Chapter 852: Zarionâs Update
Shane scrolled down to the New Construction Queue section of the Silver Mine Camp, expecting to see steady upgrades, and he was rightâŠ
[ New Construction Queue: ]
Subterranean Refuge Chambers â Phase II: 45% (Capacity increase +400; Reinforced Tunnels Under Excavation)
Ore Conveyor Rail Line: 70% (Connects Pits to Refinery; +30% Efficiency when Completed)
Security Barracks Expansion: 10% (Adds 200 more Guard Quarters; Improves Response Time)
Automated Turret Platform (Perimeter C-East): 5% (Under initial assembly; requires refined silver alloy)
It was a good construction listâŠ
Shane nodded in satisfaction. That line-up was different from Springriver Manorâs agricultural and medical queue, it was industrial, practical, and tailored to the campâs role in his network.
Where Springriver built stores, wards, and water purifiers, Silver Mine prioritized production, worker safety, and a modest increase in shelter capacity. That balance was exactly what the camp needed.
âGoodâŠâ he muttered.
Theyâre at least slowly reinforcing independent survivability while keeping production flowing.
He then sent another message to Diana.
[ Shane: Keep Refuge Phase II priority steady. Allocate an extra tunneling crew⊠Maintain ore rail completion schedule and do not divert refined silver needed for turret⊠]
Satisfied, he closed the Silver Mine panel and opened the next tab.
It was his New Genesis Shelter this time.
Unlike the agricultural calm of Springriver or the industrial growth of the Silver Mine, New Genesis was completely different.
It was his shelter building Mech Frames and Warden Units!
[ Territorial Information ]
Name: New Genesis Shelter
Type: Hybrid Command & Military Production Complex
Manager: Arial (Shelter Commander)
Infrastructure: Command Center, Central Factory Complex, Hangar Bays, Warden Unit Factory, Mech Frame Assembly Line, Reactor Cooling Station, Research Wing, Armory, Command Barracks, Drone PlatformâŠ
Population: 5,940
Culture Points: 3,420
Defense Level: High+ ( AEGIS Mechs, Energy Barriers, Automatic Turrets⊠)
Food Reserves: 243 days ( Current Consumption Rate )
Water Reserves: Deep Well System, Purification Towers, and Underground Aqueducts ( Stable supply for the current population)
Morale: High (Citizens show strong trust in Arialâs command and in Shaneâs defense network)
[ Notes: Under Arialâs supervision, the Shelter stands as the strongest fortress among all of the others owned by the Territory Lord. Civil order remains excellent, and the shelterâs current focus is expansion toward the East Region to establish a new auxiliary outpost. ]
Shaneâs eyes squinted slightly as the full territorial report of the New Genesis Shelter appeared in front of him.
ââŠfive thousand nine hundred forty population alreadyâŠâ he muttered.
âThatâs nearly triple Springriverâs count.â
It was impressive, but also heavy. A population that large meant more mouths to feed, more energy consumption, and higher maintenance on every system connected to it. Yet despite that, the figures looked solid.
The food reserves caught his attention first. Two hundred forty-three days. That was well beyond the safe threshold.
âIncredibleâŠâ
Arial must have optimized the agricultural import line from Springriver and fully integrated it into the central supply system.
âGood⊠Heâs not letting the production slack.â
The water reserves followed next⊠Deep wells, purification towers, and underground aqueducts. A self-sustaining system that was adapted from the underground shelter.
He couldnât help but feel proud about thisâŠ
âOut of all my shelters, this oneâs the real backbone. If the others fall, New Genesis has to stand.â
He studied the morale report for a moment longer.
High morale. Citizens show strong trust in Arialâs command and in the defense network.
That line made him pause. Arial wasnât just a manager or a simple commander at all. He had developed the shelter incredibly well so far.
Still, the note about eastward expansion caught him off a littleâŠ
However, after a few moments, he confirmed from Cloud that Arial was indeed planning to build a new auxiliary outpost, likely a forward base beyond the safe perimeter.
âBold move,â Shane murmured. âBut he wouldnât attempt it unless she was confident in the Mech production line.â
Satisfied, Shane opened the Infrastructure tab.
[ Infrastructure ( Full View ) ]
Command Center: Command & administration (Operational)
Central Factory Complex: Modular component production for Warden Units, Mech Frames, and defense systems (Operational)
Hangar Bays (Bay-01 to Bay-03): Mech deployment & cargo shuttle pads (Operational)
Warden Unit Factory: Autonomous unit fabrication (Operational)
Mech Frame Assembly Line: Full-scale frame assembly & integration (Operational)
[ New Construction Queue ]
East Perimeter Wall Reinforcement: 35% (adds +15% Fortification strength when completed)
Shane then sent a message through Cloudâs assistance.
Well, Arial wasnât a Foreign Survivor, so he doesnât have access to special features of the system. So he couldnât send any Chat Message to him.
[ Shane: Excellent progress, Arial. Get ready for the upcoming Red Night⊠I believe I shouldnât be worrying about your shelter, but in case you need help, just inform me. ]
Shane didnât bother checking the Eclipse Domainâs report this time.
Just as he was about to close the interface, Cloud informed him about the elf coming to his locationâŠ
Moments later, a tall elf appeared in front of him. He was one of the five Legendary Elves he had recruited before.
âLord ShaneâŠâ The elf bowed deeply.
âZarion, Master Artisan⊠reporting as requested.â
Shane glanced at him, surprised. âZarion? You came down from the floating fortress?â
âYes. It concerns the Red Mana Crystals you assigned for experimentation.â
That made Shane focus. The Red Mana Crystals seemed to be unusable, but with the Elves on his side, they would definitely not be wasted.
They radiated with corrupted mana, dangerous to ordinary humans and even risky for low-tier Survivors to handle. Despite that, their energy density was unmatched. A single shard could surely power a mid-range turret for hours if properly stabilized.
Shane gestured for him to continue. âWhat did you find?â
Zarion reached into a containment satchel and pulled out a device, or what seemed like a canister containing the red mana crystal.
âI succeeded in tempering the corruptionâŠâ Zarion said proudly. âBy embedding the crystals in Arcane Iron Frames andâŠâ
Zarion mentioned a lot of magical or technical things, but Shane wasnât interested⊠He was only happy to hear one thing.
âYou neutralized the corruption effect?â Shane asked with a hint of excitement.