Global Awakening: Infinite Gift Pack System
Chapter 314: Grim
Kai was already satisfied with the result of their chase.
Now that he was aware of their base, this was a fair battle.
After all, it wouldn’t be fair if only one side was aware of their shelter. His Codebreakers Shelter might be exposed to these mutants, but it was now the same for the Superhuman Guild.
***
In the meantime, Grim, the Guild Leader, sat in the largest tree house of the Superhuman Guild’s base, a structure built with steel beams scavenged from ruined factories.
Unlike his subordinates, his appearance was deceptively normal.
Long black hair, tanned skin, with a physique that was tall, broad‑shouldered, and refined... It was a body sculpted by countless enhancements yet free of the grotesque mutations that plagued the others.
Indeed, where his guild members bore extra limbs, twisted joints, additional eyes, or monstrous features, Grim’s form had stabilized.
His mutation was like theirs at first, but after a certain condition was fulfilled, it had reversed, reshaping him into something closer to humanity. Still, his vision, speed, and other skills remained...
Furthermore, if he wanted to regain those third and fourth arm he had before, it was quite possible to do so. Unfortunately, the problem would be the fact that it would take quite a lot of them to remove them once again.
In any case, he wore a long white robe, loose and flowing, with nothing underneath.
The garment was symbolic... a reminder that he had transcended the deformities of the serums, that he alone had achieved balance.
His bare chest rose and fell as he listened to the report delivered by his lieutenant.
"Commander Wilfred’s squad failed," the four‑eyed mutant said. "Aaron’s death has been a problem. We lost nearly half of our elite forces. The strange shelter... it is stronger than we imagined."
Grim clenched his fist. His knuckles whitened. "So. The ones who eliminated Aaron are not ordinary survivors. They have barriers, modified Sentinels, modified Dragoons, and seemingly unlimited ammunition. This is a problem... We should’ve approached them differently."
Grim was having a headache.
Unfortunately, aside from physical mutations, these people under him would have a berserk tendency where they would seek excitement through combat. Of course, this does not happen a lot, but when those cases occur, it could be problematic.
He rose from his seat, pacing across the wooden floor.
Lantern light flickered against his robe as he looked outside. "We made a mistake. Recruiting or raiding them shouldn’t be an option. We underestimated them. If we want to raid other shelters for resources, we must increase our levels even further. Otherwise, we will bleed ourselves dry."
Grim sighed, his gaze turned to a few guards near his residence, the forest canopy swayed in the night wind, rope bridges creaking as guild members moved between tree houses.
Their base was vast, but it was fragile.
The problems weighed heavily on him.
First, they have issues with food.
Even with their mutations granting extraordinary satiety... only needing to eat once a week, the guild still struggled. Hunting parties brought back carcasses from the forest, but the supply was inconsistent.
Farming wasn’t an idea in this forest, and scavenging from ruins was dangerous.
They had previously raided a military base where they found many canned goods, but that action resulted in the deaths of many...
Hunger was not constant, but when it struck, it was brutal.
Then, there was also the Digger Units.
The A.I. Army’s subterranean machines were a constant threat.
Grim knew that if the Diggers tunneled beneath their base, the tree houses would collapse. They had tried to install traps and pulse bombs, but their resources were limited.
Every attack forced them to expend precious ammunition and manpower.
"I think this isn’t possible anymore." Grim muttered as he considered how to save these people.
He looked at his own sword as he recalled that they also had problems with weapons.
Their arsenal was crude.
Revolvers, scavenged rifles, and a handful of plasma weapons.
Most of their firepower came from sheer numbers and mutations, not advanced technology. Against ordinary shelters, this was enough. Against Codebreakers Shelter, it was laughable.
Then, there was also concerns about their levels...
None of them were even in the Top 500 Survivors!
The guild’s progress was sluggish. Mutations granted resilience and strength, but they did not guarantee rapid growth.
Many members were stuck at Level 20, unable to break through.
The serums warped their bodies but did not always elevate their combat potential.
Grim himself had reached far higher, but his guild lagged behind.
