When Claire Chapman returned to Bloodfall Base, he was in pretty bad shape.
He returned with the team members who had been stationed in Southreach.
He was injured, and though it was just a minor wound, he was filthy from head to toe. His clothes had been torn in several places by a Mutant Beast, with one gash at the back of his waist that nearly exposed his backside. He was a truly pathetic sight.
However, Marcus Monroe didn’t say a word when he saw him. Paige Summers only grumbled, "At your age, you should know how to take care of yourself!" before quickly shooing him off to wash up and rest.
After Claire Chapman left, the team members reported to Marcus Monroe, "It seems he had a disagreement with City Lord Joyce. He was in a foul mood and got reckless on the journey back, insisting on hunting Mutant Beasts..."
As for the reason for the disagreement?
It didn’t take long for Marcus Monroe and Paige Summers to figure out what had likely happened.
"I used to think Maisie Joyce was alright," Marcus Monroe said with disdain. "I never thought that after becoming City Lord, she’d become so erratic. It’s just some news about the bases consolidating and becoming autonomous, and it’s already made her suspicious of Bloodfall. She even made a scene in front of Lucian... Honestly, how shortsighted!"
Paige Summers, on the other hand, just laughed. "When you get down to it, this is really about Lucian. Women tend to get insecure in front of the person they like. Maisie Joyce might be exceptionally capable, but at the end of the day, she’s still a woman. It’s not unheard of for someone to make a bad move out of fear that her husband’s loyalty is wavering."
Marcus Monroe thought for a moment. "Regardless, it’s not our place to interfere. We’ll have to see what Lucian decides to do. As for the base, we’ll continue with our plans. We don’t need to answer to Southreach."
"Of course," Paige Summers agreed with a nod.
No one pried or asked Claire Chapman any questions, which immediately put him at ease. He felt there was no place more comfortable than his own base. He resumed his usual routine the day after he got back, training with the team and going out on hunts... As for Maisie Joyce, he decided to let things cool down for a while before thinking about it.
Come to think of it, all of them were a bit awkward when it came to matters of the heart.
This was, of course, a direct result of their circumstances.
In this day and age, no one had time to get sentimental over such things. Whether it was love or not, people rarely made a life-or-death fuss about it.
After all, humanity was struggling just to survive!
Of course, this year had already brought a string of good news.
First came the successful development of the soil ameliorant, followed by the deployment of the all-purpose Zombie Antidote. Now, everyone was just waiting for the policy on base autonomy.
With the support of Paige Summers’s Planting Space, Levi Young’s Zombie Antidote production was quite fast. He had taken on a few apprentices from the base and broken down the process into steps. Before long, they had already built up a considerable stockpile.
Besides ensuring their own base was well-stocked, they sold the antidote to anyone from nearby bases who came asking. The price was also far lower than Central City’s specialized antidotes, making it a true blessing for the southern region.
As a result, the various bases in the south were able to significantly step up their hunting expeditions.
Carrying a dose of the Antidote gave the Superpower Users a great sense of security, and their performance in the field was often that much better as a result.
Everyone was preparing for a return to normal life.
Paige Summers had already sent people to Central City to contact Nadia, hoping to get the formula for the soil ameliorant.
Of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy.
So Marcus Monroe had also asked Jovitas to assist.
He wasn’t a heartless man; he was worried about Black S’s health and had even considered making a trip to Central City himself.
’But after thinking it over and over, I just couldn’t make the trip.
It’s just too dangerous!
Bloodfall Base must be on Central City’s radar by now. If I went back... it wouldn’t be a big deal for me, since my superpower is strong. But what if someone tried to use my family here at the base against me? To me, that’s a far more terrifying prospect than them coming after me directly!
It’s not that I don’t trust Paige Summers’s abilities.
But now there’s Annie...
The moment he thought of Annie, Marcus Monroe—no matter how stern he usually was in front of his team—couldn’t help but break into a silly grin.
’My son... there’s no need to even say how adorable he is!
From his first little yawns to now, when he can roll over, sit up, and even manage a crawl or two... every single thing he does fills me with wonder and awe.
Only now do I understand what people in the old days meant by the simple happiness of a warm home with your wife and child.
A life of comfort is a hero’s tomb, as they say!
With these two holding me here, how could I ever bear to leave!’
Fortunately, the matter was settled in the end without him having to get involved personally.
The Government was initially unwilling to give away the formula for the soil ameliorant so easily. It wasn’t that they refused to share it, but they intended to use it as a bargaining chip. After all, Central City had a much larger population, and ensuring everyone was fed was no simple task. And while tax revenues were considerable, managing such a large city was still a monumental challenge.
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