

"What the hell do you want, outsider?"

Six raised his hands in a gesture of peace, his voice steady and calm.

"How about I make you a deal—help me crush these invaders, and you get every weapon and scrap they leave behind. Refuse, and I'll let your enemies carve you up a new asshole instead."

The leader's eyes narrowed, weighing the offer. For a moment, everything hung in the balance. But then Six's maxed-out Speech worked its magic, and the raider gave a toothy grin.

"You've got a deal, outsider."

The first battle was about to begin. And in the chaos of war and winter, Six would either forge alliances that could save Zion—or ensure it became a frozen graveyard for his enemies.

Level: 20

NAME: Six VI

GENDER: MALE

STRENGTH: 25

PERCEPTION: 16

ENDURANCE: 35

CHARISMA: 17

INTELLIGENCE: 16

AGILITY: 20

LUCK: 18

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BARTER: 100

ENERGY WEAPONS: 38

EXPLOSIVES: 36

GUNS: 100

LOCKPICK: 39

MEDICINE: 100

MELEE WEAPONS: 39

REPAIR: 100

SCIENCE: 100

SNEAK: 39

SPEECH: 100

SURVIVAL: 39

UNARMED: 39