As the banquet began, Lily noticed the cleaning squad discreetly blending in with the other staff, seamlessly transitioning from their cleaning duties to serving food and drinks. Their coordination and precision were unlike anything she had ever seen before, making her even more curious about their true capabilities. Lily couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation as she waited to see what other surprises Charlie and his team had in store for the evening.
Soon after, Arthur and David stood right next to Charlie, compelled by their hard work, teamwork, and dedication to making the event a success. After the compliments from Charlie, Arthur pulled Lily aside, introducing her to the head of the base. This encounter sparked Charlie's suspicion and confusion about Lily's miraculous survival, considering her seemingly unscathed condition despite the catastrophic events. Lily's heart raced as she tried to come up with a plausible explanation for Charlie's skepticism, knowing that her survival was nothing short of miraculous. Despite the doubts, Charlie ended it, letting them enjoy the banquet. Lily breathed a sigh of relief as the tension dissipated, grateful for the chance to finally relax and enjoy the banquet after a long day of scrutiny.
As weeks passed by, a hoard of mini-monsters started to slowly rear their heads around the base, causing no serious harm or panic within the base but keeping everyone on guard at all times.
Lily was shocked because she heard that this base was one of many secured bases that could never be found by monsters or humans alike. As the hoard grew larger, Charlie's apprehension deepened, confirming his suspicions about the impending threat. He began to question Arthur, "Before saving Lily, did you encounter monsters at all during your time there?" Arthur hesitated before responding, "Yes, but they were always easily defeated and never posed a real threat." He asked again, "Were they near or within the area where Lily was found?" Arthur hesitated once more before admitting, "Yes, they were lurking nearby but never made a move towards her." Charlie's suspicions were confirmed as he realized the danger they were truly facing. He warned Arthur to take Lily to the infirmary for some testing and the extraction of blood. Charlie knew that the monsters were drawn to Lily for a reason, and he needed to find out why before it was too late. As they made their way to the infirmary, Charlie couldn't shake the feeling that they were in for a much bigger battle than they had anticipated.