Chapter 228 - 149: Assassination

Paige Summers slipped away from the main group not long after they set out, turning back the way they came.

She had promised Ben she would go find him, and she couldn’t break her word.

Marcus Monroe had wanted to go with her, but Sweetie’s speed would be too slow carrying two people, so in the end, she went alone.

Only after she was a good distance away from the group on foot did she climb onto Sweetie’s back.

Her figure was light, allowing Sweetie to reach incredible speeds. The pair streaked through the sky like a flash of lightning, and it wasn’t long before they arrived at the spot where she had parted with Ben.

From the air, she could see no one around, but she decided to wait anyway.

Who would have thought that the moment her feet touched the ground, the earth not far away would begin to tremble. A figure then burst from the soil and rushed to her.

It was Ben!

He was covered in dirt, and though his face was expressionless, Paige Summers could feel that he was very happy!

She couldn’t help but smile, but then she sighed.

"I came to say goodbye. My friends and I are returning to Central City, which is very far from here. After this, it’ll probably be hard for us to meet again..."

Ben’s hand, which had been reaching out to stroke her hair, froze. His not-so-nimble eyes stared at her blankly.

"You have to be careful on your own from now on. It’s best to hide if you encounter any powerful Superpower Users." Paige Summers continued, as if talking to herself, "I know you have no choice; everyone is just trying to survive. But if you can, try not to attack innocent people..."

"What I’m really trying to say is, I hope you can keep on living. Regardless of whether you count as human right now, at least you can understand me, and you even helped me a great deal! So, be well and survive."

After talking for a while and seeing little reaction from Ben, she stopped and gave a helpless smile.

"Am I being too long-winded? Alright, let’s get to business. Here, take this." She took out a small vial with a thin layer of Rainbow Water at the bottom. "This seems to be good for you, but I can’t be one hundred percent sure. Keep it safe. If you’re ever in danger, it might be worth trying."

Her hand hung in mid-air, but Ben didn’t reach out to take it.

Paige Summers looked at him, puzzled. "What’s wrong? You don’t want it?"

Ben lowered his gaze for a long moment, then slowly reached out, grabbed her arm, and refused to let go.

"You... want to come with me?"

Ben nodded.

Paige Summers sighed. If it were possible, she would have agreed.

It was just that, although he looked very human, he was still different. The faint smell of decay, though minimal, was still there. If he spent a long time in a crowd, the chances of being discovered were still very high!

Once he was exposed, they would all be in grave danger.

Not only that, but the people around her would definitely be implicated as well.

The implications were too great.

She couldn’t risk everyone’s lives!

Besides, Sheldon Reid was still watching her. If she really brought Ben back, he would probably find out immediately!

"I’m afraid that’s not possible..."

Ben let out a few mournful whimpers that sounded like human sobs. Paige Summers was in a difficult position. She tapped her forehead with her other hand for a long time, then suddenly had an idea.

’If I just leave him with other Zombies, the consciousness he’s developed might slowly fade away. His Earth Element Power is so strong now; if he attacks humans, probably very few could escape unless they were a powerful High-level Superpower User!’

’On the other hand, if I take him with me, maybe I can prevent that from happening.’

’Zombies don’t necessarily have to eat humans, do they? Mutant Beasts also have energy. Maybe they could be a substitute.’

’Besides, he already looks so human. If he evolves further, maybe he can recover more of his human nature!’

’Nadia and Andy are both researching the Zombie Virus. Maybe they can find a way!’

She pondered for a moment, then said, "Although I can’t take you back with me, you can follow our group from a distance. As long as you stay far enough away, you probably won’t be discovered! Once we get to Central City, it’ll be much easier for me to come out and see you. What do you think? Can you keep up?"

Ben’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.

Paige Summers finally let out a breath of relief and patted his hand. "Alright, it’s getting late. I have to hurry and catch up to them. You can follow along in a bit! It might be hard to find a chance to see you on the road, but I’ll do my best!"

With that, she turned to call for Sweetie, only to find it hiding far away from them. "Sweetie?"

Sweetie dawdled, flapping its wings reluctantly. Ben shook her arm and pointed at himself.

Paige Summers realized. "You’re saying it’s afraid of you?"

Ben let out a low grunt.

Paige Summers’s lip twitched. ’Sweetie, you useless thing, do you have to be so scared!’

She had no choice but to say, "Anyway, just remember that’s Sweetie, my pet. If I need to find you or have it lead the way, I’ll probably send it over first. Just don’t hide from it."

After she said this, Paige Summers thought she saw a hint of amusement in Ben’s eyes, as if he were saying, ’I won’t hide from it, but it will very likely hide from me.’

She rubbed her nose. "I’ll have a good talk with it and explain that you’re a friend, so there’s nothing to be afraid of."

Having explained everything to Ben, Paige Summers walked over and sat on Sweetie’s back.

Sweetie refused to even look at Ben and shot into the sky.

After she returned, she told Marcus Monroe about her plan to have Ben follow the group.

