Chapter 44: News of the Fruit, Turning Back

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: News of the Fruit, Turning Back

"Phew..." Seraphina Sullivan let out a long breath, trying to calm her roiling emotions.

However, when she turned around, she felt the atmosphere suddenly grow tense.

Cheryl Chase, the scarred man, and the youth holding the unconscious Vivi all had their eyes locked on her.

"Who in the world are you?" Cheryl Chase’s voice broke the silence. Her eyes held an incredibly complex mix of emotions; she was utterly baffled.

She gripped her Mantis Scythe, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"At first, seeing how clean your clothes were, I thought you were one of those damned researchers from the Shelter... but now..."

She took a deep breath, her voice laced with suspicion. "That Ability you just used! You made the Decaying Flower and Vivi fall asleep instantly! That’s not a Power you get just from eating some special fruit! That’s a Special Ability that only... only Insect Speakers have!"

’Of course I’m not a normal person. I’m a Player,’ Seraphina Sullivan thought. ’But I can’t tell them that.’

Seraphina felt she had just gotten herself into some serious trouble.

The youth next to the scarred man, who had been silent all this time, suddenly snapped his head up. His eyes burned with bone-deep hatred and madness.

He pointed at Seraphina Sullivan and roared, his voice hoarse, "Who else could she be?! She’s a bug in human skin! A spy sent by the Insect Speakers! They’re masters of Disguise, pretending to be harmless! She wants to infiltrate our group, find our refuge, and destroy it! Destroy our last home! She wants us all dead!"

The man’s emotions were completely out of control.

His entire family had been killed in an attack by the Insect Speakers. Now, it was as if he were pouring all the pain of his loss and all his fear of them onto Seraphina Sullivan.

Seraphina Sullivan: "???"

Seraphina found it laughable.

"No," Seraphina’s voice grew cold. "If I really wanted you dead, I could have just stood by and watched. Your friend Vivi would’ve been flower food by now. And while we were escaping, I could have used my Ability to knock you all out and leave you for the swarm to feast on! Why would I go to all that trouble?"

Finished speaking, Seraphina’s gaze swept over the emotional youth, followed by a curse: "Dumbass!"

The youth: "..."

’All I wanted was to find some Native People who knew the area,’ Seraphina thought, ’get some intel, and avoid running around like a headless chicken in this instance.’

’I’ve gotten some intel now, but this group’s paranoia, fear, and latent madness make them a more volatile bomb than any insect.’

’In the apocalypse, a breakdown of humanity is the norm.’

Seraphina had no doubt that once the pressure reached a tipping point, the young man blinded by hatred, or even the others, would do something completely insane.

She had no desire to leave her back exposed to people like that.

"Whatever. I saved your teammate’s life, and that’s a fact."

Her gaze shifted to the unconscious Vivi. "But I didn’t save his life for free."

She looked at Cheryl Chase. "I saved his life. Now I want my payment. Tell me, where can I find a ’Power Apple’? Or any information on fruits with similar special Effects. In exchange, we’ll be even. I’ll leave immediately, and you won’t have to worry that I’m a threat to you."

"What do you mean by that?!" The youth who had been hostile toward Seraphina Sullivan rushed in front of her.

"You’re trying to take something from us?! You really are up to no good! Cheryl, don’t trust her! She’s just trying to trick you into revealing the secret location where we find Enhancing Fruit!"

The eyes visible above Seraphina’s mask were filled with unconcealed mockery. "Oh? So you’re not afraid I’m an Insect Speaker anymore? Daring to get this close? Aren’t you afraid I might suddenly ’snap’ and kill you?" Her voice wasn’t loud, yet it pierced the young man’s ears like an ice pick.

The youth was left speechless by her icy glare and words. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his seething rage.

The youth: "You..."

He instinctively took a step back, his face turning deathly pale. His lips trembled, but he couldn’t utter a single word.

Ignoring the clueless young man, Seraphina turned to Cheryl Chase, who was clearly the one in charge.

Cheryl Chase took a deep breath.

’Seraphina is right,’ she thought. ’It’s a fact that she saved Vivi’s life.’

’And having this "unstable element" leave might not be a bad thing for the team’s safety.’

"I can tell you, but that place is very dangerous." Cheryl hesitated, her fingers unconsciously stroking the handle of her Mantis Scythe.

Seraphina waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t worry, that’s not your problem."

Cheryl was at a loss for words. Gritting her teeth, she finally made her decision. "You were almost there yourself. It’s that area occupied by the giant spiders, the garden on the west side of the city. There’s a Power Apple Tree there, right in the center. But it’s guarded by a terrifying Giant Spider Queen now. It’ll be hard for you to get any."

Cheryl had actually been looking for a chance to go back and get a few Power Apples for her teammates, but she never expected to run into Seraphina.

"Alright, I got it." Seraphina nodded, her gaze already drifting toward the distant skyline as she clearly began planning her next move.

Just then, Vivi, who was lying on the ground, let out a weak groan, his eyelids fluttering.

The others immediately rushed over, all talking at once as they asked about his condition.

"I... what happened to me?" Vivi’s voice was hoarse as he weakly opened his eyes. "I remember being tangled up by the Decaying Flower, and then..."

"It’s okay now. It’s all over," Cheryl said, squatting down to pat his shoulder gently.

While everyone’s attention was focused on the injured man, Seraphina quietly retreated to the edge of the rooftop.

She gave the group one last look.

There were no goodbyes, nor was there any need for them. This had just been a brief, mutually beneficial encounter.

By the time Cheryl finally remembered something and whipped her head around, the slender figure was already gone from the rooftop.

All that remained was the night wind, swirling up dust, and a faint red glow in the distance.

Cheryl stood stunned for a moment, a strange, indefinable sense of loss suddenly welling up inside her.

But soon, Vivi’s cough pulled her back to reality.

She shook her head, pushing the mysterious woman to the back of her mind. ’In this apocalyptic world, just being able to protect the companions you have is a great blessing.’

Meanwhile, Seraphina was rapidly backtracking the way she had come.

Along the way, the signs of the Aberrant Beetle swarm’s rampage were horrifying to behold.

Everything was in ruins.

But there was one benefit to the swarm’s passing: not a single living insect could be seen in its wake.

All living creatures had either been devoured or had fled long ago.

This made Seraphina’s return journey exceptionally smooth, as she didn’t have to be constantly on guard for sudden attacks.

Soon, the spine-chilling spider territory came into view once more.

From a distance, countless silver-white threads wove together under the blood-red sky, forming a colossal web that blotted out the sun and trembled gently in the breeze.

Countless giant spiders crawled across the web, their purplish-black carapaces shining with an eerie luster under the red light.