Chapter 474: News from Forrest Sterling and the Capture

Chapter 474: Chapter 474: News from Forrest Sterling and the Capture

"Darling, you have to find out what happened! My brother, Ethan Soto... how could he have just vanished like that?! Someone must have hurt him!"

Megan Soto’s voice was sharp and tinged with tears. "He likes to fool around, I know, but he would never disappear for this long without a word!

Someone must have gone after him!"

Shawn Gardner.

A member of the Central Base Administrative Committee, a core figure in The Resource Faction, and Megan Soto’s husband.

He slowly nodded.

"Alright, don’t worry." His voice was steady, carrying the characteristic composure of a man in power.

"The base has seen a huge influx of survivors from other areas recently. It’s a complicated situation. We can’t rule out the possibility that someone found out who Ethan is and is trying to use him to threaten me."

He stood up, walked over to the communication console, and pressed a button.

"I’ll have people look into it.

Every surveillance record, every list of people coming and going—we’ll go through it all.

As long as he’s still in the base, we will find him."

Megan Soto relaxed slightly at his words, but the hatred on her face didn’t diminish in the least. "When you find them, you have to make the people who hurt him pay!"

Shawn Gardner didn’t respond. He just stared into the darkness outside the window, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

...

Meanwhile, inside the RV on the surface.

The atmosphere was far more relaxed than in the hellishly hot world outside.

Dexter Luther held his bowl, shoveling large mouthfuls of the fried rice Seraphina Sullivan had just made. He was practically inhaling it.

Crystal Lynn and Matthew Dawson next to him weren’t much better. Though their eating was a bit more refined, they were just as fast.

"I’ve been meaning to ask, Sullivan," Dexter Luther said through a mouthful of food, his eyes glancing out the window. "What’s the deal with that... that Snow Cloud outside?"

Everyone followed his gaze.

Through the window, they could clearly see a white cloud drifting slowly about ten meters above the RV. Fine snowflakes fell from it, turning to white mist in the scorching heat of the cataclysm and bringing a rare coolness to their small area.

Seraphina Sullivan had just used her [Worker] Talent and was now adjusting the details of the [Highly Poisonous Potion] Skill from her [Pharmacist] Profession.

Hearing Dexter Luther’s question, she answered casually, "It’s an item I got from the last instance, called the [Weather Cloud].

Every day, you can choose one type of weather and create it in a small area."

She paused, then added, "Unfortunately, the range is too small, just this little patch.

If it were bigger, it might even be able to help everyone resist the cataclysm’s extreme heat."

"That’s already incredible!" Dexter Luther exclaimed in genuine admiration. "Look at those Four Seasons Deer. They’re all just lying there, not wanting to move an inch."

It was true. A dozen or so Four Seasons Deer were lying contentedly around the RV, enjoying the rare coolness. A few had even started to doze off.

Seraphina Sullivan smiled but said no more.

She looked toward Crystal Lynn, changing the subject. "If you came over here by yourself, what about Freya Lynn? Is she alone underground?"

Crystal Lynn waved her hand. "I don’t have to worry about that. I traded some supplies to have a dependable older woman look after her.

She used to be a kindergarten teacher, so she’s great with kids. Plus, she lives right next to us, so it’s really convenient."

"That’s good," Seraphina Sullivan nodded.

In a corner, Paul Payne was eating the fried rice in his bowl, taking small bites.

It had been a very, very long time since he’d eaten food this hot and fragrant.

Every bite made his eyes well up.

He stole a glance at Seraphina Sullivan, then at Dexter Luther and the others who were wolfing down their food, and thought to himself:

’I have to seize this opportunity.

Stick close to them.

Only by following them can I truly become stronger and get my revenge.’

Just then, a faint light materialized in the center of the RV. It rapidly coalesced, finally taking the form of a dove, pure white and composed entirely of energy.

The dove flapped its wings, landed steadily on the table in front of Seraphina Sullivan, and then dissolved into a line of faintly glowing text.

"That’s Forrest Sterling’s Ability."

Sean Chandler glanced at the Energy White Dove resting on the table, his tone as matter-of-fact as ever.

Dexter Luther put down his bowl and frowned. "Forrest Sterling? Why would that guy use his Ability on us right now? Does he have some important news for us?"

He wasn’t very familiar with Forrest Sterling, having only worked with him a few times.

Sullivan was the one who knew Forrest Sterling well.

Of course, since they had all come from the Vorlag Safe Zone together, Dexter Luther knew that he had a brother named River Sterling, who had later died in an instance.

Before he could finish his thought, the Energy Dove suddenly vibrated slightly, and Forrest Sterling’s voice came out of it.

His voice was cool and carried a hint of urgency:

"Sullivan, did you piss off someone important at Central Base?"

The RV fell silent in an instant.

Seraphina Sullivan’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but her voice remained steady. "Forrest, what makes you say that?"

On the other end, Forrest Sterling was huddled in the cramped dorm room he’d been assigned, staring at a faintly glowing Communication Jade Scroll in his hand.

It was a standard-issue device he had received from that "special department," which he could use to receive internal messages.

He hadn’t forgotten that back in the Vorlag Safe Zone, it was Seraphina Sullivan who had saved his brother’s life.

Although his brother ultimately hadn’t made it back from the instance alive, he had never forgotten that debt of gratitude.

So when he inadvertently saw the internal bulletin, his heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, he used his Ability to form the Energy White Dove.

"Because my Ability is special, I was recruited into a special department at Central Base,"

he said quickly into the jade scroll. "I just got some intel—a few higher-ups from The Conservatives are planning to make a move on you tomorrow for some reason.

I don’t know the specific time or method, but they’ve already given the order. They want to capture you."

"The Conservatives?"

Seraphina Sullivan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’Before, by using Control on Dylan Kane, I’d already pried a lot of Central Base’s secrets out of that poor bastard.

And the information Paul Payne gathered later filled in more of the picture of the various factions.

The Conservatives... their representative is Ethan Soto’s brother-in-law, Shawn Gardner.’

Seraphina Sullivan thought of Ethan Soto.

’It seems Ethan Soto’s disappearance has been discovered.’

Seraphina Sullivan quickly calculated in her mind. ’Dylan Kane was under my Control, so he definitely succeeded in dealing with Ethan Soto.

According to my instructions, he should have also killed himself after completing the mission.

But there’s no way Shawn Gardner would just let it go. He would definitely investigate...’

’The fact that both Dylan Kane and Ethan Soto disappeared right after preparing to make a move on me is obviously suspicious.’

Before she could sort out her thoughts, Paul Payne, who was off to the side, suddenly spoke up. "The Conservatives? Could it be... that Connor Webb’s side is preparing to make a move?"

Seraphina Sullivan froze.

’Right, I forgot about him.’

She looked at Paul Payne.

Paul Payne gritted his teeth and continued, "Among the information I gathered earlier, there was a piece that mentioned the higher-up who invited Connor Webb to Central Base was Ethan Soto’s brother-in-law, Shawn Gardner."

The air inside the RV seemed to freeze for a moment.