"No wonder outsiders can’t find this place."

Adrian Shaw exclaimed in amazement.

"Everyone, please follow us."

Trevor said as he walked.

"If it were still all jungle and trees like before, it would be even harder to find."

As soon as Maya Warner finished speaking, the group heard voices up ahead.

It was a language they couldn’t understand. Seeing Trevor and the others reply, Adrian Shaw relaxed. It must be the language of the Bishop Clan.

More than thirty people approached. After exchanging hugs with Trevor and his companions, some of them started to cry.

But some stared intently at Nina Jacobs and the others behind Trevor.

"Who are you?"

The man looked to be about Trevor’s age, with an even more robust build.

Like the others, he looked sickly and listless, his voice trailing off weakly at the end of his sentences.

"Lucasta, these people are here to help us. They’re from the City D Base.

They protected us all the way back to the clan. I think you should be more polite."

Trevor was clearly displeased.

These people were their honored guests. Even if Lucasta Moreau was naturally xenophobic, he should understand their current situation.

Lana also felt awkward and quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Please don’t mind him. That’s just Lucasta’s personality. He means no harm."

"Lucasta, Nina Jacobs and the others are very, very good people. They even saved Eve’s life,"

Eve added.

"Anyone who travels a great distance to reach our clan is a guest!"

After hearing the explanations from Trevor and the others, an old woman, her face full of wrinkles, let go of Trevor’s hand.

She greeted the group in a friendly manner.

Though her body was frail and thin, her voice was sonorous and powerful. "Bring our warriors into the clan!"

As if summoned, the members of the Bishop Clan began to chant in succession:

"Bring our warriors into the clan!"

"Bring our warriors into the clan!"

"Bring our warriors into the clan!"

The shouts continued until the old woman signaled for them to stop. "Trevor, bring everyone in."

Trevor nodded and finally led the group to formally enter the Bishop Clan’s territory.

The moment Nina Jacobs officially stepped out of the cave, the System sent a new mission notification:

[Host has entered a new mission area. Seven-Day Mission 1 has been initiated:

Mission Details: Hunt and kill 50 mutated/zombie animals.

Mission Reward: 20,000 System Experience Points.

Does the host accept? ]

’A whole 20,000 System Experience Points?’

Nina Jacobs knew the System’s mission rewards were usually stingy.

Previously, the main reason her System had leveled up was from her selling supplies.

But this time, the System was being incredibly generous, offering a reward of 20,000 Experience Points.

For her current System level, this amount of experience wasn’t much, but she accepted the mission anyway.

Besides, even if she couldn’t complete this kind of mission, there was no real loss.

Nina Jacobs continued to follow the group ahead.

She heard Marcus Miller and a few others talking in low voices.

"This is all pretty mysterious..."

"Yeah, this is the first time I’ve seen a welcome like this."

Crispin Coleman whispered as well.

It seemed not everyone welcomed them, though, especially that man named Lucasta.

The group was led into a simple yet magnificent wooden building.

The old woman stood before the group, set down her staff, and then prostrated herself piously before Adrian Shaw and the others.

"On behalf of the Bishop Clan’s ancestors, I, Toya, thank you, our benefactors, for traveling so far. The Bishop Clan is now on the brink of destruction. By the grace of our ancestors, we were guided to you. I beg you, our benefactors, please save the Bishop Clan!"

"We beg you, benefactors, save the Bishop Clan!"

"We beg you, benefactors, save the Bishop Clan!"

"..."

Everyone present knelt and prostrated themselves in the same manner.

It took a moment for Adrian Shaw to react. He quickly stepped forward to help Toya up.

"A catastrophe has befallen the world, and no one has been spared. The Bishop Clan is an ancient clan of our Drakonia; you naturally deserve protection.

It’s not just about the City D Base. As fellow countrymen of Drakonia, it is our undeniable duty to do what we can. Everyone, please get up."

If before they were only here to complete the mission assigned by the base, now the group truly felt the urgent weight of this responsibility.

"Granny, this is my teacher from the City D Base. She not only saved our lives, but she also taught me many skills." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Trevor said, introducing Nina Jacobs.

As Adrian Shaw helped her up, Toya was actually already studying Nina Jacobs, having noticed her earlier.

The young woman had a pure, quiet aura that was impossible to ignore.

Seeing Toya about to kneel again, Nina Jacobs stopped her just in time.

She was beginning to understand where Trevor got his habit of kneeling at the drop of a hat.

The gratitude of the Bishop Clan members was more than just words.

Toya held Nina Jacobs’s hand as she began to explain the Bishop Clan’s current situation.

It turned out the clan had been without food for nearly seven or eight days, which was why everyone looked so weak and lethargic.

"The Mawdrakes at the base of the cliff have been restless. If Lucasta weren’t there guarding it every day, I’m afraid they would have already climbed up."

Furthermore, things hadn’t been peaceful around the clan’s territory recently.

Many outsiders had come to Mornfell.

They seemed to be looking for something, attracting not only a large number of zombies but also recklessly setting fire to the mountain.

Fortunately, Mornfell was currently a barren forest, making it difficult for the fire to spread. But if this continued, there was no guarantee the Bishop Clan would remain undiscovered.

"Stellan Gallagher and Nathan Moreau went to investigate the situation, but they haven’t been back for two days.

I don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad one... Aigh!"

Toya gazed outside worriedly. Her eyes were clouded with age, but her gaze was lucid.

Nina Jacobs hadn’t forgotten their primary mission for coming here.

"Shirley Lucas, let’s give them the supplies first."

Nina Jacobs said.

Shirley Lucas’s space contained a batch of supplies donated by the City D Base to the Bishop Clan.

Shirley Lucas nodded and began to take out bags of supplies from her space.

"Toya, we’ve come on behalf of the City D Base. These supplies are a token of goodwill from the base.

The head of the City D Base, Mr. Justin Lawson, wants everyone to rest assured. As long as the City D Base survives, it will unconditionally support the continued existence of the Bishop Clan."

In the quiet hall, Nina Jacobs’s voice was not loud, but it was enough to shake every member of the Bishop Clan to their core.

Especially after they saw the bags of food and supplies.

Toya was even more moved and was about to kneel again.

But Nina Jacobs was prepared for this. She changed the subject, saying, "We have another purpose for this visit. Or you could call it a condition."

’A condition?’

"Miss Jacobs, please speak freely. As long as it is within our clan’s power, we will not refuse!"

Toya said.

Nothing was more important than supplies.

But she also worried that the City D Base had other motives.

"Trevor, you explain it."

Nina Jacobs gestured.

Trevor nodded and explained everything about the "Mystic Ice Core."

"The Celestial’s Prayer Stone?"

’So that’s what they came for?’

Toya seemed to let out a sigh of relief. She said, "Joey, take out everything you have."

Joey, standing to the side, was a young, dark-skinned woman.

She was also a Space Superpower User.

"Granny, all of it?" Joey asked, blinking her eyes.