Chapter 163: Energy Perception, Conflict

Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Energy Perception, Conflict

After seeing his profile, Seraphina Sullivan watched Drake Hayes walk away with a hurried pace. He seemed to have a clear destination, so she immediately suppressed her shock and quietly followed.

After passing through several crowded corridors, the view suddenly opened up to a trading plaza covered by a massive dome.

In the apocalypse, survival is the only law.

The plaza was bustling with people. Men, women, and even adolescents—all of them were armed, their eyes a mixture of vigilance and the desperate will to survive.

Stalls were scattered about in disarray, displaying all sorts of items.

There was jerky, filtered water, ammunition of all calibers, and worn-out weapon parts. There were also bizarre, unidentifiable ores and plants, and even dubiously sourced concoctions labeled "low risk."

Although Seraphina Sullivan was curious about the items on display, her interest was fleeting. Her gaze remained locked on Drake Hayes.

She watched him walk toward a relatively secluded corner of the plaza, where five or six people were already waiting.

They were all well-equipped and had solemn expressions, their bearing completely different from the ordinary refugees struggling for survival.

They were clearly members of the Shelter’s elite or a permanent team.

Moreover, when Seraphina Sullivan used her Eye of Resume, she discovered they were all Genetic Modifiers.

Using the crowd for cover, Seraphina Sullivan crept closer, stopping just within earshot of their conversation.

She heard Drake Hayes lower his voice and say to the others, "I just received confirmed intel from outside. The number of smaller Shelters and wilderness outposts destroyed by monsters has far surpassed previous records. The situation is grim. From the looks of it, the ’Black Night Tide’ is really coming, and..."

He paused, his tone growing heavier. "The scale and danger this time may be more terrifying than any we have on record.

"You all know that while past tides have had their omens, we’ve never seen dozens of Shelters get wiped out in a matter of days! We have to accelerate our preparations. We can’t just stick to standard defensive protocols."

His words confirmed Seraphina Sullivan’s earlier suspicions, and her heart sank.

Even these seemingly powerful elites among the Native People were on high alert, going so far as to describe the coming crisis as "terrifying." It seemed the threat of the "Black Night Tide" was far greater than she had imagined.

Drake Hayes’s words made everyone’s expression grow even more grim.

However, just as he finished speaking, a slim man in the group with remarkably sharp eyes chimed in:

"Captain Hayes, I understand your concerns. But you know my Ability,"

He pointed to himself. "Lately, I’ve sensed many new faces inside the Shelter with powerful Energy signatures, on par with trained Genetic Modifiers.

"I suspect they might be Genetic Warriors who’ve fled from other destroyed Shelters, or perhaps even powerful lone wolves.

"If we can find a way to organize them and forge them into a unified force against the Black Night Tide, our odds of survival will definitely improve."

Seraphina Sullivan glanced toward the speaker, and her [Eye of Resume] instantly read his information:

[Name: Jason Young]

[Gender: Male]

[Professional Skills·Genetic Transformation·Energy Perception: Can perceive ambient danger levels and roughly determine the strength and nature of a living organism’s Energy.]

[Weaknesses: Trypophobia.]

Seeing the words "Energy Perception," Seraphina Sullivan’s heart tightened, and she instinctively held her breath.

She was terrified he had already sensed her, a Player whose Energy was so different from that of an ordinary person, and exposed her location.

’Damn it, sensory Abilities like this are the most troublesome...’

But the thought had barely formed when she remembered something.

She raised her hand and touched the seemingly plain [Transformation Ring] on her index finger.

Not only could the item alter her appearance, but one of its hidden effects was [Aura Transformation]. It could distort and blur the Energy fluctuations and Aura she emitted, making it easier for her to blend into her surroundings and harder for detection methods to lock on to her.

’Good thing I was prepared.’ Seraphina Sullivan felt a flicker of relief but remained on high alert, not daring to get any closer.

After listening to Jason Young, Drake Hayes mulled it over for a moment and nodded. "You have a point. If we could harness that power, it would be a huge asset. But,"

His tone shifted, becoming cautionary. "These people are of unknown origin. It’s a motley crew, and we can’t guarantee there aren’t malicious individuals mixed in.

"In this critical period before the Black Night Tide, internal stability within the Shelter is paramount.

"Jason Young, your reconnaissance team’s top priority is to keep a close watch on the outer perimeter. Make sure nothing goes wrong!"

Jason Young straightened up, his expression serious. "Understood! Protecting the Fireseed Shelter is our duty!"

However, the instant Jason Young finished speaking—

BOOM!

A muffled yet distinctly clear explosion echoed from the other side of the plaza!

Immediately after, a dazzling ball of fire shot into the sky, accompanied by the crowd’s terrified screams:

"AHHH—!"

"What’s happening?!"

"Fire! Run!"

The sudden commotion drew Seraphina Sullivan’s attention, and she turned her head to look.

Near a distant stall, orange-red flames leaped up as if alive. Yet, they were bizarrely contained, refusing to spread. The signs of control were obvious.

The color of the flames, the way they burned... Seraphina Sullivan’s brow furrowed instantly, a terrible premonition rising in her heart.

’Hm? These flames... why do they look so much like the ones from Coco Sullivan’s Magic Flames?’

...

「Elsewhere, a few minutes earlier.」

After entering the Shelter’s outer perimeter, Coco Sullivan and Dustin Sullivan had also split up as planned, hoping to cover more ground and gather more information.

However, Coco Sullivan never imagined that shortly after setting off on her own, here in a doomsday Shelter within the Doomsday Game, she would run into her brother Dustin Sullivan’s arch-nemesis from the real world.

A man wearing a black eyepatch, his left arm completely replaced by a silver-gray mechanical prosthesis from the shoulder down, blocked her path with his henchman, Blondie.

A nearly extinguished cigarette dangled from the man’s lips, and a strange light glinted in his one good eye.

"Well, well, look who it is. If it isn’t Mr. Sullivan’s precious baby sister, Coco Sullivan!"

Julian Shaw blew out a smoke ring, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It’s a small world. Never thought I’d run into you in this godforsaken place."

Coco Sullivan’s heart skipped a beat. ’This is bad,’ she thought. ’Julian Shaw? What’s he doing in this instance?’