I grow stronger by making my wife happy.

Chapter 146: 146:Arrived.

A uniformed Association officer approached the driver’s side.

"Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," Silver replied, lowering the window.

"Contractor identification, please."

Silver and Ravenna both handed over their contractor cards. The officer scanned each one using a portable device. A soft beep followed almost immediately.

"Mission registered."

His eyes briefly moved toward the mission information displayed on the screen.

"Green Zone Twelve clearing operation."

"That’s right," Silver answered.

The officer nodded approvingly.

"First time heading to that sector?"

Silver nodded his head.

"Yes, also first time in this area in general."

"Don’t worry too much, still the same as the other sanctuaries. "

He walked around the vehicle, carrying out a brief inspection. He checked the reinforced body panels, tires, and emergency supplies mounted near the rear compartment.

Everything appeared in proper condition. Returning to the driver’s side, he handed back their identification.

"Firearms?"

"One sidearm each."

"Melee weapons?"

"Swords."

"Any restricted equipment?"

"No."

The officer gave a satisfied nod.

"Very well."

He stepped aside and spoke into the communication device attached to his shoulder.

"Lane Four cleared."

Several moments later, warning lights mounted beside the enormous gate began flashing. Deep mechanical vibrations spread through the ground.

Silver instinctively looked forward.

The Sanctuary gate slowly began to move. Multiple locking mechanisms disengaged one after another with heavy metallic clunks before the enormous reinforced doors gradually separated.

Daylight poured through the widening gap. Beyond it, the Green Zone slowly appeared, calling for them.

Silver couldn’t help smiling slightly.

"No matter how many times I see it..."

"It’s impressive," Ravenna finished.

He nodded.

"It really is."

The officer stepped back and raised one hand.

"The clearance is done, you may proceed."

Silver shifted the vehicle into gear. The car rolled forward, passing beneath the immense gateway and crossing the thick reinforced threshold separating civilization from the wilderness.

Almost immediately, the atmosphere changed. The constant sounds of the city faded behind them. Only the quiet hum of the engine and the gentle rush of wind through the surrounding landscape.

The road stretched ahead in a long, cracked ribbon of asphalt. Silver relaxed slightly in his seat. The Green Zone always felt different, even peaceful, almost deceptively so.

Birdsong drifted through the open landscape. The breeze carried the scent of wild grass and damp earth. If not for the occasional ruined building in the distance, it would have been easy to forget the world had changed at all.

Abandoned homes appeared every few kilometers. Some still stood surprisingly intact, their windows shattered but walls untouched. Others had collapsed long ago, leaving only broken foundations hidden beneath climbing vines.

Old road signs leaned at awkward angles, their faded lettering barely readable after years of exposure. They passed an overturned delivery truck almost completely covered by vegetation.

A family of small birds had built a nest inside its broken cargo compartment.

Silver slowed slightly as they drove past.

"It’s strange."

Ravenna followed his gaze.

"What is?"

"In this world, everything keeps moving."

He gestured toward the surrounding wilderness.

"People disappeared, the cities fell, but nature... It doesn’t care."

She quietly watched the trees passing outside.

"It simply continues growing and overtaking, claiming what was originally hers. It’s actually fascinating how something people had ignored came and eventually took over. I’m actually more scared of sentient plants than beasts themselves."

Ravenna nodded. Neither of them spoke for several minutes after that.

The road gradually narrowed as they left the main highway behind. According to the Association map, Green Zone Twelve lay deeper within the surrounding woodland.

Fortunately, maintenance crews still cleared this route regularly enough for contractor vehicles to pass safely.

The forest slowly grew denser. Towering trees stretched overhead, filtering the afternoon sunlight into scattered beams that danced across the road.

Every now and then Silver caught glimpses of movement among the undergrowth. Probably scavengers or ordinary animals that never mutated.

Occasionally, however, his eyes lingered just a little longer. Years of training had sharpened his awareness.

Ravenna quietly unfolded the mission map across her lap.

"We’re close."

Silver glanced at the dashboard clock, almost exactly one hour.

"That matches the estimate."

She studied the marked location.

"The abandoned maintenance facility should be just beyond the next intersection."

Silver slowed the vehicle. Ahead, a rusted metal sign emerged from the trees, half-hidden beneath creeping vines.

Most of the lettering had faded beyond recognition, but the outline matched the map.

"This is it."

He turned onto the narrower access road. Unlike the main route, this path had received little maintenance.

Branches scraped lightly against the sides of the vehicle as they continued forward. The cracked pavement gradually disappeared beneath layers of dirt, fallen leaves, and patches of moss.

Silence settled over the forest; even the birds had disappeared. Silver’s expression grew more focused.

"So much for the peaceful drive."

Ravenna quietly rested one hand near the hilt of her sword.

"The beasts should be nearby."

Several hundred meters later, the trees finally opened. An abandoned roadside maintenance facility came into view.

A weathered concrete building stood beside a large parking area where rusted construction vehicles had remained untouched for years. Sections of the roof had partially collapsed, while thick vines climbed across broken walls and shattered windows.

Tall grass swayed gently between cracked concrete barriers. Everything appeared quiet.

Silver brought the vehicle to a gradual stop several dozen meters away. He switched off the engine.

The sudden silence felt almost unnaturally heavy. Neither of them moved immediately; they simply studied the area through the windshield.

Silver rested one hand on the door handle.

"Ready?"

Ravenna’s calm expression never changed.

She gave a single nod.

"Let’s begin."

The abandoned maintenance facility stood in complete silence.

From where they had parked, Silver and Ravenna could clearly see the rusted service garage, the collapsed storage shed behind it, and several cracked concrete lots where heavy machinery had once been parked.

Tall grass had claimed most of the open ground, while thick vines climbed over broken walls and shattered windows.

Silver rested one hand on the hilt of his sword as he slowly surveyed the area.

"It’s too quiet."

Ravenna nodded in agreement.

"The mission report mentioned several beast nests. If they’re here, they’re in hiding."

Silver’s gaze lingered on the dark entrance of the garage.

"They’re probably waiting for us to get closer or most probably ran away... but that’s unlikely. "

He closed his eyes for a brief moment. Instead of relying solely on his vision, he allowed his awareness to spread outward.

[Spatial Sense Lv2 Activated.]

His Spatial Sense quietly extended into the surrounding area. The world seemed to slow. Tiny distortions gradually appeared within his perception, then...