The best lies are a blend of truth and fiction, but Sheldon Reid’s rumor clearly hadn’t reached that level of sophistication. However, the kernels of truth it contained—like the underground caves and the High-level Zombies that had appeared outside the city since The Power Corps’ return—were undeniable facts.
Speaking of High-level Zombies, they were, of course, Ben’s "masterpiece."
In his defense, however...
He hadn’t actually ant to be seen. But he couldn’t stand how long Paige Sumrs was taking to co out. He grew restless and inevitably had to wander around, establishing his dominance in the area.
Countless teams left Central City every day, so, inevitably, he was spotted.
Being spotted himself wasn’t a huge deal; few Superpower Users could tell he was a Zombie and not a human from that distance. The problem was that there were always one or two other Zombies nearby, drawn by his scent to challenge him. That’s where the tragedy began.
Zombies instinctively seek out other High-level mbers of their kind to kill and devour their Crystal Cores for a quick Promotion. To other High-level Zombies, this made Ben the ultimate opponent. He had a great ti fighting and even improved his abilities, but unfortunately, his presence was soon discovered by humans.
Although he usually vanished before people could get a good look, terrifying legends about them began to circulate throughout the survivor community.
Many people in the city knew about the new High-level Zombies outside the walls, and The Governnt officials were naturally no exception.
When they heard Sheldon Reid’s rumor, everyone’s imaginations ran wild: ’There haven’t been any High-level Zombies near Central City for years. These must have co from sowhere else! And given the timing of The Power Corps’ return, they must have wandered over from the direction of Norgate. So that’s it! Gryphon Lowell hasn’t managed to train any High-level Superpower Users yet, but he’s already bred a batch of High-level Zombies! Is he planning to destroy Central City so he can reign supre and establish a Zombie Empire?’
Okay, maybe that last part was a bit of a stretch.
Still, if Norgate was responsible for these Zombies, it wasn’t too much of a leap to assu they were also researching a way to control them.
It must be said that humans are highly imaginative creatures, especially when their own lives are on the line.
In this day and age, most people preferred to assu the worst.
The political tide within The Governnt began to turn, and the number of people supporting Sheldon Reid’s call to arms grew.
This was not good news for Marcus Monroe, and he had recently been searching for a counterstrategy.
However, Sheldon Reid and his father had been operating in Central City for two generations, and their roots ran deep. With Sheldon now pushing this agenda with such unwavering determination, stopping him would be incredibly difficult.
Marcus was already wracked with worry over this, and to make matters worse, Paige Sumrs was still insistent on leaving.
He thought for a long mont before sending the subordinate who brought him the news back with a ssage. "Tell her that Sheldon Reid will be leaving Central City soon to attack Norgate." He assud this would appease Paige. ’After all,’ he thought, ’with the threat gone, why would she still need to leave?’
Unfortunately, hearing the news didn’t change Paige’s mind. She simply continued her thodical planning with Claire Chapman.
’Sheldon Reid is just leaving, not dying,’ Paige thought. ’Unless he’s actually dead—and Nora Lowell along with him—I don’t believe for a second they’ll just give up on . Sheldon’s attack on Norgate gives ti, an opportunity. I have to seize it. I need to get out of the city even faster!’
When Marcus returned that day, he knew his hands-off approach had failed. Avoiding the issue wasn’t working. He had to talk with Paige again.
"Do you really have to leave?"
Paige nodded.
They were standing inches apart. Marcus sighed, his warm breath a mixture of helplessness and disappointnt. After a long mont, he finally reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"I’m worried about you."
Paige leaned against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat heavy in her ears. She cherished the mont, just as reluctant to part, but still she murmured, "I’ll be fine. For you, I won’t let anything happen to . So just wait for my good news, okay?"
Marcus humd softly in acknowledgnt but said nothing more.
’It was useless to object,’ he thought. ’She’s already made up her mind.’
’This woman is even more stubborn than I am. I should have known that long ago.’
’In that case, it would be better to help her prepare, especially for the dangers he feared might happen.’
