Kai had no idea when this recruitment would be completed, so for now, he checked the other missions.

Well, the old missions had already rotated out, replaced by new objectives.

[ Mission 1: Fortress Expansion ]

[ Difficulty: Low

Objective: Construct 3 defensive watchtowers around the perimeter of the shelter sector with the highest concentration of Guild Members.

Reward: Guild Reputation +50, Energy Core (C‑Grade) x15, Passive Buff +10% defense to all Guild Members for 48 hours ]

"Mhmm... So that’s why Wallace and the others were digging a while ago. They’re preparing the foundation." Kai muttered.

Well, he wasn’t really micromanaging them, so he wasn’t aware of everyone’s plans.

In any case, he turned his attention to the next one.

[ Mission 2: Salvage Operation ]

Difficulty: Low

Objective: Recover 5 C-Grade Mechanical Units and 10 Weapons from wrecked A.I. Units in the southern ruins.

Reward: Guild Reputation +50, Energy Core (C‑Grade) x15, Beginner Crafting Material Pack x2

Kai couldn’t help but smile after seeing this.

"Finally... something different. Still low-tier, but the rewards are quite decent." Kai muttered.

Meanwhile, the three new members were elated upon seeing the Guild Feature opening up.

"So this is... the Guild System? Missions, rewards, objectives... it’s all real." Henry muttered.

Nadia nodded as she had only learned about this through the World Chat.

"Guild Storage... Guild Reputation... Interesting. So it’s organized like this."

Enzo chuckled as he also started exploring the new window screen.

"There’s also Guild Chat and Guild Missions... this is insane. Communication with everyone also became so easy with this."

Kai watched their reactions calmly. For him, the interface was familiar, but for them it was their first glimpse into what being part of a guild truly meant.

Henry muttered, half to himself, "I will do my best to help with the construction of the towers."

"Good. You need contribution points anyway." Kai muttered.

Nadia nodded quickly. "And the rewards aren’t just for one person. Buffs for everyone, resources for the guild... it makes survival collective. This is nice."

Enzo grinned. "I thought joining a guild was just about sticking together. But this is a whole different level..."

Kai gave a faint smile. It seemed that Enzo wasn’t familiar with how Guild Works in games.

"Yes... This is what guild does... It was basically rewards unity."

The three newcomers exchanged glances, their excitement was clear.

Kai closed the interface. "You’ll get used to it. Missions like these will shape the guild’s strength. And now that you’re part of Codebreakers, you’ll see how far we can go."

Henry clenched his fist. "Yes! We’ll prove ourselves."

"We won’t let you down." Nadia and Enzo added.

Satisfied with their response, Kai finally left. If they have any further questions, they could just use their chat for faster communication.

***

The next day, Kai stood in the yard while looking at the three modified Dragoons on the ground. Survivors gathered near the gates, watching silently.

At this time, everyone already knew their plan to visit the human city, Cameron.

Then, Mei finally arrived as she adjusted her gloves before she mounted the first Dragoon.

After that, Kai climbed behind her.

Well, Mei insisted on piloting the flying vessel, and Kai didn’t argue. As a matter of fact, he also felt that it would be fine to let her take control since he could protect them in case they were ambushed.

With his various skills, he was confident that he’d be able to protect Mei in case of an emergency.

Just like that, Claire and Alfie took the second, while Ralph and Farrah settled onto the third. Their packs were already secured, including their weapons.

Soon, Victor stepped forward with his hands stained with oil from another long night of work.

He actually made a few adjustments last night to ensure that the modified dragoons would be safe to operate.

"Ahem... The stabilizers are solid. Don’t push them too hard on the first stretch. And remember... Cameron’s north. We’ve seen the Flying Fortress go in that direction before... Be careful."

Kai nodded. He also recalled the floating island or fortress from before. It means that the path leading to the human city was definitely dangerous.

"We’ll be careful. Keep the shelters steady until we return."

Wallace and Irene also stood together, offering quiet smiles. Wallace gave a salute, while Irene was praying for the group.

Kai looked over the crowd one last time. "We’ll bring back what we can. Cameron might hold the answers we need. Until then... protect each other."

The gates creaked open, and the three Dragoons surged forward.

Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~

Dust swirled in their wake as the machines lifted higher with its engines humming with Victor’s handiwork.

"Goodbye!" voices called from below.

The survivors waved, the guards raised their rifles in attention, and the newcomers watched with awe as the guild’s leaders vanished into the horizon.

Kai tightened his grip on Mei’s shoulders as the wind rushed past.

The compound shrank behind them, and just like that, Haven‑45 became a speck against the vast wasteland.

Ahead, the northern cliff stretched endlessly... It means that the path to Cameron was long and uncertain.

But Kai’s resolve was firm. With three Dragoons and his chosen team, he didn’t care about the distance...

He had brought enough C-Grade Cores as well to ensure their uninterrupted journey!

We, he traded those cores with the other Survivors using his Infinite Gift Pack.

***

Soon, the Dragoons cut through the wasteland skies for hours, their engines ran steadily as the team pressed north.

The wind was strong, and the terrain below was shifting from barren plains to jagged ridges.

After nearly five hours of travel, Kai signaled for the group to slow down. Ahead, the ground grew rocky, cliffs were rising unevenly, and the remains of a small shelter came into view.

Mei tilted her Dragoon slightly, squinting. "There’s a settlement down there... but it looks terrible."

Claire frowned.

"Could be abandoned. Or worse, attacked." She said on the radio.

Kai also focused and used his Keen Sense to scan the perimeter... As soon as he did so, he noticed something strange.

"Mhmm?"