Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

Of course, Shawn Monroe didn’t have a mirror.

He did, however, have a sharp long knife and dagger. The weapons were polished to a mirror shine, enough for Nora Lowell to faintly make out her current appearance.

In disbelief, she frantically touched her face and features. “Is… is this really me?!”

Shawn Monroe didn’t make a sound.

‘He knew who the original owner of this body was, thanks to Paige Summers, and he also knew her name. But that obviously wasn’t what Nora Lowell was asking. She was regressing from her Zombie state… or maybe, it would be better to say she was evolving back into a human?’

The place Shawn Monroe had found was certainly not suitable for a long-term stay, and in fact, he hadn’t planned on lingering. He just wanted to see if Nora Lowell’s appearance would continue to shift closer to that of a human. The answer would determine his next destination.

Time flew by as Shawn Monroe focused on his quiet Cultivation and Nora Lowell grew accustomed to her new face.

Ten days passed, and Nora Lowell had changed again.

Now, on the outside, she looked completely human.

Aside from a face that was overly pale and completely devoid of color, she looked human. Even her hands had lost their ashen-gray hue and turned a stark white. Her sharp nails were gone, though her teeth remained quite sharp. This was likely because she still had to eat raw flesh and blood every day to replenish her energy, so her teeth hadn’t regressed further.

Overall, however, the single greatest difference between her and a human was that she had no heartbeat, nor did she have a pulse.

‘What a bizarre condition!’ Shawn Monroe thought.

But as long as she wasn’t subjected to machine-based screening, she would have no problem blending in at a human base.

But that was the difficult part.

‘How could anyone get into The Dead City without being screened?’

Shawn Monroe rubbed his chin, disappointed. ‘And I really want to go back, too…’

Ultimately, he decided to contact someone who could get this done.

After Marcus Monroe conquered The Dead City, he left for Central City not long after, delegating power to his good friend, Sylas Underwood, and a few other subordinates. Sylas Underwood had been a key decision-maker, but he later took a group to Norgate and had since put down roots there. According to the intel Shawn Monroe had gathered on his journey, among Marcus Monroe’s remaining confidants, the first to be ruled out was Grant Yardley—all brawn and no brains, he could never be the one truly in power. That left Martin Warren and Howard Everett, who had both made names for themselves; it seemed the two were working together to run The Dead City. A word from either of them would be enough to get him and Nora Lowell into The Dead City without any screening.

He chose Martin Warren.

‘He’d never liked Howard Everett. In his opinion, just because the man cultivated a Spiritual Ability, he always tried to present himself as some kind of master strategist. Unfortunately, his low intelligence was an incurable flaw; he could never measure up to Sylas Underwood. His combat prowess wasn’t anything special either, not even on par with Grant Yardley’s. He was a jack of all trades and master of none, yet he still strutted around all day with that self-important look on his face. The guy was just plain irritating!’

Shawn Monroe had no desire to deal with him.

And if Howard found out, he’d probably dredge up all their past conflicts, making success nearly impossible.

Martin Warren, on the other hand.

The man was an excellent fighter, but he was also smooth and flexible in his dealings with people.

He was loyal to Marcus Monroe, but he never presumed to make decisions for him.

Overall, humble and low-key.

‘Hmm, the more I think about it, the more perfect he seems!’

His current relationship with Marcus Monroe could be described as neither acquaintance nor friend. Martin Warren, however, wouldn’t necessarily get hung up on the past and insist on making an enemy of him.

After running through the situation in his head, Shawn Monroe quickly went out and “ran into” a team of Superpower Users, asking them to help deliver a letter.

Speaking of which, the turnover of Superpower Users in The Dead City was really fast.

He had only been gone for a few years, yet he couldn’t find a single familiar face in the Hunting Parties.

Fortunately, he had Crystal Cores.

He had plenty of Crystal Cores, so paying a handsome price for them to deliver a letter was no problem at all.

As Shawn Monroe expected, things went smoothly.

Although Martin Warren was now one of the true powers in The Dead City, he was never the aloof, unapproachable type. On the contrary, the city’s Hunting Parties were all under his command, and he was on very familiar terms with his subordinates.

And Shawn Monroe was willing to pay a high price.

So, not long after the Hunting Party returned to the city, the letter was delivered into his hands.

After reading the letter, Martin Warren gave a slight smile. He summoned a subordinate, whispered a few words in his ear, and watched him leave to carry out the order. ‘The boss’s guess was spot on,’ he thought with admiration. ‘Shawn Monroe really did come back to The Dead City! In that case, I’ll just follow the boss’s instructions. If he doesn’t have any ill intent, there’s no harm in letting him stay. But if he tries anything… well, it won’t be too late to get tough then.’

The letter was written by the boss, but judging by the tone, Martin Warren felt it was more likely from Paige Summers.