Chapter 204: Chapter 204 Welcome to Fierce Hunter Base.
After what felt like forever, Darren finally returned to Hope Base, only to discover that Albert still hadn’t arrived.
Darren frowned the moment he stepped out of the vehicle, his eyes immediately scanning the entrance.
"What the fuck is going on now?" he muttered, worry evident in his voice. "Did something happen to him on the way? We were told he’d be here over two hours ago, yet there’s still no sign of him."
"I’m worried too," Ivy admitted, folding her arms across her chest as she stared toward the empty road. "Do you think I should inform Commander Erick?"
Darren rubbed the back of his neck uneasily.
"I don’t know..."
Just then...
The distant rumble of a truck engine echoed through the silent streets.
Both Ivy and Darren instinctively turned toward the source of the sound.
Moments later, a large regular truck came into view, steadily driving toward Hope Base.
"It’s Albert," Darren said with visible relief.
"Finally..." Ivy murmured under her breath, letting out a long sigh she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
The truck rolled through the opened entrance before coming to a stop inside the compound.
The driver’s door swung open.
Albert jumped down with his usual carefree grin plastered across his face.
"Good evening, beautiful people!" he greeted cheerfully, spreading his arms dramatically. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. Something unexpected came up."
Darren walked over and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"What came up?" he demanded. "We thought something had happened to you on the road. Hell, we were already imagining you getting surrounded by monsters."
Albert laughed before rubbing the back of his head.
"Well... you weren’t exactly wrong."
His expression became more serious.
"I did get attacked by those motherfucking monsters."
Both Ivy and Darren’s expressions instantly changed.
Albert shrugged casually.
"Fortunately, they were only Level One monsters. Nothing I couldn’t handle."
He stretched his shoulders before exhaling heavily.
"They delayed me more than I expected, but everything’s fine now."
Darren finally relaxed.
"Idiot. At least you’re still alive."
"I know," Albert replied with a grin.
His gaze shifted between the two of them.
"So, are you both ready to leave? What about Aria, Lila, and Sunny?"
"They’re already at the villa," Ivy answered.
Albert nodded approvingly.
"Good. They shouldn’t be left alone here while all of you are away."
Without wasting another second, the three of them began loading Darren and Ivy’s belongings into the truck.
Once everything had been secured, Albert clapped his hands together.
"Alright," he announced. "Time to hit the road. If everything goes smoothly, we’ll arrive at Fierce Hunter Base sometime tomorrow morning."
Ivy and Darren exchanged glances before nodding.
Moments later, they climbed into the truck.
Albert took the driver’s seat.
Ivy settled into the passenger seat while Darren sat behind them, rifle resting comfortably across his lap.
The engine roared back to life.
Slowly, the massive vehicle rolled out of Hope Base.
As soon as they crossed the entrance, a faint glow spread across the perimeter as the System’s protective barrier activated, enveloping the entire base in an invisible shield before disappearing from sight.
Inside the truck, silence settled over the group.
Outside, the ruined highway stretched endlessly ahead.
Abandoned vehicles littered both sides of the road.
Collapsed buildings leaned dangerously over cracked streets while dried blood stains and scattered monster corpses served as grim reminders of humanity’s downfall.
Every now and then, wandering monsters emerged from the shadows.
Each time, Darren calmly leaned out of the truck’s window, raised his rifle, and effortlessly eliminated them before they could get close.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The monsters collapsed one after another, their bodies left behind as Albert continued driving without slowing down.
For several long minutes, none of them spoke.
Eventually...
Albert broke the silence.
"Commander Erick returned to Fierce Hunter Base three days ago."
Ivy turned slightly to face him.
"Oh? I see."
She tilted her head thoughtfully.
"So he came back after gathering information about this mission?"
"Exactly."
Albert nodded.
"The moment Commander Erick returned, he immediately stripped Officer Zack’s father of his authority."
Ivy blinked in confusion.
"Officer Zack’s father?"
She looked between Albert and Darren.
"I don’t think I’ve heard of him before."
Albert looked at her in surprise.
"Seriously?"
Darren chuckled.
"You’ve never visited Fierce Hunter Base before."
He leaned forward from the back seat.
"The old man was basically the one managing the entire base whenever Commander Erick and the rest of us were away. You could say he acted as the temporary administrator."
Understanding dawned on Ivy’s face.
"I see..."
Darren looked back at Albert.
"So why was he stripped of his position?"
His brows furrowed.
"What exactly did the old man do to deserve that kind of punishment?"
Albert’s smile disappeared completely.
His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead.
"Commander Erick returned with more than enough evidence."
His voice became noticeably colder.
"The old man abused the authority entrusted to him. He embezzled a huge amount of the base’s supplies, secretly manipulated several officials into working for him, and even diverted resources that should’ve gone to the survivors."
Albert paused before continuing.
"The administrator had suspected him for quite some time, but there wasn’t enough evidence to remove him. Besides..."
He shook his head.
"There simply wasn’t anyone competent enough to replace him."
Albert briefly glanced at Ivy before returning his attention to the road.
"But after Commander Erick returned with enough military support and solid evidence, the administrator immediately approved the dismissal. Naturally, Commander Erick was appointed to the position instead."
"So Erick is the deputy administrator now?" Ivy asked, genuine surprise flickering across her face.
Albert nodded proudly, a smile spreading across his lips.
"That’s right. After everything he’s accomplished, nobody questioned the decision."
The conversation gradually died down.
Albert continued driving through the dark highway while Darren remained alert in the back seat.
Hours later...
As the vehicle approached the massive outer walls of Fierce Hunter Base, the atmosphere changed completely.
Long before reaching the main entrance, endless rows of makeshift shacks stretched across both sides of the road.
Tarps, broken wood, rusted metal sheets, and scraps of plastic had all been pieced together into crude shelters.
Campfires burned everywhere.
Smoke drifted lazily into the night sky.
The entire area looked less like the outskirts of a military base and more like a sprawling refugee camp.
Albert smiled brightly.
"Welcome to Fierce Hunter Base, Captain Ivy."
He slowly drove toward the enormous iron gates.
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