Chapter 69: The Iron Wolves’ Challenge
The next few days in Sector Gamma were strangely peaceful. For the first time since they had all woken up in their strange pods, people felt like they could breathe.
Outpost #7 was at the center of this new calm. It had transformed from a scared, struggling little town into the bustling capital of the whole sector.
The Sector Exchange, Ryan’s new trading system, was a huge success. The central plaza was filled with people from different Outposts, carefully inspecting wares and making deals.
A tough-looking woman from Outpost #4 traded a pile of monster hides to a quiet man from Outpost #9 for a basket of rare, glowing mushrooms. The trade happened instantly and safely through their god Interfaces, and everyone walked away happy.
The whole sector was starting to feel less like a dangerous jungle and more like a real neighborhood.
Ryan’s friends were also thriving. With the extra resources and the bonus to god Point gain, they had all grown much stronger. Scarlett, Emma, and Jennifer had all reached the impressive rank of Level 7.
Scarlett was now the acting commander of Sector Gamma’s new, unofficial defense force. She could be seen drilling teams of volunteers from different Outposts, her voice quiet but firm as she taught them how to work together.
Emma had teamed up with Zara Khan from Outpost #3. The two super-smart women had built a huge research lab and were trying to figure out how all the mysterious Precursor technology worked.
They argued a lot, but they were making amazing discoveries.
And Chris "Boulder" Magnus, the big guy with the even bigger shield, had found his true calling. He was now the head of training for all the new arrivals in Outpost #7.
"Alright, rookies, listen up!" he would bellow, standing in front of a group of nervous-looking newcomers. "Lesson one: The shield is your best friend. It will never ask to borrow money or eat the last slice of pizza. Protect it, and it will protect you!" He would then demonstrate by having a training robot punch his shield, which made a very loud and satisfying CLANG. The rookies were always very impressed.