Chapter 93: Chapter 93: I Can Be a Guardian

Seeing Sue Lawrence’s composure, Elliot Lawrence could only nod and follow Victor Keller and the others upstairs.

Silas Hawthorne left a few people behind, then led the team out.

Without their heavy winter gear, everyone felt much lighter. The team moved silently down the corridor, with members periodically checking the rooms on either side and searching them one by one.

"Mr. Hawthorne, the supplies are all gone. The bedding, too."

’Nothing at all. That means this place has already been picked clean.’

Silas Hawthorne nodded, then turned to a short, middle-aged man. "Destroy the elevator first."

"Yes, sir!"

The short, middle-aged man took someone with him and went over to the elevator to start working on it. Silas Hawthorne led the others forward.

’This is my first time formally running a post-apocalyptic dungeon. In my past life, teaming up with Jason Sterling and the others was a pickup group at best. This has to be an official team, right?’

When they reached the stairwell at the end of the hall, they immediately spotted two people in a small adjacent room.

It was a man and a woman. The woman wore a nurse’s uniform and the man a white lab coat. Upon seeing the team enter, they both nervously raised their hands. The man stared at them in terror and asked, "Who are you people?"

Sue Lawrence frowned and immediately activated her Eye of Barrier Breaking. She could instantly distinguish who the real medical staff were and who weren’t, since the real ones had tags like [A Level Nursing] and [A Level Pharmacology] floating above their heads.

She was about to tell Silas Hawthorne who the imposter was when, to her surprise, he barked out a series of questions. "Name, department, alma mater, years of practice, and office floor?"

’Wh-what?!’

The man clearly panicked. The female nurse shrieked out her name, department, and alma mater. Seeing this, a ferocious glint appeared in the man’s eyes, but before he could make a move, Silas Hawthorne had already fired.

BANG! BANG! The gunshots echoed through the building, startling everyone, whether they were upstairs or down. Blade’s expression turned grim.

’Have we been discovered?’

’Or was it just an accidental firefight?’

’It can’t be. Even I have trouble telling friend from foe in these white coats. How could they possibly know?’

As they whispered among themselves, back in the bomb shelter, the spectators also saw Silas Hawthorne’s reaction. Many of them were stunned.

"Damn, that guy’s really smart!"

"I always thought the young master of the Hawthorne Family was just a bookworm."

"He’s incredible. He doesn’t even need a team."

"Hmph, not only did he bring a team, he brought a useless accessory."

The crowd looked at Sue Lawrence on the screen with disdain.

Sue Lawrence was still standing there, stunned. Silas Hawthorne hadn’t finished the man off. Instead, he said to her, "You finish it."

With that, he turned and led his men away.

’He wants me to take this man’s Superpower.’

She pulled the trigger without hesitation, then activated her Superpower: Raider.

She quickly took two Skills: [B Level Extremely Evil] and [C Level Flattery].

’They’re obviously not good Skills, but if Silas Hawthorne insists, I guess I’ll keep them.’

She took out the high-tech, USB-like device. The Abilities she had taken were loaded into it the instant she activated her Superpower, barely passing through her. The Luck Value she had taken was stored as well.

By the time she came out, Silas Hawthorne had already led his team downstairs. Two men were left to guard the stairwell as they continued searching the next floor.

’I can see Silas Hawthorne is more than just some rich kid. He seems to have had rigorous training; his posture for both scouting and shooting is textbook-perfect. Of all the people here, Elliot and I are probably the only ones from an ordinary background.’

"What did you get?"

Silas Hawthorne asked in a low voice, and Sue Lawrence replied just as quietly. On the big screen, it looked as if the two were whispering intimately.

"See? She’s definitely latched onto Mr. Hawthorne."

The crowd started to snicker and whisper amongst themselves.

Tiana Lynch’s expression turned ugly as she stared at the screen, watching the two of them talk so intimately. She subconsciously clenched her fists.

’How can Sue Lawrence be so lucky?’

’How long has it been, and she’s already so close with Silas Hawthorne?’

’I’m still trying to figure out how to get close to Silas Hawthorne, and Sue Lawrence is already his personal accessory?’

’No, my eyes have to get better, and fast.’ She subconsciously closed them. "Pamela Sutton, help me to the infirmary. I don’t think my eyes feel right..."

’I need to get my eyes healed quickly. Then I’ll go find Silas Hawthorne and offer my services!’

she thought, filled with jealousy.

Meanwhile, Sue Lawrence whispered, "Do you want some of the Luck Value? It’s really useful, you know!"

Silas Hawthorne’s attention was fixed on the hallway. He seemed uninterested. "If you’re strong enough, you don’t need auxiliary skills like that."

"Hah..."

Sue Lawrence smiled. ’He sure is confident.’

"Mr. Hawthorne, there’s a patient over here. He’s not going to make it."

Silas Hawthorne led Sue Lawrence inside. On the hospital bed lay an old man, his breathing as faint as a silk thread. He didn’t even have a blanket; his body was bruised purple from the cold and covered in extensive frostbite. His eyes were shut tight, but surprisingly, he was still breathing.

But it was clear that even if they could save him, he was beyond recovery.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Only Silas Hawthorne, after a moment of calm observation, spoke. "Sue Lawrence, put him out of his misery."

’He’s on the verge of death and can’t be saved. In a world like this, even with the best intentions, we don’t have the resources. An early release is better.’

Sue Lawrence lowered her gaze, raised her gun, and then activated her Superpower.

Raid.

[Skill Acquired: S Level Intangible Heritage Embroidery.]

[Skill Acquired: A Level Pattern Design.]

[Skill Acquired: A Level Tailoring.]

The moment she saw the notifications, Sue Lawrence’s heart trembled. She suddenly understood what Silas Hawthorne meant by the preservation of civilization.

Intangible Heritage Embroidery, Pattern Design, Tailoring... This old man must have been a master craftsman. In this apocalyptic world, who knew if his apprentices would survive? But now, his Skills could be collected. In the future, after the apocalypse, these great and renowned arts could be passed on.

Sue Lawrence took a deep breath. For some reason, she suddenly had an epiphany. She felt like she understood the final line of her Skill’s description.

You can be a Taker, or you can be a Guardian.

What she had taken, and what she had guarded—in that moment, she suddenly understood it all.

"Are you done?"

Silas Hawthorne turned his head and saw Sue Lawrence bowing deeply to the old man on the bed.

"He was a great craftsman."

Sue Lawrence’s eyes were red-rimmed, and her fingertips trembled.

’She knew the man couldn’t have survived, but she was still the one who pulled the trigger.’

’It’s impossible to welcome a new world with clean hands.’

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Just then, a hand gently rested on her shoulder, a comforting warmth spreading from the touch.