Chapter 189: Borrowing Flesh

Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Borrowing Flesh

Patrick Pence was thoroughly confused. Who was Captain Dawson? Had he missed some crucial piece of information just now?

"Wait, what Captain Dawson?" he asked.

"She’s the captain of the Sunset Squad!" Morgan Dean visibly stiffened. He shot Patrick a look of sheer disbelief, as if wondering how he could possibly not know. By the time he turned back to Luna Dawson, his face had morphed into a mask of extreme politeness.

Patrick froze, his eyes widening into saucers.

This was the captain of the Sunset Squad? The one who had single-handedly taken down two Tier Four Zombies back-to-back?

Even though she was bundled up so tightly that only her eyes were visible, she was clearly just a young girl!

"Huh?! Th-this is unbelievable!" Patrick exclaimed.

Luna sighed, a hint of impatience in her voice. "Does who I am affect my dog making friends?"

"Of course not!" Nancy Sullivan chimed in on Luna’s behalf, shooting Morgan a fierce glare.

Morgan looked a bit awkward. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Captain Dawson, hello, hello. I’m Morgan Dean. Your Rollo looks so full of spirit. Does he usually eat Aberrant Beast meat?"

Luna raised an eyebrow, her tone frosty. "What he eats is none of your business."

Morgan choked on his words but forced himself to continue. "Actually... I was wondering if I could borrow some Aberrant Beast meat from you all. Cola is sick and tired of eating dog food every day. With your incredible strength, you surely aren’t lacking in meat. If you have any extra, I can trade dog food for it!"

Luna glanced at Cola, who was standing a short distance away. While the military dogs had been eating earlier, Cola hadn’t touched his dog food. Right now, he was staring eagerly at Morgan, yet too intimidated by the larger dogs nearby to do anything but stand far back.

Luna sneered. The dog wasn’t "sick and tired" of its food; Morgan was clearly just trying to score a cheap handout.

Morgan was busy doing his own mental calculus. The Sunset Squad was so powerful that they probably had more Aberrant Beast meat than they could ever finish. Plus, they were fellow pet owners, and Luna was just a young girl—she would definitely be soft-hearted.

He figured if he asked to borrow a little, they wouldn’t refuse.

Even if he only managed to mooch a tiny bit, it would be enough to tide Cola over, and it would save him some precious dog food.

"We don’t have any," Luna flatly denied without a second thought. "My Rollo doesn’t eat Aberrant Beast meat either."

Nancy joined in, her tone dripping with mockery. "Morgan, you have plenty of dog food stuffed in your backpack, don’t you? I distribute the daily rations to you myself. A lot of survivors right now don’t even have dog food to eat, and I’ve seen with my own eyes that the amount you feed Cola every day doesn’t even meet the standard requirement."

"Why is it that the meat the military dogs hunt can be shared with Tina, but Cola doesn’t get a single bite? Are you looking down on my dog?" Morgan retorted, his face darkening as his true intentions were exposed.

Patrick, still reeling from the revelation that Luna was the squad captain, was caught off guard by the sudden accusation. "Nancy trades her own supplies for it," he answered, completely bewildered. "She doesn’t just ask for it for free."

Nancy flared up instantly, her voice rising an octave. "Every single bite of meat my Tina eats is traded for with my own supplies from Pax, Shadow, and the others! Unlike some people who only want to freeload!"

Morgan, however, refused to drop it. "Then why do your dogs get three kilograms of dog food while mine only gets two? You won’t even let me trade dog food for meat. Aren’t you being a bit too much of a bully?"

His tone was utterly self-righteous, acting as if their refusal to lend him meat was a grave injustice.

Patrick sighed helplessly, trying his best to explain with patience. "The military dogs are decorated animals. They’ve earned military merit and saved countless lives in the past, which is why the base gives them preferential treatment. It’s not a matter of bullying; it’s what they deserve."

After being rejected by Luna, Nancy, and Patrick in quick succession, Morgan’s expression turned exceedingly ugly.

He had originally planned to underfeed Cola to save some dog food for the future, knowing that missions offering free meals were rare.

He hadn’t expected these people to be so petty. Cola was a small dog; just a little bit of meat would have been enough. They possessed such formidable superpowers, yet they were acting so stingy!

Fuming, he climbed onto the military truck, dragged out his backpack, and pulled out the government-issued dog food. He carefully weighed the bag in his hands before pouring out a meager portion into a small bowl. Luna couldn’t help but shake her head as she watched; it wasn’t even half a pound.

Cola had been starving for a while. Seeing the food, the little dog instantly grew excited, bouncing around Morgan’s ankles and letting out two anxious WOOFs, urging its owner to set the bowl down.

Seeing the dog’s pitiful state, Luna couldn’t hold back a word of advice. "The appetite of a mutated dog increases. The daily ration provided by the base is enough for Cola to eat his fill. It’s best you let him eat enough. If you encounter danger, he’ll actually have the strength to protect you."

Morgan’s expression soured even further upon hearing this. "Of course Captain Dawson doesn’t lack food," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Unlike me, a mere Tier One Wood-type Superpower User. I can’t compare to you, having male teammates constantly surrounding and protecting you. I’m all on my own, so I have to budget every little thing. Better to be hungry than starve to death, right?"

Luna almost laughed out loud at his sheer audacity, rolling her eyes hard.

Give him an inch and he’d take a mile. If she agreed this time, wouldn’t he just come back asking for more later?

If everyone in the base acted like him, just waiting around for handouts, who would ever be willing to go out and risk their lives?

"A filthy mind sees filth in everything," Luna retorted. "Your dog looks so pathetic—it must take after its owner."

Nancy was equally furious and couldn’t help firing back. "If you can’t afford to live, then don’t! Even if you let this dog wander as a stray, it would be better off than suffering alongside you!"

"Wipe that smug look off your face, Nancy!" Morgan snapped, his eyes bloodshot. "Aren’t you just relying on your brother’s protection? Doesn’t your brother have to go out and kill zombies to earn supplies? What right do you have to lecture me? Women have it so easy—when you get scared, you just hide in a man’s arms! Unlike us men, who have to rely on ourselves for everything! If you don’t want to lend me anything, fine, but there’s no need for your snide remarks!"

Patrick stared at the utterly unreasonable Morgan, his gaze turning icy, and said in a low, stern voice, "Food isn’t something you save up; it’s something you earn.

"If you’re a real man, then properly train yourself and Cola’s superpowers, and rely on your own abilities to find food.

"Cola actually has a Wind Ability, and Captain Dawson’s Rollo also possesses a Wind Ability. You should be cherishing this opportunity to hone those skills instead of acting like a rogue."

Morgan was left speechless but remained visibly defiant. He deliberately placed the dog food bowl on the edge of the military truck and began slowly packing his backpack, completely ignoring Cola’s frantic, headache-inducing barking on the ground.

Luna checked the sky. Night had completely fallen. Her family had probably finished getting everything ready and was waiting for her to return for dinner.

She turned to Nancy and Patrick, giving them a few instructions to keep a close eye on Morgan and ensure he didn’t pull any more stunts. After that, she turned and left with Rollo.

After dinner, Luna assigned Little Sweet Potato and Purple Bean to keep watch. The two of them had already slept for over ten hours inside her spatial dimension and were fully rested.

Nowadays, as long as she was outside the base, Luna never dared to relax her guard or underestimate her surroundings.