Twilight Glow

After waiting in line for about half an hour, several more people joined them in line.

"Hello! Welcome to the Dawn Tower. Please show your magnetic cards."

The woman who greeted them was in her early thirties, and everyone around her wore identical uniforms, giving off an impression of organization and discipline.

Jason couldn't help but wonder why such a mysterious underground base existed.

As for the "magnetic cards" she referred to, those were the same black cards they held in their hands.

"Are you three together?"

The woman looked at Jason and his companions.

"Yes," Jason answered.

"Alright. You can either form your own team or join another one. Would you like to create a team or join one?"

Jason turned around and glanced at Hank and Sakura.

When he looked back, he saw that one was absentmindedly picking at his nails, while the other was scanning the area, seemingly unaware of the conversation.

Jason realized that no matter what team they joined, the outcome wouldn't change with Hank and Sakura's skills. But for him, he definitely needed allies—he couldn't just let these two armed people slip away.

"Well, how about we create a team?" Jason suggested, testing the waters.

"Alright, please give me the magnetic cards for the two behind you."

"Alright, Hank, Sakura, I'll register you guys. Please hand me your cards."

Jason took Hank and Sakura's cards and handed them to the woman.

"Please name your team."

"Hmm... since this place is called Dawn Tower, how about we name it 'Twilight Glow'?" Jason turned back to ask his companions.

"Sure." Hank replied nonchalantly.

"Nice name. I didn't know you were a cultured guy, little brother." Sakura said with a smile, giving his hair a casual ruffle. It seemed like she didn't mind his suggestion.

"Alright, our team will be called Twilight Glow!"

"Your team has been created! If you have any questions, feel free to consult the intelligent assistant in your dorm." The woman handed back their magnetic cards and opened the door behind her, allowing them to pass through.

The three of them were assigned to Room 033 in Area A on the second floor. Following the signs, Jason led the way to the elevator that would take them up.

When they entered, Jason noticed that this time, the elevator was moving down. He couldn't help but wonder: does this place's numbering system get higher the deeper you go?

When they arrived at the second floor, they were greeted by two hallways—one leading to Area A, the other to Area B. Ahead was a spacious training hall, which also housed a cafeteria and several vending machines.

Inside the cafeteria, many people were eating, while others worked out in the training hall. The place was well-equipped with state-of-the-art devices and facilities—clearly designed to provide an optimal environment for the people here.

Following the signs, they quickly reached their assigned room.

The room was small, about 50 square meters, and there were about 100 rooms in each of the two areas. With the size of the hall, Jason estimated that the second floor alone must span over 10,000 square feet!

Building such a large-scale facility so deep underground would require significant financial backing and government support. The sheer scale of the operation made Jason begin to wonder just how powerful the force behind Dawn Tower truly was. He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

The room itself was fairly comfortable. It had its own bathroom and four separate beds, indicating that each team could accommodate up to four people. Additionally, there was a screen mounted on the wall, which, as expected, seemed to be the "intelligent assistant" the woman had mentioned.

Jason picked the bed in the middle, unpacked his things, and activated the screen.

"Welcome to Dawn Tower. I am your intelligent assistant, Linglingyao. Feel free to ask me anything."

The electronic voice of Linglingyao came through the speakers.

"Sakura, do you have any questions?" Jason asked, as the two women stared at the screen.

"What is this place for?" Sakura asked, intrigued.

"This is Dawn Tower, humanity's last sanctuary."

"Huh? The last sanctuary of humanity?" Sakura asked, a bit skeptical. "You mean, the surface is going to be destroyed?"

"A global catastrophe is imminent, and humanity will become the walking dead. But humanity will not be wiped out entirely."

Jason swallowed nervously. "Walking dead"? Wasn't that referring to zombies? If they weren't completely dead, those "zombies" would mindlessly attack the living, devouring flesh. Anyone scratched or bitten would eventually turn into one of them...

"Sakura, what's going on? Why is there a catastrophe? When exactly is it happening?" Jason asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Insufficient access. Unable to retrieve detailed information regarding the main cause of the catastrophe. Currently, Dawn Tower is in closed-mode to ensure safety."

"Closed-mode? So, no one can leave? Sounds a bit like a cult to me," Hank muttered.

"How are we supposed to survive here?" Hank asked.

"Dawn Tower has an independent survival chain, so there is no need to worry about food, clothing, or shelter. However, survival points are required."

"Survival points?" Jason raised an eyebrow, sensing a currency system.

"Survival points are the only form of currency in Dawn Tower. They can be used for transactions and transfers through your magnetic cards. As team captain, you can allocate and manage the team's survival points."

Jason's mind raced, realizing that when they had formed the team earlier, he had been automatically assigned as the captain.

"Do you two have any objections?" Jason turned to ask Hank and Sakura, sensing their indifference.

Both of them shook their heads, signaling no objections. Jason was a bit surprised. Were they really not worried he'd take advantage of his position and run off with their points?

"Aren't you guys worried I'll screw you over?" Jason asked, testing their trust.

"Hah... If the captain was this old man," Sakura scoffed, "I'd definitely have objections. But since you're the little brother, no problem."

"None of you want to be the captain?" Jason asked, confused.

"Doesn't matter who the captain is, we'd have objections either way. So, it's all yours," Hank said.

"Ah... okay, then..." Jason mumbled, feeling the weight of the role.

"At least we can take care of you if things go wrong," Hank added casually.

"Ha... that's too direct," Jason said, laughing nervously.

"Hmph, don't worry, little brother," Sakura teased, pulling him toward the bed.

Once they were seated, Sakura placed one arm around Jason's shoulder protectively.

"Don't worry, little brother. I won't let this old man bully you. But hey, you better treat your big sis well..." she said in a playful tone, waving a knife around, performing various tricks with it.

Jason had never imagined that he'd be stuck in a room with two armed strangers, let alone in such close proximity.

"Well, Sakura, Hank, after a long day, how about we grab something to eat?" Jason asked with an awkward smile, trying to defuse the tension.

"Sure, let's eat!" Hank said nonchalantly.

Jason grabbed his bag and pulled out the food he'd bought earlier from the supermarket. He set it on the table, eager to share it with the others.