The Apocalypse Took Everything, This Time I Hoard It All First

Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Return Journey

The group had barely exchanged a few words when Miles Dawson and Aaron Palmer’s booming voices exploded through the air. Little Sweet Potato carried them over from a distance like a cable car.

"Luna! We hit the jackpot!"

"Luna! There are so many Crystal Cores, they’re piled up like a mountain!"

The two rattled on like machine guns, babbling endlessly about their epic moments of beating down zombies. Luna’s head buzzed from the noise; she felt like her brain was about to explode.

Little Sweet Potato swung a massive sack of Crystal Cores and tossed it to Luna. "We took care of all those small fry," it said smugly.

Luna weighed the sack in her hands, her eyes instantly lighting up. There had to be over a thousand Crystal Cores in here; it looked like they had completely cleared out the outpatient building and the transfer building area. She couldn’t help but praise, "Great job, Little Sweet Potato!"

As soon as she said that, Aaron, Miles, Rollo, and Tina instantly bristled.

"Aren’t I great?! I killed hundreds of zombies! I’m practically dead on my feet!"

"Sis! I’m the amazing one! I took down a Third-tier Zombie. I was completely badass!"

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!" Rollo was super amazing too! Praise the good boy!

Tina chimed in with a series of WHINES, signaling that she was also great and had killed plenty of zombies!

Indignant, Rollo hopped around Luna, rubbing against her pant leg and WHIMPERING as he begged for pets and praise.

Evan Olson watched the chaotic scene and waved his hand helplessly. "Alright, alright. You’ve been killing zombies all day and you’re still this energetic. Guess you’re not tired at all, huh?"

Shane Shaw looked at the lively group, his face full of envy. "Are you guys always this competitive in private? Always trying to prove yourselves?"

Aaron laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Shane, what do you know, you closet introvert! This is called claiming your rewards after a victorious battle. If we don’t show off our skills, how will the boss know our worth?"

Kevin Keane raised an eyebrow and borrowed his words, saying seriously, "Little boss, I hope I didn’t let you down."

Luna wasn’t listening to a single word they were saying. She hastily praised them, "You’re all amazing!"

Her eyes were shining with golden light as she stared brightly at the massive sack of Crystal Cores. Coming to the Containment Zone was totally worth it! Thinking of the two Fourth-stage Crystal Cores she had also bagged, she practically drooled.

Nancy Sullivan immediately pulled out a tissue. "Luna, wipe your mouth. Mind your image." It was crucial to always maintain the pristine public image of her idol.

Miles chimed in, "Yeah, yeah. My sister is so happy her brain completely short-circuited." Saying that, he threw an arm around Luna’s shoulders and gave her two hard pats.

Luna coughed violently from the impact. "COUGH COUGH COUGH! Miles, are you asking for a beating?! Did you forget how strong you are now? Are you trying to smack your sister to death?!"

After saying that, Luna gave him a hard pinch on his lower back. Miles let out a YELP and sprang away, shouting that Luna was ruthless and a total tigress.

Kevin’s eyes hadn’t left Luna for a single second. "Alright, stop fooling around. The sun is about to set; let’s head back."

Beside them, the rescued survivors stood completely bewildered in the sunset. In their minds, they were trying to reconcile the ruthless image of Luna kicking zombies and battling the mutated creeper vines with this lively girl playfully bickering with her teammates. The contrast was way too extreme! They didn’t dare speak up, obediently acting invisible, but they couldn’t help being infected by the vibrant energy, thinking to themselves how absurd it all was.

Luna waved her hand. "Give me five minutes!"

She rode Rollo around the hospital, storing all the supplies she could reach into her spatial dimension from a distance. She even completely emptied out the outpatient building’s pharmacy and warehouse that Nancy hadn’t finished collecting. If they weren’t in a rush to hand over the rescued survivors, she really would have blown up every zombie in the hospital to collect more Crystal Cores!

The return trip was incredibly smooth. Rollo and Little Tiger worked together perfectly, and it wasn’t long before they led everyone out of the hospital.

Luna pulled out a Hummer and shouted to John Jacobs, "Captain Shaw, just follow behind us!"

