Wendel squinted his eyes as he wasn't sure of it at first…

No one had bothered this land before… Well, there were a few passing ships that they had seen before, but no one really docked. One of the reasons was probably because there was no dock to begin with.

They also didn't bother to build one because it was a way for them to protect themselves. No one here wanted any infected person to set foot on this land in the first place.

The seas were too dangerous, too full of undead… They didn't want to take the risk unless they were really confident.

Even the leaders of this Draconic Fort were hesitating to move away from this safe haven.

Yet here they were… two ships, heading straight for the island.

It seemed that there was no way to ignore them this time.

Without hesitation, Wendel informed the other guards to raise the alarm…

Soon, someone grabbed the rope and rang the alarm bell.

Its clang echoed across the fort, startling the residents. Farmers dropped their tools, guards rushed to the walls, and Tris himself appeared…

"Ships!" Wendel shouted from the tower. "Two incoming ships!"

The fort was immediately nervous.

Since there were two ships moving at the same time, it was definitely not a coincidence. There must be a crew of survivors aboard and not some Zombies...

They had no idea if they were allies, enemies, or something worse. No one knew. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Still, the sight of sails on the horizon meant change was coming.

***

Tris wasted no time once the alarm bell rang.

He strode to the command post, as he swiftly gave orders to his commanders.

"First defensive line, activate! Caesar, get your battalion ready!"

The fort was not built directly on the shoreline.

The random spawn made the Draconic Fort sat further inland, protected by natural ground and mounds. But Tris had anticipated the possibility of intruders arriving by sea.

Months earlier, he ordered a simple line of defense to be established near the coast… There were trenches, sturdy mounds, hidden artillery, and some bunkers hidden behind rocks and trees…

Now, those preparations were about to be tested.

Caesar, commander of the first battalion, gave orders to his men.

"Remove the covers! Cannoneers, prepare to fire!"

The soldiers moved quickly, pulling away tarps that had concealed their weapons.

One by one, the heavy cloths were stripped back, revealing a row of ten cannons glinting faintly in the morning light.

They had been hidden all this time, protected by earthworks and trenches… Well, it wasn't like they would use them every day. As long as they were being maintained, it was fine to cover them up.

Beside the cannons, riflemen took position, loading their weapons and aiming toward the sea.

Against Dragonoids, these defenses would have been laughably weak.

But against humans, or any intruders foolish enough to land without permission, they were more than enough.

Tris stood at the edge of the wall of the fort and was communicating with Caesar through telepathy.

"Hold your fire until they make a move. We don't waste ammunition unless necessary."

The tension was there as this could be their first large battle against fellow humans.

Soon, the two ships had slowed with their sails flapping wildly as they came to a halt offshore.

Without a dock, landing would be difficult and of course, that was intentional. The fort had never built one, preferring isolation to convenience.

Then, a voice rang out from the shoreline defenses.

"Stop right there! Why have you come here?! This is our territory!" Caesar shouted.

The words echoed across the waves. For a moment, silence followed.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Dozens of figures dropped from the ships into the water.

"Hmm? They're attacking?! Foolish!"

They watched as they saw the figures swam in unison. They were cutting through the waves like trained soldiers.

Soon, the defenders fired warning shots into the air!

For a moment, they didn't stop.

After, they actually didn't land yet…

The swimmers had soon halted, standing waist-deep in the surf like disciplined troops awaiting orders.

Caesar frowned. "They stopped… like soldiers."

He was impressed but he was also nervous. Since he was looking at 50 or so well-trained soldiers, the captain, or the commander or the admiral or whoever was commanding them, might be a huge problem.

Then, at this time, Tris raised his binoculars, scanning the shoreline.

He actually tried using his Vision Skills, but he was confused by the result he got.

For some reason, he wasn't getting life force feedback…

At first, he thought they had precious artifacts… After all, they were capable of blocking his Survivor Skill that could appraise young Dragons.

"Wait…"

Then, he was stunned.

He thought they were survivors… They were cloaked figures, armored from head to toe, with their swords strapped to their backs.

