Chapter 184: Compensation

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Compensation

Everyone who had just woken up was instantly drawn to the sweet aroma of fresh soy milk wafting through the air. They hurriedly sped up their morning routines, eager to see what treats Luna Dawson had prepared this time.

When Francis Grant arrived, Luna opened the door. She graciously invited him inside, and the two sat down on the sofa.

Behind them in the dining room sat a lavish breakfast spread. Dressed in a modern Chinese-style cheongsam, Luna’s complexion was as radiant as peach blossoms, and her smile exuded an irresistible charm.

He stared at Luna, who was no longer wearing her mask, and froze. She had advanced to the next rank!

Francis’s night-long anxiety completely dissipated upon seeing Luna safe and sound. "Are the food conditions in your squad always like this?" he asked.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn’t you show a little concern for me first?"

Francis coughed lightly, looking a bit sheepish. "Well, seeing as you’re clearly safe and sound..."

"So you just came here to look at me?"

Luna shot him a glance. She had assumed he would bring some Crystal Cores as a token of encouragement or something. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Wait... was this freshly made?"

One look at the breakfast spread made it obvious that it couldn’t have been cooked in this minimalist kitchen. Yet, it was still emitting wisps of steam—it looked exactly like it had just been brought out from the stove!

Luna knew he would ask once he saw the dining room. At this point, there was no reason to hide it. Since he already knew her space was astonishingly massive, it wouldn’t hurt to let him know a little more. She looked up, meeting Francis’s gaze, and said casually, "I’ll lay my cards on the table. I’m just naturally gifted. Not only is my space massive, but it also has a stasis effect to preserve freshness."

"What?"

Francis was stunned. When Luna had told him her space was the size of an international football field, he had already thought her talent was unparalleled. Reaching the Third Rank was an unattainable peak for most people, yet now she was telling him her space could preserve freshness?

No wonder. The very first time he met Luna, she had given him fresh oranges.

It sounded like utter nonsense—completely unbelievable. But the world had already turned into a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Was anything truly impossible anymore?

Suddenly, a realization struck him. His pupils contracted slightly, and the gaze he fixed on Luna grew so intense it was as if he wanted to devour her. His eyes locked onto her like glue, refusing to waver for even a second. He was so visibly thrilled that his eyes had reddened with sheer excitement.

"How many unmutated fruits or crop seeds do you have?!"

"Very clever. As expected of Elder Grant’s son."

"...Are you mocking me?"

"Am I? I don’t think so. You’re being awfully sensitive, Colonel Grant."

Since Susan Vaughn had been successfully dealt with, establishing a minor partnership with the higher-ups of Kensington Base to bring humanity a shred of hope wasn’t a bad idea.

"What do you want?" Francis asked, cutting straight to the terms.

"Is there any other hard currency besides Crystal Cores?"

"Alright, I’ll go back and discuss it with my father. How many unmutated seeds can you provide?"

"That depends entirely on how many Crystal Cores you can offer me."

Luna narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of calculation flashing in her depths as her gaze fell squarely on Francis.

Upon hearing this, Francis’s already surging emotions hit their absolute peak. Two clusters of scorching flames practically ignited in his eyes. His gaze was so fiery it threatened to ignite the air, filled with undisguised urgency and sheer reverence.

Before Luna could say another word, Francis reached into his pocket and pulled out three Fourth-stage Crystal Cores radiating pure energy. Without giving her a chance to protest, he grabbed Luna’s hand and solemnly placed the three Crystal Cores onto her palm one by one. When his fingertips inadvertently brushed against hers, he subconsciously paused.

"This is everything I have on me." Francis’s voice was tight and uncontrollably hoarse, his gaze still glued to Luna’s face. "The evacuation of civilians in heavily zombie-infested areas isn’t finished yet, so we don’t dare carelessly expand the bombing zones. On top of that, most of the Crystal Cores have to be supplied to the Superpower Special Operations Team. This is all that was allocated to me."

Luna looked down at the three plump Fourth-stage Crystal Cores in her palm, gently tracing their cool, smooth surfaces with her fingertips. A satisfied glint flashed in her eyes. When she looked back up at Francis, her expression had softened considerably.

With a flick of her will, three bulging burlap sacks abruptly appeared on the floor, filled with Wendan pomelos, Shatian pomelos, and Sanhong pomelos.

"You can keep these for yourself, or distribute them to your men." Luna’s lips curled upward, her eyes curving into happy crescents. "Once we’re back at the base, I’ll bring you some seeds and saplings. I heard from that kid from the Kessler Family that the base’s Academy of Agricultural Sciences is researching mutated red pomelos. Hopefully, these will be of some help to the base."

She spoke with a casual tone, her fingertips still lightly stroking the Crystal Cores. She had so many fruits and vegetables in her space that she regularly fed the excess to her livestock. They weren’t worth anything to her—literally nothing.

A blindingly bright light flashed across Francis’s eyes, his heart giving a fierce thump at the unexpected surprise.

It had been nearly five months since the apocalypse descended. The base’s fruit supplies were already on the verge of total depletion, with only five or six extremely resilient varieties barely keeping everyone afloat. To make matters worse, over ninety percent of all flora and fauna in the post-apocalyptic world harbored lethal toxins. Even initially safe ingredients would rapidly mutate if stored improperly and exposed to residual moisture in the air.

They would become completely inedible. But Luna was different. She could pull out a fresh variety of pomelos from her space. Who knew how many more surprises she had hidden away?

A surge of pure ecstasy coursed through his veins. Francis immediately pressed the earpiece in his ear, his voice ringing with unquestionable authority. "Contact the nearest Space Superpower User and have them report to the Sunset Squad’s villa! Execute immediately!"

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

A sudden series of knocks at the door interrupted them, and the two on the sofa exchanged a glance.

By this time, the rest of the squad members had emerged from their rooms and sat down at the dining table. Kevin Keane glared at the front door with resentment before casting a look of utter disgust at Francis on the sofa. What a restless morning.

"You guys eat first. Make sure to drink the soy milk—I ground it fresh this morning," Luna called out to the dining room. Knowing everyone was exhausted from being up all night, she went to open the door herself.

As expected, it was Kyle Keith. Luna didn’t let him inside. Instead, she plastered on a professional smile. "Captain Kessler, is there something you need?"

Kyle stared blankly at Luna, who appeared even more radiant than before. His eyes were wide with shock. He had guessed that she would be rescued, but he never imagined she would look this rejuvenated. Even more alarming, he could no longer sense her power rank!

She had advanced to the next rank!

Kyle stared at her, completely dumbfounded!

What terrifying superpower potential she had! If this woman’s superpowers could somehow be replicated, it would astronomically boost the human faction’s overall combat strength!

Kyle blinked his long eyelashes, staring earnestly at Luna. "What do I need to do for you to forget about last night? I hope we can still be friends moving forward."

Luna glanced back inside the house before flashing him a brilliant smile. "Hmm... my one flaw is that I have a really good memory."

Kyle regained his usual composure, that insufferably fake smile plastered back on his face. "This is my apology gift. I am truly sorry. It was my negligence that gave those pieces of trash the opportunity to hurt you."

He handed Luna a delicate little box.

Luna accepted it without hesitation. She could already sense what was inside: a Fourth-stage Crystal Core.

"Very well. I accept your apology."

Luna didn’t waste any more words and gave a satisfied nod. After all, there was no reason to hold a grudge against a free Crystal Core.

A few seconds passed...