Chapter 17: The Monster Encampment

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A Class B psychic—the greatest reason the Grey Fox Syndicate was able to establish a human settlement.

The reception room fell silent in an instant.

With a look full of respect, Reva recounted everything that had just transpired, as well as the intentions of the Rust Tide King, to Fox.

Fox’s holographic projection stood steady. After listening, her gaze settled on the Rust Tide King. There was no probing, no pleasantries; her words were direct and incisive: “Why does the force behind you want to do this?”

Her voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Fox needed to know the underlying logic behind their desire to cooperate—this was a matter of life and death for the entire camp.

Ye Mi answered with clear logic:

“First: If the Defense Bureau is allowed to grow unchecked, they will become a threat to all forms of life.”

“Second: We do not possess the technology and manufacturing capabilities of humans. We need these.”

She paused slightly, meeting Fox’s dark gaze.

“Third: There is too much unknown within the Luminous Ruins.”

“Whether human, ourselves, or any other force struggling to survive, we are all still crawling through the mud. Rooting ourselves through cooperation, leveraging each other’s strengths, is the fastest way to survive and grow stronger.”

“As for whether there will be conflicts between factions in the future, that is a matter for another time. You should understand this.”

The Rust Tide King paused, his tone taking on a hint of superiority: “The opportunity to create a new world is before you. Do humans have the courage for it?”

Fox fell silent.

She did not look at Reva nor at the Rust Tide King. Her black eyes seemed to pierce the walls, gazing at the faces within the camp struggling to survive, at the countless lurking dangers in the darkness beyond, at the vast, cold shadow cast by the Defense Bureau.

Several seconds passed in silence.

Reva stood aside, her knuckles tightening, even her breath held light. She could sense the deliberation within her leader’s mind, while her own heart had already leaned toward cooperation with the Rust Tide King.

Those in the human camp were simply people yearning to live free and with dignity, not as puppets of OC Corporation.

Cooperating with the monsters, at least, could guarantee that.

What would the leader choose?

At last, Fox’s gaze refocused on the Rust Tide King, unwavering, with the decisiveness of a settled resolve.

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She nodded slightly, and spoke two words, clear and powerful: “We cooperate.”

No unnecessary embellishments—just two words representing the Grey Fox Syndicate’s choice to join forces with an unknown monstrous power, to forge a perilous and uncharted path through the crisis-ridden Luminous Ruins.

A weight was lifted from Ye Mi’s mind; her taut nerves eased a little.

With a mixture of half-truths and persuasive pressure, she had finally managed to bring the mighty Grey Fox Syndicate onto her side.

At the same time, she had thrown them a lifeline—a much-needed warning—before the Defense Bureau’s army arrived at their doorstep.

Ye Mi was accustomed to solitude, but she admired those as responsible as Fox.

Ye Mi had never understood what was truly worth protecting in humanity. After all, it was humans who had created the monstrous OC Corporation, worthy only of destruction. In her eyes, human flaws were ineradicable—like her own: uncontrollable ego, greed, and envy.

Such ugly complexities could be hidden within, but when they were expressed uncontrollably, they were especially revolting.

Ye Mi had always held this attitude, but she was still alive, for a simple reason—she had no reason to die.

With people like Fox, who were willing to take on the trouble of managing humans, she hoped they could survive.

That would make things much easier for her when she needed to use humanity.

“Reva,” Fox quickly began to make arrangements, her tone decisive. “You’ll handle coordination. Whatever technical information and logistical support they require, provide as much as possible without endangering the camp’s foundation, in exchange for the fighting force they promised.”

Reva nodded sharply, her gaze keen. “Understood!”

The Rust Tide King nodded his metallic head. “To a fruitful partnership.”

Immediately, Reva summoned the Grey Fox Syndicate’s cybernetic physician, who installed a neural interface in the Rust Tide King’s brain.

The doctor worked for some time on the mysterious object where the Rust Tide King’s heart and brain fused, finally succeeding. He also linked the neural interface operating system to the King’s cybernetic ocular chip.

Now, the Rust Tide King possessed more technological capabilities—net access, communications, and so on.

Of course, given the peculiar conditions within the Luminous Ruins and the inability of satellite signals to penetrate, the network was only the human camp’s local intranet—nothing but a camp forum—and communications depended on the camp’s local base stations.

According to Reva, the human camp’s intranet only extended as far as the entrance to District Three, while the Defense Bureau’s base stations reached even farther.

Ye Mi only vaguely understood these matters.

After saving Reva’s contact information to her chip, she wasted no more time and left the human syndicate’s headquarters.

By now, night had fallen outside.

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She moved through the twilight, retracing her steps, while the humans in the tent district quietly rose to their feet, watching as she and the Rust Tide horde departed.

Her next task was to find a base for the monsters.

Yes, although she had fabricated a non-existent, powerful force for the monsters, in truth, they didn’t even have a place to settle.

She would help the Grey Fox Syndicate, certainly—but whether they could truly stand against the Defense Bureau was uncertain. If the human camp fell, neither District One nor District Two would be safe. She had to establish an absolutely secure location to serve as a sanctuary for her true self.

Likewise, the Healing Fruit Tree needed a relatively safe and stable place to thrive. Thus, establishing a temporary base became Ye Mi’s top priority.

But where would be safe?

It needed to be far enough from humans while still allowing for contact, and defensible as well—such places were hard to find.

In that instant, Ye Mi suddenly recalled Paradise Isle, which she had recently left, and the rolling blue waves.

The ocean—a most suitable base!

Of course, not Paradise Isle itself—it was far too dangerous.

But an island like it—remote, seldom visited by human or beast—would be perfect.

Ye Mi pulled out the holographic map she had taken from the Defense Bureau’s exploration team, only to find that it covered only part of District Two, not the entire Luminous Ruins.

This troubled her.

How could she find such an island?

“Of course!”

The Grey Fox Syndicate’s intranet forum had many functions, including a map of Prism City from before the arrival of the Luminous Ruins—an essential tool for adventurers exploring the Ruins. This meant she could use it to search for a suitable island.

In this way, the Grey Fox Syndicate had truly come through for Ye Mi in her hour of need.

Ye Mi chuckled softly, deciding that when the day came to deliver the cooperative technological supplies, she would present the Grey Fox Syndicate with a block of energy crystal as a token of thanks.