Chapter 29: Surviving the Apocalypse With My Beloved | Pt.9
*WARNING: Mentions of sexual assault and sex trafficking. Proceed with caution.*
The base was taken over, and order was established promptly. Everyone was gathered at the town hall for a head count and profiling.
Their group was split into three. Group A dealt with the civilians, group B dealt with rebellions and security, and group C worked on fixing the wall and mapping the area.
The sky had begun to turn orange, signifying the end of the day, yet the protagonist's group was nowhere to be seen.
Tora glanced at the setting sun, feeling anxious in her heart. Her eyes occasionally swept toward the group of residents with scrunched eyebrows.
I couldn't care less about the protagonist. The problem is with the person I originally came early to find.
The only person recorded in the novel that could neutralize everything is nowhere to be found. This Dean Packer person is here, I'm certain.
In the corner of her eyes, she noticed Percy walking towards her. His demeanor was clouded with an air of gloom. It was a rare sight, making her pause her thoughts momentarily.
"It's best just to kill him." His eyes shimmered with annoyance as he studied her reaction.
"What's this all of a sudden?" Tora looked at him with suspicion in her heart. Is he crazy or something?
"I'm talking about Dean Packer." His hand swept through his hair as he gestured towards something. "His power is dangerous. He can hold it up for however long he wishes, which makes him a liability."
Her eyes followed his gaze, landing on a large building's balcony. A middle-aged man stood there, staring at the proceedings of her group with uninterested eyes. Below him were young women and men being escorted out with the soldier's help. They looked feeble and beautiful, almost like those written damsels that needed rescuing.
Her hands clenched into fists, nearly ripping the gloves she wore. Her heart burned with hatred as she stared at those being escorted.
I expected to see this but to think that he was the main cause...
They barely wore anything to cover themselves. Their body bruised with love markings and abuse. Their eyes were blank and filled with hopelessness.
"Is he using his power now?"
"Yes, although the magicians aren't affected by it, we still need to approach him cautiously."
The more Tora thought about it, the more it made sense. She had originally glossed over everything related to Julie. She never took her time questioning Julie's actions in the novel. Because, to Tora, none of that mattered when Zack was the protagonist of this story.
Right, Julie knew the existence of the neutralization power. I always attributed that to her having lived before she regressed, but I never questioned where she got that from.
Her eyes locked in with Dean when she looked over again. He stared at her with a slight astonishment before smirking. Tora felt her lips curl up in response as her hunger for human flesh reemerged.
In a world where even a child could overpower an adult with sheer ability, yet these people were still forced into sex trafficking? Bullshit.
"What are you thinking of?"
"Human buffet."
"Sounds appetizing." Percy noticed her slightly more relaxed expression and also regained his playfulness. He moved in closer, his lips hovering over her shoulder as he whispered, "This ruthless side of you is giving me butterflies."
"Wh—!?" She was baffled and was about to respond when he pulled out the Sword of Condemnation and swung it.
The sword struck the streak of lightning with great speed, knocking it to the side where it struck and cracked the pavement. The sound of the impact was deafening, causing the weaker civilians to pop their eardrums.
"Tsk!" The figure of a person appeared near them. He glared at the sword in Percy's hand with annoyance. "So you're the fucker that dared to steal my sword."
"Your sword?" Percy cocked an eyebrow, staring inquisitively at the other.
Tora felt her heart palpitating strangely. Her hands reached for her chest, gripping it, hoping it would calm down. She was spellbound.
His rage-filled eyes glanced around, finally setting his sight on Tora. Her body flinched slightly. This reaction made her feel uncomfortable.
I'm not crazy about good-looking men, but the protagonist's halo is scarily effective.
'You can have both of the best-looking ones. A polyamorous relationship.'
A burst of flames enveloped the note, turning it into dust. Her complexion darkened and her mood dropped significantly. This change in attitude caught both of the men's attention.
You finally crawled out of your hole and this is the first thing you say!?
'I was just offering a solution since you seem enamored with both.'
What—?
The fire had burned away the gloves that she wore. Her fists reflected her heated emotion, glowing more intensely from the swaying flames.
"This thing has been giving me a warning since I arrived here. You must be the reason for it—"
"Shut the fuck up." Tora harshly cut Zack off. Her eyebrows were tightly knitted as she glared in annoyance. "Are you the fucker that allowed for that to happen?"
Zack looked over at the area she gestured towards. His confusion was soon replaced with a smirk.
"A bit of happiness for hard-working people. Nothing harmful about it."
"Are you serious?" Tora was at a loss for words. She had never met anyone as shameless as this before.
