Chapter 415: Chapter 415: Montague
After returning to her room, Nina Jacobs took out the phone Zoraida had given her.
There were no outlets or charging ports inside the correctional pod. Only a dim light on the ceiling stayed on, uncontrollably, late into the night.
Nina Jacobs found a power bank, and the phone soon powered on.
The photo album did indeed contain many videos the two sisters had recorded, as well as pictures of Isabella Ramsey mending clothes for people.
Then, Nina Jacobs came across a long-shot photograph.
From the photoâs perspective, a group of people was indeed gathering.
They werenât wearing the baseâs guard uniforms, but a variety of plain clothes.
A tall, middle-aged man stood at the frontâhe looked like he must be General Hughes.
âIs this the Shadow Legion?â
The photo was a bit blurry when zoomed in due to the distance, but she could faintly make out a few figures who looked similar to some of the people she had seen around the train that day.
âThe supplies that were shipped out, that group of people, and General Hughes and Mrs. White... looks like theyâre all in it together.â
This photograph provided a clear answer.
The only question was how many supplies and Crystal Cores were left in Lornwood Base, and where the previously transported supplies had gone.
That night, based on the information gathered from the Little Zombie Rats, the underground tunnels seemed to have ceased operation.
One Little Zombie Rat on a rooftop saw Ms. Carter leaving the correctional pod.
Another Little Zombie Rat seemed to have run into a "dead end" and hadnât found its way out yet...
Nina Jacobs and Wayne Warnerâs third fighting competition match was scheduled for the afternoon.
The Team 1 newcomers, who had only been in the correctional pod for two days, had unexpectedly become the two new stars of the fighting competition.
People had been rushing to place their bets since early in the morning:
"Put all my money on these two!"
"Iâm betting on Nina Jacobs."
"I want to bet on Wayne Warner..."
"Are you sure? Her opponent today is the Wood Element user, Montague."
"What? Itâs Montague?"
"The Wood Element has an advantage over the Earth Element. Plus, Montague is ruthless. Maybe we should bet on him?"
"That makes sense..."
Nina Jacobs still bet 500 Crystal Cores on herself, only this time she had Zachary Sterling and the others place the bet for her.
Nina Jacobs didnât appear in the corridor leading to the arena until just before the fighting competition began that afternoon.
A figure was leaning against the wall.
When he saw her approaching, he extended an arm to stop her.
"Itâs you?"
Nina Jacobs looked at Dominic Sloan with confusion and wariness.
He had been her opponent in her first match.
"Be careful of him. He uses poison," Dominic Sloan said, looking down.
Nina Jacobsâs expression shifted slightly.
"Thanks," she said and continued walking forward.
The match was about to begin.
Nina Jacobs stood in the center of the arena, lost in thought.
âMontague, huh?â
âLooks like this fight is bound to be tricky.â
"I finally have the chance to witness Miss Jacobsâs Superpower firsthand."
Montague stood opposite Nina Jacobs, a profound look in his eyes.
He drew closer to Nina Jacobs and said in a low voice,
"How about we cooperate? If youâre willing to lose to me, Iâll get you out of this place."
"Not interested."
Nina Jacobs was already on her guard, but his words still made her feel that there was more to him than met the eye.
"Is it because you have friends here? The one in Team 5? Easy. As long as you agree, getting him out wonât be a problem either," Montague said.
"One minute left," Nina Jacobs said, glancing at the screen.
"What?"
"Thereâs less than a minute until the match starts. Iâd advise you not to stand so close to me."
Nina Jacobsâs gaze was unwavering.
If he really wanted to cooperate with her, he wouldnât have waited until now to bring it up.
âThis Montague is either taking a gamble or trying to throw off my rhythm.â
"Not an ounce of trust, huh? What a shame. Iâve had my eye on you for a few days. How about you be my girlfriend?"
Montague no longer lowered his voice, asking with a teasing tone.
He wasnât worried about todayâs match.
He knew that even if he lost, she wouldnât kill him.
This was also the reason he had decided to participate in this match after such a long break.
Besides, his mission today was to defeat her.
Ever since Nina Jacobs killed a few spectators who interfered with her first match, the arenas were usually quiet whenever she appeared.
Hearing Montagueâs words, many people in the crowd couldnât help but curse under their breath.
This was because Montague was utterly debauched, had a rather sleazy appearance, and loved to use his Wood Element Superpower to publicly humiliate Female Superpower Users he fancied.
"What a coincidence. Iâve had my eye on you for a few days, too."
As Nina Jacobs finished speaking, the starting whistle blew.
Montague paid it no mind, assuming Nina Jacobs was just saying it to be contrary.
Meanwhile, Wood Element Vines were already spreading out behind him like tentacles.
"Then let me start by showing you some tender love."
The stronger the opponent, the more he looked forward to seeing her entangled by him.
âWith so many people watching, itâs definitely going to feel amazing.â
Several vines shot toward Nina Jacobs at high speed.
Although the vines werenât particularly thick or sturdy, their strength was in their numbers. It seemed impossible to sever them all at once, even with an Earth Element Superpower.
"Even if you can defend, letâs see how long you can keep it up."
Montague had absorbed a large number of Wood Element Crystal Cores before the match, planning to wear Nina Jacobs down in a battle of attrition.
"Why isnât she dodging!"
Someone was already sweating bullets for her.
"Who said I was going to defend?"
Nina Jacobs watched the sky full of menacing Wood Element Vines, then waved her hand to control the flow of her Superpower. A dazzling Fire Curtain instantly erupted into the air!
Before Montagueâs disbelieving eyes, his Wood Element Vines were instantly reduced to ash.
"H-How is that possible?!"
Montague stared at the ashes falling to the ground.
âAm I dreaming? Isnât Nina Jacobs an Earth Element Superpower User?â
"A Dual Element Superpower User!"
Someone shouted.
The atmosphere in the arena was instantly ignited, and many people began to cheer in shock.
"Youâre a Dual Element? Why didnât you say so before?!"
Montague took a few steps back.
This wasnât what he had expected.
"I never said I wasnât. Thereâs no rule against it in the pod."
A smile touched the corners of Nina Jacobsâs lips.
She had never intentionally hidden her strength; her Earth Element Superpower had simply been enough for the previous matches.
"You..."
Montague wanted to say more, but Nina Jacobsâs incredibly fierce Fireball was already hurtling toward him!
BAM!
Montague immediately conjured vines to block it, but the moment they came into contact with the Fireball, they instantly burned to cinders.
What horrified Montague the most was that the Fireballs didnât stop thereâthey could even track him.
Watching Montague being chased all over the arena by several Fireballs, the surrounding spectators burst into laughter.
"And here I thought you were something special. Compared to her opponents in the first two matches, youâre pathetically weak."
Nina Jacobs stood her ground, a smile on her face as she watched him with an expression like she was watching a monkey perform tricks.
Montagueâs strength lay in his ability to quickly conjure multiple vines.
But in the face of a higher level of power, it was utterly useless.
"Nina Jacobs! You can talk big after youâve beaten me!"
As Montague spoke, several vines suddenly sprouted from beneath his feet, snaking rapidly along the ground toward Nina Jacobs.
At the same time, a Wood Shield appeared in front of him.
In response to all this, Nina Jacobs simply snapped her fingers. A pained scream followed, and Montague couldnât stop himself from dropping what he was holding.
A silver metal bottle rolled onto the ground.
"Damn it."
In an inconspicuous corner, a woman couldnât help but stand up.
"Well, well. Now itâs been exposed."
The man in a suit beside her said with a look of helpless regret.