Farrah’s lips parted slightly as she stared at the new selection of items being offered by the Gene Trader. She had already seen several Gene Traders by now, but this was the first time she had encountered one selling Gene Weapons.“This is new. I’ve never seen a Gene Trader offer Gene Weapons before.”Ryan nodded in agreement. They had come across a couple of Gene Traders during their travels, and none of them had ever offered dormant Gene Weapons.Of course, there were several other interesting items available as well.[ Bloodbound Bracelet: A crimson band that absorbs the wearer’s blood and solidifies it into a blade. The weapon’s strength depends on the user’s vitality.Cost: 5 Survivor Medals ][ Phantom Mask: A dark mask that alters facial features and disguises the wearer’s identity. It also dampens breathing sounds, making stealth easier.Cost: 6 Survivor Medals ][ Dire Claw Gauntlet: Crafted from pale skeletal material that reshapes to fit the user’s hand, giving it a rigid,

Max checked the item one more time.[ Gene Weapon Awakened: Strength Gauntlet ][ Grade: Mid ][ Type: Resonance Gauntlet ][ Effects: +25% Physique Enhancement. Greatly increases grip strength, striking force, and melee damage output. ][ Secondary Effect: Brutal Impact - next melee strike deals +50% bonus damage and knocks enemies backward.Cooldown: 3 seconds.Energy Cost: 10 Spirit Energy per activation ][ Durability: 100/100 ]There were no hidden attributes that required a high-grade Appraisal to reveal, but Max still liked the weapon. The Brutal Impact skill had a cooldown of only three seconds, and its activation cost was surprisingly low at just 10 Spirit Energy Points.With nothing else worth purchasing from the Gene Trader, Max returned to New Ark-45 Shelter. The cube on his arm had already transformed into the Strength Gauntlet, and he was eager to find out how well it would perform in an actual fight....When Max arrived, the shelter was as busy as ever. Survivors were

Max paused as Tianna’s words registered. “The Dragoons… Jett fixed them?”Gina nodded. “Yes. Over the past week. He’s been working nonstop. I think it’s because he couldn’t build the Barrier Generator just yet. Wait—you didn’t know? Maybe it’s supposed to be a surprise?”Tianna realized they had probably spoiled the surprise, but all she could do was scratch her head.“It’s fine…”Max nodded as his mind went back to the many times they had encountered those machines. Dragoons were very different from the standard Reapers and Hounds.They were flying vehicles shaped somewhat like oversized jet skis, built primarily for speed and mobility. They could move through the sky at incredible speeds, making them difficult targets during combat.The pilot itself resembled a Reaper, but its lower body was fused directly into the seat, permanently connected to the machine.It wasn’t really a pilot in the human sense. It was part of the Dragoon, a living weapon that had been locked into its vessel.

For the group standing outside the gates, the sight of the shelter was almost unreal.They had been traveling for days, their nerves stretched thin as they moved from one place to another without knowing whether the next shelter they found would offer safety or another pile of ruins.Many of them had hesitated when they first saw the walls. Approaching an unknown shelter could easily mean triggering automated defenses or, even worse, attracting another squad of Reapers.Henry, Nadia, and Enzo stood at the front of the group. Unlike the others, they had not been born in this world. They were Foreign Survivors, people who had been transmigrated into the apocalypse from completely different lives and forced to adapt quickly if they wanted to survive.Henry had once been a soldier in his original world.His military instincts had kept the group alive through several ambushes, while his tactical thinking had naturally placed him in the position of their leader. A battered rifle hung across

About an hour earlier, Aya had been sitting with the newcomers while they ate, doing her best to make them feel more comfortable.She started with simple questions. Where had they come from? How long had they been traveling? What had they encountered in the Grid Region?None of those questions revealed anything particularly sensitive, and Aya was willing to exchange information in return by telling them about the Ark Region.Nadia, who still had her pack close to her, eventually decided to speak.“We saw more than Reapers, Hounds, and Dragoons out there,” she said quietly. “There’s another type of machine… one we haven’t seen mentioned in the chat after entering Ark Region.”Henry nodded and continued the explanation.“They’re called Xcavators. Mechanical units built for tunneling. They move underground, using grinder-like heads to chew through soil, rock, even the hardest concrete…”Aya paused.This really was new information.Since entering the Ark Region, she had never heard anyone