In Blue Haven Shelter, far away from the Ghoul Shelter of the Phoenix Phalanx Clan, Fiona sat cross-legged in her ditation chamber.
There were plenty of empty food containers around her. They hadn’t been cleaned up yet because she was too busy managing her rats.
For now, the room was dim, lit only by the glow of talismans protecting her.
This was necessary to ensure that she was focused and undisturbed since her mission was quite crucial...
At this point, her eyes were closed, but her mind was wide awake, tethered to the nine rats scurrying through the forest and now slipping into Ghoul Shelter’s periter.
Through them, she saw everything.
The fortress was imnse, its walls were filled with defenses.
Watchtowers were erected at regular intervals, each manned by archers and spotters.
Barrier generators pulsed faintly, making a do of protection that glowed like heat haze.
Cannons and turrets also rotated slowly, scanning the forest for intruders. Although these cannons and turrets weren’t even half as good as Shane’s creations, they were still quite dangerous.
Then, circling the walls, chained like monstrous sentries, were the Armored Tyrant Zombies.
Fiona’s lips curled into a thin smile.
"Alexander, you’ve outdone yourself. But even monsters can be mapped."
Her rats scurried along cracks in the defenses, slipping past patrols. When one path was blocked by a glowing barrier, Fiona whispered a command.
A Survivor Skill that could be used by her Rats was activated.
Phase Shift.
For three seconds, the rat beca incorporeal, phasing through the barrier before solidifying again on the other side. Fiona exhaled, steadying her focus.
She was consuming a lot of Spirit Points whenever she did this, but that didn’t matter... She had several Spirit Stones lying on the ground, waiting to be used.
"Good. Keep moving."
The rats spread out, each feeding her vision.
Through their help, she saw warehouses stacked with crates of potions, weapons, and various materials like Spirit Threads.
There were also soldiers moving in and out, carrying supplies that ca from the outside... She noted the routes, the guard rotations, and the timing of patrols. Every detail mattered.
Then, one rat darted behind a tree and caught sight of sothing unexpected.
"Wow..." Fiona muttered.
Apparently, there was a pair of Phoenix soldiers pressed close together. Their lips were locked, kissing in the shadow behind the tree...
Fiona raised an eyebrow, amused by the situation.
"So even in this nightmare fortress, they find ti for doing so naughty things." Fiona thought after seeing that they were both n.
She marked the location anyway since it seed to be a good hiding spot. She might need it later.
Just like that, another rat scurried past a barracks window. Inside, soldiers were gambling with dice, laughing quietly despite the tension outside.
Fiona couldn’t help but smile at this.
"Undisciplined... This is good for us."
She then guided the rats deeper. When one was nearly spotted by a guard dog sniffing the ground, she invoked another Survivor Skill to help the rat.
Haste.
The rat blurred forward, darting under a cart before the dog could react.
Fiona’s breathing slowed again.
"Stay sharp. No mistakes." She reminded herself.
The fortress unfolded before her eyes. She saw training yards where recruits sparred under torchlight, armories filled with blades and shields, and alchemy halls where Leonidas’s apprentices stirred cauldrons of foul-slling brews.
But her main mission was clear... find Roan.
The rats pressed onward, slipping into vents and crawlspaces.
Soon, Fiona’s vision shifted to a darker part of the fortress.
"Hmm? What do we have here?" She whispered.
Soon, she saw cells lined with iron bars, each holding different types of zombies!
She was confused for a mont. "Why are they keeping these?"
Through the rats, she saw Walker Zombies pacing mindlessly, Jumper Zombies crouched and twitching while chained, Spitter Zombies drooling corrosive saliva but it wasn’t destroying anything thanks to the enchanted cell.
Then, she also noticed a Licker Zombie dragging its grotesque tongue across the floor. In another cell, a Flesh Puker Zombie writhed with its stomach bulging unnaturally.
She knew about these Flesh Puker and they were quite rare... She could understand why it was being kept here but not the others.
After all, the Flesh Puker has sothing called Mushroom of Carnivorous Growth.
This mushroom tasted like at, and they could grow easily... As a matter of fact, it was the one supplying most of Shane’s shelter with nutrients that could only be found in at products.
