NOVGO.NET Chapter 13 Luna’s ruthless decision.
Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Luna’s ruthless decision.
Michael was completely unaware of what was going on. Luna watched him struggle to stay afloat, desperately trying to swim without realizing that his fate had already been sealed.
Everywhere around him was nothing but endless water. There wasn’t a single piece of land for him to rest his feet on. It was only a matter of time before something lurking beneath the surface found him, and Luna was patiently waiting for that moment.
"This is insane! Go save him! We will report this to the authorities. This is murder!"
Of course, it was the sharp mouth of that bitch Jessica.
Honestly, everything had started because of her.
It would’ve been much more satisfying if she had been the one thrown into the water instead. Unfortunately, someone else had fallen into a trap that had originally been prepared for her.
Luna barely reacted.
She simply took another sip from her black coffee, allowing the rich bitter taste to settle on her tongue while inhaling the comforting aroma rising from the cup.
"If you say one more word, bitch, you’ll be next. Dare me and let’s see."
Jessica didn’t need to be warned twice.
She immediately shut her mouth.
Miles remained strangely quiet, showing absolutely no interest in interfering for Michael’s sake. Jackson, however, looked as if he was about to lose his mind.
Nicole, on the other hand, wisely respected herself enough to remain silent. She quietly brought another chair for her boss so Luna could comfortably enjoy whatever twisted entertainment she called this.
Luna let out a quiet sigh as she watched the scene unfold before her.
"I wish I had popcorn. This looks exactly like one of those shark movies I’m obsessed with."
The moment the word shark left Luna’s lips, everyone visibly trembled.
"There are sharks in there?" Jackson’s voice cracked. "Please... please help him. I’m sorry. He’s my brother. I don’t want him to die. I know you have the resources to save him."
Luna slowly smiled after hearing Jackson’s desperate pleading.
So...
He had finally decided to calm down.
People like him were always the same. They never learned until consequences were shoved right into their faces. Since the apocalypse had decided to surprise everyone, who was she to deny them a surprise of her own?
The old Luna had been soft-hearted.
She had been kind.
Too kind.
She gave until there was nothing left for herself, foolishly believing people would appreciate her sacrifices.
In the end...
She died because of that kindness.
That Luna no longer existed.
The woman sitting here now was someone completely different.
"Hmm..."
She pretended to think, lazily tapping a finger against her coffee mug.
"Let me think about it."
As she supposedly considered his request, something beneath the water suddenly began moving.
At first it was only a shadow.
Then it started circling Michael with unbelievable speed, slicing through the floodwater like a living blade.
Jessica’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"That’s... that’s a shark!"
Her entire body began trembling violently.
"Please help him! I beg you!"
Luna almost laughed.
Even Jessica was begging now?
That was certainly unexpected.
Meanwhile Michael finally realized he wasn’t alone.
He noticed the massive shadow circling beneath him.
His face instantly turned ghostly pale.
"No! No! Help me!"
He screamed until his voice became hoarse, splashing frantically as he tried to paddle away with his arms.
Unfortunately...
The water belonged to the predator.
Not to him.
Luna’s lips slowly curled upward with deep satisfaction before she finally gave them her answer.
"I’ve thought about it..."
She deliberately paused.
"My answer, friends..."
"...is no."
Her voice fell heavily upon everyone.
The very next second—
The enormous shark exploded out of the water.
It was far larger than any shark they had ever imagined. Its monstrous jaws opened wide enough to swallow a person whole.
CHOMP!
Michael’s scream stopped instantly.
His head disappeared between those terrifying jaws before the beast crashed back into the water with a deafening splash.
Blood spread across the flood like spilled paint.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Jackson nearly collapsed to his knees.
A broken cry escaped his throat as tears poured endlessly from his eyes.
Jessica caught him before he completely fell, and the two of them cried together while staring blankly at the crimson water where Michael had disappeared forever.
By every definition...
Luna looked like the villain.
Strangely enough...
She thought the role suited her perfectly.
"Well..."
She stood up from her chair.
"That was bloody."
She stretched lazily before glancing toward the workers.
"One heck of an introduction."
Her tone became cold again.
"When you’re done crying your eyes out, remember that work still needs to be done."
She pointed toward the unfinished construction.
"I want everything completed by tomorrow."
Jackson slowly raised his tear-filled eyes.
Hatred burned inside them.
"You know it’s impossible to finish all this in one day."
His voice shook with grief.
But Luna wasn’t interested in bargaining.
"You had your chance."
She stared directly at him.
"What did you do with it?"
"You insulted me."
"You tried to hijack my home."
"So now we play by my rules."
She crossed her arms.
"You work."
"I give you food."
"I give you money."
"But if you refuse..."
She smiled faintly.
"...there’ll be a gun pointed at your head."
