Day 10 A.F.P 7:47 AM

Dale walked into an old seven-story office building in Seward. It had been abandoned during the economic crash over ten years ago, leaving it miserable. In the lobby, he found Soma in the receptionist's desk, working on an old touch screen tablet that must be older than the building. Due to neglect, the place is covered in filth, rotting and rusting away. He noticed several tamers were busy cleaning up the area by collecting the garbage, sorting out the salvageable material, removing the cobwebs from the walls, and mopping the floors with disinfectant.

Dale. "You wanted to see me, Soma?"

Soma. "Ah, Dale, my friend! I know that you have been working hard the last few days. So I thought of giving you a break by having you escort a Tamer from China around our base."

Dale. "Escort? Why waste time on this kind of thing when I didn't ask for a break."

Soma. "Actually... representative Lang Chi requested that you show him around."

Dale. "Tell him that I wish to spend my time-saving Tamers trapped in bug-infested cities across North America."

Soma. "I, for one, don't plan on pissing off Chairman Zao by refusing his representative's request."

Dale. "Chairman? Is Zao not coming back to the Tamer battalion?"

Soma. "Zao hasn't been officially installed as Chairman, but it is inevitable. He needs to rebuild a government to execute his will, so he won't be free to play Knight of Bees anytime soon. Plus, there is the risk of a rogue military coup if he doesn't stay there to do his duties."

Dale. "Right... They tried to blow him up in the Saint Petersburg mission."

Soma. "I am glad that you have the time to read my mission reports."

Dale. "I still don't think it's right to share them with me. I am just a civilian with some monster skills."

Soma. "You and Zao had been designated as the Tamer Battalion's best aerial war assets by the Admiral. Now that Zao is out, you might become the Head of the Air Cavalry, given the overwhelming nature of your skills and contributions to the war effort."

Dale. "But I have no background for this kind of stuff."

Soma. "Doesn't mean you can't learn on the job."

Dale made a reluctant nod before letting out a frustrated sigh.

Dale. "I am still not used to people saluting me when I walk around the place. I mean, it's only been less than a week since we all joined the Tamer Battalion."

Soma. "It's funny how that seems to be bothering you instead of the whole monster invasion and destruction of the world we know."

Dale. "I mean... the Icebugs don't really pose a danger to me anymore. It's only a matter of time before we push them back to the pillars."

Soma. "Don't get cocky, Dale. You might think that you are untouchable during the day, but I know you can't do anything at night. Plus, the Icebugs aren't the only threat to our world."

Dale stared at Soma with an annoyed expression since he was among those who knew his skill sheet, and the man would rub it in every time Dale tried to act tough.

Dale. "So, where is that representative you mentioned."

Soma. "Speak of the devil. He is right behind you!"

Dale found a young Chinese man wearing the new Tamer Battalion uniform. The flag of China is imprinted on his right shoulder to signify his country of origin.

Dale. "You must be representative Lang Chi."

Lang chi stopped in front of Dale and bowed to greet him, which Dale awkwardly mirrored back.

Lang chi. "Call me Tamer Lang! Zao referred to as the Black Phoenix with Sun God-like powers."

Stolen story; please report.

No one has ever called Dale by that name... not directly at least, but he had not heard of any other Tamer who could fit that description so far.

Dale. "Um... ya, I think that's me. I prefer the name Dale."

Lang Chi. "He talked about you in great detail, and I am eager to fight alongside you in Texas to skills with my own eyes."

Dale. "Texas?"

Dale turned around to ask Soma, who had resumed his work on the old touch screen tablet.

Soma. "Over three dozen tamers and a few hundred non-tamers are holed up inside a stadium in Dallas, Texas. The Admiral assigned you to the mission last night since that place is crawling with enough Icebugs to warrant your fireball bombing run."

Dale. "When were you going to inform me about it?"

Soma. "The mission hasn't been finalized yet. They are trying to find assets that can transport such a large number of survivors. By tomorrow you should be receiving the details of the mission on your phone."

Lang Chi. "Now, will you show me around, Seward? I have heard that you have Support Wings with Tamers who do not possess combat abilities. I am curious to see what they have accomplished so far."

