Adam stepped through the two-meter-tall iron gate. His eyes immediately landed on a three-story building towering in the middle of the compound. The paint was faded, but the structure stood firm, hinting at its long-standing presence. In front of the building stood a small tank statue on a block of concrete, facing straight ahead like it was ready for war. Not far from it, a tall steel pole was planted in the ground. The Indonesian flag fluttered gently in the morning breeze, its colors still vivid.
Adam and Amel slowed their steps. Their eyes swept across the crowd moving in front of the main building. Soldiers in uniform bustled about with their duties. A few men, fully armed, stood chatting quietly—gang members, Adam guessed. But among them, what stood out the most were the civilians. Some wore ragged jackets, others still in office clothes, and a few dressed in outfits that had no place in a survival zone.
Adam's gaze landed on a woman in a long red dress. Her hair was tied up neatly in a bun, and she walked with elegant steps. Behind her, two silent soldiers followed closely.
"A regular civilian?" Adam frowned. The woman didn't look like someone who had undergone evolution. There was no strong aura, no hint of crystal energy. But the way those soldiers guarded her… it said otherwise.
"Boss…" Amel tugged on his sleeve, her lips slightly pursed. "That lady's kinda weird, huh?"
"Shhh." Adam raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. "Don't draw attention."
They could only guess for now. Stirring up trouble with the wrong person in a place like this? Not a good idea.
The woman disappeared into the main building. Adam and Amel kept moving, blending into the flow of the crowd, observing their surroundings without standing out. To the left and right of the main building stood other facilities, each tightly guarded. Only soldiers were allowed through. Any civilian who tried to approach was stopped immediately.
But what made Adam come to a halt was the long line of people stretching along the path to the main building.
Amel tilted her head. "What are they doing?" she whispered.
Adam watched. Some of them were holding out sheets of paper to people walking by. Their auras weren't weak. The faint glow of absorbed crystal energy surrounded them.
Evolvers.
As they drew closer, voices began to rise.
"Blue Moon Gang's recruiting! Already evolved? Join as a core member!"
"Glory Gang is open for new members! Everyone's welcome!"
Amel's eyes widened. "Huh? They're recruiting here? But this is a military base!"
Adam didn't answer immediately. His sharp eyes scanned each gang in turn. Every group wore different symbols on their sleeves. Some looked organized, while others seemed like random survivors holding weapons.
His brows furrowed. "This is strange..."
How could gangs openly recruit inside military territory? Shouldn't that be forbidden? Or... were they being allowed to?
Curiosity pushed him to approach one of the recruiters. A young woman with a ponytail and a bow strapped to her back was handing out flyers to passersby.
"Excuse me," Adam said calmly, his tone curious but polite. "Aren't you worried the military will get mad about recruiting here?"
The woman paused, raising an eyebrow at him like she was sizing up someone who'd just woken up from a coma.
"Hm…" Her voice was flat. "You're new here, huh?"
Adam gave a small nod. "Yeah. First time entering a military zone."
Her expression softened instantly. She chuckled and nodded as if everything made sense now.
"Figures," she said casually. "Relax, dude. Recruitment in military alliance territory is totally normal. What you need to know is… the military isn't the only one with an alliance on this island."
Adam's steps froze. His focus sharpened.
Not the only one?
That meant there were other factions strong enough to form their own alliances?
"Who are they?" he asked quickly, his eyes narrowing.
But the woman just raised the flyer to her chest and smiled with a knowing look. "Join the Glory Alliance first, and I'll tell you."
Adam's brow twitched. This woman... she was smart. Way too smart.
She knew exactly how to play the game.
Beside him, Amel huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes. "We were just asking a question. Isn't that basic info? Why do we have to sign up for your gang first?"
The girl just giggled, clearly amused. She gave Amel an overly affectionate look.
"Oh my, you're so cute!"
Amel pouted immediately. "I'm sixteen. Not a kid."
The girl burst into laughter—light and satisfied. But when her eyes returned to Adam, her expression shifted to something more serious.
"Alright, alright. Here's a freebie. Listen up." She crossed her arms. "Besides the military alliance, there are five other major alliances. The two most dominant right now are the Paguyuban Bhumi Asri... and the Midnight Circle."
Adam froze for a second. Five alliances? And two strong enough to rival the military?
"Midnight Circle…" he murmured, trying to recall if he'd heard that name before.
A dozen questions popped into his head at once. Who founded it? Where's their base? How did they get strong enough to challenge the military?
He was just about to ask when the girl lifted a finger in front of his face.
"Stop. That's not free info," she said with a sigh, then rested her hands on her hips. "Honestly, I don't even know how many branches the military alliance has these days."
A small, awkward laugh escaped Adam's throat. Deep down, he had to admit—she was right. In times like these, information had become a rare commodity. But even knowing there were five non-military alliances was enough to widen his perspective on Java's current state.
"Thanks. I'm Adam. May I ask your name?"
Despite her playful attitude, Adam could sense strong positive energy and presence from her. She wasn't just some random recruiter.
"Clara. I'm the vice-leader of the Glory Gang," she replied with a wide smile, puffing her chest a little like she was proud of the title.
Adam gave a small smile in return. He was this close to introducing himself as the leader of the Death Angel Gang but decided against it. No reason to show off here.
"Impressive. We hope to learn a lot from you, Sister Clara."
Clara let out a cheerful laugh, clearly pleased by the compliment. Then her eyes shifted toward Amel, who had stayed quiet by Adam's side.
"And this pretty girl—what's your name?"
"Amel," the girl replied curtly. Her tone was soft, and she avoided direct eye contact. Clara's presence made her a little uncomfortable, though she didn't really understand why.
"Such a sweet name," Clara said warmly. "So, you two are here to register for your Evolver and gang cards, right?"
Both Adam and Amel nodded.
"Perfect. Let me help you out. No need to pay the registration fee," Clara said brightly, her eyes gleaming. "Let's call it my way of saying sorry for teasing you earlier."
She winked, then turned around with a bounce in her step, leading them toward the main building.
Adam and Amel followed behind her. Clara walked with confidence—her shoulders straight, her long hair swaying slightly with every motion. There was a kind of vitality in her movements, the kind that belonged to someone who hadn't lost their direction, even as the world fell apart.
"What an interesting woman," Adam murmured, smiling faintly.
He never refused genuine kindness. As long as it came from a sincere place, he would accept it without hesitation. Besides, a helping hand in unfamiliar territory was always appreciated.
The moment they stepped into the main building, the air changed. It was warmer inside, but also filled with motion. The room was spacious, with several desks and people walking around—each one clearly focused on their own tasks.
Clara headed straight toward the reception desk, then turned and waved at them.
"Adam, Amel! Over here!"
Her cheerful voice rang out clearly, causing a few heads to turn. But Clara didn't seem to care. She just stood there waiting, smiling with effortless confidence.