Last Ruler Of The Empty Throne-Chapter 134: Gordon’s bay

Victor and Robin, noticing Jon had stopped, followed suit without question. Jon scanned his group, taking in their bloodstained weapons, sweat-drenched clothes, and the wear on their gear. It was clear they had pushed themselves to the limit and that was how he wanted them to be portrayed moving on.

"Let’s lower our levels and move in," Jon instructed.

They nodded, adjusting their presence accordingly, and continued forward.

After covering another 400 meters, they finally reached the line of defense. They had seen it from a distance, so it wasn’t surprising, but up close, the sight was even more imposing.

The Military Presence

A towering makeshift wall stood ahead, reinforced with stationed soldiers in full uniform, their weapons at the ready. Beyond the barricade, armored vehicles, tankers, and ground-breaking machinery lined the perimeter. The sheer scale of military personnel present was unlike anything Jon and his group had encountered before. This was more than a battalion.

’This place must be well fortified,’ Jon mused as they moved closer. This camp was placed around a sea, and that sea extended to the north and east protecting inlanders, leaving only the south and west to be defended.

"Wow..." Victor murmured, eyes scanning the scene. "With this level of security, I bet the people inside feel like royalty." His voice dripping with envy after all, they didn’t have this sort of luxury.

-He’s not wrong.

’Yeah, but I doubt they evolved much. They probably relied on firepower instead.’

-You’re also not wrong. Beyond the second realm, conventional weapons are useless.

Jon recalled the policemen from their previous camp carrying basic pistols, barely effective against low-tier threats. Here, it was different. Heavy artillery dominated the defenses.

"STOP!"

A sharp voice rang out. Drones hovered overhead, locking onto them, while five armed men approached cautiously.

"We received the announcement to come to Gordon’s Bay," Jon spoke calmly, raising his hands slightly in a non-threatening manner.

The leading soldier remained silent, scanning them. Their bloodied, tattered appearances told a story of survival. That alone softened the military’s initial wariness. Jon had anticipated this. Had they cleaned up beforehand, their true strength might have made the soldiers more suspicious. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Follow me," the soldier finally said, turning on his heel. The others, still on high alert, escorted them through the gate and into a nearby building.

Inside, a woman behind a counter gestured for them to step forward.

"Welcome. Please fill in your details, where you’re from, what skills you possess, what you brought with you, and your level. We’ll determine your placement accordingly."

Jon’s brow lifted slightly at the woman’s supposed level 3. The previous camp they had visited had staff in the level 12-13 range. Something felt off. Was she hiding her true strength?

Activating Moon Gaze, Jon peered deeper.

Level 23.

A quiet chuckle escaped him as he picked up his form.

-Those eyes.

Amelia narrowed her gaze slightly as she realized Jon found out the lady’s secret.

’Why do you think she’s suppressing her level?’ Jon asked internally.

-Hmm... It might be a tactic to gauge people’s real intentions. If newcomers assume the staff are weak, they may try something reckless.

’A trap for the overambitious, huh? Not a bad strategy.’

-Exactly, you should try it.

’Huh, nah. I want a place where everyone can be anything they want to be. Limiting them would diminish the whole purpose.’

Jon continued filing his form with vague details ignorant of the look Amelia was giving him.

He had already lowered his level to 13, and he simply wrote that he came from a small village.

The woman behind the counter took their forms and continued with her stoic voice, "For job assignments, proceed to the central building. Payment and duties will be determined there. In the meantime, you’ll stay at the last house on Third Street. Beware of the gangs, and good luck."

"Gangs?" Victor asked, surprised.

"Yes. There are a few in the camp. You’re responsible for your own safety. The vehicle outside will take you to your lodging."

Without further pleasantries, she handed them a key. From start to finish, her expression remained unreadable.

From the building to the third street, they viewed the camp.

Gordon’s bay. One could call it a vacation town. With its location around a sea that was also a beach and its near perfect temperature during those vacation periods. The camp was filled with nice, tarred roads, Palm trees, vacation looking buildings and trucks.

As they traveled through the camp, Jon observed its layout. It was significantly larger than the previous camps they had encountered, but its conditions weren’t much better. Sickly-looking individuals loitered on the streets. Some areas were unnervingly dark, most likely gang territory.

However, by now, Jon and his group had seen quite a lot to react to this. He then noted an obvious divide. The military controlled one side, while the evolvers seemed suppressed.

Still, something didn’t add up. If the evolvers were being oppressed, the counter woman should have shown at least a hint of resentment. Yet, she remained indifferent.

Keeping his thoughts to himself, they arrived at their assigned house.

The architecture still carried remnants of Gordon’s Bay’s vacation-home aesthetics, but the wear of survival was evident. They stepped inside without a word to the driver. The moment they entered, they split up to shower, something they hadn’t done in days.

’Hopefully, Amelia doesn’t watch us this time.’ Jon smirked as he and Victor headed to the bathroom.

However, disappointing him, she followed him into the bathroom.

Inside, Amelia’s presence remained with him. As he bathed, they spoke in hushed thoughts. Even after Victor left, Jon lingered until exhaustion pulled him into a brief slumber.

When he finally emerged, refreshed and dressed in clean clothes, the scent of cooked meat filled the house. Robin, as it turned out, was an excellent cook. Various cuts of meat sizzled on plates as the group gathered to eat.

"So, what’s the plan?" Laura asked between bites, eyes locked onto Jon.

Robin and Victor also turned to him expectantly.

Jon leaned back slightly, contemplating. "This camp is more stable than I expected. There are tensions, but nothing set to explode just yet. For now, we gather information."

"So... a holiday?" Laura mused.

Jon nodded. "Nothing here truly matters in the long run. When we migrate, everything will reset. Pick any job you like, but at night, Robin, gather intel from the higher-ups. Victor, join a gang and take control. Laura do as you please."

The three exchanged glances. Technically, it was sound advice. Still, it felt odd to take things easy.

Jon exhaled lightly, staring out the window.

"I have a feeling something big is coming. Any long-term plan will be meaningless soon."

"And you?" Laura pressed.

"I leave in three days."