It would take at least a full day to recover from the fatigue.That much was inevitable.The morning that greeted them was touched with a chill.Cold enough that a few people were already coughing dryly in the early dawn.Thoughts of winter grew heavier by the day.“Maybe twenty days left.”Until winter arrived.There was still a lot to be done before then.Pushing aside those small thoughts,he opened the basement door — preparing to rejoin the main force.“You arrived sooner than I expected.”That report came from a soldier below, who had been exchanging radio calls.It seemed the news that he had entered the Defense Force base alone had made everyone anxious.Waiting wasn’t exactly boring — there was too much to organize and plan.“If we move out first, the priorities are…”There were two choices.Recover the hidden equipment and reactor — or head straight for the nuclear power plant.Both options had their merits.Recovering the hidden gear and reactor would be a great personal benefit.Heading straight for the nuclear plant would let them clear out any hostile entities in advance, speeding up later work.He wavered between the two choices for a moment.Of course—“It’d be tough, but I could do both.”That was possible, though the distance between the two locations couldn’t be ignored.“I’ll think it over a bit more.”In any case, the hidden equipment was something that had to be retrieved eventually.That particular item was [Gamma].Zero, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Sigma —five pieces of gear custom-built by Gale, the pinnacle of Wayless engineering.They were practically a set.Individually, they hadn’t been particularly useful back in the cyberpunk world,but now that the world had changed, their potential had become limitless.As the only one who knew where they all were,he had no intention of leaving them behind.“Gamma’s somewhere around here.”Specifically, near the cultured-meat cultivation complex —inside the [Wayless Historical Museum].“Originally, I hadn’t planned to recover it in a rush…”But things were different now.The reason that option was on equal footing with the nuclear plant was because of the [Transhumans].“The last report from the special forces said they made contact with HQ…which means they might still be nearby.”He didn’t know their exact location, but if they ran into each other,things could get unpredictable.Having [Gamma] would at least give him some resistance to bullets —a deadly counter to the firearm-reliant Transhumans.“Haa…”As his thoughts reached their end,a voice echoed from below.“Salute the Captain!”Benjamin, looking haggard from exhaustion, came up the stairs and saluted with a faint smile.“…Chief of Staff, you’ve done well.”Receiving the salute, he gestured inward.Benjamin brushed off his tired expression and stepped inside.“You really handled all of this alone, sir?”“It just… worked out that way.”Benjamin clicked his tongue at the sight of hundreds of scattered corpses.“All those entities, sir?”“It wasn’t that difficult.”“Well… thanks to that, we ran here till our feet blistered.”A joking tone — but his expression was briefly grave.“Captain.”“…”“When you’re in danger, the whole unit trembles.That’s sincere advice, sir.”“…My apologies for worrying everyone.”“Ah, well, I know you can handle yourself, haha!”There wasn’t much he could say to that.The main force had regrouped astonishingly fast —so fast that some soldiers had carried civilians on their backs.Giving them new assignments right away would be unreasonable.They needed at least a little rest.Still, the soldiers couldn’t help but glance around the ruins with awe.“The Captain really did all this alone?”“I knew he was a monster, but still…”The civilians and researchers reacted much the same.Even Aryan couldn’t resist commenting:“Impressive. You’ve got a reputation for poor judgment, but this time you chose well.”“Did you have any trouble getting here?”“Practically carried all the way, so the soldiers deserve the credit.”“I see.”Given his solo actions, they would’ve had every reason to be annoyed —yet the soldiers’ gazes were full of admiration instead.“Damn, I should learn swordsmanship from the Captain someday.”“Can you even talk to him?”“Well…”“Then can you even look him in the eye?”“…Guess not.”He overheard their conversation and glanced over.Immediately, they broke into cold sweat and averted their eyes.“Am I really that intimidating?”He didn’t think he’d treated them harshly… but oh well.Thanks to the growing number of people, the cleanup inside went quickly.Though ordered to rest, everyone decided they couldn’t relax in such a place,and began carrying debris outside until it was done.Of course, with all the blood, there was a risk of infection —but the Ark troops knew enough to disinfect everything properly.Those still with energy wiped down the floors swiftly.