Chapter 185: Preparing both Shelters and Slow Upgrade
Sharmaine’s decision to share their plan wasn’t random. She also wanted to know about the others’ plans. As expected, several other Survivors immediately reacted.
[ Owen: Underground? I don’t know... hiding might work at first, but drones scan wide areas. If they catch even one signal, the hunter bots will swarm, and no escape route. They’ll smoke you out, bruh. Maybe you should be preparing to fight instead of just hiding. ]
[ Ralph: I disagree. Fighting drones head‑on is suicide unless you’ve got Augmented Humans on your side or if you have strong warrior-class Survivors... Anyway, I think shelters that stay quiet and minimize exposure will last longer. Going underground is the safest bet. ]
[ Joseph: Both of you make sense. The Sweep lasts seven days. We can’t fight nonstop, but we can’t hide forever either. Maybe the best plan is to rotate... stay hidden most of the time, then strike when drones get too close. ]
[ Owen: That’s risky, but it might be the only way. If we just sit underground, we’ll starve or run out of supplies. ]
[ Ralph: Supplies don’t matter if you’re dead. Survive the Sweep first, then worry about food. You’re all high level... You can survive a few days without eating. Just prep some nuts, leaves, or something. ]
[ Joseph: Either way, this Event is going to test everyone. Survivors that can adapt fast will live. Those that don’t... well, the Swarmers will clean them out. ]
***
In the meantime, after a brief conversation with his team, Kai wasted no time.
He invited the other Survivors from Earth to join his Guild. The matters of the Guild Missions would be handled by them.
For now, they had to take the Global Event’s matter seriously.
For seven days, drones and swarmers would be sweeping across the regions. They only had five days to prepare.
The first step was fortification.
Windows were blocked with steel sheets scavenged from the warehouse. Every opening was sealed, leaving only narrow slits for observation...
Just like that, the workers hammered, and if they could weld, they might’ve started already.
It was quite tiring, but they had to do this...
Soon, traps were also laid around the perimeter... tripwires connected to cans and scrap metal that rattled loudly when triggered.
Well, it was definitely a substandard method, but it might work...
Then, there were also sharpened stakes hidden beneath loose soil, and barricades designed to funnel drones into narrow paths.
Even Amer, their cook, helped with this as he worked tirelessly, setting up reinforced barriers and layering wooden spikes along choke points with Jonas and the others.
Aurora and Claire handled the jammers, testing their range and adjusting frequencies. They weren’t entirely sure how effective they would be, but the belief was that disrupting signals could also interfere with the Swarmers’ ability to detect human presence. Whether it was true or not, it was still better to deploy them than risk being scanned without protection.
Kai’s A‑Grade Sentinel, Atom, just stood at the gate of the shelter, scanning for vulnerabilities. Well, they weren’t sure about Atom’s battery after all...
Still, Kai’s mind was torn.
Haven‑45 had artillery, a larger defensive perimeter, and the forest nearby for cover. It was the ideal stronghold. If all Guild fighters gathered there, defense would be easier.
But Freedom Shelter was equally important. It had a field of crops that Aurora was developing...
Furthermore, if they abandoned it, Angelo could occupy it, and reclaiming it later would be really difficult.
In the end, Kai made his decision.
He would stay at Freedom Shelter with Atom, Amer, Jonas, Aurora, Mei, and the workers. They would hold this ground.
Claire and Russel, however, were sent to Haven‑45. Not because Kai didn’t want to protect Claire, but because she was strong enough to protect others. He trusted her to lead the defense there.
The next day, Kai joined them on the return trip... It was also for resupplying Haven‑45 with his Gift Packs.
Riding alongside Claire and Russel on their bikes, he checked his system notifications.
[ Upgrade in Progress... Estimated Completion: 6 Hours ]
What he was looking at right now was the Talent Upgrade Crystal’s effect.
Apparently, after using it last night, he actually had to wait for 15 hours to complete the process!
He really thought that it was instantaneous like before.
In any case, that was also the reason why he was here... Instead of waiting idly, he chose to move with Claire and Russel.
The ride back to Haven‑45 was rough, but when Kai finally saw the towering artillery sticking out above the shelter walls, he couldn’t help but pause...
The weapon looked imposing under the sun. It wasn’t just a deterrent... It showed how New Haven‑45 was no ordinary shelter.
"Looks neat..."
As soon as they approached the gates, Kai was greeted by a familiar figure.
Ralph stood tall in the wooden watchtower, waving his hand down at them. "Welcome back!" he called.
Inside, Kai immediately noticed that not much had changed.
Then, he scanned the area and quickly noticed something else. The wandering merchant, Jyrus, had already left. No trace of his cart anymore...
Anyway, the only major difference was the artillery’s position, shifted slightly to cover a wider angle of fire. It was a smart adjustment.
Victor, Wallace, Elena, Marissa, Farrah, and Alfie quickly gathered around... They all looked excited.
Kai was confused at first since he had never been welcomed like this before.
However, he soon realized what was going on.
"Kai!" Victor started. "We heard about the Guild. We want in. All of us. Please invite us!"
Ralph chuckled... "Yeah. We’ve been talking. We don’t want to be left behind. No one’s planning to make another Guild... Let us join you."
Kai couldn’t help but laugh after hearing this. He planned to do that anyway.
"Hahaha! Of course, I’ll invite you all."
Just like that, everyone accepted Kai’s invite, and he was flooded with notifications.
[ Victor has joined Codebreakers Guild. ]
[ Ralph has joined Codebreakers Guild. ]
...
[ Farrah has joined Codebreakers Guild. ]
[ Alfie has joined Codebreakers Guild. ]
"Everyone... Welcome to Codebreakers Guild!" Kai finally said as the group celebrated.
They even asked if they could brag about it in the World Chat...
However, as Kai planned to visit the warehouse, he soon realized something... All of them were actually carrying the same type of sword!
"This..."