Luke glared at Sanjay with hateful eyes, while Shruti looked at Sanjay with happiness sparkling in her gaze.
"Thank God he understood. I was so tense, thinking he wouldn't allow you," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, me too. Thanks," Sanjay replied, smiling back at her.
"Shruti, we're leaving," one of her teammates called out.
"Okay! I'll meet you in one week. Don't go anywhere," she said before waving goodbye and running toward her team.
She felt like she had achieved something significant, but Sanjay couldn't understand why she went to such lengths to help him. It's not like he asked for it. Was she one of those people who felt fulfilled after helping others? Maybe.
Still, he wouldn't reject her help after all the effort she put in. He decided that when the time came, he would repay her kindness.
"Is he the same guy you were telling me about?" Ananya, Shruti's best friend in the guild, asked as they walked together.
"Yes," Shruti replied with a warm smile.
"But he doesn't look desolate at all. If anything, he's quite handsome if you take a closer look. Shruti, is there something going on between you two?" Ananya teased her.
"No, what are you saying? He's just a good friend. I only wanted to help him," Shruti said, her voice flustered. They continued their conversation, walking further away.
Meanwhile, Sanjay entered the merchant building. He noticed people lining up, holding various pieces of technology. The building had multiple counters, most of which were small, but two large counters stood out—one for contribution points and another for items.
A group of people had gathered near the mission counter, where three or four screens displayed missions issued by the military or individuals. These missions offered contribution points as rewards.
Paying no attention to the mission counter, Sanjay approached the contribution counter. The points required for items fluctuated based on demand, so there were no fixed rates.
"Can you tell me what I'll get for this?" he asked, placing a military-grade medical bag on the table.
The middle-aged man behind the counter nodded, opened the bag, and carefully examined its contents. Recognizing the medicines by their standard naming conventions, he began counting them.
Typically, the medicines they obtained were expired—after fifty years of war, most were far beyond their usable dates. However, as Sanjay inspected the medicines earlier, he noticed they had been manufactured just one year ago. The liquid inside the vials looked pristine, with no visible markings on the exterior.
Could it be that medicines were still being manufactured somewhere in another resistance camp? The thought excited him. The resistance was in desperate need of fresh supplies, especially medicines. He wasn't thinking about monopolizing them—when humanity was on the brink of extinction, who would? Instead, his priority was to inform the commander as soon as possible.
"Kid, can you tell me where you got this medical bag?" the man asked, his tone curious.
"Why? Is something wrong with it?" Sanjay asked, frowning.
"No, it's just that we're in dire need of medicines. Can you tell us where you got this from?" the man replied politely.
"No," Sanjay shook his head firmly. He understood the man's concern but also recognized an opportunity to gain leverage in business dealings.
The man at the counter frowned but didn't press further.
"Can you tell me how many points I'll get?" Sanjay asked again.
Realizing Sanjay wasn't going to reveal the source, the man sighed and said, "The entire medical bag will earn you one thousand contribution points."
Sanjay had no frame of reference for this amount, but he accepted it. He then opened his bag and pulled out ten more identical medical bags.
"Will I get the same points for all these bags as well?" he asked.
Seeing so many medical bags on the counter, the man's expression turned astonished. He opened one of the new bags, checked a vial, and confirmed that it was the same—manufactured just a year ago. The man's suspicions about ongoing medicine production grew stronger.
Hiding his excitement, the man nodded and asked for Sanjay's identification card. Sanjay handed it over, and the man credited ten thousand points to his account.
Sanjay took his card and headed toward the items counter. Watching him leave, the man quickly called over a soldier and instructed him to keep an eye on Sanjay. Then, he made a phone call.
At the items counter, Sanjay saw a wide array of goods listed with their corresponding point costs. Weapons, military trucks, food supplies—everything was available.
He focused on the weapons. Among them, he recognized the Laxion Two Hundred Thirty automatic rifle, which he had seen used by the Demon Squad. It was priced at five hundred points.
There were other rifles priced even higher. Based on demand and supply, the more expensive weapons were likely the most sought after. One weapon caught his eye—a Xeom Three Hundred automatic rifle, listed at one thousand five hundred points. He decided to purchase it.
He also selected the most expensive grenade, priced at one hundred points, and a sniper rifle named Walton Seven Hundred, listed at two thousand points.
As he made his purchases, the onlookers were stunned. Where had this man gotten so many points? Only teams could afford such costly items, and none of them recognized Sanjay as part of any famous team.
The person at the counter handed Sanjay a large box containing his items. Lifting the box with one hand, Sanjay walked away. The onlookers stared in amazement. The box weighed at least thirty kilograms, with the sniper rifle alone accounting for twenty-four kilograms. Carrying it so effortlessly, Sanjay's strength left an impression on everyone.
Carrying the large box in one hand, Sanjay walked toward the counter labeled "Housing." He checked the available accommodations listed on the screen. The options ranged from simple dormitories to five-bedroom apartments, primarily designed for teams.
He selected a three-bedroom apartment, which cost one thousand points per week in rent. Seeing him as a high-value customer, the clerk at the counter dispatched a junior clerk to guide him to his apartment.
The guide asked him to follow, and since Sanjay had nothing else planned, he obliged. They entered through the military barracks, as the housing facilities were situated inside. Along the way, Sanjay learned that only military personnel and residents of the barracks were allowed access to this area.
The guide stopped in front of a small, single-story building, confusing Sanjay. Was this his apartment? His confusion cleared when they entered and the guide pressed a button marked "B4" in the elevator.
It turned out the housing complex extended underground, forming an entire facility below the surface. That explained how this medium-sized base could support so many people. The main living quarters were hidden underground.
When they reached the fourth basement level, Sanjay stepped into a well-lit corridor lined with rows of apartments. After exiting the elevator and walking a short distance, the guide stopped and indicated Sanjay's apartment.
The door was equipped with an ID scanner. Sanjay tapped his card, and the door unlocked. The guide, satisfied, left once the door was open.
Sanjay stepped inside to inspect his new apartment. It was furnished but not luxurious, especially compared to the accommodations he had seen in Tower World.
The three-bedroom apartment featured a double bed and a small desk with a chair in each room. The master bedroom stood out with a queen-sized bed, a mirror, and a larger study table.
The apartment had two bathrooms: one attached to the master bedroom with a shower and bathtub, and another common bathroom in the hallway.
The living room featured a dining table, and the kitchen was equipped with a self-cooking facility. Despite being underground, the apartment's ventilation system was surprisingly efficient, ensuring a steady flow of fresh air.
Just as Sanjay finished his inspection, the doorbell rang. He quickly placed the box of weapons into his storage pouch, tucked into his pocket, and walked to the door. Since he was inside a military barracks surrounded by military families, he wasn't concerned about any threat.
Opening the door, he found two military personnel in full combat uniforms.
"Hello, Mr. Sanjay. You are invited by the commander for a meal. Please follow us," one of the soldiers said with a straight face.
Sanjay nodded. Having been a soldier in the past, he understood how the army operated, especially in a world as harsh as this one. He closed the door behind him and gestured for the soldiers to lead the way.
The soldiers, seeing he was ready, began guiding him. After exiting the housing complex, they entered another underground bunker. This area was bustling with activity: soldiers in uniform were running back and forth, while others were seated in front of computer screens, focused on their tasks.
The soldiers eventually stopped in front of an office door with a plaque that read Commander-in-Chief. One of them knocked, and a voice called out from inside.
"Come in."
The soldiers opened the door, allowing Sanjay to step inside. The two soldiers saluted the commander before leaving, closing the door behind them.
The room now held only Sanjay and the commander.
"Sit," the commander said in a firm tone.
Sanjay nodded and took a seat. His calm posture made the commander suspect that Sanjay might belong to another resistance force, possibly one located far away. This suspicion was reinforced by the reports from the Demon Squad about how Sanjay operated.
The commander pondered whether Sanjay's camp had been destroyed, forcing him to escape, or if there was an entirely different story to uncover.
There were resistance camps scattered across multiple locations, hidden deep to ensure survival. As the commander-in-chief of this camp, he knew of only a few of these camps. Communication between camps was minimal or almost nonexistent—a deliberate strategy established when humanity lost the war. The resistance forces had decided it was safer to remain isolated, so that if one camp was discovered by the enemy, the others would remain undetected.
Now, the commander needed to determine if there was a resistance camp capable of manufacturing medicine at the level of the supplies Sanjay had provided earlier. While the medicine wasn't on par with pre-war standards, it was still more than sufficient for their needs.
"Hello, Sanjay. Can you tell me where you came from?" the commander asked, fixing his gaze on Sanjay.
"Sorry, sir, I can't answer that question without permission from my superiors," Sanjay replied with a calm and composed face. It was better to say nothing than to lie outright.
"Then can you tell me who your superiors are?" the commander pressed again.
"Sorry, sir, I can't do that either," Sanjay said, his tone firm and unwavering.
The commander took a moment to process Sanjay's responses. His suspicions were now confirmed—there was indeed a resistance camp out there capable of manufacturing medicine, and it had not been destroyed. But the critical question remained: how could he establish contact with this camp when he didn't even know its name?
"Listen, Sanjay, I'll be honest with you. We are in desperate need of medicine. Can you contact your superiors and ask them to reach out to us? We're willing to negotiate a deal," the commander said, his voice tinged with hope.
Sanjay, sensing the commander's sincerity, decided to leverage the situation. "We don't have the capacity to manufacture all medicines, but we can supply you with the ones we do have. However, in return, we'll need something else."
The commander raised an eyebrow, intrigued but cautious. Sanjay's statement further confirmed his theory. It seemed likely that the camp Sanjay belonged to had sent soldiers outside to negotiate with other camps, and Sanjay was one of these representatives.
The commander nodded, his voice steady but eager. "Please state what you want. We'll do our best to provide it."
"You see, we've developed the technology to manufacture food and medicine, but we're still lacking in advanced weaponry. If you could provide us with blueprints and a few samples of the weapons and technologies you have, we would be happy to supply you with these medicines," Sanjay said, carefully crafting his response.
He wasn't just thinking about the immediate deal. Blueprints were top secrets in any industry, and acquiring them could fetch him a considerable fortune in the outside tower. If he could use this opportunity to obtain even a single blueprint, it would be a jackpot.
The commander leaned back in his chair, silently considering the offer.
P.S: Hope you're enjoying the story! Please send me power stones if you like it. Add it to your collection, and don't forget to comment and vote.