"Think about it logically for a second. Rather than those with strength getting frustrated and being forceful with random people, wouldn't it be better to have a place to release such stress? It's a small sacrifice for future peace and prosperity."
"Alright, let's say that's true. How can peace and prosperity occur when beings like me can kill everyone in a span of a few minutes?" Zack watched with amusement in his eyes. He found her attempt at provoking him amusing.
"As long as I have a strong healer at the King tier, it would be a snap of a finger to kill all of you as well."
In the corner of her eye, Tora noticed a figure lurking nearby. Her petite nature allowed her to hide behind a pillar seamlessly.
Should I play with them a bit?
"IF you have a King tier healer." His cocky grin faltered for a brief moment. "Let's be civil and have a meaningful discussion. How about a trade-off? The recipe to the cure and I'll let you live as the hero to mankind. "
Percy looked towards her oddly. His face clouded in mystery as he tried to read into her actions. Tora glanced at him before quickly looking away.
"What's the catch? A deal that only benefits me is strange. I'm not an idiot."
"My sister for your glorious future." Zack was taken aback at such a request. He narrowed his eyes, trying to read into her intent.
"Who's this sister?"
"You don't know me? I thought for sure that little rat would chatter away." Tora swung her hand, sending out a blade made from wind. It sliced cleanly through the large pillar, nearly missing the person hiding behind it.
"You!? Those group of zombies were you!?" His eyes widened in surprise. He didn't even flinch when she swung her windblade towards Julie.
"Do I have to drag you out here myself? My patience for you died the day you pushed me into the hoard of zombies." Her tone was cold, sending chills down Julie's spine. "Your answer, Zack Howard."
"Take it." Julie paused in her steps. Her mind blanked as she stared at him staggeringly. "Other than beauty, she wasn't useful anyways." Her gaze quickly turned resentful.
"You! How could you!?" Her steps quickened. She glared at him with disgust and disappointment. "Even like this...even after all that I've done...you still dare to choose her!?"
"What the fuck are you complaining for?" Zack was reaching his breaking point. He had been greatly annoyed ever since the incident at the warehouse.
"Come here, Julie. Do I have to repeat this for a third time?" Her voice cut through the argument and put a stop to it. Tora watched her shoulders flinch as she reluctantly made her way over. "Percy, come here."
"At your service."
"You heard the conversation, yeah?" Seeing him nod, she continued, "Deal with it."
"Sure. I won't be far, so call for me whenever." He glanced slightly at Julie before heading out with Zack.
The two sisters stood in silence. One was eying the other, and the other was staring at the makeshift brothel. The silence was suffocating, but neither of them was willing to speak.
"Why did you do that?" Tora knew the answer but still asked anyway. Her eyes continued to stare at the brothel, not sparing even a glance in Julie's direction.
"..."
"All right. I get it. You should go rest." Tora let out a long sigh and left.
Julie stared at the retreating back with a complicated look. She wasn't sure what to make of this situation or what she should do next.
Once out of sight, Tora was greeted by Mike. He had some scratches on his body and his clothes were tattered from a fight.
"Lord. Mission completed without any casualties as promised."
"Good. You seem confused. What is it?" Mike was taken aback.
"Well...if I may...I thought you were going to kill them the moment you saw them."
"I was." Her eyes glance back towards the brothel. "Prepare for a feast. We need to feed, groom, and prep our kettle."
"Understood."
"Don't go near the brothel. It might get dangerous for you."
"Yes. Are you headed somewhere? Should I accompany you?"
"I'm looking for something. I'm unsure what, but I'm certain it's here. You go and help Percy. Have someone keep an eye on my dear sister."
"Enjoy your walk, Lord. Call if you need me."
The two went their separate ways, ending the brief reunion.
The gentle breeze greeted Tora as she walked along the streets. The town was a lot larger and more developed than she had anticipated. Numerous buildings and businesses were kept unblemished by the chaos that ensued in the world.
I can see why Zack is the protagonist.
The residents who had finished their registrations were back to their routines. Under the darkened sky were laughter and loud chatters. The aroma of food pulled in the others, creating a festive feeling amidst the tragedy that everyone else outside was facing.
None of that joy meant anything to Tora. She couldn't smell the pleasantry of the shared food. Only the whiff of human flesh greeted her nose, making her feel slightly sick to the stomach.
What's the point of all this? What do the two Gods gain from all this madness?
'You know the answer.'
Hmm? What?
Tora stared at the note for a long time, unsure what to make of the message.
'You're not going to ask me what that means?'
