My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 478

"Understood." Aston gave a nod and stepped aside.

Sparrow quickly briefed his team on their last mission to Port City, and within moments, they were ready to depart.

Rakan, watching the truck drive away, cast a final glance before turning away.

He followed Aston, his six surviving subordinates trailing behind him.

They no longer felt any obligation to assist the people left in Port City’s shelter.

After all, when Victor’s men had driven them out, those people had only looked on with disdain, as though they had committed unforgivable crimes by not killing Sparrow and seizing their supplies.

When Victor made his move on his own people, those they had once treated with care had stood by, indifferent to the fate of their lives.

At this point, it was clear that returning to Port City wasn’t the best choice for him and his subordinates.

Though they were tough and ruthless, they were still human, and still felt the sting of betrayal, after all they’d done to help those people to survive, it was something they couldn’t ignore.

For that reason, they felt no shame in bowing down to Kisha.

They recognized their limitations in surviving alone in this harsh world.

Rather than leading as he did in Port City, Rakan preferred to follow the same person Sparrow was loyal to—someone clearly hundreds of times stronger than he was.

With determined strides, Rakan followed Aston into the base, his six most trusted men close behind him.

They felt relief and gratitude for following Rakan’s lead and making it out alive.

As they took in their surroundings, they were struck by the security and order of the base—it was almost as if the apocalypse hadn’t touched this place.

Children played freely in the streets, and the atmosphere was calm, giving the impression that a zombie breach was an impossibility here.

They were amazed to see that the residents inside the base didn’t seem forced into anything—especially not supply runs outside just to survive.

Everyone looked well-fed and occupied with their own tasks, sparking curiosity about where the base sourced its supplies.

As they observed, people went about their day, doing a variety of jobs—running errands, delivering documents, or transporting goods.

It was almost as if society had returned to normal, with no sign of the zombie threat outside.

Aston led them to the central hall for registration, then guided them to temporary tent accommodations.

Most of the tents were nearly deserted, as previous occupants had been moved to better housing under Kisha’s direction.

The remaining tent residents were recent arrivals who, by working hard, were close to earning the privilege of selecting more permanent accommodations, just like those who came before them.

For Rakan and his subordinates, even these tents felt luxurious compared to the rags they’d slept on back in the Port City shelter.

Aston chuckled as he noticed their excitement. "Don’t get too comfortable just yet. This is only the basic setup we provide for new members. Once you’ve started working and earned enough points, you’ll be able to upgrade to better accommodations, like larger apartments."

"Apartment? Points?" one of the men asked, eyebrows raised in confusion.

Aston nodded. "Here in HOPE Base, people have a choice in the work they do based on their skills and strengths. You can work in different departments or take on odd jobs—construction, security, or administrative work."

"No matter the role, you’ll earn what we call ’work points,’ our currency here in the base. You can use these points at the supply center to get your basic needs. Later, I’ll show you where it is."

He explained this in his usual businesslike manner, straightforward and stern, like the seasoned commander he was.

"Really?!" one of the men exclaimed, visibly impressed.