Nobody doubted her anymore.
Not after what they had just witnessed.
Refusing wasn’t an option.
Running wasn’t an option either.
Death was the only reward waiting for anyone foolish enough to challenge her.
One after another, the workers silently returned inside.
Some continued crying.
Others avoided looking at Luna altogether.
Only Miles remained behind.
Unlike everyone else, he wasn’t mourning Michael.
Instead...
He simply stood there watching Luna.
There was an unusual curiosity in his eyes, almost as though he had become fascinated by her.
Captivated.
Luna knew he was staring.
She simply chose not to acknowledge him.
Instead, she lifted her eyes toward the endless floodwater that continued rising little by little.
The apocalypse had only just begun.
Soon...
Things would become far worse.
For now, she only needed to wait.
The government’s announcement should be coming soon.
She was honestly curious to hear what ridiculous excuse they would come up with this time.
Turning around, Luna entered the mansion before stepping into the elevator.
The ride toward the top floor was smooth and silent.
When the doors opened, she slowly looked around.
The interior had been furnished surprisingly well.
Most of the essential furniture had already been arranged neatly.
Still...
There was plenty left to finish.
The outer fence needed reinforcement.
The security doors had to be replaced.
The walls would require another layer of enhancement.
Most importantly...
She still had to construct the panic room.
That room would determine whether she lived or died once the real horrors arrived.
Unfortunately...
There was another problem.
She wasn’t entirely sure she would allow these workers to leave after everything was completed.
They had already seen the mansion.
If they escaped and announced to the world that this place was practically a safe zone...
Her peaceful life would disappear overnight.
Greedy people would flood this place faster than the rising water outside.
Thankfully...
She already had a second plan forming inside her mind.
For now...
Stockpiling remained her highest priority.
She was nowhere near finished.
Her storage space still looked painfully empty.
This apocalypse wasn’t something that would end in weeks.
It would last for years.
Perhaps decades.
If history repeated itself...
Very few people would survive until the end.
She had absolutely no intention of becoming one of the corpses.
"Damn it..."
She dropped herself onto the couch.
"I can’t do this alone."
"I seriously can’t."
She prepared herself a bowl of hot soup.
Not because Nicole couldn’t cook.
She simply didn’t trust her enough yet.
Nicole might deserve a little trust eventually...
But was Luna willing to gamble her life over it?
Absolutely not.
Outside, workers busily installed electrical wiring around the mansion while Luna monitored everything through the security cameras.
Taking her eyes off them would be incredibly foolish.
She refused to make that mistake.
Just then...
The television suddenly switched to a live news broadcast.
Thankfully, the power supplying her mansion was still functioning.
A woman wearing a professional suit appeared on the screen.
Although she tried to maintain a calm expression, the terror hidden in her eyes couldn’t be concealed.
"Good afternoon. This is Arise News, and we’re back with more updates. Authorities believe the current situation is gradually improving, and several emergency solutions are already being implemented."
Luna couldn’t stop herself from laughing.
Government officials really were useless.
The reporter continued.
"To ensure citizens remain safe, officials are being deployed across different regions. C-Rank officers have already begun responding. B-Rank and A-Rank teams are being mobilized as well. S-Rank officials will follow shortly."
She paused briefly.
"Unfortunately, there are currently no active SSS-Rank officials, but we assure everyone that every effort is being made to protect the public."
Luna’s expression slowly changed.
Something suddenly clicked inside her mind.
Back in her previous life...
She had always believed there were no rankings during the early days of the apocalypse.
Could she have been wrong?
Or perhaps...
She simply hadn’t known the truth.
She remembered four terrifying men.
The only four individuals who had eventually reached SSS Rank.
Each of them possessed strength capable of shaking entire battlefields.
Yet despite all that overwhelming power...
They still died during the final battle while fighting alongside her for humanity’s survival.
A dangerous idea slowly formed inside her head.
Then the familiar mechanical voice echoed inside her mind.
[Hello, Host. That’s actually an excellent idea.]
Luna blinked.
She didn’t quite understand what the system meant.
[The four men you’re thinking about are still only F-Class. They haven’t reached even one percent of their true potential.]
The system continued calmly.
[Without outside intervention, it would take them years to awaken completely.]
[However... with your Prosperity Affinity, you can greatly accelerate their growth.]
[Not only can you help them become stronger much faster, but under your guidance they may even surpass the limits they reached in your previous life.]
Luna slowly leaned back against the couch.
Now that...
That sounded like an investment worth making.
Those four men would become walking disasters in the future.
If she gathered them now, they could protect her while also helping her collect supplies before the world completely collapsed.
It was the perfect plan.
Only one problem remained.
How exactly was she supposed to find four ordinary F-Class nobodies...
In the middle of an apocalypse that had already thrown the entire world into chaos?