Crash!
The three of them remained completely motionless.
Even after the Tyrant Mech’s enormous foot landed only a few meters away, none of them dared to breathe too loudly.
Claire could even hear Amer swallowing nervously beside her.
The gigantic machine stood nearly eight meters tall, its dark alloy armor covered with countless scratches left behind by previous battles. Thick hydraulic limbs supported its massive frame while several weapon systems remained folded against its back, ready to deploy at any moment.
It wasn’t alone.
One after another, more Tyrant Mechs marched past the abandoned shelter.
Their heavy footsteps shook the cracked concrete beneath Claire’s knees, causing fine dust to fall from the damaged ceiling.
Clank... Clank... Clank...
Mixed among them were dozens of smaller combat machines. Spider-like scouts rapidly climbed across ruined buildings while humanoid assault units marched in perfect formation without making a single unnecessary movement.
Above them, surveillance drones continuously circled through the sky.
None of the machines spoke...
They simply advanced like a single enormous organism moving toward an unknown destination.
Amer’s fingers unconsciously tightened around the handle of his weapon.
Claire immediately shook her head ever so slightly.
’Bro... Don’t get us killed...’
Against an army of that size, even Level 60 survivors would think twice before engaging.
Fortunately, the camouflage equipment continued functioning perfectly.
Several drones even hovered directly above the ruined shelter before flying away without showing the slightest reaction.
Only after nearly fifteen minutes did the endless stream of machines finally begin to disappear into the distance.
The heavy footsteps gradually became quieter.
The drones also slowly vanished from the sky until only silence remained.
Still, Claire refused to move.
"Wait."
She whispered the word so softly that it was almost inaudible.
Another two minutes passed... then another.
Only after Amer confirmed that nothing remained within the range of his Spirit Sense did Claire finally allow herself to relax.
"They’re gone."
Ralph slowly lowered his rifle and released a long breath.
"I’ve never seen that many at once"
"Neither have I."
Claire looked toward the direction where the machines had disappeared.
The number wasn’t simply unusual... It was alarming.
An army of that size wasn’t dispatched for ordinary patrols.
Whether they were passing through the region or preparing for something much larger, it was information that couldn’t be ignored.
Claire immediately opened her System interface.
Without wasting another second, she entered the Guild Chat shared by the members of Codebreakers.
Her fingers quickly moved across the translucent panel...
[ Claire: Hey guys! Large A.I. army spotted approximately thirty kilometers northeast of Cameron City. At least dozens of Tyrant Mechs, hundreds of assault units, multiple scout drones. Direction uncertain, but they’re moving toward Cameron City’s general vicinity. Avoid the area until we know more. ]
The message was sent instantly.
Several seconds later, replies began appearing.
[ Farrah: Interesting. ]
Claire couldn’t help but chuckle after seeing the nonchalant response.
That was certainly the shortest response she had expected.
A moment later, another message appeared.
[ Farrah: Don’t worry. Cameron City isn’t an ordinary survivor settlement. If they’re really heading here, the twelve factions will notice them long before they arrive. ]
Claire nodded slightly, and she believed that was true.
Although the Codebreakers Shelter had grown considerably stronger over the past few weeks, Cameron City was still one of the largest surviving cities in the region.
Its defensive walls, surveillance network, and countless patrol teams would detect such an army sooner or later.
More importantly, every one of the twelve factions had their own scouts operating outside the city every single day.
It would be almost impossible for an army of this size to approach unnoticed.
Still... Claire wasn’t completely reassured.
An army capable of making her hide without daring to move wasn’t something she could simply dismiss.
Before she could continue thinking, another notification appeared.
[ Kai: Estimated direction? ]
Claire immediately replied.
[ Claire: Still uncertain. They passed our location without stopping. They may only be moving through the area, but Cameron City lies roughly along their route. ]
There was a brief pause.
Then Kai finally sent another message.
[ Kai: Understood. Are you guys completing some Guild Mission? Be careful. ]
Claire smiled slightly and replied to thank Kai as always. After all, the camouflage gear they used to avoid detection came from him.
After that, she closed the Guild Chat before looking toward Ralph and Amer.
"We’ll continue our task..."
***
Two days passed quietly.
