Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

”But that year, something happened. Sheldon Reid... was kidnapped. And along with him, another little boy was taken—his playmate. The boy was the son of his father’s subordinate, and it was said he was already showing signs of developing a superpower.”

Hearing this, Paige Summers’s heart skipped a beat. ’Wendy Lowell is mentioning this boy for a reason; it’s definitely not a coincidence.’

She had a sneaking suspicion.

”The kidnapper was one of his father’s rivals. He had been utterly defeated in their conflict, and his lover had run off with another man, taking their child with her. So he was filled with resentment. He didn’t kidnap them for ransom, but purely for revenge. The man beat and tortured Sheldon Reid and the other boy for days. When he saw they were on the brink of death, he threw them into a deep cellar and left them to die.”

As she spoke, Wendy Lowell’s pupils constricted slightly.

”I don’t know how he escaped, but just looking at the photos... It was no different from Hell...” She took a deep breath, pausing for a moment before continuing quickly, ”The cellar was covered in bloodstains. The other boy’s body was unrecognizable—his head was smashed in, and only bones were left of his body. And in the house outside the cellar, the man who kidnapped them was in a similar state!”

At this point, she abruptly looked up. ”After that, Sheldon Reid developed a superpower!”

For a moment, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Sean Raines, who had been listening beside them, stood with his mouth agape, utterly stunned. His throat felt so dry he couldn’t make a sound.

’Only bones left... Could it be? Did he get his superpower by eating them?’

When this horrifying speculation entered his mind, a chill ran down his spine, and the hair on his arms stood on end. In the apocalypse, there had been instances of people trading their children to eat them when starvation became extreme, but those were always heartless adults.

But Sheldon Reid was only twelve at the time!

’Just a child, but capable of such cruelty? When I think about the cold persona he projects now, I just can’t believe it. Is he schizophrenic? A great actor? An Oscar winner?’

’And the head, smashed in... Does that mean he even... ate the brains...’

At that thought, Sean Raines’s stomach churned. He felt like he was going to throw up.

He couldn’t help but turn to look at Paige Summers, only to find that she didn’t look particularly shocked. Instead, she seemed lost in thought.

After a moment, he heard her ask in a calm, measured tone, ”So, what exactly is his superpower?”

’...What kind of iron nerves does this woman have! If I didn’t know what kind of person she was, I’d really suspect she was so calm because she’s seen this sort of thing all the time!’

”I don’t know. That’s why I’m so worried.” Wendy Lowell shook her head. ”Back then, I accidentally saw those photos, and Old Man Yorke had no choice but to tell me about it. After Sheldon Reid was rescued, he was in a coma for a long time. When he woke up, he had amnesia and couldn’t remember anything that had happened. But the hospital tests showed he had a superpower. He admitted it but refused to say what it was. Old Man Yorke never mentioned it either, but I know Sheldon Reid’s spiritual power levels are extremely high, so I’m guessing he has a Spiritual Ability.”

”A Spiritual Ability?”

”Yes. But it’s definitely not a common Spiritual Ability like hypnosis,” Wendy Lowell said with certainty, her eyes narrowing slightly. ”But his superpower has a major drawback: it consumes a massive amount of energy, so he can only use it once in a while! I remember five years ago, he led his troops out to exterminate a herd of Mutant Beasts. I heard he was incredible, single-handedly killing the leader of the most difficult herd. That’s also when he earned the admiration of many in The Power Corps. But, while he was victorious, he had to be carried back and took a long time to recover. Old Man Yorke scolded him in private, saying he was reckless with his life. How could he use his superpower twice!”

Paige Summers was alarmed to hear this.

’Consuming a massive amount of energy means its destructive power is immense! Marcus Monroe hasn’t sent any news... could it be that he’s already run into him? Could he be injured?!’

Her expression grew heavy, and she rubbed her brow, filled with worry.

Wendy Lowell hesitated, then simply patted her hand. ”Just keep this in mind. If you really do run into him, do whatever it takes to protect yourself. You’re too tired. Get some rest. I’ll be going now. Mom... will be waiting for you to come back.”

”Okay. You take care of yourself too.” Paige Summers gently squeezed her hand back, momentarily setting aside her worries. ’Regardless, this information is crucial. Wendy Lowell doesn’t know the truth about the Summers Family’s downfall and is deeply in love with Owen Reid. This concerns her son’s greatest weakness, something she must have planned to keep buried for a lifetime! But now, she’s even telling me the clues she secretly overheard and offering such comforting words. It’s clear her heart now belongs entirely to her daughter.’

Wendy Lowell let out a soft sigh and reluctantly caressed her face again.

Suddenly remembering something, she pulled a bag from her purse, pressed it into Paige’s hand, and then turned to leave in a hurry.

Before Paige Summers could react, she had already closed the door and left.

Paige opened the bag and saw it was full of Crystal Cores. A sweet warmth bloomed in her heart. But when she thought of Marcus Monroe’s situation, she was filled with unease again.

