Betrayed in the Apocalypse? I'll Plunder My Way to the Top
Chapter 46: Where Did My Big A-Level Superpower Go?
Jason Sterling watched the back of the car as it drove away, and a jolt went through him. ’The meeting with the private investigator!’
He had scheduled a meeting with the PI, but after the scene Sue Lawrence had just caused, he’d completely forgotten about it!
Jason Sterling’s mind was a maelstrom of panic, anger, and anxiety.
Damn it! What shitty luck! Ever since he’d reincarnated, not a single thing had gone smoothly. He hit a wall at every turn, faced constant setbacks—it was downright cursed! He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. The darkness in his eyes practically spilled over, and the wave of rage was so intense it even suppressed some of the pain in his lower back.
Seeing Jason Sterling’s distracted state, a hint of frostiness crept into Tiana Lynch’s eyes, but a delicate, weak smile remained on her lips. She reached out to gently support his arm, her soft voice prodding at his worries. "Jason, let’s get going. Sue must still hold a grudge against me. There’s nothing I can do... I love you so much, Jason. Can we please go to the hospital first? We need to make sure that kick of hers didn’t do any real damage. The apocalypse is almost here; you can’t afford to be injured..."
The word "apocalypse" was like a needle, jolting Jason Sterling back to his senses. He frowned, shook off his distracting thoughts, and staggered to his feet with their help. "Right," he said in a low voice. "The apocalypse is coming. Supplies are what’s most important!"
He turned to Tia Norris, his tone leaving no room for argument. The ache in his lower back made his expression even grimmer. "You’ll go with the logistics team. Your Ice Control Skill will be perfect for this. Clear all the ice off the roads. The snow isn’t a problem, but as long as the ice is gone, the trucks won’t slide. We need to get our supplies to the mine as quickly as possible."
"Okay! You can leave it all to me!"
Tia Norris nodded in agreement without a second thought. She habitually checked her Superpower, and what she saw made her freeze on the spot as if she’d been struck by lightning.
Her A Level Ice Control Skill... had become B Level?!
’What happened?! Where did my perfectly good A Level Superpower go? My A Level Skill that could create ultra-hard ice and a twenty-meter frozen domain... how did it suddenly drop to B Level?!’
’How could this have happened? What on earth is going on?’
Tia Norris’s fingers trembled as she stared intently at the Superpower panel in her mind, completely forgetting to breathe.
The ultra-hard ice was gone. The frozen domain was gone. All that remained was the bare-bones description: "Can condense liquids into ice and freely shape it." It was a world of difference from what she’d been showing off to Jason Sterling and Tiana Lynch just yesterday!
Tia Norris was both shocked and terrified, because she hadn’t felt a single thing! She remembered that when she told Jason Sterling and Tiana Lynch yesterday, it was definitely an A Level Skill. She had only just checked her Superpower again, and now it was B Level?
’What had she done in the past day or so?’
Tia Norris sank deep into self-doubt. After all, she wasn’t a Reincarnator; she had no idea what this meant or why it had happened. More importantly, she was too scared to ask.
She had only just obtained a Superpower, and she’d been so smug when she told Jason Sterling and Tiana Lynch. Felix Norris had even praised her to the skies, saying she was the most promising member of the Norris Family, outshining all the sons. It was the only reason she had finally gained a firm footing in her patriarchal family and earned everyone’s respect.
’Now that her A Level Superpower has become B Level, will everyone still put her on a pedestal like before?’
’No! I absolutely can’t say anything! I can’t tell any—’
"Tia, what’s wrong? You look so pale," Tiana Lynch said, noticing her stiffness. She reached out to touch her arm with feigned concern, but her eyes held a hint of scrutiny.
Tia Norris snapped back to her senses. She hastily concealed the panic in her eyes and forced a smile, her movements stiff as she shook her head. "I-It’s nothing! Uh, are we leaving now? I’m ready whenever. You can count on me to clear the ice."
Jason Sterling, rubbing his aching lower back, was in no mood to notice the odd interaction between the two women. His face grim, he walked toward the car. "I’ll arrange the logistics. You two get in first."
He pulled out his phone. On the screen was a message from the private investigator.
There were a few photos of him, Sue Lawrence, and Tia Norris scuffling at the entrance to City Hall, along with a single line of text: "Target is heading to the Lawrence Family villa. Sending you location. You missed the meeting. Reschedule later."
So he had missed him after all.
Jason Sterling stared at Sue Lawrence’s icy expression in the photo, and his irritation grew.
Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, nursing their own schemes. Meanwhile, Sue Lawrence sat in her car, examining the Ice Control Ability she had just acquired.
Superpower: [Ice Control Skill] (C Level)
[Can condense any liquid into ice needles and ice spikes for attacks, and can freely manipulate ice.]
Sue raised an eyebrow.
’Only ice needles and ice spikes, and it doesn’t even have the Attack Skills designation. Looks like the base attack power is just average. Still, the ability to freely manipulate ice is a nice touch.’
With one hand on the steering wheel, she twitched the fingers of her other hand. A wisp of cold air swirled, slowly forming an ice needle as fine as a hair. It spun gently in her palm, glinted coldly, then shattered into fine ice crystals that scattered over the heating vent and melted instantly.
Outside, the world was frozen solid, blanketed in a vast expanse of white snow. The air itself was filled with fine ice particles, making the creation of ice utterly effortless.
The smile on Sue Lawrence’s lips widened.
’In an apocalypse of extreme cold, ice reigns supreme. This Ice Control Skill came at the perfect time. Hmm, next time I’ll find a chance to snatch another one. Maybe I can upgrade this to B Level, or just go straight for an A Level.’
In a pleasant mood, Sue Lawrence turned the wheel, parking the car smoothly at the villa.
Jenny Norris was outside with Leo Lawrence clearing the snow. With no outside help at the large villa, they had to do everything themselves.
Leo Lawrence was very sensible, pushing snow by himself with a shovel while Jenny Norris followed behind, sweeping up the leftover piles. The two of them made a good team.
"Jenny, let me get that."
Sue walked over as soon as she got out of the car, but Jenny Norris just shook her head. "It’s fine. Plenty of pregnant women work without any issues. Don’t worry about me."
The words had barely left her mouth when Vivian Young’s and Elliot Lawrence’s cars pulled in. The whole family was together again.
"Let’s eat first!"
Jenny Norris smiled and led everyone inside. The villa was warm and cozy. They all took off their coats, washed their hands, and sat down to eat, enjoying a rare, warm moment together, filled with talk and laughter.
"Your brother and I went over the supply list."
Vincent Lawrence wiped his hands and handed two documents to Sue Lawrence. "It looks fine, but you should give it one last look."
"Okay."
Sue Lawrence took the documents and casually tossed the luck she had swiped from Tiana Lynch over to Elliot Lawrence. Then, she began carefully comparing the supply lists for her personal storage space and the mine.
Vincent Lawrence said, "I suspect City Hall held that meeting today because they already know something. But the message they sent was clear: as long as everyone works together, we can overcome the extreme cold."
Elliot Lawrence nodded in agreement. After all, even the special forces had been mobilized for the meeting.
"Dad," Sue Lawrence said suddenly, "you didn’t stock up on any heat-resistant or acid-proof suits?"
Everyone in the dining room froze. "Isn’t it just extreme cold?"
Sue Lawrence’s expression grew solemn. "No. After the extreme cold comes extreme heat, then acid rain. If possible, we should get radiation-proof suits, too."
Elliot Lawrence’s expression changed. "We’d have to place a factory order for those. There are only seven days left until the apocalypse. Is that enough time?"