Chapter 394 The Old Man
The call with Sebastian was unexpected.
But it provided Steven with very important information.
First, the shelter might face a joint attack from the four largest factions in Starlight City.
Second, their attack would happen in the short term.
Steven was quite confident in the shelter's defensive capabilities.
These four factions didn't have someone like Peter, nor could they get their hands on high-yield bunker buster missiles to destroy the core underground levels of the shelter.
Moreover, the conflict between them and Steven wasn't that deep, not to the point of fighting to the death.
Once the cost outweighed the benefits, they would choose to abandon the attack.
"Prepare for the worst, then fight the fiercest battle! Intimidate all the factions in Starlight City to achieve peace."
Steven sorted out his logic.
He decided to cooperate with Frostwood Base.
He would exchange 10,000 pounds of food for their non-interference, but he would only pay a deposit upfront.
Reducing one major faction as an enemy would greatly increase their chances of holding the shelter.
Steven immediately gathered everyone.
Meeting time!
He explained the basic situation to everyone.
When they learned they might face a joint attack from the four major factions, everyone's expressions became very serious.
The pressure was far more terrifying than when they fought West Mountain Base!
But Cindy stayed calm. "It's not as bad as it looks," she said. "Those four factions might seem united, but they're all eyeing each other. The only ones we've got beef with are Emberwick and Silverlake. Snowfall Cult and Frostwood Base are just dragged into this. No real conflict means they'll half-ass it—no way they'll go all out. If we can get Frostwood Base to sit this one out, our load gets even lighter."
Everyone nodded, thinking Cindy made some sense.
Henry, with his arms crossed, said, "Our biggest weakness is our small numbers. If the opponents are too many, we will be at a great disadvantage in divided battles."
Steven said, "We can rely on the defensive line to fight the first wave."
He looked out the window. "The area around the shelter is not empty. Behind us are two low hills, forming a natural barrier. Plus, with the slippery snow, they can't charge down from the hills to attack."
"So, the real threat's right in front of us," he added, tapping the table. With a wet finger, he drew an arc. "Our firepower's concentrated here. Remember, our goal isn't to wipe them out—it's to make them back off. We just need to show them we're the ones calling the shots in this zone."
He cracked a smile. "After the fight, I'll sit them down and lay down the law: this area around the shelter is off-limits. No entry!"
Earl frowned, his voice tight. "Even three factions hitting us at once is still a hell of a lot of pressure. Our first line's gonna get wrecked fast, and we'll have to fall back to defend inside the shelter. The thing is, our biggest assets are the shelter itself and your Dimension Door, Captain. But with three factions coming at us with who-knows-what tricks, what if they find a way to break through?"
He spread his hands and added, "Emberwick Base's sitting on a ton of fuel. They've got the gear—big, nasty stuff—and the means to haul it here. Plus, they might have Psychics with some freaky abilities up their sleeves."
Earl's words hung heavy, and the tension in the room spiked.
Psychics are always the most unpredictable factor.
But Steven just gave a faint smile. "Relax, that's not your problem. If it comes to that, I'll take care of it."
Steven was a pacifist and didn't like war.
But that didn't mean he wasn't strong enough.
After the battle with West Mountain Base, he absorbed the Supernatural abilities of four Psychics, including Charles.
No one knew how strong he was now.
In short, as always.
If Steven's offensive power was 100, his defensive power had to be at least 1000.
So, when fighting on his turf, his strength would be at its peak!
Being cautious didn't mean he wasn't strong enough when it came to a real fight.
When Steven spoke, the tension in the room eased.
Everyone knew Steven didn't mess around—he was all about playing it safe.
If he said he had it under control, he meant it.
As the group talked, Fluffy, lounging on the couch next to Steven, suddenly perked up, ears twitching, and let out a sharp bark.
Its heterochromatic eyes looked out the window.
This sound was full of vigilance.
Seeing Fluffy's serious demeanor, everyone couldn't help but tense up and quickly looked outside.
As a mutated creature, Fluffy's intuition was far superior to humans. Its gut feelings were always spot-on, picking up on threats long before anyone else.
