Chapter 299: Chapter 204: Future (Part 2)
To be honest, they weren’t exactly fond of each other. It was just a matter of saving face.
But Paige Summers was clearly unhappy about it. She expected them to act like real teammates, at least for this mission.
Once they understood this, they all adopted forgiving expressions.
Miles Chandler, the man at the center of it, responded with a smile on his baby face. "It’s fine. We weren’t familiar with each other before, but it’s good that we’ve cleared the air. We’re all teammates, so we have to watch each other’s backs. Otherwise, it’d be just like... hmm, facing a Zombie all alone. Wouldn’t you say?"
’Hmph. So you left me for dead, but since you did end up giving us that warning, I’ll let it slide with just a few verbal jabs to remind you of how pathetic you were,’ the man, whose inner thoughts were completely at odds with his appearance, mused. ’Sigh, I’m just that magnanimous!’
Norman Ross nodded, blushing, and returned to his spot.
And with that, the matter was closed.
Paige Summers glanced over Miles Chandler and his group with an amused expression. ’Compared to these shrewd veterans,’ she thought, ’the kids from The Power Corps are like delicate flowers raised in a greenhouse. So simple!’
’No wonder Leo Joyce sent them out to train with Bloodfall.’
’They were probably scouted and trained from a young age. Their superpowers shot right up, but it’s obvious they haven’t been on many missions, and none of them have been difficult enough.’
In fact, she had guessed correctly.
Why else would Leo Joyce have hardened his heart and sent them?
It was all because he had discovered a flaw in their training methods. The current approach just wasn’t cutting it.
Of course, he hadn’t just chosen Bloodfall at random.
Rather, after meeting the Superpower Users recruited by May Joyce, he’d heard from a number of them about Bloodfall’s operational doctrine and combat style. He had also met Claire Chapman in person, observed his character, and determined that Bloodfall would neither coddle them just because they were The Power Corps from Southreach, nor would they deliberately inflict heavy losses. Only then had he made his decision.
Furthermore, he was also using this to test Claire Chapman. If Claire couldn’t even be trusted with the men from The Power Corps he had lent out, how could he be trusted with his most beloved sister?
If the results didn’t satisfy him, then as for this whole "relationship with the goal of marriage" arrangement, it wouldn’t even be up to Claire Chapman to object—Leo Joyce himself would cancel the condition immediately.
Paige Summers was unaware of the intricate scheming behind Leo Joyce’s decision. But even if she had known, she wouldn’t have done anything differently.
In other words, her style wouldn’t have changed one bit.
With everyone obediently following orders, the rest of the journey was indeed much smoother.
As a result, they were the first to arrive at the rendezvous point and link up with Claire Chapman’s group, which had taken the middle route.
Sweetie, who had been sent to stay with Claire Chapman to facilitate communication between the teams, swooped over the moment she saw Paige, looking utterly wronged. Paige couldn’t help but laugh.
"Did you cause your captain any trouble?"
’Of course not! I was there to protect him!’
"Ha, alright, you get the credit then," Paige said with a laugh, rewarding it with two Crystal Cores.
Fifth Order Crystal Cores...
The team members behind them were all stunned.
This was the first time Paige Summers had fed Sweetie in front of everyone.
Only then did they realize their own lives were apparently worse than a bird’s!
Soon after, Mason Hayes and Heath Hughes also arrived with their teams.
Aside from Paige Summers, who remained calm and composed, all the other team leaders, including Claire Chapman, looked exhausted. The fatigue was physical, but more than that, it was mental.
The soldiers from The Power Corps were really not that easy to lead.
Ever since seeing Paige Summers, however, Claire Chapman’s gaze had been subtly shifting between her and her team members, and his expression was growing increasingly strange.
Others might not have noticed, but Paige Summers didn’t miss it.
After they found a place to camp for the night and had just finished eating, she found an opportunity to quietly approach him. "Alright, spit it out. You’ve been sneaking glances this whole time. What are you looking at?"
Claire Chapman let out a dry laugh. "It’s nothing. I just think the people on your team have changed quite a bit!"
Paige Summers eyed him skeptically. "It’s not that simple. You might as well tell me the truth."
"Really, it’s nothing. It’s just... I was worried those guys from The Power Corps wouldn’t listen to orders."
Paige Summers’s gaze swept over the members of the four teams, and she suddenly understood. "You cunning fox! I knew something felt off. So you dumped all the troublemakers onto my team! No wonder they’ve been nothing but trouble from the start!"
Claire Chapman sighed. "I didn’t have a choice! I couldn’t give the most difficult ones to Heath Hughes and Mason Hayes. I was afraid they wouldn’t be harsh enough."
Paige Summers understood what he meant. She chuckled and briefly recounted the events of the afternoon.
Claire Chapman had to struggle for a good while to suppress his laughter.
"No wonder they’re all so cautious around you. So that’s what happened. Hehe, good job! Those kids were long overdue for a lesson! Hmm, but they should be much better behaved tomorrow."
"I’d imagine so. Anyway, I’m heading off to rest."
Paige Summers said that, but she didn’t actually go to rest. Instead, while on watch, she went outside with Ben.
She was still thinking about the long-armed Zombie.
"That Zombie seemed different. It seemed very intelligent."
Ben tilted his head, thought for a moment, then nodded.
He was now able to pick up on the keywords in Paige’s speech, so he understood what she meant.
Paige Summers froze, muttering, "An intelligent Zombie? Does that mean it could evolve to become like you someday?"
This time, Ben shook his head.
Paige Summers felt a little relieved, but then another thought occurred to her.
"Then could other Zombies evolve to your level?"
Ben neither nodded nor shook his head.
Paige Summers understood.
’That’s true,’ she thought. ’Until we actually see one, we can’t be sure whether they exist.’
At this, her brow furrowed slightly.
’She had once thought humanity had nearly wiped out the Zombies, but that wasn’t the case at all.’
’She’d thought humanity’s advantage was its intelligence, but now, that no longer seemed certain.’
’I wonder what the situation is like over at the Central City Research Institute. If only it were easier to stay in contact with Marcus Monroe!’
’What on earth will become of humanity’s future?’
