Chapter 105 - 106: Thank You for Killing Them

"How could it have nothing to do with it? It has everything to do with it! You live so well because you’re in the base—that’s why you can stand there and lecture me so self-righteously! If you were really like us, with no food, no water, and no one to look after you, I refuse to believe you’d still be acting like this!"

Todd Jacobs’s eyes grew even more sinister.

"What do you want to do now? Take us back to the base and put us on trial? What, are there still laws? Can you still go to prison?"

"Boys, going to prison doesn’t sound too bad! You get food, water, and it’s safe! What do you say, boys?"

Upon hearing Todd Jacobs’s words, the men all burst out laughing.

Their laughter was wild and arrogant.

Sierra Sullivan watched them calmly.

’They didn’t seem human at all—more like Aberrant Beasts wearing human skin.’

’Maybe in this apocalypse, not all Aberrant Beasts were alien creatures.’

’Some had existed long before the apocalypse ever began.’

’They were just too good at hiding themselves.’

’Now that the apocalypse had arrived, with no rules and nothing to fear, they finally showed their true colors.’

"Take you back to the base? Put you in prison? Give you food and water?" General Aldridge repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You couldn’t even hope for that in your wildest dreams."

Todd Jacobs’s smile vanished. "What’s that supposed to mean? You want to make a move on us? Just the three of you? I get it—you’re Superpower Users, aren’t you? So what! Who isn’t a Superpower User nowadays? If it weren’t for our Superpowers, we wouldn’t be living this good life!"

General Aldridge wasted no more words with Todd Jacobs. He simply unleashed his Superpower.

The fight didn’t last long.

Sierra Sullivan and Jayce didn’t even have a chance to act.

General Aldridge, by himself, was like a walking Gatling gun.

Todd Jacobs and his crew were riddled with holes in a matter of moments.

’If they hadn’t let Todd Jacobs run his mouth for so long,’ Sierra thought, ’his body would have been cold by now.’

General Aldridge didn’t spare a glance for the bodies of Todd Jacobs and his men, walking directly toward the kitchen.

He was back in a flash.

He then went to check the other rooms.

Sierra had wanted to follow and see what was happening, but the returning General Aldridge stopped her.

"Don’t go."

"Huh?" Sierra looked at General Aldridge, confused.

"No survivors left," General Aldridge said.

Sierra pressed her lips together, her heart a tangle of emotions. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

No survivors left.

Just three words, yet they landed like a massive stone on Sierra’s chest, crushing the air from her lungs.

Jayce walked over and patted her shoulder gently. "Everyone has their own fate. There’s not much we can do. Don’t overthink it, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself."

They had been reborn, but they were not saviors.

Sierra glanced again toward the rooms inside, but ultimately decided not to go over.

’General Aldridge stopped me for a reason.’

’Some things are better left unseen.’

As she came to this realization, Sierra felt a sense of release.

The three of them were just about to leave when the door was pushed open from the outside.

The man who had led them in earlier suddenly appeared at the door.

The next moment, the man saw the scene inside clearly—he saw the bodies of Todd Jacobs and his men.

"Todd?"

"What happened to Todd?"

"You... you killed Todd?"

The three of them just watched him quietly, saying nothing.

’I wonder if he’s going to try and avenge Todd,’ Sierra thought.

But to her surprise, the next moment, the man dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"If you hadn’t killed them, I don’t know how much longer we would have had to suffer!"

"We not only had to serve them, but at any moment, we could have become their next meal... Thank you! I mean it, thank you!"

As the man spoke, he kowtowed forcefully, his face a mask of gratitude.

General Aldridge took a step forward. "So, you’re saying you were forced into this by him?"

"Yes, yes!" The man nodded frantically. "It wasn’t just me! Many of us were forced! If we didn’t obey, they’d kill us, and our friends and family too. We had no choice! They’re all Superpower Users, but none of us have powers. We really..."

As he spoke, he covered his face and began to cry.

His whimpering sobs sounded as if he were truly heartbroken.

But beneath the sorrow, there was a hint of relief.

It was like the blade at his throat had finally vanished. No matter how he tried to hide it, he couldn’t suppress the elation in his heart.

’Sierra could understand that feeling.’

Once the man had mostly cried himself out, Sierra asked, "How many more of you are there, and where are you living?"

"We all live upstairs. There are over a hundred of us left."

"Over a hundred?"

Sierra’s voice shot up.

This building is forty-eight stories high, with six units per floor.

Even with just two people per family, this building should have at least five or six hundred people.

And that’s a conservative estimate.

But now, he was saying there were only just over a hundred of them left?

A bitter smile touched the man’s lips. "Hard to believe, isn’t it? This building used to have over a thousand people! But now, there are only a little over a hundred of us left. Some were killed by Aberrant Beasts at the start of the apocalypse because they didn’t know the dangers outside. Others died in their homes from lack of supplies or sickness.

But most were killed by them! They made other survivors lure away the Aberrant Beasts so they could go scavenge for supplies in nearby supermarkets and malls. Later, when the Aberrant Beasts became more numerous and powerful, they found it too difficult and, being the cowards they are, they stopped going out.

When they stopped looking for other food, they started using us as food... I’m amazed there are even a hundred of us left now."

Listening to the man, Sierra was at a loss for words.

She believed every word the man said was the truth.

And scenes like this were very likely playing out in other places.

The realization weighed even more heavily on Sierra’s heart.

But she didn’t let the feeling consume her. Taking a deep breath, Sierra said, "Take us upstairs. We’ll have a look."

"Okay!"

The man wiped his face, stood up, and led the way upstairs.

The upper floor was eerily quiet, showing no sign of life.

A lock hung on every door.

The man explained, "Todd Jacobs did this."

With a wave of his hand, General Aldridge effortlessly swept the locks from the doors, sending them clattering to the floor.