Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

Chapter 353: Chapter 245: Scar

Norgate had been conquered. All that remained was the cleanup and reconstruction.

Naturally, none of this had anything to do with Paige Summers.

She was preparing to return to Central City.

When she mentioned it to Kiera Walsh, the other woman wasn’t surprised. Kiera gave her and Marcus Monroe a large number of Crystal Cores and supplies, and she implicitly mentioned that she would be sure to support Bloodfall.

Paige Summers smiled and thanked her.

It was always better to have one more friend than one more enemy.

Although Shawn Monroe was still comatose more often than he was conscious, he had been saved. Kiera’s gratitude was genuine. Paige could tell.

As for Marcus Monroe...

He hadn’t spoken to her since yesterday, when she had suggested they separate and frankly told him what was on her mind.

This was more or less what she expected.

She felt helpless but could only let him be.

’I was thinking we’d separate for a while after we got back to Central City,’ she thought. ’After all, I can’t just leave him here. There must be a lot of things waiting for him to handle back in Jovitas.’

But she hadn’t expected Marcus Monroe to have such a temper.

"There’s no need. The Central Army will be mobilizing soon. I’ll wait and go back with them." In the room, he faced the window with a cold expression, as if he couldn’t be bothered to spare her a single glance.

Paige Summers paused for a moment before asking, "Will things be alright in Jovitas?"

Perhaps it was the concern in her voice, but he finally turned to look at her. His expression was dark and unreadable, leaving her unable to guess what he was thinking.

"Just go." After staring at her for a long time, that’s what he finally said.

Paige Summers lowered her gaze slightly. A moment later, she gave a small nod and turned to leave.

Marcus Monroe watched the door close firmly. His ramrod-straight body suddenly slumped a little. He pressed a hand to his chest, feeling a pain so sharp it took his breath away.

’What the hell! What is wrong with me?!’

’Isn’t she just a woman?!’

’Am I, Marcus Monroe, lacking for women?’

’If I want them, I can have as many as I please!’

’Women, even the most beautiful ones, have a price in this era!’

’If she wants to separate, then I’ll grant her wish!’

He kept telling himself this, but his fist couldn’t help but slam furiously into the wall beside him, creating a spiderweb of cracks...

Paige Summers knew none of this.

All she saw was his displeasure. It felt like the possessiveness of ’this person is mine, yet she’s leaving,’ not sadness.

’So, this is all I am to him, after all.’

At that thought, she felt the urge to cry. But then she understood that she hadn’t made the wrong choice. If the man he was now and the man he would become didn’t love her that much, why should she be bound by their past?

’And the same goes for me.’

The sky outside was still bright. Paige Summers packed everything into her space and went downstairs to Sweetie.

Its injuries hadn’t fully healed yet. Flying was no problem, but carrying a person would be a bit of a strain. Paige, however, felt she couldn’t stay here a moment longer. "How about we head back to Central City?" she said to it. "You fly up high, and I’ll run down below. Let’s see who’s faster!"

Sweetie lowered its head and nuzzled her cheek.

Paige forced a smile. "Then it’s a deal! We’ll set off right now. Don’t push yourself. If you get tired, we’ll rest."

Sweetie chirped softly, as if in agreement.

Without any further delay, the girl and the bird left the city and hit the road.

Paige had a vehicle in her space, but she didn’t feel like using it right now. When she was in a bad mood, a wild run was a good way to blow off steam.

Through the jungle and across the wilderness, dressed in her dark combat suit, she was like a flash of black lightning.

Few could match her current speed. Moreover, the retreating Central Army had just passed this way not long ago, so there were no large or highly threatening Mutant Beasts around. As for the rest, they were just extra snacks on the menu.

She hadn’t traveled alone for a long time. The sudden quiet was a bit unsettling at first, but after two days, she started to find it pleasant.

There were benefits to being alone.

There was no need to accommodate anyone, no need to compromise, no need to even think. She could go wherever she wanted, however she wanted, and change her mind at any moment.

Occasionally, she would encounter a Hunting Party. She never struck up a conversation, partly to avoid making them wary, and partly because it would make her uneasy as well. However, if they asked for help, she usually wouldn’t refuse. Why not perform a simple act that could save someone’s life? Besides, she had no intention of getting too involved.

Seven or eight days passed like this, and Sweetie’s injuries finally healed completely.

She stroked its healed wing and swung herself onto its back.

This time, there would be no more delays. They would fly directly back to Central City.

Once inside the city, she really wanted to go find Levi Young directly, but on second thought, she headed to the Taoist Association first.

Erin Quinn was incredibly excited to see her. But unlike in the past, she didn’t shout and jump around. Instead, she just hugged Paige’s arm and nestled against her, looking for all the world like a young lady.

"...I held everyone back again." After recounting what had happened, she was able to reflect on her actions.

Paige smiled and didn’t argue. "You’re right, so don’t do it again. Your abilities aren’t there yet, so you shouldn’t have been in such a rush to leave the city. It won’t be too late to go once you’ve caught up to your senior brother."

