Chapter 88 - 57: Encounter

After regrouping, the other squads took turns reporting on their scouting missions.

Dawnbringer Base wasn’t completely deserted. They’d spotted some of its original inhabitants hiding. However, most were just elderly or infirm commoners. There were very few Superpower Users, and the ones they did find had no combat abilities.

This proved that the vast majority of people believed a Beast Tide was imminent.

They hadn’t encountered the zombified animals they’d been on guard for, but according to the vague accounts of some residents, there were indeed Zombies in the base.

Hearing this, Howard Everett glanced at Erin Quinn, who was nestled in Paige Summers’s arms. ’Of course there are,’ he thought. ’We’ve already seen proof of that firsthand!’ It was funny, really. At first, he’d assumed she was just an ordinary person, but upon examination, he discovered she wasn’t. In fact, it seemed she was just like him—a Spiritual System Superpower User.

His gaze shifted to Paige Summers. ’She must know about the little girl’s superpower, right? She’s keeping it under tight wraps! Or does she just not trust us—or even the boss—enough yet?’ He had a strong feeling that their boss falling for a girl who seemed so clueless meant there was a long and arduous road ahead. Sneaking a glance at Marcus’s stern face, Howard felt a strange sense of equilibrium settle in his heart...

No one paid any mind to his musings. Once everyone had finished speaking, Marcus Monroe, representing both squads, briefly recounted to the others how they had acquired the supplies.

It was only then that Paige Summers realized she was the reason they’d found the tunnel. The entrance, it turned out, was hidden within the wall of the very house that had collapsed...

’Whoever dug this tunnel was an absolute genius!’

Traveling after nightfall wasn’t wise, so they made camp for the night within Dawnbringer Base.

Having indirectly confirmed the high probability of the Beast Tide and scoring an unexpected haul of supplies, Marcus Monroe saw no reason for them to linger.

Early the next morning, the group packed up, got in their vehicles, and set off for Glimmerlake Base.

Erin Quinn woke up shortly after they got in the car. Though she’d had a fever for half the night, her spirits were much improved after some water and food. Levi Young’s custom-made medicine was clearly potent; aside from the wound on her leg, which would take time to heal, even the signs of blood loss were barely noticeable.

"Were you the one who brought me back?" she asked quietly, after hesitating for a long moment.

Paige Summers blinked. "Mhm. You’d better be grateful, you hear?"

Erin Quinn stared blankly for a second before her expression shifted to one of scorn.

But Paige Summers took a deep breath, reeling from the massive surge of goodwill energy in her chest.

After a moment, she roughly ruffled the girl’s hair. "You little rascal, saying one thing and feeling another! Once you’re healed, you need to start training so you don’t get dragged off by Zombies again."

Erin Quinn grumbled in frustration.

In truth, she wasn’t an ordinary child. She had learned a thing or two about killing Zombies and Mutant Beasts from her father. It was just that this time, everything had happened so suddenly she’d had no chance to put her skills to use.

She couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

"They... I mean, that woman from yesterday... What happened to her?"

Paige Summers shot her a look. "They’re all dead."

"...Oh."

Erin Quinn couldn’t quite put a name to the feeling in her heart.

She and her father had been neighbors with Elara Archer’s family. They had been close—Elara had even held her in her arms often. But ever since Patrick Forrest became a Zombie, everything had changed...

’It’s better that they’re dead.’

After a brief moment of confusion, her gaze slowly turned cold.

The vehicles pressed on. According to the planned route, they should arrive in five days, barring any surprises.

Paige Summers, however, didn’t expect the journey to be that smooth.

Sure enough, on the afternoon of the third day, they ran into a small pack of Mutant Beasts. There were over twenty of them, each one ferocious and agitated.

Thankfully, they were only level-three and level-four mutants.

With Marcus Monroe’s squad, whose coordination doubled their lethality, plus Paige Summers’s opportunistic shots and Erin Quinn’s surprise attacks—even Sweetie got in on the action, diving at extreme speed to peck out the eyes of two Mutant Beasts—they unsurprisingly claimed victory after a fierce two-hour battle.

However, three people were injured. Though the wounds weren’t severe, Marcus Monroe decided they should make camp early to rest up and get back to peak condition.

In the second half of the night, it was Paige Summers and Sweetie’s turn to stand watch.

After making their patrol and finding nothing out of the ordinary, the girl and her bird headed for the campfire.

To her surprise, Marcus Monroe was sitting there.

In the faint glow of the fire, his chiseled, resolute profile seemed much softer, his expression less severe.

Paige Summers suddenly realized he was actually quite handsome. While not as classically good-looking as Shawn Monroe, he had a more heroic, formidable air about him. Just seeing him sitting there quietly was enough to make one feel a sense of reliability and peace.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, sitting down beside him.

Marcus Monroe was silent for a moment before replying, "It’s nothing."

Seeing he didn’t want to talk, Paige Summers didn’t press him. ’After all,’ she thought, ’our relationship is only a little more than a working partnership. We’re hardly at the point of sharing our deepest secrets.’

The surroundings were silent, broken only by the occasional CRACKLE of the burning firewood.

Paige Summers propped her chin on her hand, watching the flames in silence.

Suddenly, a sound seemed to drift from the distance.

She immediately sat bolt upright, her eyes meeting Marcus Monroe’s.

They both saw the same message in the other’s eyes: someone was coming!

Without a word, Paige Summers moved forward and stamped out the fire, then darted back to the tent to scoop up Erin Quinn. Meanwhile, Marcus Monroe was waking everyone else.

The approaching party was still some distance away, so the group dismantled the tents with practiced speed, and Marcus Monroe stored them in his space. Then, they quickly found places to hide. The campsite they’d chosen, with its scattered trees and earthen mounds, offered enough cover for twelve adults and one child to conceal themselves.

After they were hidden, they waited a while longer before the sound of approaching, somewhat noisy footsteps grew louder.

Her body tempered by goodwill energy, Paige Summers had exceptionally sharp eyesight. Even in the dead of night, perched several meters up in a tree, she could faintly make out the face of the group’s leader.

Shawn Monroe...

’He came after all!’

And not just him. Paige Summers didn’t even need to look to know that the woman following closely behind him was Nora Lowell.

It seemed Leanne Walsh had told them more than she’d thought. At the very least, their heading was undoubtedly toward Glimmerlake Base!

"Young City Lord! The fire’s still warm. They can’t have been gone for long."

"Mm. Take a few people and scout the surrounding area. If it’s clear, we’ll make camp here."

Paige Summers heard their exchange and felt a wave of frustration. ’You’ve got to be kidding me! Are we really going to have to spend half the night up in this tree just to avoid that guy?’

Just as she was thinking this, her gaze suddenly froze.

There was no mistaking the figure following behind one of the men, helping to tidy up.

Leanne Walsh!

’How could it be her?!’

’When Howard Everett went to find her, he clearly said...’

’Wait a minute.’ Paige Summers replayed the scene in her mind and suddenly realized—they had never, from start to finish, actually said they’d brought Leanne Walsh back by force!

’So... that’s how it was!’

She bit her lower lip hard, suppressing her rage.

’No matter what, I have to get through this first.’

’And after that...’

Heh... Her lips twisted into a dark, sinister smile. She was going to have a long, hard talk with Marcus Monroe!