I promised not to question you anymore, so what's the point? It's not like you would answer my questions.
Tora walked around for half the night and returned to the room she was in earlier. She felt slightly disappointed that she couldn't find the person she sought.
"If only the novel described the character more than just 'Tall and Shadowy'."
The more Tora thought about the ending, the more confused she became. With the realization that both Gods have incarnations, Tora was sure that the shadowy figure was the incarnation of Death.
She couldn't get "Hm, is it another failure?" out of her head. What did it mean by that? The wave of zombies Nora led? Or is it the failure to capture the world?
"Where does Percy come into this? The protagonist isn't the one Death is fighting against, so it makes no sense."
'Percy gave you a hint earlier in the car.'
The one where only the main participators can change the future?
'I wouldn't know. I wasn't there.'
"Damn you, Asier! Why start a conversation if you can't even continue it!?"
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
A loud knocking on the door instantly made her quiet. Tora glanced at the door in disbelief at her inability to sense the other person approaching.
No, it is more like I was so distracted and didn't sense her.
Tora realized that Asier could distract her from everything around her, making her uneasy.
':D'
Are you making fun of me?
':('
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue in annoyance and went to open the door. The door opened to the sight of Julie standing there with visible nervousness.
"I...I um...I. Sorry to disturb you so late." Tora fought with the need to roll her eyes and instead smiled sadly.
"Come in. Zombies don't need sleep."
"Ah...I didn't mean it that way..." Her expression was soft and cautious. She looked like a lost bunny, scared and alone, looking completely harmless.
What a good, little actress.
"What is it?" Tora led her to the sofa, gesturing for her to sit down.
"Sister, I'm sorry! Please, forgive me!" Instead of the sofa, Julie knelt in front of her. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Tora's leg, like a snake wrapping around its prey.
"Go back if this is what you came here for." Tora shook her off and sat down on the sofa. She waved her off without even looking in Julie's direction.
"Huk..Hik..." The sounds of sniffling and soft choking escape the lips of the actress.
"Why are you crying? Shouldn't I be the one crying?" Her feet and hands itched at the sight of the other crying. How I wish to slap the bitch—
"I know...Huk! I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness...Hik! Can you please listen to my reasons?"
"...Alright." Hearing her response, Julie immediately crawled over and hugged her leg again. She wiped her tears away and began her attempt at bullshitting.
"A day before the whole thing happened, I woke up from a long and agonizing dream." She fluttered her eyelashes as she glanced at Tora's reactions. "I thought it was a dream at first, but everything I've experienced was hard to dismiss as just a dream. I waited a week before confirming that the dream was a reality and that I had regressed from the future."
Of course, that's a lie. Tora didn't speak but looked at her with concern in her eyes.
"I know it sounds crazy, but I really did regress back to the past. I was certain when we got the abilities, escaped, and ended up losing Phil's parents. Everything was the same as in the dream. That's why I'm certain of it. I had regressed, and the future I knew was terrible."
"Is that why you killed me? Because of a future that may or may not happen?" Her eyes shook and her lips formed a straight line as she stared at Julie. This look frightened Julie, making her stammer in response.
"The—That's—!" Her face paled and she began to cry again. "You abandoned me and left me for dead. I didn't mind suffering, but I couldn't deal with the fact that you abandoned me. It was so painful..." She buried her head in Tora's leg, sobbing like a wounded child.
Tora let a grin spread across her lips while Julie wasn't looking. She struggled to fight the chuckle that threatened to escape. "I don't understand. I would never abandon you. You are my everything, Julie...or were my everything..." The grin was replaced with a sad and hurt smile.
"If I was your everything...why did you leave me!? WHY!? You let them drag me away and throw me in the brothel!! You didn't even come to see me! Not even once until my death! And yet you say I was your everything!!!? STOP PRETENDING, NORA! I KNOW YOU SEE ME AS A BURDEN!" Julie stood up and pointed at her with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and laced with hatred.
Checkmate.
"Although I can't cry anymore because I'm a dead being, my heart hurts when you say that. You're the only reason I'm still living. Did I truly do all that? Did you see me do it? I'm your sister. YOU know me, more than anyone..." Tora grabbed Julie's hand, bringing her in closer. "It must be a misunderstanding. Won't you tell me more about that future of yours?"
"..."
"Julie, this is my last attempt to reconcile our relationship. Maybe, I did kill you in my last life, but don't forget that you also killed me in this one. Tell me all that you know about that future in your dreams." Tora watched as she turned white. She was startled at the sudden pressure Tora released and nodded.
