After all, nature couldn't recover without diversity. She even hoped to find more mutant creatures like this dinosaur egg—creatures capable of producing seeds, mammal offspring, or even spores to rebuild what had been destroyed. Maybe then, the world could return to something resembling normal. It was a beautiful dream, though one that felt almost unreachable. Still, the storage space upgrade filled Caroline with renewed determination. She wanted to find more mutant creatures, power up her storage space even further, and gather all seven energy colors. After resting inside with Raven and Jet and sharing a quick meal, Caroline stepped back out feeling completely recharged. It was already late afternoon. Her upgrade mission had wrapped up ahead of schedule, so she decided to return to the mobile base. But on her way back, she spotted a military vehicle parked up ahead. Haroldson was behind the wheel. When Caroline rode up on Raven, Haroldson spotted her instantly. His face brightened as he waved enthusiastically, and when he saw Raven, he slammed on the brakes, too excited to keep driving. “Raven! Caroline!” Haroldson waved both arms like a maniac, as if she might miss him entirely. Caroline steered Raven closer and smiled. “What are the odds? You guys out here on a mission?” It had been a while since she last saw him, and the first thing she noticed was that he'd gotten taller. He was only 19, still in that last stretch of growth. Seeing how much he'd shot up made her think of Denton. Maybe that short king still had a chance after all. “Yeah, we're out on assignment,” Haroldson said as he stopped the vehicle and motioned for the soldiers in the back to move out.They seemed to have reached a nearby checkpoint. The young soldiers climbed out, gathered their gear, and went about their tasks. Haroldson stayed behind. He clearly wanted to talk to her, and no one seemed to mind. Caroline's name carried weight in the military. Many of the younger ones respected her. She watched the troops disappear into the distance and noticed how their uniforms were different from before. Each suit had visible padded bulges—probably cooling packs designed for field endurance. Apparently, since Andrew's matter had been resolved, the old commander had been upgrading everything. Even the rookies were better equipped now. Once everyone else was gone, Haroldson leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Caroline, I've got something to tell you. But you've got to keep it to yourself, okay?” Caroline met his gaze. There was a spark in his eyes, the kind that came from holding a juicy secret. “I'm only telling you because you're one of us,” he added with a grin. She nodded right away. “You can trust me. I won't say a word.” Still, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of secret the army could possibly be hiding. Haroldson smiled. “It's not exactly a big deal. More like inside intel. You're close with the military anyway, so Colonel Sutton would probably tell you soon enough. But right now, it's still classified. And it has something to do with our current mission.” He pointed toward a large structure nearby. Caroline followed his finger. It was a shopping mall. Most malls by now were stripped bare—no food, no drinks, no supplies. Just empty shelves and dust. “The military's preparing to mint currency,” Haroldson said. “We're switching to gold. Our mission is to collect whatever's left from places like this. Once the base is finished and everyone moves in, gold coins will become the new standard.” As he talked, he reached out and scratched Raven's neck. Raven was in his larger form today, about the size of a small horse, which made it easy for Haroldson to pet him. The creature gave a low rumble of contentment, closing his eyes halfway as if savoring the attention.“If you've got spare time, you should start collecting gold too,” Haroldson continued. “The military's going to trade with civilians later—goods for gold coins—to keep the mint stocked. But Hornvale's already been picked clean. If you want a shot, head to the southern outskirts. The army won't go there because it borders Luxvale. Too many complications. Whatever's left there is basically free for the taking.” Caroline's eyes brightened. The southern outskirts—she hadn't explored that yet. If there was gold, there were probably jewels too. That alone made it worth the trip. She had already noticed most other areas had been stripped of gold, leaving only the occasional gemstone behind. Only the place she searched first still had gold jewelry left. It must have been too far out—or maybe too close to the border for anyone else to risk collecting.