Chapter 105:Meeting.
Chapter 105: 105:Meeting.
The abandoned village gradually disappeared behind them. Silver glanced at it one last time through the rear-view mirror before returning his attention to the road ahead.
The quiet streets, the broken storefronts, and the herd of Ironback Boars had become another memory on a journey that seemed to grow longer with every passing kilometer.
He wasn’t complaining, if anything, the slower pace suited him. Every extra hunt meant more experience and every battle meant another opportunity to improve.
Beside him, Ravenna rested comfortably in the passenger seat with the map spread across her lap. The flower Silver had given her earlier remained tucked neatly behind her ear despite the morning’s fighting.
She had forgotten it was even there, but Silver hadn’t. He smiled to himself but wisely kept the observation to himself.
The road wound gently toward the distant hills that divided the Green Zone into several sectors. Those hills weren’t particularly tall, but beyond them the terrain became much rougher, with dense forests, narrow valleys, and scattered towns left behind after the Collapse.
According to the map, they still had several days before reaching Delta 4 if they continued training, probably longer, still, neither of them minded.
The journey eventually settled into a pleasant rhythm. Silver drove while Ravenna kept watch over the surrounding terrain, occasionally pointing out beast trails crossing the road or abandoned structures that weren’t worth investigating.
After nearly an hour, Silver slowed the vehicle, fresh tracks crossed the cracked highway. He stepped out without saying a word. Ravenna joined him. She crouched beside the prints.
"Three."
Silver nodded.
"Horned Runners."
She looked surprised.
"You know them?"
"I read about them."
She smiled.
"Let’s see if the books were right."
The beasts didn’t make them search for long. Three lean creatures bounded across an open meadow just beyond the road.
Each resembled a cross between a gazelle and a wolf, with slender bodies built for speed. Curved black horns swept backward from their heads, while coarse gray fur blended perfectly with the surrounding grasslands.
Tier One.
They were known to be fast and skittish; normally they fled from humans. Today, one apparently decided curiosity outweighed caution. It barked loudly before charging.
Silver sighed.
"...Books were wrong."
Ravenna laughed.
"They usually are."
The Horned Runner leapt. Silver calmly sidestepped before disappearing.
[Short-Step Lv1 Activated]
Space rippled. He appeared beside the beast as though he’d stepped through an invisible doorway. The flat of the blade tapped the side of its neck. The creature tumbled harmlessly across the grass before scrambling back to its feet.
It stared at Silver, confused, then immediately ran away. The remaining two followed without hesitation. Ravenna lowered her sword.
"...why did you let it go?"
"It wasn’t hungry, just curious."
She nodded approvingly.
"No reason to kill everything, especially that weak."
Silver sheathed his weapon.
"If we can avoid unnecessary fights... We’ll have more energy when it matters."
The morning continued peacefully. Occasionally small beasts emerged from the surrounding wilderness.
A flock of Razorbeaks attempted to peck at the vehicle before Ravenna chased them away with several carefully controlled bursts of fire.
A lone Mossback Lizard hissed from atop a collapsed bridge before disappearing into the river below. Several scavenger birds circled overhead but never attacked.
The Green Zone felt, alive and dangerous, yet balanced. Silver found himself appreciating the scenery more than he had. This was the type of scenery that was almost non-existent on earth unless you paid to see it in the little places that had survived.
And these were just the Green Zones, he couldn’t even imagine how the Red Zones would look like. He glanced at a small flock of birds then slightly sighed.
"I never noticed how beautiful it is."
Ravenna looked out her window.
"When you’re always trying to survive, you stop looking."
They drove in silence for another while. This time, both of them looked outside and enjoyed the scenery. They both knew this was a luxury that wouldn’t last long.
By early afternoon, the road narrowed as it approached the foothills. The forests became denser.
Towering trees stretched over the highway, their branches intertwining above the cracked asphalt to form a canopy that filtered the sunlight into shifting patterns.
Silver instinctively slowed.
"The visibility here is getting worse."
Ravenna nodded.
"So is the terrain."
The silence inside the vehicle was broken by a faint vibration from the ground itself. Silver immediately reached for his rifle.
"Vehicle." She listened carefully. "More than one."
A few seconds later, two armored trucks rounded the bend ahead, followed by a reinforced transport vehicle pulling a cargo trailer.
Their exteriors bore fresh claw marks and dried blood. Clearly, they had seen action recently. The lead truck flashed its headlights twice, a standard contractor signal meaning they were friendly.
