Chapter 401: The New Home

Xian stared at the hill ahead of them, his eyes widened as the scenery continued to change.

As they got closer and closer, what had appeared to be an ordinary hill was gradually revealing something entirely different.

The ground near its base seemed to ripple!

Indeed, the image of the surrounding terrain distorted like the surface of water. A moment later, the illusion covering the area shifted, revealing a road that had not been there before.

Beyond it stood the Codebreakers Shelter.

"W-Wait! It really is the shelter!" Xian exclaimed, almost dropping the weapon in his hands.

Xinyi leaned forward to get a better look. Her eyes widened as she stared at the enormous structure hidden behind the illusion.

"How did they even do that?!"

The other survivors inside the truck were equally stunned. Some immediately stood up to look through the open rear door, while others leaned toward the windows, trying to understand what they had just witnessed.

They had been traveling toward what they believed was an ordinary hill, yet an entire shelter had suddenly appeared before them!

"Was the hill fake this whole time?"

"How can something this big be hidden like that?"

"Is this some kind of Gene Skill?"

The questions came one after another, but nobody could provide an answer.

Even Wilson, who had been quietly watching the scenery, couldn’t help but stare.

He had already seen machines capable of performing incredible feats, and he had personally experienced the terrifying results of their experiments. However, seeing a human settlement conceal itself so completely was still difficult to comprehend.

If they had passed by this place without knowing about the shelter, they might never have realized that hundreds of survivors were living just beyond the illusion.

Meanwhile, Kai and Farrah exchanged glances.

Although they had already heard about the illusion device Claire purchased through the System’s Reputation Store, seeing its effects in person was another matter entirely.

When they left the Codebreakers Shelter, the device had not yet been activated. At the time, the shelter could still be seen by anyone who happened to approach the area.

Now, however, the situation was completely different.

The entire shelter had been concealed so effectively that even someone standing nearby might mistake it for an ordinary hill.

"Claire really did a good job with this," Farrah muttered, unable to hide her amazement.

Kai nodded.

"With this, it’ll be much harder for outsiders to discover the shelter by accident. Even if someone passes through the area, they’ll probably just think there’s nothing worth investigating here."

Of course, the illusion device did not necessarily make the shelter completely invulnerable. Someone who knew the location or possessed suitable detection equipment might still discover inconsistencies. Nevertheless, it provided a considerable advantage, especially in a world where hostile machines and dangerous survivors could appear at any moment.

More importantly, it gave the people inside another layer of protection.

Kai glanced at the road leading toward the shelter.

"Let’s keep moving. The guards should already know we’re coming."

He accelerated his motorbike, and Farrah followed closely beside him.

Behind them, the trucks began moving toward the newly revealed entrance.

As soon as they crossed the boundary of the illusion, the scenery changed completely. The seemingly barren hillside gave way to a broad access road, reinforced defensive structures, and several watchtowers positioned to monitor the surrounding area.

Armed guards stood at their posts, while additional personnel patrolled the entrance.

The difference between the scenery outside and the actual shelter was astonishing.

From the outside, it had looked like nothing more than an ordinary hill. Once they entered, however, they found themselves approaching a well-organized settlement with proper defenses and a road wide enough to accommodate the entire convoy.

Xian could hardly contain his excitement.

"Xinyi! Look at that! They even have watchtowers!"

"I can see them!" Xinyi replied, although she was equally amazed.

She pressed closer to the open side of the truck, carefully observing the structures as they passed. Her mechanical arm moved slightly as she adjusted her position, and her eyes continued to wander across the shelter’s defenses.

This place looked almost unbelievable.

They had spent weeks working at Kai’s Shop in Cameron City, but neither of them had ever visited the Codebreakers Shelter. They knew Kai had his own group and that many survivors depended on him, yet they had never imagined that his shelter would be this well-developed.

Xian turned toward one of the survivors sitting nearby.

"Do you think we can look around once we arrive?"

The man chuckled.

"Why don’t you ask Sir Kai?"

Xian immediately turned toward the front of the truck, looking for Kai’s familiar figure.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t see him from where he was sitting.

"Tch. I will!"

Xinyi rolled her eyes at her brother, but she was secretly just as curious.

***

At the entrance, the garrison team had already noticed the approaching convoy.

The guards had received advance notice that Kai was returning with Farrah and a large group of rescued survivors. They had therefore been keeping watch over the road, waiting for the convoy to arrive.

When they saw the familiar figure riding near the front, several guards immediately straightened.

"Sir Kai is back!"

"Open the entrance! Inform the command team that the convoy has arrived!"

The guards moved quickly, coordinating with one another as the access route was cleared. Several personnel approached the road to guide the incoming trucks, ensuring that the vehicles could enter without causing congestion.

Kai slowed his motorbike as he approached them.

One of the guards stepped forward and raised his hand in greeting.

"Welcome back, Sir Kai!"

Kai nodded at him.

"Good work. Is everything all right here?"

"Yes, sir! There have been no major incidents. The patrols have reported no unusual activity around the shelter, and the illusion device has been functioning normally."

"That’s good to hear."

The guard glanced toward the convoy behind Kai. His expression shifted when he saw the number of trucks and the people riding alongside them.

There were far more survivors than he had expected.

"These are the people you rescued?"

"That’s right. We have sixty new survivors with us. Some are still recovering from injuries, so make sure the medical team is ready to receive them."

"Understood! I’ll inform the others immediately."

The guard turned and issued instructions to the nearby personnel.

Several members of the garrison team quickly moved into action. Some guided the trucks toward the designated unloading area, while others prepared to assist the weaker survivors as they disembarked.

A few guards also approached the motorbike riders, helping them find suitable places to park their vehicles.

Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Kai watched the arrangements for a moment before looking toward Farrah.

"It looks like Claire already prepared everything."

Farrah smiled.

"Of course she did. Do you really think she’d let all the new people arrive without making any arrangements?"

Kai laughed softly.

"Fair enough."

He then looked toward the trucks.

"Let’s make sure everyone gets off safely."

***

The first truck came to a stop near the designated unloading area.

Its rear doors opened, and the survivors inside began climbing down with the help of the garrison team.

Some stepped out cautiously, looking around as if they still couldn’t believe they had escaped the machines. Others needed assistance because their bodies had not fully recovered from the experiments.

The guards were initially surprised by their appearance.

Several of the newcomers had visible scars, unusual physical features, or mechanical implants that were difficult to conceal beneath their clothes...

They couldn’t help but recall the Superhuman Guild!