Apocalypse: Reborn with a Soul Sync Farming Space System-Chapter 148 This is freedom?

One by one, the others began walking toward the opening gate, their footsteps slow and uncertain as the massive iron doors continued sliding apart with a grinding sound that echoed across the silent night, revealing the vast darkness beyond the fortress walls where the ruined world stretched endlessly beneath a cold sky.

The wind rushed through the opening, brushing against their faces and carrying the distant scent of dust and decay that had long since become the natural smell of the outside world.

For several seconds the group simply stood there, staring at the wasteland beyond the gate as if seeing it clearly for the first time rather than imagining it from behind the safety of thick concrete walls.

The vast wasteland outside the fortress curved into the distance before disappearing into a forest of skeletal trees, their branches twisted and lifeless like the remains of a forgotten world.

Helen turned her head slightly and looked back at the hesitant faces behind her, noticing the fear creeping into their expressions now that the moment had truly arrived. "What?" she scoffed quietly. "You wanted to leave, didn’t you? Don’t tell me you’ve already changed your minds."

The people glanced at each other nervously avoiding Helen’s stare.

Luke cleared his throat and forced a confident smile even though the tension in his shoulders betrayed his unease. "She’s right," he said, glancing briefly toward the dark road ahead before looking back at the group. "We didn’t come all the way here just to stand around staring at the gate."

Helen nodded and stepped forward without hesitation, crossing the threshold as her boots landed on the soil outside the fortress. The sound felt strangely loud in the silence of the night.

Luke followed her after a brief pause, and the rest of the group slowly began moving as well, stepping through the opening one by one while the soldiers standing on the wall above watched silently.

"Wait." Enzo’s voice echoed through the night.

They turned around with a puzzled look.

"Search them." Enzo commanded.

"What for?" Helen asked defensively.

"To make sure, you did not steal the fortress’s supplies." He replied, with a wave of his hand, the soldiers walked towards them and began searching their bags and body.

"This is absurd." Luke said with a fierce look, his fists clenched beside him.

"Clear." The soldiers shouted.

"You may leave now." Enzo ordered.

Helen scoffed, and the others immediately followed after her, taken aback by the treatment.

When the final person cleared the gate, Enzo raised his hand calmly.

"Close it."

The command was simple, yet the moment the words left his mouth the soldiers immediately moved to operate the mechanism controlling the fortress doors, and the massive slabs of reinforced steel began sliding back together with a deep metallic groan that echoed across the empty land beyond the walls.

Several of the people who had just stepped outside instinctively turned around at the sound, watching as the opening slowly narrowed behind them.

The light from the fortress spilled across the ground for a few seconds longer before the gap between the doors grew smaller and smaller until finally the two massive gates slammed shut with a deafening boom that rolled across the wasteland like distant thunder.

The sound left no room for doubt.

The fortress was sealed.

Helen turned back toward the road ahead as if the gate behind her no longer mattered. "Good," she said calmly. "Now we can finally move forward without those people controlling our lives."

Luke glanced once more toward the silent wall behind them before forcing himself to face forward again. "Let’s keep moving," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

The group began walking into the darkness, their figures gradually disappearing into the vast land.

...

Enzo remained on the wall for several seconds after the gate closed, watching until the silhouettes of the people faded into the darkness and could no longer be seen against the ruined landscape. Only then did he turn away and gesture to the soldiers beside him.

"Return to your posts," he said calmly.

The guards nodded immediately and resumed their patrol positions along the wall while Enzo descended the stairway leading down from the watchtower and headed toward the command building.

Inside the fortress, the night remained peaceful.

Most residents were still asleep, unaware that a small group had already abandoned the safety of the walls.

When Enzo reached the command office, he knocked before pushing the door open.

Ling Xuan sat behind the desk, leisurely wiping her blade clean.

"Commander," Enzo said respectfully, his eyes landing on the sword for a second longer.

"They left?" she asked without lifting her head from the sword, rather her eyes narrowed as she cleaned a particular spot.

"Yes," Enzo replied.

Ling Xuan nodded, her expression unchanged as if the result had been exactly what she expected.

"We managed to plant the cam in them," Enzo added.

"Good," Ling Xuan said simply. "Tell the guard to keep a close eye on them, I want to know how far they walked before encountering the infected.

"Yes commander." Enzo hesitated briefly before speaking again. "Should we increase patrols around the residential districts in case more people attempt to leave tonight?"

Ling Xuan leaned back slightly in the chair, her fingers resting lightly against the desk as she considered the question for a moment before shaking her head.

"No." Her voice remained calm. "If anyone else wishes to leave, let them. They will serve as our scouts." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Enzo straightened slightly. "Yes, Commander."

He saluted before turning and leaving the room.

"Enzo." Ling Xuan finally looked away from the sword, staring at him. "You’ll remain in the camp... as for your antidote I’ll give you one before I go, I believe you’ll use it wisely."

Enzo swallowed, hiding the tension in his face with a small chuckle. "Of course Commander."

He understood the underlying meaning behind her words. That was her way of warning him not to try anything funny.

He lowered his head slightly before walking out.

When the door closed behind him, the office fell quiet once again.

...

Outside the fortress walls the night felt colder and far more open than it ever had behind the fortress wall, and the wind moved freely across the land, brushing past the small group as they walked along the empty road that once happened to be a highway.

Helen walked at the front, her posture straight and her pace steady as if she refused to allow even the smallest hint of hesitation to show in front of the others, while the rest of the group followed behind her in a loose cluster, their footsteps uneven as they adjusted to the unfamiliar silence of the outside world.

For the first few minutes no one spoke, because the moment the massive gate had closed behind them the reality of their decision had settled over the group like a quiet weight, and several people instinctively turned their heads to glance back even though the fortress wall had already disappeared from their view.

A man near the middle of the group cleared his throat awkwardly before forcing a laugh that sounded a little awkward.

"So... this is freedom."

Someone behind him let out a nervous chuckle while rubbing the back of his neck. "Feels quieter than I expected."

"It’s the middle of the night," another man replied, though his voice carried the same unease as the others. "What did you expect, traffic?"

Helen did not turn around, though her voice carried clearly through the still air. "Save your energy. We still have a long way to go."

Luke walked beside her with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, his gaze moving slowly across the road ahead before drifting toward the forest that lined both sides of the highway, where the burnt remains stood motionless beneath the dim light of the moon.

"If we keep following this road we should reach the industrial district before sunrise," he said loud enough for the rest of the group to hear, because several of them had begun whispering quietly among themselves. "There used to be food storage warehouses there before the meteor disaster."

"And if other survivors already looted them?" someone asked from the back of the group.

"Then we keep moving," Luke replied calmly.

A woman walking near the rear wrapped her arms tightly around herself as the wind brushed past them, her eyes scanning the empty road ahead.

"It feels strange being outside again."

Another man nodded slowly beside her. "Last time I saw the outside world it was still lively, it’s surprising to see it in this state."

Several people fell silent at that reminder.

Their footsteps echoed faintly across the empty road as the wind stirred the burnt forest beside them.

Then one of the women near the back of the group slowed her pace before stopping completely. "Wait."

The others halted almost immediately.

"What is it?" Helen asked, turning halfway.

The woman looked toward the trees, her eyes narrowing slightly as she strained to listen.

"I thought I heard something."