A few moments earlier, Noli had been bent over the rows of beans, his trembling hands working through the dry soil while sweat dripped from his forehead and disappeared into the dust. Around him, the other workers continued their endless labor under the constant supervision of the Reapers. The machines stood nearby with their rifles ready, their sensors moving across the fields and checking every slave who dared to slow down.It was supposed to be another ordinary day of forced labor.Then the ground shook.At first, Noli assumed another patrol had arrived. Perhaps it was even worse. Maybe the A.I. Army had baited another group of rescuers into attacking the base.He knew exactly why the machines had kept them alive for so long. The slaves weren’t only workers. They were bait.If another group of humans discovered them, the A.I. Army could allow the rescuers to enter, surround them, and destroy them. The enormous food storage inside the base made the trap even more attractive. Any des

As the slaves finally began eating and drinking, Max and the others continued searching the compound. They checked the fallen Reapers, the watchtowers, storage areas, and anything else that might contain useful supplies, weapons, or the keys to the slaves’ chains.Jacob crouched beside one of the destroyed Reapers and searched through its belt compartments.“Nothing here. Just ammo and tools.”Riyah had already moved toward the watchtowers, searching the upper platforms and nearby storage areas. She disappeared from sight for several minutes before eventually returning with a ring of keys in her hand. Her expression was strangely terrible, almost as if she had just gone through a fight, but when everyone asked what happened, she brushed them off before anyone could get an explanation.“Found them. Locked in a storage box near the watchtower.”Aya immediately took the keys and approached the slaves. She began unlocking their restraints one by one, and the chains soon dropped to the gro

The workers and guards immediately went on alert. Weapons came up as they stared through the curtain of rain, trying to identify the blurred figures making their way toward the shelter. The storm made it difficult to see more than vague shapes moving through the downpour. Jett felt a small knot of nerves form in his stomach, but he quickly moved toward a higher position where he could get a better view of the approaching group. Atom and Max were not here. Jett trusted Xander, Ryan, Farrah, and Alfie without question, but having those two around always made him feel more secure. Without them, the tension in the shelter seemed much harder to ignore. Everyone was asking themselves the same question. Were these simply survivors looking for somewhere to escape the storm, or had another group of machines found them, using the rain as cover? The figures eventually stopped at the main gate. Ryan, who was positioned closest to the entrance, narrowed his eyes and studied them through the

An hour passed, and the east building had completely transformed into a small marketplace. Jakaria’s team worked quickly, unpacking their crates, arranging tables, spreading out their merchandise, and organizing everything so customers could easily see what was available. They had done this many times before, so there was little need for discussion. The tarps covering their supplies were eventually pulled away, revealing firearms, tools, clothing, medical supplies, and even a few luxuries that many Survivors had not seen in months. Jakaria clapped his hands once after checking the arrangement. “Alright, everything’s ready. Let’s begin.” Jett, who had already been standing nearby, immediately looked over the tables. “So… Survivor Medals for the big stuff, right?” Jakaria nodded. “Correct. Survivor Medals, C-Rank cores from A.I. soldiers, are the only currency we accept for important items. Ahem… Of course, if you’re going to give us those Plasma Rifles… I can consider them.” J

“Alright… Let’s get in.” The thick metal doors groaned as Max pushed them open, giving Layla, Russel, and Amer their first proper view of the shelter’s main compound. The moment they stepped inside, they could tell that this was no ordinary Survivor hideout. The place had once belonged to the A.I. Army, and the evidence of its original purpose could be found everywhere. There were not Automated Turrets and CCTVs covering every corner like Layla had imagined an A.I. military base would have, but the structure, storage areas, equipment, and layout made its purpose obvious. This had been a military facility. The shelter consisted of three main buildings. The eastern building served as the living quarters, the western one was the warehouse, while the largest structure in the center functioned as the main building. As expected, the main building contained enormous stacks of crates arranged in neat rows, almost as if the machines had been preparing them for immediate deployment. Several