The glow of the System interface appeared before Kai and the other survivors.
[ Global Event is Here! ]
[ Upcoming Hostile Operation: Mech Siege ]
[ Countdown: 48 Hours Remaining ]
[ Objective: Defend designated shelter against mechanical assault for 72 hours. ]
[ Failure Condition: Shelter destroyed. All survivors eliminated. ]
[ Rewards: Experience Points, Loot Drops, Survivor's Medal, Potential Title Upgrade, and others ]
'Right… thanks for reminding me,' Kai mused as he studied the message.
He was about to dismiss the window when another notification immediately followed.
[ Additional Notice: Enemy forces calibrated to shelter population and average level. ]
[ Estimated Enemy Composition: Sentinel Units, Swarmer Drones, and Beastframe‑class Units. ]
After getting all this information, Kai wasted no time.
He gathered everyone in the central hall to discuss the matter. Survivors stopped what they were doing. Some were still clutching camouflage suits, others holding bowls of noodles, as they stared at him while he relayed the information.
After all, only the five survivors from Earth had received the System's message. The rest of the shelter's residents had no idea what had just happened.
Then, after Kai explained what would occur in two days, the expected reaction came... They were all filled with worry. Most of them had never fought against the living machines, but they knew how terrifying they were.
Claire also felt nervous as she spoke. "We have two more days. I hope we don't get too many of them attacking us."
Ralph cursed. "Should we try to excavate that rifle buried in the collapsed northern tunnel?"
Victor gave a helpless smile. He knew that whatever had been buried there was most likely destroyed already. Instead, he focused on the message from the system.
"It says here that the difficulty scales with population… then the more people we protect, the harder the siege will be. This will be tough..."
Kai nodded grimly. "Which means we can't afford mistakes. At the very least, this is just the first Mech Siege. Since everyone's only beginning this apocalypse, they probably won't make it too hard... or no one would survive."
"That's true…" Claire agreed. It wouldn't make sense if the siege were impossible to defeat.
Kai then asked the division leaders about their preparations.
After feeling satisfied, he turned to Russel and Augustine. "Double the guards at every entrance. No one leaves, no one enters without our say."
Russel straightened. "Understood."
Augustine added, "I'll start stockpiling weapons. Everyone capable of fighting will have their guns soon."
Kai had no choice but to trust them. He wasn't sure how many enemies would besiege them, and he needed every ounce of help.
Then he looked at Victor. "Your Mechanic Talent is about to become critical. Every device, every tool... repair it, reinforce it. Radios, solar chargers, water pumps, especially that massive door at the east tunnel entrance. If you can, help reinforce all the tunnel doors. Fighting Sentinels and other machines outside is suicide. We'll have to destroy them in the narrow tunnels instead."
Victor's eyes widened, but he nodded firmly. "I'll get started right away."
Finally, Kai addressed everyone. "We have two days to prepare for three days of mechanical assault. We'll use every resource we have and survive this. Trust me!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Yes! We trust Leader Kai!"
"We will defend this shelter!"
"Let's all work together!"
Kai glanced at the notification that had appeared at the bottom left of his vision.
[ Event Progress Tracker Activated ]
[ Time Remaining: 47 Hours, 52 Minutes ]
'We can do this…' Kai thought, clenching his fist.
***
The survivors moved quickly under Kai's orders. Hatchets were distributed, additional camouflage suits provided, and the corridors echoed with hammering and repairs.
As for the revolvers, Kai planned to distribute them before the siege.
On the other hand, Victor threw himself into his work. His Mechanic Talent gave them a crucial advantage.
Radios were rewired, their static signals cleared. Solar chargers were adjusted to store power more efficiently. Water pumps in the peanut field were reinforced to prevent leaks. Folding bicycles were tightened and stored, ready for emergency escape.
Even beds and medical tools were cleaned and repaired, ensuring that if there were wounded during the siege, they would have a place to recover.
Each repair gave Victor 1 to 5 experience points. It wasn't much, but it added up, so he was quite happy doing a lot of work.
Meanwhile, Kai summoned Gift Packs as much as he could. Food and supplies were stockpiled in the warehouse, medical kits filled the infirmary, and survival tools were distributed to every member of the shelter.
In just a single day, the shelter began to look less like a crumbling refuge and more like a fortified base.
At night, survivors still gathered in the hall, playing cards or listening to harmonica tunes. It was their way to stay sane in this underground shelter.
Though the fear of the siege was still present, Kai's leadership gave them hope.
[ Time Remaining: 24 Hours, 14 Minutes ]
'One more day…' Kai thought, silently praying that there wouldn't be casualties on their side during the siege. It might be difficult to achieve, but he clung to hope.
***
Meanwhile, while Kai and the others rested, Claire slipped out of her sleeping bag and left her tent in the sleeping area.
She moved quietly through the corridors until she reached the vacant chamber once used by resource gatherers to store scavenged materials.
It was empty now since no one had gone out to gather in days.
Claire checked the shadows carefully, confirming she was alone. Then she whispered softly…
"Come out…