As the battle ended, everyone started resting for a bit as they felt exhausted after the adrenaline rush was gone.

Furthermore, the Foreign Survivor’s Spirit Points were at their lowest as well.

However, it didn’t take long before everyone started working together to clear up the battlefield.

Soon, Kai found a familiar figure...

It was Angelo himself!

The man was bloodied, his body pinned under his own motorbike. He tried to move, but the weight crushed him down. His breath was already shallow, and his eyes were filled with fear.

Just like that, the man who had once threatened Freedom Shelter was about to die. There was no big or special fight against him or any dramatic ending.

It was a useless death.

Kai didn’t feel much. Even if Angelo was a fellow human, in this world, it didn’t matter. The apocalypse had changed everything.

The A.I. Rebellion had filled the land with mechanical soldiers, and survivors had turned against each other. Resources, jealousy, and greed made enemies out of people who should have been allies.

Angelo had chosen that path, and now he was gone.

"Loot them before the fire spreads," Kai ordered after seeing some small fires starting to spread.

Just like that, the group moved quickly. They stripped weapons, ammo, and supplies from the fallen.

Anything left behind would be burned or lost.

Those uninjured worked swiftly with steady hands, knowing how important it was to obtain these items. After all, they knew that Kai wouldn’t be with them at all times.

When the looting was done, Kai led them toward the shelter.

The fog grew thinner, and soon the buildings of Haven‑28 came into view.

Although there was a fence, it was not enough to block their path...

They easily entered the place as Atom opened the metal gate...

Inside, they found the survivors.

Twelve people in total, who were men and women. They weren’t fighters, and even without asking, Kai could tell from their calloused hands that they were workers. They were definitely assigned to farming, sewing, cooking, and cleaning.

"They were laborers, not warriors."

Kai studied them silently. These people weren’t a threat.

They were weak, tired, and scared. They had no weapons or any talents useful for battle.

They were simply trying to live.

"They’re locals," Mei whispered. "Not from Earth."

Kai nodded. That explained their simple lives.

They hadn’t been transported like him and the others...

They had always been here, surviving in their own way.

The twelve looked at Kai’s strike force with wide eyes. They didn’t resist. They knew the fighters were gone, and only workers remained.

Kai lowered his weapon.

"The battle is over," he said quietly. "This Haven‑28 has fallen..."

The group stood in silence.

What else could they do?

They could only submit to their new leaders. Well, they weren’t fighters, and they knew their worth.

By now, they knew that the Foreign Survivors were here to fight back against the A.I. Rebel, Aria. Their enemies weren’t really fellow humans unless they were threatened.

Because of that, they knew that they just had to be obedient and become useful.

Soon, the twelve looked at each other and made a decision to bow to their new leader.

***

Kai didn’t make it difficult for these civilians...

He calmly looked at the twelve who bowed their heads.

He lowered his weapon and asked calmly, "What’s the situation here? Tell me everything."

One of the men stepped forward.

He was thin, with tired eyes, but his voice was firm. "My name is Rolly," he said. "I’ll explain."

Rolly pointed toward the misty swamp around them. "This place wasn’t always like this. Before, it was just a foggy town. But one of the Foreign Survivors under Angelo blocked the river in the north. That’s how the swamp was made. It was for protection. Whenever the swamp dried up, they blocked the river again and let the water flow back here."

Kai and the others exchanged surprised looks. They hadn’t expected the swamp to be man‑made.

Rolly continued, "There’s also a truck filled with fuel inside. Angelo kept it hidden. And there are extra motorbikes too, taken from a dealership nearby. That’s how his men moved so fast."

Kai nodded slowly. "What about food?"

Rolly sighed. "I’m a baker. We still have flour, and I’ve been cultivating wild yeast so we can make bread. But the wheat is running out. Soon, we won’t be able to bake anymore. We’ll have to rely on mushrooms and whatever else the forest can give us."

Kai understood their situation. These people weren’t loyal to Angelo... they were just surviving. He thought about bringing them back to Freedom Shelter. But first, he wanted to know their true strength.

He pulled out his Status Crystals.

The glowing shards lit up in his hand. He placed one before Rolly...

"Touch it..."

Rolly wasn’t sure what it was, but he followed him nonetheless. He didn’t feel any hostility from Kai anyway...

Soon, he was shocked by his own status...

[ Name: Rolly ]

[ Title: None ]

[ Level: 4 ]

[ Health: 110 / 110 ]

[ Spirit: 20 / 20 ]

[ Physique Rating: E- ]

[ Active Skills: None ]

[ Passive Skills: None ]

"Is this my status? I heard Angelo and others talking about this." He muttered.

Kai just nodded at him and asked for the next person to be checked. After all, if someone was quite special with an interesting skill or stat, then he wouldn’t mind nurturing them.

However, after checking five more people, he didn’t find anyone with decent stat...

As he was thinking that no one here would give him a surprise, the sixth person, who was supposed to be the shelter’s seamstress, showed him an interesting stat!

[ Name: Galatea ]

[ Title: None ]

[ Level: 5 ]

[ Health: 120 / 120 ]

[ Spirit: 45 / 65 ]

[ Physique Rating: E ]

[ Active Skills: None ]

[ Passive Skills: Needlecraft Lv0, Meridian Touch Lv0 ]

[ Needlecraft (Level 0): Improves sewing and repairing ability. Allows faster crafting of cloth armor and minor reinforcement of fabric. Slightly increases the durability of stitched items. ]

[ Meridian Touch (Level 0): Uses basic acupuncture techniques. Can ease pain, reduce fatigue, and slightly boost recovery when applied to allies. ]