Soon, they marched back to the city, where they were welcomed with happiness and joy. The first to meet them were the madmen... or rather, the researchers, with their unkempt hair and rough clothing.

They quickly gathered and instructed the Awakeners in the city to drag the bear back to the institute, while Lucien invited the archers to tour their shelter.

Vanin and the other archers nodded. Although, compared to their own city, this one was inferior, the effort put into it was still visible.

This was a shelter—and there were a lot of Awakeners here.

Lucien was told to rest and recover, while Daemon and Jeff took charge in his absence.

Although everything seemed calm and amiable, Lucien would be a fool to believe it was because they cared about other humans.

No.

It was because he was a One-Star Awakener.

They acknowledged him because of that. If not, they might have already ravaged this shelter.

Lucien didn’t want to sleep.

What if they gave him something while he was unconscious and he lost his strength? What if they took over the shelter before he woke up and called their own One-Star leader to deal with him?

Lying on the bed, Lucien’s mind raced with thoughts. Sweat coated his forehead as his worries piled up.

Of course, this shelter had more Awakeners—not to mention the large number of Semi-Awakeners.

But these four archers had arrows that could easily pierce a One-Star beast, combined with the strength of Awakeners. If they fired those arrows, very few people would be able to dodge them.

Lucien didn’t want to take any chances.

Yet, despite everything, he felt himself growing drowsy...

And drowsy...

His thoughts blurred.

Did they poison him?

Did they give him something to make him sleep?

With that final thought

Lucien’s eyes closed as sleep took him.

---

"Ahh..."

Lucien opened his eyes, his body feeling cool and strangely light as he sat up.

For a moment, he didn’t know where he was or what was happening.

Just as confusion set in

Knock. Knock.

Lucien snapped out of it. He stood up and walked to the door, unlocking it.

The moment he opened it, he paused.

The healer stood there, looking at him with a gentle smile.

"Why are you here?" Lucien asked, raising an eyebrow.

In response, she lifted her pouch slightly.

"I’m here to change your bandages," she said.

Lucien glanced down at his body.

Right... he was injured.

He had almost forgotten.

That sleep... it really was something.

"Alright," Lucien replied, stepping aside.

She nodded and began speaking as she entered.

"Actually, we Awakeners have fast regeneration," she said, "but strong beasts like that One-Star Savin Bear have a natural suppression that affects our healing."

Lucien listened quietly.

"For injuries caused by such creatures, healing takes longer. In your case, it will take about two days to fully recover. I’ll need to change your bandages regularly—if you don’t mind."

Lucien thought for a moment.

So that was it.

He had expected to be healed already, but her explanation made sense.

"Alright," he said.

"Oh, and one more thing," she added. "Your sleep wasn’t normal. Your body forced a reset to focus on healing. You’ll likely feel like this for a while."

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"Huh... quite knowledgeable."

She smiled slightly.

"I’m a healer, after all."

Then she paused.

"May I come in?"

Lucien stepped aside.

"Sure."

She entered, and as Lucien closed the door behind her, his gaze lingered for a moment.

Her clothes...

They were more revealing than before.

A short skirt, a tight top that highlighted her figure...

Was she here to treat him—or tempt him?

Lucien shook the thought away and sat on the edge of the bed as she got to work.

Her expression turned serious.

Carefully, she removed the old bandages and began treating his wounds. Her movements were precise, calm, and practiced.

"By the way... what’s your name?" Lucien asked.

"Sasha," she replied softly.

As she applied a bluish liquid, a familiar cool sensation spread through Lucien’s body. The pain eased almost instantly.

She then brought out fresh bandages and wrapped his wounds.

Just by looking at it, Lucien could tell—it was already much better.

"That’s a beautiful name," he said.

"Thank you," Sasha replied.

"You mentioned two days... so you’re staying?" Lucien asked.

She nodded.

"Yes. We’ll remain here for about three days. You should be fully healed within two."

She paused slightly, then stepped closer.

"And during that time..." she leaned in just enough for her chest to be directly in his view.

"I’ll be changing your dressings regularly."

She smiled faintly.

"So... get used to seeing me."

Lucien’s gaze flickered for a moment.

