From the looks of it, they appeared to be professional, trained men rather than conscripts thrown onto the front line without instruction.
It was clear that their organisation mirrored that of the old military, which had collapsed long ago.
Judging by their composure, most of them were likely Tier 2, Tempered, already at Stage Two of the Elemental Vein Realm, only a single rank below Na-Ri herself.
Kyle and Na-Ri were quickly disarmed and searched.
Both resisted the idea of surrendering their packs, and after some deliberation the guards relented.
Once their inspection revealed only essence cores, the packs were returned with cold faces.
They were led towards the main gate where the head of the security team, known as Team A, emerged from a smaller doorway.
To Kyle's surprise, the leader was a striking woman in her mid-thirties.
Her beauty was arresting, and though she commanded a military-style unit, she greeted them with a welcoming smile instead of the coldness he had expected.
She wore a fitted tunic of dark fabric, reinforced at the shoulders and waist so that it suggested armour without actually being steel.
High boots, laced tightly up her calves, and a broad belt laden with pouches and straps gave her the air of someone prepared for trouble at any moment.
Her uniform carried more prestige than that of the other guards who had subdued them.
With a simple flick of her fingers, the men withdrew, leaving Kyle and Na-Ri to rise slowly from the ground and face her.
'…The leader?' Kyle thought, his eyes scanning her from head to toe with measured scrutiny.
The stranger beside him, however, fixed her gaze firmly on the woman, as though they had known each other long before.
The female leader returned the look with equal intensity.
Then, with a brighter smile and a voice edged with nasal sharpness, she said:
"Welcome back, Lady Na-Ri. Who would have thought you would return so soon? Did you enjoy your little adventure?"
Kyle's eyes widened in shock, flicking from the female commander to the elegant young woman at his side.
'...They know each other? So she really lived here before!?'
***
After a brief round of questioning, the female leader who introduced herself as Colette gave the order for the gate to be opened.
Kyle's eyes lingered on Na-Ri for longer than he cared to admit, his mistrust only deepening.
He had never intended to place faith in her or in anyone.
What they had shared, the sex, was not an emotional bond for either of them, nor was the short journey they had taken together.
It had all been driven by circumstance, and it seemed that arrangement had now run its course.
Even so, her earlier words remained in his mind. She had called this fortress a cold hell.
The irony had unsettled him, leaving him curious.
Yet what else was he supposed to expect here?
Luxury and peace were out of the question.
He had travelled through countless places across the world and none had offered that.
Why then should a settlement filled with human beings, a species he despised more than beasts, prove to be the safest haven?
What truly gnawed at him was the question of why Lee Na-Ri had ever left this fortress in the first place.
What had driven her to abandon it?
It was obvious from the way Colette had addressed her that she was not regarded as an ordinary resident.
That realisation deepened Kyle's suspicion, leaving him to wonder who this stranger truly was.
The enormous fortified gate opened with a horizontal slide, releasing a grinding mechanical note.
The two were immediately ushered inside, flanked by the female leader and two members of Team A who moved with disciplined precision.
What unfolded before Kyle's eyes clashed violently with everything he had ever known.
It was a sight so alien that it seemed to belong to another world entirely.
"What is this…?" The words slipped from him before he could contain his astonishment at the scene spread out before him.
It was not a paradise and could hardly be mistaken for one, yet it demanded recognition.
Na-Ri caught his expression, sneered faintly, then looked about with a quiet sigh as they continued forward.
Overhead, floodlights buzzed into life, their motion sensors cutting through the approaches with harsh cones of light.
Watchtowers anchored the corners, their operators bent over thermal scopes, battered rifles in hand.
Some guards carried ordinary weapons, while others bore their own personal Qi-infused arms.
Within the perimeter, which resembled a miniature city though it was little more than an outskirt, a settlement sprawled.
Buildings rose in clusters, some already completed while others stood half-built, their skeletal frames pointing skyward.
The mystery of where the constant stream of construction materials originated weighed on Kyle's mind.
Each structure housed more than thirty occupants, with entire rooms assigned to groups.
Even so, Kyle could easily infer that such shelter was not freely granted.
If survival here cost nothing, then scavengers would not still risk their lives in Green zones where monsters roamed and death lurked at every turn.
