Chapter 217 - 205: 10 Fragmented Corpses

At the same time, the messenger Chester Sawyer had sent to Morgan Sterling delivered the news of Flora Bloom’s return.

Morgan Sterling was startled at first to hear that Flora Bloom had returned. Then, a cunning smile spread across his face.

Her quirky yet proud and unapproachable demeanor had truly captivated him. ’It’s good that she’s back,’ he thought. ’If I use her mother and younger brother to get her to come with me to the secret location, the chances of success will be much higher.’

Meanwhile, Flora Bloom and Lex Cross arrived outside Morgan Sterling’s villa, accompanied by Luna, Five, Saul Sterling, The Crown Prince, Tanuki, and Nolan Jennings.

Flora Bloom suddenly stopped, her brow furrowed. "I sense at least ten superpower users in the villa, ranging from Second Level to Level 3. Mostly Fire and Wind Element, but there’s also one Earth Element and one Ice Element... Wait, is there a Space System user too?"

Just then, a faint, soft white light emanated from Saul Sterling’s body. Afterward, he looked at the others with a relaxed expression and smiled.

"Fortune-teller, you got a read on it? What’s the situation down there?" Five asked anxiously. He knew Saul Sterling must be using his superpower to scout out the water prison beneath Morgan Sterling’s villa.

Saul Sterling looked completely confident. "Everything is under control."

"What are you guys talking about?"

Five grinned smugly. "The fortune-teller’s superpower is incredible. It has no offensive power, but it can generate a complete topographical image of the surroundings for several miles. No matter how well an enemy is hidden, they can’t escape his detection. Pretty badass, right, sis-in-law?"

Flora Bloom stared at Saul Sterling in astonishment. She never imagined this pale, scholarly-looking man was such a rare type of superpower user. He was practically a walking satellite surveillance system.

Imagine if your enemy could monitor your every move. He would know all your plans and be fully prepared before you could even gather your people to attack.

It was an absolute nightmare.

Her thoughts turned to the Great Zombie Siege in the third year. If Saul Sterling could predict the distribution of zombies in every base...

At that thought, the way Flora Bloom looked at Saul Sterling changed.

Saul Sterling, who had been under Flora Bloom’s intense gaze for a while, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He looked back at her, his expression making him seem like he wanted to cry but couldn’t.

"Sis-in-law, can you please stop looking at me like that? If you need something, just say it. You’re giving me the creeps!"

Flora Bloom let out a soft chuckle, then got back to the matter at hand. "There’s a Space Ability User down there, though only at the First Level. But a Space Ability is notoriously hard to defend against. Can you pinpoint their location?"

Saul Sterling’s expression turned troubled. "Sis-in-law, my surveillance can only tell me everyone’s location, not what kind of superpower user they are. To easily discern another person’s superpower element and level, you need exceptionally strong spiritual power. There are very few people like you. In any case, I can’t do it."

’That makes sense,’ Flora Bloom thought. ’If someone could really detect both location and superpower levels, they’d be too overpowered.’

She frowned slightly and sighed. "Are my mom and brother okay in there?"

Saul Sterling nodded. "Your mother seems unharmed. Your brother, however, looks like he’s taken a bit of a beating."

"By the way, Morgan Sterling is in the main hall. It seems like he knows we’re coming."

Flora Bloom’s eyes darkened. "Let’s go. Time to pay a visit to the leader of the Morhaven safe zone."

Lex Cross glanced back at The Crown Prince and Tanuki. With the tacit understanding built over many years, they instantly knew what to do. Their figures vanished from the entrance to Morgan Sterling’s villa.

Inside the villa, Morgan Sterling still wore a relaxed, seemingly benevolent smile. When he saw Flora Bloom walk in with her group, his smile grew even wider.

"Little Flora, after being gone for so many days, you’re finally back!"

Before Flora Bloom could say a word, black energy erupted from Lex Cross beside her, and his form began to flicker, becoming indistinct.

Morgan Sterling’s eyes widened as he launched his superpower at Lex Cross’s position, only to find he had struck nothing but a wall.

After flickering, Lex Cross’s figure melted into the shadows. The next second, a dagger sliced cleanly across Morgan Sterling’s neck. Morgan Sterling had just enough time to clutch his throat, his eyes bulging in disbelief.

"You were courting death."

Simultaneously, The Crown Prince and Tanuki appeared behind Morgan Sterling. They too wielded daggers, and every thrust struck a vital point.

In a single instant, the leader of Morhaven Base, a Wind Ability user of at least Level 3, was dead.

Flora Bloom sighed in frustration. "I hadn’t even asked him for the address of that secret location yet!"

Lex Cross turned his hawk-like gaze to Flora Bloom. "As it happens, I know of a secret location too."

Flora Bloom had expected the fight against Morgan Sterling to last at least a little while. She never thought it would be over in less than a minute. Morgan Sterling, a Wind Ability user of at least Level 3, died with his eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.

The Lex Cross she knew hadn’t reached the Middle Level yet. This was a complete slaughter of a peer, and he hadn’t even used his explosively powerful Thunder Ability. He’d used this same move when he killed the zombie ox. At first, Flora Bloom had thought it was the Dark Element, but a Dark Element superpower shouldn’t be able to allow someone to vanish and reappear so quickly and silently in broad daylight.

’This guy... he might really be invincible among those at the same level!’

’I wonder, once Annelise Locke fully develops her powers, who will be stronger—her or Lex Cross?’

The group found the entrance to the basement. The moment they opened the door, they were hit by the overwhelming stench of blood.

The color drained from Flora Bloom’s face. She shoved past the others and rushed inside recklessly.

Morgan Sterling had called this place a water prison, and it was clear why: the floor was submerged in ankle-deep water. The water had a salty, oceanic scent—it was seawater.

’How could there be seawater in a basement?’ Flora couldn’t figure it out, but she had no time to think about it. Her only thought was to charge forward, the scent of blood an assault on her senses.

’Please, don’t let it be my mother and brother!’

’Please, don’t let it be my mother and brother!’

’Please, don’t let it be my mother and brother!’

Finally, the narrow, dark passage suddenly opened up. The abrupt brightness made Flora Bloom squeeze her eyes shut, unable to adjust.

Ahead was a corridor wide enough for five people to walk side-by-side. Flanking the corridor were two metal-barred gates, like ancient prison cells.

One of the cells stood open, the stench of blood pouring out from within.

Flora Bloom scrambled through the water toward it. Inside, she saw Joel Bloom leaning against a far corner, drenched in blood. His head and forehead were bleeding profusely.

He saw Flora Bloom, and his terrified gaze slowly came into focus.

"Joel, what happened? Are you hurt?"

In front of Joel Bloom lay the bodies of ten men, looking as if they had been dismembered and torn to pieces. The seawater on the floor, mixed with their blood, gave off a nauseating stench.

The cuts on the bodies were perfectly smooth, yet the limbs were shattered without any pattern. No weapon could have caused this. Not even the most powerful Wind Ability.

’Unless...’

Suddenly, a soft, trembling voice came from the other cell behind Flora Bloom.

"Flo-Flora!"

Flora Bloom tossed a bottle of water to Joel Bloom, then spun around and hurried toward the other cell.

The metal bars of this cell, a good three centimeters in diameter, had been sliced clean through by some unknown force.

Flora Bloom stepped into the cell. Jade was sitting in the seawater, her gaze vacant and her nerves frayed. She couldn’t stop shaking.

"Flora, I... I... I killed people!"