"I leveled up!" Terrence said as he checked the notification from his system.
It was similar to others...
" too!"
"I did it! I’m in the Leaderboard!"
"Look! I’m in there as well!"
Just like that, Claire and the others celebrated their small victory as they saw their nas appearing on the Leaderboard.
Well, it was quite understandable since most of the Foreign Survivors were probably trying to hide from the A.I. Army. anwhile, they were here exploring the world and fighting bravely against the mutants, or probably so failed products of human experintations.
"Thanks, Kai!" Claire muttered, though Kai wasn’t here. After all, the only reason they managed to win against the mutants was all because of the hatchets, revolvers, ammunition, and their gears...
"Should we try it again?" Terrence teased, seeing how excited they were.
"What? Can we do that repeatedly?" Ralph asked.
Indeed, they were even considering doing it again...
According to Kai, the trigger was the entry of a non-Foreign Survivor to the Gene Trader’s territory. For so reason, it would activate its defense chanism and summon mutants...
"The problem is that we can’t control their number. We’re also running low on our ammunition. Let’s ask Kai later."
Claire said as she wiped her blade clean and glanced at the shadowed mausoleum where the Gene Trader was dwelling. "
It’s a pity," she said with a wry smile. "We don’t have enough Survivor dals anymore. We can’t buy anything from this Trader."
Ralph shook his head, holstering his revolver. "Don’t worry. Once the event ends in a week, we can visit him again later."
The teams exchanged weary looks and nodded.
They had found the Gene Trader, but the timing was awful...
However, that didn’t an that they couldn’t visit the Gene Trader anymore.
Soon, the Foreign Survivors, or those who ca from Earth, made their way to the Gene Trader to learn more about the items they could purchase from him.
Needless to say, they also recorded the items being sold by the Gene Trader, just in case his inventory differed from that of other Gene Traders...
For now, they had to be satisfied with the items being sold for Experience Points!
"Do not level down now, okay? We just reached Level 10... Unless it’s really important, don’t use your Experience Points." Terrence reminded.
***
anwhile, the Haven‑62 from a far remained quiet.
The ruins of its walls was still bearing the scars from the War Tyrant’s rampage. Inside, survivors gathered in the dim ss hall Alfie and Farrah sat near the front, speaking with the current leaders of the shelter.
"We’ve decided," Farrah said firmly. "When Kai returns, we’ll follow him..."
Alfie nodded.
The leaders exchanged glances. One of them, a grizzled man nad Montez, didn’t stop them.
"I don’t bla you. Truth is, I want to join him too. But taking all of us? That would drain his shelter’s resources. He’d be forced to feed too many mouths, and that wouldn’t help everyone."
The survivors murmured among themselves, torn between hope and practicality.
Another leader, a woman they always call the Chef, sighed. "We still have water here. The well is intact. And the mushrooms we’ve been cultivating will keep us alive, at least for now. So of us should stay. Others can explore, maybe find another shelter. But that man you called Kai might be our best chance."
The debate stretched on...
So wanted to cling to Haven‑62, believing the water source was enough. Others argued that the ruins were a death trap, that they should abandon it entirely. In the end, the group fractured.
Eight survivors stepped forward, declaring their intent to join Kai’s group.
Alfie and Farrah were among them.
The rest chose to remain behind, clinging to the fragile safety of the well and the mushrooms.
"Then it’s settled," Montez said at last.
"Eight of you will try and join the man with Sentinel. The rest of us will hold Haven‑62 as best we can."
After the matter was settled, Alfie and Farrah moved to the warehouse.
At this ti, it was filled with crates and boxes that lined the walls. They were the spoils taken from the War Tyrant’s wreckage.
Alfie pried open one of the crates, revealing twisted shards of alloy plating.
"Armor fragnts," he muttered.
Farrah crouched beside another box, lifting a heavy cylinder...
"This one looks heavy," she said quietly.
The two then started noting each item carefully.
There were scorched cables, fragnts of the Tyrant’s claws, and even a cracked lens from its sensor array. One crate held a strange core fragnt, and it still had residual energy.
"This one is important," Farrah muttered.
They worked carefully, stacking the items, guarding them as if they were treasure.
Hours passed, and the other survivors also joined as they all worked together, hoping to impress Kai later with how organized they were.
Clang! Clang!
Suddenly, everyone heard the bell rang. It was echoing across the Haven‑62.
Survivors rushed to the gates, weapons in hand...
Soon, two armored cars ca into view, and they were rolling toward them...
"Stay sharp!" Montez ordered as the guards raised their revolvers with only one or two bullets left...
For a mont, fear gripped them. Was this the A.I. Army coming to finish what the War Tyrant had started?
Then, through the dust, a hand waved from one of the cars.
Human...
It was definitely not the hands of a machine!
Still, the survivors didn’t lower their weapons. They waited until the vehicles slowed to a halt just outside the gates.
The armored doors swung open, and a familiar figure stepped down.
It was Kai.
Seeing the crowd gathered at the gates, his eyes imdiately searched for Alfie and Farrah.
"I’m back, as promised!" Kai called out. At that mont, Atom erged behind him, its towering fra drawing every gaze. For many, this was their first ti seeing the chanical soldier up close.
Montez and the others held their breath. The Sentinel’s lean build and fluid movents made it clear this wasn’t an ordinary unit.
"So it’s real," Montez muttered, clenching his fist as he stared at Atom.
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