"Looks like you brought back a whole pharmacy," Layra said, raising a brow as she eyed the bulging bags both men carried.
"Quite literally," Adam muttered, glancing at Sareth, who only sighed heavily, as if the exhaustion had just now settled in.
Before they could say more, two familiar faces emerged from the crowd: the young man and woman who had helped treat Adam earlier.
"Give us the bags," the guy said without preamble. "We'll move everything to the medical rooms, register it, and handle the logistics."
The girl looked at the stuffed backpacks and sighed with obvious relief.
"Thanks to you," she said softly. "We were almost out of medicine. What you brought is a lifesaver."
Hearing their words, Adam and Sareth exchanged a short, knowing glance. Without a word, they obediently shrugged off their heavy backpacks and handed them over.
The girl looked at the bandage on the old man's shoulder and frowned with concern.
"You need that treated too. Come with us, it won't take long."
"I'm fine," the old man growled, grimacing. "I've survived worse than you've had hot dinners."
A vein popped on her neck at his words, but she bit her tongue and inhaled slowly. When she spoke again, her tone was soft but firm.
"But back then you didn't have sterile bandages and proper meds. This isn't an insult. We just want to make sure the wound doesn't get infected or worse. It's worth it."
He squinted at her, then snorted.
"Only 'cause you're making sense," he muttered and trudged after them with a theatrical sigh.
Once they were out of sight, Layra and Kosman turned to Adam and Sareth.
"Who is he, exactly?" Layra asked.
"We met him on today's outing," Adam replied. "He ambushed us at first, and then... well, Sareth pierced his shoulder."
"Only when we heard him scream did we realize he was human," Sareth added, frowning. "After that, we talked. Asked if he wanted to come back with us."
Adam nodded.
"And after seeing him fight… well, he might be a good addition to the base. He attacks from a distance like the air extends his fists. One punch, and the zombie had a hole clean through it. Doesn't look young or strong, but his technique... it's something else."
Kosman raised a brow.
"He punched with air?"
"Punched a corpse straight through," Sareth muttered, then added dryly, "Unfortunately, he also has the personality of a grumpy old goat."
"So, he has a personality too," Layra quipped with a half-smile.
Kosman, looking toward the alley the old man had disappeared into, said:
"Until now, we haven't really discussed what to do with people we meet on expeditions. We'll need to bring it up tonight. We can't just take in anyone we find."
"Agreed," Adam said. "We need to think it through."
"How's the base coming along?" Sareth asked suddenly.
Kosman glanced around and nodded toward the center courtyard.
"Surprisingly well. We've set up sectors: kitchen, medical, tech, sleeping. People have started organizing themselves. Even Ternwald pitched in without complaining. He worked like everyone else."
Adam stared at him in disbelief.
"Really?"
Layra just nodded with a hint of doubt but didn't comment further.
Adam glanced at her from the corner of his eye and felt a twist in his gut. He had a bad feeling. That kind of behavior didn't match Ternwald.
"Any issues?" Sareth asked.
"Only with the former dorm residents," Layra sighed. "They didn't want to give up their rooms. Said they owned them."
"Brann visited them. Now they're sharing like the rest," Kosman said with a crooked grin.
Adam wasn't surprised. That kind of reaction was expected—no one enjoys losing their comforts. Overnight, people had to abandon private rooms and move to shared spaces. Even the most reasonable among them felt wronged.
"Come on. See what your work accomplished," Layra said suddenly, heading toward the plaza.
They reached the main board—makeshift but impressive. On a wooden frame, a large chart had been pinned up, surrounded by people jotting notes, sorting, and updating.
"That's our Contribution Points system," Layra said. "Manual for now, but it works. Everyone who contributes is recorded. Points can be exchanged for rations, meds, or private room access."
Adam looked at the list. Two names topped it.
"Ilya and Morten?"
"Yes," Kosman confirmed. "The ones who took the backpacks. They treated everyone. All day."
"And most importantly," Layra added, "it was free and mandatory. We can't afford infections or outbreaks. So we made everyone check in. Thanks to that, Ilya and Morten handled wounds before they got worse."
"Explains their rankings," Adam muttered.
He was about to ask about their own points when he remembered—all their proof was on the old man's phone, which they didn't have.
As if on cue, the old man appeared behind them. Fresh bandages and all.
"What's this giant board?"
"The reward system we mentioned," Adam explained. "Layra, Kosman—this is... our new friend. And his name is..."
He paused, looking at the old man.
"Actually... what is your name?"
The old man smirked.
"Olwen. Just a weak old man with rheumatism, joint pain, and a bad back."
Layra and Kosman exchanged looks, unsure whether to laugh or worry.
"Layra," she said, offering a hand with a small smile.
"Kosman," the other added, nodding.
Adam squinted.
"You still have the phone? The one with the pictures?"
"Of course. I don't hand over my stuff to just anyone," Olwen replied dryly.
"Then… could you show Layra and Kosman those photos? We need proof we killed those monsters."
Olwen handed it over, and Adam tapped through the gallery. He showed the photos of the slain creatures, focusing on the wounds.
"Photos of the kills. Close-ups of the wounds. All documented," Adam said with a smile.
Minutes later, Kosman and Layra tallied the numbers as a crowd gathered.
Before their eyes, the board changed.
Three new names joined the top spots:
Adam.
Olwen.
Sareth.
The silence around the board spoke volumes. The new leaders had just been crowned.