Stella Shields’s screams pierced through the surrounding horde of Zombies, reaching everyone’s ears. Her cries went from shrill to hoarse, then to despair, and finally... silence.

The sound of flesh and bone being chewed arose from the Zombie horde. Every so often, a bloody limb would fly into the air—a fumble in the Zombies’ scramble for a piece—ultimately landing among some unknown creature on the outskirts of the swarm.

Witnessing this gruesome scene, even the team members who had nothing to do with the matter felt their skin crawl, to say nothing of those who were involved.

It was as if a sharp dagger was carving into their hearts, stroke by heavy stroke, teaching them the true meaning of fear.

The word "terrifying" was no longer enough to describe their perception of Paige Summers.

And then there was her follower, Ben, Captain Claire Chapman, the man named Sean Raines, and even all the members of Bloodfall... In contrast to their own trembling fear, the group’s composure was infuriatingly absolute.

’These people have no regard for human life at all!’

’We can’t make a fuss again. We have to keep our heads down if we want to live. Stella Shields’s end is a cautionary tale for all of us!’

They told themselves, ’I’m not afraid of dying, but I absolutely refuse to be torn apart and eaten by Zombies!’

Paige Summers didn’t know what they were thinking, but seeing how they had all fallen silent, like featherless chicks shivering in a cold wind, she knew her choice of target had been a resounding success.

She was very satisfied.

"Let’s go!" Seeing that the time was right—the nearby area was clear of wandering Zombies, as they had all converged on Stella Shields, some even fighting amongst themselves over the remains—Claire Chapman gave the order, snapping the others out of their daze.

The team set out.

Whether driven by the desire to escape the hellish scene as quickly as possible or simply hoping to use this opportunity to reach the warehouse, everyone sprinted forward with all their might.

The path forward was indeed much smoother.

Their goal wasn’t to kill Zombies, but to keep moving forward.

So, when they encountered obstacles, avoidance was the best strategy. Only when they couldn’t escape would they leave a small team behind to cover their retreat.

Paige Summers and Ben were the mobile response team, specializing in taking out troublesome Zombies that the other members couldn’t handle.

In just over half an hour, they covered the same distance it took them all of the previous day to travel. In other words, they now had only half the distance left to the warehouse.

Just then, they encountered another large horde of Zombies.

During a lull before the fighting began, Claire Chapman said to Paige Summers, "This isn’t sustainable. There are far more Zombies here than we anticipated. The main group is moving too slowly. We need to change our plan. You should take two fast squads and go on ahead. Try to get the supplies as quickly as possible. I’ll lead the rest to cover our rear, and we’ll push forward gradually. We can regroup later... What do you think?"

"Agreed. But I don’t need that many people. Besides Ben, I only need two others." As she spoke, Paige named them, "Vincent Vaughn and Chester Lincoln."

Vincent Vaughn’s superpower was invisibility, and he had already reached the Fifth Rank. Ordinary Zombies couldn’t detect him, making him perfect for scouting ahead to find the supplies. Chester Lincoln was a Sixth Rank Space Ripping Superpower User with immense destructive power. His only drawback was that his superpower consumed a vast amount of energy. But Paige Summers had plenty of Crystal Cores, and with that support, Chester Lincoln would be far more effective than he could be with the main group.

Since she planned to advance to the warehouse at full speed, taking two extra people was her absolute limit.

Any more would only slow her down.

Although Claire Chapman thought two people were too few, he saw her mind was made up and had no choice but to nod.

"Be careful, no matter what," he couldn’t help but add. "The supplies are secondary. You understand that, right?"

"Of course." Paige Summers smiled. "Don’t worry."

The men she requested were quickly called forward. She motioned for Ben to take Vincent Vaughn, while she herself grabbed Chester Lincoln. Then she said softly, "We’re off."

The four of them became two slightly bulky figures that quickly vanished from sight.

The Zombies that tried to give chase were intercepted by Claire Chapman and his men. Gradually, more and more Zombies gathered, raising the curtain on the day’s bloody battle.

Just as Claire Chapman and Paige Summers were splitting up inside The Foundry, Marcus Monroe received a message from Sweetie far away in Central City.

Sweetie had a very happy journey!

Ever since Paige Summers had opened Summers Armaments, the bird had never wanted for Crystal Cores. Evolving all along its journey, its size, speed, and combat strength gave it an overwhelming advantage among mutated avians. A solo flight was no stress at all for Sweetie. It even had the leisure to look around; whenever it spotted a lone creature, it would immediately dive down, kill it, and peck the Crystal Core into its beak. By the time the victim’s pack arrived, Sweetie would be long gone.

Life on the wing, snacking all the way, was unbelievably pleasant!

Snacking its way to Central City, it arrived a full day ahead of Paige Summers’s estimate.

When it arrived, Marcus Monroe happened to be outside. He spotted it from a distance and felt a wave of relief. He and Paige Summers had agreed to use Sweetie to pass messages, but he’d been somewhat worried that the bird wouldn’t be up to the task. The moment it drew near and he got a clear look at it, however, he realized he’d worried for nothing.

’Those feathers are so sleek and glossy, and it’s clearly a full size bigger than when we last parted. It’s definitely Promoted again!’

’This creature probably has a better life than I do!’ Thinking of how Paige Summers doted on it, Marcus Monroe couldn’t help but mutter with a hint of jealousy. He then impatiently walked over and removed the small note from Sweetie’s leg.

"All is well. Do not worry..."

The moment he saw the first part of the message, Marcus Monroe’s brow twitched. ’She’s telling *me* not to worry? She disappears without a trace, only sends a message after all this time... Has she just completely forgotten about me?! Is life on the outside really that wonderful?’ He knew this concise style was typical of Paige Summers, and that the message was simply to say she was safe, but he couldn’t help but slip into the mindset of a jilted husband.

His heart felt even more conflicted, especially when he recalled everything that had happened around the time of her departure.

’I really want to drop everything and go find her, then give her a thorough lesson... in bed, of course. The best way to deal with her endless schemes is probably to wear her out until she doesn’t have an ounce of energy left to think about anything else... Being drugged... I never want to experience that again!’

His gaze moved to the rest of the note, and his brow furrowed slightly.

’She needs seeds for various crops? Is she planning on farming?’

’But these days, seeds like that are all grown hydroponically, and only the major bases have that kind of capability. Where would she find the right conditions on the road? Or maybe... she’s giving them to someone, trading them for something useful...’ After a moment’s thought, Marcus Monroe decided the latter was the most likely possibility.

Marcus Monroe breathed a sigh of relief. ’It’s probably for trading. What would catch her interest? Most likely materials for crafting weapons.’

Since she needed them, it was his duty to provide.

Although the seeds weren’t easy to acquire, for someone who controlled the Black Market, it was merely a matter of spending a few more Crystal Cores.

’As long as she’s happy, it’ll be worth it.’