Chapter 231 The Greatest Crisis

The atmosphere at Cloud Peak Manor was celebratory, almost euphoric.

They had survived another encounter with the apocalypse, and that in itself was a victory. Even for Evolving persons, life after the world had ended was a constant struggle, fraught with danger. They had to go toe-to-toe with zombies and mutated beasts, and one slip-up could mean game over.

William knew this better than most. In his previous life, he had been a six-star Evolving person, a powerhouse, a force to be reckoned with.

The apocalypse really brought out the worst in people. Everyone was on edge, not knowing if they'd see tomorrow. It was no surprise folks started acting shady.

But even in the darkest of times, even when surrounded by death and despair, humanity endured. They adapted. They found ways to cling to hope, to find meaning in the ruins of their former lives.

Food was the name of the game. It was the foundation of survival. When Cloud Peak Manor set its sights on Spring Harvest Granary, everyone was on board. They knew food was everything. In uncertain times, the only sure thing was the need to eat. You needed food to have the energy to do anything else.

So, even though the team took some heavy hits, when those trucks full of food rolled into the manor, the place erupted in cheers. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear.

The first meal after the battle? Oh man, it was a feast. Bread everywhere, canned meat on every table, and even a little wine for those who liked to drink.

That night, a lot of folks had the best sleep they'd had since the apocalypse started.

After a quick speech in the dining hall, William went out to check the posts. Just 'cause they had some food now didn't mean he was gonna let his guard down. There were plenty of other groups eyeing them, and once word got out about the granary, things could get messy.

William knew he had to be ready for anything.

After making the rounds, he headed back to his place and found Michelle, Brian, Candice, Tom, and Clarissa waiting for him.

This was the manor's temporary management team. Each of them had a role, keeping the base running smoothly.

Michelle was like the general manager, involved in everything. Her background in the Armed Police Force as a supervisory assistant made her perfect for the job.

Candice was in charge of the armed forces. She brought her special forces experience to the table, and with Jack as her assistant, they kept the base warriors in top shape.

Brian, with his years in business, was the go-to guy for external affairs, including trading with the Black-clad Convoy. He also helped Tom manage the regular folks, teaching him and his assistant Elijah some management tricks.

Tom was a late addition to the team, but he was loyal and smart. He could be ruthless when needed, which William liked. Plus, his sister Camilla was under special protection, making him even more determined to help. He led the regular folks on construction projects, giving it his all.

Clarissa handled logistics and the little things. Women were usually better at that stuff. Her previous job was similar, and she had a bunch of women who'd been hurt working under her. It was William's way of protecting them. As the base grew, he couldn't do everything himself. With Clarissa in charge, those women wouldn't suffer again.

This crew made up the base's management team, but William's core group was still those who'd fought by his side. Along with Michelle and Candice, there was Jack, Natalie, Lucy, Cecil, and David. They were the real deal, and their status in the base was top-notch. Anyone else who aspired to join their ranks would have to earn it through blood, sweat, and unwavering loyalty.

Candice plopped down and hit William with the bad news, "We took a heavy hit this time. Lost thirteen one-star Evolving persons, two got disabled, forty-five regular warriors dead, and six injured. The grain transport team lost twenty-one, and we're almost out of ammo."

Those numbers had clearly been eating at her.

As the head honcho of the base's armed forces, Candice knew today was a win for the base but a dark day for the guard team.

They had less than forty one-star Evolving persons to begin with, and losing so many was a big blow. They needed fresh blood, pronto, or their core defense would be toast.

Even though the number of regular folks willing to fight had grown to about 150, losing a third of them this time was a gut punch.

Candice was seriously stressed.

William nodded, getting the gravity of the situation. "Set up some light duties for the disabled once they heal up. We gotta take care of them."

Everyone agreed. Those folks had given their all for the base, and they deserved to be looked after. Plus, it sent a clear message: if you bust your butt for the base, you won't get left in the dust.

A lot of other bases in the apocalypse would just ditch the useless, but William wasn't about that life. He wanted a base built on unity, where people would fight for each other and the base. To make that happen, he needed to win hearts. Taking care of the injured was step one.

