CHAPTER 742: THE SPIES

Shane was completely unaware of the existence of spies or infiltrators, as he was more inclined to visit Silver Mine Camp to get more Spirit Stones, visit the Fairy Realm, his pocket dimension, for Mana Stones, or even craft more tokens for Skill Infusion.

After all, he fully believed that with his Territory Lord Talent, anyone who had plans to sabotage his Shelter would soon realize that he was someone they must serve...

With 2 Loyalty Points per day, they just needed at least 30 days within the shelter to start turning on their side.

***

At this time, Bran worked in the secondary smithy, far from the main forge where high-grade weapons and armor were crafted.

Still, it wasn’t a bad start...

His tasks were ordinary. They were just sharpening tools, repairing farming implements, and occasionally reforging broken blades used by patrol units. From this, he was able to gather more information about the types of Zombies that the shelter has to deal with every day.

From the corrosion, there must be plenty of Spitter Zombies around.

’This place is organized. It’s unlike any other shelter we’ve infiltrated.’ Bran muttered to himself.

During most of his work, he kept his head down, rarely spoke unless spoken to, and made sure his work was just competent enough to avoid suspicion—but never exceptional enough to draw attention.

Each day, he took mental notes about the situation within the shelter...

Which smiths were trusted by the shelter’s leadership?

What materials were being prioritized?

Were there any signs of prototype weapons or experimental tech?

At this time, he already noticed that the Warden Unit maintenance was strictly off-limits to lower-tier smiths. The schematics or framework were completely off limits, and only a handful of engineers ever touched them.

Bran’s goal was clear... He had to earn enough trust to be transferred to the main forge, where real secrets were kept.

Until then, he listened like a loyal survivor, and he waited for his chance to come..

***

In the meantime, Vivian was assigned to the communal kitchen, prepping meals for the shelter’s workers and guards.

Her station was near the vegetable wash basin, where she cleaned produce and occasionally helped with chopping. Indeed, she was only assisting them.

During this time, she quickly learned that the kitchen was a hub of gossip.

It was a perfect place for her. She didn’t even expect that she’d get more information here than if she had become a baker, which was supposedly her original plan.

Guards came in hungry and talkative... Farmers dropped off fresh goods and would stay here for idle chatter that would last for half an hour...

Even some of the logistics staff passed through, complaining about supply and trade delays.

During this time, Vivian kept a small notebook hidden in her apron, jotting down various information that wouldn’t be too suspicious even if it was confiscated.

She only listed the names of influential figures, the mentions of Shane’s movements, and changes in food rations or supply chains.

Even if the notebook was found, she could just tell that it was to ensure that she wouldn’t forget all these important details. After all, she needed to respect the influential figures and not get on their bad side...

Anyway, she also began experimenting, like adding subtle spices or adjusting portions, to see which guards responded positively.

’If adding more portions to their meal will make them talk... That would be ideal.’ She thought.

Well, she was obviously building rapport, one meal at a time.

Apparently, her long-term goal was to be promoted to inventory management, where she could access shipment logs and food distribution data.

For now, she would just do the best she could in her current assigned task.

***

Grace, on the other hand, worked in the outer fields, tending to crops under the supervision of senior agricultural staff.

It was quite a tough job, but the allowance was a lot higher than the others, so it wasn’t too bad.

In any case, her days were filled with planting, watering, and harvesting, but she would always monitor the surroundings.

She noted which crops were prioritized for trade versus internal use, how often Warden Units would patrol for surveillance, and which guards rotated through the farm perimeter.

At this point, she discovered that the Irrigation System was a critical infrastructure point of the Shelter, one that could be sabotaged if needed.

But she didn’t act. Not yet.

She simply began befriending a few older farmers, learning about the shelter’s history and how Anna, Shane’s loyal subordinate, had revolutionized food production.

She asked innocent questions but was always careful not to pry too deeply.

Thankfully, many other recruits would ask similar questions, so no one suspects her intention of getting more and more information.

Well, her goal was to gain access to resource planning meetings, where crop yields and trade routes were discussed. It may take a lot more time for that to happen, but she was ready for this task...

’The food here is also a lot better... If we manage to conquer this place, I can just eat all I want every day.’ She mused.

***

As for Eli and Ross, who were assigned to the perimeter wall expansion project, they thought that they would have such a hard time mixing in.

After all, they were involved in hauling materials, mixing concrete, and reinforcing steel frames.

However, it was a lot easier than he thought since they were assisted by Warden Units and other Survivors equipped with Exo-Suits!

This was not included in the report at all!

Furthermore, they could actually get a chance to work with Exo-Suits, as long as they continued to work harder and learn the process...

Then, they also worked alongside a rotating crew of laborers, including several members of Alora’s group.

Alora’s group was recruited just a day or two after they arrived. In short, they were all new in this shelter.

Because of that, they were able to get closer a lot more easily.

At first, Eli and Ross kept their distance. But as they learned more about each other, they began sharing meals and started helping out during difficult shifts.

"Well... This is a good start." Eli muttered as she exchanged glances with Ross.