Chapter 297: Not Possible! It's a Certainty

Nathan Thorne had been lying on the armchair, staring blankly as he listened to the two of them talk.

But as he listened, Nathan Thorne began to sit up straighter and straighter.

Finally, he was sitting bolt upright, his posture as proper as a schoolboy, his face a mask of shock.

He looked just like a kindergartener hearing a story for the very first time.

Nathan Thorne blinked his wide eyes, and it took him a long moment to find his voice.

“Sierra, you have to be joking, right? How can a zombie possibly have thoughts!”

Seeing Nathan Thorne’s look of disbelief, Sierra Sullivan sighed in resignation. “It’s not just you who doesn’t want to believe it. I don’t want to believe it either.”

‘Zombies are already hard enough to deal with. A zombie that has consciousness and harbors such a deep hatred for me will only be that much harder.’

“So, are you saying that the reason these zombies and Aberrant Beasts are constantly besieging us is because Autumn Lynch is pulling the strings from inside?”

Before Sierra Sullivan and Jayce could say anything, Nathan Thorne glanced around warily. “What we just said was all just speculation. It’s not confirmed. Let’s make sure none of us ever brings this up again.

“Candice, what we were just talking about concerns your sister’s safety. You must not tell anyone! Not a single person, understand?”

Candice Tate clapped both hands over her little mouth and nodded emphatically, her eyes filled with determination.

‘I won’t tell!’

‘I won’t tell anyone!’

‘I’ll protect my sister, too!’

Watching the tall man and the little girl look at each other, Sierra Sullivan felt a warmth spread through her heart.

‘How lucky am I to have friends like these in the apocalypse?’

‘No!’

‘They’re more than just friends!’

‘They’re family!’

‘They are my family!’

‘No matter what happens, the first thing they think of is protecting me, not blaming me for the danger I attract.’

‘And I will definitely protect every single one of them, too!’

As Sierra Sullivan was lost in thought, she felt someone gently take her hand.

The touch was familiar. Sierra knew it was Jayce’s hand.

“Sierra, don’t worry.” Jayce lifted his chin, his face brimming with confidence. “Whether she’s just a regular zombie or one with a mind of her own, I’ll take care of her. As long as I’m here, no one will ever threaten your safety.”

“M-hm!” Sierra Sullivan nodded with a smile. “You’re so powerful, of course I believe you!”

They looked at each other and smiled, surrounded by an intimate bubble no one else could penetrate.

Nathan Thorne had just finished instructing Candice Tate when he saw this scene. He wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed them vigorously.

“I mean, seriously, you two, that’s enough! Of all times, you’re going to be all lovey-dovey now? Can’t you consider the feelings of a single dog like me? Single dogs get hurt, too!”

Candice Tate looked at Nathan Thorne curiously. “Brother Nathan, aren’t you a person? When did you become a dog? What kind of dog is a ‘single dog’? Does that mean you have to eat dog food from now on? What happens if there’s no dog food?”

Nathan Thorne, “…”

Nathan Thorne took a deep breath. “You’re just a kid, you don’t get it. I’m not going to argue with you. But speaking of food, I really am getting hungry. Sierra, I want to eat! I want to eat lots and lots of food!”

With a smile playing on her lips, Sierra Sullivan said nothing. She immediately took a table out of her storage space and quickly covered it with all sorts of food.

The portions were generous, but the variety was limited and not too conspicuous.

After all, with so many eyes watching, eating too lavishly would attract unwanted attention.

In their current situation, it wasn’t wise to make more enemies, so it was better to be more discreet.

While she couldn’t bring out a lavish feast of meat and fish, fruits and vegetables were a different story.

After all, both Candice Tate and Jayce were high-level Wood Ability Users.

With the two of them around, producing any amount of fruit and vegetables was perfectly normal.

Sierra Sullivan looked over at Hector Grant, walked toward him, and took out a large supply of fruits, vegetables, rice, and flour.

“Captain Grant, everyone’s exhausted from the continuous fighting. Please distribute this among them.”

Hector Grant’s expression was full of emotion as he looked at the mountain of food in front of him.

‘Much of the time, Sierra Sullivan appeared indifferent, even a little cold-blooded.’

‘But he could tell that her heart was still warm.’

‘She must have her reasons for acting so cold.’

“Alright!” Hector Grant agreed in a heavy voice. “I’ll have my men distribute it right away. On behalf of everyone, thank you.”

Sierra Sullivan smiled. “There’s no need for thanks. Just not forcing us to be Dr. Hayes’s test subjects is thanks enough for me.”

Hearing this, a flicker of awkwardness crossed Hector Grant’s face.

“I promise, what happened before won’t happen again…”

Seeing Hector Grant actually get nervous, Sierra Sullivan found it a bit amusing. “I’m not blaming you, Captain Grant. I never realized you had such a sensitive side.”

Hector Grant’s face turned red. “Uh, well, I’ll go get to it.”

He turned to call over his subordinates, his retreating back looking a little flustered.

Sierra Sullivan was somewhat surprised to see the normally calm and competent Hector Grant show such a side of himself.

But she had to admit, this version of Hector Grant felt much more approachable.

The supplies were quickly distributed by Hector Grant and his people.

Many people glanced gratefully in Sierra Sullivan’s direction, but knowing her aloof personality and dislike for pleasantries, they didn’t approach to thank her personally.

Simon Hughes, Claire Vance, and their subordinates also received food, but they were not nearly as pleased.

Claire Vance curled her lip. “She clearly has so much power but is too afraid of dying to do what’s necessary. And now she’s trying to buy people’s loyalty with these petty handouts. What a joke! Who cares about this junk? Is she treating us like beggars? It’s just a Wood Element Ability. It’s not like we don’t have one of our own!”

Both Simon Hughes and Claire Vance had brought a Wood Ability User with them on this trip, precisely to ensure they wouldn’t run short on food and water.

Feeling self-assured, Claire Vance naturally didn’t think much of the handout.

Simon Hughes toyed with an apple. “Claire, you can’t look at it that way. It’s free stuff delivered right to our hands. It’d be a waste not to take it, don’t you think?”

Claire Vance didn’t continue the topic. “Those people who went in with Dr. Hayes… just how much stronger are they going to get? How about this: after we fight off the next wave of zombies and Aberrant Beasts, we just take our people and leave?”

Seizing the opportunity to leave before more zombies and Aberrant Beasts closed in was the only solution Claire Vance could think of right now.

But Simon Hughes shook his head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Think about it. Why do those zombies and Aberrant Beasts only swarm us periodically? You don’t think they’re just appearing out of thin air, do you?”

Claire Vance’s eyes widened. “You mean… they’re on their way here right now? If we leave, we might run straight into them?”

“It’s not ‘might’,” Simon Hughes said, shaking his head. “It’s ‘definitely’.”