Two days passed quietly.During those two days, the Codebreakers Shelter became even busier than before. Construction never seemed to stop. From sunrise until late in the evening, the sounds of hammers striking steel, welding torches crackling, and heavy machinery operating echoed throughout the settlement.More defensive walls were being reinforced, new buildings gradually rose from their foundations, and additional watchtowers appeared around the perimeter. Every day, the shelter looked a little larger than it had the day before.At this time, however, several kilometers away, another merchant caravan was slowly making its way through the ruined roads.Unlike Diego and Morales, whose caravans specialized in food supplies, weapons, and Gene Serums, this caravan transported something completely different. Their large transport trucks had been modified into reinforced trailers covered with steel cages instead of cargo containers. Every now and then, animal noises echoed from within the

"Why are you asking?"Boris exchanged a glance with Edwin."We’ve been traveling between settlements for quite some time. We’ve seen plenty of Gene Stimulants but most of them aren’t worth the risk.""That is an understatement," Boris added. "We’ve seen people lose their minds after taking them. Some developed temporary mutations, while others became too weak to even walk."Tianna remained silent."We heard yours are different.""We’re willing to trade for them," Edwin said. "Energy cores, livestock, or other resources. We can discuss the price."Tianna considered the proposal.The Codebreakers Shelter had no shortage of Gene Stimulants at the moment. Max’s resources had given them access to a steady supply, and the shelter wasn’t using all of them immediately.However, that didn’t mean they could sell them carelessly. After all, they wouldn’t want their own items to be in the hands of their enemy."How many do you want?"Boris hesitated."A hundred if possible!"But he immediately re

A few hours earlier, the Codebreakers Shelter had already experienced something that should have been impossible.For several days, Aya’s Illusion Device had successfully concealed the entire settlement from the outside world.From a distance, the shelter didn’t look like a shelter at all.The illusion distorted the appearance of the surrounding area, making the enormous settlement disappear beneath the image of an ordinary hill covered in vegetation. Anyone passing through the region would see nothing more than a natural formation surrounded by trees and overgrown ruins.It was one of the reasons Codebreakers had been able to expand so rapidly without immediately attracting the attention of nearby settlements. Even the merchants with strange protection against A.I. Army’s detection failed to notice it...However, the illusion wasn’t perfect.At least, not against everything.A strange machine had wandered into the area.It wasn’t part of the ordinary patrols of the A.I. Army, nor did

"Everyone, retreat!"Tianna’s voice was calm, yet urgent enough that everyone nearby reacted almost instinctively. The Reapers positioned outside immediately disengaged, while Atom abandoned its pursuit and leaped backward with astonishing speed. Even the soldiers stationed on the walls stepped away from the edge as they hurried to follow the order.Ryan frowned."What is it?""The formation."Tianna’s eyes never left the battlefield."They’re surrounding Atom."Only then did Ryan notice it as well.The Xcavators were no longer attacking randomly. Each machine had stopped at a specific distance from Atom, forming a rough circle around the S-Grade Reaper. There was no hesitation in their movements, nor any attempt to break through the barrier again. It was as though every one of them had received the exact same command at the exact same moment.That wasn’t normal.These machines had acted aggressively from the moment they surfaced, but now they had suddenly become disciplined.A bad fe

Max gritted his teeth as he saw the two warnings just now.So this was the danger Cornelio had mentioned.He could feel something being altered inside him, and although the sensation wasn't unbearable, there was an unmistakable feeling that he was crossing a boundary that could not easily be undone.The system continued.[ Analyzing Survivor's soul structure... ][ Adjusting compatibility... ][ Compatibility adjustment in progress... ]Max remained still.He had no idea what the final result would be, but there was no turning back now.After what felt like several minutes, the strange sensation finally began to fade.The pressure inside his mind gradually disappeared, and his surroundings slowly returned to normal.Max took a deep breath.Then the notification appeared.[ Requirements have been completed.][ Forge Your Legacy: Complete. ]For a moment, Max simply stared at the words.Then another notification appeared.[ Breakthrough Requirement fulfilled. ][ Level 39 restriction ha