Chapter 121: 121:Camp.
Night had completely settled over Detroin by the time Silver and the remaining survivors made their way back to the temporary evacuation camp.
The glow of portable floodlights illuminated what had once been the town’s central square. Emergency tents had been erected wherever space could be found, and Association personnel moved briskly between them, carrying medical supplies, stretchers, and communication equipment. Radios crackled constantly as reports poured in from every direction.
The atmosphere was unlike any checkpoint Silver had ever visited. Everybody was just... sad.
People sat wherever they could find room, some leaning against overturned vehicles, while others wrapped in blankets stared silently into the darkness. A few contractors had minor injuries bandaged, while others bore fresh scars that would undoubtedly remain for life.
Every face carried the same expression: relief, disbelief, and grief. Brian silently counted the members of his team as they entered the camp. Only five had survived.
He lowered his head.
"...We left with eleven."
No one answered him, since there was nothing left to say.
As soon as the Association officers noticed Brian’s group returning, several hurried toward them.
A middle-aged woman wearing the silver insignia of the Emergency Response Division stepped forward.
"Report."
Brian didn’t waste time.
"The source has been neutralized."
Her expression immediately sharpened.
"You confirmed it?"
Silver stepped beside Brian.
"It really was a Moonlight Flower but a Juvenile. "
The officer blinked.
"Juvenile?"
She motioned for one of her assistants to begin recording.
"Everything."
Silver explained what they had found beneath the greenhouse, but deliberately omitted only one detail.
The preserved core.
The officer listened without interrupting. When he finished, she remained silent for several moments before speaking again.
"...Did you recover the core?"
Silver had expected the question. He answered without hesitation.
"I found it."
Several nearby researchers immediately looked toward him.
"What condition is it in?"
Silver shook his head.
"I destroyed it."
One of the researchers frowned.
"You... destroyed it?"
"I didn’t know whether removing it intact would trigger another attack." He kept his expression calm. "The roots were still active when I reached it. I wasn’t willing to gamble with everyone’s lives, so I broke it apart before it could react."
The researcher sighed in obvious disappointment.
"...A complete specimen would’ve been invaluable."
The Emergency Response officer raised a hand, silencing him.
"You made the correct decision." She looked directly at Silver. "You prioritized eliminating the threat. That’s exactly what you were supposed to do."
Silver simply nodded.
The officer continued, "Our research teams have encountered references to Moonlight Flowers before."
Silver looked up.
"There are records?"
She nodded.
"Very few. They’re considered one of the rarest botanical mutants ever documented. Most are destroyed before they mature."
Another researcher quietly continued.
"The dangerous part isn’t the flower itself, it’s time. If one survives for years... its underground colony can spread across enormous areas."
Silver remembered the System description. It matched perfectly.
The officer folded her arms.
"Unfortunately..." She glanced toward the dark forest surrounding Detroin. "...we believe this won’t be the last one."
Several contractors nearby looked up.
"What do you mean?"
She sighed.
"The pollen. Our preliminary analysis suggests the flower had already begun releasing dormant spores into the surrounding Green Zones."
A heavy silence settled over those listening.
"We don’t know how many or where, but every checkpoint within this region has already been informed."
Silver’s expression hardened.
"So they’ll begin searching?"
"They already have."
She pointed toward several military transport vehicles parked nearby.
"Subjugation teams are mobilizing as we speak. They’ll inspect forests, abandoned settlements, and old ruins. We intend to eliminate every possible colony before another specimen reaches maturity."
Another medic approached, carrying a clipboard.
"What about the infected survivors?"
The officer’s expression softened slightly.
"They’re alive."
Silver immediately looked toward her.
"They woke up?"
She slowly shook her head.
"No, not yet."
A wave of disappointment spread through the nearby survivors.
"They remain unconscious; however, our doctors have found no signs of continued neurological deterioration." She paused. "Without the flower, the influence appears to have stopped. So now... We just wait."
Brian quietly thanked the officers before leading his remaining teammates toward the edge of the camp. Association personnel had already designated an area for Detroin’s survivors. Several military tents had been erected there.
Silver looked around. The camp was much smaller than he expected.
He frowned.
"...How many?"
Brian answered without looking up.
"Twenty-three."
Silver stopped walking.
"...Out of everyone?"
Brian nodded.
"That’s everyone they’ve confirmed alive, I just hope there are others."
The words settled heavily between them. When they had entered Detroin, nearly a hundred people had been moving through its streets; now, only twenty-three remained.
Silver slowly lowered his eyes. Claire’s smile flashed briefly through his mind. He clenched his fist.
The Association distributed emergency rations to everyone; small nutrition packs, warm water and basic medical supplies.
Silver accepted his share before looking toward the backpack resting inside their damaged vehicle.
"...Wait."
Ravenna tilted her head.
"What is it?"
He smiled faintly.
"I still have something better."
A few minutes later, a small portable stove had been assembled beside Brian’s tent. Several members of the group looked over curiously.
Silver removed carefully wrapped portions of meat from the wild boar they had hunted a day earlier.
Brian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"...You carried that this whole time?"
Silver laughed quietly.
"I’ve been saving it."
"For a special occasion?" Jonah asked.
Silver looked toward the silent camp surrounding them.
"No. I just never found the right time."
He carefully seasoned the meat before placing it over the pan. The aroma spread almost immediately. Several nearby contractors instinctively turned toward the smell. Even exhausted Association workers glanced over while passing.
Brian smiled for the first time that evening.
"...That smells incredible."
Silver scratched the back of his head.
"I’ve been practicing."
The truth was, his Field Cooking skill quietly guided every movement. He instinctively knew exactly when to turn the meat, how much seasoning to add, and how long to let it rest before serving.
It almost felt unfair.
Within half an hour, the simple meal had become something far beyond ordinary camp food.
Silver divided the portions carefully. Nobody received much; there simply wasn’t enough meat, but everyone received something. Even the Association workers who had been treating the wounded were handed warm portions.
One exhausted medic stared at the plate in surprise.
"...You’re giving this to us?"
Silver smiled.
"You’ve been working longer than we have. You need it."
The medic hesitated before quietly accepting.
"...Thank you."
Nearby, Brian watched the scene silently. After a while, he spoke.
"You really are strange."
Silver looked over.
"...Why?"
"Most people who’ve survived what happened today... They’d be thinking only about themselves."
Silver looked around the camp. The tired faces and the empty spaces where friends should have been, then he quietly answered.
"If everyone only thinks about themselves... then people like Claire disappear twice."
Brian stared at him, then slowly nodded.
"I think... she would’ve liked hearing that."
The camp gradually settled into silence once more. Above them, countless stars had emerged across the night sky. Beside the fire, Ravenna quietly watched Silver with a softness in her expression that hadn’t been there before.
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