’Haaa... Why did I even choose this Apocalypse? I should’ve gone with Zombie Apocalypse, that sounds easier. I watched Grimes and Dixon a lot, and I could probably survive there.’
Grim shook his head as he couldn’t turn back time now.
With a sigh, he looked at his shelf...
It contained a total of 12 black cubes.
Needless to say, they were the Gene Weapons.
Gene Cubes and Gene Weapons.
This was also their greatest frustration. For reasons they could not explain, the guild members were rejected by these cubes.
When they tried to fuse or awaken with Gene Weapons, the results were disastrous. The weapons bonded poorly, their power limited, their functions crippled.
Only Grim was different. His physique, refined and stabilized, allowed him to wield Gene Weapons without restriction.
He was the only one compatible. His subordinates could barely use them, if at all.
Grim’s hand tightened around the railing as he looked down at his guild.
Mutants moved below, their grotesque forms illuminated by torchlight.
He believed that this was the right path... As long as they managed to get passed this transformation, they’d be really strong just like him.
Unfortunately, he was also unaware of the condition he fulfilled in order to reclaim his physique.
Grim sighed once more as he watched four‑armed warriors carrying crates. Spined hulks patrolled the perimeter, and some mouth‑palmed mutants gnawed on dried meat. They were loyal, but they were flawed.
He muttered... "We must find ways to overcome our limitations."
The lieutenant bowed his head. "What do you command, Guild Leader?"
Grim turned, his robe flowing behind him. "You all stay here and defend our shelter. No more reckless raids. We will focus on leveling, on training, on stabilizing our mutations. We will hunt those A.I. units that dared to enter the forest, gather resources, and prepare. When the time comes, we will strike again... but not until we are ready."
He paused... "And we will find a way to unlock Gene Weapons for the others. I will not be the only one..."
The lieutenant hesitated. "But the cubes reject us. The weapons were wasted on us."
Grim silenced him with a raised hand. "We will find a way. Even if it means creating our own."
The chamber fell silent.
Outside, the guild continued its nightly routines.
Patrols moved across rope bridges. Watchers scanned the forest.
The Superhuman Guild operated like a colony... Each member looked ugly but they were united.
They had rules. Food was rationed. Patrols rotated every six hours. Mutants with enhanced perception guarded the perimeter. Those with extra limbs carried supplies. Those with armored spines formed the vanguard. Every mutation had a role given by Grim...
***
Grim had made his decision.
The Superhuman Guild would remain in their forest stronghold, but he himself would act.
He gathered the twelve black cubes... the Gene Weapons that his subordinates could not wield, and stored them carefully in his bag. If there was a way forward, it would be through negotiation, not reckless raids.
At dawn, Grim departed alone.
’They’re not going to attack us yet, right?’ He mused, hoping that the shelter hadn’t assembled a team to raid them yet.
Soon, his hoverboard floated a foot above the ground, gliding silently through the forest.
The mist clung to the trees as he approached the shelter he had offended the night before.
It didn’t take him that long, thanks to the hoverboard, allowing him to travel great distances without much of a sweat.
When the walls of Codebreakers Shelter came into view, Grim raised his hand high, signaling he came in peace.
"I represent the Superhuman Guild," he called out, his voice carrying across the perimeter. "I come alone, without hostility."
From the battlements, gunners shifted...
Modified Sentinels patrolled the perimeter, as they quickly scanned him.
Even the watchtowers had some rifles sticking out aimed at him, and Grim could feel more hidden snipers aiming directly at him.
Still, he did not flinch.
Soon, Kai himself appeared.
His gaze was calm and after a moment’s consideration, he gestured for the gates to open. Grim stepped forward, storing his hoverboard into his inventory before entering.
The sight inside stunned him.
"This..."
Though the shelter was still rebuilding, with field tents scattered across the grounds, it was thriving.
Survivors were nicely dressed, food supplies were abundant, and there was no aura of desperation around them... It felt just like any other community.
Then Grim’s eyes locked onto a towering figure near a tent.
A black sentinel stood guard...
His breath caught.
’Shit... Is that an A‑Grade... No, an S‑Grade unit?!’
Grim felt genuine shock. The Codebreakers Shelter was far stronger than he had imagined.