The Beastmaster of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, part three: the stalker becomes the stalkered

As a seasoned Stalker with more scars than I can count, my heart races as I recount this harrowing tale. A relentless pursuer, a man who seemed to have nothing left but the will to take my life, chased me through the treacherous expanse of the Zone. The darkness only amplified the terror, making every step feel like I was walking into an ambush.

Following initial difficulties, my efforts to transform S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2‘s mutants into war machines are now yielding positive results. I’ve successfully designed a Bloodsucker assault that decimated the most formidable adversaries – those who gave me trouble – and I’ve advanced significantly enough to unlock vast portions of the map, providing entry to even more of the Zone’s deadliest fleshpockets.

In addition, rats. With the successful deployment of Bloodsucker, I’m once again tracking down some enigmatic anomaly scanners. Rumor has it that I may uncover a clue within a nearby tangle of wrecked vehicles. This area is heavily fortified by a gang, but this time, I won’t need to chase after distant mutants and lure them back with my own neck as bait. Fortunately, a group of oversized rodents are already scampering around the entrance to the maze. I summon them in like a doorman on his last day, then dash past the stunned guards, who can barely lift their rifles before being attacked by a horde of giant carnivorous hamsters.

The scene is chaotic: rodents scamper about unpredictably, biting at any haphazard target their radiation-affected senses guide them towards. Meanwhile, the thugs, losing their initial fighting restraint, spray gunfire erratically around each other and even in my direction. Despite our numerical superiority, I can’t entirely escape their aggression, so I dodge and weave between the empty shells of buses as bullets ricochet off their sides.

In the open, the state of affairs is worsening significantly. My minions, though valiant, are struggling due to their lack of range, speed, and protective armor compared to Flesh or Snork creatures. As the incessant sound of six different AKs rings out, their numbers dwindle quickly. Despite their bravery, I am forced to retreat, squeezing through a gap barely taller than my waist in the labyrinth wall at the exact moment I hear the last squeak of my rat army’s demise. Never has so much been owed, with so little accomplished, by so few. Unfortunately, these adversaries cannot be evaded like my past human opponents; instead, my mission is to eliminate them entirely.

It appears I must restock my mutants, so once more I head towards the industrial area where I found the Bloodsucker before. As I flee, a sudden noise echoes behind me, followed by what seems like a heavy bullet whizzing past my feet. Turning around, I spot a solitary figure at a distance, seemingly trying his luck by following my path away from the maze entrance. Alas, I have engagements with much more menacing monstrosities than you. I dart into some nearby foliage to hide, shaking him off my trail, and ultimately lose sight of him among the trees.

As I delve deeper into this mysterious world, I start questioning if these mutants are playing similar tricks on me. Spending a rather serene few moments exploring decaying ruins and overgrown forest glades, I hoped for something with sharp teeth to appear unexpectedly, but alas, it never did. The nearest encounter was hearing the pitiful cries of a trapped Bloodsucker within an underground garage, but upon inspecting the entryways and exits, I realize that attempting to rescue him would only lead to my own entrapment, leaving me no option but to leave him there to perish on his own.

Leaving the garage, I ponder if I should have grabbed a sausage or something on the way, when suddenly a blinking semi-circle, which I really need to get checked by my eye doctor, catches my attention, signaling an intelligent threat approaching. Moments later, a bullet hits me squarely in the chest, accompanied by a sound that’s becoming all too familiar. Looks like it’s him again!

You.

Somehow, he’s managed to follow me over a kilometer of terrain, and it seems like he honed his marksmanship during that time because holy moly, he’s hitting me hard! I sprint across open ground, taking two more shots, and immediately start using medkits as soon as I reach the shelter of a small forest. Since I don’t have any means to defend myself against my chaser – I lack mutants, and vowed never to use a gun or a knife in anger – I’m left with no other option but to run as fast and hard as I can back towards the labyrinth, where I can consider my next strategy.

In just a blink of an eye, the curved white figure reappears, along with the relentless shooter who stubbornly remains within firing range, regardless of how swiftly I run. I scramble up hills and dart through forests in a desperate attempt to lose him, tending to a growing number of gunshot injuries as I go. However, nothing seems to deter him. Each time I manage to create some distance, he appears once again, charging forward with the unyielding tenacity of a man who only has one goal left in life: to end mine. Though we are strangers, neither knowing the other, he clearly believes my existence must cease.

As night falls, he pursues me, and the growing darkness is complicating matters as I search for some sort of weapon to fend him off. I’m becoming increasingly frustrated and making errors typical of a stalker, rushing into unknown hazards that tear my flesh with countless shards of flying glass or emit pulses of gravity that leave me bruised and bones crunched. None of this is helping the depletion of my first aid kit and bandages, which are nearing exhaustion if I don’t manage to escape this relentless adversary who seems almost supernaturally fit.

After stepping out of the shadows, another heap of deserted vehicles appears, with a solitary Snork in the middle, devouring a decaying body and making an odd electronic sound. My dear friend, it’s never been more delightful to set eyes on your frail, gas-masked visage. I’m cautious about relying on just one mutant to tackle what seems like a heavily armed soldier, considering the disastrous outcome of the rodent attack. However, in this situation, I’ll take any ghoul that comes my way.

Instead of fleeing, I face the pursuer with the Snork hot on my heels. As we head towards the cover of the trees, a grueling and expensive battle ensues. The Snork frequently switches targets to attack me instead, making it challenging to capture on screen. However, despite taking nine doses of painkillers, the Snork’s most potent leap attack finally lands, knocking out my opponent and dragging their limp body helplessly through the mud.

I entice Snork, who has served me, into another gravitational abnormality so I can examine my potential attacker calmly. The assailant is Taras Verglas, a name unfamiliar to me, but his insignia hints at a mercenary group that remains impartial. This only adds mystery as to why he targeted me. It seems the reason for his treachery may have perished with him, but the uncommon .303 ammunition he carried will fetch a higher price on the market than if I had used it myself.

That just leaves one other mystery: why was the Snork beeping? Returning to the body, I find it strapped with a electronic collar, while on the dead stalker he was snacking on, a PDA reveals that somewhere out there is a scientist paying big money for them. Looks like I’m not the only one in the Zone looking to tame its beasts.

2024-12-12 18:56

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