Chapter 187: Thoughts on Moving, Vorlag City Safe Zone No. 1

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Thoughts on Moving, Vorlag City Safe Zone No. 1

After the interrogation, once she understood the whole story, Seraphina Sullivan realized something.

She and Sean Chandler—or more accurately, Sean Chandler, whose Player identity had been exposed—were now being targeted by the Player faction behind Gene Morton.

"Sigh..." Seraphina Sullivan let out a soft sigh.

’It seems staying in this neighborhood any longer will only attract more unnecessary trouble and danger.’

She hadn’t wanted to leave before, because the thought of having the Scavenger’s Farm as a mobile home hadn’t occurred to her.

Back when she only had the Space, she figured she could survive in a familiar environment by relying on stockpiled goods from the Doomsday Game.

But things were different now.

Who could have predicted they’d run into that madman, Hunter Lowe, during the last return.

It had led to the complete exposure of Sean Chandler’s Player identity.

’It’s a good thing it was Sean Chandler who was exposed,’

Seraphina Sullivan thought with some relief. ’If it were me, I’m afraid I wouldn’t just be facing this level of moral blackmail and covert scheming. Who knows how many more powerful and unsavory characters would have crawled out of the woodwork.’

It seemed that moving and finding a more secluded, secure base of operations had become an urgent necessity.

The blizzard outside raged on.

Although the crowd had failed to force Sean Chandler out to search for supplies, the grim pressure of survival was still pushing some to their breaking point.

Standing by the window, Seraphina Sullivan saw a figure bundled up like a ball, staggering through the raging blizzard. Visibility was near zero as they painstakingly trudged toward the edge of the neighborhood.

Each step was a monumental effort, their legs sinking deep into the thick snowdrifts.

The snow had now accumulated to a height of nearly one and a half times a person’s height, making travel incredibly difficult.

Every step forward consumed tremendous energy. The wind cut like a knife, and no matter how tightly they were wrapped, the bone-chilling cold found its way in.

But to find a sliver of hope, to reach a potential government rescue, the person had no choice but to venture out, risking their life.

Their figure looked so small and helpless against the boundless storm, as if they could be swallowed by the white expanse at any moment.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Vorlag City, officials were racing against the clock to construct a centralized safe zone.

Inside the temporary command post, Philip Jensen looked at the exhausted Justin Brooks, his tone urgent.

"Justin, what’s the status? Is the underground core of the Shelter complete? The temperature is still dropping fast. If we don’t get the people of Vorlag City transferred in soon, many of them will freeze to death out there!"

Justin Brooks wiped the sweat and ice from his face.

He answered, panting, "The basic living quarters on the surface are complete. We can start taking in the most severely affected residents now! The reinforcement and insulation for the underground levels are in the final stages and should be finished soon.

But the biggest problem right now is the Shelter’s defenses.

We can’t afford a repeat of what happened last time, with Hunter Lowe’s surprise attack on the safe zone."

"I agree,"

Philip Jensen’s brow furrowed as he recalled the losses from the last attack on the safe zone by Players under Hunter Lowe’s Control.

"Our defenses are definitely a major problem. We need powerful and reliable Players to stand guard, but the number of Players we can currently mobilize who are willing to take on long-term Guard duty is far too small.

We have to solve this quickly, or the Shelter will be indefensible even after it’s built."

He was also racking his brain, trying to figure out how to recruit more trustworthy Players.

Justin Brooks sighed and added, "On top of that, the situation in Vorlag City is getting more and more complicated. According to our intelligence, a number of Players have already formed sizable factions and are carving out their own territories. I just hope they can see the bigger picture and refrain from causing trouble at such a critical time. We don’t need them making things harder for the official response."

Philip Jensen gave a wry smile and shook his head. "I’m afraid that’s not something we can stop just by wishing for it. People are unpredictable, especially after gaining Extraordinary Power."

Justin Brooks nodded, saying no more.

He turned to look out the window at the distant silhouette of a massive complex rising from the ice and snow, its high Walls standing tall. ℯℯ𝑙.

It was "The Land of Hope," built in a miraculously short time through the tireless, day-and-night efforts of him, numerous official Players, and engineering crews using all kinds of Abilities and resources.

Vorlag City Shelter Number One.

Justin Brooks took a deep breath of frigid air and said to Philip Jensen, "I’m counting on you for the upcoming outreach. Your Talent allows you to function normally in these extreme temperatures.

Get the message out to every corner of Vorlag City as fast as you can: ’The Shelter is partially operational and accepting residents.’ Guide the survivors here."

Philip Jensen stood up straight.

The contrast between him and Justin Brooks was stark.

Even though Justin Brooks was a Player, he still felt the cold and was bundled up in a military greatcoat.

He even rubbed his hands together for warmth as he spoke.

Philip Jensen, however, was different. He stood in a standard-issue military uniform, seemingly unfazed by the cold.

This was thanks to his Frozen Talent; it not only gave him power over ice but also made him immune to the cold.

Hearing Justin Brooks’s orders, Philip Jensen’s eyes hardened with determination. "Right! I’m leaving now! I’ll make sure the message gets out!"

With that, he turned decisively and stepped out into the world of wind and snow.

But Justin Brooks was left to ponder how to solve the problem of the Shelter’s Guard force.

...

Ignoring the chaos and conflict of the outside world, Seraphina Sullivan took the potted Fiery Sunflower Seedling that served as her source of warmth and, with a single thought, entered her personal Space: the Scavenger’s Farm.

The moment she entered, the sight before her left her slightly stunned.

The Space was packed nearly to the brim.

Aside from the specially designated and protected planting and livestock areas, every inch of open ground was piled high with mountain-like heaps of monster carcasses.

These were all "edible ingredients" and "food for Flora" that she had carefully selected.

A faint, bloody, and feral Aura permeated the entire Space.

And at that moment, no one was more excited than Flora.

Its enormous flower pulsed open and shut, making a joyful rustling sound. Its vine-like leaves waved excitedly, dancing around the monster carcasses.

"Master! Master! This is wonderful! From now on, Flora can eat to her heart’s content! I’ll never have to worry about going hungry again!"

Flora conveyed her jubilant emotions telepathically.

Seraphina watched its goofy, "foodie" antics and couldn’t help but smile as she reminded it, "Flora, even though there’s a lot here, you can’t just gobble it all down at once. You have to pace yourself and make it last, understand? Besides, some of these are being saved as special ingredients."

"Okay, okay! I know, Master! Flora will be sure to save some!"

Flora quickly promised, but her gaze remained fixed on the carcasses, as if she were already deciding which one to devour first.