Chapter 491:Departure.

Chapter 491: 491:Departure.

The following morning, three military transport vehicles departed Alpha Three Academy shortly after sunrise.

Silver sat near the rear of the second vehicle, his rifle resting beside him while his sword remained secured across his back. He wore standard Contractor field armor, reinforced boots, and a dark jacket bearing the academy’s insignia.

Ravenna sat beside him.

Her hair had been tied into a practical ponytail, and she was examining the edge of her sword with a small maintenance cloth.

Across from them, Elias was checking the ammunition for his bow and firearm.

Caleb was eating, again.

Silver looked toward him.

"Didn’t you have breakfast?" He curiously asked.

He nodded.

"Yes."

"Then why are you eating right now?"

"Because I’m hungry."

Silver considered.

"Just how large is your stomach?"

"Black pit," he replied.

Ravenna laughed softly and Elias smiled.

The vehicle continued along the highway.

Through the reinforced windows, Silver watched the enormous walls of Alpha Three gradually disappear behind them.

Beyond the sanctuary, the landscape changed. Wide roads became narrower, large commercial buildings gave way to smaller settlements and eventually, even those disappeared, replaced by open fields, forests, and occasional military checkpoints.

He looked toward Ravenna who was staring out the window.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

She glanced toward him.

"Nothing."

He raised an eyebrow.

She sighed.

"The news," she quietly said.

He nodded.

"The research facility?" He asked.

"Yes." She looked toward the distant forest. "Something about it feels strange."

Silver considered.

"Because of the missing specimens?"

"Partly." Ravenna frowned. "But mostly because of the beasts."

He looked toward her.

She continued.

"Beasts don’t usually abandon territory without a reason. Even weaker species will defend their nesting grounds if they have young."

Silver nodded.

"And predators don’t normally run alongside prey," she continued.

"Exactly."

She looked toward him.

"Whatever is happening, I don’t think it’s just a few escaped experimental creatures."

Silver remained quiet.

He’d been thinking something similar.

The Project 006 records they’d discovered at the Transit Research Station had already revealed that certain organizations were experimenting with human and beast integration.

He knew those experiments had produced horrifying results,but the destruction of an entire research facility suggested something much larger.

He looked toward the forest.

"I guess we’ll eventually find out," he quietly said.

She nodded.

"I just hope it’s as it seems."

Hollow Creek appeared shortly before noon.

The settlement occupied a broad stretch of relatively flat land between a small river and the forested hills marking the outer Green Zone. Its defensive walls were constructed from a mixture of reinforced concrete, salvaged metal sheets, timber, and sections of old transport containers, creating an uneven perimeter that looked considerably less secure than the enormous walls surrounding Alpha Three.

Several watchtowers stood along the outer defenses. Most were made from reinforced wood, plus a few had mounted weapons.

The main entrance consisted of two heavy metal gates guarded by soldiers wearing faded military uniforms.

Silver noticed immediately that the guards looked exhausted. One had a bandage wrapped around his left arm. Another was leaning against the wall with dark circles beneath his eyes.

The transport convoy slowed.

Peter approached the checkpoint officer and after a brief exchange, the gates opened.

The vehicles entered.

He looked through the window.

Hollow Creek was very poor.

The houses were small and closely packed, many constructed from salvaged materials rather than proper building supplies. Narrow roads wound between residential blocks, while makeshift market stalls occupied several open spaces.

Children watched the convoy from doorways and adults stopped working. Several people looked relieved when they noticed the academy insignia while others appeared skeptical.

Silver understood.

For people living here, help probably arrived only after something terrible had already happened.

The vehicles stopped near a small administrative building.

Peter ordered the students to disembark.

Silver stepped down.

The air smelled of dust, smoke, and something unpleasant coming from the damaged farmland beyond the walls.

Ravenna joined him while looking around curiously.

"Not much protection," she whispered.

He nodded.

"No."

A middle-aged man wearing military fatigues approached Peter.

He had a thick beard, several scars across his hands, and the exhausted expression of someone who hadn’t slept properly in several days.

"Captain Adrian Ross," he introduced himself.

Peter shook his hand.

"Peter Kanister. Alpha Three Academy."

Ross nodded.

"Appreciate you coming."

Peter looked toward the damaged walls.

"How bad?"

Ross sighed before responding.

"Worse than the official report."

Silver noticed Peter’s expression tighten.

Ross continued regardless.

"The beasts came from the northern forest. At first, we thought it was a small hunting group. Then more appeared." He shook his head as though he was reliving it. "Different species. Some were attacking. Others were just running through everything."

Peter frowned.

"Running?"

Ross nodded.

"Like something had frightened them," he said in a confused tone.

Silver exchanged a glance with Ravenna.

Peter noticed the mans skepticism. He looked toward Ross.

"Show us."

The investigation began at the northern farmland.

Silver accompanied Peter, Helena, Ravenna, Elias, Mina, Caleb, Rowan, Shirley, and several military personnel, while the remaining students were assigned to interview residents, inspect damaged buildings, and assist with documenting the attack.

The farmland had been devastated; several fences were broken, two barns had collapsed and large sections of cultivated land had been flattened.

He crouched beside a deep impression in the soil and studied it.

He activated Field Analysis a few seconds later.

[Field Analysis Lv2 Activated.]

The system assisted him in examining the surrounding evidence.

The track belonged to a large quadrupedal beast, probably Tier Three,but there were several other impressions nearby; some smaller while some considerably larger.

He frowned.

He extended Spatial Sense.

[Spatial Sense Lv3 Activated.]

The surrounding terrain became clearer.

He could detect the uneven ground beneath the flattened crops, the direction in which several heavy creatures had moved, and the damage caused by repeated impacts.

He looked toward Peter.

"Sir."

Peter approached.

"What?"

"These tracks overlap."

He crouched beside him and Silver pointed at his discovery.

"At least four different species passed through this section. Some were moving at different speeds, but all were heading in the same direction."

Peter studied the ground.

"Toward the settlement," he quite said.

Silver nodded.

"But I don’t think they were attacking it deliberately," he said.

Peter looked toward him.

"Explain."

Ge gestured toward the destroyed fence.

"If they were hunting, we’d expect signs of pursuit, feeding, or territorial aggression. But the damage is almost entirely directional." He pointed toward the flattened crops.

"They didn’t stop anywhere around here."

Peter’s expression became thoughtful.

Ravenna approached.

"There’s something else," she quietly said.

Silver looked toward her.

She pointed toward a damaged section of the barn.

"Look at the claw marks."

He followed her gaze towards the direction of her pointed finger.

Several deep scratches covered the wood.

She continued.

"Those belong to a predator. Probably something with elongated foreclaws."

Peter nodded.

"Agreed."

"But the scratches are on the inside."

Silver blinked, then looked closer.

She was right.

The claw marks suggested the creature had entered the barn and attempted to force its way through the opposite wall.

It hadn’t been trying to enter, it had been trying to escape.

He slowly stood.

"This is something."

Ravenna looked toward the forest.

"Yeah."