Fallout: New Vegas – The Lost Courier

After leaving the Brock Flower Cave, Arthur made his way toward the Legion raid camp. As he approached, distant gunfire echoed through the wasteland—sharp cracks of rifles and the thunderous boom of shotguns filled the air.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his binoculars and scanned the area. A battle raged far from the camp—NCR troopers and Legionaries clashed, leaving only a single guard to watch over the prisoners.

A smirk tugged at Arthur's lips. Perfect.

He unslung his Rat Slayer, steadying his aim. Through the scope, he lined up his shot, the crosshairs settling on the guard's head.

Pfft! The suppressed rifle barked. The guard's head snapped back, a spray of blood misting the air before his body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

Lowering his rifle, Arthur moved swiftly to the prisoners. Their eyes and mouths were bound with cloth, muffling their cries and keeping them blind to their surroundings. He crouched down, pulling at the restraints.

"The Legion's too busy with the NCR," he whispered. "Now's your best chance to escape."

One of the freed prisoners looked at Arthur, his expression full of gratitude. "Thank you for saving us. We don't have anything to offer right now, but if you ever need help, come to Vault 19. It's the Powder Gangers' headquarters—you'll be welcomed there."

Arthur raised an eyebrow but said nothing as they hurried off into the wasteland. Once they were gone, he made his way up a small hill, scanning the ongoing battle below.

Gunfire rattled through the canyon, the heavy thud of Legion machetes cutting through NCR flesh. Despite outnumbering the Legion, the NCR troopers fought like complete amateurs—firing wildly, failing to coordinate, and dropping like flies.

Within minutes, it was over. Corpses littered the battlefield, NCR blood soaking into the dirt.

Arthur scoffed, shaking his head.

"The NCR troopers are absolute ass," he muttered.

Just as he was about to leave, movement caught his eye. The remaining Legionaries, victorious from their battle, were now making their way back toward the camp. Six men in bloodstained armor, marching back, completely unaware of what awaited them.

Arthur smirked, adjusting his scope. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

He settled his aim on the first Legionary, a brute of a man with a machete dripping in blood. Pfft! The bullet punched clean through his skull, his body collapsing like a ragdoll.

The second man barely had time to react before Arthur shifted his aim. Another shot—straight through the throat. He clutched at the gushing wound, gurgling as he dropped to his knees.

By now, the others had realized they were under attack. One Legionary raised his rifle, scanning the horizon. Bad move.

Arthur exhaled and fired. The bullet ripped through his chest, sending him sprawling backward.

The remaining three broke into a sprint, desperately trying to find cover. But there was no escape.

Arthur tracked the fastest one, a recruit who almost made it behind a boulder. A single shot pierced his lower back, sending him crashing into the dirt. He writhed in pain for a moment before Arthur put a bullet through his skull.

The second-to-last Legionary, realizing cover was useless, raised his rifle to fire blindly at the hill. Arthur didn't give him the chance. A shot straight to the eye, and his head snapped back violently before he collapsed.

The final man, now trembling, dropped his weapon and tried to flee. Arthur chuckled.

As his last shot tore through the runner's leg, sending him face-first into the ground. The Legionary clawed at the dirt, desperately trying to crawl away.

Arthur slowly reloaded, took his time aiming, then ended it with a clean shot to the head.

Silence returned to the wasteland.

Arthur took one last look at the blood-soaked battlefield, slung his Rat Slayer over his shoulder, and was about to make his way down the hill when a familiar window popped up in his vision.

WELCOME TO LEVEL 5!

A screen appeared, displaying his stats, ready for allocation:

Barter – 7

Energy Weapons – 25

Explosives – 25

Guns – 45

Lockpick – 30 (+5)

Medicine – 30 (+5)

Melee Weapons – 35

Repair – 25

Science – 27

Speech – 20

Sneak – 45

Survival – 30 (+5)

Unarmed – 25

After allotting his points, Arthur selected two perks:

Hunter – (In combat, you do 75% more critical damage against animals and mutated animals.)

Comprehension – (You gain one additional skill point for reading books and double the skill points for reading magazines.)

Once the level-up process was complete, the window faded away.

Arthur cracked his knuckles and began making his way down the hill. First order of business—loot the bodies.

He moved between the dead Legionaries, stripping them of their weapons and armor. The gear would fetch a decent price with the right traders. He then turned his attention to the fallen NCR troopers, finding something much more useful—a set of Reinforced Leather Armor.

He slipped it on, adjusting the straps. A definite improvement over his current gear.

Satisfied, Arthur set his sights on the road ahead. His next destination was clear.

Novac.

With one last glance at the battlefield, he turned and walked into the wasteland.

After looting the battlefield, Arthur set off toward Novac, following the cracked and sunbaked road through the Mojave. The sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows across the wasteland as he walked.

Half a day passed, the journey mostly uneventful—just the occasional distant gunfire and the rustling of mutated creatures in the brush.

The dry desert wind carried the faint scent of gunpowder and decay, a constant reminder of the lawless wasteland. Eventually, Kai spotted a small outpost up ahead, a cluster of buildings with NCR flags fluttering weakly in the heat.

A Ranger station.

Curious, Arthur decided to check it out. He made his way past a few sandbag barricades, noting the lazily posted guards who barely spared him a glance. The place was quiet—too quiet.

Entering one of the rundown buildings, he found an NCR trooper slouched in a rickety chair, his helmet resting on a nearby table. The soldier barely reacted as Arthur walked in, only turning his head slightly before muttering in a flat, uninterested voice.

"McCarran doesn't like it when civilians wander into military outposts. So if you're here on business, better make it quick."

Arthur leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "What was that about McCarran?"

The trooper sighed, rubbing his temple as if he'd explained this a hundred times before. "Damn radio's cutting out again… McCarran's gonna send another guy to check up on us. Happens all the time with these hills. Signal's crap out here."

He stretched his arms before standing up and stepping closer to Arthur. "Lately, we've been getting extra medical supplies for some reason." A small smirk appeared on his face. "I'm in no rush to give the supplies back, either."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Interesting.

"Mind if I take some of those extra medical supplies?" he asked, keeping his tone casual but watchful.

The trooper's smirk faltered as he gave Arthur a slow once-over. For a second, he looked like he was considering it—but then he shook his head.

"I shouldn't have said anything in the first place," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "And I'd rather not get you into the habit of crossing the NCR."

Arthur shrugged. "Fair enough."

As he turned to leave, the radio crackled to life.

"—repeat, confirmed Legion movement spotted east of Ranger Station Charlie. Might be heading your way. Stay alert."

The trooper stiffened slightly, his relaxed demeanor vanishing as he quickly grabbed his helmet. Arthur didn't need to be told twice—he was getting the hell out of there before he got caught up in another fight. He stepped outside, adjusting his gear as he muttered under his breath,

"Man, my charisma sucks."

With one last glance at the NCR troopers scrambling to prepare for a possible Legion encounter, Arthur continued up the road, making his way toward Novac.