During those two days, the Codebreakers Shelter became even busier than before. Construction never seemed to stop. From sunrise until late in the evening, the sounds of hammers striking steel, welding torches crackling, and heavy machinery operating echoed throughout the settlement.
More defensive walls were being reinforced, new buildings gradually rose from their foundations, and additional watchtowers appeared around the perimeter. Every day, the shelter looked a little larger than it had the day before.
At this time, however, several kilometers away, another merchant caravan was slowly making its way through the ruined roads.
Unlike Diego and Morales, whose caravans specialized in food supplies, weapons, and Gene Serums, this caravan transported something completely different. Their large transport trucks had been modified into reinforced trailers covered with steel cages instead of cargo containers. Every now and then, animal noises echoed from within them, making the entire caravan seem strangely out of place in the middle of the post-apocalyptic wasteland.
One of the younger merchants looked around with a puzzled expression before scratching his head.
"Diego said the shelter should be somewhere around here."
The older man riding beside him unfolded a weathered map and compared it with the navigation device mounted inside the vehicle.
"The coordinates are correct. Unless we’ve somehow taken the wrong road, we should already be standing right in front of it."
The younger merchant leaned out of the window and looked around once more.
There was nothing.
Broken highways stretched into the distance, ruined buildings stood abandoned on both sides of the road, and dense vegetation had reclaimed much of the surrounding area. No matter where he looked, there wasn’t the slightest sign that a large settlement existed nearby.
"Did they move?"
"I doubt it."
Just as the older merchant was beginning to question the map itself, several guards riding with the caravan immediately became alert.
"Someone’s coming."
Weapons were instinctively raised, although they weren’t aimed directly at the approaching figure.
A lone survivor calmly walked toward them from between the trees. He carried an assault rifle over one shoulder and wore equipment that immediately revealed he belonged to an organized settlement rather than an ordinary group of scavengers.
The moment he got close enough, he smiled.
"Merchants?"
The two merchants exchanged surprised glances.
"Edwin..."
"Boris..."
They introduced themselves.
"My name is Wallace. I knew it, you’re all going to our shelter, right?
Boris looked around once again before nodding.
"Where is your shelter, Wallace?"
"Just stay behind and follow me for now."
Although the instruction sounded strange, neither merchant questioned it. The trucks slowly moved forward behind Wallace until, after traveling only a short distance, the scenery in front of them suddenly distorted.
The air rippled like the surface of a lake.
Soon, they saw a massive hidden settlement.
Every member of the caravan instinctively widened their eyes.
"What... in the world?"
Boris forgot what he was about to say.
High defensive walls surrounded the entire settlement, while armed Sentinels stood guard from elevated watchtowers overlooking every approach. Patrol teams continuously moved along the walls with rifles in hand, and surveillance equipment rotated quietly as it monitored the surrounding wilderness.
The inside of the shelter was even more astonishing.
Construction was taking place everywhere they looked.
Several reinforced buildings had already reached three stories in height.
Workers carried steel beams across unfinished structures while some Super Soldiers transported construction materials from one site to another.
Edwin slowly let out a breath.
"Diego wasn’t exaggerating after all."
Wallace smiled.
"He usually doesn’t."
As the trucks entered through the main gate, many survivors stopped what they were doing and turned their attention toward the unusual caravan. At first, they expected another shipment of weapons or preserved food.
Instead, they heard chickens clucking.
Several people looked at one another in confusion.
Wallace himself couldn’t hide his curiosity as Boris enthusiastically walked toward the first trailer.
"I think it’s time to introduce what we actually sell."
He unlocked the reinforced doors before pulling them open.
Rows of healthy laying hens immediately came into view, each secured inside specially designed transport cages.
Another trailer contained dozens of ducks.
The next one housed rabbits, while two larger trailers carried several goats and sheep. At the very end of the convoy stood the largest transport vehicle of all, where four healthy cattle calmly chewed on bundles of hay despite the long journey.
Even Wallace couldn’t hide his surprise.
"...You brought livestock."
Edwin liked this reaction and nodded.
"Wool, breeding stock, and eventually meat. A settlement that depends entirely on scavenging will eventually run out of supplies. So we believe that a settlement that learns how to raise livestock can continue feeding itself for years."
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