Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Blame... Blame This Damned Apocalypse

Jayce didn’t stop for a moment, running all the way to the thirty-sixth floor in one go.

The moment he reached the elevator lobby, he sharply noticed something was off.

’Why are there so many fewer survivors by our door?’

’Something must have happened!’

Even though he knew Sierra would never get the short end of the stick, Jayce’s heart couldn’t help but beat a little faster. He hurriedly knocked on the door.

He had only knocked once when Sierra’s voice came from inside.

"Coming!"

The words had barely faded when the door swung open.

A desk lamp was on inside. It wasn’t a warm yellow, but the light still gave off a warm feeling.

Seeing Sierra’s face, Jayce’s heart finally calmed down a little.

"What are you standing there spacing out for!" Sierra said with a smile. "Hurry up and come in for dinner!"

"Okay!"

Jayce replied, stepping quickly inside.

THUD.

The apartment door shut heavily.

The rich aroma was now mostly contained inside.

But in truth, some of it had already drifted outside.

Those who caught a whiff of the scent took deep breaths, one after another.

Some even pulled out their own dry rations, eating them while savoring the smell.

Under the aroma’s influence, the normally hard-to-swallow rations seemed to become a little more palatable.

Inside, Jayce had already washed his hands and face and was sitting at the dining table.

On the table, a spread of food, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, was laid out.

There were desserts, fruits, and drinks, too—everything one could ask for.

Even before the apocalypse, putting together such a lavish spread would have required visiting several different stores or ordering from multiple delivery places.

But now, all of this required was a single thought from Sierra.

’It really doesn’t get more convenient than this!’

Jayce had been on high alert all day and had only managed to grab a few dry rations for lunch to tide him over.

It wasn’t as if Sierra had never been outside, so of course she understood.

She wasn’t in a hurry to ask questions, simply urging Jayce to eat.

’He’s back safe and sound, anyway. What difference does it make if I ask now or later?’

’It’s better to let Jayce have a proper meal than to bombard him with questions.’

Jayce didn’t ask anything either, just bringing up lighthearted topics while they ate to liven up the atmosphere.

The topics were simple, fun, and easy to follow. Even young Candice Tate could understand, and she couldn’t stop laughing.

Half an hour later, after the three had eaten their fill and cleared the table, they finally sat down in the living room.

The moment they were seated, Sierra asked impatiently, "Did everything go smoothly today? Why are you back so late? Did something happen?"

"Something did happen..."

Jayce didn’t hide a thing, recounting the day’s events from beginning to end.

They were all survivors in this apocalypse.

Only by clearly understanding how dangerous this world was could they better protect themselves and have a better chance at survival.

To hide the truth from her, to leave her ignorant of the dangers outside—that would be doing her a disservice.

This applied not only to Sierra, but to Candice as well.

Candice listened with rapt attention, her eyes wide.

Since the apocalypse began, she had been cooped up at home, never once stepping outside.

Though she had suffered hunger and hardship, she had never seen an Aberrant Beast, much less known their terror.

Now, listening to Jayce’s tale, Candice’s eyes grew wider and wider, gradually filling with shock.

"Jayce, the Aberrant Beasts you’re talking about... are they like the monsters in movies? Are they really strong? Do they eat people?"

Jayce nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, they’re just like monsters from the movies. They’re very strong, and they eat people. That’s why you have to be extra, extra careful when you go outside. Especially someone as young as you, Candice. You must never go out alone. You can’t protect yourself yet, understand?"

"I understand!"

Candice nodded enthusiastically as she spoke, her head bobbing up and down cutely.

Whether or not she truly understood, her earnest attitude was clear.

Jayce pulled his gaze away, satisfied, and turned to Sierra. "I don’t know what that thing Gregory Warren found was, but I don’t think it’s the only one. There must be more. When I go out again tomorrow, I want to try and find them."

Sierra’s mouth twitched. Words swirled on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she bit her lip hard to keep them from escaping.

Just from her expression, Jayce could guess what was on her mind.

"Sierra, don’t worry. No matter what, I’ll make sure I stay safe. I know nothing is more important than that!"

Sierra didn’t answer right away. After a moment of silence, she said, "From now on, let’s have Candice stay at your parents’ place during the day. Let your mom look after her. That way, I can go with you. I don’t want to be stuck in the base all the time!"

Just this afternoon, she had insisted that she didn’t want to expose Candice to others too much.

But now, she couldn’t afford to worry about that.

Candice was important, yes, but Jayce was more important.

She couldn’t let Jayce venture outside the base alone just for Candice’s sake.

Jayce was powerful, she knew, and she knew she should trust him.

’But what if...?!"

In their past lives, they had both died too young. They had no idea what happened afterward, or how many dangers lurked outside.

Under these circumstances, there was no way she could bear to watch Jayce head outside the base alone.

She had waited all day in the safety of their home, but her heart hadn’t been at peace for a single moment.

Before Jayce could speak, Candice had already nodded obediently. "I’m willing! I’ll be good and stay with Aunt Shelby, and I’ll wait for my big sister and big brother to come back and get me!"

Her voice was soft and childlike, but filled with determination.

And her pale, soft little face was a picture of seriousness.

Seeing Candice like this, Sierra’s heart was instantly filled with a swirl of complex emotions.

A crying child gets the milk, as they say, but a child who’s too understanding is truly heartbreaking to see.

Sierra pulled Candice into her arms.

"You’re amazing, Candice! Thank you."

Candice shook her head. "You don’t have to thank me, Sister. I should be thanking you! You saved me, but I can’t let you give up everything else just for me. My mom had to go to work before, too. She couldn’t always be with me either!"

If Candice had been a few years older when she said that, Sierra wouldn’t have felt so pained.

But hearing such mature words from this little girl, Sierra felt her heart being squeezed by a giant hand.

It was all... it was all the fault of this damn apocalypse!

"Good girl, Candice! Wait until your big sister and brother fight our way through this damn apocalypse! Once we’ve killed all the Aberrant Beasts, we can stay home and be with you all the time!"

"I believe in you, Sister! I know you can do it!"