Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Ashamed Trevor Thorne
Nathan Thorne’s heart burned with anticipation as he listened to Trevor Thorne’s words.
’If he could really awaken two or even more Superpowers, wouldn’t he become invincible in this apocalypse?’
’When that time comes, let’s see if Jayce and his group still dare to treat me this way!’
Even though nothing had happened yet, Nathan Thorne couldn’t contain his excitement at the mere thought.
Trevor Thorne could guess what his son was thinking just by the look on his face.
"Don’t get ahead of yourself. I’ll ask about it this afternoon."
He had sounded certain, but deep down, he wasn’t entirely sure.
To Trevor Thorne’s surprise, however, he had barely brought up the topic that afternoon when General Aldridge laid it all out.
"Our base does have a way to help people awaken more Superpowers. Anyone who’s willing gets a chance to try, but ultimate success depends on a person’s talent and willpower. If you’re interested, you can come to our base and give it a shot after this is all over."
Trevor Thorne was stunned by the general’s words.
’He just told me?’
’Isn’t this the kind of information you’re supposed to keep secret?’
’Or, at the very least, use as leverage.’
’Why would General Aldridge just hand over the information so freely?’
Jayce saw the look on Trevor Thorne’s face, guessed what he was thinking, and didn’t bother to hide his laughter.
"Commander Thorne, you really underestimate us. Have you forgotten the times we’re in? All of humanity is in peril. Anything that boosts a survivor’s abilities and gives them a better chance to protect themselves is a good thing. Why would we possibly scheme over something like that?"
Jayce’s words were far from courteous.
He might as well have pointed a finger in Trevor Thorne’s face and called him a schemer.
Trevor Thorne’s face burned with shame, a feeling he hadn’t experienced before.
’I really was judging noble men by my own petty standards!’
Trevor Thorne stood up, his expression turning serious and earnest. "I was in the wrong! You came here to help, and not only were we ungrateful, but we were also hatching our own petty schemes. For me to still be playing mind games over something like this... I’m truly..."
General Aldridge rose as well, walked over to Trevor Thorne, and patted him gently on the shoulder.
"Mr. Thorne, we’ve known each other for a while now, so I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’ll just say it. We’re all human, and we all have our own selfish thoughts. That’s normal. But the most important thing is not to forget our positions, not to forget what we have to do. And right now, the most important thing is how we face the army of Aberrant Beasts outside."
Trevor Thorne nodded humbly. "You’re right, General Aldridge! I was wrong before. But rest assured, something like this will never happen again!"
"What about the investigation I asked you to run this morning?" General Aldridge pressed.
That was the top priority.
The Aberrant Beasts were fearless, and their numbers seemed endless.
To break the siege, they had to find its source.
Trevor Thorne immediately grabbed his radio and summoned the team in charge of the investigation.
"How is the investigation going? Have you found anything out of the ordinary in the base?"
The men looked troubled and ashamed, blushing as they shook their heads.
"We’ve failed. We couldn’t find anything. Nothing seems out of place."
Although Trevor Thorne was frustrated, he knew he couldn’t blame them. He looked at General Aldridge, at a loss. "You see, General Aldridge? It’s not that we’re not cooperating. We truly don’t know where the problem is."
If he knew where the problem was, he would have resolved it in a heartbeat.
General Aldridge frowned, momentarily at a loss for words.
Sierra Sullivan, however, recalled a previous incident.
"Could this be the same as what happened to us before?"
Sierra Sullivan’s sudden remark drew everyone’s attention.
Jayce was the first to grasp her meaning. "Sierra, you mean... that strange red stone?"
Hearing Jayce’s words, General Aldridge also recalled the previous incident.
They had been chased by Aberrant Beasts before, all because of a mysterious red stone. The creatures had swarmed toward the stone, pursuing them relentlessly.
If they hadn’t acted decisively and thrown the stone away, Red Sun Base might have been besieged as well.
Thinking about it, it seemed like a real possibility.
Trevor Thorne looked at the three of them, confused. Not understanding what they were talking about and too impatient to wait, he quickly asked.
"What is this strange red stone you were just talking about? Have you encountered a situation like this before?"
Jayce nodded. "When we were out on a rescue mission, one of the survivors we found had a red stone hidden on him. The Aberrant Beasts pursued that stone relentlessly. We only shook them after we threw the stone away. Commander Thorne, you should have your people search again. See if someone is hiding something."
"To think something like that could happen!" Trevor Thorne’s eyes widened in shock.
If he hadn’t heard it with his own ears and known General Aldridge to be a man of his word, Trevor Thorne would have found it impossible to believe that a mysterious stone could cause such a disaster.
"Don’t just stand there gawking," Trevor Thorne said to his men. "Go search again, and pay special attention to the people who arrived at the base yesterday and those who just returned from outside. It doesn’t matter what color stone it is—if you find one, bring it back immediately."
The men didn’t dare hesitate. They acknowledged the order and left at once.
Nathan Thorne’s eyes flickered as he watched them go, an idea forming in his mind.
"Dad, I’ll go help!"
Trevor Thorne didn’t think too much about it, assuming Nathan Thorne just wanted to do what he could to help. That was a good thing.
It wasn’t a dangerous task, since it was all within the base, so Trevor Thorne agreed right away.
"Alright, go on then."
"Wait!" Sierra Sullivan called out. "We’re not doing anything, so why don’t we go with you?"
Trevor Thorne gave Sierra Sullivan a surprised look. ’She wants to go, too?’
"There’s no need to trouble you," Nathan Thorne interjected, quick to refuse. "You must be tired from this morning. You should rest."
"No need!" Sierra Sullivan shook her head. "I’m well-rested. Besides, I ate too much. A little walk will help me digest."
Jayce chimed in, "Yeah, let us come with you! There’s strength in numbers. We might just find something!"
General Aldridge laughed heartily. "You two are just born to be busy, aren’t you? You can’t stand being idle for a second. If that’s the case, then go ahead! Commander Thorne, that’s no problem, is it?"
Trevor Thorne saw no problem with it. "Of course, no problem at all. We’d be grateful for the help. Nathan Thorne, lead the way!"
