Soon, the portal shimmered behind him as Shane stepped into the Silver Mine Camp.
As expected, the atmosphere here wasnāt that great due to the unexpected intensity of the Red Night Event.
It was truly meant to cut down their numbers.
After going out of the portal hall, he immediately sensed the lingering stench of blood. The outer wall was barely holding, it was patched with scrap metal and reinforced beams scavenged from collapsed sectors.
The main gate was gone, replaced with a barricade that looked more symbolic than functional.
He didnāt waste time.
Inside the command center, Diana was already reviewing casualty reports. Her hair was tied back, her uniform stained with dirt and dried blood. She looked up as Shane entered.
"Shane?" Her voice cracked slightly. "Youāre here?"
"I had to come," he said, walking over. "We have a problem."
She didnāt speak. They already have a lot of problems... She then waited for him to speak.
Shane informed him about the information he had obtained. Cloud compiled it and through his watch, he showed it to Diana.
[ Incoming Threat - Overlord Clan Mobilization ]
Target: Silver Mine Camp
Deployment: 14 squads, 3 heavy units, 2 siege crawlers
ETA: 7 hours (estimated)
Objective: Capture Spirit Stone Vein
Dianaās eyes narrowed.
"They know?"
"They know about the Spirit Vein," Shane said. "Weāre not sure how. Maybe someone leaked it... or maybe they figured it out on their own. Either way, theyāre coming."
Diana exhaled slowly, then glanced at the camp status report...
[ Silver Mine Camp - Commander: Diana ]
Status: Operational
Outer Wall Integrity: 19%
Barricade Reserves: 0 remaining kits
Casualties: 87 confirmed, 34 missing
Structural Damage:
- Main Gate: destroyed, replaced with scrap barricade
- West Sector: 70% collapsed, uninhabitable
- Generator Room: 40% damaged, backup systems active
- Shelter Core Chamber: exposed during breach, now reinforced manually
"Weāre not ready for this," she said quietly.
"We will be," Shane replied. "I came through the gate. They donāt know we have it. I can easily send reinforcements, supplies, and gear. But we need to coordinate fast."
Diana nodded. "Iāll call the captains."
Within minutes, the high-ranking officers of Silver Mine Camp gathered in the war room.
Each one looked worn, but alert.
Joseph, one of the five captains, led the Northern Wall Defense Division. He was one of the Epic Gladiators that Diana herself had recruited through Epic Recruitment Stones.
Austin, another captain, led the Southern Wall Defense Division. He was one of the trusted Super Soldiers that Shane himself had developed.
Lysandra, Shaneās close subordinate, commanded the Shelter Defense Division. She had overseen the reinforcement of the Shelter Core Chamber and was one of Shaneās most trusted Survivors. This was why she was working with Diana
Minerva, elite survivor and captain of the Long-Range Support Division, had her sniper rifle slung across her back. Her team had kept the turrets operational during the last breach.
Max, known as the Human Juggernaut, led the Heavy Assault Division. His gear was definitely the toughest one since it was gifted by Shane himself after the Auction Event.
Then, there was also Mew, leader of the Miner Operations Division. He represented the civilian workforce. His people had been instrumental in reinforcing the shelter manually.
Elsa and Lily, leaders of the Elemental Support Unit, stood side by side. Elsa was a Master-Grade Water Elementalist, while Lily held Master-Grade Wind Talent. Their combined abilities had helped suppress fires and redirect toxic gas during the Red Night.
Shane stood at the head of the table.
"Theyāre coming," he said. "Overlord Clan. Seven hours, maybe less. They want the Spirit Stones."
No one spoke, knowing the upcoming battle would not be easy, and Shane must have plans in mind.
He continued. "Weāre not going to let them have it. Iāll send reinforcements through the gate. Weāll activate the defense grid, reroute power from the backup generators, and deploy every turret we have. However, they will be hiding during the siege until the enemy truly commits to attacking us."
Joseph cracked his knuckles. "A bait, huh... The northern wallās still standing. Barely. But weāll hold. I can bait them..."
Austin nodded. "Southern wallās worse. Iāll need more bodies. And explosives. We can bait them if they pass through our gate."
Lysandra had no questions about Shaneās plan.
Minerva, however, had concerns about their turrets...
"Send more engineers here. Fix the turrets. The most we can do is recalibrate them. Repairing them is not easy. I heard about those siege crawlers, weāll need some special ammunition to destroy those.
Max grunted. "Give me a squad. Iāll meet them outside the perimeter."
Mew raised a hand. "My miners can reinforce the barricades. Weāve got scrap and welding kits. Just give us time."
Elsa and Lily exchanged a glance.
"Weāll handle environmental control," Elsa said. "If they use gas or fire, weāll counter it."
Diana looked around the room, then back at Shane.
"Weāll fight," she said. "But if they somehow decided to send special survivors to target the shelter core. We might get into real trouble..."
"They wonāt," Shane said as he planned not only to send Warden Units and Elves to this place but also Asad and himself...
With the presence of Rank 1 and Rank 2 Survivors, Shane knew that this attempt to attack would be futile...
Within the hour, the portal hall continued to spit out various people.
Dozens of survivors arrived... They were builders, engineers, and mechanics... They were all assigned to critical repair tasks. Among them were the Mute Builders, silent specialists known for their ability to build anything.
They head straight for the damaged Barrier Generators and fractured outer walls, welding and reinforcing without a word.
Engineers and Mechanics split off toward the watchtowers and turret stations, hauling crates of tools and spare parts.
Just like that, sparks flew as they began recalibrating targeting systems and restoring power grids.
Shane stood near the command center, watching the flow of reinforcements.
Then, the system made an update.
[ Red Crystal Exchange List Available ]
He opened it immediately.
Just like that, rows of options appeared...
The Red Crystals heād earned during the Red Night were finally usable.