The victory at Central Park was a turning point. It wasn't just a military victory; it was a political one. The city's official government, its authority already shattered by the Awakening, was now utterly powerless. The police and the remnants of the military, having been saved by the Nexus, unofficially ceded control of the city's defense to the strange, powerful group of "kids" from Northwood High.
The dungeon gate in the park, a source of terror for the rest of the city, became a resource for the Nexus. Under Nox's strategic guidance, they didn't just fight the monsters. They farmed them.
"The Orcs in the dungeon's first level are a renewable resource," Nox explained to his new council, which now included Matthias and a handful of other competent leaders from other survivor groups who had been drawn to their banner. "They provide EXP, raw materials for the forge, and, most importantly, combat experience for our new recruits."