Then she turned away, calmly packing her things back into her pouch.

Interesting...

Lucien watched her.

So she was seducing him.

But why?

Because he was a One-Star Awakener?

He had already checked her status—she was just a normal Awakener. Maybe she had potential, but nothing extraordinary... yet.

Was this one of the benefits of being strong?

Lucien leaned back slightly as she walked out, her hips swaying subtly.

"Crazy..." he muttered.

He lay back on the bed, his mind drifting.

The meeting between the two shelters...

It was a good thing.

It could lead to cooperation, trade, and growth.

But it was also a warning.

If he hadn’t broken through to One-Star...

Things might have turned out very differently.

This shelter might have already fallen.

And he...

He might have been serving someone else.

Power...

In this world, power was everything.

Knock. Knock.

His thoughts were interrupted again.

"It’s Daemon," a familiar voice called out.

Lucien exhaled lightly.

"It’s not locked. Come in."

Click.

The door opened as Daemon entered, his face full of smiles.

Lucien frowned slightly.

Why was Daemon so happy? What did he discover?

"Leader, I have something to tell you," Daemon began.

"I’m listening," Lucien replied.

"Leader, Vanin told me some things that could benefit us," Daemon continued, immediately piquing Lucien’s interest.

"Vanin spoke about beasts and the resources they use. It’s still under research, but unlike zombies—who grow stronger by devouring humans—beasts grow by consuming various natural resources. Of course, they can still eat humans, but that’s just for sustenance, not a path to becoming stronger."

Daemon paused, letting his words sink in as Lucien thought it over.

"Not only can these materials make beasts stronger, but we can use them as well. They can be infused into equipment made from beast materials—like fur or skin—to enhance their strength."

He continued,

"For example, the archers’ arrows. They aren’t just made from beast remains—they’re also infused with materials found in the forest."

Lucien’s eyes sharpened.

"So, Leader, we need to explore the forest for these materials. Even if we can’t utilize them immediately like they can, we should start stockpiling them. Vanin didn’t tell me exactly what these resources are, so it would be best to gather everything and test them over time. We don’t know if other shelters or humans have discovered this yet."

Lucien’s eyes widened.

"This... this is good news," he said with a smile.

A step forward.

"But that’s not all, Leader," Daemon added.

Lucien froze slightly.

There’s more?

This alone was already massive.

Still, he listened.

"Leader... they’ve figured out the mystery behind beasts and One-Star evolution," Daemon said, his voice trembling with excitement.

"According to Vanin, One-Star beasts develop something called a Monster Core. These cores can be absorbed by Awakeners to grow stronger."

Lucien felt his heartbeat spike.

"Cores only fully form in One-Star beasts. Creatures below that level don’t have complete cores yet. However... they still leave behind traces of energy when killed. We absorb it, but it’s too diluted, so the progress is extremely slow."

Daemon clenched his fists.

"But One-Star cores are different. They’re pure... powerful. With enough of them, they can push an Awakener forward—help them grow rapidly."

Lucien felt like he had just been struck by lightning.

So this was it.

This was the path forward.

This was how Awakeners truly grew stronger.

From his battle with the Savin Bear, Lucien already understood how dangerous One-Star beasts were. It also explained why Vanin’s shelter didn’t have many One-Star Awakeners yet.

But him...?

Lucien’s eyes darkened slightly.

He had the system.

A system with a terrifying mall that contained countless items.

Weapons.

Potions.

Tools.

Things that could tip the balance.

He could equip himself with powerful weapons, defeat One-Star beasts, obtain their cores... and grow stronger.

For Lucien, the path ahead was becoming clearer and clearer.

He knew what to do.

"Daemon... this is huge," Lucien said, gripping Daemon’s shoulder with a smile.

"We owe them for this. They saved us weeks—maybe even months—of blind exploration."

Daemon nodded.

"Yes, Leader."

"Where is he now?" Lucien asked.

Vanin had done them a great favor.

"He’s training with Jeff," Daemon replied. "Teaching them how to fight beasts."

Lucien took a deep breath.

This was too much.

But at the same time... it made sense.

In this new world, having a strong ally was far better than having a strong enemy.

And it seemed 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Both shelters understood that.