Kai's group spent the rest of the night considering what they should do about the Beginner Protection Zone.
They knew that stepping beyond it would strip away their safeguard, leaving them exposed to the full brutality of the A.I. army.
Yet it also meant freedom, more areas to explore, more enemies to fight, and perhaps, a chance to finally level up. At Level 1, they were nothing. Without growth, they would remain prey inside this shelter, and they couldn't just let it happen.
Still, they agreed to wait. First, they needed to see what kind of mission the leaders had forced on them, and how dangerous it truly was.
Kai and Ralph were the only ones who slept well.
Thanks to the Shelter Gift Pack, he had a tent and a sleeping bag, giving him a small pocket of comfort in the otherwise miserable quarters.
The others tossed and turned on the cold floor, as they weren't used to this kind of condition yet.
Morning came with little ceremony. They managed to clean themselves with a basin of water, splashing away grime and sweat. It wasn't much, but it helped them feel human again. Breakfast was the same as before, roasted nuts, but this time, it was paired with fried leaves. Bitter, dry, and barely filling.
Still, they ate without complaint since survival left no room for taste. They still have those canned meatloaf and instant noodles, but they haven't opened them just yet.
Soon after, the guard appeared. The same man Julian had assigned with a rifle slung across his back, his eyes once again lingered on Claire like last night.
He said nothing, but his presence was heavy, suffocating. Kai's group exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared speak.
"Time to move," the guard finally said. He said with his gaze never leaving Claire.
They followed him through the familiar tunnel… The light was barely giving them vision but it was enough to walk through the tunnel.
Soon, they reached the hatch. With a groan of rusted metal, it opened, and the stench of the garbage dump rushed in.
The man actually selected the entrance closest to the organic waste area.
The recruits gagged, covering their noses.
They could barely breathe with the air filled with rot, sour and acrid, clinging to their throats.
Mountains of waste stretched before them, piled high like hills.
There was broken machinery and twisted scrap around them, but they were close to the rotting organic matter mixed in a landscape of trash…
The guard gestured toward the horizon. "Alright… I'll only say this once… This is the dump. Six sectors in total. Sectors One to Three are for organic waste."
As he said this, he pointed at those three sectors…
"The machine army's transporters drop food scraps, meat, and other perishables there. Sectors Four to Six are mixed… metal, plastic, and whatever else the army discards."
The recruits froze, staring at him in disbelief.
"Organic waste?" Ralph muttered. "Food? Meat? So those things didn't come from human waste, but the A.I. Army?"
Victor frowned. "Why would the A.I. army have food? They don't eat… do they?"
Claire shook her head. "No way. Machines don't need food."
Wallace couldn't understand either… "Then why throw it away here? What are they doing with it?"
"Haha!"
The guard suddenly laughed. It sounded harsh as it echoed across the dump. It wasn't the laugh of amusement, it was the laugh of someone who knew far more than he was willing to share.
"You don't understand the A.I. army at all," he said.
"You think they're just machines that kill on sight? No… sometimes, they capture humans."
The five froze as they realized this…
Those organic waste… perhaps, they were leftovers of those captured humans?
Claire's breath caught in her throat.
Ralph's hands trembled as he imagined himself getting captured. That was definitely not a good idea.
Even Kai felt a chill crawl down his spine.
'Captured?' The thought alone was worse than death.
The guard smirked at their reaction, clearly enjoying their unease.
"You'll learn soon enough. For now, keep your eyes open. Patrol the dump. No weapons for you, orders from above. But don't worry, there are hidden entrances all around this place. If things go bad, dive down into the tunnels. If you're fast enough, you might live."
He gestured toward the jagged hills of scrap and twisted wires. "Memorize them. They're your only lifeline."
The recruits exchanged uneasy glances. Patrolling the garbage dump without weapons felt like a death sentence, but they had no choice.
Of course, those with guns hid it well, since they knew that they couldn't trust these scavengers.
The guard checked the time, then motioned for them to follow. "Move."
They crouched low and moved through piles of broken metal and rotting waste until they reached a cover of tangled wires and scraps.
The stench was suffocating, but they held their breath and waited.
Suddenly, the faint hum of rotors filled the air.
A small drone that was foot-sized glided past overhead.
It was a Swarmer.
No explanation was needed. Everyone knew what it was.
"They pass through this area at specific times," the guard whispered.
"Soon, the transport group of the A.I. army will drop their waste materials. We'll wait for it. But don't approach the trash they throw away, that's for the gatherers later. Instead, we'll follow the transport group as much as we can."
Wallace's eyes widened. "What? Follow them? That's suicidal!"
Victor hissed under his breath. "We don't even have weapons…"
Claire frowned. Her instincts were screaming that this was madness.
"If we're caught…"
Kai finally understood that those three leaders probably wanted to properly control them to become more submissive, or perhaps, they just wanted them dead!
'Fine… I'll show you what we can do.'
Kai was finally done observing… He felt that he had already seen enough.
He already learned about the A.I. Army, the Transporters, the other humans who were being captured, the Underground Shelter's inner workings, and other details…
It was time to make his move!