Teaming Up with My Enemy to Rule the Apocalypse

The rope was tied securely around Jason Kane, and then Jayce fastened it around himself.

Sierra followed right behind, tying herself and Candice Tate to the line.

Though Nathan Thorne was still a bit worried, he acted quickly and without hesitation, also tying himself to the rope.

With them taking the lead, the others knew they couldn’t afford to waste time and came over one by one.

Once everyone was tied to the rope, Jason Kane walked to the car door, took a deep breath, and opened it.

Everyone was already bundled up tight, wearing goggles over their eyes and dust masks.

Yet, the moment the car door opened, the swirling sand and grit still made them choke.

The dust particles were incredibly fine, seeming to slip right through their masks and into their noses, creating an irresistible urge to sneeze.

Jason Kane rubbed his face and stepped out of the car.

He was a burly man, but the instant he stepped out—before his feet even touched the sand—the wind blasted his body sideways.

Luckily, his reflexes were sharp. He immediately grabbed onto the car door. With Jayce and the others on the other end of the rope, pulling with all their might, he wasn’t blown away.

But even though he wasn’t swept away, the scene was still terrifying to watch.

If someone was truly carried off by a sandstorm this powerful, there was no telling where the wind would take them.

Even though they were all Superpower Users who could fight zombies and battle Aberrant Beasts, they were insignificant in the face of a natural disaster like a sandstorm. They had no power to resist it.

After catching his breath for a moment, Jason Kane gave up on trying to stand.

It was impossible to stay upright, and he’d easily be blown away. It was better to just get flat on the ground, digging his arms and legs firmly into the sand to create more resistance and keep from being swept off.

The posture looked pathetic, but it was incredibly effective.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jayce followed him out of the vehicle and immediately dropped to the ground.

Behind them, Sierra and Candice Tate did the same.

At this moment, they were no longer bipedal. It was as if they had regressed to a more primitive time.

Their situation was wretched, that much was true. But their will to survive was even truer.

Fortunately, the vehicle had already reached the building’s main entrance. They didn’t have to crawl for long before they successfully made it through the gate.

The moment they passed through the gateway, the wind that had been battering their bodies suddenly died down, finally giving them a chance to breathe.

Sierra had just climbed to her feet when she saw Hector Grant crawling in after them.

As luck would have it, their eyes met.

It was a critical moment for their survival, and everyone had made the same choice out of sheer necessity. Yet, for a brief second, they both felt a flash of embarrassment and quickly looked away.

After composing herself for a moment, Sierra managed to get her emotions in check.

More and more people filed in, and the already small room was soon packed.

Sand was piled up against the entrance, making it impossible to close the main gate. It wasn’t until the Space Ability User on Hector Grant’s team had stored all three vehicles in his dimensional space that everyone started heading upstairs.

It looked like a small warehouse. The first floor was about two hundred square meters.

The ground floor was cluttered with all sorts of miscellaneous junk; it was impossible to tell what it was all for.

The second floor, however, was completely derelict. The rooms were filled with dust and sand, but nothing else.

The doors were intact, but the windows had already been shattered by the two-mouthed birds from earlier.

Hector Grant had a Gold Ability User block up the shattered windows.

This blocked the wind and sand, but it also blocked out the light.

Fortunately, Hector Grant had brought a lamp.

This type of lamp didn’t run on electricity. It consumed Crystal Cores for power.

A single First Level Crystal Core could keep the lamp lit for an entire week.

And just one of these lamps could illuminate nearly the entire second floor.

It was a pretty good deal, all things considered.

’If I had a lamp like that, I’d never have to worry about being in the dark again.’

But!

Buying a lamp like that cost one thousand Contribution Points.

That was no small sum.

Even those who could afford it might not be willing to spend that much.

Sierra had never seen one before. Now that she knew about them, all she could think about was buying one when she got back.

’It’s just so convenient!’

’I have plenty of Contribution Points and Crystal Cores. I can definitely buy one to make life a little easier!’

At that thought, Sierra stopped short.

’It’s not even certain we’ll make it back safely!’

’And here I am, already thinking about what to buy when we get back.’

Jayce noticed Sierra’s expression and asked curiously, "Sierra, what’s wrong?"

Sierra shook her head. "Nothing. Let’s find a place to sit."

Two hundred square meters wasn’t exactly spacious for their group, but they could all squeeze in.

After finding an empty corner, Sierra pulled a few camping chairs and a folding camping table from her dimensional space.

If she’d brought out some food and drinks, it would have really felt like a camping trip.

But Sierra didn’t.

Everyone else was sitting on the floor. Having camping chairs already made them stand out enough; there was no need to draw even more attention to themselves.

Hector Grant quickly walked over and looked at Sierra bluntly. "Get me a chair, too."

Sierra didn’t say anything, just pulled out another chair.

Hector Grant plopped down into the seat and let out a long sigh.

He subconsciously reached for his chest pocket as if to grab something, but his hand came away empty.

Jayce took a pack of cigarettes out of his backpack and tossed it to Hector Grant.

Hector Grant caught it instinctively. He looked at the pack and broke into a grin. "Damn, the good stuff! I’ve never smoked anything this nice before!"

Even as he spoke, his hands were already expertly tearing open the pack. He took one out and stuck it between his lips.

"Got a light?" Hector Grant asked.

Jayce tossed him a lighter.

CLICK.

The lighter flared to life and then went out as Hector Grant took a deep drag.

The scent of tobacco instantly filled the air.

Sierra frowned but ultimately said nothing.

She knew Hector Grant had been under a lot of pressure lately.

Smoking was probably his way of trying to relax.

Many of the others smelled the smoke and glanced over at Hector Grant, their expressions complicated.

It had been a long time since they’d smoked.

It was a feeling they’d honestly missed.

You could buy cigarettes in Subterra, but the price was just too high. They couldn’t bring themselves to spend the money.

Hector Grant paid their stares no mind, continuing to smoke on his own.

Smoke swirled around him, obscuring his face and, with it, his expression.

When he’d finished the cigarette and the smoke had slowly dissipated, Hector Grant seemed to have regained his usual calm composure.

"This trip has been one disaster after another, but we’ll definitely make it back safely."

Hector Grant’s voice was firm, but it was hard to tell if he was trying to convince the others or himself.