Ahead, massive floodlights illuminated another fortified checkpoint built directly across the remains of an old highway intersection. Unlike the rookie station earlier, this outpost looked more militarised.

Heavy defense cannons lined reinforced walls while armed contractors patrolled elevated towers overlooking the surrounding plains.

Yellow Zone border station.

It was one of the many stations distributed around the border of the yellow zone to prevent any high-tier monsters from crossing over to the Green zones.

Several armoured vehicles rested behind the checkpoint walls, heavily modified with reinforced plating, elevation suspension systems, and mounted weapon platforms.

Silver had seen these types of high vehicles in the Sanctuary and they fascinated him, they still did.

Silver glanced towards them curiously.

"... We get vehicles now or are we going to be walking around the whole day?"

Shawn nodded once.

"We’ll be getting vehicles. The terrain changes beyond this point."

That was quite obvious, given how their surroundings looked at the moment. The yellow zones weren’t stable settlement ruins like the green sector.

They were migration territories.

Large beasts’ routes crossed through them constantly. Open land allowed massive creatures movements that would destroy ordinary vehicles easily.

Travelling on foot in the Yellow zone would be suicidal for inexperienced Contractors.

Still, Silver frowned.

"Why weren’t we given vehicles earlier then, we wouldn’t have been forced to walk for more than half a day."

Shawn looked at him like the answer was obvious.

"Because most Rookies can’t even reach the yellow border."

Silver blinked.

"...That simple."

The older contractor stepped towards the checkpoint gate calmly.

"The first hunt acts as filtration."

That sounded cold but Silver could understand the sanctuary’s point of view. It’s like giving a gun to a trainee in the military before they pass the vetting.

Shawn continued without emotion.

"Giving every rookie military-grade transport wastes resources on people who quit after their first real fight."

Silver looked back briefly towards the distant green sector behind them. That actually aligned perfectly with how humanity operated after the collapse.

Resources mattered too much for sentimentality. Everything was rationed towards survival efficiently.

Even low-ranked and untalented Contractors face the same issues. Only those capable of advancing further earned access to more valuable resources.

That was why Shawn was the favorite. If he were untalented, the patriarch would probably treat him the way Silver was treated. He wouldn’t have cared less if he were dead or alive. They’ll get enough support in Points and nothing more.

The guards at the checkpoint recognised Shawn immediately and allowed them through after a brief verification process.

Inside, the atmosphere felt quieter and more disciplined than the Rookie station. The contractors stationed here looked significantly more dangerous too.

Older beast tattoos ran across different parts of their bodies. Some had more than two showing their age and ranks. They also carried heavier equipment and rarely spoke to each others expect to whisper a few things here and there.

One glance told Silver that these people regularly fought things far worse than scavengers.

Shawn handed over several identification tags before speaking briefly with one of the officers.

"Two-person yellow sector zone authorization."

The officer looked towards Silver.

"First time?"

Silver nodded.

The man studied him briefly before grunting.

"Limbs intact. Still alive. Better than most."

’Who says that’

Apparently, that counted as praise.

Silver stood to the side as Shawn spoke with the officer in a familiar tone. It seems almost everybody in the station knew him.

A mechanic eventually guided them towards one of the modified vehicles resting near the rear station walls.

It resembled a heavily armoured off-road truck more than the military trucks he was used to, its reinforced tires almost reached reached Silvers waist. He had seen these types of cars in Metube and they were mostly cars that were used for fun and flexing.

Conductive plating covered the exterior while mounted floodlights lined the roof.

Shawn rested one hand against the vehicle casually.

"We leave at dawn."

Silver looked at the endless dark plains beyond the checkpoint walls. There wasn’t any building or ruin, just open wasteland beneath the evening sky.

The yellow zone looked emptier and somehow, that felt more dangerous than the ruined city that had little beasts jumping out of nowhere every passing second.

There was nowhere to hide in the Yellow zone, only large migrations and movements of beasts large enough to claim territories for themselves.

That night passed quickly.

Silver slept inside one of the checkpoint barracks while distant beast calls echoed faintly across the plains outside.

Several times a night he woke up from fragmented memories. Every time he tried to remember, his memories would elude him. It seemed as though his psyche was really trying to find the elemental beast but the world did not appreciate the effort of overriding its plans.

By early morning, the checkpoint already buzzed with activity.

The sound of engines starting and contractors preparing weapons could be heard.

He stepped out of the small room he had been given fully dressed and ready.

Migration reports updated across mounted screens on the station walls.

Outside dawn spread pale grey across the endless yellow plains.

Shawn stood beside their armoured vehicle adjusting equipment calmly while Silver approached.

"We’re moving."

The early morning cold still lingered over the yellow zone plains as Shawn climbed into the armoured transport without another word.

Silver followed shortly afterwards.

The reinforced vehicle rumbled heavily once activated, its engine sounding deeper than ordinary machines because of the conductive modification built into the frame.

"This is more comfortable than I thought," Silver said while tying his seat belt.

Shawn glanced at him once and stepped on the accelerator.

"You can at least die in comfort when you get mangled," he calmly said.

Silvers turned to look at him in shock.

"Thats dark."

Shawn didn’t react.

"Yeah, well the world is already dark as it is."

"Fair point."

"So, where are we going?"

"Anywhere, your first contract will determine our location. "

Silver nodded.

"Right."

The gates opened slowly, then the vehicle rolled forward into the wasteland.