"As for boosting our Evolving numbers, pick out the ones you think are fit to become Evolving persons, tally them up, and let me know. I'll hook you up with the Evolution Elixir," William said.

Candice nodded. She knew William had a stash of one-star Evolution Elixirs. If he wanted, he could crank out hundreds of Evolving persons. But she also knew not to flaunt their wealth. The Evolution Elixir wasn't something to hand out like candy.

Next, Tom, Brian, and Michelle brought up some base issues, and William tackled each one. He might not have run a base in his past life, but he'd lived in one long enough to know how a good base should roll. His views were a bit different from peacetime, and he had to keep reminding everyone to avoid screw-ups.

"William, still no word on Gemma..." Clarissa said, worry etched on her face after everyone had finished their updates.

William's brow furrowed.

He hadn't forgotten Gemma, a fighter he'd trained up. She'd gone out to take down enemies but hadn't come back. William was anxious. When he patrolled earlier, he was hoping to catch some sign of her.

In the apocalypse, this usually meant one thing: death. Given Gemma's loyalty, if she didn't return, the odds of any other outcome were slim.

Clarissa was tight with Gemma and naturally worried. Even though she knew the chances were grim, she clung to that last shred of hope.

"Tell our hunting team to keep an eye out for Gemma when they're out there," William ordered.

The hunting team was the base's armed force that went out to kill zombies and mutated creatures when not on guard duty, to sharpen their skills and collect Magic Crystals.

Candice nodded. She knew how much William valued Gemma, who had pulled off many tough missions.

"Brian, find Yves and put out a bounty: five bottles of Evolution Elixir and five bottles of immunity potion for any news about Gemma," William added.

Brian nodded, thinking of using the military radio they had found to contact Yves. The radio was found in an infantry vehicle and was made operational by William after some tinkering.

The next day, Candice handed William a list. The people on it were regular warriors who had kicked butt in the recent battle and passed other assessments, totaling thirty-five. Plus, Candice and Tom had picked a hundred regular folks to join the combat team.

So, with this move, the number of one-star Evolving persons would hit around fifty, and the regular warriors would bump up to two hundred.

William handed Candice forty bottles of Evolution Elixir, keeping the last five for her to reward the deserving. The new regular warriors would also get their immunity potions from Clarissa, as per the rules.

Brian passed William a report from Yves, detailing the strength of the surrounding forces after yesterday's clash with the Demonic Monster. The bounty for finding Gemma was also out there.

"East Hill Village, the Lowe Family, and the Hungry Tiger Knights warband all took heavy hits," Michelle said, glancing at William after reading the report. She had initially thought William went after the granary just for the food and to take advantage of the chaos. But now, it seemed like William knew the granary was a tough nut to crack, which was why he had shot down Yves' proposal.

William went through the report, knowing it wouldn't be 100% accurate. Everyone had their secrets. Still, he could pick out some useful bits.

"The only group that really took a hit in combat power this time is the Hungry Tiger Knights warband," he concluded.

Handing the report to Michelle, Brian, Clarissa, and the others in the room, including Natalie and Camilla, William broke it down, "East Hill Village and the Lowe Family are built on family or community ties. They've got numbers and strong unity. After some development, their strength is solid. If we compare the number of Evolving persons, we might not match up right now. Even though they lost a lot of people, their overall strength hasn't dropped much."

He went on, "But the Hungry Tiger Knights warband is a different story. They've got too few people and suck at management. They guard a cement factory like it's gold. Even if there's a roulette there, it's not sustainable. This time, they lost nearly half their people, which was a huge blow. Without a miracle, they'll probably disappear."

Everyone nodded, getting the picture. The formation of the Hungry Tiger Knights warband had always seemed a bit of a joke. They initially clashed with the Tech City warband and won, but that was pure luck. They had snagged a few Professional certificates and used their skills to make Tech City suffer.

But now, the Tech City warband was beefing up fast, while the Hungry Tiger Knights were weakened from the battle. Everyone knew Tech City, being their mortal enemy, wouldn't miss this chance.

"East Hill Village and the Lowe Family are pretty interesting," William said, stroking his chin and thinking back to his memories of these two groups from his past life. He knew more about East Hill Village since the East Hill warband was also famous back then. The Craftsman there was highly respected. Plus, Spencer, their core member, was a master.

