The days passed, one by one.

Just as their research began to show some progress, they faced their most difficult moment.

Their last comrade with a superpower was gone.

He had been bitten by a Zombie while searching for a water source and ended up taking them down with him.

They, a group of ordinary people, were forced to protect themselves.

But ammunition was finite.

They could no longer find food.

Then, the water ran out too.

The reserve nutrient packs weren’t nearly enough to keep so many people alive. It was time to make a choice...

In Chase Woods’s open eyes, there was regret and sorrow, but more than anything, there was relief.

’Finally, I can go see them. My comrades. I didn’t break my promise. I held on until the very end. This warrior, who broke through the terrifying Zombie siege to get here, will surely deliver the fruits of our labor to the one who needs it most—our motherland. Perhaps in the near future, peace will be restored to the Lands of Astoria. And even if we are laid to rest for all eternity, you and I will be able to take comfort in that!’

Paige Summers’s gaze shifted from the bed to the open safe by the bedside. Inside were several notebooks and a voice recorder. As she gripped them tightly, the man on the bed stopped breathing.

Flipping open the notebooks, she saw that the yellowed pages were filled entirely with research findings on the apocalyptic virus.

She couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart.

The man on the bed was emaciated, little more than a skeleton beneath a thin layer of skin. He had no hair, his muscles had atrophied, his features were sunken, and his face was covered in terrifying wrinkles...

It wasn’t a pretty sight.

But as she reached out to close his eyes and faintly saw what looked like the corners of his lips turning up in a smile, a sense of admiration welled up within her!

The bodies of the dead downstairs had mostly been devoured by insects, their clothes along with them, making them unidentifiable. Only he was dressed neatly in clothes of an indiscernible color, but his epaulets proved it: he was a soldier, a soldier from before the apocalypse!

Paige Summers didn’t understand how this small building had never been breached by Zombies after all this time. But that wasn’t important. What mattered was that crucial virus research data had been preserved here!

Also, they could probably get a good night’s rest tonight.

After leading her team into the small building, Paige Summers had them solemnly collect the skeletal remains of everyone on both floors, including the body from the bed. She placed them all into a large box and stored it in her space.

They might not care about such things anymore, but she still felt this was no proper place for their final rest.

In the future, she hoped to find a beautiful, tranquil place, free from the disturbance of Zombies, to lay them to rest and commemorate them with tombstones bearing their names!

By the time all this was done, it was already late.

Everyone was hungry and exhausted.

Paige Summers silently took out the pre-packaged wheat grains from her space. "We’re eating this tonight."

Claire Chapman reached out and grabbed a handful of the wheat grains, his expression a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Is this... grain?"

"Wheat," Paige Summers added. "Though the grains are a bit big."

Claire Chapman muttered, "Is it really wheat? This is way bigger than normal!" He then snapped his head up. "Where did you get this? How much more do you have?"

"From a planting expert at Stoneridge Base. It’s enough to last us a while."

’That wasn’t exactly a lie. It really did come from Rhonda Rhodes, but there’s a bit of a difference in the quantity.’ Thinking of the large amount of wheat and wheat seeds piled up in her space, Paige Summers fell into contemplation. ’After this mission, I have to decide on our next destination as soon as possible. Should we return to Central City? If so, where would we plant the wheat? And if we don’t go back, where will we put down roots...’

She glanced at Claire Chapman, who was still examining the wheat grains, and sighed. ’I’ll just wait until we’re done here to discuss it with him.’

Dinner that night was so exceptionally lavish that the team members could hardly believe it.

"Is this... is this rice made from wheat grains?!" one of the more discerning members asked, their eyes welling up with tears.

"Get outta here, don’t be ridiculous! Have you ever seen wheat grains this big? It must be the fruit of some kind of mutated plant!" This came from the calm and rationalist camp.

"But I can clearly smell the aroma of wheat!"

"An illusion. It’s all an illusion."

Another team member chimed in, "Hold on, I think it’s possible. I heard Vice-Captain Sterling was the one who got this. Think about it. Given how extravagant she is with Crystal Cores, it’s entirely possible she’d buy some wheat to bring along!"

"Yeah, yeah, I think so too! We get real food when we’re with Vice-Captain Sterling! It smells so good, my mouth is watering!"

"You’re already drooling! Quick, wipe your mouth, you’re embarrassing yourself!"

The rationalist put on a serious face. "Hey, you’re all getting off-topic, aren’t you? We were talking about what this stuff actually is!"

"Who cares what it is? It smells amazing... and the captain said we get to eat our fill tonight!"

"Really?" ’Alright, to hell with being rational. Let’s eat our fill first!’

Amidst the team members’ hushed chatter, the wheat grain rice was ready. Then, all discussion ceased. The only sounds in the hallway were of swallowing; some of the more impatient ones even saved most of the time they would have spent chewing...

"This bunch of gluttons!" Claire Chapman cursed with a laugh, completely forgetting that he himself had just devoured a bowl in ten-odd seconds and was now waiting for his second.

Paige Summers shot him a glance and continued eating at her own leisurely pace.

Among everyone present, only Sean Raines’s reaction was particularly unusual.

He was so agitated that he put his bowl down after eating only one serving, his eyes fixed on Paige Summers as if trying to discern some hidden truth.

Paige Summers had a good idea why.

According to Rhonda Rhodes, the vast majority of Superpower Users were incapable of absorbing Spiritual Energy. So, aside from finding the wheat grain rice delicious, the others felt nothing special.

But Sean Raines was different.

He wasn’t a Superpower User, but a pure disciple of The Taoist Order.

’In terms of Cultivation methods, he’s probably on the same path as Rhonda Rhodes.’

’He must have sensed that the wheat grains are different and is anxious to ask about it.’

Unfortunately for him, Paige Summers had no intention of telling him.

’Right now, Sean Raines can’t be considered completely one of us yet.’

’As for the future... that will depend on the choices he makes.’