Teaming Up with My Enemy to Rule the Apocalypse

After another two days, seeing that Dr. Hayes and his team still showed no intention of leaving with their equipment, Sierra went to find Hector Grant.

”Captain Grant, weren’t we supposed to take the experimental equipment and head back? It’s been two days. Why haven’t we left yet?”

”I want to leave too.” A helpless look crossed Hector Grant’s face. ”But before we set out, the higher-ups made it clear: once we got here, we were to follow Dr. Hayes’s lead on everything. If he doesn’t say we’re leaving, my hands are tied.”

Dr. Hayes refused to leave, and it wasn’t like Hector Grant could just knock the man unconscious and drag him away.

Seeing the helpless expression on Hector Grant’s face, Sierra grew even more frustrated.

”This place is sturdy, but it’s not foolproof. Besides, more and more zombies and mutated animals have been drawn here over the last two days. The sandstorms are getting worse, too. Things aren’t looking good. If we keep staying here, I’m worried we’ll be in real danger. We should leave as soon as possible.”

”I understand all of that,” Hector Grant said helplessly. ”I’ll go talk to Dr. Hayes. At the very least, I need to find out what he’s planning.”

Hector Grant’s words put Sierra a little more at ease.

Hector Grant was a man of action. True to his word, he went to get a clear answer from Dr. Hayes immediately.

After watching Hector Grant’s retreating back for a moment, Sierra turned and left.

Sierra had just returned to their resting area when Jayce stood up to greet her. ”Sierra, how did it go?”

”Captain Grant went to ask. We should have an answer soon.”

Just as Sierra had said, Hector Grant returned quickly.

As Hector Grant approached, Sierra knew from the look on his face—before he even said a word—that the news wasn’t good.

And sure enough, the moment he opened his mouth, it was bad news.

”Dr. Hayes says he has no intention of returning to Subterra anytime soon. He also said that if I can’t wait, I’m free to leave first. Anyone else who wants to go can head back with me.”

Sierra: ”...”

’What was the difference between that and spouting nonsense?’

’Hector Grant was responsible for the safety of Dr. Hayes and his team. With Dr. Hayes refusing to budge, how could Hector possibly just leave with his people?’

Hector Grant sighed. ”Don’t you all worry too much. This place is still very secure. The people we brought along aren’t your average Joes. Even if something unexpected happens, it’s not like we can’t handle it. Nothing will go wrong.”

Sierra didn’t answer.

’In the apocalypse, anything could happen.’

’Even though they were all Superpower Users, there would still be situations they couldn’t handle.’

’Blind confidence was not a good thing.’

Although she was unhappy, Sierra knew that now that they had joined the official faction, they couldn’t just do as they pleased.

’Barring any special circumstances, they had to follow orders.’

’In a situation like this, all they could do was be extra careful.’

Hector Grant had a lot on his plate, and his workload only increased after learning that Dr. Hayes had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

So, after a few more words with Sierra and her group, he hurried away.

Over the next few days, Hector Grant was constantly busy.

He had to arrange patrols around the clock, day and night.

It was hard to say if it was their scent, but something was attracting zombies and mutated animals.

As the days went by, the number of zombies and mutated animals gathering around them grew.

Even with Hector Grant sending out teams to cull them daily, the hordes of zombies and mutated animals outside continued to grow at a visible rate.

Ignoring the problem was out of the question.

Otherwise, they’d be devoured alive by the zombies and mutated animals long before Dr. Hayes decided to change his mind.

But dealing with them was not as easy as it sounded.

Almost every day, someone got injured.

This was when Nathan Thorne’s importance became apparent.

No matter how severe the injury, once Nathan Thorne stepped in, it wouldn’t take long for the person to be fully healed.

Everyone understood that having Nathan Thorne around was like having a resurrection card.

For them, getting on Nathan Thorne’s good side had no downsides, only benefits.

All of a sudden, Nathan Thorne became incredibly popular.

At mealtimes, Nathan Thorne didn’t even have to move; someone would bring his food right to him.

The moment Nathan Thorne finished eating, before he could even put down his chopsticks, people would already be scrambling to wash his bowl for him.

If Nathan Thorne hadn’t refused, they would have probably tried to help him change his clothes and wash up, giving him the full treatment of a feudal emperor.

Sierra watched, utterly amazed.

Although she found it somewhat ridiculous, she also thought it was a good thing.

It wasn’t for her own sake, but mostly for Candice Tate’s.

In their attempts to curry favor with Nathan Thorne, these people also fawned over Sierra and the others who were close to him.

Their attitude toward Candice Tate, in particular, did a complete one-eighty.

Before, even after realizing Candice Tate wouldn’t hold them back, they still looked down on her for being a child.

But now, everyone greeted Candice Tate with a smile and treated her exceedingly well.

Even though they knew Candice Tate wasn’t lacking for food or drink, they would still offer her things.

The way they tried to please her was so blatant it bordered on sycophantic.

Sierra had worried that Candice Tate would feel uncomfortable, but after observing her closely, she saw the girl was adapting well.

’Then again...’

’Candice Tate wasn’t an ordinary little girl.’

’After everything she’d been through, she was used to the fickle nature of people and wasn’t the least bit flustered by their change in attitude.’

In this atmosphere, the mood was no longer as gloomy as before.

It was then that Dr. Hayes, who hadn’t been seen for many days, finally appeared.

”After days of research, we have developed a new method. It can allow you to awaken a second or even a third Superpower of your choosing.”

Dr. Hayes’s voice was monotone and not particularly loud.

Yet that single sentence was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, instantly sending out countless ripples and splashes.

”Really?”

”Dr. Hayes, are you serious? We can really get any Superpower we want?”

”Can I get a Wood Element Ability?”

”I want a Water Ability and a Wood Element Ability! Then I’ll never have to worry about food or water again!”

”Me too!”

For a moment, most people were just repeating those two words.

For them, as long as their combat effectiveness was guaranteed, not having to worry about basic necessities was what mattered most.

In the apocalypse, that was what most people strived for.

Dr. Hayes remained impassive, but he answered their questions. ”You can. Who wants to be first?”

The crowd, which had been buzzing with excitement just a moment ago, suddenly fell silent.

They wanted to awaken more Superpowers, but they were also afraid of side effects or some other accident. Naturally, no one wanted to be the first test subject.

Dr. Hayes’s gaze swept over their faces. ”Is no one willing to be the first to try?”