Chapter 345: Chapter 239: Trap (Part 2)
Marcus Monroe and Paige Summers both silently speculated on the cause, but to no avail.
’If only Ben were here,’ Paige Summers couldn’t help but think.
’A pity...’
She quickly stopped herself from dwelling on him. This was no time for distractions. They seized the opportunity to press forward, and an hour later, they finally arrived outside The Citadel.
There were hardly any Zombies here, either.
Paige Summers frowned and waited a moment, then grabbed Marcus Monroe’s hand and wrote, "Could this be a trap?"
Marcus Monroe paused, then suddenly smiled.
Even though his face was also covered, Paige Summers could see the wild abandon and immense confidence in his smiling eyes!
"So what if it’s a trap? Do you dare see this through with me?"
Paige Summers didn’t write anything more. She just looked into his eyes and squeezed his hand back tightly.
’A feeling suddenly rose within her—perhaps this was the real him!’
He had shed the somber mask he’d worn for so long that he himself had started to believe it was real. The man before her now, completely unburdened by his parents, his hatred, and the shadows of his past, was his true self!
In that moment, Marcus Monroe was so dazzling she could barely tear her eyes away!
Sensing her feelings, Marcus Monroe was exceptionally pleased.
’What to do?’
’This woman is just too damn cute!’
He had to quickly break their gaze, controlling the urge to kiss her.
’This place... Tsk...’
The putrid stench, even stronger here than anywhere they’d been before, quickly forced them to abandon their distracting thoughts. They chose the most remote southeast corner of The Citadel to sneak inside.
Inside was the rear garden of The Citadel. It looked like it had once been used to grow mutated plants with some medicinal value, but now everything was toppled over and in disarray.
Beyond the garden was a row of low, single-story buildings.
If their guess was correct, this must have been the servants’ quarters. The inside was now a total mess, with smashed tables, chairs, and beds scattered across the floor.
Beyond these buildings, the area split into two sections.
The left side appeared to be the master’s residence. Even from behind, they could tell the buildings had once been sturdily constructed. Though now half-collapsed, the broken stone blocks still looked incredibly thick. The other side also had buildings—slightly better than the servants’ quarters, but nowhere near as grand as the residence opposite them.
Paige Summers tugged on Marcus Monroe, signaling that they should check the area to the left.
Just as they were circling around the side, a nearby wall suddenly burst open, showering them head-on with stone and dust!
Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe reacted the instant it happened, leaping back quickly. Fortunately, they were fast enough to avoid looking pathetic. Still, dust billowed everywhere, settling on their face coverings.
They steadied themselves and looked across.
Beyond the collapsed wall was a spacious courtyard—the former master’s residence in The Citadel. And now, standing in the middle of the courtyard, was a person...
’No, not a person!’
Paige Summers immediately corrected herself.
Almost instantly, amid the figure’s bizarre laughter, she got a clear look at its face.
’Nora... Lowell!’
’It really is her!’
A bluish-green face, slightly bulging eyes, and fangs. Although her Zombie characteristics were much more subtle than those of other Zombies, she was, without a doubt, no longer human.
Nora Lowell’s voice was much hoarser than before, and her laughter sounded nothing like a human’s.
In other words, it was less of a laugh and more of a shriek.
The shriek, one of apparent satisfaction and excitement, grated on the eardrums as it echoed into the distance.
Paige Summers slowly pulled down her face covering.
"Long time no see. Your voice has become truly grating."
Now that she was face to face with the mastermind behind the city’s tragedy, Paige Summers felt surprisingly calm. Her words held no heat, her tone utterly flat.
Nora Lowell’s laughter stopped abruptly, her face twisting into a hideous expression. But not long after, when her eyes turned to Marcus Monroe beside Paige, she slowly calmed down again.
"You bitch!" her coarse voice rang out. "Shut your mouth! I don’t want to hear you talk!"
Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe couldn’t help but exchange a look.
Just as they suspected. She had her memories and the ability to think. Her years-long hatred for Paige Summers remained unchanged.
Paige Summers felt a chill in her heart, but her face broke into a smile. "What? Jealous of me? You’re so ugly now. All your former charm and beauty are gone. Aren’t you furious? Even if you’ve become immortal, you can only spend the rest of your existence with those brainless, drooling Zombies that reek enough to kill. What’s the use of living so long? You think you can ever become human again? Impossible! Even if you kill everyone in Astoria, you have no future. The memories and thoughts you’ve retained will become your shackles, tormenting you day and night with loneliness and pain..."
Marcus Monroe’s brow furrowed as he listened. ’What on earth is she doing? She isn’t normally so sharp-tongued. She’s clearly provoking Nora on purpose, but why?’
But Paige Summers had no time to worry about him. Seeing that Nora Lowell was about to go berserk, she flashed another brilliant smile. "Seeing you end up like this... I couldn’t possibly be happier..."
Before the last word was even out of her mouth, Paige Summers shot forward like a gust of wind. As she closed the distance, several Crossbow Arrows shot toward Nora Lowell!
Almost at the exact same moment, several thin black lines flashed between Nora Lowell’s raised palms. They were faint, glinting with a dark, sinister light that looked both evil and bizarre. Without hesitation, she sent them slashing toward the Crossbow Arrows and Paige Summers!
Marcus Monroe had intended to block the attack, but on second thought, he suddenly understood Paige Summers’s objective. He rushed forward and forcibly pulled her back, not wanting her to probe any further.
The Crossbow Arrows collided with the black lines and were instantly reduced to a pile of scattered ash. The black attack that had been aimed at Paige Summers slammed into the ground instead. With a loud BOOM, a crater several meters wide blasted open in the earth!
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