When Ian stepped through the gates of the City of Ashes, the scene in front of him stunned him slightly.
Quite different from the dead silence of the barren ruins outside, this survivor stronghold was full of chaos and vitality. The roads within the city were narrow and winding, and most of the buildings on both sides were constructed from waste and worn-out materials. The air was filled with dust, sweat, and a variety of unrecognizable odors.
Survivors with tired faces but alert eyes were everywhere on the streets. They gathered in the rudimentary market, trading with poor-quality food and waste materials. Occasionally, groups of patrolling soldiers passed by, armed with rusty but still deadly weapons.
"Kane?" Suddenly, a low, quizzical voice rang out behind Ian.
Ian looked back and a tall, lanky man was gazing at him with a questioning gaze. The opponent's face was covered with scars, his eyes were sharp and calm, and the equipment on his body was obviously much more refined.
Memories quickly surfaced that the man's name was Ron, one of the members of Kane's previous squad.
"Ron ...," Ian pushed down the strangeness that welled up in his heart and spoke tentatively, "You're still alive."
Ron frowned slightly, sizing up Ian in front of him, then sighed in relief, "Looks like you're not dead either, but ... where are the others?"
Ian's face was gloomy, slowly shook his head, "We encountered predators, the squad ... only left me alone."
Ron's expression stiffened at his words, and then he sighed, "Damn, it's the predators again ... Recently they have been appearing more and more frequently on the outskirts of the city."
"What the hell happened?" Ian asked with a frown.
Ron greeted Ian and walked with him, and the two of them walked slowly along the narrow and crowded streets, "Over the past period of time, more and more mutant creature attacks have appeared on the outskirts of the City of Ashes, and the situation has become very bad. Many squads have suffered heavy losses."
Ian's heart moved slightly as he pursued, "The forces within the city didn't take any measures?"
Ron snorted, "They were busy fighting each other for resources, how could they have time to pay attention to the threats in the periphery."
As Ron recounted, memories of the city's pattern surfaced in Ian's mind.
Although the City of Ashes was nominally unified, the actual control was split between three major forces:
The first is the "Brotherhood of Steel", which controls most of the weapons and equipment in the city. They believe in the primacy of power, and their rule is strong and brutal.
The second is the Enlightenment Alliance, made up of survivors with special powers. They run the region in a more humane way and have many psychics, but lack powerful weapons and equipment.
Finally, there is the Free Chamber of Commerce, which controls the flow of resources in and out of the city. They are wealthy and cunning, neither tough nor gentle, but only seek profit.
The ordinary survivors are caught in the middle of the struggle between these three forces, and their lives are difficult and dangerous.
"The current situation in the City of Ashes is very delicate, the conflict between the three forces against each other has gradually intensified, and there are even signs of armed conflict already." Ron said in a low voice.
"No wonder the situation outside is getting more and more dangerous ...," Ian pondered, "If the three parties continue to infight, the city's defenses will collapse sooner or later."
Ron sighed helplessly, "That's right, a lot of people think so. But the lure of power is too great, and no one is willing to take a step back."
The two came to the entrance of a more spacious stronghold, which was the gathering place that Kane had belonged to during his lifetime.
It was noticeably tidier and more organized than the rest of the city, and there were guards standing at the entrance, who nodded their heads to be let in when they saw Ron.
"This is our new base, everyone is safe." Ron explained, "Now we need survivors like you to bolster the ranks."
Ian nodded, his heart complex and heavy.
Ron patted him on the shoulder, "Come on in first, get some rest, we'll be in action soon. Things are getting out of hand on the outskirts of the city, we can't just sit back and wait."
Ian took a deep breath and stepped into the stronghold after Ron.