A Calculated Risk

"Do you still have food supplies? These people want something to fill their stomachs. Is there any food in those two boxes?" Mi-Ran said to Zephyr after the crowd grew after seeing them being given simple food.

Zephyr didn't answer but just casually kicked the two boxes, and the metallic sound of military knives rang out, silencing the crowd. Faces that had begun to bloom with hope fell, replaced by a deep disappointment. Empty stomachs rumbled in protest.

But Zephyr immediately sparked that hope again by opening his mouth. "Food and drink, as well as medicine that can heal and restore your body's resistance, is widely available in the city where I live now."

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. "A city?"

"What city remains after that catastrophe?! Everything has collapsed! Civilization has disappeared!" Another scoffed in the crowd.

Yet, amidst the disbelief, a lone voice dared to differ. "Look at him," a man interjected, gesturing towards Zephyr. "He's healthy, and his clothes are clean. He also just distributed food. So it could be that what he said is real. Maybe a city truly does exist."

Hope was a terrible thing when given to humans. In an instant, doubt could turn into blind belief without logic.

But Zephyr had no intention of betraying or deceiving these hopes because he believed he could bring them to the Fortress of the Divine Light.

"Give a final message to those who still want to stay because they don't want to come with me. There are four cities left in this chaotic world. Only those places will provide shelter for humanity to survive and maintain our heritage."

Mi-Ran's eyes widened. "W-What?! What do you mean? There are four cities, where are those? Also, what do you mean survive?!" Her voice trembled with a mix of disbelief and frantic hope.

Zephyr said casually, "Players of the Apex Online game know the location of those four places. But I doubt if you can find them now because those players won't stay this long here since they know the risks of staying outside. When it comes to survival, there is something fiercer than those rampaging and mutated animals out there. Sooner or later, those here will become prey for the true beasts."

A tremor of fear rippled through the crowd. Zephyr's words, laced with a chilling certainty, painted a horrifying picture. The promise of safety in the cities hung heavy in the air, intertwined with the unspoken threat of a monstrous, unseen enemy.

Zephyr strode towards his Swiftwind and set the autopilot program by making him a pinpoint. He was setting the sleek vehicle to follow at a distance and at a lower speed. Even though it would be troublesome, he felt it would be a shame to throw it away. He then distributed the hundred military knives to those who had chosen to join him. For the rest of the knives, he put it in one box and loaded it into Swiftwind.

"That knife is sharper and sturdier than a kitchen knife. On the way, we may meet these rampaging and mutated animals. So, protect yourselves as much as possible because I can't be able to protect all of you at once." Zephyr provides the real situation without lying or sprinkling MSG into its words.

The feelings of everyone who had decided to participate shrank in fear of uncertainty. But every time they saw Zephyr's well-to-do figure, their restless hearts immediately calmed down.

However, amidst his transparency, a crucial detail remained shrouded in secrecy. The nature of the journey, the path they were about to embark on, remained a mystery. Zephyr offered a glimpse of a potential threat, but the true extent of the dangers that lay ahead was a carefully guarded secret.

A crucial detail remains buried beneath Zephyr's words: the path back wouldn't be a simple retread of his arrival route. Revealing this truth now would send tremors of fear through the already appreciative crowd.

He was sure that most of those people believed that it was safe out there because they saw him arrive from far away safely.

He also conceded that the path he came from was indeed safe and free of danger from animals running amok and mutating along with the Sentinels. Apart from that, the scavengers on the route have also been dealt with. So, the danger level was low if he took that route again.

But taking the known route would be a sluggish crawl. Time, a precious commodity, would be wasted with great caution. Yes, the new path held risks, a calculated gamble. Yet, the potential rewards were substantial. A fresh route meant a higher chance of stumbling upon undiscovered pockets of survivors. A larger pool of refugees to bring back to the Fortress of the Divine Light... Hundreds more lives were saved within a single week – a significant boost to the city's dwindling population.

Mi-Ran approaches warily, "Isn't this too much? Why do we have to leave when it's dark? Why can't we leave when the sun rises?"

"If we arrived sooner, wouldn't that be better? You guys would already be hungry and couldn't stand the coughing and itching from those red spots." Zephyr explained the reason. But he didn't stop there. "Don't worry. There will be time to rest. I also won't force the group on the journey with accumulated fatigue."

Zephyr wants to increase efficiency by cutting their sleep quota to just 5 hours. And 3 hours of rest every 10 hours of travel.

As he believed he would definitely bring these people safely to the Fortress of the Divine Light.

Zephyr's unwavering confidence stemmed from his chosen path. Despite the acknowledged dangers, his route veered west across the Plain of Zarath, ultimately leading north towards the Valleys of Torak. This new course held a strategic advantage – proximity to the newly formed sea.

The route would discourage the Sentinels from approaching. It was because just as Sentinels were present on land to devour humanity, in the sea, some creatures had the same goal but had terrifying strengths that were many times different. Their savagery dwarfed even the Sentinels. The two weren't comparable – just an apples-to-orange comparison.

A silent debate raged within Zephyr. 'Yeah, unless I take the type 4 serum and advanced Exo-skeleton, facing that monstrosity now…impossible,' he conceded. He needed the essential tools for such an encounter. Although the route skirted the sea, a healthy distance remained. He'd chosen a path that repelled the monstrous denizens of the deep while steering clear of the Sentinels' land dominance.

For hours they passed, there was not a single danger lurking. There were only the sounds of people's stomachs being hungry and exhausted because their immune systems were not good.

Zephyr had no choice but to rest in the middle of the night. He repurposed his Swiftwind as a makeshift shield, a wall against the encroaching darkness. Campfires flickered to life, offering a semblance of warmth and light.

As a precaution, he also opened the Inventory System, took out and placed the Strato Exosuit in the dark, far from the reach of the firelight. He watched there like the shadow of a silent guardian.

On the other hand, Zephyr thought deeply. 'Why is it safe so far? I only met rotten people but not a single Sentinel or even any rampaging and mutated animals on the road.'

But as he doubted the calm and peaceful atmosphere, he noticed movement behind the bushes some distance from where he and his large group were resting.

'This kind of movement... It's not Sentinels.' Zephyr thought in relief and moved swiftly in silence, leaving the Strato Exosuit in place.

Holding two military knives was enough because the danger that came was still within his reach. Those were just about ten rampaging and mutated animals.

'Based on the speed traveled, these animals are of the slow type.' he assessed, already formulating a plan.

The first blow came from above. He reacted instinctively, a blur of motion as he parried the attack with both knives. He landed in a crouch, whirling around to face his adversary.

A wave of unexpected amusement washed over him. Towering before him, their beady eyes locked on his, was a dozen of… sloths.