The west face went up in the morning faster than any of the other three.

Over two days, Cole’s and Damon’s groups established a smooth rhythm, evident in their efficient work.

Panels were installed swiftly and neatly, with anchor placements consistently accurate on the first try, and no instructions needed to be repeated.

Michael coordinated both teams, focusing on the corner brackets. By 11 a.m., the west face was finished—corners secured and the wall fully assembled.

He stood back and looked at it.

Four faces of solid reinforced steel feature an angled overhang running along the entire perimeter, with corner platforms at each junction.

The gate is firmly placed on the south face, where it has always been. The structure above the wall extends up to the watchtower platform at the roof.

From street level, it appears as if the building has committed to remaining, with its presence reinforced by concrete and steel.

Everyone involved in the build was outside observing it. Cole’s group, Damon’s group, and Maya, who had come out unnoticed by Michael, stood watching the south face, her arms crossed as her eyes scanned the panel angles and the midpoint anchors. Shin was nearby, while Anya, at the corner with her clipboard, examined the anchor points and took notes.

Nobody said anything for a moment.

Then Damon said, "that’s a wall" in a tone that made it sound like a fact bigger than it appeared. A couple of his men made sounds of agreement. Cole looked at the finished perimeter with his steady, dark eyes and nodded once, as if it confirmed something he’d already decided.

Gareth stood on the street, observing from the other side of the gate. His eyes steadily scanned the wall, just as they did everything else—analyzing carefully. Whatever conclusion he drew, he kept to himself.

Michael looked at the wall for another moment and then looked at the Tier 3 progress bar.

It was now at thirsty one percent which was a very steady growth.

He was about to return indoors when the pulse detected something two blocks north moving quickly and low, yet strangely human—neither Rotter nor mutant. It was a single signature racing at a speed suggesting that whatever was behind it was more dangerous than what lay ahead.

---

She appeared around the corner at the end of the block, running fiercely.

A woman in her mid-twenties, with wild, dark hair framing her face, pressed one hand against her side while gripping a pipe with the other.

She was carrying the pipe rather than using it, suggesting she either couldn’t use it anymore or hadn’t had the chance.

Her fast pace indicated she had been running for a long time and was nearing the exhaustion point of her speed.

Behind her, four Rotters emerged at the far end of the block, stumbling forward with urgent, frantic energy, driven by a scent that had long roused their excitement.

Michael had already opened the gate before he was fully aware of his action.

He stepped onto the street, looked north, raised his hand, and she saw him. Her eyes widened, and she shifted her angle toward him without slowing down.

He tracked the four Rotters on the pulse, measured the distance, and looked at Cole, who had come through the gate behind him without being asked and already had his weapon up.

"Two each," Michael said.

"Two each," Cole confirmed and they moved toward the Rotters instead of waiting for them.

Michael took the outside two, Cole took the inside two, and they finished quickly and cleanly in about twenty seconds.

During this, the woman ran past both of them while they were still in it, went through the gate, and he heard Maya’s voice behind him saying something before the gate closed.

He looked at the four Rotters on the ground and then at Cole.

Cole glanced back at him. "Two each," he repeated in the same tone as before, carrying an almost humorous undertone, making Michael nearly smile as they proceeded back through the gate.

---

The woman was on the ground just inside the gate, leaning against the wall with her knees up, her chest heaving.

Shin crouched beside her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder and speaking softly. Dr. Kang approached from the building entrance across the courtyard, holding her medical bag, which she always carried in case someone needed it.

The woman looked up at Michael as he entered through the gate. Her dark brown eyes, sharp despite her exhaustion and fear, followed him closely—like someone updating their view of the world right after being saved, with keen and quick attention.

"You were the one who opened the gate," she said. Her voice was steadier than it had any right to be.

"Yes," Michael said.

"You came out," she said. "You didn’t have to come out."

"The gate was already open," he said.

She glanced at him briefly, then her expression changed. She looked at the wall around her, the building overhead, and the people in the courtyard staring at her. She then took a deep breath, the first full breath she’d taken since emerging around the corner.

Dr. Kang crouched beside her, examining the hand pressed against her side. "Let me see," she said firmly, and the woman moved her hand. Dr. Kang looked at the wound, her jaw tightening slightly—indicating it was serious enough to warrant attention but not so severe as to cause panic.

"It’s a scrape," Dr. Kang said. "It’s deep but clean. Nothing internal." She opened her bag. "You’re going to be fine."

The woman looked at her. "Are you a doctor."

"Yes," Dr. Kang said and got to work.

The woman let her work and looked back at Michael. "How long have you been here," she said.

"Thirty three days," he said.

She stared at him. "In this building."

"Yes."

She looked at the wall again and then at the watchtower visible above the building roofline and then back at him. "You built that wall."

"Finished it this morning," he said.

She was quiet for a moment while Dr. Kang worked on her side and Shin stayed crouched beside her with a hand still on her shoulder and the courtyard was warm and still around them.

"My name is Yuna," she said finally.

"I’m michael," he said.

She observed him with sharp, dark eyes that already mirrored everyone’s initial glance upon entering a building — cataloging everything, interpreting what they saw, and determining its significance.

"Is it safe here," she said.

He looked at the wall, then at the building, and finally at the gate closed solidly behind her.

"Yes," he said.

She held his gaze briefly, then nodded, allowing Dr. Kang to complete her work. She leaned her head back against the wall, closed her eyes, and the courtyard remained quiet around her, with the city’s usual sounds on the other side of the perimeter, unaffected.

[Ding! New Survivor — Yuna. +1 Bond Point.]

---

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