I grow stronger by making my wife happy.

Chapter 90: 90:Dissappeared.

The contractor vehicle rolled quietly onto the highway once more.

The reinforced engine hummed steadily as the cracked highway stretched toward the eastern horizon, cutting through forests reclaimed by nature and the skeletal remains of cities that had died centuries ago.

The morning sun had climbed higher now, bathing the ruins in warm light. It should have been peaceful, instead, Silver’s eyes remained fixed on the rear-view mirror.

The grey contractor vehicle still followed, not too close and not too far, always maintaining what looked like the perfect distance.

This was clearly someone patient, trained, and wasn’t interested in attacking, yet.

”...Still there?”

Ravenna asked quietly. Silver nodded.

”For now.”

She glanced through the side mirror before returning her gaze forward.

”He isn’t hiding very well.”

”He’s hiding exactly as well as he wants to.”

She frowned.

”What do you mean?”

Silver rested one hand casually on the steering wheel.

”If he wanted to disappear, we wouldn’t even know he existed.”

Her expression became thoughtful.

”So he’s letting us notice him?”

”Either that or he wants to see how we react after noticing him.”

Silence settled between them, both possibilities were unpleasant.

Nearly fifteen minutes passed of normal driving. The observer never closed the distance but never fell behind or attempted communication. He just followed them quietly.

Silver finally smiled.

”...this is good.”

Ravenna looked over.

”Good?”

”He has confidence.”

”I don’t understand.”

”The more confident someone is, the easier they are to surprise.”

She raised an eyebrow.

”...That sounded personal.”

”It probably is.”

His consciousness drifted inward. The familiar blue System interface appeared before him alone.

[Inventory]

Rare Items

• Spatial Distortion Beacon ×1

Description:

Projects multiple false contractor signatures, vehicle trails, and residual aura patterns across nearby terrain.

Duration: 15 Minutes.

Effective Range: 5 Kilometers.

Silver tapped the item.

Confirm Use?

Yes / No

Yes.

The item vanished, there were no theatricals, nothing visible happened at all, even Ravenna failed to notice. Only Silver saw the small notification.

[Spatial Distortion Beacon Activated.]

Counter-surveillance sequence initiated.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he pressed down on the accelerator.

Several kilometers behind them, inside the grey contractor vehicle, the observer frowned. His navigation display suddenly flashed.

*WARNING

Multiple Contractor Signatures Detected.*

His tracking module split. One signal became three, then six, then eleven. Each moved along different roads branching away from the highway.

”...What the fuck?”

He slowed instinctively. The module continued recalculating. One signature turned north, another accelerated south, three entered an abandoned industrial district and two appeared to continue straight ahead; none behaved naturally.

The observer frowned harder.

”An interference?”

But that was impossible. Civilian tracking modules weren’t capable of producing false contractor signatures. He immediately opened a secure communication channel.

”This is Observer Four. I’ve lost visual confirmation.”

Static crackled briefly, then the familiar calm voice answered.

”...Explain.”

”My tracking system has been compromised.”

”Electronic warfare?”

”I don’t think so.”

”...Interesting.” The voice became quieter. ”Continue searching. If recovery probability falls below fifty percent... abort.”

The transmission ended. The observer glanced between the dozen false trails now scattered across his display.

”...Who are you?”

Meanwhile...

Silver drove through an old tunnel connecting two highway sectors. The moment they emerged on the opposite side, he took the second exit instead of remaining on the main interstate. Then another and another.

Within minutes, they were following an old maintenance road barely wide enough for a single contractor vehicle.

Nature had almost reclaimed it, tall grass brushed against both sides of the car and broken branches scraped across reinforced windows.

After another ten minutes... Silver finally looked into the rear-view mirror and found nothing. The highway behind them was empty.

Ravenna noticed his shoulders relax for the first time since the first attack.

”...They’re gone?”

”For now.”

She released a slow breath.

”Please let it stay that way.”

Silver nodded.

”I don’t think that’s going to work, they’ll find another way if they’re persistent, but we’ve bought ourselves time.”

The silence that followed felt different. Simply... tired. The excitement of surviving had faded and the adrenaline had disappeared. Now only exhaustion remained.