His failure to leave earlier stemmed from doubt, not ignorance.
He had heard of this safe zone, yet had never laid eyes on it, and for him belief only came through sight.
Until now, it had remained little more than a myth.
He had followed Na-Ri here for no reason other than escape, his intention simply to drift through the wider world with no obligations.
Remaining might prove fatal, and he had no wish to die like some deluded fool clinging to false security.
Now that he was here, Kyle began to wonder about the true cost of living in such a place.
A glance at Na-Ri was enough to suggest it was far from cheap. Perhaps that was why she had left, unable to remain any longer.
It occurred to him that her obsession with collecting Essence Cores might have been tied to this settlement, serving as a form of payment to secure her stay.
What more could he expect.
His frown deepened as they drew nearer to the main building, the structure that housed the settlement's teams and runners.
Survivors drifted about in weary silence.
Some clutched weapons even while queuing at the water dispensers.
The communal mess hall offered ration packs warmed by industrial cookers, but conversation was scarce. The quiet order of the place was unsettling.
To Kyle, it resembled a cold hell.
A controlled, prison-like camp where resources were measured out and survival demanded constant hunting despite the promise of safety behind the walls.
Once inside the main building, they were led into a room for processing. Na-Ri was quickly dispatched to another area, leaving Kyle alone.
'I hope the stone head will be all right…' she thought as she followed a guard down another corridor.
Processing was mandatory for new arrivals.
Since Na-Ri was not counted among them, she was diverted for re-evaluation and, most likely, further questioning.
Colette followed after, offering him a brief nod as though she believed it might encourage him to face the process without hesitation.
That assumption was misplaced, for it did nothing to ease his apprehension.
Kyle was escorted into a room that resembled an interrogation chamber more suited for criminals than newcomers.
He sat for a time in silence, beneath a single white bulb that cast a stark circle of light over the centre of the room.
The furnishings were meagre: two chairs and a table, with a cup of water set before each seat.
The glass tempted him with its clarity, but he did not reach for it.
His instincts screamed caution, as though the simple act of drinking might compromise his safety.
His thoughts spiralled into suspicion, his mind catching on every detail as though he were fighting for survival.
Eventually, the door opened and an officer stepped inside, carrying a book and pen. His uniform matched Colette's in design, though the insignia and cut made clear his higher standing.
He was bald and likely in his mid-forties, yet his face bore the deep lines of age.
His frame was powerful, muscles straining against the cloth of his attire.
Kyle's eyes roamed downward, and for a fleeting, intrusive second he swore the man's groin displayed its bulk in clear outline.
"Fuck, what am I even thinking?" He blinked hard, shaking away the distraction that had dragged him into thoughts of his moments with Na-Ri.
The officer's gravelled voice tore through his lapse harshly. The tone carried the authority of a military man, stripped of any hint of welcome.
Kyle measured him instinctively.
Between this man and a wild beast, he thought, he might prefer the beast.
"Listen carefully, boy," the officer said, placing the book and pen on the table with deliberate weight. His palm pressed flat against the surface while the other hand pointed directly at Kyle. "Before I begin the processing or even bother with introductions, I need to make something clear. Your eyes and body tell me you have lived too long on the edge of danger and madness. If you cause trouble here, you will not last, and I will personally see you thrown into a Red Zone. Understood?"
Kyle raised his gaze, meeting eyes filled with disdain that did not falter despite their first encounter.
The hostility was so blatant that he felt compelled to bow to necessity.
His expression shifted swiftly into obedience, his posture betraying compliance.
He knew well enough that lowering his head now might grant him the time he needed to map out his next move within this settlement.
His hand closed protectively around the strap of his bag, still heavy with essence cores he viewed as his only lifeline.
With a dry inward murmur coloured with sarcasm, he thought:
'The man appears pleasant enough. It seems inevitable that we shall be subjected to long and tediously peaceful conversations together.'
*******
Author's Note:
Readers who have already gone through the Glossary are advised to revisit it, as certain errors have been corrected and a few changes have been made. These adjustments do not affect earlier chapters or this one. Thank you for reading, and please continue to support with power stones, reviews, comments, and any other means you can.