Outside the window, it was pitch black, with only a few faint glimmers on the white snow.
The snow was falling heavily, and the wind howled past, as if something strange was approaching step by step through the snow.
"Let's check it out."
A golden Desert Eagle pistol appeared in Steven's right hand.
He skillfully disengaged the safety, then walked towards the window with Fluffy in his arms.
Seeing this, the others quickly followed suit; no one dared to be careless at this moment.
They reached the window.
Steven took out binoculars and looked ahead.
Through the swirling snow, he spotted a figure in a tattered gray robe.
It looked like an old man, hunched over a cane, trudging slowly toward them.
But no one was fooled—this wasn't some harmless grandpa.
On a freezing night like this, even the toughest guy wouldn't dare step outside, let alone an elderly man.
"He's gotta be a Psychic," Steven said, sizing it up. "No clue whose side he's on or what his game is, though."
Steven was unsure because he didn't see anyone else nearby.
This meant the old man had come alone.
Either he was confident in his own strength.
Or he believed Steven and his people wouldn't harm him.
Whichever the case, he must have enough cards up his sleeve.
At this moment, Steven heard Henry's surprised voice beside him.
"I recognize him! He's Jordan from Snowfall Cult, whom I saw at Sunshine Community!"
"Snowfall Cult!"
Everyone couldn't help but utter the name.
One of the four major factions in Starlight City, and also the most mysterious and evil organization.
"What are they sending someone here for?" Elinor said warily.
Steven's eyes were stern, and he couldn't help but think of Sebastian, who had called him today.
Frostwood Base and Snowfall Cult had no direct enmity with him.
They were coerced by Emberwick Base and Silverlake Base to join the attack on the shelter.
No one wants to do something without benefits.
So Sebastian contacted Steven privately, wanting to avoid war as long as he could get enough benefits.
Perhaps Snowfall Cult had the same purpose for this visit.
As Steven pondered, Cindy's cold voice came from beside him. "From what I've heard, Snowfall Cult's always been on bad terms with the other big players in Starlight City. If we're gonna bust up their alliance, Snowfall's the weak link."
Steven put down the binoculars and said in a deep voice, "But I have no good feelings towards this cult either."
Snowfall Cult's predecessor was Solstice's Shinrikyo religion.
In that country with no restrictions on religion, there were too many organizations that The Astralium Kingdom would deem as cults.
They greedily sucked the lifeblood, causing many followers to lose their families.
Such an entity suddenly becoming the savior in the apocalypse?
Clearly impossible.
Even the four major base organizations couldn't stand them, so Steven sure as hell wasn't about to warm up to them.
Cindy smiled and said to Steven, "But if they have value, we can still make contact."
Steven nodded, agreeing with Cindy's words.
Cooperation depends on mutual value, not personal preference.
So he patted Earl on the shoulder.
"Earl, go out and talk to him! Turn on the microphone, and I'll tell you what to say."
Facing this weird old man who had the guts to show up solo, Steven wasn't about to test the waters himself—no clue what kind of Supernatural ability the guy might have.
Earl was startled and quickly pleaded, "Captain, I'm the weakest among us. I'm not suitable for this, am I?"
Steven shot him a look. "In this freeze, your skills are the easiest to pull off. Chill, with us around, he won't lay a finger on you." He then raised his golden Desert Eagle. "One wrong move, and I'll drop him before he blinks."
Seeing Steven's unyielding gaze, Earl had no choice but to put on his combat suit and walk out of the shelter's door.
Steven activated the communication device so he could hear their conversation and instruct Earl on how to talk.
"Walk out, don't let him get close to the defensive line. We don't want him to discover our setup!"
Hidden within the thick ice walls were numerous weapons.
Although it was hard to see clearly due to the wind and snow, Steven didn't want to take any risks.
Earl had no choice but to walk outside the defensive line, waiting as Jordan slowly closed the distance through the snow.
Jordan, trudging toward the shelter, spotted the figure emerging from the icy barrier. A dark golden gleam flickered inhis gray eyes.
Through the storm, he could see the commanding presence radiating from Earl.
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