The road became rougher as they entered another Green Zone sector. Abandoned farms replaced ruined apartment blocks and old wind turbines stood motionless against the skyline, their blades rusted into permanent stillness.

Ravenna looked at a half-standing barn and unconsciously said.

”I wonder what the world before all this looked like,” she quietly said almost to herself,” it must have been a lively place and people wouldn’t have lived in fear of an attack every day.”

Silver briefly glanced at her then nodded.

”Yes, it was a beautiful place but I don’t know about the fear part, humans tend to pull conflict out of nowhere,” he quietly said remembering his deployments,” if it’s not the apocalypse they would have found a way to start a war and kill each other.”

”Yeah, you’re right,” she leaned back into the seat,” but it would have still been better in my opinion than living in this hellhole. Even those who have never left the Sanctuary still fear that one day, they would be overwhelmed by a beast tide.”

Silver nodded.” I suppose you’re right. Each period will always have its own advantages and disadvantages. I tend to be a little pessimistic sometimes.”

She chuckled slightly.” Tell me when you’re feeling down, I’ll pull you up.”

Silver smiled,” I’ll keep that in mind. And you can always come to me when you need a shoulder to lean on. We’re in this together, right?”

She nodded.” Right.”

Silence filled the cabin as they continued forward. Occasionally they passed warning signs reminding contractors to remain alert for wandering beasts. Most had faded until only fragments of the words remained.

Silver blinked and the road ahead suddenly doubled. He frowned.

”...”

His vision corrected itself almost immediately. He tightened both hands around the steering wheel.

’Not now’

A warm sensation spread beneath his jacket; fresh blood. The knife still embedded in his shoulder had shifted slightly when they escaped the service station.

He deliberately ignored it.

”...Silver.”

He answered without looking away from the road.

”Hm?”

”You’re bleeding again.”

”I know.”

”This is becoming your favorite answer.”

He chuckled softly.

”It’s still accurate.”

She wasn’t amused. For the past thirty minutes, she’d watched the bloodstain slowly grow larger. His face had become noticeably paler and even his breathing sounded heavier than before.

It seems their earlier conversation had gone over his head or he didn’t see the situation as that serious.

”You need a doctor.”

”I need a checkpoint.”

”Same thing.”

He smiled.

”It seems we’re on the same brain wave.”

She folded her arms.

”We’re not hunting today.”

He remained silent.

”I’m serious.”

”So am I.”

She looked at him.

”No.”

”We’re done for today.”

Silver glanced sideways.

”...Done?”

”You’ve got a knife in your shoulder, you’ve lost enough blood to make most people faint and you still think about hunting.”

He couldn’t argue because she was right.

”...Alright.”

She blinked.

”...That was easier than I expected.”

”I know when I’m beaten.”

She laughed.

”Don’t go back on your word.”

Two hours passed.

The landscape gradually changed. Signs of human activity began appearing again; watchtowers, reinforced fences, and old defensive bunkers converted into storage depots. Eventually, a massive steel gate rose above the highway.

The familiar emblem of a Rookie Checkpoint had been painted across its armored walls. Unlike the checkpoint Silver had first visited with Shawn, this one was larger.

Built where several Green Zone sectors intersected. Contractor vehicles queued patiently outside the gate while automated turrets scanned each arrival.

A loudspeaker echoed overhead.

*Welcome to Green Sector Checkpoint Eight.

Please prepare contractor identification for inspection.*

Ravenna leaned back in relief.

”...Finally.” Silver smiled faintly. ”I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see bureaucracy.”

She laughed.

”Come on. The doctor is taking that knife out whether you like it or not.”

Silver looked down at the handle protruding from his shoulder.

”I suppose... It’s overstayed its welcome.”

The checkpoint gates slowly began to open. Beyond them, doctors, mechanics, resting contractors, supply stores, and temporary lodging filled the bustling compound.

For the first time since leaving Delta-3, they could finally rest.

Neither of them noticed, high atop one of the distant hills overlooking the checkpoint a pair of binoculars slowly lowered.

The observer had found them again. He smiled to himself.

”...Found you.”

Without entering the checkpoint, he quietly turned his vehicle around and drove away.