Still, she decided to ignore these zombies and continued looking around...
Soon, even a Smoker Zombie appeared, exhaling clouds of toxic mist, but restrained by cursed chains.
Fiona wryly smiled after seeing this.
"They’re not killing them. They’re storing them. Experinting, maybe? Or breeding them for war?"
She guided the rats carefully, mapping each cell. The prison was vast, filled with horrors. Yet none of them were Roan.
Then, one rat approached a corridor marked with glowing runes. The air shimred, and the creature was repelled violently, thrown back as if struck by an invisible force.
Fiona winced, as she knew that the rat was injured just now...
"Restricted zone..."
She tried again, invoking Phase Shift, but the rat still couldn’t pass. The wards were absolute.
She bit her lips as she knew what she had just stumbled upon...
"This must be where Roan is."
The rats circled the area, but every attempt failed. The zone was sealed, guarded by enchantnts stronger than anything she had seen so far.
Fiona muttered, "Alexander doesn’t want anyone near this place. Which ans Roan is inside... right?"
She leaned back in her ditation chamber, exhaling slowly.
Her vision moved between the rats, each still scurrying through the fortress. She saw more mischief... soldiers sneaking food from the kitchens, apprentices arguing over failed potions, one guard asleep at his post.
She noted it all, every weakness, every flaw.
But her focus remained on the restricted zone...
Well, she couldn’t find any other heavily restricted zone aside from this one, so she must’ve succeeded already.
"Roan... Just hang in there... We’re going to rescue you." Fiona muttered. She could only pray that the dragon was still alive.
After taking a deep breath, she soon inford Kael, Lysandra, and others about her discovery...
This was sothing really important after all.
Once the bombardnt began, they must ensure that this area wouldn’t get heavily hit, just enough to destroy their barriers or protection.
Then, after informing everyone, her job was basically done...
Still, the rats continued their silent infiltration, mapping every corridor, every defense, every secret that she might’ve missed...
Fiona’s mind absorbed it all, storing the knowledge for Jaxon, Kael, and Lysandra.
Ghoul Shelter was definitely a heavily fortified shelter... But now, thanks to Fiona, its secrets were being laid bare.
***
anwhile, Lysandra finally relaxed in her seat as she finished reading Fiona’s latest report.
The details about Ghoul Shelter... the Armored Tyrants, the barriers, the restricted zone, and other details filled her with satisfaction.
At least now, they had eyes inside. "Good work," she murmured, her lips curling into a faint smile.
"We’ll use this."
But her mont of relief was short‑lived.
The convoy slowed as the rumble of engines faded into silence. Lysandra frowned, stepping out of her truck.
Ahead, the road was blocked... not by zombies, not by bandits, but by a sprawling caravan of wandering rchants.
Their wagons, carts, and trucks were lined across the path... There were even lanterns glowing as they set up camp. Tents were already pitched, fires lit, and the sll of roasted at drifted through the air.
"Seriously?" Lysandra frowned as she looked at her team, who could only smile helplessly.
One of her lieutenants approached. "Commander, they’ve stopped for the night. Too dark to keep moving, they said. They’re camping right on the road."
Lysandra’s eyes narrowed.
Hundreds of survivors in her convoy stood restless, their trucks idling behind her. She could force a new path since her earth‑skill users were present... With them, they could carve a detour through the forest... but she knew her people were exhausted. They had marched for days, and Ghoul Shelter still lay ahead.
She exhaled, making her decision. "We rest here. Better to conserve strength than waste it forcing a road. At dawn, we move again."
Her order rippled through the convoy.
Engines shut down, survivors disembarked, and soon her people mingled with the rchants.
The atmosphere shifted from frustration to curiosity.
The rchants welcod them with cautious smiles, but soon, they all got together and started having nice conversations...
Well, they were wanderers, traders carrying goods for the nearest shelter.
Their camp was lively since so of them opened stalls even here on the roadside! They were offering trinkets, food, and potions.
Furthermore, they have musicians strumming with battered instrunts, filling the night with faint lody.
It was sothing that Lysandra’s team was lacking a lot... entertainnt.
"I guess this isn’t that bad..." Lysandra muttered as her attention shifted to the food shared by the rchants.
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