Leo, with Nyx concealed under his cloak and hood pulled low, followed Lily and Malcolm deeper into the safe zone. A quick glance was all it took to see how much the place had changed. Vetilim and the ever-present purple smoke from the Supercluster were gone, while several of the ruined buildings had vanished entirely. In their place, makeshift wooden constructions stood scattered everywhere.

  They passed more and more survivors on the way; some offered them a nod, while others simply continued working. Everyone had something to do, and Leo almost couldn’t believe how well the four leaders managed to organize everything when he was gone.

  He smirked inwardly. I bet Holden and Malcolm did most of the work.

  He made a mental note to confirm this later. He just couldn’t see Frank or Lily taking care of matters like this. Those two were fighters, much better suited to command people in battle than manage a community.

  Maybe that’s for the best, he mused just as they entered one of the tunnels leading into the depths of the former Supercluster. They didn’t go far before reaching a small chamber filled with makeshift beds, crates, and various supplies.

  A storage? Weird place for a meeting, but okay. His eyes then landed on a large table in the corner, and it all made sense.

  There, taking up a good portion of the table, was a massive radio—bigger than any he had ever seen before outside of movies. It had so many buttons and different controls that he wouldn’t even have any idea what to do with them.

  Thankfully, Lily did not have such a problem.

  She went straight for the radio, clicked some buttons, and grabbed one of the microphones lying on the side. “Tony, you there? Can you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear, like always,” Holden’s crackling voice responded through the speaker. “Is your brother there with you?”

  “It’s been a while, Holden,” Leo said before anybody else could. “I see you guys have been busy.”

  “Leo!” Another voice—Frank’s—boomed through the static. “Good to have you back, mate. How did the Void treat you?”

  He chuckled and moved closer to grab another microphone. “Decent. I will tell you all about it later if you really want to,” he promised despite not really wanting to.

  “Good!” the Fallen exclaimed. “Your sister has been pretty tight-lipped about your adventures. We only know bits and pieces, and that’s no fun. I swe—“

  “Enough of that!” Holden cut in with a growl. “Give me back the microphone.”

  As more and more crackling came from the radio, Leo looked at Lily and Malcolm. They both shook their heads as if this wasn’t the first time this happened. Truly, what else did he expect from Frank and Holden? Those two were like fire and water despite working well together.

  He sighed. It’s gonna be a loooong day.

  By some miracle, once the Wolford duo settled and they all exchanged pleasantries, the conversation quickly returned to the matter of his journey into the Void. To Leo’s surprise, the others didn’t care much about his struggles inside the Void Rift. Sure, they asked some questions about the Voidlings and how the place looked, but aside from that, he didn’t have to say much.

  Now, his stay on Sazim was a completely different story.

  He talked for so long that Nyx managed to leave them to explore a bit in her smoke form, return, take a nap, and wake up. Despite having spent most of his time on Sazim hiding in a cave, the four leaders found enough questions to keep him talking for hours.

  Faction wars. The harsh climate. The locals. Kirej and Darius. Other humans. The topics were endless, and by the end of it, Leo felt like his throat was raw from all the talking—even with his enhanced regeneration.

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  “How is the Origin Safe Zone looking?” he asked, steering the conversation away before they could bombard him with more questions.

  That made everyone pause for a moment.

  “You saw some of what we’re trying to do for yourself,” Malcolm broke the silence. “It’s a lot of space to cover, and we don’t have enough hands to get it all done quickly. But we’re making progress. The biggest problem is materials. We can only buy so much before we run out of Ether needed to feed everyone. It’s not terrible, but we need more time… and capable people.”

  “So, the global message,” Leo muttered, reading between the lines.

  Malcolm nodded. “We have had enough time to settle, and you’re back, so yeah… It’s time to use it.”

  Leo couldn’t argue with that. He even expected them to use that function earlier once they realized he would be gone for quite some time. Yet, they still waited, and now, with him here, any arguments against it simply didn’t matter.

  “Do you know what you want to send?” he asked.

  “For the most part,” Holden answered. “Obviously, we have to let everybody know that joining us is a possibility. However! We also need to attach a warning. We humans are complicated creatures. It’s not hard to believe that there are groups out there that we definitely don’t want here. Or people that will try to take advantage of us.”

  Leo nodded. All sound points. And while they didn’t have to worry that much thanks to their high levels, there was always a risk.

  “All right then, let’s write it down and get it over with.”

  “This place hasn’t changed at all,” Leo noted as they trudged through the depths of the Supercluster. Malcolm and Lily followed closely behind.

  Unlike the upper areas, the bottom of the former Voidling-infested zone had remained largely the same, even after the System had erected the Beacon of Peace. The scattered plant life and a thin stream of crystal clear water were still there. The same applied to Attuned Essence Shards that grew in clusters everywhere.

  “Have you figured out a way to use those?” He gestured toward the closest crystals.

  “Work in progress,” Lily answered. “For now, we only harvest them to help people develop their affinities. Other than that, it’s better to leave them alone. We’re definitely not giving them to the bomb squad.”

  “Fair,” he hummed, breathing in the fresh air as the light of the Beacon of Peace became brighter with each step.

  Another minute of walking brought them all to the base of the massive pillar. Leo scanned it for any abnormalities or a console he could use, but there was nothing.

  “Do I just touch it or what?”

  Lily nodded. “Pretty much. A menu should pop up then.”

  “Got it,” he muttered and took the final step.

  His lone hand reached out next, bathing in the warmth of the golden light. Finally, his claw came into contact with the surprisingly soft material, prompting a System menu to appear.

  Just like Lily once described it to him, there were plenty of options to choose from. He, however, only had eyes for two of them. Status and Global Message.

  He selected the first one.

  Earth’s Prime Safe Zone

  Status: Active-Healthy

  Protection Ranking: C

  Inhabitants: 107

  Upgrades: N/A

  Leo frowned and glanced at the duo behind him. “You didn’t upgrade it? Not even a whitelist?”

  Lily grinned. “We didn’t need to. It’s built-in. Didn’t you see it on the menu?”

  Unsure, he backed off to the main menu. Huh, must have missed it. I really am blind… Whatever, time to get this over with.

  Leo selected the Global Message option and took a deep breath as a large empty space appeared before him. At the top of it, there was only a single prompt from the System.

  Speak your message. You may edit it afterward. Word Limit: 500.

  That’s more than enough. He took out the note they all had prepared beforehand and started speaking. No going back now.

  To every remaining survivor on Earth, my name’s Leo Hale, a former human and once a simple reporter from the UK. Now, I’m a part of a growing group in London, and in the name of the Wildborn’s leaders, I have a message for you all.

  The Supercluster of Earth has fallen. In its place, the System has granted us a special Safe Zone and a chance to save our planet. However, to do that, we need to be united. We need to fight together. The Void can be stopped if we stand strong.

  That’s why I’m extending an invitation to all of you who want to live, who want to strive for a better tomorrow. Join us in London. Join the Wildborn and share your strength with us, just as we will lend you ours.

  Be warned, though, that freeloaders will be turned away. We will help you grow, but there will be rules. A community requires hard work to grow, and that’s what we want from you—dedication. Adapt with us. Grow with us, and one day, Earth will become safe again.

  And if you even think of attacking us or hunting our people. Don’t. I will find you first and tear you apart before you can even blink. The night will be the least of your worries. This is your only warning.

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