Dale. "I haven't explored the base lately. Too busy on the frontlines killing bugs and stuff. Soma, do you mind showing us around?"

Soma. "Sure... it's not like I am busy collecting intel and managing base security."

Dale. "Is that a no?"

Lang chi. "Those skills make you the perfect guide for us."

The blood vessels on Soma's forehead twitched before he got up from his chair and forced himself to put a smile on his face.

Soma. "Why not? I have been meaning to talk to the heads of each wing. It would be better to talk in person instead of the video messages."

Lang chi. "Why don't we start here in this building?"

Soma. "Right now, there isn't anyone here apart from the cleaning team and me. I plan to make the lower half of the building into the home of the administrative wing. It will be their job to register new Tamers to take care of their food, housing, and personal needs. They will also be the ones who will assign Tamers to the right combat or Support wing based on examining their skills in various tests. The top floors will function as a meeting place for the Heads of the Tamer battalion support wings to coordinate with each other and the U.G.P leadership."

Dale. "So, where are they located right now."

Soma. "I assigned most of the support wings to the old industrial area in the Eastern side of Seward. That place has the resources and space to build their respective workshops and offices. I convinced Rebecca to loan them the Neo-Atlas androids and Industrial 3D printers from her bunker to help them get things set up. It should take a week before they have places worth visiting. But I can at least get you to meet their heads during lunchtime. They all will head to the base cafeteria around 1 PM."

Dale. "Is there any place that is up and running?"

Soma. "The Food Production Wing has claimed the farmlands to the north. They have been operating there for over a week now, so there should be something worth checking out."

Several minutes later, the three arrived in front of a ranch with a signboard at the entrance that says 'Tamer Battalion - Food Production Wing.' There are hundreds of trees bearing all kinds of fruits and nuts spread across the ranch. In the center of the farm, dozens of Vegetable Greenhouses are built in a row. Opposite to them are buildings dedicated to the production of Mushrooms that use rotting wood for their growth. On the other side, large fields of Corn and Potatoes are being grown, and some of them seemed ready for harvest.

Lang chi. "Chairman Zao told me that there was food scarcity when he stayed here. So it's incredible to see the abundance of food that is now being grown."

Dale. "Didn't the offshore oil spills screw up the land a few decades ago? How come everything seems so fertile?"

Soma. "That was the case, but our Tamers were able to fix that issue."

Further in the ranch, they found an artificial pond with a signboard that says Crab Nursery. Fist-sized Ice Crabs roam around the area and eat the damaged fruits that fell from nearby trees.

Dale. "Looks like the Monster Crab farming is going well."

"Monster Crab growth cycles are far shorter than normal Crabs. These little guys will be big enough to harvest within a week."

A man of British origin walks up the trio and stands beside them to admire the crabs as they feasted on the rotting fruit.

Soma. "Guys, this is the head of the Food Production Wing, Richard. He is responsible for transforming this place into what you see around you."

Richard. "Hey, I have a team of twenty tamers who all did their fair share to build this place. Each one of them takes care of different products."

Soma. "Don't be modest! Because of you, the fertility of the land has increased, right?"

Richard. "Well, I did help with that, but the others do the actual caretaking and harvesting work."

Dale. "What are you guys talking about?"

Richard. "Ah, let me show you how I improved the soil quality."

Richard guided them into a forest that looked like it had been untouched by man for millennia.

Richard. "My monster has a skill called 'Land before time' if she roots herself in a spot for at least six hours, then this is the result."

Lang chi. "You mean this entire forest came up because of your monster?"

Dale. "This is incredible, but where is it?"

Richard. "You see that enormous tree at the center of the ancient forest? That's Claire. She is a Dreadnoughtus that specializes in the Wood element. But you wouldn't guess she a Dinosaur from this distance."

They soon found themselves underneath a massive Dinosaur who stood so still that she seemed to be more tree than a being made of flesh. Nearby is a Stegasaurus and several other Monsters that share the wood element. Their tamers were busy harvesting herbs from the nearby trees and cutting wood that would be sent to the mills to turn into office furniture.