Chapter 214: A Stranger Among Us

Chapter 214: Chapter 214: A Stranger Among Us

Out of the hundreds of vehicles scattered throughout the parking garage and nearby streets, these were the only three they could reasonably use.

Thomas walked around each one, checking the tires, engine, and overall condition before finally nodding. "These three should still work."

Jaxon looked over the vehicles. "If we take all three along with the military truck, it’ll be too much for our group. We should only take two. Which ones do you think we should use?"

"We’ll take the Land Cruiser and the Delica," Thomas replied without hesitation. "The Land Cruiser can handle rough roads, and the Delica gives us more space for people."

Jaxon nodded. "Makes sense."

His eyes then fell on the Ford Ranger. ’This should fit in my Storage Space, right?’

He walked over and placed a hand against the truck.

The next moment, the Ford Ranger vanished without a sound.

Thomas stared at the empty space for a few seconds before looking at Jaxon. "You really can store vehicles too..."

"Looks like it." Jaxon smiled.

Thomas shook his head as he continued staring at the spot where the truck had been. "That ability of yours gets more ridiculous every time I see it."

Jaxon chuckled. "Let’s head back. Tomorrow, we’ll scout farther outside and see what we can find."

They returned to B3 and spent the rest of the day resting.

By the time evening came, Isabel and Hae-in were preparing dinner. Somehow, they had even managed to set up a small barbecue underground, and the smell of grilled meat soon spread throughout the parking garage.

Bong-gu took a bite and leaned back with a satisfied expression. "You know, maybe we should just live here. It’s been a lot more peaceful than our days outside."

Haris, who was now able to sit up on his own, glanced at him. "You actually want to live in a parking garage?"

"Why not?" Bong-gu replied, taking another bite. "Jaxon has enough supplies to keep us alive."

"That’s not the point," Haris muttered.

Jaxon smiled faintly as he looked around at everyone. "We’ll see. It would be great if we could find more supplies around the area, but we still need to keep moving. Tomorrow, we’ll scout farther out and see what the roads are like."

The group nodded, but Hae-in quietly lowered her gaze toward her food. "I wonder what happened to the evacuation convoy."

The conversation immediately fell silent.

"They’d be lucky to have survived that," Elena said with a grimace before sighing. "Ah, don’t bring up depressing things while we’re eating."

Hae-in lowered her head slightly. "Sorry."

"It’s fine," Isabel said gently. "Let’s just hope some of them made it."

The mood remained quiet for a moment before the conversation slowly shifted to lighter topics. Eventually, everyone returned to their meals, enjoying the moment of peace.

The group had been resting quietly when the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed through the darkness.

Everyone tensed.

Thomas immediately grabbed his M249, while the others reached for their weapons and raised their flashlights toward the sound. Several beams cut through the darkness, illuminating rows of abandoned cars and concrete pillars, but there was no one in sight.

Jaxon slowly stood up and listened carefully. "It’s a person."

Thomas glanced at him. "You’re sure?"

"Yeah. Just one."

A few seconds later, a figure slowly emerged from beyond the flashlight beams.

It was a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She had short black hair and a tall, athletic build that made it clear she trained regularly. A shotgun hung loosely in each hand, while a blade was strapped across her back beneath a backpack.

Despite having several guns pointed directly at her, she didn’t raise either shotgun or show any sign of panic. She simply kept walking, her weapons lowered at her sides, until she came close enough for everyone to clearly see her face.

"A survivor?" Elena muttered, though she kept her weapon trained on the woman.

The woman didn’t answer immediately. Instead, her eyes wandered across their makeshift camp.

She looked genuinely surprised by their setup. Sleeping bags were spread around the military truck, lanterns provided light, and piles of food and bottled water were stacked nearby. Even their cooking equipment had been set up underground.

"Who are you people?" she finally asked.

"Survivors, just like you," Elena replied. "Are you alone?"

"Yes." The answer came without hesitation.

Thomas glanced at Jaxon. Jaxon gave him a small nod. He hadn’t sensed anyone else nearby.

Thomas turned back to the woman. "Then how did you find us?"

"The drones."

The group exchanged surprised looks.

"Those belong to you, right?"

Cindy’s eyes widened slightly. "You saw them?"

The woman nodded. "I’ve been watching them for a while."

Her calm response only made everyone more cautious.

Jaxon studied her silently. She didn’t seem hostile, but there was something unusual about how calm she was. She had walked straight into an armed group without even flinching.

After a moment, he finally spoke. "Lower your weapons."

Jaxon stepped forward, his eyes meeting the woman’s. "Why did you come here?"

"Am I not allowed to?"

Jaxon remained silent, studying her carefully.

For a moment, the woman simply looked back at him. Then, a faint smile appeared on her face. "I just wanted to see some people again."

"What?" Hae-in and the others exchanged surprised looks.

The woman’s gaze slowly moved across the group, lingering on Sumiko and the twins. There was something almost nostalgic in her eyes as she looked at them.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve seen living people," she said quietly.

The group exchanged glances. From the way she spoke, they could only assume she had been surviving alone for a long time.

Sumiko, who had been quietly watching her, suddenly smiled. "Then why don’t you eat with us, beautiful sister?"

The woman looked at Sumiko, seemingly caught off guard by the invitation.

"She doesn’t seem like she’s here to hurt us," Isabel quietly said from behind Jaxon.

Jaxon remained focused on the woman. His eyes briefly fell to the two shotguns hanging loosely from her hands before returning to her face.

There was something unusual about her gaze. She didn’t have the desperation of a survivor searching for help, nor did she show the hostility of someone waiting for a chance to attack.

Instead, she simply looked calm and curious.

After a moment, Jaxon lowered his weapon. "Come. Eat with us."

The woman studied him for a few seconds before giving a small nod. "All right."

Jaxon then gave Thomas a subtle glance.

Thomas immediately understood. He shifted slightly closer to the group, keeping the woman within his line of sight.

The woman noticed the movement but said nothing as she simply followed Jaxon toward the others.