Chapter 964: New Shelter

Fiona silently watched as the gates of the Coastal Villa Node creaked open, and a tall figure stepped forward with a smile on his face.

"Shane! You’re late!" Tundra’s voice was loud, and he seemed really excited upon seeing them.

Shane smiled while lowering his hood. "We had a few hurdles on the way. But we made it."

Tundra clasped Shane’s forearm in greeting. He was really excited to show what he had done to this shelter.

Then, Shane gestured toward Fiona, who stood quietly beside Alex...

"This is Fiona," Shane said firmly. "She’s the newest member of Eclipse Revenant. Her talent is unique, it’s related to rats, so if you find a few of them in the shelter, don’t mind them. They work as scouts, or they can even deal with the pests..."

"Ohhh... That’s perfect. If we are growing crops here, we should find a way to deal with pests. Those rats would be perfect."

Tundra then turned to the pretty lady...

"Welcome, Fiona. Any friend of Shane’s is family here. You’ll find this place safer than most."

Fiona nodded politely, still adjusting to the idea of belonging to a clan. "Thank you... I’ll do my part."

Once the introductions were complete, Shane’s eyes swept over the walls and patrols. "You’ve done well here. Tell me about the shelter."

Tundra’s grin widened. "We needed manpower, so I used forty Recruitment Stones... There were thirty Normal and ten Rare. The normal recruits are simple folk. They’re farmers, herb gatherers, laborers, and a couple with some skill in cooking. They’re not fighters, but they’ll keep us fed and maintain the basics."

He paused for a moment and looked at the watchtowers...

"The ten rare recruits are different. Skilled Hunters, trained Soldiers, even a Sculptor who’s already shaping defenses and statues for morale. And one of them... a Squire. He’s young, but disciplined. He’ll grow into something formidable."

Shane nodded, impressed.

Since he already met a few Knights before and knew about their strength, a squire was definitely not someone who could be underestimated.

"That’s a solid foundation. And your original team? Sona, Otto, Zephyrion, Eldric? Where are they?"

Tundra chuckled and explained.

"They’re clearing a nearby zombie nest. Nothing too dangerous... They’re mostly Brute Zombies and a few Lickers. They’ll be back soon. I trust them."

Indeed, with those four working together, Shane knew that even if they had to fight against Zombie Kings, they would be just fine.

"Good. We should reward them with a nice meal after they return..." Shane said as he knew that he still had a lot of food in his inventory, and most of them came from the ingredients he got from the Fairy Realm.

Tundra motioned for the group to follow him...

Soon, a couple of people stepped forward, guiding Alex and Fiona toward the main villa.

"Get some rest," one of them said. "There are rooms prepared. You can even take a warm bath if you’d like."

Fiona’s eyes lit up, surprised by the offer. A warm bath was a luxury she hadn’t imagined possible right now. Alex grinned, already looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, Tundra led Shane deeper into the compound. Past the central hall and storage chambers, they descended into a hidden chamber beneath the villa...

There, lined against the walls, stood the Vital Capsules, twenty of them.

Each was the size of a standing coffin, with transparent panels and embedded control interfaces. Most were open with their lids retracted, but none were damaged. Their modern design even made Shane remember his time in the A.I. Rebellion.

"You found these here?" Shane asked in surprise.

Tundra nodded. "Buried here... They are also working fine. They’re advanced medical pods, designed for rapid healing and cellular stabilization. Not resurrection, not stasis like CryoChambers in the New Genesis Shelter, but for recovery. They accelerate healing, purge toxins, and stabilize critical injuries. I tested one myself after a fight with a Brute. It closed wounds in hours that would’ve taken weeks."

Shane stepped closer, running his hand along the surface of one capsule.

This was a priceless treasure that could save many lives!

"Incredible... this is huge... With these devices, our lack of physicians would be resolved." Shane muttered.

Tundra agreed as he also knew that they lacked medical practitioners and many of them had to rely on the infused tokens, potions, pills, and others...

"Exactly. That’s why I wanted you to see them first. With Anna’s alchemy and your leadership, we can integrate these pods into our strategy. Injuries won’t cripple us anymore."

"Awesome... Now... Let’s set up the Portal Hall." Shane said as he needed to get people here and start the construction of houses and other buildings.

He needed this specific Hall in order to connect this shelter to the others under his control.

Shane had already brought the Gate Stone required, and he just needed a safe place. This Gate Stone was, of course, the one he had removed from the Silver Mine Camp after dismantling its portal.

Soon, Shane found an empty hall outside the main villa.

Judging by its layout, it had once been intended as a function hall. The place was wide, with good flooring and high ceilings. Vehicles could easily pass through here, and the space was large enough to accommodate a lot of people...

Shane immediately decided this was the best location to install the gate stones. They just needed to set it up.

But before they began, Tundra stopped him.

"Wait. Before we build the Portal Hall, I want to transfer the shelter’s ownership to you."

Shane nodded after hearing this.

Tundra was somewhat aware of his Territory Lord Talent.

After all, he had seen its effects...

Once a place belonged to Shane, its reputation will rise. Survivors will be drawn here naturally. Every five days, new recruits will arrive. That’s something not just anyone could provide.

Shane didn’t mind the transfer to happen now... "Right... Let’s do that."

The system responded immediately as Tundra initiated the transfer.

[ Shelter Ownership Transfer Initiated ]

[ Coastal Villa Node will now recognize Shane as its Shelter Master. ]

[ Do you wish to accept? ]

"Yes..." Shane answered.

There weren’t any special effects whatsoever, but soon, the ownership bond had shifted.

The Coastal Villa Node was now his.

Shane immediately got all the information he needed about the shelter, and soon, he got the option to change its name...

’Right... Calling this Territory a Villa Node isn’t good.’ Shane mused as he considered what to name this new Shelter.