Faust acknowledged Billy's response with a nod and resumed pulling the cart, making his way toward the house.
As he neared the building, Agony's voice echoed in his mind. 'Why all the hassle? Acting like this?'
Faust internally explained. 'I don't want to draw attention from the Imagin or the Gods for now.'
'Also, it's more interesting this way.'
He soon arrived at the village house selected by Aphelia for their base.
It was a two-story building, already securely boarded up.
Aphelia had been busy constructing a makeshift tower above the roof.
Noticing Faust's arrival, she jumped down to the ground to meet him.
Aurelia looks around before addressing Faust.
"Where are Nex and Leslie?"
Faust responded, "They'll be back soon."
"I just brought some of their hunting results here while they're out gathering more food."
Aurelia looked into the cart and noticed the two dead tigers.
"Tigers, huh? Tough meat, but it's good for making jerky."
She then turned her attention back to Faust.
"Can you handle butchering them? I need to finish the tower before the wave starts."
"After that, I'll set up to smoke some of the meat."
Faust asked. "Is there any need for long-term rations?"
Aurelia replied. "Better to be safe than sorry. We don't know how things might change after the wave."
"The forest could become even more dangerous."
"So, did you find any interesting flora or fauna out there?"
Faust points towards the tigers.
"As you can see, these animals resemble those on Earth, but some of them are mutated."
Aurelia seemed puzzled. "Earth? Aren't all the animals here already mutated?"
Faust then shared his hypothesis about the obelisk being a portal and their possible location on another planet.
Aurelia listened intently, her expression turning from curiosity to sharp focus.
After a moment, she shook her head bitterly.
"If what you're saying is true, then whoever created this situation is truly twisted. It's like they don't care if everyone fails..."
Faust acknowledged Aurelia's insight. "So, you think the same way?"
"Yeah," Aurelia replied.
"It seems they've mixed mutated animals with normal ones without any apparent differences until they attack."
"Their goal should be to catch people off guard. "
"Imagine thinking you caught a normal rabbit, only for it to suddenly breathe fire in your face."
Faust nodded. "Alright, I'll butcher up the animals. I'm used to dissecting them."
As Aurelia prepared to leave, her expression shifted, showing an internal struggle.
She seemed on the verge of saying something more but ultimately bit her lip and sighed instead.
"I'll go finish building the tower then. I hope we can all survive the night."
"There's something I need to discuss with you later."
"Sure," Faust responded as he watched Aurelia agilely leap back up to the roof.
His mind wandered. 'What does she want to talk about?'
'I barely know her... She's from the military, and that expression just now... it looked like guilt...'
His eyes narrowed, a suspicion forming.
'The only reason she'd feel guilty is if she's involved somehow.'
While considering this possibility, Faust created a small cleaver from Agony and began methodically carving up the tiger.
An hour passed by, and Faust had skillfully divided the tiger into portions, with its skin and bones neatly separated.
As he worked, Nex, Layla, and Billy approached him.
Nex was carrying a dozen rabbits tied to a wooden stick slung over his shoulder.
Faust greeted them as they arrived. "You guys are back. The tiger you hunted has already been cleanly cut."
Nex looked slightly puzzled at the sight, while Layla's eyes widened with realization.
"Yes, thanks for bringing it back," she said.
Billy examined the neatly butchered tiger and commented, "Your butchering skills are impressive."
Bam!
Aurelia jumped down from the roof, having completed her work on the tower.
"So, everyone is here now,"
Turning her attention to the tiger meat, she said, "I'll take these to Braxton."
Billy stepped forward. "Let me do it."
Aurelia, however, shook her head. "I need to discuss something with him. I want to propose turning this house into a taller tower."
She gestured towards the tiger. "I'll take this as a bargaining chip. I think the rabbits should be enough for our needs."
Layla commented. "But the rabbit meat isn't even half as much as the tiger."
Aurelia responded. "If we manage our rations carefully, it should be more than enough to last us."
"Right now, strengthening our defenses is more important."
Faust interjected. "I agree with you. So, what should we do now?"
Aurelia took a moment before responding. "You guys should take a break and prepare. We have only one hour left before the wave starts."
"During the attack, defend from the tower. I'll head to the frontline."
She then turned to Billy. "Shoot anyone who comes near our place, even if they're part of the defense. We can't trust Asura's people."
Billy nodded in agreement. "Sure,"
Nex asked. "I think we're still lacking long-range weapons for defense from the tower?"
Aurelia had already thought of that. "I've stored some handguns in the house. You know how to use them, right?"
Faust and Nex both nodded.
"All right, I'll get going now," Aurelia said as she left.
The group then entered the securely boarded home.
Inside, Billy said. "Let's cut up the rabbit and dry it for now. We can smoke it later."
Nex, placing the rabbits down. "Sure."
Faust offered. "Do you need me to butcher it again?"
Billy is already pulling out his knife.
"No need, just take some rest. I haven't done as much work as you guys."
Layla voiced a concern. "So, we're just going to defend from here and focus on the gate?"
"It's quite a distance from this location."
As Billy began gutting the rabbit with practiced movements.
"It's not a problem. If there's a large group attacking, just shoot randomly; you're bound to hit something."
"But let's split our tasks, young lady. I'll focus on the gate, and you keep an eye on the surrounding area."
"If someone approaches, fire a warning shot first. If they continue to advance, don't hesitate to kill them."
Layla nodded. "Okay, I'll do that."
Nex looked at Layla, "You focus on the gate. I'm not experienced with long-range weapons, so I'll defend the house."