Teaming Up with My Enemy to Rule the Apocalypse

Watching Nathan Thorne leave, surrounded by a crowd, Hector Grant retracted his gaze. He turned to Sierra Sullivan and Jayce with a serious expression.

”I’m going to try again.”

Hearing such an abrupt statement, Sierra didn’t immediately grasp its meaning. She reflexively asked, ”Try what?”

”Try to see if we can get out of here.”

This time, Sierra understood.

Hector Grant was planning to lead another group out.

It wasn’t that Sierra couldn’t understand Hector Grant’s thinking, but she still didn’t agree with it.

”Captain Grant.” Sierra looked at him earnestly. ”I know you think Nathan’s Superpower has improved, so even if you get hurt, he’ll be there to heal you. But he’s human, not a god. What if he isn’t right by your side when you’re hurt? If that happens, his improved Superpower will be useless to you! I still hope you won’t risk your life.”

’We just had a life-or-death crisis. How long has it even been?’

’Not even a full day!’

’Most people learn from their mistakes, but when it comes to Hector Grant, it’s like every failure just makes him more determined.’

Jayce nodded in agreement. ”Sierra’s right. Even if you don’t think about yourself, you should think about the people following you. We should wait and see. Maybe the sandstorm will weaken in a few days.”

”I know what you’re both saying makes sense, and I’ve considered all of it,” Hector Grant said, a hint of helplessness in his voice. ”But I still have to go. If something bad really happens to me, then that’s just my fate.”

’His personality, his position—neither would allow him to just sit here and wait.’

’He had to take the initiative, to actively seek a path to survival!’

”As for the people who follow me... I’ll respect their wishes. I won’t force them to come with me.”

Sierra was speechless.

’It sounded very democratic.’

’But having spent so many days with the people who followed Hector Grant, she had a pretty good understanding of them.’

’They might not have worshiped him like a god, but it was close.’

’Every single one of them followed his orders without question.’

’Even if Hector Grant gave them a choice, they would only choose to follow him.’

’Unless Hector Grant changed his mind, this was a dead end.’

’But from the look of him, he wasn’t going to change his mind.’

Sierra sighed helplessly to herself and didn’t try to persuade him anymore.

’Everyone’s position, responsibilities, and choices are different.’

’She didn’t have to understand, but she had to respect it.’

”Alright.” Sierra nodded. ”We’ll be waiting for you to bring back good news!”

Hector Grant immediately broke into a smile. ”I’ll take you up on those good wishes!”

Hector Grant was a man of action. Once he made a decision, he acted on it immediately.

The next morning, right after breakfast, Hector Grant left with ten men.

Just as Sierra had predicted, when Hector Grant’s men heard he was going out again, they all eagerly volunteered. Every single one of them wanted to go with him, to the point they nearly started fighting over the spots.

In the end, they had to draw lots to pick the ten people.

Sierra watched the whole thing from the side. It would be impossible to say she wasn’t moved.

’It was as if the things others would avoid like the plague simply didn’t exist for them.’

’They truly seemed unafraid of death, wanting only to be by Hector Grant’s side.’

’With a group like that by your side, no matter the outcome, you probably wouldn’t have any regrets.’

This time, Sierra also went down to the first floor.

Watching the vehicle disappear into the swirling sand, Sierra couldn’t stop the knot of anxiety in her heart.

The massive Aberrant Beast’s corpse was still lying nearby.

It was probably too big and heavy for the wind to blow away.

After a night, it was covered in a layer of sand, but its original form was still discernible.

Just looking at its enormous body brought back vivid memories of its power.

’Where did such a huge Aberrant Beast even come from?’

Sierra looked again and again, but she still couldn’t connect it to any animal she had ever seen.

’It seemed like a completely new species, brought here by the gales along with the endless sand.’

”Sierra?”

Jayce tugged on Sierra’s hand. ”Let’s go up. Candice Tate will start to worry soon!”

Sierra snapped out of her daze and nodded.

Before leaving, she took one last look outside.

The visibility was too low. The vehicle was long gone, and all she could see was a sky full of yellow sand.

’The yellow sand seemed to have isolated them from the rest of the world.’

’There wasn’t a single drop of water, yet she felt like she was living on a deserted island.’

As soon as they got back to the second floor, Candice Tate came running over excitedly.

Nathan Thorne had a look of resignation on his face. ”No matter how nice I am to this little girl, she only has eyes for Sierra.”

Jayce glanced at Nathan Thorne. ”I don’t even rank, let alone you.”

Nathan Thorne instantly felt better. ”You don’t rank either? Okay, then I’m good.”

Sierra listened to the two of them bickering but paid them no mind. She led Candice Tate back to her seat and began the day’s lesson.

Candice Tate was always a diligent and fast learner.

It only took Sierra an hour to teach everything she needed to. She then took out some practice problems and had her work on them by herself.

Once Candice Tate was settled, Sierra walked over and sat down in the chair next to Jayce.

”When do you guys think Captain Grant will be back?”

Nathan Thorne shook his head. ”Who knows? As long as he doesn’t get swatted back here.”

Sierra was speechless.

’This guy!’

’Doesn’t he know he’s jinxing it?’

Nathan Thorne had already clapped a hand over his mouth, his expression regretful. ”I misspoke!”

Sierra glanced into the distance. ”If Captain Grant’s men heard that...”

’They probably wouldn’t beat him up, but they’d definitely hold a grudge.’

Nathan Thorne looked completely remorseful. ”That’s not what I meant... I just... Ugh, never mind. Anyway, I hope he leaves safely and comes back safely!”

They waited until noon, but Hector Grant still hadn’t returned.

Although there was no news, in a situation like this, no news was good news.

’If nothing else, at least they hadn’t run into another Aberrant Beast like yesterday. That in itself was a good thing!’

In the middle of the afternoon, Hector Grant and his men finally returned.

The vehicle was completely intact, and neither Hector Grant nor the ten men he’d taken with him were injured.

But the look on Hector Grant’s face was grim.

Just from his expression, Sierra knew the situation probably wasn’t good.

Sure enough, the moment Hector Grant opened his mouth, it was all bad news.

”The sandstorm is just too intense. It’s hard to get our bearings. We almost crashed into buildings several times, and later we almost couldn’t even find our way back...”

In just a few short sentences, every word hinted at danger.

The people who had been hoping Hector Grant would bring back good news all looked disappointed upon hearing his words.

’Could it be? Were they just going to be trapped here forever?’