He didn’t object, though he believed the chances of a Zombie returning to a human state were extremely slim. But since Paige Summers insisted on trying, he said no more.

She also found a moment to tell Claire Chapman about Ben.

Claire Chapman, being the remarkably open-minded person he was, found it fascinating and kept saying he also wanted to meet such an unusual Zombie.

Paige Summers couldn’t help but tease him, "I just hope you don’t get scared and not dare to go near him, like Sweetie!"

"How is that possible! Someone like me, Claire Chapman, has guts of steel..."

Hearing him boast, Paige Summers couldn’t help but laugh.

’I’m so glad the people around me can understand my actions.’

’I guess that’s what the old saying "birds of a feather flock together" means!’

With that settled, Paige Summers felt a little more at ease and followed the group’s retreat obediently.

’With his Earth Element Power, Ben should be able to keep up without much effort.’

However, after they made camp that day, trouble struck in the middle of the night.

Sheldon Reid was the target of an assassination attempt!

Although the attacker didn’t succeed, two members of the Power Corps were killed and several were injured. As the assassin fled, they also injured three Superpower Users from the Mercenaries who had been standing by as onlookers, throwing everything into chaos.

Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe both agreed it was likely someone sent from Norgate. The opponent’s strength was considerable. It seemed Gryphon Lowell had the resources to back up his bid for independence.

Sheldon Reid was, of course, furious. His resolve to take down Norgate hardened even further.

On the surface, however, he did a good job of placating everyone.

But the Mercenaries were already on bad terms with the Power Corps, and this incident nearly caused a major conflict. Claire Chapman had to step in to calm the situation.

Sheldon Reid watched with a cold gaze, feeling that this man was far from simple.

’He’s so young yet already has such strong leadership skills. He speaks and acts with decisiveness. Give him time, and he’ll surely become a major player!’

He had originally planned to win him over, but unfortunately, because of the incident with Paige Summers, Claire Chapman had an extremely poor impression of him. Whenever they interacted, Claire remained polite but distant, refusing to get close.

Sheldon Reid realized that his relationship with Paige Summers was much stronger than he had anticipated, which made him cool his intentions.

Afterward, the assassin refused to lie low, striking whenever an opportunity arose.

Although Sheldon Reid significantly strengthened his defenses and remained unharmed, it was incredibly annoying.

This situation continued until they were halfway through their journey. Sheldon Reid’s arm finally healed. He devised a plan, deliberately revealed an opening, lured the assassin into a trap, and personally dealt with them once and for all!

Only then did things quiet down.

At the same time, Leon Vaughn also sent him good news.

The plan had gone smoothly. The Skyfire Squadron had completed their mission brilliantly, not only causing widespread chaos in Norgate but also provoking Gryphon Lowell into making a move against Milton Faraday. Unfortunately, the man was too cunning and managed to escape Norgate before he could be captured, his whereabouts now unknown. ’But heading out into the wilderness alone... one can imagine his fate won’t be a pleasant one!’

Sheldon Reid was slightly displeased by this, but Milton Faraday was just a minor nuisance, not worth much of his attention. His focus remained primarily on Norgate.

’Once I return this time, I will definitely propose a full-scale assault on Norgate. It should also be time to make use of Nora Lowell!’

While he was busy scheming, so was Paige Summers.

Everything was going smoothly with Ben. He was trailing the group from a distance, neither losing them nor being discovered. ’It seems he’ll be able to reach the outskirts of Central City safely.’

’But after returning to the city, will my life ever be as peaceful as before?’

’Of course, "peaceful" is a relative term.’

’Will Sheldon Reid shift his focus, or will he continue to hound me? That’s the main question.’

That evening, she sat alone in her tent, missing Marcus Monroe a little.

Two days prior, Marcus Monroe had taken Sweetie and returned to Central City ahead of everyone else. It was a decision they had made together.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend more time with him, but he had left in a hurry and still had many matters to attend to in the city. Once she learned this, she refused to let him waste time waiting for her.

Although their relationship had progressed significantly, neither of them was the clingy type. Furthermore, with the current unstable situation, they had to focus on the bigger picture.

Before he left, Marcus Monroe had urged her to seriously consider leaving Central City. Paige Summers mulled it over and over but couldn’t make up her mind.

’Honestly, I’m really reluctant to leave.’

’Summers Armaments has already made a name for itself. The collaboration with the Mercer Family has not only given me the chance to develop new melee weapons but also to learn about many firearms. I was just preparing to gradually shift the focus of my Artifact Making toward that area.’

’If I leave now, all of that will undoubtedly have to be put on hold.’

She had a vague feeling that Marcus Monroe’s ambitions didn’t really lie in Central City. His main interest in Jovitas was gathering information and building connections. What he truly wanted was likely to develop his own power base in Southreach.

After all, the politics in Central City were too messy. There were too many constraints here; building up an armed force was no easy task. Besides, he already had a foundation in Southreach that he had built over several years. It was absolutely impossible for him to just abandon it!

She sighed and lay down in her clothes.

’I’ll just... wait and see.’

And so, after more than a month, they finally returned to Central City!