After I Fully Prepared for the Apocalypse, the Ungrateful Cried with Regret

Freya Finch ran to Nina Jacobs’s side and asked, ”Miss Jacobs, are you going on another adventure? Can you take me and my dad this time?”

Over the past few days, he had heard many stories about Nina Jacobs from Felix Finch, including things Naomi Summers and Zoraida had told him before. He felt that Nina was a true idol.

”You’re still young, Freya. I’ll take you out with me when you’re older, alright?”

Nina Jacobs stroked Freya Finch’s short crew cut and couldn’t help but miss her own two younger sisters.

Come to think of it, she had barely spent any time with her two younger sisters since they were born.

”Alright... Will you come back, Miss Jacobs?”

Freya Finch asked.

He was young, but he knew that in the apocalypse, goodbyes could sometimes be forever.

”Of course I’ll be back. As long as you’re all still here, I’ll come back.”

Nina Jacobs replied.

Hearing Nina Jacobs say this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Cordelia wanted to say something more, but she remembered what Nina Jacobs had told her before: Nina’s family wasn’t in Keldorn.

”My hope is that Tomorrow Base will continue to grow ever more prosperous and powerful. Taking advantage of this gathering today, I’ve brought a gift for everyone.”

With that, Nina Jacobs took out several nearly black stones and placed them on the tabletop.

”What are these?”

Silas Crowley asked.

”These are called Mystic Ice Cores. I happened to come across them some time ago. When a Superpower User absorbs one, it enhances their strength and makes them undetectable by Spiritual Element Superpowers.”

Nina Jacobs explained.

”Mystic... Ice Core? These things are treasures, aren’t they?”

Tobin asked.

After all, they had never heard of, let alone seen, such things in Keldorn.

Nina Jacobs nodded. ”They are. If you all trust me, you can absorb them right here.”

’The issue wasn’t scarcity, but fairness. These people were likely to be the future pillars of the base. It was far more effective to distribute these items openly and fairly than to hand them out in private.’

”Why wouldn’t we trust you? It’s just that these are too valuable.”

Thaddeus Wren said. No one could help but be tempted by such treasures.

’He just hadn’t expected Nina Jacobs to be so generous—that even he would receive one.’

”Please, everyone, don’t be modest.

A person can only absorb one of these, and only once. Any subsequent attempts will have no effect.

Felix, you go first.”

Nina Jacobs said.

’She still had over a thousand Mystic Ice Cores.’

Felix Finch nodded, picked up a Mystic Ice Core, and began absorbing it in his palm with his eyes closed.

The others naturally trusted Nina Jacobs as well. Every Superpower User present took one and began to absorb it.

”Kelly, don’t you want one?”

Nina Jacobs looked toward Kelly Ainsworth. As the daughter of Mr. Ainsworth, the electrician, she deserved one too.

”I...”

’Kelly Ainsworth hadn’t expected to receive one herself.’

”Go ahead. It shows that Nina Jacobs thinks highly of us.”

Mr. Ainsworth encouraged his daughter. He wasn’t a Superpower User, but she was.

Kelly Ainsworth nodded, thanked Nina, and began to absorb her own.

The room fell completely silent. After making a gesture to Mr. Ainsworth, Nina stood up and temporarily excused herself.

She made her way to the base’s medical center, where she climbed through the window of one of the rooms.

A children’s cartoon was playing in the room—one about a family of four little pigs.

Tied to the bed was a man—none other than Evander Langdon.

He was apparently being forced to watch the cartoon.

Nina had heard from Felix Finch about Harlan’s... treatment method for Evander.

Ostensibly, it was to ”purify his soul.”

After all, Evander had been steeped in horrifically bloody images for months.

Evander saw her too.

This was the first time Nina had gotten a good look at Evander’s face.

He was gaunt, with several small cuts on the side of his face. His emaciation made his jawline alarmingly sharp. His eyes seemed veiled by a thin mist, their true color hidden, and his features were etched with deep exhaustion.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

’Nina remembered Han Lewis had been the same way at first.’

”I brought you some medicine. Drink this. You should feel a bit better.”

Harlan’s voice echoed from the far end of the hallway.

So Nina simply pinched Evander’s cheeks and poured a bottle of Healing Potion down his throat.

Then she climbed back out the window...

That night, another ordinary person in Tomorrow Base awakened a Superpower.

Of course, the news didn’t spread; only Felix Finch and a select few were aware.

「Early the next morning.」

Nina Jacobs brought Irwing to the base’s medical center.

Irwing’s healing technique was impressive, and with her previous nursing experience, she was a perfect fit for a position at the medical center.

Besides, Tomorrow Base was genuinely in need of more Healers.

”Thank you, Nina.”

’Irwing had realized when she first arrived at Tomorrow Base that Nina was no ordinary person; even the base commander had personally welcomed her.’

’Now she had a job of her own and a safe place to live, all thanks to Nina.’

”You’re welcome.”

Nina Jacobs smiled.

”Nina!”

Harlan burst in, his face lighting up with uncharacteristic excitement when he saw Nina.

”Come on, tell us what happened after that night!”

Harlan had dragged Reinhard Caldwell along with him.

He’d been tied up in the operating room until late and was practically the last person to find out Nina had returned.

But when he saw one of the people behind Nina, he froze on the spot.

He walked toward the woman unconsciously, his hand rising as if to caress her face.

But a second later, a deep purple Thorny Vine, tinged with the faint scent of blood, appeared before him.

”Holly, is that you?

You’re still... You’re not dead?”

It was the first time Nina had ever seen Harlan cry.

He completely ignored the thorny vine, stepping forward to pull Holly into an embrace.

The Thorny Vine lunged toward Harlan, only to stop in mid-air and vanish.

”Mm.”

Holly replied, feeling the man tremble.

”She was turned into a puppet, just like Evander. But... she’s all right now.”

Nina explained from the sidelines.

”As long as you’re alive... As long as you’re back, that’s all that matters...”

Harlan said, his voice trembling.

’He’d never imagined Holly would one day come back to him, alive.’

”What on earth is going on?” Reinhard Caldwell asked.

’What secrets was the White Family hiding?’

After Nina gave them a selective, abbreviated account of what happened in Whittaker Town, it took both men a long time to process it all.

”Let’s go check on Evander.”

Nina Jacobs said.

Harlan slapped his forehead.

”I forgot to give him the sedative shot last night.”

Surgery had run late, and he’d completely forgotten. Without that injection, Evander wouldn’t sleep at all.

However, when he pushed the door open and saw Evander on the bed, he froze.

Evander was sleeping soundly. He looked like he had been asleep for a long time, the usual irritability and fatigue on his brow seemingly erased by his slumber.

Holly Morgan, however, was the first to rush forward.

”Evander, it’s time to wake up.”

Holly Morgan said.

Harlan started forward to stop her but was held back by Nina.

”Evander, I’m back.”

Holly said again.

The man on the bed slowly opened his eyes. There was none of the usual violence or struggling that came with waking up; he simply stared quietly at Holly.

He opened his mouth, and this time, the words came out:

”Oh, it’s Holly.

Looks like that bastard Thane Trevor lied to me again. It’s good that you’re okay.”

Holly froze.

’Back in Whittaker Town, she had already killed Thane Trevor.’

”But... I feel like I’ve been having a lot of terrible dreams...”

With that, Evander fell asleep again.

Harlan stood at the doorway, watching the scene unfold, his voice filled with astonishment as he said:

”See? I told you my ’mind purification’ technique would work...”