The next day, Marcus began selecting his most loyal and powerful n, preparing to send them to protect Paige.
anwhile, Sheldon Reid’s plan for the northern advance was also moving forward. Five days later, after a decisive eting, he finally achieved his goal: he secured The Central Governnt’s support for the campaign, albeit by a narrow margin.
But it was enough.
At his current level of influence, he wasn’t yet strong enough to bring all The Governnt factions under his complete control, so he still had to keep up appearances.
Still, it was all just for show.
With the matter settled, he felt much more at ease.
In truth, The Power Corps had been preparing for so ti. Personnel, supplies, and everything else were more or less in order; all they had been missing was The Governnt’s concession. Now, their departure was officially scheduled.
Paige found out their departure date and decided to set her own for the sa day.
The attacks on her had stopped after the last incident. She guessed that Nora Lowell must be on the list of those heading to Norgate and was therefore too preoccupied to bother with her. This gave Paige more ti and freedom to prepare. She decided that on the day she left, she would give a certain soone a big "gift."
What was it? That was a secret!
The roster of people leaving the city was quickly finalized. Bloodfall had grown to nearly a hundred mbers, so naturally, not everyone would be going. Paige and Claire Chapman used a system of volunteers and selections, ultimately choosing thirty-eight people. Among those staying behind were veterans from the original Hunting Party, whose strength was considerable. They would be responsible for leading the remaining mbers on their daily routines.
Everyone treated this departure as a mission.
However, they were also told that it was an extrely dangerous mission, but one that could also bring great opportunities.
These thirty-eight mbers were the ones willing to take a gamble. They wanted to gain the power they needed to survive!
Once their side was settled, the n and supplies Marcus sent arrived.
Paige had no choice but to accept, though it wasn’t a difficult decision. She was already familiar with several of the ten n he sent, and she knew they were Marcus’s trusted, highly capable confidants. Such talent couldn’t be wasted. Paige sent them over to Claire Chapman’s side ahead of ti. This would, one, allow them to build camaraderie with the other Bloodfall mbers, and two, let them familiarize themselves with each other’s fighting styles to facilitate future coordination.
All in all, Paige was very happy that Marcus was so considerate of her, and she felt she had to do sothing to show her appreciation.
On the eve of their departure, Paige personally cooked a full al. Well, in truth, her cooking skills weren’t the best; it was the thought that counted.
So, the so-called "full al" was just four dishes.
Although Marcus forced a cheerful deanor, his inner dejection was still plain to see. Considering everything that had happened recently, it was understandable that he was having a hard ti.
Paige opened a bottle of strong liquor, a rare luxury she had splurged on. Pouring them each a glass, she joked, "Try my cooking. It’d be best if you think it’s passable. If not, just consider the food a free bonus that ca with the liquor!"
"Huh?" Marcus was a bit slow to react. ’What does one have to do with the other?’
Paige said helplessly, "Don’t you think this quality is pretty impressive for a free al?!"
Marcus imdiately burst out laughing.
"Finally, a smile! I was starting to think you were going to mope around all night!" Paige raised her eyebrows dramatically, deliberately making light of the situation. "What’s the big deal? So Sheldon Reid is going to attack Norgate! If you ask , Gryphon Lowell is no pushover. Sheldon won’t necessarily gain any advantage from this trip; he’ll be lucky to eke out a pyrrhic victory. He’s actively weakening his own forces! We should be happy about that! Besides, with him gone, Central City will be left vulnerable. There’s a lot we can do!"
Marcus had naturally considered all this before. While the reality wasn’t as simple as Paige made it sound, her points weren’t entirely without rit. At that mont, however, his focus wasn’t on politics. He just smiled and raised his glass, playing along. "Well then, shall we call this an early celebration?"
"Mhm!" ’That’s more like it!’
Amid the clinking of their glasses, Marcus polished off most of the food on the table.
’When the woman you love cooks for you, it tastes delicious even if it’s terrible!’
’Who knows when he’ll get to eat her cooking again!’
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