Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Open Your Eyes Wide and See Clearly

"What a phony. ’Saving Mr. Hawthorne’? Please. More like *he* saved *her*!"

"Exactly. Can’t even come up with a believable lie. Does she think we’re idiots?"

"A pampered little miss who’s scared of a chilly breeze, saving someone in ninety-degree-below-zero weather? Who’s she trying to fool!"

Jason Sterling let out a derisive laugh, the disdain and ridicule practically spilling from his eyes. He crossed his arms, his tone scathing. "Sue Lawrence, you really know how to sing your own praises. Mr. Hawthorne was nice enough to cover for you, and you actually have the nerve to run with it? Take a look at yourself. A waste is a waste. No amount of pretending will make you one of the strong."

He was certain this was all a lie fabricated by Silas Hawthorne to protect Sue Lawrence. In his mind, she was still the same useless waste.

Sue Lawrence just smiled. "Believe what you want."

’What do I care if they believe me or not?’

The few who had spoken frowned, clearly furious. But Sue Lawrence paid them no mind. After all, plenty of other soldiers stood by silently. Compared to the ones spouting nonsense, they were far more sensible, and frankly, more likable. This was hardly the time or place to be stirring up trouble.

Dominic Trent was also in the crowd, watching the confrontation between Jason Sterling and Sue Lawrence with a detached air.

He’d discovered that even with a Superpower, one couldn’t just brute-force their way through this extreme cold. That had been his greatest miscalculation. Amid the silence, he subconsciously sidled up to Silas Hawthorne and whispered, "What’s our next move?"

Silas Hawthorne and Theodore Frost both looked up at him at the same time.

Neither of them answered. Instead, they countered with a question. "Do you have any cold-weather gear in your space? Or maybe some ski equipment?"

Dominic Trent was silent for a moment. He had some, but why should he hand it over?

His eyes flickered. "Just a few down jackets for the cold."

"Bring out as many as you have."

He continued, "And take out all your food."

’Food, too?’

’They’re sure I have a Space Ability. How could I possibly not have stuff hoarded in there?’

Dominic Trent could only grit his teeth and pull out a small amount of food—some cold canned goods, hardtack, and the like.

But even this small amount was enough to make the people around them swallow audibly. Some even began to curse under their breath.

"He had food this whole time and is only taking it out now? What was he doing before?"

"Hah. We’re not Silas Hawthorne. The big boss makes a request, and suddenly he’s pulling things out to kiss up to him!"

"Tsk, tsk. You can know a person’s face, but you’ll never know their heart."

Dominic Trent’s expression darkened.

’I knew it. I never should have revealed my Space Ability!’

As he thought this, he shot another venomous look at Sue Lawrence.

Sue Lawrence ignored him, simply waiting in silence. A plan was quickly formed. It was simple: follow the mall’s internal fire stairwell all the way to the roof, then break through the snow to get out.

"Let’s pick up the pace. It’s already dark outside. By the time we break through the snow, it’ll probably be tomorrow afternoon."

"Right!"

The group sprang into action.

The few whose protective suits were damaged naturally put on the liquid nitrogen suits first. Then, Sue Lawrence pretended to go back for the last remaining suit, retrieved it from her space, and returned.

Everyone devoured the supplies Dominic Trent had provided, though it earned him no goodwill.

Once everyone was ready, they started to move out.

Luckily, someone was very familiar with the mall’s layout from having shopped there often. They quickly found the fire stairwell and began their ascent.

The temperature outside was plummeting, and the low-temp alarm was blaring continuously. In the pitch-black darkness, their headlamps flickered. Some stayed lit, while others refused to turn on at all.

It was common for the extreme cold to cause circuit instability. Even though their equipment was an improved, high-tech version, the current temperature was just too low.

"What’s the temperature reading?"

"Almost a hundred degrees below zero."

Everyone’s expression was grim. Some clutched the down jackets they wore—the ones Dominic Trent had provided—tighter around themselves.

However, after a difficult climb to the fourth floor, they discovered to their despair that the path ahead was completely blocked. A pipe had burst somewhere, and the resulting gush of water had frozen into a thick sheet of ice. Only a small, dark hole was visible at the very top, looking like a man-eating maw.

"What do we do now?"

Theodore Frost frowned.

His Superpower was Human-shaped Weapon, not Extreme Cold Warrior.

No one said a word. But then Dominic Trent spoke up, his timing deliberate. "Sue Lawrence, don’t you have a Superpower? Why not show us what it is? Maybe it’ll come in handy. Maybe you can break through this ice blocking our path."

At his words, Jason Sterling and a few others turned to look.

A few people started to chatter. "Are you kidding me?"

"Exactly. Didn’t Boss Sterling already say it? She’s just a useless waste, she doesn’t have any Ability."

Everyone had seen Jason Sterling cause a scene at the entrance. In their minds, Sue Lawrence was a good-for-nothing. What kind of Ability could she possibly have?

Amid the crowd’s scornful gazes, Silas Hawthorne spoke calmly. "Sue Lawrence, go take a look. Scout ahead and see what the situation is."

The moment he spoke, the area fell silent for several seconds.

This wasn’t the first time Silas Hawthorne had defended Sue Lawrence. From publicly admitting she had saved him to now directly assigning her to scout the path—completely ignoring everyone’s skepticism—his favoritism couldn’t have been more obvious.

Dominic Trent’s face fell instantly, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. He had intended to use the others’ voices to corner Sue Lawrence and humiliate her in front of everyone. He never expected Silas Hawthorne to give her an easy out—and even create an opportunity for her to prove herself.

Jason Sterling frowned as well, crossing his arms. The disdain in his eyes deepened. He just assumed Silas Hawthorne was being deliberately biased and waited to see Sue Lawrence retreat in embarrassment.

Sue Lawrence paid no attention to the varied looks from the crowd and simply answered, "Okay."

’She actually said okay?’

’Hah, he’s just defending you. Are you really going to try and play the hero?’

The ridicule in their eyes intensified. Jason Sterling, in particular, stared at Sue Lawrence with a dark, brooding expression. He wanted to see just what skills she possessed that would let her climb this ice wall, which was as smooth as a slide.

And so, under the watchful eyes of the entire group, Sue Lawrence walked directly toward the seemingly indestructible wall of ice.

But in the next second, all their derision caught in their throats.

With a single, unhesitating movement, Sue Lawrence—still in her bulky cold-weather suit—pressed herself against the smooth surface of the ice wall and stuck!

There were no footholds, no tools. Her limbs seemed to possess a powerful suction of their own, holding her steady against the vertical ice. Her fingertips and palms clung fast. Every movement was light yet sure-footed. Like an agile gecko, she began to rapidly ascend the wall of ice.

The ice wall was steep, slick, and bone-chillingly cold. Even the Superpower-wielding soldiers would have struggled to find a purchase. Yet Sue Lawrence moved as if she were on level ground. Her movements were agile and fluid, and in just a few seconds, she reached the ice-rimmed opening at the top.

The entire group was dead silent.