Jet didn't get it. Dogs were pack animals. Being treated as "one of the pack" was the ultimate respect. To them, "benefactor" didn't even come close. "I even wanna swear brotherhood with him!" Jet rambled on and on. Mostly, he talked about General's daily life and how the pack was doing. He even mentioned some of General's quirks. For example, when General got lovey-dovey with his wife, he didn't hide it, making the single male dogs in the pack super uncomfortable. He wasn't picky about food, but he'd never touch human flesh, even if other dogs did. As for his wife, she was terrified of humans, especially strangers. But inside the pack, she ruled like a queen and adored General completely. She loved showing him off to young male dogs, telling them to learn from him. She even encouraged the youngsters to date and expand the pack. And so on. The more Caroline listened, the more she smiled. It all felt magical. Saving General back then had been a split-second decision. At one point, she'd almost ended up his enemy. But now, she thought rescuing him was one of the best choices she'd ever made. If she wanted, she could even bring General and his mutant dog army under her command, but she had no intention of doing that. That big dog had been bound, abused, used, and betrayed by humans—almost killed. Once, he had given humans his deepest loyalty, his most precious trust. He served on an empty stomach. He took every hit, every whip, and still wagged his tail, nodding for approval. He worked the hardest but ate the least. Like, even if he ended up as someone's dinner, he'd only ask "why" and never fight back. It wasn't until Raven spoke to him and pushed him to rebel that things changed. Now, he was free—wild, fierce, and strong. Caroline couldn't bring herself to ruin what he had become. In General, she saw something raw and powerful. It felt like the world was clawing its way back into balance. Even in the apocalypse, life engines were kicking back into motion. Even in a ruined age, there was a force tearing free from its chains, surviving with fangs bared and claws sharp. General belongs to the world now. Not to anyone. That was incredible. That was the best version of General in Caroline's eyes. By the time the sun rose high, Caroline and the crew had finally reached the mobile base. They climbed out of the car and stood before the huge courtyard wall. Caroline spread her arms like she wanted to hug the entire place. "Look—our new home!" The sun poured gold across the ground. The whole mobile base gleamed under the warm light. Caroline gave the speech she'd prepared, introducing the base. It had once been a normal villa, rebuilt by her ability. Later, they could upgrade it using mutant creature corpses. "Whoa, that's awesome!" Denton said, eyes shining. He tiptoed like he was peeking over the wall. "Caroline, can you save me a spot to raise rats?" Caroline's mouth twitched, but she agreed. The base was huge, and Denton's rat army was useful. A backyard corner would work, adding another layer of security. A mutant rat patrol guarding the villa? Pretty badass. Off to the side, Tyler didn't say much, but the longing in his eyes was obvious as he stared at the building. Anyone watching would think he was plotting upgrades and reinforcements. The truth was, he was just excited. He was about to share a room with Caroline and start a new life. Nelson, on the other hand, suddenly pulled a scalpel from his coat and started scraping the wall. "Just taking a sample to study back home." Too bad—the scalpel bent. The wall was way tougher than he expected. Caroline thought he might give up. But then, he turned, eyes blazing. "Caroline, did you modify this wall too? Have you tested what it's made of? My research brain is on fire! Mind if I grab a drill and take a piece off?" She had no words.