Along the way, they encountered members of other Special Operations Teams. They craned their necks, curious as to what big shots were sitting inside this domineering off-road vehicle. After all, most people only went to the Eighth District to scavenge for supplies; very few dared to charge straight into the Ninth District. Looking closely at those teams, they were either crestfallen or riddled with injuries. In stark contrast, Luna’s group was brimming with Spirit, making for a glaring comparison.

The apocalypse was just like this. To put it bluntly, it was trading lives for resources; the weak could only be eliminated.

When they arrived at the exit of the Eighth District buffer zone, a long line of over ten cars had already formed. A shuttle car slowly drove by, sequentially handing out timers to the waiting vehicles. According to the safe zone’s regulations, vehicles could only start and enter after the alarm went off in thirty minutes. Currently, the longest known onset time for a zombie infection in humans was twenty minutes. Only after confirming that personnel entering from the Containment Zone showed no abnormalities within thirty minutes would they be cleared to enter the safe zone.

Thirty minutes wasn’t exactly long, but it wasn’t short either. Many people grew restless and stepped out of their cars to get some fresh air and chat, while others lit a cigarette to relieve their fatigue. On the other hand, Luna’s group stayed comfortably in their car, chatting with the heater blasting. It was freezing cold outside, and there was no reason for anyone to step out and suffer in the chill.

As soon as the time was up, the timers let out a sharp DING. The queued cars started up one after another, slowly driving into the alloy gates to return the timers.

The moment the off-road vehicle turned into the registration area, the roar of its engine, coupled with the tough, imposing aura of the chassis, instantly captured everyone’s attention. As the doors opened, Luna and her group stepped out one by one. They all looked incredibly relaxed, showing not a single trace of exhaustion from scavenging for supplies.

Stan Stone had already finished dealing with the mess in the Sixth District and had been waiting here for a long time, his face fraught with anxiety. If Luna’s team—an entire squad at the Third Rank—couldn’t rescue the target, then Ron Rivers was truly beyond saving.

Seeing that they had returned safely and even brought back the Seventh Special Operations Squad, he immediately rushed over, so excited he was practically incoherent. "Miss Dawson! You guys are too incredible! You really didn’t disappoint!"

The hospital was basically a zombie nest. To be able to rescue someone and bring everyone back completely unscathed... one could only imagine how formidable their strength was!

Luna gave a faint nod and cut straight to the chase. "We rescued him, but he had been abducted by a Fourth Rank mutated plant. I’ve already done everything I could."

As soon as she finished speaking, John Jacobs climbed out of the Hummer with Ron Rivers on his back, explaining the situation to Stan as he walked.

Stan quickly called for the medical staff to bring a stretcher over.

Ron Rivers groggily opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of Luna’s back. He kept muttering her name under his breath until he was loaded into the ambulance. Only after the doors closed did he pass out again.

Stan wanted to chat a bit more, but Luna cut him right off. "Don’t change the subject. We agreed on the Crystal Cores, and I expect the full amount. Don’t even think about docking my pay just because Ron Rivers is missing a piece!"

Stan was left utterly speechless. Did this woman only have eyes for Crystal Cores and care about absolutely nothing else?

He quickly waved his hand, and a woman behind him produced a large bag of Crystal Cores out of thin air, handing it over.

Stan smiled and said, "Two thousand First Order and two hundred sixty Second Order. Would you like to count them, Miss Dawson?"

Luna casually tossed the bag into her spatial dimension and sensed its contents. The corners of her mouth instantly curled upward. "Not a single one missing. It’s exactly right!"

Stan escorted her to the car, probing tentatively, "It was a pleasure meeting all of you. If there are any future missions, we should definitely cooperate more often!"

Luna waved at him and playfully teased, "Easy to say! Next time your stupid... next time Ron Rivers needs rescuing again, I’ll even give you a discount. Fair trades only!"

Stan was speechless again. He coughed awkwardly. "Right... well, goodbye everyone!"

Luna and the group made it home right before the sun completely set. At the dinner table, the whole gang chattered away, gossiping with their family members about today’s absurd experiences in the Ninth District. The atmosphere was incredibly lively.

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