"You were a healer, water, and fire manipulator. I can confidently say that you are amongst the best when it comes to water and fire, and the absolute best when it comes to healing. We were saved a month after the outbreak when some people arrived at the university. Within the group was Zack, the most powerful King who ruled over the base here at Foliage Meadow."
Her eyes were cast towards the ground as she recounted the past. Her lips were occasionally pressed into a thin line, seemingly reluctant to speak on it.
"Zack was the most handsome man I had ever seen. He was beautiful, almost like a diety that descended on the world. I longed for his attention, but he gave it to one person." Julie glanced back at Tora, her eyes trying to conceal the hatred with a sad look. "He cared only for you, Nora. I was heartbroken, but also happy for you, because I wanted you to be happy."
Tora scoffed in her heart. The audacity this bitch has to purposefully make herself look like a saint while blaming someone is beyond me.
"His fascination with you became an obsession when he learned you were a healer. Everybody revered you as a saint, the deliverer of evil, while everyone viewed me as a burden, someone who was akin to shackles on your ankles. I was dragged away from you for that exact reason, and you let it happen without protesting."
"There's something I don't understand. Why would I let that happen to my only family if I knew they were going to throw you in a brothel?" Julie's expression froze for a brief moment, Her eyes darted around the room, trying to think of an answer.
"That's because—"
"That's because I didn't know, right? But you knew that already, yet you still blame me for your demise?"
"What are you insinuating!? Are you saying that I brought this upon myself!?" Her eyes flared up and her cheeks reddened with anger. "YOU OWE ME! YOUR LIFE, YOUR FUTURE, YOUR EVERYTHING! YOU OWE ME, NORA!"
"I've thought about it for a while now. You hate me, don't you?" Tora watched Julie break character with glee. The fake facade finally broke with a few words.
"HUH! I despise you. I thought it was fine at first when my parents brought you home one day. But then you started taking everything from me. It didn't matter what you did, it was always better than me. All the times that I got in trouble and you took the blame for me was fucking annoying. What a hero, what a good sister you are!"
Ah, so Nora is adopted.
"My parents DIED because they went to watch your recital. YOU OWE ME!"
'She looks like a baboon when she's angry.'
Pft— Shut it!
"I was glad the apocalypse happened. It was super easy to take advantage of your dumb righteousness and the selfless act of love you had for me. I was supposed to live like a queen while you scrapped the floors, but then you just had to attract those idiots with your stupid looks and abilities. This is your fault, Nora. You should've prioritized me by sweet-talking them into giving me whatever I wanted. That's what love actually is."
Julie softened her expression and her tone of voice towards the end. Her hands reached for Nora's, gently grasping it and coaxing her with words of love.
"You're right. That is love." Tora stared at the hands that gripped hers. "I was planning on watching a dog fight, but I've changed my mind."
Julie tried to yank her hand back but was too slow. Tora dug her nails into her hand, breaking the skin.
[Activating 'Contagious' You can now infect your targets through every method available on command]
"AHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? LET ME GO! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!?"
The air around them swirled, creating a dome surrounding Julie's head. Tora reached into it and gently patted Julie's cheek while grinning menacingly.
"What are you screaming for? I'm giving you the LOVE you wanted." The wind blocked her screams and carried along the airborne infection. The wind was forceful, digging deep into her throat and instantly infecting her lungs and chest.
I've wanted to try airborne infection for a while now.
"My little puppet, I'll feed you delicacies at the King tier, a gourmet meal worthy of your status as the Queen." Tora watched as her eyes grew redder and her body grew paler. "How is it? I'm giving you what you wanted, aren't I?"
Watching someone change is pretty freaky.
[Lower-tier zombies detected: 1]
[Ability 'Sovereign' can be used on lower-tier zombies]
[Ability 'Sovereign' activated]
[Activating 'Totalitarian' You now have complete control over the mind and body of the selected target]
Tora watched the lifeless expression on Julie's face with interest. Her body was stiff from rigor mortis, standing tall like a plank.
"Lord..." Mike and the others all came barging in. Their eyes glanced around the room with concern, cautiously scanning for potential threats.
"Did Percy acquire the recipe for the cure?"
"Yes."
"Good. Use the crystals to get our 'Queen' to E Tier. We need her moving with ease when she feasts."
"Oh! Sounds like a party is about to start!" Evan and the others were equally excited. They had been drooling over humans for the past few weeks.
"The others are easy to deal with, but Zack is a bit difficult. I heard that 'that thing' is his lover." Mike, however, looked concerned. He gestured with eyes toward the dead creature cosplaying as a pole.
"Even better."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone