Chapter 119 No ce for the Ordinary


    The far western edge of Theresa’s territory ended at Hightalon Vige, just outside of Branford.


    When Charlotte heard that, her eyes widened in surprise. “You really have your own camp?”


    Theresa just shrugged. “Why not? Even if we’re small, it’s still a camp.”


    Charlotte furrowed her thick brows. “No, I mean… this is the first time I’ve seen a woman start one.”


    She looked seriously at Theresa and reached out her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Charlotte Clove, a fire- based ability user!”


    Theresa took her hand, heat radiating off it like an open me. “Theresa Hall, water-based.”


    Just as their hands sped, a low rumble echoed from behind them.


    Another convoy was rolling in. It was Hope Camp.


    Their entire fleet was white-uniform, sterile, almost like something from a high-end tech expo. It gave off the unmistakable air of corporate professionalism.


    And it wasn’t just for show.


    Hope Camp was one of the three major survival camps in the region, formed in the early days’of the apocalypse. They’d absorbed hundreds of scientists and engineers-all once part of a sprawling tech conglomerate: Dawn Industries.


    Dawn Industries wasn’t just apany-it was a semi-governmental giant. Over twenty research facilities under its name, spanning fields like pharmaceuticals, medical tech, gic engineering, and even military defense. Before the outbreak, it was the biggest employer in Branford.


    Their main campus sat on the border between Branford and Crestmont, a vast self-sustainingplex that housed over 100,000 employees-most with at least a Master’s degree.


    It was, by every definition, an elite hub of human capital.


    After the outbreak, while the world descended into chaos, Dawn Industries’ survivors rallied fast. Using the vast internal resources of their campus, they cleared the infected, fortified their grounds, and rebranded themselves: Hope Camp.


    They’d survived with over a thousand members. But entry wasn’t open.


    Hope Camp didn’t ept “ordinary” people. They only recruited the best of the best.


    To them, bringing in average survivors was wasteful. In a world where every gallon of gas, every bullet, and every meal counted, why spend it on people who couldn’t pull their weight?


    Theresa remembered Hope Camp’s reputation in theter years-cold, clinical, and brutally efficient.


    Especially their infamous leader: Bennie Green.


    He earned a ce on the list of top ten ruthless survivors and was called a robot with a pulse.


    He had a saying that summed up his worldview: “Every life has a price tag.”


    To Bennie, people were just walking spreadsheets. Age, health, ability, consumption, productivity-he could calcte the value of any human life like he was running a bnce sheet.


    And if a person’s “life value” didn’t meet his standards? They were trash. Unfit. Discarded.


    To these top-tier clites, everything could be reduced to numbers. Every decision was about one thing- maximum gain.


    This alliance was no exception.


    The white convoy stopped in front of them. Five vehicles total. Seven figures in matching white uniforms stepped out-five men, two women. Leading them was a young man in his twenties. The others followed like a shadowed entourage.


    “Hope Camp’s here!”


    “Bennie Green must be with them!”


    “Yeah, that’s him!”


    The four minor camp leaders who’d just been cozying up to Lucas now scrambled to greet Bennie, wearing their best smiles.


    “Den’s such a tool,” Charlotte muttered near Theresa’s ear.


    Theresa nced her way.


    Charlotte tossed her head, nose slightly up. “All this energy kissing up to the big guys… We could be out killing zombies and finding more supplies instead.”


    Theresa chuckled softly and motioned for her to sit beside her on the guardrail.


    Charlotte gave it a brief look, then joined her.


    “How many people in your camp?” Theresa asked, pulling out a handful of sunflower seeds from her deep- pocketed coat.


    Charlotte eyed the sunflower seeds Theresa offered, hesitated for a second, then shook her head.


    “No thanks, Our camp’s got over two hundred people-just folks from our vige and the ones nearby.”


    Theresa popped a seed between her teeth. “What’s the age breakdown?”


    Charlotte frowned. “Lots of elders. You know how it is in rural areas-most young people leave. Me and my brother… There aren’t even fifty of us under forty.”