Thankfully the surviving scavengers were positioned in the least guarded part of the city. Perhaps that was why they had survived while others hadn't.

[Detecting several life forms.]

Cyberfang announced, breaking the tension that had begun to rise among the troops.

Using Perfect Vision, Michael observed the horizon with one of the binoculars Stephen had given him.

"Visual confirmation." He said, boosting morale.

"Don't go charging straight in. Stealth is still our priority." Evelyn reminded.

Remaining undetected, they reached the human.

"...!"

Though the ragged cloth concealed most of his appearance, it was still clear that the figure was a man in his early twenties.

He froze seeing the two mechanical tigers come out from the corner in eerie silence.

For a second he thought that the aliens had finally found him and were about to torture him. Yet before he could submit to despair, he noticed the soldiers riding atop the mechas.

"Soldiers!" The man exclaimed in hope, dropping the protein bar he had been carrying.

Without any kind of hesitation, he ran towards them.

'Not even a hint of suspicion.' Michael analyzed. Usually civilians would feel nervous before the giant tigers. The fact the man didn't appear fazed spoke about the horrors he had witnessed up until now.

"Please tell me that you have come to our aid!" The man whispered quietly, making sure to not attract unwanted attention from any alien threats.

"We have." Evelyn said with a nod. "We noticed several figures from afar and decided to come to their aid. Can you lead us to where you have been staying?"

"And you can speak normally. Cyberfang isn't picking up any aliens near us." Michael added, calming down the man.

"Please follow me!" The man began to lead the way.

Going as far away from the center of Celestia as possible, they entered the part of the city that had once been the outskirts.

After making sure that nothing was following them, the man approached a wooden door and knocked on it in a specific pattern.

"Tyler?" The door swung open, showing an old man. He was puzzled as to why the younger had returned so soon. Usually the scavengers would need a day of searching for supplies before returning.

Wordlessly Tyler pointed behind him, where three mechas were standing menacingly without emitting any kind of presence. Natalia's technique was extremely effective.

"..."

Wondering if he was staring at a mirage, the old man blinked several times over.

"Heavens… Did help really arrive?"

"Yes!" Tyler urged the old man to make way before they were spotted.

"Open the back doors to let the mechas pass!"

In a timely manner the gates to the shelter opened wide, making way for the troops.

"What is happening?"

"Did the aliens find us?"

The survivors were understandably alarmed. The large doors were usually never opened, so they feared a threat had found them.

Yet their worries proved unfounded seeing the silhouettes of the mechas.

"Soldiers! We haven't been abandoned!"

"I may live to see another day!"

Instantly the spark of hope was ignited in their hearts. They had feared all this time that they were destined to die holed up here.

While the survivors celebrated joyfully, the soldiers stared at them with concern. From a single glance they counted more than a hundred people.

Victoria shifted her gaze to Tyler before asking. "Is there a leader among you all?"

With a small nod, the man led them to their strongest members.

'It's a miracle they have survived for so long.' Michael mused, studying them one by one.

Aside from Tyler, there were two dozen Adepts and a single Early Expert on whom the role of leader ultimately fell.

"Glory to Mankind!" Without hesitation the Expert saluted, noticing the presence of Masters and Grandmasters.

"Peter, Early Expert. When the troops faced the General portal, I wasn't able to participate due to my heavy injuries. By the time they were healed, our forces had lost, with some of them retreating far away. Left with no other option, I fortified the building we are staying in now and focused on saving as many people as possible!"

Unlike the civilians, he was a proper soldier. Most likely tormented by guilt for not going on the battlefield, he had focused his attention on saving the innocent with no regard for self-preservation.

Evelyn gestured that there was no need to pay respect before asking.

"What is your situation?"

Peter's eyes darkened. "We have about a thousand people in the shelter. I am the only one in the Expert realm, and the duty of ruling fell upon me. The Adepts are responsible for searching for resources and rescuing people. We also have about a hundred Apprentices, but they are too weak to help."

Heaving a sigh, he continued. "Up until now we have been discovered by Lessers, Highers, and even Elites. But with the help of my people, we managed to silence them before they could call for reinforcements."

Shaking his head, Tyler interjected. "Help my ass! He is the one that kept the Elites at bay. We the Adepts were too useless against them."

Apart from their battle readiness, Peter reported about their resources and health conditions.

The entire time Michael stayed silent, absorbing the information.

'By the way the Adepts are treating him, Peter is respected. They should be able to get rid of most threats as long as a General doesn't find them…'

They were certainly in better condition than Michael had expected, but still a problem remained. A thousand people couldn't be moved stealthily no matter the techniques.

Discreetly Karson tugged at Stephen's shoulder before whispering.

"We can take at most ten people with us. Let's get the strongest out and flee."

A deep frown appeared on the Grandmaster's face. He didn't like the suggestion of leaving so many civilians, but he couldn't needlessly risk the lives of his squad members. This was still a scout mission, not a rescue operation.

"This is certainly troublesome." Evelyn went silent, pondering about what the best course of action was.

"Nothing comes to mind." Claire shook her head. The way she saw it, so many humans would give out their position.

As everyone struggled to come up with a plan of action, Victoria quietly glanced at Michael.

Even if unconventional, he usually had a way out of every situation.

"Do you… have a suggestion?"

She realized that she was pinning her hopes on Michael. Even if a Master relying on an Expert seemed ridiculous, as it was usually the other way around. Victoria's heart felt that when things seemed unstable, he would always remain unshaken.

A warm smile began to spread on Michael's face as he shifted his gaze to Peter.

"Let me see the city map…"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.