[WELCOME TO LEVEL 4]

... ​​

Hm, Karl must've spoken to Eddie which would have completed the quest. It's rather interesting that someone else can complete the quest for you, but Afton didn't know if Karl was technically his companion... Maybe it didn't matter and he could have anyone complete a quest for him, along as he was involved he'd get the exp right?

Regardless he had some skill points to use, he decided to continue his current path in maxing out Guns, putting all his skill points into it before moving onto Perks.

The selection had changed, new Perks were now available due to his level having risen. He'd definitely not be taking the first one though.

[Cannibal] : When you're in Sneak mode, you gain the option to eat a human corpse to regain hit points, but lose Karma... Yeah, whether or not this Perk was good, it didn't matter... This wasn't a game and he'd literally be forced to sink his teeth into human flesh to make use of it. Fuck that.

[Comprehension] : You gain one additional skill point for reading books and double the skill points for reading magazines. Good, but he didn't know how many skill books actually existed in the wasteland.

[Educated] : You gain two more skill points every time you advance in level. This, was a must pick. 2 extra skill points over 46 levels was 92 extra skill points, almost enough to max out a skill.

[Run'n Gun] : Halved spread with one-handed ranged weapons while walking or running. In the game this might seem relatively normal, not something to write home about, but in real life being able to sprint and fire accurately could potentially make you a very dangerous opponent.

All in all, picking the Perk he wanted wasn't difficult, [Educated] simply brought along too many bonuses for him to ignore. He selected and confirmed it, causing time to begin again, the pain the dull pain suppressed by the MED X making itself known.

Afton Parker

Level : 4

S.P.E.C.I.A.L :

Strength : 7

Perception : 7

Endurance : 7

Charisma : 4

Intelligence : 6

Agility : 7

Luck : 4

Skills :

Barter : 18

Energy Weapons : 55

Explosives : 20

Guns : 61

Lockpick : 10

Medicine : 40

Melee Weapons : 38

Repair : 41

Science : 41

Sneak : 20

Speech : 35

Survival : 30

Unarmed : 30

Perks :

[Trigger Discipline], [Heavy Handed], [Rapid Reload], [Torture Techniques], [Educated]

Soon enough Karl came by with a bag of caps and tossed them into a nearby chair before sitting next to him, "Alright, let's see what I can do with this." he mutters as he begins examining the wound.

It seemed like he knew what he was doing, why he'd never considered treating the other Gang Members Afton didn't know. Karl eventually got some tweezers and start rummaging around his wound, nodding to himself as he begins pulling something out of his wound.

The deformed lead of the bullet that'd shot him was dropped into a metal container that was now stained with blood. "That'll do ya, just try not to get shot again." he jokes as he wipes the blood from his hands.

Afton just shakes his head at the man, "Yeah, I'll try to keep that in mind next time you come up with a plan."

Karl snorts, "That bullet ain't my fault, you let your guard down and paid for it, I'm not your babysitter... Speaking of which, let's grab a drink, we've earned it at least."

"Err, I've just injected some MED X, I'm not sure drinking would-"

"Son, I've been on MED X, Psycho, Jet, and a whole manner of other chems while day drinking, you'll be fine, trust me... Now let's get, I'm of this room, it smells of blood." he says before leaving.

Afton just shrugs and puts his clothes back on, ignoring the fact that they're slightly damp from his own blood, following Karl to the bar and drinking the rest of the day away.

Elsewhere :

Lieutenant Hayes had just received some aggravating reports, the supplies that'd passed through the area they'd set up outside Primm had all but been destroyed. Sloan hadn't received anything and the workers there were beginning to get antsy, they weren't getting paid right now, and if the NCR couldn't even provide them with food or water, then what good were they?

Not to mention the unfortunate soldiers who'd been charged with protecting the caravan... The report stated that they were all dead, likely at the hand of the nearby Powder Gangers. He rubs his face, first the Legion and now this? He didn't think this situation could get any worse.

A soldier wearing the typical NCR uniform strolled into his military tent and saluted him, "Sir!"

He didn't feel like dealing with NCR procedure right now and simply waved his hand at them, "At ease. Got something for me?"

The soldier nodded, "Civilian caravans have started being attacked, I saw the remains and... If we find the bastards that did this I'll shoot 'em dead." the growl.

Hayes raises a brow, "What's got your hackles up soldier? Isn't the first time a civilian caravan has been raided." he inquires slightly callously.

They nod, "The "Civilian caravan", wasn't actually a caravan... It was just a family heading from one side of the Mojave to another, the men and children were killed, and the women..." he doesn't continue, both already knowing what fate awaits women who're put in that situation.

Hayes sighs, "Any leads?"

"Yes... Whoever is doing this are restricting themselves to a certain area, we could send a patrol to ambush them."

...

"What're their numbers?"

The soldier shrugs, "Its a small group, three to seven at most, we're more than enough to handle them." he says while sending an imploring look at his commander.

Hayes sighs, "Fine, organise your squad and debrief them on the mission. Try and be quick about it, no clue when the Escapee's in Primm will attempt something." he says.

The soldier salutes him and leaves, an eager look on their face.