Chapter 224: A Bunch of Cowards
At his words, Sierra Sullivan let out another soft laugh.
Though she said nothing, that single laugh was more devastating than any words could be.
The man’s face instantly flushed crimson; he felt utterly humiliated.
He was furious, but he didn’t dare say another word.
As for the others who witnessed it, some paid him no mind, while others took pleasure in his misfortune.
Hector Grant had seen the entire exchange, but he paid it no mind. He couldn’t even be bothered to say a word.
’There will always be people who can’t grasp reality or get their priorities straight.’
’Just looking at them is annoying.’
Hector Grant peered outside for a look.
Outside, all was quiet.
The hazy gray sky cast a dull light on the yellow sand.
Nothing about the scene suggested any danger.
Hector Grant sighed in resignation and looked away.
’There’s nothing to be done. For now, all we can do is wait and see.’
...
A few hundred meters east of the warehouse, two figures stood together.
Their clothes were tattered, the ragged fabric swaying gently in the wind.
"What if they never come out?"
The voice that spoke was incredibly hoarse, almost grating—like a sharp object scraping across metal. The sound alone was enough to make one’s skin crawl.
But the other figure seemed completely unaffected. "They’re human. How can human patience and endurance compare to a zombie’s?"
This voice, though equally sharp, carried an indescribable undercurrent of emotion. It was clearly a woman’s voice.
The first speaker had been a man.
Had anyone been there to see them, they would have noticed the figures’ shriveled skin and eyes as black as ink. The hands hanging at their sides were withered like twigs, tipped with long, sharp, black nails.
These weren’t two people—they were clearly two zombies.
But they were different from other zombies.
Other zombies were merely walking corpses, mindless and mute, driven only by instinct.
These two, however, though they looked like any other zombie, could still think and speak.
At the female zombie’s words, the corners of the male zombie’s mouth twitched.
He seemed to be trying to smile, but the expression only made him look like he wanted to devour someone.
"You’re right! Humans have weaknesses! Zombies don’t!"
The female zombie sneered. "Who says zombies don’t? With an attitude like that, you’ll just die a second time."
The male zombie bristled with anger, but a single glance at the female zombie was enough to silence him.
His eyes, when he looked at her, were filled with fear.
Before they became zombies, he certainly hadn’t been afraid of her.
But after their inexplicable transformation, the rigid hierarchy among the undead instilled in him an innate fear of her that he couldn’t control.
The mere sight of her filled him with such dread that raising a hand against her was unthinkable.
He could only follow her like a loyal servant, an obedient dog.
He seethed with resentment, but at least they had a common enemy.
’As long as I can kill those two, I don’t care if I have to be her dog.’
...
Time dragged on until noon.
Outside remained eerily quiet—so quiet it made one wonder if there had ever been any danger at all.
Some people were growing impatient.
"What’s the point of just waiting around?"
"Exactly!"
"I think you’re all just overthinking things!"
"Zombies are just a bunch of brainless creatures. There’s no way they’re hiding and waiting for us. They’ve probably moved on by now."
"If we keep waiting, it’ll be dark again before we can leave. At this rate, when will we ever get back to Subterra?"
"The vehicles aren’t even that far. If we just make a run for it, we’ll be safe, right?"
Once one person spoke up, others quickly chimed in.
Hector Grant simply watched them in silence, saying nothing.
If they wanted to wait, they could wait. If they didn’t, they were free to leave.
It wasn’t that these complainers actually intended to rush out themselves.
They were just trying to goad Hector Grant into taking a team out to scout the situation.
But his complete lack of reaction left them at a loss.
They had put themselves in an awkward position, unable to advance or retreat.
"Captain Grant, you’re the leader! Say something!"
"Yeah! What are you thinking?"
"Are we really just going to sit here and wait?"
Now that they were addressing him by name, Hector Grant broke his silence.
"My plan is to continue waiting. However, you are all free agents. If you have other ideas and want to go check things out for yourselves, I won’t stop you."
At Hector Grant’s words, the faces of the complainers soured.
’They wanted the situation checked out, but they certainly didn’t want to go themselves!’
Finally, one man couldn’t stand it any longer.
"A bunch of cowards, every last one of you! If you’re too scared to go, then I’ll go! I want to see for myself what the hell is going on out there!"
The one who spoke was a burly man.
Sierra Sullivan didn’t know him personally, but she knew he was a powerful Fire Ability User.
Perhaps it was the combination of a potent Superpower and a strong sense of self-confidence—or maybe it was just the nature of his Fire Ability—but he had a temper to match his power.
As he spoke, he shot a pointed look at Hector Grant.
His gaze was a clear accusation: Captain Grant was a coward.
Hector Grant understood the meaning behind the man’s stare, but he simply pretended not to notice.
Seeing that his attempt to provoke the captain had failed, and too proud to lose face in front of everyone, the man marched directly toward the entrance.
As he moved, all eyes focused on him.
Many held their breath.
The man hesitated when he reached the doorway.
But only for a moment.
Then, with determination, he stepped outside.
One step, two steps, three ...
As his figure receded into the distance, the world outside remained quiet. There was no sign of danger.
And just like that, step by step, he reached the vehicle.
Hector Grant had already unlocked it.
The man pulled the door open with ease, scrambled inside, and quickly shut it behind him.
The solid door blocked the onlookers’ view.
Only then did the man’s ramrod-straight spine finally give way. He slumped against the door, gasping for breath.
Only he knew how terrified he had been the entire walk over.
His heart had been pounding like a drum, cold sweat beading on his skin.
But he knew how many people were watching. He couldn’t afford to lose face in front of them.
Thankfully, nothing had happened. He’d made it to the vehicle safely.
Once he caught his breath, the man broke into a wide grin.
’A bunch of cowards, the lot of them! In the end, it had to be me!’