Apocalypse Supermarket: My Four Overpowered Husbands Wontstop Hoarding

Chapter 77: Chapter 77 Death game I

Back at the iron elevator, the battle continued. Astrid was the first of the three to finally reach the top. The moment his hands touched solid ground, he dragged himself forward and collapsed onto his stomach. His face was completely pale with panic, while his purple hair was drenched with sweat and stuck to his forehead. For several seconds, he simply lay there, trying to catch his breath. Then he looked back.

Isaac and Melanie were still struggling to climb. The iron structure dangled dangerously over the mountain, shaking violently every time the abomination below struck it with its massive body. BOOM! The entire structure trembled. Astrid’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

"Hold on!" Astrid scrambled to his feet, his voice desperate. "Both of you, hold on! Let me find something I can use to pull you up!" He immediately began looking around. That was when he finally got a proper look at the place they had somehow reached. It was a huge mansion. The building stood proudly on the mountain, surrounded by a massive fence and what appeared to be a transparent shield covering the entire property.

Astrid stared in disbelief. "What the hell..." It looked like someone had built a fortress here. The fence surrounding the mansion was electric, and several sections had already been damaged. He noticed pieces of metal scattered across the ground—the remains of the helicopters. One must have crashed directly into the fence, triggering an explosion that destroyed part of the barrier. Burnt pieces of metal littered the ground. There were also charred remains of people among the wreckage.

Astrid swallowed. There was no obvious threat nearby. At least, not one he could see. Still, he remained cautious. His body was exhausted, and his ability needed at least twenty-four hours before he could properly recover. He couldn’t afford to get careless.

"Goddammit, Astrid!" Melanie’s scream snapped him out of his thoughts. "What are you doing up there?!" Her voice trembled. "I can’t fucking hold on anymore!"

Astrid looked down. Melanie’s fingers were slipping. They had climbed too high for anyone to survive the fall. The monster didn’t even need to catch them. If they fell from that height, their bodies would be crushed against the mountain.

"I’ll find something!" Astrid frantically searched the area. Then his foot stepped on something. Click. He froze. A strange sound had come from beneath him. "What was that?" Before he could move, the ground suddenly opened. Astrid jumped back. A section of the floor split apart, revealing a series of hidden mechanisms beneath it. Then heat blasted upward.

"AH!" Astrid jumped, his voice filled with shock. "What the hell?!" The ground beneath him became scorching hot. It was as though he had stepped onto a gigantic oven. The temperature continued rising. Astrid hopped backward, grabbing his burning foot. "Ow! That hurt!" Sweat immediately covered his face. He didn’t understand what was happening. The temperature was increasing rapidly, and he could feel the soles of his shoes beginning to heat up. "What kind of insane house is this?"

He forced himself to ignore it. There was no time to worry about the ground. His friends were still hanging from the elevator. Then Astrid spotted something—a hose mounted along the side of the mountain near the porch. His eyes brightened. "Perfect!" He rushed toward it. The hose was long enough. If he could secure one end to something sturdy, he could lower the other end to his friends.

Astrid grabbed it and began pulling. His legs were already burning from the heated ground, but he ignored the pain. He dragged the hose toward a large pillar near the center of the mansion’s foundation. This one looked much stronger than the surrounding structures. Astrid wrapped the hose around it several times. He pulled as hard as he could. It didn’t move. "Good." He tightened it one more time. Then he looked down.

Isaac was almost at the top. Melanie, however, was struggling badly. Her breathing had become harsh. She looked down and immediately froze. The distance between her and the ground was enormous. Her fingers trembled.

"I can’t do this," Melanie whispered, her voice cracking.

Isaac looked at her. "Melanie."

"I can’t breathe," she said, her voice breaking. "I can’t look down."

Isaac reached toward her. "Don’t look down."

"I can’t make it."

"Yes, you can." Isaac’s voice remained firm. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

Melanie shook her head.

"We’ve been through worse together," Isaac said, smiling despite his exhaustion. "We’re not dying here." He stretched his hand toward her. "Take my hand. I’ll help you."

Melanie hesitated.

"I’ll drag you up if I have to," Isaac continued, his grip tightening around the iron. "I won’t let you die." His expression became serious. "Not here. Not in this life."

Melanie’s eyes became watery.

Isaac continued, "So stop thinking about dying and keep climbing."

She swallowed. "Isaac..."

"For me," he said, his voice softening. "Keep going. You have to live." Melanie stared at him. "You can’t let them steal your life from you."

She took a shaky breath.