“W-wait! That’s an important specimen!”Some researchers tried to collect blood samples from the remains,but when they started using soldiers’ canteens for it,Benjamin’s glare sent them scurrying away.“They’re lively again.”The dry, weary atmosphere was fading.Yet somehow, that only made his shoulders feel heavier.These were people who had chosen to follow him after only a few battles.More than gratitude, he wanted to give them something tangible in return.“Benjamin.”“Yes, Captain.”“I found some reinforced suits and other equipment inside. Most of it’s in usable condition.”“That’s good news.”“Distribute it according to the troops’ preferences.”“Regardless of rank?”He nodded.There wasn’t much else to give as a reward —gear that helped them live longer and fight better would have to do.“And raise the civilian participants’ pay for this operation.”“Understood.”“We’ll hold a meeting in an hour.”“Yes, sir.”The meeting that followed was more detailed than any before.How to move the equipment.Which sections of the transmission lines to restore first.It was all about refining the core strategy.As the discussion wound down,his next statement stirred the room.“Kyle? What do you mean by that?”“You mean you’re going on recon mission yourself, Captain?”A wave of concern spread.This time, rather than brush it off, he decided to talk it through.“Winter’s coming soon.”He began carefully, outlining the grim outlook ahead.“In a world without civilization, winter will be brutal for us.”“But—”“Eli, let’s hear him out first.”“Cold can be deadlier than any creature. We could lose many people.But I don’t want a single one of ours to freeze to death.”“Mm.”“If I move out now, scout the area, and identify threats in advance,we can work faster. That’s why I’m going.”“So it’s… only reconnaissance?”He shook his head.“Then you intend to do more if necessary?”“I will, if I must.”“That’s dangerous.”“I won’t deny it. But I’m not suicidal either.”Silence filled the room.Benjamin’s face was thoughtful.Eli’s expression was clouded with worry.Tyrone, by contrast, remained indifferent.“Do you need a support team?”“No, I don’t think so.”“The only one skilled enough to match you right now is Deputy CommanderMelanie Marillier back at HQ. I can summon her if needed.”“That would take too long.”“Then I’ll accompany you myself.”“Chief of Staff.”“Yes, sir.”“There’s no one else here capable of commanding this base besides you.”It was true — Benjamin’s assistance would help,but his absence would leave the entire base leaderless.At that, the discussion shifted again.“Haa… We can’t stop him anyway. If we could, we’d have done it long ago.”With a resolute look, Eli stood up.“Eli?”“Eli?”Moving quickly, as if she’d made up her mind,she grabbed his military pack.“Give me a flare gun and a radio.”Her determined tone made Benjamin glance at her.He nodded.Eli packed the flare and radio, then began adding food rations.“You’re not planning to come with me, are you?”“Are you crazy? I’d only slow you down.”“Then why—”“If I can’t stop you, I can at least help.”She began reading the calorie counts on each pouch,carefully filling the bag.“Eli.”“You’ve already decided. No point in me trying to hold you back — it’d just make things awkward.”“No, I mean… Eli, that’s too much. You don’t need to pack that much.”She arched an eyebrow in disbelief.“…You should consider how much you usually eat.”Having watched him eat, she probably knew best.He couldn’t argue.Then, her tone softened into something faintly sad.“If I could actually be of use, I’d ask to go with you.”“You already are of use.”For some reason, there was a frustrated glint in her eyes —a quiet, burning determination that made him flinch.“Someday.”“Hmm?”“Someday, you’ll need me out there too. That’s a promise.”“Alright.”“You called it [Phantom], right? I’ll practice whenever I can.”Could she ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) really master it so quickly?If it were Eli — the prodigy of this world — maybe.Still…“Could this be the beginning of [Bloody Eli]?”An unsettling thought.A cold shiver ran through him.Eli — the hexagonal talent.If she added combat skill to her repertoire, she’d be invaluable.He just hoped her temperament wouldn’t change along with it.Benjamin could only smile bitterly, as if to say there was no stopping either of them.“Captain.”“…”“If reconnaissance is the main goal, I support it.”“Thank you.”“But if you sense real danger — please, call us immediately.”“I promise.”He knew it himself.When the moment of true crisis came —he would need their strength.

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