Chapter 197:Gangs.
The line of vehicles advanced slowly beneath the growing glow of the checkpoint’s floodlights.
Guard towers overlooked every approach, each manned by contractors armed with long-range rifles and mounted heavy weapons capable of stopping even high-tier beasts.
As Silver rolled the car forward, he noticed several scars running across the outer walls. Long claw marks, burned sections of reinforced concrete, and places where repairs had clearly been made more than once. There was also dried blood on the walls.
Checkpoint Fifteen stood directly against the wilderness every single day. It had probably survived because it had learned to endure.
Ravenna followed his gaze.
"...Looks like it’s been attacked quite a few times."
Silver nodded.
"Probably every migration season and during territorial shifts."
She looked toward one particularly large section that had been rebuilt with newer steel plates.
"I wouldn’t want to be stationed here."
Silver smiled.
"I don’t think anyone does."
As they drew closer, they could finally see the amount of activity inside the checkpoint. Military trucks entered and exited through separate lanes. Contractor vehicles lined up for inspection. Teams carrying fresh beast corpses walked toward a processing warehouse. Others rested beside the roadside after what looked like days of continuous travel.
Compared to Delta Four’s organized atmosphere, the checkpoint felt rough and practical. Everything here existed for one purpose: keeping the road open.
A guard wearing reinforced combat armor stepped toward Silver’s window.
"Identification."
Silver lowered the window before handing over both contractor badges. The guard scanned them before glancing inside the vehicle. His eyes lingered briefly on the swords resting between the seats.
"Returning?"
Silver shook his head.
"Passing through."
"Destination?"
"Delta Two."
The guard’s eyebrows rose slightly.
"Long trip."
"It is."
He handed the badges back before speaking again.
"Any incidents along the highway?"
Silver and Ravenna exchanged a brief glance. Silver nodded.
"Yes."
The guard immediately became serious.
"What kind?"
Silver reached into the center console and retrieved his phone. He opened the folder containing the photographs he had taken inside the abandoned town. Without a word, he handed it over.
The guard looked down casually at first, then his expression changed. He continued scrolling, one photograph, then another. His relaxed posture disappeared completely.
"Wait here."
His tone had become noticeably sharper. He turned immediately and jogged toward a nearby command building.
Ravenna quietly watched him leave.
"...That got his attention."
Silver nodded.
"It should."
Less than two minutes later, three more people emerged from the building. One wore the uniform of a checkpoint commander, and the other two were clearly Association investigators.
The commander stopped beside Silver’s car.
"I’m Captain Harris. I understand you encountered a criminal group."
Silver nodded.
"We did."
The captain accepted the phone from the first guard before studying the photographs himself. His face became increasingly grim.
"... Wood Town." He muttered quietly. "So that’s where they were hiding."
One of the investigators looked up immediately.
"You recognize them?"
The captain nodded.
"The leader especially." He enlarged one photograph. "...Sebus Doyle."
He looked toward Silver.
"You have no idea how long we’ve been searching for him."
Ravenna frowned.
"You know him?"
The captain let out a long sigh.
"For nearly five years. He disappeared after murdering two Association contractors transporting beast cores. Since then, he and his group have robbed dozens of caravans. We suspected they were operating somewhere between Delta Four and Checkpoint Fifteen. We just couldn’t find them."
The second investigator quickly began taking notes.
"How many survivors?"
"One," Silver answered. "One Rank Two; the rest might have died, I’m not really sure. Everything had been a blur. We also photographed the camp before leaving."
The investigator looked impressed.
"You documented everything?"
"As much as possible," Silver replied. "The stolen equipment, contractor badges, weapons, vehicles and supply caches."
The investigator nodded appreciatively.
"Excellent. That’ll save us an enormous amount of time."
Captain Harris handed the phone back.
"You left one alive, why?"
Silver calmly smiled.
"He’s more useful that way, and he also seems to be one of the leaders."
For a moment, the captain simply looked at him, then he smiled slightly.
"A lot of young contractors wouldn’t have thought that far."
Silver shrugged.
"He knows things, so he’s worth questioning and also worth more alive. I don’t want more people to face what I have"
The captain laughed quietly.
"You’ve dealt with the Association before."
"A few times."
"I can tell."
The captain turned toward one of the nearby soldiers.
"Lieutenant. Prepare two recovery teams, medical personnel, and evidence collection. I want them moving immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The lieutenant saluted before running toward the motor pool. Within moments, soldiers began preparing armored vehicles. Several investigators gathered evidence kits while medics loaded stretchers, probably hoping they would find some more people alive. The entire checkpoint suddenly became noticeably busier.
Captain Harris looked back toward Silver.
"Thanks to your report... We might finally dismantle the rest of this network."
Silver tilted his head slightly.
"You think they’re connected?"
"I’d bet on it."
The captain folded his arms.
"Criminal groups like this rarely work alone. Someone buys the stolen goods, someone launders the money, and someone provides information. The leader you’ve captured may lead us to all of them."
Silver nodded thoughtfully.
"So it wasn’t just one gang operating around that area, huh?"
"I highly doubt it."
Ravenna quietly looked toward the departing convoy.
"...Hopefully this helps."
"It will." The captain answered confidently. "You’ve probably saved more lives than you realize."
One of the investigators approached carrying a portable scanner.
"Mr. Ruddington, Ms. Arkland. We’ll need formal statements."
Silver nodded.
"Of course."
The process took nearly twenty minutes. The investigators asked detailed questions about everything. How many attackers, what weapons they used, where each camp had been located, who surrendered first, and where the prisoners had been left.
Silver answered calmly, recalling every important detail. Ravenna occasionally added small observations he had missed, particularly regarding the positions of the hidden riflemen and the female Rank Two bandit she had fought.
When the interview finally ended, the investigator closed his notebook.
"That should be sufficient." He smiled politely. "Your cooperation is appreciated."
Captain Harris stepped forward once more.
"One final thing."
Silver looked at him.
"The Association offers standing rewards for wanted criminal groups. The exact amount depends on confirmation, but..." He smiled. "I imagine the payment for Doyle’s gang will be substantial."
Silver wasn’t particularly surprised. He had expected as much; still, the extra resources would certainly help during the long journey ahead.
The captain extended his hand.
"On behalf of Checkpoint Fifteen... Thank you."
Silver shook it firmly.
"We were simply protecting ourselves."
"Perhaps." The captain replied. "But you also protected everyone traveling this road after you."
As the checkpoint gates slowly opened before them, Silver drove the car inside.