Silver answered with two flashes of his own before slowing further. The convoy gradually came to a stop several meters ahead.
A broad-shouldered man climbed out of the lead vehicle first. He looked to be in his early thirties, wearing practical combat armor that had seen years of repairs. A large war hammer rested comfortably across one shoulder.
Behind him emerged seven more contractors followed; Three women and four men. Most appeared around Silver’s age, though two were noticeably older. Everyone looked tired, since they had probably spent several days hunting.
The broad-shouldered man smiled first.
"Travelers?"
Silver stepped out.
"Heading toward Delta Four."
That road was one of the clear ones and anyone passing through there had their destination clear.
The man’s smile widened.
"Perfect, we’re from Delta Four."
Silver relaxed slightly.
"My name’s Silver."
The man offered a handshake.
"Brian. Rank Two."
Silver returned the handshake.
"Rank One."
Brian laughed.
"You don’t look nervous enough for a rookie."
Silver smiled.
"I’ve been busy."
"I can see that."
Brian’s eyes briefly lingered on the repaired damage to Silver’s armor before shifting toward Ravenna.
"And this is..."
Silver looked toward her instinctively and without thinking...
"My girlfriend."
The words came naturally. Ravenna blinked but still kept her expression pleasant. Several members of the convoy smiled knowingly. One of the younger women elbowed another with a grin.
Silver only realized what he’d said after several seconds.
"...I..."
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Ravenna looked at him then at the convoy. Finally, she simply nodded.
"...Ravenna."
She offered politely without any correction or denial. Silver looked mildly relieved. Brian smiled even wider.
"Nice to meet you both."
The introductions quickly became much more relaxed. The younger woman who had smiled earlier introduced herself as Claire, a Rank One speed-type contractor specializing in reconnaissance.
Beside her stood Jonah, a large, cheerful contractor with a Strength Beast who carried a massive shield nearly as tall as himself.
Another woman introduced herself as Elise, explaining that she specialized in long-range rifles. The remaining members rounded out the team with various abilities.
It was nothing extraordinary, just experienced contractors who had learned how to survive together.
Silver found himself liking them almost immediately. They joked, teased one another, and argued over insignificant things. It reminded him... of ordinary people, just lower-ranking contractors making a living.
Brian glanced toward the hills ahead.
"You two planning to continue today?"
Silver nodded.
"That’s the plan."
Brian rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"You might as well come with us."
Silver looked interested.
"You’re heading the same way?"
"Yes but stopping first at Checkpoint Nine."
Brian pointed toward the foothills.
"We’re resupplying, then tomorrow morning we’re heading for Detroin Town."
Silver exchanged a glance with Ravenna.
"Detroin Town?"
Claire answered excitedly.
"Everyone’s talking about it. Apparently, hunters have started finding old technology and unusually valuable beast materials there."
Jonah chuckled.
"Some idiot even claimed he found military-grade storage modules."
Brian rolled his eyes.
"Probably exaggerated, but enough valuable things have been recovered that the Contractors’ Association posted a bounty."
Silver’s expression remained calm but inside, his thoughts raced. Detroin Town... he didn’t recognize the name but it sounded familiar.
Brian continued. "Since you’re heading toward Delta Four anyway... No reason not to travel together. Safer for everyone."
Silver nodded politely.
"Give us a minute."
Brian smiled knowingly.
"Take your time."
The convoy gradually dispersed back toward their vehicles. Silver turned toward Ravenna. They walked several meters away to speak privately.
"So?"
She folded the map.
"I don’t mind."
"Neither do I."
She glanced toward the convoy.
"They seem genuine."
Silver nodded.
"And watching experienced contractors fight could teach us quite a bit."
Ravenna smiled.
"I was thinking exactly that."
He looked toward the distant hills.
"Detroin Town... I have a feeling."
She laughed softly.
"You and your feelings."
"They’ve worked before."
"Can’t deny that."
She stepped a little closer.
"So..." She tilted her head playfully. "...Your girlfriend?"
Silver froze.
"...That slipped out."
"It most certainly did."
"I’m sorry."
She watched him struggle for an explanation before smiling warmly.
"...I didn’t mind."
Silver’s eyes widened slightly.
"You... really didn’t?"
She shook her head.
"If anything... It was kind of nice."
Silver opened his mouth, then closed it again. He genuinely didn’t know what to say. Ravenna enjoyed the rare victory. She turned toward the convoy with a small smile.
"Come on, we shouldn’t keep everyone waiting."
Silver watched her walk away then quietly sighed.
"...I walked right into that one."