Apocalypse Arrives: I Become a Powerhouse by Scavenging

The player still hadn’t snapped out of his daze, and after hearing what Kai York said, he just nodded blankly.

Their mission was, indeed, not complete.

In fact, it was more than just incomplete.

Ever since the game started, whether it was bad luck or something else, they hadn’t encountered a single survivor who needed help.

Even on the rare occasion they did run into one or two, someone else had already gotten there first, and their help was no longer needed.

While no rule forbade giving supplies to the same person repeatedly, the survivors were aware of the Escorts’ mission. If they had plenty of food, they wouldn’t accept excessive supplies from them.

Otherwise, if they were discovered, their actions—while not illegal—would be condemned by society and their own conscience.

As a result, they hadn’t used a single bit of the supplies they were carrying.

Seeing him nod, Kai York said, "Perfect. All of you, come with me. I just got word that there’s a place with a large number of survivors in need of a lot of supplies."

Hearing Kai York say this, the player’s eyes instantly lit up. "Really? That’s great!"

And so, the group followed Kai York’s lead and headed off in a certain direction.

「On the way.」

Moira Lynch asked in a low voice, "What was that you were talking about just now?"

"It was the captain of that rescue squad from before. They must have found the survivors I rescued, so they know I’m not dead. That’s why they contacted me. They also heard I have an Escort with me and hoped I’d bring you over. It looks like they’ve rescued quite a few survivors themselves."

"So I asked him if I should bring along the other Escorts I was with, and he said yes."

"Aren’t you furious? Why did you agree to help them?" Moira Lynch asked.

After all, Kai York’s role had been that of a decoy, with a ninety-nine percent chance of death.

She remembered Kai York being quite angry when he spoke about it before.

At her words, Kai York just shrugged and said nonchalantly, "Of course I’m angry, and I don’t plan on forgiving them. But the survivors are innocent. Besides, I’ve got to help you finish your mission, don’t I?"

’So it was for me.’

After hearing him out, Moira Lynch couldn’t help but look touched.

"You’re very moved, aren’t you?" Kai York suddenly asked.

Moira Lynch nodded.

"In that case, how about you do my chores for a month when we get back?"

"No way!"

The touched expression on her face didn’t last long, vanishing in the very next second.

That was a separate matter; there was no way she was doing chores.

Seeing her reaction, Kai York pouted, a look of immense disappointment on his face.

Under Kai York’s lead, the group walked for about two hours before finally reaching their destination.

Just then, a man in a black trench coat with a single, curved black horn protruding from his forehead walked over.

Upon seeing Kai York completely unscathed, a flash of surprise crossed the man’s eyes before he quickly composed himself.

"Welcome back!"

The man first clapped Kai York on the shoulder, then his gaze shifted past him to Moira Lynch and the others, who were wearing identical uniforms. The delight in his eyes became much more genuine.

Because of what had happened to Kai York, Moira Lynch had a poor impression of the man, even though she knew his actions were intended to save more people.

Even if such things were commonplace in the interstellar community.

Besides, trading one life to let many more live was a worthwhile exchange no matter how you looked at it.

But unfortunately for him, Moira Lynch was a selfish and fiercely protective person. Harming someone she cared about was unacceptable, regardless of the reason.

As far as Moira Lynch was concerned, the lives of those strangers were nothing compared to Kai York’s.

Moira Lynch walked straight past the man without giving him so much as a glance, heading toward the rescued survivors.

The man’s smile froze awkwardly on his face. Fortunately for him, the other players didn’t have the same nerve as Moira Lynch.

After greeting the man one by one, they too hurried eagerly toward the survivors.

Since Moira Lynch was the first to arrive, she used the time before the others caught up to quickly take out all the supplies she was carrying, including medicine and weapons.

After she took out the last crate of supplies, the game system’s voice sounded in her ear.

[Congratulations, player SoySauceDrunkard, on completing the escort mission. Your reward will be distributed after the game has concluded. Do you wish to leave the game now?]

After a moment’s thought, Moira Lynch selected "No."

[The player has made a selection. You will remain in the game until the last player either completes or abandons their mission. During this period, you may request to leave the game at any time, but this will require a one-hour approval and preparation period.

Furthermore, as you have now completed your mission, you will no longer be under the system’s protection. You will be solely responsible for the consequences of anything that happens from this point forward.]

As the system’s voice faded, Moira Lynch’s Escort uniform vanished, replaced by her own clothes.

The other players, arriving a step behind, were annoyed with themselves. If they hadn’t been just a little bit slower, they would have been the ones completing the mission.

Fortunately, there were more than enough survivors here. Even after Moira Lynch had distributed all of her supplies, it still wasn’t enough, so they had a chance.

Without a moment’s delay, they started pulling supplies from their Space Buttons, terrified of falling even a second behind the others.

Meanwhile, Moira Lynch, feeling unburdened now that her mission was complete, returned to Kai York’s side. "Let’s go," she said.

Hearing her, Kai York nodded and said to the man, "Captain, we’re leaving now. Regarding what happened before, I believe you that it was just a misunderstanding (yeah, right), but I don’t think I should stay here any longer."

Seeing that Kai York was determined to leave, a look of disappointment flashed in the man’s eyes.

After all, surviving a situation like that completely unscathed was not something an ordinary person could do. It seemed he had misjudged the man.

It wasn’t just him who had misjudged; the person who provided the list of decoys had likely made the same mistake. With an ability like that, Kai York was more than qualified to be an official member of the rescue squad.

But it was too late for any of that now.

Although Kai York claimed to believe it wasn’t intentional, those were words for fooling children. Anyone who actually believed him would be the real fool.

Since he had already made a bad impression, the only thing he could do now was to prevent the relationship from deteriorating further. That, and go back and file a scathing report against the idiot who provided the decoy list.