Chapter 111: Chapter 111: He’s a Generation Lower Than General Aldridge?
Kevin Everett sighed. "Three hours ago, a horde of Aberrant Beasts suddenly attacked the base. Right over by the iron fence. All the Superpower Users in the base went to fight them off. After more than an hour of brutal fighting, we barely managed to hold our ground. But a lot of Superpower Users were still injured."
As he spoke, Kevin Everett pinched the bridge of his nose.
The number of Superpower Users in the base was already limited. With so many injured now, our combat strength has been drastically weakened.
If something like this happens again, I really don’t know if we’ll be able to fend them off.
Before Sierra Sullivan could say anything, Kevin Everett asked, "How about you all? Did everything go smoothly?"
Sierra Sullivan shook her head. "The first part went well enough, but on the way back, we were also attacked by a horde of Aberrant Beasts. If Jayce hadn’t had a breakthrough with his Superpower at a critical moment, we might not have made it back in one piece. Still, quite a few people were injured. One case is pretty serious—he was bitten on the arm by an Aberrant Beast..."
Kevin Everett’s face was already etched with worry, and after hearing this, his brow furrowed deeply.
"How could this happen!"
Kevin Everett slammed his palm on the table.
The table let out a dull THUD.
Just from the sound, you could tell how much force Kevin Everett had used.
’Is fate really trying to push us to our deaths?’
It sounded like a question, but also like he was talking to himself.
Sierra Sullivan could understand how Kevin Everett felt, but she honestly didn’t know how to comfort him.
Fortunately, Kevin Everett didn’t need any comforting.
After a moment of silence, Kevin Everett looked up, his expression becoming exceptionally serious.
"There are still too few Superpower Users!"
"Relying only on the Superpower Users we have now, there’s no way we can fight off the Aberrant Beasts. If this continues, the base will fall sooner or later."
The words were brutal, but Sierra Sullivan knew that Kevin Everett was speaking the truth.
In the current situation, a small number of Superpower Users was not enough to protect this entire massive base.
"Increasing the number of Superpower Users is our top priority right now!" Kevin Everett said in a low voice. "This matter is urgent. We have to act immediately!"
As soon as he said this, Kevin Everett suddenly thought of Harvey Cheney.
Harvey Cheney had mentioned it before—Superpowers for everyone.
Although his motives were selfish, for his and Hugo Cheney’s sake, he had to admit the idea itself was sound.
If everyone really could awaken a Superpower, it would be a huge boon.
General Aldridge nodded. "On the way back just now, I was actually thinking about this too. People have to rely on themselves. Everyone needs to stand on their own two feet to survive in this dog-eat-dog apocalypse. Relying on others will only bring harm to everyone."
Hearing General Aldridge’s words, Kevin Everett let out a slight sigh of relief and gave a wry smile. "I was worried you all wouldn’t support my decision."
After all, it could easily look like I’m shirking responsibility, pushing ordinary people to the front lines as cannon fodder.
But... his true intention was for every survivor, for the entire base.
General Aldridge laughed. "It’s not like I’m an idiot. Why wouldn’t I support you? However, my thought is that we should put out a call to action, but leave the final choice up to them. What we *can* do is establish some policies and incentives to show them that there are benefits to awakening a Superpower."
"For example?" Kevin Everett asked.
"For example, we reward anyone willing to try awakening a Superpower with eleven pounds of grain and eleven pounds of vegetables. If they succeed, they get another reward. If they’re unlucky and fail, we’ll compensate their families."
The more General Aldridge spoke, the more serious his expression became.
"Great rewards breed brave men. Everyone is afraid of death, but everyone also wants to live a better life. There are tens of thousands of people in the base right now. Even if only a few thousand are tempted by this policy, it’s still a good thing!"
"I’m just afraid that some people will hear about this system and be even more convinced that we have ulterior motives..."
"Kevin!" General Aldridge slapped his own thigh. "You’re a good man, but sometimes you overthink things and get too indecisive. You’re the base leader, sure, but you’re not a god. Even a god can’t make everyone happy, so why are you still trying to please every single person? That’s not right!
Whether they understand or not, what they think in their hearts, it doesn’t matter. Once the facts are laid out and they see the results, they’ll naturally understand!"
Kevin Everett had been worried, but after hearing General Aldridge’s words, he felt a sense of relief.
"You’re right! You see things more clearly." Kevin Everett started to laugh. "I was overthinking it. I can’t have my cake and eat it too! Alright! Let’s do it that way! I’ll get things in order and notify everyone immediately! Sierra—"
"Hm?" Sierra Sullivan had been listening intently. Hearing Kevin Everett call her name, she immediately looked over at him. "What is it?"
"For the grain and vegetables needed for the rewards, we’ll have to rely on Candice Tate. Your sister-in-law’s ability is limited right now..."
"I understand!" Sierra Sullivan said immediately. "We brought back a lot of Crystal Cores this time, the same kind Jayce absorbed before. Once Candice Tate absorbs some, her Superpower will definitely grow stronger. The rewards won’t be a problem at all."
’After I get home, I can also take out the vegetables and grain I’ve grown in my space, mix them with the ones Candice grows, and have a Space Ability User come collect them. No one will be able to tell the difference anyway.’
Kevin Everett nodded. "Alright! You all must be tired today. Go home and get some rest. I’ll handle everything else!"
Kevin Everett had just finished speaking when Yvonne Shelby walked out of the house, leading Candice Tate by the hand.
"Big Sis! You’re back!"
When Candice Tate saw Sierra Sullivan, she cheered, spread her arms wide, and ran toward her.
Lately, Candice Tate had been eating well and sleeping well. That, combined with her Superpower, made her put on a little weight. Her skin had also recovered, becoming fair and soft.
She was wearing a clean tracksuit, and as she ran over with a smile lighting up her clean, fair face, she looked just like a lively, adorable little angel.
Seeing Candice Tate like this, Sierra Sullivan couldn’t help but smile. She opened her arms and hugged the little girl.
"Big Sis!" Candice Tate wrapped her arms around Sierra Sullivan’s neck. "I worked really hard today, too!"
"You’re amazing, Candice!" Sierra Sullivan praised with a smile. "How about Big Sis takes you home?"
"Okay!"
Candice Tate agreed, then immediately looked at Yvonne Shelby. "Goodbye, Aunt Shelby! Goodbye, Uncle! Goodbye, Grandpa!"
Kevin Everett froze when he heard that. "Grandpa?"
He looked at General Aldridge sitting across from him, completely bewildered.
He and General Aldridge were about the same age.
Candice Tate called him "Uncle," but she called General Aldridge "Grandpa." This...
’Was I just randomly demoted a generation below General Aldridge?’
Seeing Kevin Everett’s expression, General Aldridge’s mood instantly brightened, and he burst out laughing.
’Being a grandpa isn’t so bad after all!’
