It took nearly thirty minutes before the trio or rather the four, with Collins asleep on James's back arrived at the front of Eleso faction's gate. The makeshift junk fence loomed high, patched together with scrap metal, barbed wires, and broken planks. The guards stationed at the barricade instantly raised their weapons, aiming directly at them.
But the one who appeared to be the leader squinted, recognized Laide, and quickly barked an order.
"Lower your weapons!" the man commanded, his Yoruba accent thick and commanding.
The guards obeyed at once, lowering their weapons and stepping back into formation.
The security leader then opened a small side door beside the gate and stepped forward.
"Welcome back, little Oga." He saluted sharply. The rest of the guards, recognizing Laide, followed suit.
Laide raised his chin slightly, speaking in a tone laced with arrogance, though not enough to completely cross the line.
"No need to be tense, young man."
The security leader's lips twitched. He didn't reply, unwilling to spark trouble, Laide's status clearly outweighed his own.
"Did my team return yesterday?" Laide asked casually.
"Yes, they did," the leader confirmed.
"What about the leader and the elders' teams?"
"The leader and Miss Sola are back, but the elders haven't returned yet."
Laide sighed with relief. "Thank God those disgusting people haven't returned. Honestly, I pray they die out there and devour by the monsters."
James, Amara, and even the security leader stiffened at his words. The security leader's expression twisted, but before he could react, Laide turned his sharp gaze sideways.
"You wouldn't dare repeat what I said, would you?"
The guard shivered. "N… no, little Oga."
Watching Laide flaunt both power and status so brazenly, James and Amara finally understood where his arrogance was rooted.
The security leader's eyes drifted toward James and Amara. "Little Oga, who are these people?"
"My recommendations. Let's go." Laide brushed him off with a short reply, striding toward the gate.
James and Amara gave a small polite nod to the security leader before following Laide inside. As soon as they vanished from sight, the leader's face contorted in suppressed rage. He stomped his foot against the ground and muttered bitterly in pidgin
"Damn, that small pikin too dey arrogant."
Inside the walls of Eleso faction, the scene was grim.
People moved about with weary faces. Their clothes were ragged, their bodies scarred. Some bore fresh wounds, while others walked with missing limbs. Children, far too young to be fighters, moved mechanically, their eyes stripped of innocence. Each and every one carried the mark of the apocalypse, reshaped into survivors by sheer necessity, but there were smile on some of their faces.
Amara's gaze softened, filled with unspoken pity.
"Don't pity them," Laide said suddenly, his tone sharp. "This is the new world we're all living in, even you, pity won't help anyone."
James blinked. He hadn't been pitying them, not really. Although he felt some relief after knowing many had survived, but pity? No. He glanced at Amara and realized Laide's words were aimed at her.
Her eyes indeed carried sorrow. James was surprised. His impression of Amara was of a cold, self-serving survivor, one who abandoned her people to save herself. Yet here she was, showing a side he never expected.
"Even if you pity them, can you help them? Most of them don't want to fight, but they still want to survive," Laide continued.
"And to you, kid… is surviving a bad thing?" Amara asked.
"My name is Laide," he snapped back. "And no, surviving isn't bad. But surviving without doing anything is foolish. Look at the ongoing quest. It doesn't affect those who've already killed more than five monsters. It only targets those clinging to survival, sitting around while the gods play games with our lives."
Amara fell quiet at his explanation.
James checked the world quest notification again and realized Laide was right. The system had dumped all the burden on the weakest ones, those that want to survive without doing anything. If they had understood that sooner, maybe Collins wouldn't be in his current condition, he cursed himself mentally.
"We've arrived," Laide finally said, stopping in front of a building that resembled an office.
"Wait here. I'll call the faction leader." Without further words, he stepped inside.
James sank into thought, guilt clawing at him for the mistake that had nearly cost Collins his life, even though it wasn't his fault. Beside him, Amara seemed equally absorbed, though her mind wrestled more with Laide's blunt words than with the quest itself.
Moments later, the leader of Eleso faction, Akinde, stepped out with Laide trailing beside him. He was tall, with a steady gaze, exuding both calmness and authority. His eyes swept over James, Amara, and finally to Collins, still unconscious on James's back.
Then his gaze snapped back to Amara, widening slightly.
"Wait… aren't you Amara? Uche Amara?"
Amara blinked, drawn out of her thoughts. "Yes."
"Who would have thought… the second-best female street fighter, the one who gave Niniola such a hard time back in the old world would come here." Akinde smiled faintly.
Amara froze. "Huh? Niniola's here?"
Before Akinde could answer, Laide cut in. "How dare you call my master by her name?"
"Master? You mean… she's the super illusory leader of this faction?" Amara asked again, stunned.
Akinde's lips twitched. He shot Laide a sharp look, but the boy simply whistled and looked away.
"My apologies, but I have something urgent to handle. Laide will take care of you for now. I'll return in a few minutes," Akinde said smoothly.
"No, it's fine. We're the ones intruding," James replied, noticing Amara still standing blankly ever since Niniola's name was mentioned.
"Then I'll be back shortly." Akinde gave a brief nod before walking away.
"Don't forget my reward for bringing them!" Laide shouted after him.
James sighed as Laide wandered off in another direction, muttering something about finding food.
Left alone, James guided Amara into the office. He found a long bench and gently laid Collins down, then sat on another seat beside Amara. Silence hung between them, each lost in their own thoughts as they waited for the faction leader to return.