Chapter 86: Madam you’re here

Chapter 86: Madam you’re here Cadien frowned but said nothing. They entered the bus and the huge man drove them back. As the bus drove past the streets, the vandalized shops and glimpses of dead bodies littering the ground caught their attention. Cadien’s frown deepened as the thick scent of blood drifted in through the window. ’What happened while they were gone?’ The question lingered in everyone’s mind. Selina’s heart lodged in her throat as her grip tightened around the egg. ’Something is very wrong here. I can’t remember Oasis City having such a crisis. ’What the hell is going on?’ Selina bites down on her inner lips to stop herself from screaming out. From day one of her rebirth, everything seems out of control—first the blackout, then the pillars and now this... A thought flashed through her mind as she glanced at Cadien and the others—her heart pounded with nerves. The idea of being left alone in whatever danger lurked out there terrified her. ’’P-please I will be useful. Take me along.’’ Her trembling voice instantly drew their attention from the window; Cadien frowned, about to refuse, but his gaze fell on the ring, and he changed his mind. "You can stay—but disobey, and I’ll peel your skin off for decorations." Caiden threatened, his voice a soothing balm but Selina trembled, hugging herself in terror. The others gazed at Selina’s trembling body, some snorted, while the rest had disgust flashing through her gaze. They hadn’t forgotten how she left without giving them a clue on how to fight their doppelgänger and now she so easily asked for their help. They ignored her presence, their mind focusing on what was most important. As the car drove past, the situation was worse than the last; they almost wondered if a dungeon monster had broken in. But they quickly denied it, it was impossible—they were living deep underground while the dungeon monsters were at the surface. ..... After hours of walking Grace chanced upon an empty bus. Grace opened the door and brushed the shattered glass from the driver’s seat. Luckily enough for her, she found the keys lying on the glass-covered ground. Picking it up, she slotted it into the ignition, and the bus came alive. Grace noticed there was not much fuel in the bus, and it would only last her an hour or two at most. With no time to waste, she sped into the darkness, pushing past the speed limit. She followed the directions given to her, and after some minutes, she burst out into a familiar road. Driving for an hour, she grew closer to her destination. Suddenly, something flashed past, and the bus hit a force. Grace gripped the wheel and eased off the gas, her eyes catching a figure lying face down on the road through the side mirror. She hesitated, torn between stopping and continuing her journey. With a scowl, she hit the brakes hard and stepped out of the bus. Moving towards the unconscious figure, she squatted and was able to see the person’s face clearly under the crystal lights. Grace’s finger hovered slightly on the man’s nose; feeling his weak breath, she covered him in green light, healing his wounds instantly. The young man showed no signs of waking up, Grace couldn’t leave him out in the open to die after treating him. So she decided to bring him along—dragging him up by the collar, she dumped his body on a seat. After a brief glance, she climbed back into the driver’s seat and started the bus. Ten minutes into the drive, Grace’s eyes flashed slightly. From the back seat, the man eyed her exposed back with a vicious gleam. He timed the accident perfectly, she was the prey he set his eyes on. He was no longer satisfied with petty theft, then he set his eyes on the wealthy homes. Anyone who could ride a car is either a rich person or someone working close to one. What poor person will learn to drive when they haven’t filled their hungry stomachs or paid the taxes? So Grace driving was a prime target, and seeing she was only an energy manipulator, though slightly cautious he was confident to deal with her. Moving silently toward her, he pulled rocks from his pocket and, with a subtle flick of his wrist, shaped them into a rope. The stone rope coiled around Grace’s neck in an instant. "Move an inch, and you die. Now be a dear and take me to your master’s home." The man’s sinister voice made Grace frown with annoyance. She had just wasted her power and time saving this man—unaware he had a death wish. "I advise you to take this rope off my neck, or you’ll regret it," Grace warned calmly, her eyes focused on the road as she drove. The man’s heart sank at her calmness. Unless she was bluffing, that could only mean she was far stronger than him. A bead of sweat slid down his chin, he didn’t know if he should go on with his threat or pretend he was confused. Time dragged, and the man grew anxious. Grace might have forgotten him altogether if not for his heavy breath warming her neck. With a disgusted expression, she crushed the rock around her neck with just a pinch of her fingers. The man’s back broke out in a cold sweat at her actions. He slumped weakly Into the seat, ignoring the glass shards digging into his flesh. ’’M-madam, sorry I-I lost my memory, I thought your home was mine.’’ The man stuttered out, lying so seamlessly that Grace almost believed him. Grace spared him only a fleeting glance through the windshield. As she neared her destination, a growing sense of unease crept in for no apparent reason. Shaking off her gloomy thought, seeing the tall guild building, the car ran out of gas; without pause, she got down from the bus and sprinted in the direction of the building. The man was forgotten on the bus, and he could only thank his luck that he survived. He warned himself never to have any thought of the wealthy homes; his first attempt almost led to his death. With those thoughts, he winced in pain from the glass, digging into his butt. His eyes shone with unshed tears as he pulled out the bloodied pieces from his body. Grace entered the guild and came to a stop—there wasn’t a single guard in sight and the junior scientists almost ran out in fear when she pushed the door open. "It’s Madam Grace." Someone whispered with a relieved tone, the others patting the chest in relief. Grace frowned, sensing that something was wrong. "You, come here," she said, beckoning to the man nearest the door with a flick of her finger. The man moved closer, "Tell me everything that happened in the guild in the past hours of my absence and where are the guards?" Grace instructed, her gaze darting across the room in search of Dean. "Madam, all the guards are dead..." As he continued, Grace’s expression darkened. Without waiting for him to finish explaining how they burned the administrator’s corpse, she sprinted up the stairs. Her thoughts flashed to the noble clans, and suspicion bloomed. They were the only ones who had the power to infiltrate the guild and slaughter the guards without alarm. She should’ve wiped them off the face of the earth the moment they dared consider drastic population control. Now, it was too late to react; she could only pray the surface project was successful. At the rate things were going, if humans didn’t wipe themselves out, a plague surely would. Her expression became grim when she thought of the dead bodies lying out in the open and wondered if the noble clans had thought things through before carrying it out. Grace kept on running up the stairs, recalling the lift, she darted towards it. On the top floor, in a room lined with glass tubes and cylinders, Dean worked alongside Stone, slotting purifiers into the suits. Other juniors were spread around the room, working nonstop to place the purifier capsule into the suites. Stone glanced at Dean’s fast movement and couldn’t help but say. "No matter how fast we work, it could only be perfected in two weeks, the purifier needs to be properly integrated, making it possible to change the absorbed air into clean air for the wearers." Dean sighed at his words, but he didn’t stop his movement; he wanted to keep busy, to remove his mind from things. Stone shook his head, pity gleaming in his eyes as he watched Dean’s hunched back. He knew what happened in the meeting room must have left a scar on Dean, imagining yourself so close to death. Stone gave Dean’s shoulder a light pat before turning back to his work. The door was suddenly pushed open and everyone tensed, preparing to defend themselves but relaxed when they saw Madam Grace. "Madam you’re here." Dean rushed towards her, relief evident in his tone. Their hanging hearts settled as soon as they saw Grace, it was like seeing their backbone. "Keep working. Dean, come with me." Grace’s voice softened at the sight of their strained expressions. Dean followed her out of the room.