Sean Raines hadn’t left with Wendy Lowell. He had been secretly observing Paige Summers the whole time.

’Is this woman really not afraid?’ he wondered.

After a while, Paige Summers glanced at him.

”What are you looking at?”

Sean Raines immediately retracted his scrutinizing gaze and feigned sincere worry. ”Uh, nothing. I was just thinking that Sheldon Reid guy is really dangerous. Do you think he really got his superpower by eating those two people?”

Paige Summers thought for a moment, then answered with a question of her own. ”You’ve been out and about for a long time. Have you ever seen a Superpower User with a Crystal Core in their head?”

’When Wendy Lowell was describing the gruesome scene, I remembered reading in some other apocalypse novel that Zombies form Crystal Cores in their brains, and that Superpower Users can too. So if that’s true, it’s possible Sheldon Reid gained his superpower by absorbing human Crystal Cores.’

Sean Raines quickly understood her implication. He froze for a second. ”That... I’ve never noticed. If that’s true, then it’s terrifying!”

’Yes, if it’s true, and if this information gets out... then there’s no telling what people who desperately want a superpower would do!’

’If it came to that, humanity wouldn’t be destroyed by the harsh environment, but by itself!’

Paige Summers watched his increasingly panicked expression with an odd look on her face, leaning back against the sofa wearily.

”You’re overthinking it.”

”Huh?”

Paige Summers said with certainty, ”It’s impossible for all Superpower Users to have Crystal Cores. I mean, even if some do, it would be a very small number.”

Sean Raines was unconvinced. ”How do you know?!” As he spoke, he touched his own head, looking like he had an urge to reach in and check.

”Do you think all that scanning equipment in the city is just for show? If there was a Crystal Core, something that big in your head, a scan would pick up the anomaly.”

Sean Raines was stunned. After a long pause, he said, ”Well... that’s true.”

Paige Summers rolled her eyes. ”Obviously!”

Feeling like he’d just made a fool of himself, Sean Raines hemmed and hawed for a moment before suddenly blurting out, ”Then what if there are no Crystal Cores? What if he got his superpower just by eating human flesh? What if the kid with him had that kind of superpower, and he somehow acquired it? And then he ate the kidnapper? That’s terrifying too. Does that mean he can get any superpower he wants just by eating the person who has it?!”

’His imagination is running wild...’

Paige Summers shook her head. ”I don’t think that’s likely. The human body has its limits; it can’t be filled with too many different kinds of superpowers. Haven’t you noticed? Most superpowers now fall into three categories: Primitive System, Natural System, and Spiritual System. People who have two or more superpowers never cross between systems. In other words, if a Water Ability User had a second superpower, it would also have to be a Natural Ability, not a Primitive Ability.”

Sean Raines looked at her thoughtfully. ”Then what about you? You originally had a Primitive Ability, but then you gained a Space Ability, which is part of the Spiritual System. Isn’t that crossing systems?”

Paige Summers’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly. ’This kid is sharp. He talked his way around in a circle right back to me.’

”The categories for superpowers were just made up by people; they’re only a rough guide. Don’t you think classifying Space Ability under the Spiritual System is a bit of a stretch? If you get the chance, you could suggest to the Central City Government that they make it its own separate system.”

Sean Raines let out a breath. ”Like I’ve got nothing better to do? Meddle in something like that!”

Paige Summers shrugged. ’Coming after me like that... now *that’s* having nothing better to do.’

Sean Raines waved his hand. ”Forget it, forget it. Let’s not talk about this. In any case, we’ll know when we see it with our own eyes. It’s getting late, you should go get some rest!”

”Yeah, good idea. I’ll walk you out.”

”Out? No, no, I’m not leaving tonight. I’ll just crash on the sofa!”

Seeing the shameless look on his face, it was clear he had no intention of leaving. Paige Summers didn’t bother arguing and went straight to her room.

As she was drifting off to sleep, she heard a shout from outside. ”You’ve got some nerve, Paige Summers! Saying I’m meddling because I have nothing better to do!”

’Huh?!’

’For heaven’s sake, weren’t you the one who said all that!’

They used pointless banter to hide their inner anxieties, but they couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation. The next day, both of them were up before dawn.

As Paige Summers suggested, they first made a trip to Jovitas.

Hugh Whitlock was woken from his sleep, but unfortunately, the answer he gave was still disappointing.

There was no news of Marcus Monroe.

Paige Summers just nodded and left.

Sweetie once again carried the two of them, spreading its wings and flying northwest, in the direction marked on the map.

Paige Summers estimated that at its speed, they could reach Marcus Monroe’s last known location in about three to four days.

’I just don’t know if he’s still there now.’

’I hope... everyone is safe,’ Paige Summers thought quietly. ’I don’t want to lose any of them. Especially not Marcus Monroe!’