Global Shelter Game

Bena raised his hand, signaling the team to halt immediately. Everyone assumed a combat-ready stance.

"Zhou Mei, Hawke, go scout out the source of the sound," Bena commanded.

Zhou Mei and Hawke quickly crept toward the direction of the sound. Their movements were light and swift, and in a moment, they disappeared among the ruins.

A few minutes later, Zhou Mei and Hawke returned to the team with new information.

"Captain Bena, there’s a convoy up ahead fighting a pack of mutated creatures," Zhou Mei reported.

"The convoy isn’t large, maybe three or four vehicles, but they seem well-equipped," Hawke added.

Bena thought for a moment before making a decision.

"Let’s go take a look. We’ll decide what to do based on the situation," Bena said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

They were all veterans; they naturally understood what Bena meant.

In the wasteland, there are no permanent friends, nor are there permanent enemies.

Interests always come first.

They followed Bena, silently approaching the site of the battle.

On a patch of open ground, a convoy of modified vehicles was besieged by a pack of mutated creatures.

The convoy members were fighting back with all their might, but due to their numerical disadvantage, their situation was precarious.

Bena observed for a moment, his eyes narrowing.

He spotted a symbol on one of the motorcycles—a white symbol.

A two-handed longsword piercing through three gears of varying sizes.

’These people are actually from the Steel Brotherhood?’

The Steel Brotherhood was one of the most renowned organizations in the wasteland. How could a few large mutated creatures possibly have them surrounded?

’Is there some hidden story behind this?’

"Captain Bena, what should we do?"

Zhou Mei asked in a low voice, a hint of worry in her eyes.

They had just recently robbed a Steel Brotherhood warehouse that contained six suits of valuable power armor.

Although they had burned the warehouse down and killed everyone before they left, leaving no evidence, there was no guarantee the other party didn’t have some special means of figuring out they were the ones responsible.

So, no matter how you looked at it, there was no way Bena would step in to help.

Just then, Neil suddenly spoke in a hushed tone:

"Captain Bena, something’s not right."

Bena tore his gaze away from the battle and looked at Neil beside him.

They hadn’t known each other for long, but he already had complete trust in Neil’s abilities.

His knowledge was profound, whether it was setting traps or understanding mutated creatures.

While his own combat skills weren’t the best, he was an excellent Mutant Hunter.

So, when Neil pointed out a problem, Bena immediately became serious.

"Tell me, what seems off to you?"

Neil pointed at the three mutated creatures attacking the convoy in the distance and began his analysis:

"In the wasteland, it’s true that different species of large mutated creatures sometimes cooperate to hunt."

"But a black bear, a jackal, and a rhino—it’s highly unlikely for these three different large mutated creatures to hunt together. Normally, if they ran into each other, they might even fight. This is too strange. I feel like..."

Before Neil could finish, Bena understood what he was getting at.

"You mean these mutated creatures are being controlled by someone?" Bena asked in a low, serious voice.

Neil nodded.

"There’s a strong possibility. The attack patterns and movements of these creatures are clearly different from what’s normal."

"Also, look at that black bear. There seems to be some kind of strange device on its fur."

Bena followed Neil’s finger and saw that, indeed, the level of coordination among the mutated creatures attacking the convoy seemed unusual.

That degree of cooperation was clearly beyond the capability of low-intelligence mutated creatures.

"It’s highly likely someone is controlling these mutated creatures from behind the scenes," Neil said with certainty.

Bena’s brow furrowed. If these mutated creatures were truly being controlled, then the enemy they faced was far more complex.

"Zhou Mei, Hawke, continue observing the surrounding area. See if you can spot any suspicious people or devices," Bena immediately issued a new order.

"Understood." Zhou Mei and Hawke acknowledged the order and once again slipped into the ruins.

Bena, meanwhile, continued to observe the convoy’s situation. He could see they were on the verge of collapse. If no action was taken soon, the entire convoy would likely be wiped out.

If this were just a normal mutant attack, he would have been happy to watch from the sidelines. However, this clearly wasn’t the case.

Once the convoy was eliminated, the force controlling the mutated creatures would surely emerge to claim the fruits of their victory.

He knew that if the creatures were indeed being controlled, acting rashly now would likely alert the enemy.

Bena weighed the pros and cons in his mind. He had to make the right choice.

Just then, Zhou Mei and Hawke returned to the group.

"Captain Bena, we didn’t find any suspicious individuals nearby," Zhou Mei reported.

Hawke nodded as well.

"Looks like they’re well-hidden. We couldn’t find any clues."

Bena’s brow furrowed even tighter. He knew the situation had just become more complicated.

"Captain Bena, what do we do?" Neil asked in a low voice.

Bena thought for a moment before making a decision.

"We’ll wait and see for now. If the convoy really can’t hold on, then we’ll make our move."

Bena said in a deep voice.

"But we have to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice. If the situation changes, we must act immediately."

Everyone nodded in understanding.

Bena’s gaze returned to the embattled convoy. He knew the situation had already exceeded his expectations.

If these mutated creatures were truly being controlled, then the enemy they faced was even more mysterious and powerful.

But no matter what, he had to make the right choice to ensure the safety and interests of his team.

On Bena’s command, the team once again went on high alert, ready to respond to any potential changes.

Meanwhile, the distant battle grew more intense, and the convoy’s situation became increasingly precarious.

Bena stared intently at the battlefield, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The instant the convoy couldn’t hold out any longer, he would lead his team into the fray.

He knew that regardless of who was controlling the mutated creatures, they had to be prepared to fight at any moment.

As time passed, the distant battle became a frantic stalemate.

The three large mutated creatures, in coordination with some smaller ones, were constantly whittling down the convoy’s effective strength.

Although the convoy’s resistance managed to kill a steady stream of smaller mutated creatures, the three main ones had only sustained minor injuries. Meanwhile, more and more convoy members were losing their ability to fight or being killed outright by the mutants.