Chapter 192


    The feast was a beautifully roasted wholemb, and the preparation was simply impable. Ste


    didn''t hesitate. She dived right in, savoring every juicy bite.


    Her Arcadia only had onemb, not nearly enough for many meals. Since she was here, she


    naturally had to eat her fill. She asked as she ate, "Bryce, it''s not easy to get meat now, especially


    freshmb."


    "Indeed, it''s a luxury outside," Bryce acknowledged. "But here in Silver Asylum, you can have it as


    long as you''re capable enough."


    Teddy chimed in, "That''s right, with Bryce leading us, we won''t just havemb. We''ll also have fresh


    beef anytime we want."


    Ste was impressed with the quality of the meat. "This tastes likemb from the northwest. We


    can''t raise sheep with this vor by the coast."


    Teddyughed. "You got it, Ste. It''s indeed from the northwest."


    Ste was surprised. "The southern coast is chilling, dropping to below zero. The northwest must be


    even colder. It''s amazing that cattle and sheep can survive there."


    Teddy was amused by her surprise. "Ste, the world is full of wonders. While it''s scorching here,


    the winter had barely started at the northwest. Hence, the freshmb."


    Ste was speechless. "Not everyone gets to enjoy roastmb in this heat. Thanks for the treat,


    Bryce." With that, she raised her ss to toast Bryce and Teddy.


    Just as they sat down, amotion came from outside.


    Piersen had returned, covered in blood, wounded and needing urgent medical attention. They had


    lost half of their group.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Piersen was furious. "Those bastards at Alpha Outpost ambushed us on the road. If I hadn''t stayed


    strong, we would''ve lost more."


    The situation was dire. They had a total of just over two hundred people at the base, and this


    mission had cost them dearly. Medicine was more valuable than gold now, and those who were


    injured were as good as gone.


    With Alpha Outpost stirring the pot, things were getting worse. If this continued, Silver Asylum was


    doomed.


    Bryce was filled with rage. Discarding his usual demeanor, he mmed his fist on the table. "Do


    they think we''re pushovers?"


    Jasper, Ste, Rosie, and even the dog remained calm amidst the chaos, especially Cooper who


    was happily gnawing on amb leg. Their calm demeanor in the face of crisis irritated Bryce, but he


    managed to keep his cool.


    After Piersen and the others had left to tend to their wounds, Bryce regained hisposure.


    "Jasper, you heard what happened. Alpha Outpost is getting bolder. They''ve destroyed our outpost


    and killed our people. What do you think we should do?"


    Jasper was unflinchingly direct. "You want the truth or a pleasant lie?"


    Bryce was taken aback. "The truth, of course."


    "Eradicate them for good."


    Bryce understood what he meant. "Jasper, you''re unaware that Alpha Outpost is backed by


    powerful forces."


    Jasper was blunt. "If they were backed by such forces, they would have taken over Silver Asylum


    when you were still vulnerable. They wouldn''t bother with a head-on confrontation. It''s all a


    charade."


    Even Teddy was anxious to hear such straightforward words. That''s right,. He had advised Bryce


    long ago that opportunities quicklye and go, so he must act early.


    But Bryce was naturally suspiciou, and was bewildered by the fake information released by Alpha


    Outpost. As a result, he missed the best opportunity and let them get ahead.


    Bryce was a man of pride, and Jasper''s words had embarrassed him. He retorted, "You''re probably


    not aware, Jasper. Today, they brought out their armored vehicles and leveled our outpost. Only


    someone with solid backing could have ess to such heavy equipment."


    "Armored vehicles?" Jasper questioned. "Who saw them?"


    Teddy quickly jumped to Bryce''s defense. "One of our guys who managed to escape saw it."


    "As far as I know, the military and police strictly control such equipment. Are you sure he didn''t


    hallucinate out of fear or heatstroke?"


    The conversation was turning tense. Teddy was getting annoyed. "Jasper, do you have a better


    solution?"


    "I stick to my initial point. Eradicate them for good." Jasper said without a hint of emotion. "In this


    apocalypse, conflicts can only be resolved through force. If love and peace worked, would the world


    be in such chaos?"


    With that, he stood up. "Thanks for the meal, Bryce. If you decide on something, let me know. We


    can lend a hand."


    Bryce was frustrated but managed to keep a smile on his face. "Take care, Jasper."


    After they left, Bryce swept the dishes off the table in anger. Once he had cooled down a bit, Teddy


    spoke up. "Bryce, Jasper might be blunt, but he has a point. There''s not enough supplies for both


    Silver Asylum and Alpha Outpost. Taking action now is better than sufferingter."


    Bryce knew this, but he was afraid of losing. However, he also realized that he had to face the


    inevitable. He ordered Teddy to gather more information about Alpha Outpost and Jasper. If they


    were to fight, they could only afford to win.


    Meanwhile, Jasper and Ste returned to their ce. To avoid eavesdropping devices, they decided


    to exercise for digestion and ended up training for over two hours.


    Settling in for the night, Ste ventured a conversation. "You really think Alpha Outpost doesn''t have


    a big shot backing them up?"


    "Absolutely not." Jasper propped his head up on his pillow. "Even if they do, what does it matter?


    We''ll wipe them out first. Are their backers going to avenge them?"


    "That''s true. In this day and age, it''s all about survival of the fittest. Who''s going to avenge the


    dead? It''s more profitable to support the victor."


    "We''ll see. If they dare to bomb us and don''t dare bomb Alpha Outpost, it means they''re only


    capable of bullying the weak. This ce isn''t truly safe. When the timees, I''ll get you all out of


    here."


    After their conversation, which was meant to be overheard, the two settled down to sleep.


    Jasper held Ste close. Even though they couldn''t do anything due to the surveince, he felt


    incredibly content. Being so close, he could hear the sound of her heartbeat. It was a long while


    before they managed to fall asleep.


    In the end, under the cover of darkness, they found sce in each other''s arms.