Global Awakening: Infinite Gift Pack System-Chapter 101: The Search

The night before, Russell worked quietly with the others to bury the three corpses.

They no longer had the Special Furnace in the shelter, so there was no need to use the bodies as fuel. Instead, the survivors dug shallow graves beyond the damaged wall, marking each with a simple stone.

Russell knew the dead well.

All three had once served as scouts, but they sustained injuries while fleeing from Sentinels. Those injuries had forced them to take on odd jobs inside the shelter instead.

Seeing their lifeless bodies laid to rest stirred something heavy in his chest.

"Haa~" Russel sighed as he looked at them.

He wasn’t new to death. The A.I. apocalypse had hardened him long ago, but familiarity never dulled the pain he felt.

For some time, he stood silently as the dirt was shoveled over them.

***

By dawn, Kai already accepted the fact that the mutated humans who had attacked them weren’t part of the Global Hunt event.

Unfortunately, they had no idea where they came from or what their purpose was.

For now, he set the matter aside since even Hale didn’t speak about them. Kai just gathered the six remaining scouts to give them their mission.

Supplies were laid out in neat rows... They were smoke grenades, ammunition for their revolvers, flashlights, bandages, hatchets, granola bars, water bottles, and radios for communication.

Each man and woman packed their share into small, rugged backpacks.

"These items are all for you..." Kai said.

He had divided them into two groups... Russell’s team and Augustine’s team.

Russell would lead Gabby and Dylan, while Augustine took the other two...

Russell’s team had known each other for years, long before Kai and the others had taken over Haven‑45 Shelter.

They had scavenged together, fought together, and survived together.

In short, their bond was forged in hardship, and it showed in the way they moved together.

As soon as Kai informed them of the details he learned about the Gene Traders and gave them instructions, they quickly acted efficiently.

"This should be good enough." Russel muttered as he decided to wear his scouting gear.

Gabby and Dylan followed suit and wore their most comfortable gear instead.

Indeed, unlike the camouflage suits Kai had provided, the three weren’t wearing the new gear he had given.

Instead, they stuck to their old scavenger outfits that were ragged and dirty but heavily modified to their liking.

Russell wore patched cargo pants with strips of leather, a faded jacket with metal plating sewn over the chest to protect his heart, and a pair of goggles that had saved his eyes more times than he could count.

Gabby’s outfit was similar, though she had added rope loops across her belt and a small pouch for tools. Ropes were useful for climbing or hauling debris after all.

Dylan, on the other hand, also carried an additional satchel with its straps lined with scrap metal to keep blades from cutting through...

Of course, knives were strapped to their thighs, and makeshift padding covered their forearms. Furthermore, since Dylan was stronger, his backpack was also larger, filled with various supplies.

These weren’t polished uniforms, but they were certainly practical, born of necessity from years of scouting the land.

"I wish you all success," Kai said as the two teams moved.

At the gate, before stepping into the wilderness, Russell and Augustine paused to coordinate.

Russell adjusted his goggles and spoke first. "We’ll head east, toward the collapsed industrial zone. Plenty of ruins there, and if that Augmented Human was right, the Trader might be hiding there.

Augustine nodded as he also considered this location.

"Then we’ll take the western side, near the old highway. I think that we’d find a Tyrant there at the very least. I’m thinking of searching the forest too... Either way, we’ll cover more ground."

Russell gave a short grunt of approval.

"Good. Keep your radio clear unless it’s urgent."

"Same to you," Augustine replied.

With that, the two leaders turned to their teams. Six figures stepped out of the shelter together, splitting into two directions once they reached the outside.

Kai watched them confidently before he looked at Atom behind him...

Needless to say, he was also planning to go out to search for the Gene Trader.

"Let’s see who finds him first." Kai said as he decided to go north instead.

***

Hours into their search within the abandoned industrial zone, Russell crouched down, with his goggles lowered over his eyes.

After checking the ground, he knew that the dirt showed clear signs of something heavy moving through... There were deep, uneven impressions that matched the stride of a Field Tyrant.

The ground was torn up, with patches of scorched earth where plasma fire had hit. There could have been a battle around here.

"Looks like it moved through here," Russell muttered, brushing dust from the grooves.

Gabby knelt beside him and nodded.

"Engaged in battle, maybe. See the scorch marks?" She pointed to blackened patches where plasma fire had scarred the ground.

Dylan adjusted his satchel and scanned the area. "Could be Hale again. Or another group. Either way, it’s not our concern."

Russell nodded. The Tyrant’s trail was clear, but their mission wasn’t mainly to chase machines. Their main task was to search for the Gene Trader, the elusive figure that Kai and the others must meet...

"Alright... Let’s leave it at that," Russell said firmly. "We’re not here to fight another Tyrant..."

The three moved on, ignoring the battlefield remnants.

As they moved through the industrial zone, they passed collapsed structures, broken walls, and the frames of old vehicles.

The ruins were silent, and because of the buildings around, there were many shady areas. It was the kind of place Hale had described... untouched by sunlight. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"The Gene Trader might be here..." Russel muttered.

Soon, Russell’s goggles caught faint glimmers in the distance, probably reflections from shattered glass.

He raised a hand, signaling the others to slow. Gabby tightened her grip on her revolver, and Dylan did the same.

They moved carefully as they scouted the area...

Then Russell froze.

On the far side of the ruined factory floor, half‑hidden in shadow, a figure stood motionless.

It wasn’t a Sentinel or a Spyder.

The figure wore a dark cloak, and the way it lingered in the darkness made Russell’s chest tighten.

Gabby whispered, "Do you see that?"