Faust added. "I'll help with communication between you two. Don't worry, I'm used to multitasking."
He smiled as he looked at the interface in front of his eyes.
It displayed a live camera feed following Circe, who was now making her way back to the camp.
She was pulling a cart with a dead tiger that had been cleanly cleaved in two.
Circe, struggling slightly with the cart, spoke up. "How did you provide me with this?"
[The One That Brings Hope, Just focus on your task, Circe. I have other champions besides you.]
Circe halted, her eyes reflecting a mix of insecurity and vulnerability.
"You won't leave me, right? I don't know what to do without you."
[Prove your worth, and I will make you stronger.]
Seeking comfort, Circe inquired, "Can I know who the other champions are?"
[You will find out in due time. Don't worry, I chose you first. You're my main champion.]
Feeling more secure, Circe continued her journey towards the camp, and she soon reached the gate.
There, she sees Braxton, Aurelia, and a member of Asura's group.
Aurelia's frustration was evident in her tone. "He can't even come here himself? Who does he think he is?"
Braxton, say. "I don't care whether he shows up or not. Just remember, the east area and the rear are your group's responsibility,"
The man nodded. "Sure, I'll relay that to Asura," he said, then shifted the topic.
"So, Braxton, is there any way you can enhance the defenses of our area?"
Braxton responded with a hint of exasperation.
"Aurelia has given me extra food in exchange for fortifying just one house. And now you want me to extend that to more areas?
" I'd rather spend my time fortifying the entire village more."
The man, trying to negotiate, asked, "Fine, then can you provide us with more crossbows?"
Braxton was resolute in his response. "No, bring me more food first, then we'll talk about crossbows."
Then, Circe approached with a smile.
"How about this? Is it enough for more crossbows?" she asked, gesturing to the tiger she had brought.
The man from Asura's group looked at her with surprise. "Oh, you got lucky and met your quota?"
Circe corrected him. "This isn't luck. It's my ability."
The man turned back to Braxton. "So, is this enough? We're willing to add half of the tiger to the deal."
Braxton, considering the offer, finally agreed. "Alright, I'll provide you with more crossbows and bolts,"
With their exchange concluded Braxton resumed his discussion with Aurelia.
Meanwhile, Circe accompanied the man as he began to pull the cart with the tiger.
As they moved away, the man asked. "I remember seeing you with three other men. Where are they now?"
Circe replied. "Their sacrifice is the reason we have this meat."
The man seemed to accept this explanation without much concern.
"That's good then," he smirked as he nonchalantly moved his hand towards Circe's ass.
"ARGH!!!"
The man's scream pierced the air as Circe swiftly transformed one of her fingers into a sharp claw, stabbing his hand.
Shocked and in pain, the man stared at Circe, his expression morphing into fear.
"You're a mutant."
Circe's smile was cold. "Try that again, and you can say goodbye to your hand,"
The man, visibly shaken, could only gulp in response.
He winced in pain as Circe withdrew her claw, leaving his hand bleeding.
Unperturbed by his injury, Circe simply ignored him and continued on her way.
The man, now aware of the consequences of his actions, started to push the cart faster, gritting his teeth against the pain as blood dripped onto the ground.
Circe observed the man's discomfort with a hint of amusement.
Sensing an opportunity, she quickened her pace to walk beside him.
Leaning in, she whispered, "Do you like me?"
The man's eyes widened in shock and fear. "No, I'm sorry, just leave me alone,"
Circe chuckled lightly, enjoying the situation. "Why so scared? You think I'm going to eat you?"
"If I had known you were a mutant, I wouldn't have messed with you," the man admitted, his voice filled with regret.
Circe contemplated. 'This world has really changed. Without power, I'd be trampled.'
She said. "Don't worry about it. How about this? I have an offer for you."
The man asked cautiously. "What offer?"
Circe explained. "Nothing too complicated. Just gather some information about the people in Asura's group."
"In exchange, you can stay close to me during the wave. I'll protect you."
The man glanced at the sky, noting the diminishing time.
"But the wave is about to start soon. I doubt I can gather enough information right now."
Circe traced her finger flirtatiously along the man's cheek, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
"You silly man, of course, you do it after the wave."
"During the wave, just pay attention. Observe how many groups there are, who is in charge, and if anyone is in danger."
The man's eyes came to realization and asked, "What will we do? Are we going to kill them?"
Circe moved her finger in a circle around the man's cheek.
"Of course not. We should help them. Don't you understand?"
"The more people survive, the higher our survival rate is."
The man, persuaded by Circe, agreed. "Alright, I'll do it."
"Good," Circe responded with a satisfied nod.
Meanwhile, Faust was observing this interaction through the screen, deep in thought.
Leslie approached him quietly and whispered, "Thanks for your suggestion."
Faust looked at her, slightly puzzled. "Which one?"
Leslie's face lit up with gratitude. "The one about using Nex's abilities."
Faust nodded, recalling the advice. "Oh, that suggestion. Is it effective?"
Leslie's eyes brightened. "Yes, it really made our hunt easier."
"Nex and I agreed to share a portion of the hunt with you as a thank you."
Faust glanced at Nex, that is busy talking with Billy, then responded,
"There's no need for that. I think we have enough with the rabbits. Did you encounter any mutated creatures during the hunt?"
Leslie nodded. "Yes, we faced a bison."
Intrigued, Faust asked. "What about the core?"
Leslie casually mentioned, "Oh, Nex consumed it."
Faust looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face. "He ate it?"