The convoy left Delta 3 just after sunrise. Massive armoured vehicles rolled slowly through the outer city roads beneath the shadow of the enormous walls while escort drones hovered overhead in rotating formations.

Contractors filled most of the vehicles, young awakeners preparing for their first integration alongside experienced Contractors assigned to supervise them.

The atmosphere inside Silver’s transport felt tense. People spoke quietly, while others checked their weapons repeatedly, pretending not to be nervous.

Across from Silver, Sally, one of his cousins kept bouncing her leg uncontrollably while pretending to clean the rifle for the fourth time.

Shawn sat near the front of the transport calmly sharpening a combat blade with slow, practiced movements. Compared to everyone else, he looked at ease which made sense since this wasn’t his first rodeo. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Silver sat near one of the reinforced windows, silently observing the city as it passed by.

But every now and then, his thoughts drifted elsewhere. White hair beneath cheap hotel lights. Cold eyes watching him suspiciously.

’... potentially harmless.’

A small burst of laughter escaped at the memory before covering his mouth. He could feel the others staring at him. He looked back outside completely ignoring them.

Delta 3, near the outer gates looked different. More militarised.

The barely stable houses and dirty streets disappeared, replaced instead by industrial defence zones layered with checkpoints, artillery stations, and military staging platforms.

This was because near the walls, humanity remembered fear properly.

The military vehicle slowed eventually as the outer gates came into view.

Silver looked up slightly.

Even from a distance, the walls were overwhelming. They were hundreds of meters tall. The gates themselves looked large enough to move mountains. They were massive segmented doors layered with enough armour to survive direct beast assaults.

Silver understood why people born in the sanctuary rarely wanted to leave. The walls made humanity feel small and protected while outside them, everything wanted to kill you.

The convoy stopped briefly near one of the gate checkpoints. Additional Contractors boarded.

Silver noticed her immediately. Cruella, she seemed to have become a constant wherever he went. There were so many vehicles, why did it have to be his?

She entered gracefully despite the cramped military vehicle, soft golden hair catching the early morning light spilling through the open transport doors. Several younger men straightened almost immediately after noticing her.

Including Shawn. It was subtle but Silver noticed it which he found funny.

Cruella naturally drew attention without trying. A calm smile and an elegant posture. She was the kind of beauty people trusted instinctively.

Cruella was the complete opposite of Ravenna. She felt sharper in his memories, more dangerous somehow. Even tired and exhausted, she looked like someone constantly prepared for betrayal.

Silver remembered the way her eyes narrowed suspiciously every time he spoke and resisted the urge to laugh.

Cruella noticed Silver shortly afterwards and softly smiled.

"Good morning, Silver."

Several people glanced towards him immediately. Silver understood why. Yesterday, he would have followed her around like some obsessed idiot.

Today, he just nodded normally.

"Good morning."

The response was so ordinary that even Cruella blinked, a small frown marring her face for only a fraction before it smoothed back down.

Shawn noticed his behaviour too.

His gaze lingered in Silver for an extra second before turning away.

The transport doors sealed shut moments later. A few minutes later, the massive gates opened. The sound alone was enormous.

Metal grinding against metal while layered security systems disengaged one after another. And beyond the opening, the wastelands appeared.

Silence filled the transport immediately. Even nervous chatter disappeared. This was because no matter how many recordings someone watched, seeing the outside world personally felt different.

The land beyond the sanctuary looked dead.

Collapse highways disappeared into endless dust-covered ruins while broken skyscrapers leaned crookedly in the distance. Forest mutated into overgrown masses stretching unnaturally across shattered cities.

The sanctuary had clearly been built inside a city. It was definitely a reclaimed city but they hadn’t managed to capture it all.

Silver watched quietly as the convoy crossed the threshold. The moment they passed beyond the walls, everyone felt it.

Pressure. Environment hostility exactly.

The world outside the sanctuary rejected weakness instinctively. It was as though they had left their bubble and entered the reality of the world they were born in.

One of the younger Contractors swallowed nervously.

"...This is outside..."

Shawn finally spoke from the front.

"Stay alert from this point onward. Lower-ranked beasts roam close to the walls constantly."

As if summoned by the warning, movement appeared near the ruined highway beside the envoy. Three creatures emerged from the wreckage slowly.

Silver frowned at their appearance. They were hairless and grey-skinned. They had distorted cat-like bodies, though a little overgrown, with exposed bones protruding through parts of their bodies.

Scavenger beasts. They were lower-tier but fast.

Several younger awakened stiffened while Silver was too curious about them to even remember to be scared.

The beasts lunged towards the convoy.

Gunfire exploded instantly.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Experienced Contractors riding escort vehicles fired reinforced rounds directly through the beast’s skull with practised ease. The creatures collapsed violently against the road before twitching motionlessly.

The smell of blood drifted faintly through the transport’s vents afterwards.

Silver watched silently. This was a struggle for survival he had to eventually join as a human. To kill mindless and intelligent beasts to keep everyone around him safe.

Seeing the beasts in real life and their death was like an alarm going off in his head. He had to adapt, and quickly.

The convoy continued deeper into the wasteland afterwards toward the designated rookie integration zone. Silver rested one elbow against the window quietly.

Then finally spoke internally.

"System. "

The blue screen appeared instantly.

[HAPPINESS SYSTEM]

"Show me my stats."

Several windows unfolded across his vision.

[HOST STATUS]

Name: Silver Ruddington

Soul Capacity: 7 → Limit Removed

Current Soul Stability: Stable

Current Rank: Initial Awakener

Integrated Beast:

None

Beast Tattoo Slots:

Unlimited Potential

[ATTRIBUTES]

Strength: 8

Agility: 9

Endurance: 7

Soul Synchronization: 14

Perception: 12

[SKILLS]

• Phantom Draw - Beginner Firearm Technique

[SYSTEM FUNCTIONS]

Unlocked:

• Affection Detection

• Beginner Shop Access

• Quest Function

• Target Synchronization

[CURRENT RESOURCES]

Affection Points: 100