Page 78
"John, a new contact message," Loli informed, her voice maintaining its usual calm, but with a note of interest. "It's from the Dark Elves. They wish to join us."
Jhon frowned. Dark Elves. The name conjured images of ancient tales, of corruption and decay.
"Explain about them, Loli," Jhon asked.
Loli projected a holographic image showing elves with darker, almost gray skin and hair ranging from white to deep black, their eyes often glowing red or yellow. "It's not because of their skin pigmentation that they're called 'Dark Elves,' Jhon. It's a designation that refers to a lineage that was corrupted by an ancient plague or curse. Their vitality is reduced by 50% compared to pure elves. While the elves of Lua and Lyra possess immortal longevity, living for millennia, the Dark Elves have a maximum lifespan of about two thousand years."
"Are they trustworthy?" Jhon asked, his eyes fixed on the image.
"They are survivors, like the rest of us. Their existence is marked by prejudice and pain. They seek safety and a place to start over. They will submit to your authority if you give them the chance," Loli replied.
"Accept them," John decided. "Anyone who wishes to join is welcome. But there's one condition: the meeting point will be at the first intersection on the highway, a week from now. To those who still have vehicles and are on their way, Loli, distribute the Badges we have plenty of. Use the excess Level 2 Badges we have to upgrade your vehicles as much as possible so you can get here safely. I don't want any unnecessary casualties along the way."
The Level 2 Badges, once so valuable to Jhon, were now a resource he could distribute, a testament to the power he had accumulated.
Loli relayed the new instructions and the coordinates of the meeting point. Jhon's message was clear: an offer of salvation, but with clearly defined terms.
In the days that followed, the Leviathan maintained its course, gliding silently across the landscape. Life inside the bus became a routine of training and hunting. The five special forces soldiers, now Jhon's elite guard, oversaw the training of the new recruits. They were relentless, transforming farmers and civilians into rudimentary tactical units.
Page 79
Under the soldiers' tutelage and Jhon's merciless supervision, the new members of the community became more than just survivors. They became soldiers. The exercises were brutal, adapted to the confines of the bus and the surrounding landscape. Shooting training with moving targets, infiltration and extraction techniques in simulated scenarios, and even hand-to-hand combat. Jhon, with his enhanced strength and Mythic Katanas, was both an example and a terror. He tolerated no weakness or hesitation.
"You have to be faster! The monster won't wait for you to shoot!" John shouted to one of the older men, who was struggling to quickly reload a rifle. "Your life, and the lives of others, depend on it!"
The man was sweating, his eyes filled with fear, but also with a new determination.
During those four days, the bus continued its gathering mission. Jhon, along with the snipers, made regular forays to hunt monsters. Each hunt followed the same method: Jhon and the soldiers killed the beasts, and he, in his mind, commanded Loli to multiply the meat.
The Leviathan's giant refrigerator, the size of a supermarket, was becoming a protein arsenal. The meat of common, uncommon, and rare creatures multiplied exponentially, ensuring an inexhaustible supply for the nearly 600 mouths on board. John's strategy wasn't just one of survival, but of abundance.
The air inside the bus smelled of freshly slaughtered meat, training sweat, and a strange mix of clean technology and earth. The nights were filled with the low rumble of the flotation system and the muffled sounds of new recruits training, their movements becoming more fluid, their reflexes sharper.
Jhon's concubines—Lyanna, Sylvana, Faelan, Elara, Seraphina, and Zara—assisted where they could, from distributing supplies to caring for the wounded, but their eyes often turned to Jhon, their bodies responding to his magnetic presence. The dynamic between them was cooperative, without apparent jealousy, all united by devotion to their leader. Lua and Lyra, as the "first" companions, guided the others, setting the standard for loyalty and service.
Finally, at the end of the fourth day, Loli announced: "Jhon, we are just a few hours from the first intersection on the highway. The meeting point is near. The life signatures are converging."
Jhon felt a surge of anticipation. More people. More mouths to feed, yes, but also more hands to work, more minds to think, and more hearts to fight for the future he was building.
Page 80
Dawn on the fifth day revealed the first intersection on the highway: a tangle of cracked asphalt and collapsed overpasses, a grim reminder of ancient civilization. The Leviathan stopped at a safe distance, its presence barely visible in the morning mist. Jhon sat in the cockpit, watching the movement on the radar.
Small convoys of makeshift vehicles, some with rudimentary armor enhanced by John's Insignia, and groups of people on foot began to emerge from the mist, converging on the rendezvous point. Most were Dark Elves, their pale skin and unusually colored eyes distinguishing them from the humans and elves of Lua and Lyra. There were other peoples as well, some with elven-like characteristics—slightly pointed ears, glowing eyes—and others closer to humans, but with unique traits, like unusual skin tones or vibrantly colored hair. It was a mosaic of survivors from different worlds and lineages.
Loli, her voice carrying to all who approached, repeated John's rules: "Those who wish to enter the Ark, know this: John's authority is absolute. Everyone will have a purpose, a role. Insubordination will not be tolerated. This is your chance to survive. Those who do not wish to follow these rules, do not proceed."
Despite the harsh conditions, none of them turned away. The promise of safety and a future seemed worth any cost. The vehicles were inspected by Jhon's soldiers, and the passengers were directed to the Leviathan's entry points, where Jhon's teams would greet them and guide them to their designated sectors. The bus, which already seemed immense, expanded again to accommodate the new arrivals, its internal modules readjusting themselves.