Teaming Up with My Enemy to Rule the Apocalypse

At her words, Hector Grant subconsciously glanced at Sierra Sullivan.

Sierra Sullivan didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed by Hector Grant’s stare. She even raised an eyebrow at him.

Hector Grant popped a strawberry into his mouth, and sweet juice instantly flooded his senses.

His foul mood improved slightly after tasting the sweet strawberry.

He felt a little better, but the problem hadn’t gone away. A good mood couldn’t make it disappear.

After finishing a handful of strawberries, Hector Grant sincerely thanked Candice Tate before turning to Sierra Sullivan and the others.

"You guys were trapped for so long before. How did you manage to get through it?"

Sierra Sullivan knew Hector Grant was asking for advice based on their experience.

But even though both groups had been trapped, their situations were completely different.

For one, the sheer number of people made for a huge difference.

Back then, there were only a dozen of them, and they all knew each other well. They spent their days eating, drinking, diligently training their Superpowers, and laughing together. The time just flew by.

But now? There were so many people. Many of them weren’t just strangers; they had never even seen each other before. There were no bonds between them to speak of.

Everyone had their own agenda, constantly eyeing each other, paranoid that someone else might get a bigger share of the food.

Under these circumstances, the fact that a riot hadn’t broken out was a testament to Hector Grant’s excellent management.

If anyone else without his capabilities were in charge, who knew what chaos would have erupted by now.

With these thoughts in mind, Sierra Sullivan offered Hector Grant some reassurance. "Captain Grant, you’re already doing a great job. There’s no need to put so much pressure on yourself."

Hector Grant gave a silent smile. "The way you say that makes it sound like I’m so fragile I came here just for you to comfort me."

"That’s not what we meant at all," Jayce immediately denied. "You should be glad we’re not kicking you while you’re down. Why would we ever comfort you?"

As he spoke, Jayce shot Hector Grant a sideways glance.

His expression clearly said, ’You’re overthinking it.’

Hector Grant laughed again.

He didn’t say anything, but his heart felt much lighter.

The problem hadn’t been solved, but coming over to talk with Sierra Sullivan and her friends had genuinely lifted his spirits.

He envied their group’s attitude toward life, but he never considered becoming like them.

The moment he stood up, both Hector Grant’s expression and his entire demeanor changed.

It was as if the relaxed, cheerful man from moments ago had been a mere illusion.

In reality, he was still the same stern, unsmiling Captain Grant, solely focused on the greater good.

Watching Hector Grant’s retreating figure, Sierra Sullivan simply shook her head without saying anything more.

Just as Hector Grant never interfered with how they lived their lives, they, in turn, wouldn’t question his decisions.

Mutual respect and helping each other when needed—that was enough.

They hadn’t offered Hector Grant any advice, but it was clear he didn’t need any.

Early the next morning, Hector Grant made an announcement.

Anyone who managed to raise their Superpower by one level would receive an extra twenty Contribution Points each day.

The points would accumulate daily, starting from now until they returned to the Subterra.

This promise was like a huge prize dangled in front of them, leaving everyone reeling.

Everyone had great faith in Hector Grant’s character.

If Hector Grant made a promise, you could be sure he would keep it.

People who had previously been eyeing others suspiciously now turned their focus inward.

’What’s the point of watching other people?’

’No matter how closely I watch them, I won’t get anything out of it.’

’But now, things are different!’

’If I focus on myself and raise my Superpower by one level, I’ll get an extra twenty Contribution Points every day!’

’Twenty a day is two hundred in ten days!’

’That’s practically free money!’

After all, leveling up their Superpowers was already a benefit in itself.

It wasn’t often you found a win-win situation like this!

An opportunity this good was not to be missed!

In an instant, the motivation to train reached an all-time high.

The second floor, once always buzzing with noise from the large crowd, now fell completely silent.

Even Sierra Sullivan and her friends, who hadn’t initially cared about the twenty Contribution Points Hector Grant had promised, found it impossible not to be swept up in the atmosphere. They too began training their Superpowers with renewed seriousness and effort.

Sierra Sullivan remembered reading a line in a novel once: those who are truly dedicated to their training cannot perceive the passage of time.

Back then, she couldn’t quite grasp its meaning and thought it was unlikely.

But now, having experienced it firsthand, she understood it on a much deeper level.

Ten days passed by in what felt like a flash.

The bottleneck that had been holding her back was finally, smoothly broken.

Both of Sierra Sullivan’s Superpowers had reached the Fourth Level.

And as for Jayce, his Water Ability shot straight to the Fifth Level.

Candice Tate’s Superpower also reached the Fifth Level.

Nathan Thorne had a Three-System Superpower, so his progress was slower than the others.

But over these ten days, whether due to the intense atmosphere or a sudden breakthrough, all three of his Superpowers reached the Fourth Level.

Nathan Thorne was ecstatic.

As soon as his powers had stabilized, Nathan Thorne eagerly sought out Hector Grant.

"Captain Grant, I have a question for you, and I want Sierra Sullivan and Jayce here as witnesses."

Perhaps because of Nathan Thorne’s overly serious expression, and not knowing what he was about to say, Hector Grant also grew solemn. "Go ahead. If it’s something I know, I’ll tell you everything without holding back."

"Good! Now I can rest easy!"

A grin spread across Nathan Thorne’s face, his serious expression vanishing in an instant.

"You said before that for every level a Superpower is raised, you get twenty Contribution Points, right?"

Hector Grant nodded. "That’s right."

’What’s there to ask about?’

"So for someone like me, with a Three-System Superpower, who leveled up a total of four times... how does that work out? Is that eighty Contribution Points a day?"

Nathan Thorne started counting on his fingers.

"Eighty a day... so over these ten days, you should give me..."

While Nathan Thorne was still diligently calculating, Hector Grant’s mind had already gone blank.

’How could I have forgotten about them?!’

’Everyone else only has one Superpower.’

’But this group... every single one of them is a monster.’

’Not only are there dual-system users, but there’s also Nathan Thorne, who has a Three-System Superpower!’

Sierra Sullivan hadn’t expected Nathan Thorne to call Hector Grant over just for this.

But since the topic was broached, they might as well calculate it properly.

Sierra Sullivan hadn’t given much thought to twenty Contribution Points a day.

But now, the situation was different!

Between her and Jayce, they had gained a combined four levels. Adding Candice made it five levels. By that calculation, they were owed a hundred Contribution Points per day.

Twenty a day felt like chicken feed, but a hundred a day was a different story entirely!

If they were stuck here for another ten or fifteen days, they could rack up another one or two thousand Contribution Points for free!