Chapter 224: Chapter 145: Frankness
Paige Summers hadn’t expected Sheldon Reid and his men to so grossly overestimate her just because she could communicate with the Zombie leader and even make it obey.
The Mutant Eagle flying in from the sky wasn’t under her command at all. It was clearly excited to see her, which was why it was screeching. That was no wild eagle—it was her Sweetie!
Sweetie hadn’t come alone; it was carrying someone on its back.
Paige looked up. The man with the solemn expression was none other than Marcus Monroe!
’How did they get here?’
She didn’t know.
But... she had to admit, they came at the perfect time!
Marcus Monroe and Sweetie’s dramatic entrance immediately captured everyone’s attention.
At that moment, Sweetie dove down.
It didn’t land. Instead, it first swept its massive wings across the men surrounding Paige.
Sweetie was quite large now, and its wing feathers were extremely sharp. The powerful gust of wind it created at high speed felt like knives slashing across their faces.
Her opponents were forced to retreat several steps and assume defensive stances.
Sweetie didn’t pursue, landing unhurriedly on the ground. Marcus Monroe had already leaped from its back even earlier, landing at Paige’s side.
The man and the bird both glared menacingly at Sheldon Reid and his men. Marcus, in particular, was furious and anxious beyond words.
He was terrified by what could have happened.
He was afraid that if they had been any later, Paige would have had to face all of them alone.
Even though he knew she was exceptionally powerful, he couldn’t stop the panic from rising in his heart.
In fact, if it weren’t for his deep concern for Paige, he wouldn’t be here at all.
Originally, he had planned to help Paige by holding the rear. But after she left, he grew increasingly uneasy. His anxiety peaked when his subordinates discovered that Sheldon Reid had also left the city at the same time and was highly likely to be with her team.
After carefully entrusting Nadia and Levi Young to the protection of his elite subordinates, he quickly prepared to leave the city.
But to his dismay, he had realized it all too late.
The distance from Central City to Norgate was vast. He feared that by the time he arrived, anything that could happen would have already happened.
It was then that he suddenly thought of Sweetie.
Sweetie had been quite unhappy ever since arriving in Central City.
The reason was simple: Paige had been far too busy. Artifact Making, Cultivation, opening a shop, missions... the list went on and on. In short, she barely slept, let alone found time to spend with it!
Sweetie grew impatient with being indoors. To a creature like it, even the largest room felt too small and cramped, so it simply started living outside.
Fortunately, Paige had registered it with the administration office early on, so as long as it didn’t cause any trouble, it was free to soar through the skies.
But this meant it saw even less of Paige.
It wasn’t that it didn’t get lonely.
Until Marcus Monroe arrived.
Back in The Dead City, Marcus had been very interested in it. Now, seeing it after it had Promoted, he was even more amazed. He would occasionally bring it some Crystal Cores or just chat with it about Paige...
In Sweetie’s mind, although this human couldn’t compare to its master, he was still pretty good to it. So, it figured it might as well humor him and keep him company.
And that’s how the close bond between man and bird was forged.
So for this trip to Norgate, Marcus only had to ask once. Sweetie, who never let anyone else ride on its back, agreed without much hesitation.
’Are you kidding me?!’
’As if it would miss a chance to show off in front of Master!’
They traveled day and night to get here, only to find Claire Chapman... The moment they heard Paige was missing, they panicked. After a brief rest to conserve their energy, they eagerly began searching everywhere.
Now, they had finally found her.
Only to find her on the verge of being ganged up on. How could the man and his pet not be furious!
Seeing them arrive, Paige’s heart settled.
She glanced at the two beside her. Though they weren’t the same species, she felt their expressions were subtly, yet strikingly, similar. The thought was both amusing and poignant.
’They say a pet is like its owner,’ she thought, ’but it seems my Sweetie is the spitting image of the man next to me!’
Sighing to herself, she sheathed the dagger at her waist and couldn’t help but do something completely inappropriate for the moment... She reached out and took Marcus’s hand.
His palm was broad and searing hot, even slick with a hint of sweat.
She didn’t find it the least bit unpleasant. On the contrary, her heart completely melted.
He had rushed here from so far away, his eyes were bloodshot, and his complexion wasn’t as good as usual. She knew exactly why.
’Would she say she was moved?’
No, it was more than just being moved.
After this recent brush with death, she suddenly realized how rare it was to have someone by her side who constantly cared for her, someone willing to brave danger for her.
He and his feelings both deserved to be respected.
She didn’t want to pretend she was oblivious anymore.
Although she wasn’t sure if she had truly fallen in love with him, she could at least try to be with him like a lover, instead of ignorantly disregarding him and letting him slip away.
When his hand was taken by hers—small but not soft—Marcus Monroe was stunned for a long moment. He whipped his head around to look at Paige, desperate for confirmation. As his gaze met her smiling eyes, he felt as if a brilliant firework had just exploded in his heart, illuminating his entire being.
’Yes, that’s what she means!’
If this weren’t the wrong time and place, he probably would have picked her up and spun her around like a giddy fool.
Thankfully... he didn’t.
He coughed twice, a bit unnaturally, as if to hide his flustered excitement. He quickly turned his head away and muttered under his breath, "First, we’ll deal with them. Then..."
Paige glanced at the tips of his ears, which were beet-red, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
’Alright, since he’s much more innocent than I expected, I’ll listen to him and won’t ask what "then" means!’
The two of them tried their best to put on serious faces and stopped looking at each other, but their clasped hands didn’t part...
Sweetie looked on with utter disdain. ’Read the room, will you?!’
Sheldon Reid watched the entire interaction between the pair opposite him. He didn’t show a strange expression like his subordinates did; instead, he just narrowed his eyes, his face unreadable.
Marcus Monroe looked at Sheldon Reid.
He had heard of the General of the Power Corps many times, but this was the first time they had met face-to-face. He didn’t like to judge people recklessly, but he had to admit, the man before him was somewhat of a disappointment. Setting aside his strength for a moment, as a leader in the military, he lacked the broad-mindedness one would expect.
Sighing inwardly, he broke the silence. "I wonder how Paige might have offended you, General Reid, for you to go to such lengths against her?"
The use of formal address here only heightened the sarcasm.
Marcus wasn’t an impulsive person, but where Paige was concerned, the fire in his heart wouldn’t be extinguished so easily.
Sheldon Reid’s lips curled into a dismissive smile. "Marcus Monroe, is it? A while ago, I heard Black S mention you. He said you were young and promising. I had my doubts, but seeing you today, I see his judgment of character is indeed sharp." At this point, his tone shifted. "However, Paige Summers is harboring a Zombie and making enemies of humanity. I’m afraid that’s not something you can interfere with!"
Marcus didn’t know the full story. He glanced at Paige before replying, "You must be joking, General. Paige is just an ordinary Artifact Maker. She can’t bear the weight of a crime like harboring a Zombie. Besides, if you said that to anyone else, I doubt they’d believe you. A Zombie that you and your men couldn’t stop—how could she possibly have the ability to harbor it?!"