Then—THUMP. Something landed above them. Astrid had thrown the hose down.

"Grab it!" Astrid shouted from above. Both of them looked up. "I secured it to the pillar! I’ll pull you up! Hurry!"

The iron structure shook again. The creature had struck it. The metal groaned.

"Come on! It’s getting worse!" Astrid’s voice was frantic.

Isaac grabbed the hose. Then he pushed it toward Melanie. "Take it."

She shook her head. "What about you?"

"I’ll come after you."

"No."

"Melanie." Isaac stared at her. "Take it." He forced the hose into her hands. "I’ll wait here for it to come back."

Melanie’s eyes filled with tears. She didn’t want to leave him. She didn’t want anyone risking their life for her. But Isaac refused to move.

"Go," he said firmly.

Melanie finally nodded. She grabbed the hose tightly. Astrid began pulling.

"Come on!" Astrid shouted, his voice strained. The hose stretched. Astrid planted both feet firmly against the heated ground. His shoes were already becoming uncomfortable, but he ignored it. He pulled again. And again. Melanie slowly climbed upward.

"That’s it!" Astrid encouraged her. "Keep going!" The hose moved another few inches. Melanie’s fingers were burning from the friction. But she refused to let go. Finally—her hand reached the edge. Astrid grabbed her wrist.

"Got you!" He pulled with everything he had. Melanie rolled onto the ground.

For a moment, she simply lay there. Then she noticed something. "Why is the ground so hot?" She pushed herself up. "What the hell is this?"

Astrid didn’t answer. He was already throwing the hose back down.

"My turn!" Isaac shouted from below.

Isaac grabbed it. Astrid pulled. Isaac climbed. But there was one problem. His hands were badly wounded. His palms had been scraped raw from the metal. Blood covered his fingers. Every time he gripped the hose, his skin tore further. Still, he continued.

"Come on, Isaac!" Astrid shouted. "You’re almost here!"

Isaac pulled himself higher. Melanie crawled toward the edge. "Just keep going!"

The three of them were exhausted. They had barely escaped the creatures. They had been fighting for hours. Their abilities were nearly depleted. Yet they continued. Isaac finally reached the last section. His eyes were closing. His breathing had become shallow.

"Isaac!" Melanie grabbed Astrid’s arm. "He’s losing strength!"

"I know!" Astrid pulled harder. "Come on!"

Isaac’s fingers slipped.

"Don’t!" Astrid screamed. "You can’t let go now!"

Isaac’s vision blurred. He could barely hear them. Then—CRACK. The iron structure made a terrible sound. Everyone froze.

Melanie slowly looked down. Her eyes widened. The creature was back. It had somehow reached them. The enormous abomination slammed its body against the iron elevator. BOOM! Isaac lost his grip.

"No!" Melanie screamed.

Isaac fell. There was no scream from him. He simply dropped. Melanie’s face went white.

"ISAAC!" She rushed forward. But before Isaac could hit the ground, something happened. Melanie’s power erupted. She slammed both feet against the ground. The mountain shook. A deep crack tore through the stone. The edge of the mountain expanded outward, forming a massive rocky platform beneath Isaac. He landed on it.

Melanie gasped. Then her expression changed. "Shit..."

Astrid stared at her. "Melanie, what did you just do?"

She didn’t answer. She knew exactly what had happened. Her powers had attracted attention. They were top-tier awakened. The creatures could sense their energy. And after everything they had already endured, she had just released another massive burst of power.

A growl echoed from the left. Then another. Melanie’s face paled. "They found us."

Astrid looked around. Several shadows were moving through the distance. The creatures had followed the energy. Melanie staggered. Her body was trembling. Using that much power after everything she had already spent had pushed her to the limit. Her essence was almost completely drained. If she continued forcing her abilities, her body could collapse. She could become completely paralyzed. And then she would be helpless.

Melanie stumbled backward. "Astrid..."

He grabbed her. "Stay with me."

Her knees suddenly gave out. She collapsed. But the moment her hands touched the ground, she screamed. "AHHH!" The ground was burning hot. She scrambled backward. "What is this?!" Her skin was already reddening from the heat.

Astrid looked around frantically. "Move!"

"I can’t!" Melanie tried to crawl away. The heat continued rising. The trap had been activated. The ground around the mansion had become a giant furnace. Melanie screamed again. Her skin began blistering from the intense heat. Astrid grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away.

"Get up!" he shouted.

"I can’t!" she cried.

"Melanie!"

"I can’t move!" Her voice broke.