His eyes immediately landed on Shawn then Silver then Shawn again.

"What happened?"

Shawn pointed toward Silver.

"He happened."

The giant man’s gaze shifted to him. Silver suddenly felt judged.

"You’re the rookie?"

Silver nodded.

The man looked disappointed.

"I expected someone bigger."

Silver wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He was tall, okay, the man was just a giant and would basically dwarf anyone.

Another Contractor jumped down from the vehicle. A woman this time. She had short black hair, sharp green eyes, and several pistols hanging from her belt.

Unlike the giant man, she seemed amused.

"This is the one you called us about, the one who fell off a cliff?"

"Apparently."

She circled Silver once then nodded.

"Huh."

"Huh, what?"

She glanced towards the ravine a few meters from them. It looked deeper from where they stood.

"This is surprising... You survived this long."

Silver stared.

"That seems like a low standard."

"It is."

The woman smiled.

"Welcome to the yellow zone. Everyone falls into these places once in a while. Wait till you fall into a mole trap, you’ll love it."

The remaining Contractors laughed. Shawn just looked tired on the side. Eventually, introductions happened.

Malcom.

Sera.

Two others named Ross and Victor. All members of Shawn’s team. All experienced yellow-zone Contractors.

Silver quickly realized something. They were strong. Not because of the obvious displays of power but of how they moved, observed their surroundings, and unconsciously positioned themselves.

Survival had become instinct. The team had already completed their own hunt before responding to Shawn’s distress signal. Several beast corpses rested inside the transport vehicle.

After a quick meal, the group began moving. The vehicle carried them deeper across the migration routes toward the checkpoint.

For Silver, it became his first real opportunity to observe the yellow zone properly since Shawn had taken the safest route of all the others.

Occasionally massive beast tracks crossed the ground; some larger than vehicles and others so enormous that Silver preferred not imagining what created them.

Several times the transport stopped because Shawn’s team continued hunting.

To Silver’s surprise, hunting wasn’t always dramatic. Sometimes a beast appeared and died. The difference between rookies and veterans became painfully obvious.

One creature resembling an oversized wolf attempted an ambush.

Malcom killed it in less than ten seconds. A strength launched spear pierced its skull before it fully emerged from cover.

Another beast tried attacking from underground, and Sera shot it through the eye. The fight lasted three seconds.

Silver watched quietly as he learnt and observed. Experience couldn’t be purchased, unfortunately.

By noon, they reached the green zones. The route leads back toward the rookie checkpoint. Traffic increased noticeably. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Contractor vehicles.

Supply convoys.

Escort teams.

Everyone was moving between designated safe routes. The yellow zone remained dangerous but the green sectors were a source of peace for most experienced Contractors.

These were common pathways for experienced contractors, hence the increased traffic. Humanity had spent decades creating these pathways.

Eventually, the rookie checkpoint appeared on the horizon. The first true line separating rookie hunting grounds from the deeper wilderness.

Silver recognized it immediately. The place looked far smaller than when he first arrived. Funny how quickly perspectives changed.

When the transport rolled through the gates, people noticed, immediately. Word spread fast among rookies especially when he was the last to arrive.

The reactions started before the vehicle even stopped.

"Thats Silver right?"

He was sitting by the window, clearly visible to everyone.

"So, he didn’t die, huh?"

"Why was he with Shawn. I thought they hated each other."

"I just want to go home."

Silver climbed out slowly with every eye following him. He has never felt like a celebrity until now. People stopped conversations entirely.

One particularly familiar face stood among them.

Cruella.

Her beautiful features immediately revealed surprise. Apparently surviving wasn’t part of the expected script.

Nearby stood several of her usual followers. Including members of the teams that had spent the previous days competing for her attention.

One of them blinked.

"How are you alive?"

Silver looked at him.

"By not dying."

The young man seemed annoyed by that answer.

The checkpoint became increasingly chaotic. Reports had to be filed, kills recorded, beast integrations documented and injuries evaluated. Just standard procedure.

Silver endured several hours of bureaucracy before finally escaping.

By evening, all rookie teams gathered in the central assembly area. The atmosphere felt very different now. When they first arrived, everyone had been excited, nervous, and ambitious.

But now?

Reality had arrived. Several rookies were missing, some injured, others permanently. While the minority carried new tattoos, confidence, and understanding. The wilderness had taught lessons. Some easier than others.

An instructor eventually stepped forward.

"The transport convoy arrives in thirty minutes."

Relief visibly spread through the crowd.

Home.

Or as close to home as the Sanctuary could be. For many rookies, this had been their first extended trip outside protected territory.

Some had succeeded while others had failed. All of them returned changed.

Silver leaned against a wall quietly. His fingers brushed the hidden tattoo above his heart. Everything felt unreal.

Only a few days ago he had awakened.

Now?

He possessed powers impossible in his previous life. A future completely different from the novel he remembered, one that no longer followed the original story.

The realization should have been terrifying. Instead, it felt freeing.

The convoy departed shortly after sunset. Massive armored transports rolled out from the checkpoint.

Returning rookies filled the passenger compartments. Conversation flowed throughout the journey. Stories, exaggerations, boasting, and complaints.

Contractors loved pretending they weren’t scared.

Silver sat near a window, watching the wasteland pass by as the darkness swallowed the distant horizon.

Hours later, the Sanctuary finally appeared. Massive walls rising from the night. Towering floodlights illuminating the surrounding landscape.

Humanity’s island amid an ocean of monsters.

For the first time since leaving, Silver genuinely appreciated the sight. It represented safety.

The convoy entered through the main gates and stopped just inside the sanctuary. Cheers erupted from several rookies while others immediately contacted family, friends, and supporters to pick them up. Their daily lives had finally resumed.

Silver stepped from the transport quietly. The familiar streets stretched before him. The checkpoint mission was over.

His first beast was integrated. He also had his first real battle survived and somehow against all odds he had returned alive.

The next Chapter would begin soon enough. But for tonight? Silver was simply grateful to be back behind the walls.

He looked toward the Elite zone and sighed. He’d had to walk all the way or take a transport.

’Let’s just take a car, I’m too tired to walk’

The decision came first but before he could step forward a voice called through the noise.

"Hey, Silver."

He’d never turned around so fast in his life.