But then he saw their faces.

Or rather, what should have been faces.

The cloaks concealed most of their bodies, but their heads… their heads were mechanical!

Metal frames, gears, and lenses glinted beneath the hoods.

Only fragments of human features remained visible, and even those looked artificial.

Tris lowered the binoculars, his expression grim.

"They're not soldiers. They're machines."

Gasps rippled through the defenders as word spread.

"Robots!" someone shouted.

"Wait! Maybe this isn't a Zombie Apocalypse Word?"

The realization hit them hard. They had prepared for humans, for zombies, even for Dragonoids. But this was something else entirely.

Caesar clenched his jaw. "Leader, what are your orders?"

Tris took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Hold position. Cannons ready, rifles aimed. Do not fire unless they advance. We need to know what they want."

At this point, numerous ideas came to his head.

He knew about the A.I. Rebellion and that the apocalypse should be filled with Machines.

What if someone also used Gate Stones? What if instead of using it on their shelter, they used it on their ships, and they got transported?

Well, this was all just a thought, and there was no way to confirm it yet.

After all, it was also possible that someone in the Zombie Apocalypse World had some kind of special talent that could make these.

Furthermore, he heard that this was previously a modern world… Perhaps, androids or robots weren't even unique in the first place…

"Let's calm down…" He muttered to himself.

Soon, they watched as the mechanical figures stood silently as if waiting for a signal.

Their discipline was unnerving. Not even the zombies behaved like this.

Then, Wendel, still at the watchtower, confirmed it. "They're not attacking! They're just… waiting!"

Tris considered the situation. If these machines were hostile, they could be testing the fort's defenses. If they were allies, they had chosen a strange way to announce themselves.

Either way, the fort could not afford recklessness.

"Caesar," Tris said through telepathy, "keep the cannons aimed at them. If they step onto our shore without permission, fire. Tell the riflemen to aim for the heads. If they're machines, the skull casing might be their weak point."

"Yes, Leader!" Caesar replied before relaying the orders.

Even though Tris was far from the shoreline, it didn't matter. The defenders tightened their grips on their weapons with their eyes locked on the strange figures. All the while, the waves lapped at their legs, but they did not move.

Minutes passed before someone noticed a figure appearing on the deck of the nearest ship.

"Sorry for that… I thought this was a Wild Shelter or something. Is this a Neutral Shelter?"

The voice carried clearly across the water.

Needless to say, the one speaking was Shane.

As soon as Caesar heard his voice, he finally confirmed they were dealing with humans capable of controlling these robots.

"Yes! Technically, we're just a Survivor Shelter. But calling us a Neutral Shelter is fine too!" Caesar shouted back.

Shane immediately smiled after the confirmation. "Perfect! Can we resupply here instead? We're not pirates or anything. I'm Shane and we're from the Eclipse Revenant Clan in the mainland. My map didn't mention a shelter here… it's probably outdated."

Caesar relayed the information to Tris through telepathy. Tris listened carefully, weighing the risks. Finally, he gave his decision.

"Shane, huh… Tell them they may resupply, but anyone who comes ashore must be checked for zombie bites. We can't risk infection inside the fort."

Caesar nodded and shouted back toward the ships. "Our Leader agrees. You may resupply, but anyone who lands must be inspected for bites or infection and we'll check your identities as well. That is non-negotiable!"

Shane raised his hand in acknowledgment. "Understood. We'll comply. Only ten of us will come ashore. The rest will remain aboard."

That statement alone eased the tension among the defenders. The robots were already intimidating, and the thought of two massive ships carrying hundreds of crew members was overwhelming. Knowing that only ten would disembark brought visible relief.

Caesar turned to his men. "Hold steady. Keep the cannons covered but ready. If they try anything, we respond immediately."

The riflemen lowered their weapons slightly, though their eyes remained sharp.

Tris exhaled slowly… Ten humans coming ashore wasn't a big issue…

However, as soon as he saw Shane flying and safely landed on the shore without touching the water, he was stunned.