Free Web NovelChapter 161: Magic Of Lunarisite (1)
As Shinon exited the meeting room, Kira and Rico eagerly approached him, their expressions filled with curiosity and concern.
"What happened in there?" Kira asked, her voice filled with anticipation.
Shinon sighed, his gaze focused on the ground for a moment before meeting their eyes.
"I managed to convince the Phoenixes to let the girls stay," he replied. "But we have a problem."
Rico furrowed his brows, his tone filled with concern. "What do you mean?"
"It’s Aric," Shinon answered, shaking his head. "When he finds out that the girls are here and the settlement is hiding them, he will undoubtedly become enraged and may even launch an attack on us."
"Are you saying we’re in danger?" Kira’s eyes widened. The thought of a battle worried her about everyone in the settlement.
Shinon could sense the worry in Kira’s eyes, and he understood the underlying concerns. The Phoenixes, despite their flaws, had a genuine concern for the well-being of their people.
This created a relatively sheltered life within the settlement, with resources and protection provided to those who resided within its walls.
In contrast, the people under Aric’s rule lived in constant turmoil, fighting not only against the relentless onslaught of zombies but also against the oppressive actions of their fellow survivors.
They had experienced the harsh realities of a chaotic world, where survival was a daily battle, and trust was a luxury few could afford.
The realisation weighed heavily on Shinon’s mind. If they were to engage in an all-out war with Aric, the numbers and resources at his disposal would far surpass their own.
It would be a daunting challenge, and the potential for devastating losses loomed over them like a dark cloud.
"I won’t say we’re in danger, but we must exercise caution," Shinon expressed in favourable terms to quell Kira’s worries. "Because things might get ugly at any given moment."
Rico’s jaw clenched, his voice filled with determination. "We can’t let him harm the settlement or the girls," he declared, his fists tightening.
"Relax, my dear brute," Shinon laughed to lighten the mood. "We’ll deal with them when the time comes."
However, all was not well. As Shinon informed the rest about the happenings inside the meeting room, the girl stood there, listening to everything.
As the weight of the situation settled upon them, Mia, Lily, and Emily found themselves overwhelmed with guilt. They realised their presence had unintentionally put the entire settlement at risk, and their hearts were heavy with remorse.
"I’m so sorry," Emily’s voice quivered with emotion. "We never wanted to cause any trouble. We didn’t mean for all of this to happen."
Mia nodded in agreement, tears welling up in her eyes. "We didn’t think about the consequences... we were just desperate to escape." fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"We didn’t realise it would endanger everyone. Please forgive us." Lily being the eldest among them, immediately took responsibility.
Shinon’s eyes softened as he listened to their heartfelt apologies. He reached out and gently placed a hand on Lily’s shoulder.
"Hey, don’t worry about it," he said reassuringly. "If we have the strength to face hordes of zombies and hunt down their nests, then we have the strength to protect you and the settlement from Aric."
Selena chimed in, her voice filled with determination. "You don’t need to worry about us. Just focus on staying safe and being a part of our community."
"Selena is right," a voice rang behind them as Nova, Lova, and Sable approached them.
Sable continued, "You don’t need to worry about a thing and live your lives to the fullest."
"It won’t take away the pain of what you had to go through, but hopefully, you’ll find some semblance of solace here," Nova added as she greeted the girls.
"Ditto." Lova, true to herself, didn’t bother expressing herself with unnecessary words.
In hindsight, she didn’t care much about the girls, but since Shinon wanted to protect them, Lova would help him by helping the girls.
As the girls handed each other, Shinon and Rico quietly slipped away. Many thoughts were racing through his mind, but one, in particular, demanded his attention. He knew he had a crucial task ahead, one that required his complete commitment.
Though his ascension quests beckoned him, he understood that the safety and well-being of the settlement took precedence. Protecting his people and defeating Aric became his sole focus.
As he made his way towards the ’developing’ workshop, Shinon’s eyes scanned the settlement, observing the common people going about their daily lives, oblivious to the impending threat that loomed over them.
Their lack of combat experience made the need for proper equipment all the more crucial. That’s why, Shinon set out to ensure that every settlement resident had the best possible equipment at their disposal.
He recognised that their limited combat skills could be compensated by arming them with superior weapons and sturdy armour. It was a race against time to secure the resources necessary for their defence.
A glimmer of hope emerged in Shinon’s mind as he remembered General Ironheart, the walking resource factory. The general had access to abundant materials that could be utilised to craft the much-needed equipment.
However, the General wouldn’t part with the resources if Shinon told him it was for the settlement and not the military. Thankfully, Shinon had a way around it.
He would market the need for materials to create prototypes of the next generation of weapons.
These prototypes would serve a dual purpose: allowing the military to test and evaluate their effectiveness in the upcoming conflict against Aric while providing the settlement with sufficient weapons for self-defence.
By presenting the prototypes as crucial to the military’s preparations, Shinon would be able to tap into the resources offered by General Ironheart without telling anyone about his true intentions.
Shinon gathered his thoughts and began to outline his proposal. He would approach the military’s higher-ups, explaining the necessity of testing and refining new weapon designs in preparation for the impending conflict.
But for now, he wanted to experiment with Lunarisite he had acquired and headed towards the workshop as the deadline for renovation was about to be over.