Erin Quinn quietly puffed out her cheeks but knew it was the truth, so she could only sigh to herself. She was often praised by her fellow disciples for her talent and rapid progress, and she had thought she was doing quite well. But this trip had shown her just how far she still had to go. Even if her fellow disciples weren’t as talented, every one of them had a wealth of survival experience. Their years, or even decades, of accumulated knowledge wasn’t something she could easily surpass.

’All in all, I still have so, so much to learn!’

Sean Raines, who arrived a moment later, also heard Paige’s words. He stood to the side with a grin and said, "But gaining some real-world experience is a good thing. Evie has become much more down-to-earth since she got back. It wasn’t a pointless lesson."

Paige glanced at him, then turned to Erin. "I’m relieved to know you’re okay. I’m going to go check on Andy now."

"Yeah, we owe him a lot for this..." If Levi Young hadn’t secretly hidden some knockout powder and chosen the perfect moment to drug their guards, they probably would have been used as hostages by Sheldon Reid long ago.

Paige nodded but said nothing more.

Sean Raines walked out the main gate with her, and they got in a car to go see Levi Young.

Halfway there, he gave her a strange look. "You came back alone?"

Paige said in surprise, "You’ve got good sources!" She had only just entered the city.

"Hehe, so-so." Sean feigned modesty, but his eyes showed genuine concern. "About Marcus Monroe... I mean, are you two okay?"

Paige raised an eyebrow. "I thought you’d ask about Norgate first."

Sean looked her up and down. "With Kiera Walsh’s abilities, even if she couldn’t conquer it, she could at least hold her ground. The Central Army will surely regroup and recruit for another attack, so it shouldn’t be a big problem. Besides, just looking at your expression, I can tell that over there..."

"We conquered it," Paige interrupted him.

"Huh?" Sean was surprised this time. "I guess Kiera Walsh isn’t such a wimp after all!"

Paige gave a slight purse of her lips and briefly explained what had happened. Finally, she asked, "Who do you think those masked people were?"

Sean frowned and pondered for a good while. "That’s really hard to say."

"Hmm. You’re well-connected. You could try asking around and see if any organization fits that description."

"I know. Don’t worry. I was going to look into it even if you hadn’t mentioned it."

Paige nodded and said no more, turning to look out the window.

Sean wanted to keep asking about her and Marcus, but when he glanced over and saw her expression, he had to swallow his curiosity.

Although they were going to see Levi Young, Sean didn’t take Paige to The Research Institute. Instead, he drove to District Four.

"It’s not convenient to get things done at The Research Institute, so I found another place here."

This was naturally because of Ben, something Paige understood very well.

"Is it convenient for Andy to come out?"

"It should be fine. I already called him when I heard you were here. He might even get there before us."

"That’s good."

The place Sean found was indeed well-hidden. It was a detached, single-family house.

He explained with a smile, "There aren’t many houses like this in District Four, but they exist. I was able to get it thanks to a friend." In reality, not only was it a detached house, but he had also put a lot of effort into its security, even setting up a defensive formation.

Paige didn’t say thank you, but she committed the gesture to heart.

For some things, and for some people, saying thank you out loud would only cheapen the sentiment.

When they entered the house, Levi Young had indeed already arrived.

When Paige saw him, she first froze, then a surge of anger rose from the bottom of her heart!

Not at him, but at Sheldon Reid.

Because not only was Levi Young frighteningly thin, but he now had a long scar on his right cheek. It stretched from his temple all the way to the corner of his mouth. It was long and deep, and although it had healed, the dark scab was still there, making it extremely conspicuous. To others, it might even look terrifying.

She strode over in a few steps, her brow furrowed as she stared at the scar.

"Does it still hurt?"

"It stopped hurting a long time ago."

Levi Young smiled and guided her to a seat on the sofa, blinking back the moisture in his eyes.

He once thought he’d never get the chance to see her again. It seemed heaven was still kind to him. He knew she was pained by his injury, but what was that compared to being able to see her again, alive!

"It’s normal for a man to have scars. This is a medal for saving a damsel in distress," he, a man of few words, joked happily.

As expected, Paige snorted with laughter.

"Saving a damsel? Maybe if Erin were five years older, you could say that."

But Sean chimed in, "Andy’s right! Our Evie is definitely... hmm, a little beauty!"

"You have a sister complex!"

"Say whatever you want."

With Sean’s interjection, the atmosphere lightened.

Paige let out a soft breath. "In any case, it’s good that you’re back safely." Unconsciously, Levi Young and Erin Quinn had become like family to her. If anything had happened to them, she didn’t know what she would have done.

Levi Young pressed his lips together. "From now on, I’ll definitely protect myself properly!"

Paige looked at him for a moment and said gravely, "It’s good that you understand. If our places were switched, just think about how you would feel. Then you’ll know how I feel."

A bitter feeling welled up in Levi Young’s heart.

’If our places were really switched, I might have gone mad. But you wouldn’t, because you still have Big Brother Monroe by your side...’

After a long moment, he nodded firmly and put on a smile. "Enough about me. Go see Ben!"