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Rose could simply set out with Sparrow and the others tomorrow morning to ensure she reached the nearest route safely.

Rose nodded in understanding, recalling that Kisha had mentioned Duke’s message originated from the southeastern edge of the city.

This meant they were making their way toward the eastern part, aligning perfectly with their planned coordinates for tomorrow’s meeting.

Setting out in the morning wouldn’t be too late; as Kisha had suggested, Rose could easily hitch a ride with Sparrow when they departed for Port City, significantly reducing her travel time on foot.

With a nod, Rose agreed with everything Kisha had said.

Kisha smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling with warmth. ’It truly is a pleasure to speak with smart people,’ she thought, gesturing for them to get back to their tasks, including Aston.

Meanwhile, Kisha decided to stay in the study to check on the base in City A and chat with her little brother.

She wanted to gauge their status and ensure they were aware of the rising threat posed by mutated animals and plants, reminding them to be vigilant during patrols, especially when venturing into the city.

Kisha couldn’t help but hand Keith more vials of black and blue liquid for emergencies, along with some stamina boosters.

She also tossed him more Scarlet Honey and a selection of spiritual crops and fruits.

Keith happily accepted the gifts, feeling as though he was living in a ’Solo Leveling’ manga, where rewards appeared out of nowhere after completing missions.

Kisha smiled, indulging his antics, knowing it would help improve his mood and make him happy.

Keith shared updates with Kisha about the transformations happening at the base in City A and how the people were adjusting.

Although Kisha could monitor these developments herself, she let Keith speak, encouraging him to express his dissatisfaction.

He noted that while the Evans and Blythes families were integrating smoothly, the Evans had begun to distance themselves due to lingering tensions, leaving them feeling awkward around Melody.

However, Melody seemed oblivious to the changes; she was too focused on crafting her image in front of the newly arrived Winters’ men from the other cities and neighboring areas.

And it was expected even more newcomers to arrive soon.

Kisha also discovered that many of the Winters’ men hadn’t survived.

Although the initial phase saw fewer transforming into zombies, most had perished during their travels, as they navigated areas swarming with undead that could easily overwhelm a city.

Those who made it through were among the toughest and most skilled.

Many had begun their awakening process, and this time, unlike their initial experience at the base, none of them were flustered or anxious.

Instead, Elios took the lead, assisting and monitoring the group.

After Keith shared Kisha’s teachings about the awakening process, Elios found himself much better equipped to guide them and diligently kept a log of their experiences.

The Winters men fully trusted the process when they learned it stemmed from Kisha’s guidance.

After all, they wouldn’t have made it this far without her firsthand warnings, and their group would have been ill-prepared without her support.

Without Kisha, they could have faced annihilation.

The only oblivious one among them was Melody.

She believed she was well-received by the Winters men and that they revered her as the future young madam of the family.

However, the reality was different; many were simply ignoring her.

They refrained from voicing their opinions to spare her feelings, but in truth, her actions held little weight.

The Winters had already chosen Kisha, and even if Duke chose not to be with her, she would remain the only woman, aside from Mrs. Winters, who could command their respect and authority.

The Evans observed the Winters men’s attitude and attempted to reason with Melody, but she lashed out at them instead.

Realizing their efforts were futile, they decided to back off and let her be.

It was preferable to see her working diligently to maintain her image than to burst her bubble and risk her becoming a liability.

As far as they were concerned, it was better for everyone if she continued in her delusion.

The influx of new arrivals significantly boosted their manpower, enhancing the base’s defenses.

Many members could now participate in supply runs throughout the city, focusing on essential items like gas, camping equipment, LPG gas, fuel, batteries, and more.

They were essentially hoarding everything they could get their hands on, and Kisha couldn’t have been happier with their progress.

Unbeknownst to everyone, an invisible barrier protected their base, yet they remained vigilant.

The team diligently scouted the perimeter and maintained their defenses to guard against surprise attacks or ambushes.

Surrounded by dense forest, they were acutely aware that zombies could be lurking nearby at any moment.

After learning that the Winters men had gathered a substantial collection of supplies, Kisha instructed Keith to store everything securely in the warehouse for easy access.

This way, she could retrieve items whenever necessary and also Kisha increased the food allocation for the base each day.

With this system in place, she no longer had to worry about supplies accumulating in the territory’s inventory that she needed to transfer to the Supply Center without raising suspicion at HOPE Base.

Instead, she could simply send the excess supplies to the base in City A, effectively solving her dilemma.

While others fretted over dwindling supplies and hunger, Kisha found herself concerned about the excessive accumulation of resources in her inventory.

She recognized the need to strategize effectively, ensuring that these supplies could be leveraged to her advantage in the future.

With the increase in manpower at City A’s base, more individuals were tending to the farm she had placed within the base, resulting in thriving crops and healthy animals.

While the yield wasn’t quite as abundant as those in her territory space, it was sufficient to sustain everyone at City A’s base.

Kisha discovered that the "Green Thumb" boost effect she enjoyed within her territory also extended to the farmland in City A, since it was essentially part of her territory.

This centralization of the boosting effect brought her immense satisfaction, further solidifying her plans for growth.

However, everyone assumed that the Blythe family’s growing proficiency in farming and taking care of the animals was the sole reason behind the exceptionally large crops.

Unfortunately, the animals had not experienced the same boosting effect in growth, as Mike’s abilities did not extend to them in City A.

Overall, the base in City A was thriving; it wasn’t facing nearly as many challenges as HOPE Base.

Despite being a mega city, Duke’s men had surprisingly encountered no setbacks, allowing them to amass a substantial stockpile of supplies.

They even identified several smaller, self-sustaining shelters around City A.

Instead of bringing every survivor back to their base, Duke’s men had the foresight to send them to these nearby shelters.

Kisha felt a surge of elation knowing that Duke’s men were making pragmatic decisions rather than acting like heroes, as such behavior could jeopardize the longevity of their own base.

Fortunately, she had already relayed this approach to Hawk and Eagle, who took her advice seriously and diligently followed her instructions.