Deep within theforest, nestled among the ancient branches of towering trees, stood a cluster oftree housesthat served as the sanctuary for a small group of Survivors led byLilyandElsa.


    These two remarkable women did not respawn in this forest during the first day of the Apocalypse. They hade from arge city and decided to escape that ce to live in the forest.


    They had no choice but to do this since various ns were iming spots in the city, and they were taking decent Shelter and resources.


    At first, it was only the two of them in this area in the forest but because of their Exceptional Talents, they were able to naturally attract other people with like minds to work for them.


    Lily, with her striking emerald eyes and auburn hair, possessed a talent for manipting theWood Element. Her affinity with theforestwas evident in every movement she made. The harmony between herself and the trees could be felt as the leaves and small branches swayed at her presence as if they truly loved her existence.


    Elsa, her counterpart in leadership, had a cold beauty with her sapphire-blue eyes and flowing blue hair. Gifted with the power of theWater Element, she brought a sense of calm and bnce to their group, her presence was like a source of life for everyone.


    As the sun peeked over the horizon, casting a golden hue over the treetops,LilyandElsaawoke to the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant cries offorestcreatures.


    "Mhmm… I can see several birds… I hope we gather enough of them." Lily muttered as she stood up and looked at the window.


    They were capturing birds that weren''t affected by the virus to be a source of their meat and gather plenty of eggs.


    "Mhmm… We need to find some salt soon." Elsa muttered as it had been a while since a pack of salt appeared in their Survivor Store.


    She stretched for a while before she stood up and hugged Lily from behind.


    Their day began as they used their elemental affinity to check the situation around them… This time, Elsa also confirmed that her Spirit Points had been replenished so she could produce water once again. Although they were near the river, they were still using the water Elsa produced to ensure their safety.


    In the heart of their tree house, adorned with leaves and vines, Lily and Elsa prepared for the day ahead. They wanted to secure food for the day and to also ensure that their preparation for the next Zombie Wave waspletely finished.


    After all, they need weapons! They needed to hunt zombies as well to ensure that they had a steady supply of Zombie Cores.


    "Just make that we don''t enter the territory of those mysterious men before… We should be fairly safe." Elsa muttered as she recalled therge men who had been patrolling the surroundings of the eastern side of the forest.


    Those men could''ve been mistaken as zombies with their bodies, but since they didn''t have rotten flesh, they believed they were drugged men or some sort of talent made them like that…


    Still, they were surely scary Survivors and, perhaps, difficult to deal with.


    The only good thing about that was they weren''t worried that there would be plenty of Zombies on that side since they would clear the lurking zombies over there every single day.


    ''I hope they won''t expand their territory. I don''t want any conflict on them.'' Lily thought as she finished fixing herself.


    With the first light of dawn filtering through the canopy, Lilystepped outside onto the wooden tform that served as their lookout, her gaze sweeping over theforestwith a sense of quiet focus.Elsajoined her after a few moments.


    Together, they oversaw the daily routines of their fellow Survivors who had decided to live in the tree houses. These Survivors only had Rare or Umon Talents, but they were useful in many ways.


    It was a diverse group of individuals who had found sce and safety within the embrace of the forest trees…


    Lily and Elsa epted those even with the simplest talents like Tailor, Lumberjack, and Chef… However, there were also, of course, who were good inbat. They have talents like Archer, Legionnaire, and Trap Expert, who were always patrolling their surroundings.


    As the day unfolded,LilyandElsamoved among their people as they helped gather food and supplies from theforest or fortify their defenses against potential threats.


    In the evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon,LilyandElsagathered their people around a crackling fire. They all discussed the future of their Shelter, while the flickering mes cast a warm glow over their faces.


    "We can''t always stay here… The Zombie Wave that''s about toe will tear us apart." Their tailormented.


    "Right… We''ve seen the first Zombie Wave, and it may not be easy, but as long as we were able to hide or escape from them, we could survive. However, we will be dealing with mid-tier Zombies now. Our wooden houses, barricades, and weapons won''t be enough against those Jumper Zombies." The Archer among them said.


    Elsa knew this very well, so she didn''t disagree with them.


    "Then our next choice is to create an underground shelter since we can''t fight the zombies anyway.." Elsa said.


    They then discussed the possibility of this happening for the whole night.


    Several dayster, as they went about their routine work, an Archer reported the presence of multiple people entering their territory. It wasn''t too surprising, but his next words surprised them. Apparently, their visitors were apanied by five Elves!


    The news brought a hush over the group, a sense of unease mingling with curiosity.


    "Elves? Is that some sort of Talent or Survivor Skill? That is unexpected. We must approach this cautiously." Lily muttered.


    "They may not be enemies. Let us remain calm and extend our hospitality as we have done before. These elves might''ve been bought at the Auction recently. They probably sold ves there." Elsa added.


    ***


    Soon, Elsa and Lily, apanied by their escorts, approached the group of visitors.


    These people had actually decided to wait near the river and simply watched them. They didn''t draw their weapons and simply waited for someone to notice them.


    Because of their actions, Elsa and Lily were relieved. They appeared friendly and not hostile, so she signaled for the others who were hiding to rx for a bit.


    Of course, it was Shane''s group and they already knew about the traps and the other people who were hiding from different spots.


    "Greetings, travelers. What brings you to our humble abode?" Elsa started as she stopped about 10 meters away from them.


    "Ahem… Wee to our camp. We are always open to meeting new faces in these trying times. However, you should be aware of how dangerous you look right now." Lily said as she looked at the huge man wearing ancient clothes of some eastern tribe. He seemed to be a warlord there!


    There was also a huge Buddhist Monk and although he seemed calm, his size could probably tear down a tree with his bare hands!


    Furthermore, the five elves behind them seemed really well-equipped.


    Luckily, their leader seemed to be the young and handsome man at the center who were looking at them with a gentle smile on his face.


    ***


    Meanwhile, before they arrived, Shane had already observed the camp from a distance, intrigued by the talents and skills disyed by the inhabitants.


    Since his Territory Lord talent had evolved, he simply had to bring these people to his Shelter, and their loyalty to him would slowly increase.


    It seemed hical because it felt like he was hypnotizing them to be loyal to him, but it wasn''t like they would be his puppets. They would still have their own minds, but they were simply loyal to him.


    Nheless, although he knew that there could be some ethical problems with this method, he knew that it was for the better.


    He saw the potential for coboration and mutual benefit in joining forces with them.


    ''I wonder what talents and strengths these people possess…'' Shane mused.


    After some contemtion, Shane made his decision to make their presence known, and soon, they were approached by the representatives of this camp while guns were pointed at them from hidden locations.


    ''Well, I''d probably done the same if approached by such an intimidating group.'' Shane thought as he decided to ignore those people who were hiding.


    With Cloud and Elves with him, there was no way they would miss such actions.


    "Greetings! My name is Shane, and I oversee a shelter nearby. It''s quite remarkable that you''ve endured through these times. Rest assured, we have no intention of seizing your space. Nevertheless, we are extending our domain and would be fortunate if you''d entertain the idea of joining us. Naturally, there''s nopulsion, nor will there be any repercussions should you decline.


    Yet, we must clear out any zombies in the vicinity, as part of our mission to gather Zombie Cores."


    Shane said after asking Cloud what he should say to ensure that these fragile-looking Survivors wouldn''t get too scared of him.