Thud!With one powerful swing, Atom drove its blade straight into the Tyrant’s core.Everything happened almost at once. The enormous machine convulsed violently, its entire body jerking as though it could somehow force Atom away from its exposed chest. But the A-Grade Reaper held on firmly, gripping the opened armor and refusing to let go.The Tyrant made one final desperate attempt to fight back. Its claws rose into the air, but its movements had already become slow and unsteady. The damage to its core had clearly taken away most of its strength.Atom didn’t need Max to give it another command.It raised its blade and struck again.The sharp edge cut through the Tyrant’s neck in one clean motion.The six-meter machine remained upright for another brief moment before its massive body finally lost all support and crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact.Boom![ Congratulations! You are the first Survivor to eliminate a Hooker Tyrant (C). ][ Hint: Only the first elimination o

Alfie and Farrah quickly stepped forward, both visibly relieved to see the man they had trusted to return.“Max,” Farrah said, “this is Montez, the leader of Ark-62. He’s the one who kept everyone together after the War Tyrant’s attack.”Farrah was genuinely grateful to the old man. He had also given her and Alfie the Gene Stimulant that strengthened their bodies, and thanks to those enhancements, the two of them had managed to survive and hold their ground until Max’s superior Reaper arrived.Montez, meanwhile, gave Max a brief nod.He wasn’t impressed only by the Reaper standing behind him. Max’s physique had also caught his attention. Deep down, Montez could tell that Max was likely one of those rare individuals capable of reaching the level of the powerful Augmented Humans from the Versailles Ascendants, the elite order that had dedicated itself to fighting against the A.I. Civilization.“We’ve done what you asked. The wreckage was guarded, and nothing was taken.”Farrah and Alfie

“Sorry… Did I hear that right?” Farrah asked, replaying Max’s words in her head.We need to pay for the meal and the right to eat here every day? And that’s one Survivor Medal for me and three of my companions, so we can have three meals a day for two weeks… What the…The statement hit the group hard.One of the six nearly spat out the noodles still in his mouth, while another stopped with his spoon halfway to his lips. They exchanged nervous looks, their expressions quickly turning pale.“Wait… Are you serious?” Alfie asked, his voice trembling slightly.He was more than willing to work for Max, but Survivor Medals were simply too valuable to spend on food.Farrah frowned as she carefully placed her bowl down and looked directly at Max.“I don’t think we can pay that much. We need Medals to buy from the Gene Trader too. We have to get stronger if we want to contribute more to your shelter.”Alfie nodded.“Max… Survivor Medals are too precious.”He didn’t mention the exact number, but

While Farrah and Alfie explored the different options available from the Gene Trader, Max walked over to Aya, who had just stepped out of her armored car. She adjusted her gloves before giving him a short nod.“Are those two new recruits?” she asked with a curious smile.“Yes,” Max replied. “They’re from Earth as well. They have strong close-combat talents. Good frontliners.”Aya smiled when she heard that.“That’s great news.”They certainly needed more vanguards if they wanted to survive against the A.I. Soldiers, so she couldn’t help taking another look at the two newcomers from a distance.“We’ll need more like them,” she added.Max nodded before changing the subject. “So, are you planning to buy something again from the Trader? Make sure you’re not going to level down…”He already knew Aya had very few Survivor Medals and Energy Cores left, which meant she would have to rely on Experience Points if she wanted to make another purchase.Aya didn’t bother hiding it from him and nodd

Under Max’s orders, Aya selected one of the local Survivors and instructed him to step across the mausoleum’s boundary once again.“Be careful… Run immediately.” She reminded him.“Yes!”The moment the man crossed the threshold, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.It was almost exactly like the previous day, except the vibration was stronger this time. A deep rumble rolled through the cemetery, shaking the broken tombstones and sending loose pieces of stone tumbling from the ruined mausoleums.Max immediately realized what might be happening.Perhaps the trap had detected that there were far more people nearby and responded by increasing the number of Mutants it summoned.Sure enough, cracks suddenly spread across the pavement as several hidden tunnels broke open beneath the cemetery.Then the Mutants came pouring out.At first, only dozens appeared, crawling and scrambling out of underground passages and collapsed crypts. Some forced their way through broken pavement whil