Chapter 13: Disturbance

As the evening progressed, Will cleared his throat again and spoke up, capturing everyone's attention. "So far, it seems they didn't return to Earth and instead built their homes here. This confirms we're at an abandoned base, and an old one at that," Will said, glancing briefly at the surroundings despite the pitch-black night.

"We need to step up our preparations. We should increase our daily training to ensure we're ready to fight if necessary."

The suggestion wasn't met with any objections, but it did cause some confusion. Over the past few days, they had focused not only on securing food and necessities but also on improving their combat skills and agility for potential emergencies.

"The people with abilities should be somewhere outside this sealed dome. Once we find an exit and step out, we're bound to run into them sooner or later," Sam, one of the guards, said, trying to finish his last bit of tobacco in the corner. His words heightened their sense of danger, and Amelia and the others couldn't help but notice a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Heh, we might be in the middle of nowhere. We might encounter beasts before we run into them," Max interjected. This muscular man was sitting among the group, and he was very interested in their analysis of the murals.

Sam was the shortest among the bodyguards, but his broad, muscular build made up for his lack of height. A scar ran down one side of his face, adding to his intimidating aura.

Luke was standing a bit farther away. He was on night watch duty and was already diligently checking the surroundings while actively participating in the group discussion. He had an average height but a muscular build. He had a short beard and always wore sunglasses.

The last one was Jack whon spoken earlier taking everyone by surprise. He was lean but had a wiry strength to him. He had a head full of curly hair and a pair of sharp eyes that missed nothing. He chuckled, sensing his colleagues' eagerness for action. Jack always had an air of mystery about him. Despite their silence, these four men exuded an aura of authority, like bosses of a yakuza or mafia group. They were brought along by Will to provide protection in case of potential danger.

The six teenagers, including Rayana, felt both apprehensive and curious about how Will managed to hire these intimidating men. Despite their silence, they didn't seem oblivious to their current situation.

They often noticed one of the team surveying the surroundings with a grim look. They didn't understand their vigilance, considering they were trapped inside the dome with no apparent enemies around.

Their interest leaned more towards fighting after all. Rayana glanced at them, not minding their friendly banter.

All this while, these four bodyguards had been silent, but they never underestimated any of them. The dangerous aura they exuded was understandable based on their looks alone. It wasn't yet proven if they had any deep background, but based on their tone today, it was confirmed that they might be battle enthusiasts. As for how Will managed to persuade them to work for him, they didn't dare ask. They only needed to know that Will was trustworthy, and so were the rest.

"They could be friendly," Jake suddenly voiced his objections, finding the chance to speak up. "You saw the murals, they didn't fight the ordinary people no matter what happened."

Lucy spoke up this time, "We can't rely on that notion alone. It's clear they didn't fight back despite having the ability to potentially annihilate them. There must have been something holding them back; that's why they decided to migrate and build a new civilization here instead."

Amelia and Ethan, who had been discussing something with each other, seemed to have decided to share it with everyone.

Amelia stood up and spoke, "For the meantime, since we don't know what danger we may encounter outside, I agree with Will to increase our training and vigilance. Let's also gather as much information as we can here. As you can see, we are currently blind to this unknown civilization. The plants and animals are different despite the big resemblance."

Amelia looked at everyone before continuing.

"These places somehow resemble Earth in a sense." She glanced at Lucy and nodded. This time Lucy gave them a report on what they had been experimenting with.

Despite the limited resources and samples, the resemblance of fauna and flora they provided and habitat are very uncanny. The differences they have observed leaned towards something incomprehensible such as the abilities of the people on the murals. Its exaggerated effect to taste and function is so obvious it could be considered miracle medicine back on Earth.

"It's not entirely a good thing for us," Ethan added. "It's a double-edged sword; it could help us tremendously, but we still don't know if it will have side effects in the future. Also, everyone should be aware that slight missteps could turn these things into literal deadly poison, and we don't have medicine for it as of now. Everyone here seems to be an intellectual individual, so I don't think we need to point out not to panic. Let's ensure we work together."

Everyone agreed and felt fortunate in a way that they all have strengths that would be useful in this place.

"Lastly, let's find out as much information as we can about the people with abilities. Let's all attempt to decipher a bit of their language. In case they are hostile to our kind, we can proceed to disguise ourselves as one of them. There are still a lot of places that haven't been checked, so let's do our best." Amelia laid out the real goal they'll be pursuing in the following days. Once everything was settled, they proceeded with preparation to rest for the next day.

Will and the others were once again surprised by the children's initiative in confirming their abilities.

'Everyone seems reliable,' Will thought, smiling.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you? Are you trying to sow discord?" Oliver suddenly asked him.

"I'm your boss, you know," Will retorted.

"You stopped being one when you couldn't pay my salary," Oliver shot back.

Will snorted at Oliver's response. "I'm not sowing discord among them. I just wanted to confirm their level of intelligence, that's all."

Oliver understood and silently agreed. If they were normal teenagers, once a glimmer of hope was presented in a dire situation like theirs, they would be like moths flying directly into a flame. And if you tried to stop them, they would become unreasonable and possibly hostile.

The entire group went to rest after trying to get enough sleep for the next day. However, before dawn, a roar reverberated, awakening them from their sleep. This incident filled them with horror, confirming that the people in this world aren't the only enemies they might need to fight.