Chapter 294: Chapter 282: For Ordinary People, Everywhere Is Hell
"We don’t care who you are! If you’re going to recruit us, you have to show some sincerity!"
"That’s right! We superpower users must be prioritized. And besides three meals a day, we can’t go without fruit and water!"
"If you want us to join, you need to provide enough Crystal Cores for us to level up quickly! Otherwise, we’ll just join another faction!"
Flora Bloom found it hilarious how the three people leading the commotion seemed not to know each other, yet were acting in perfect sync.
"Heh! Who said I was recruiting superpower users?"
"..."
Flora Bloom’s words stirred a mix of hope and worry in the waiting crowd. They were hopeful because it seemed she wasn’t just recruiting superpower users—ordinary people like them might have a chance.
But they also worried. Was this recruitment, as the three men claimed, a total scam? Would they be walking into hell if they joined?
The way things were now, even the four major factions at the base couldn’t provide three free meals a day for ordinary people. The superpower users who joined those factions only got one free meal. For the rest, they had to scavenge for their own food when they got hungry.
"You’re not recruiting superpower users? Are you going to recruit these ordinary people instead? Don’t make me laugh!"
"I have to ask, are you guys sick or something?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three troublemakers in the mist realized Flora Bloom was insulting them. They wanted to rush forward and fight, but they ultimately didn’t dare.
"Hmph, a weak-ass faction like yours that uses bait-and-switch tactics is only good for running its mouth. Providing three meals a day and water? Who would believe that!"
Flora Bloom glanced at Cynthia Grant, then slowly walked toward the three men through the mist. It was impossible for them not to be nervous as they watched her approach with a leisurely stroll.
They were well aware of Flora Bloom’s power. Their bosses had only instructed them to blend in with the recruitment crowd and stir up trouble. But who could have known Flora Bloom had a trick like this up her sleeve? Now they had lost any chance to create a commotion and escape.
At the same time, Cynthia Grant’s turquoise vines shot out, binding the three men tightly. They were dragged onto the nearby lawn, where the tall grass itself constricted to hold them fast.
"Ah! Flora Bloom, you psycho! What do you think you’re doing?"
"You come to my turf to cause trouble, and you’re asking me what I mean?"
"You—who’s causing trouble?! We were just asking some reasonable questions! Let us go!"
Suddenly, Flora Bloom sensed a familiar Hidden System energy. Yuemao’s figure flickered, teleporting from the back of the line to appear right behind the three men bound by Cynthia Grant.
A sharp dagger flashed through the mist, tracing three arcs of light. Then, three bodies collapsed to the ground.
"Yuemao!"
Flora Bloom called out his name in exasperation. Yuemao then materialized out of thin air with a cheeky grin and swaggered over to her.
"Sis, for guys like this, it’s best to just kill them. Why waste your breath?"
"You just killed them like that, how am I supposed to recruit people now?"
A vein throbbed on Flora Bloom’s temple as she glared at Yuemao. But to her surprise, while a few people in line were trembling with fear, most were looking at him with adoration. A few women, in particular, strode boldly up to him.
"Hey, handsome. Are you joining this group?"
Yuemao shot a sidelong glance at the women who had just approached him and took a few steps back, putting some distance between them. "What do you want? Is it any of your business?"
Seeing Yuemao’s look of disgust, the women weren’t even angry. They suddenly turned to Ethan Monroe and said, "Then we want to join too!"
Flora Bloom was even more speechless as she watched the women gaze at Yuemao with utter adoration. ’Admiration sure comes cheap in the apocalypse,’ she thought. ’What is it about him they even admire?’
However, she noticed there were still a few people in line with deathly pale faces, their expressions unreadable.
"Old Monroe, in a moment, explain the rules to those who join!" Flora Bloom said to Ethan Monroe before turning back to the crowd in the mist.
"Go back and tell your boss to come find me here tomorrow at noon. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what happens next!" After she spoke, the water mist instantly dissipated. A few people in the line suddenly turned and ran, yelling "Murderer!" as they fled, which Flora Bloom found truly amusing.
"Anyone who wants to join, come and register. But I’ll say this upfront: if I find out you’re a spy sent by someone to infiltrate my team, those three are an example of what will happen."
Flora Bloom’s sharp gaze swept over everyone in the line. She saw a few people with pale faces and flickering eyes, looking terrified but remaining motionless in the line. ’Looks like they’re dead set on joining.’
Flora Bloom kicked Emil Preston, who was at Ethan Monroe’s feet. "Do you know the price of betrayal?"
Emil Preston suddenly burst into tears, snot and tears streaming down his face onto the stone path. "Flora Bloom, I... I had no choice! Morgan Sterling forced me to do it! I didn’t mean to! Please, forgive me!"
Flora Bloom motioned for Ethan Monroe to move his foot, then kicked Emil Preston hard in the side of the chest, sending him flying onto the lawn.
The gentle long grass had been softly caressing Emil Preston. But at Flora Bloom’s command, it suddenly became like tough ropes, wrapping tightly around Emil Preston’s entire body, leaving only his eyes and one nostril exposed.
Before he could even cry for help, the green grass suddenly grew wildly, its sharp tips frantically forcing their way through the gaps around his face. Strands of grass surged into his body through his ears, nostrils, and mouth.
Then, sharp blades of grass pierced his wide-open eyeballs.
Life and death were decided in an instant. The man, who had been alive and well just moments before, was killed by a patch of grass!
This scene was the last straw. Two more people in the line suddenly started trembling all over, turned, and ran.
"Alright, you all carry on. I’ll be leaving now!" Flora Bloom led Cynthia Grant through the long line of people. Not a single person in the queue dared to raise their head and look directly at her as she passed.
The group from behind the barrier wall was well-known throughout the base, not least because its leader was a woman—a beautiful and very young one.
They only knew that no one from the base dared venture behind the barrier wall. A merciless swarm of killer bees lived within, attacking anyone who got too close or dared to trespass.
They also knew this leader was a Water Ability User, and at her side was a white tiger with a Thunder Ability, exceptionally fierce and powerful.
Most importantly, every time the people from behind the barrier wall appeared, they were spotlessly clean. Unlike them, who, since the apocalypse, hadn’t changed their clothes in a month or two and had never had a full meal.
Such a mysterious group made everyone feel a strange mix of anticipation and fear. So when someone in the line said Flora Bloom’s group was a bait-and-switch, many people grew worried, especially the superpower users. They longed to join a strong team, because not only would it guarantee their safety, but it would also mean they wouldn’t have to go hungry.
But if the group turned out to be a hell in disguise, these superpower users, who valued their lives above all else in this apocalyptic world, would naturally look out for number one.
But it was different for ordinary people.
For ordinary people, everywhere was hell. Not having enough to eat, not having warm clothes, having no water to drink—that was hell. Since it was hell everywhere, why not take a gamble?
People in the apocalypse revered and admired the strong. Therefore, when Yuemao appeared out of thin air and mercilessly slaughtered the three troublemakers, more people were filled with admiration than with fear.