As for the Lowe Family, word was they got wiped out by a beast tide in William's past life. He wasn't sure when exactly, but according to some old-timers, their strength was solid, and they had some killer marksmanship. Their lance technique was almost like a martial art.

"Brian, there might be some stuff you need to handle," William said after some thought.

"Lay it on me," Brian replied.

"Head to East Hill Village and make contact. See if we can trade food for weapons, firearms, bullets, and the like. Nothing else. If they can provide modified firearms, we can offer Magic Crystals in exchange. I'll give you a baseline for the trade after I think it over," William instructed.

Brian, who loved doing business, was pumped to take on this task.

"Keep an eye on Arthur. But be careful not to get caught," William reminded Candice. Arthur, a future nine-star powerhouse, was always on William's radar.

"What about the Zero Commerce Guild? Those guys seem pretty mysterious. They even showed up in the armory battle yesterday. Should we dig into them?" Michelle asked, waving around the intel reports on various groups.

William shook his head right away. "That's a can of worms we don't wanna open right now. We're not strong enough to mess with them. Steer clear."

Everyone exchanged looks, surprised. They'd never seen William speak so highly of another group. "William, are they really that tough? Are we no match for them?" Natalie asked.

William smiled at her. "We're strong, but not invincible. Plus, the Zero Commerce Guild will do anything for evolution. And they're not afraid to use any means necessary to achieve their goals. So yeah, they might be ahead for now, but those cruel tactics won't last forever."

"Let's hope we don't tick them off. Our base still needs time to grow," Camilla said softly.

"I'll tell our people to avoid any run-ins with the Zero Commerce Guild. If they see them, they should back off," Candice suggested.

William nodded but added seriously, "They're strong right now, sure. But if they mess with our core interests, we won't back down. If it comes to a fight, we'll give it everything we've got. I figure we've got a 60-70% chance of wiping them out."

Everyone felt a surge of excitement. They knew what it meant when William called a group strong. His high regard for the Zero Commerce Guild even surpassed that for Arthur in Accraville City prison. Yet, despite this, William made it clear: if it came to a life-or-death struggle, there was no one he couldn't take down.

This gave everyone a huge boost of confidence. They weren't entirely sure how powerful William was, but his words made it clear that, for now, no force could make him afraid.

By noon, the foundation for the walls on both sides of the manor's main gate was done. People were pumped because it meant the base would soon have big, sturdy walls, making them feel a lot safer.

But then, a string of bad news hit, bringing a heavy silence to the core and high-level members of the base.

At 6 PM, they got word that an armed team of over 200 people from Accraville City prison was heading their way, led by the notorious Armando Watson. Devin, who had previously extorted the manor, was with them.

At 9 PM, the hunting team reported spotting a horde of over 20,000 zombies coming from the direction of Accraville City. Based on their route, they'd hit Cloud Peak Mountain in seven days, and there were a lot of third-level zombies among them.

The next day at noon, Brian, who had reached East Hill Village, used the military radio to report that East Hill Village had shot down the food-for-weapons deal. He was making one last effort.

At 1 PM, the same radio brought a message from East Hill Village to Cloud Peak Manor. They formally rejected the food-for-weapons deal and detained Brian and his ten-person team, demanding thousands of pounds of food as ransom.

At 2 PM, Yves and his convoy arrived at Cloud Peak Manor, bringing a letter from Logan, the leader of the Tech City warband. The letter was clear: William should trade food for their protection, with an obvious threat implied.

At 5 PM, Yves, who had left only two hours earlier, used the radio William had given him to send a message. 

Gemma had fallen into the hands of the Lowe Family. She was currently on the central island in the middle of their base's lake, severely injured and on the brink of death.

These back-to-back pieces of bad news had everyone on edge. Hotheads like Jack and Cecil were already talking about sending troops to teach those groups a lesson, especially East Hill Village for taking hostages!

More level-headed folks suggested a cautious approach, pointing out that there were too many crises. Mishandling any one of them could spell disaster for the base.

But whether hot-tempered or calm, everyone realized one thing: Cloud Peak Manor was facing its biggest crisis since it was established.