Chapter 25: Pavillion

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Pavillion One of the survivors covered his eyes with his hand, tears streaming down his cheeks as he hugged his wife tightly with the other. "Wu wu... thank God, wife. We can finally leave. We don’t have to sit in one place and depend on others anymore." Others, seeing the scene, became emotional as well, their tears reflecting both fear and hope. Betty, standing amidst the crying people, allowed a sly grin to tug at her lips. Without waiting any longer, she turned on her heel and strode toward the exit. ’Ha, I don’t need to stay here anymore. Tch tch, time to use the divine stealing technique again. Outside, she drew her knife, and as soon as her boots touched the damp dirt, she took off running. Every zombie that appeared in her path was cut down swiftly, her blade flashing in the dim light, her movements leaving dents in the soft ground. Inside the camp, David glanced at Ethan and Henry. "Let’s move. Now that we know where to go, hopefully our parents are there." Henry nodded with a sad expression. Ethan, noticing his brother’s gloom, patted his shoulder. His usually playful grin softened. "Don’t worry, bro. I’m sure your sister will also be there." Henry let out a sigh but nodded again. David’s eyes swept over the other survivors who had begun gathering their belongings. "Let’s go. I don’t want to waste any more time here." The three of them started walking toward the exit. Meanwhile, Lilian’s face was filled with concern as she looked around the camp repeatedly. Damien, walking beside her with an irritated expression, finally spoke. "Let’s go now, Lilian. We need to find our parents now. The person you’re looking for has probably already left." Lilian shot him a glare, silencing him instantly. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. ’I guess he’s telling the truth. Betty must hate us because of her previous life. She would want to stay as far away as possible... the original Lillian was really hateful to such a cutie.’ Outside, Betty was grinning from ear to ear as she approached a random car parked on the street. Well, not quite opened—she shattered the window with a swift motion. ’Jejeje, there are no morals anymore. Only one rule: save your life.’ With skilled hands, she reached under the steering wheel, searching for the key holder. Her fingers moved with practiced ease, pulling out a bundle of wires. ’Yep, my life knowledge is finally coming in handy. Sure, I got quite a beating from the police for this in my past life, but hey... it was worth it.’ She twisted and cut the right wires in seconds, and with a spark, the engine roared to life. Betty smirked, wiping the glass dust from her jacket as she slid into the driver’s seat. "Let’s go, baby," she muttered, slamming the door shut.The car shot forward, tires screeching against the cracked road as she sped away from the camp without looking back. Half a day later... On the top floor of an abandoned building, Betty sat on the balcony, tearing into a piece of cooked meat and swallowing it with satisfaction. "Haa... this is what I call life. Thank god I bought meat before the apocalypse." Her legs dangled in the air as she perched on the edge, eyes scanning the darkness below where zombies roamed aimlessly like restless shadows. After finishing her food, she leaned back slightly, her gaze drifting to the gray sky. She squinted, searching for even the faintest sunlight or a single star. ’Now that zombies have been introduced to the world... does that mean the evolve plant is also coming soon, or do I still have some time?’ A cold breeze brushed past her face, carrying the faint smell of decay. Betty tightened her grip on the balcony railing. With a yelp, Betty jumped back and hurried inside the apartment. Grabbing the bag full of snacks she had scavenged from the kitchen, she cautiously opened the main door and peeked outside. The hallway was eerily empty, only the distant banging noises from some other apartments echoing through the silence. Pushing the door open fully, she dashed toward the stairs, her boots thudding softly against the floor as she began descending. Halfway down, she slowed, eyes narrowing as she carefully scanned the bottom floor. "Waaaah! Master, come inside quickly!" "What the—" Betty jumped again, clutching her chest as her heart pounded wildly. "What the hell, Calista! Why are you screaming out of nowhere? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she snapped, frowning. Unfazed by her anger, Calista’s childish voice rang in her head again."Master, come inside! The Pavilion is open—you can gain power from there!" Betty tilted her head in confusion at the odd rambling. ’What does she mean by power coming from there? Did her brain malfunction? Don’t only the cores give power?’ Taking a deep breath, Betty shook her head and decided to see what Calista was so excited about. Glancing at the phoenix mark, she pressed her finger against it and vanished. When she opened her eyes, she was back in the serene space. The first thing she saw was Calista’s tiny glowing eyes hovering in the air. Calista circled joyfully above her head before stopping and chirping,"Master! Quickly, come, come!" Betty raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. Watching the tiny phoenix dart away from the house, she muttered,"Tch, I wanted to check on Sophia first... why is she in such a hurry?" When Calista noticed Betty wasn’t following, she spun around and shouted,"Hey! Master, come now already!" With an impatient flap, she darted off again. This time Betty followed, her footsteps echoing against the grassy ground. A small smile formed on Calista’s beak as she thought,’Hehe, now I’m one step closer to meeting my mother again...’ After running for several minutes, Betty finally stopped. Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze locked on the massive structure ahead—a towering pavilion designed like the grand architectures from Chinese cultivation novels, its roofs curved elegantly toward the sky, glowing faintly with golden light. ’What hell is this, who constructs this in one day?’