Chapter 223: Chapter 144: Return (Part 2)
Just then, a noise came from the woods to the right and the cliff face to the left!
Paige Summers turned toward the cliff, horrified to see zombies scrambling up from below. Meanwhile, from the woods on the right, a zombie on all fours came crawling out, moving with astonishing speed—even faster than Sheldon Reid’s men!
One, two... a total of twelve zombies appeared, all of them gathering around Ben.
With Ben holding her hand, Paige Summers stood right in their midst.
But the zombies didn’t cross a certain boundary to reach for her.
This was the first time Paige had ever been this close to so many zombies, especially under such strange circumstances. She could tell it wasn’t that they didn’t want to attack her; they couldn’t because of Ben’s intimidating presence!
’He really is a zombie leader,’ Paige thought, her mind wandering for a moment.
Across from them, Sheldon Reid remained calm despite the scene. He suddenly spoke. "Paige Summers, come over here!" Before she could answer, he continued, "Look around you. Don’t you get it? These zombies have no thoughts, no emotions. The only thing they have is an appetite! Oh, right, they also know how to submit to the strong—like the one holding your hand! But you should understand, you’re human, and it’s a zombie. You can never be friends! Right now, it has some fleeting memories, so maybe it won’t attack you. But who can guarantee it won’t forget in the next second and give in to its hunger, ripping your throat out?!"
Sheldon Reid’s plea wasn’t an act; he genuinely wanted Paige to come to his side.
Even though he disliked her for many reasons, Paige was human, just like him. Moreover, she was Wendy Lowell’s daughter, a partner of the Mercer Family, and a genius Artifact Maker.
Whether as the leader of The Power Corps or as one of the Reids, he didn’t want to see her killed by zombies!
Paige was silent for a long moment before saying, "He saved me, and he saved you. If he wanted to kill you, he would have done it already, but he didn’t. You were the one who wanted to kill first. If you and your men back off, I’m sure he won’t hunt you down."
Sheldon Reid’s anger flared.
He felt he had been patient enough with Paige, but even now, she was still so stubborn!
"Do you have any idea what you’re saying?! They’re zombies—zombies that have killed countless innocent humans! Are you trying to side against humanity?"
"Don’t you dare pin that on me! Wasn’t Ben human before he turned into a zombie? Do you think he wanted to become a zombie and kill people? You know he didn’t! I don’t believe you can’t see it—he’s recovering his human mind! The fact that he hasn’t attacked us is proof!"
Sheldon Reid’s expression grew colder as he listened. So what if it was recovering its human mind? In the end, it was no longer human.
Those not of our kind can’t be trusted.
Besides, he refused to believe a zombie could control its appetite forever!
"It seems there’s no point in talking further. Since you’ve made your choice, I hope you don’t regret it!"
With that, he gave a slight wave of his hand, and his eight men surged forward.
As for Ben, he had long since stopped looking at Sheldon Reid. He was staring intently at the side of Paige’s face, but now, he let out a timely shriek.
The surrounding zombies, all of different forms, charged toward the men like unleashed beasts.
Ben himself didn’t move. He was still savoring the image of Paige’s lips moving as she spoke, the pleasant sound of her voice seeming to linger in his ears.
He didn’t know why, but something seemed to have changed ever since he’d woken up before.
A blurry figure often appeared in his mind. He couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was someone incredibly important to him.
That was why he desperately tried to reach for her, but it was as if an invisible barrier separated them, preventing him from ever touching her.
Fortunately, he remembered her scent.
Yes, it was just like the person in front of him. It made him feel very comfortable! It seemed as long as he stayed quietly by her side, he felt a sense of peace.
He no longer craved blood and food like he used to. Or perhaps... it was because he knew she would hate that.
Paige had no idea he was deep in thought. She stared at the battlefield ahead, feeling deeply agitated.
It was true she didn’t like Sheldon Reid.
But she didn’t like seeing this kind of scene, either.
These zombies were different from Ben!
They had a genuine, undeniable appetite for humans!
She spun around, turning her back to Sheldon Reid and his men, and said in a very low voice, "Ben, I’m grateful that you saved me, and thank you for your kindness. But I’m truly sorry, I can’t take you back with me. Where I’m going, there are a lot of people, do you understand? They’ll most likely attack you! So, can you leave first? We can find another way to stay in touch. Or, I can come back here to find you after I’m done with my business. I think... I might know a way for you to Promote. If you can Promote again, you might be able to speak and communicate, to find the old you!"
Ben was silent for a long time after hearing her words, so long that Paige thought he didn’t understand and was about to explain it again more carefully.
Just then, Ben suddenly opened his mouth and uttered a few strange sounds.
Paige froze, only snapping out of it after a moment. "You’re saying... come find you... here? Is that right?"
Ben nodded.
Paige let out a sigh of relief and promised earnestly, "I promise, I’ll definitely come find you. But I need to check on my friends first."
Ben looked at her reluctantly, but finally let out a sharp cry at the summoned zombies behind her.
The battle was raging over there.
Although Sheldon Reid’s men were exceptionally skilled, these zombies were Ben’s most formidable subordinates. Outnumbered, the men were ultimately at a disadvantage.
Naturally, the zombies were unwilling to leave at a time like this.
Seeing this, Ben’s continuous cries grew even sharper. He then took the lead, letting go of Paige’s hand and bolting toward the woods to the side!
The zombies had no choice but to follow him one by one.
Sheldon Reid didn’t order a pursuit. How could he not see that his side was losing? He was just furious. Therefore, he didn’t stop his men from surrounding Paige.
Even he himself was utterly displeased with her!
With his tacit approval, the men now saw Paige as some kind of monster who commanded zombies, feeling strongly that she should be killed without mercy!
In an instant, the tension reached a breaking point!
Suddenly, a few clear calls echoed from the sky not far away.
The calls grew closer, and the men’s hearts sank. ’Could it be that this Paige Summers can command mutated birds in addition to zombies?’
’Just who is she?!’
