Elara looked at Alan's pathetic state, as if he were about to starve to death any second, and felt a wave of speechlessness. She pulled out an individually wrapped compressed biscuit from her tactical backpack and handed it over.
"Here, this should hold you over."
As she passed him the biscuit, Elara's gaze involuntarily fell on Alan's "national treasure" level dark circles. She couldn't help but stare for a moment, marveling to herself: How can someone actually have such exaggerated dark circles… It's almost like smoky eye makeup, truly amazing.
When Alan saw the compressed biscuit, his eyes instantly lit up, shining with a brilliance more intense than if he were seeing his own parents. He snatched the biscuit, tore open the packaging with trembling hands, and then began to devour it in large, impatient bites, as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. He ate so quickly that he started choking on the dry biscuit, his eyes rolling back, yet his face was still contorted in an expression of blissful ecstasy.
"Mmm... so good... Where... where did this come from?" Alan asked indistinctly as he chewed, tears of gratitude even welling up in his eyes. His thin fingers clutched the small compressed biscuit tightly, as if terrified someone would snatch it away, the veins on the back of his hand standing out from the force of his grip.
"Uh..." Watching Alan's over-the-top reaction, Elara hesitated for a moment before answering with some uncertainty, "I think… I bought it at Louis Grand Mart?"
Louis Grand Mart was S-City's most famous high-end, members-only supermarket before the apocalypse. Most of its goods were imported and expensive. In the current situation, let alone "buying" anything, the place had likely been picked clean by other survivors, down to the very shelves. Elara's supplies, of course, were something she had stockpiled in advance after her rebirth, using her foreknowledge.
Alan obviously realized this too. Hearing the name "Louis Grand Mart," his chewing slowed, and the blissful expression on his face collapsed.
"Alright, this isn't the time to be dejected," Zephyr's cold, hard voice cut in, breaking up their slightly melancholic conversation. "Go and gather what you consider to be the most important research data or experimental materials. We need to evacuate this place as soon as possible."
He glanced at the group of scholars, who all looked like they couldn't even truss a chicken, and added in a tone that brooked no argument, "Move quickly. Don't miss anything important. Although the Zombie King is dead and the undead outside have resumed their aimless wandering, there are still a lot of them. We can't stay here for long."
Given their orders, the researchers immediately snapped out of their post-survival daze and sprang into action. Some rushed to their lab stations, carefully packing refrigerated boxes containing special samples. Others ran to computers, their fingers flying across the keyboards as they copied important research data onto portable hard drives. Still others began to sort through thick stacks of paper research reports and manuscripts.
In an instant, the entire laboratory became a hive of busy, organized activity.
Seeing this, Amily, Seraph, and the others proactively stepped forward to help, assisting the scholars by carrying some of the less delicate but heavy boxes and equipment. The entire team was making a final push in preparation for the imminent evacuation.
After Alan wolfed down the compressed biscuit and "extorted" a small bottle of water from Elara, the researchers finally finished packing up the data and samples they considered "more important than their own lives."
The journey back was much smoother than the journey in.
Perhaps it was because the Zombie King had been eliminated, and without a unified command, the remaining undead in the institute had reverted to their slow-moving, fight-for-themselves state. More importantly, through today's high-intensity battle, Vespera's ability seemed to have undergone a very significant growth and… some kind of qualitative leap.
After a short rest in the lab to recover some of her mental energy, Vespera found that she could now control the ordinary undead they encountered on the road with great ease. It was no longer like before, where she could only barely influence their movements. Now, she could command them completely, like a puppeteer pulling strings. She could even control several undead at once, having them clear a path ahead or deliberately attract the attention of others of their kind, carving out a safe passage for the group.
With Vespera as their "human undead navigation system," coupled with Elara's powerful perception and the formidable combat strength of Zephyr and Cassian, their return trip was virtually unimpeded.
The SUV and the truck drove steadily along the empty streets. As he drove, Zephyr continuously fiddled with the vehicle's military-grade communication equipment, attempting to send signals to some unknown central command while also constantly scanning for any possible radio frequencies, hoping to contact the "late" support team. But the communicator only ever returned a frustrating static hiss.
Inside the vehicle, the group briefly discussed their next steps. Considering Elara's villa had more complete defense systems, and its two mutated plants already possessed initial combat capabilities that could effectively defend against sneak attacks from higher-level undead or other mutated creatures, they all agreed to temporarily house the rescued researchers and the important materials at Elara's villa. At the same time, Cassian also decided to move some of the important supplies and equipment from his own base over for resource consolidation.
After all, their newly formed "elite squad" had already demonstrated powerful combat effectiveness, more than enough to handle ordinary undead. Huddling together for warmth and concentrating their superior resources was clearly the optimal choice for now.
However, just as the convoy was approaching Elara's villa, Vespera, who had been sitting quietly in Amily's lap, suddenly showed signs of distress.
Her small face turned beet red, and her body began to feel feverish. She lay listlessly in Amily's arms, her little brow furrowed tightly, as if she were enduring great pain.
"Vespera... what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Amily anxiously stroked her daughter's burning forehead, her voice filled with worry and helplessness. She didn't understand abilities; all she knew was that her daughter was suffering from some kind of pain she couldn't comprehend. She instinctively looked up, her gaze pleading and hopeful, towards the person she trusted most in the group: Elara.
When Elara met Amily's pleading eyes, her own heart, paradoxically, settled.
She looked at Vespera, who was dazed with fever, and at the black, web-like lines under her sleeve, which were sometimes visible and seemed a little clearer than before. The bold speculation in her mind grew even more distinct.
These symptoms… were remarkably similar to what she had heard in her past life about the reactions of certain special ability users when they were advancing in rank!
A calm and reassuring smile appeared on Elara's face. She reached out and gently brushed aside the sweat-dampened bangs on Vespera's forehead. Her voice was steady and certain as she spoke to the frantic Amily:
"It's okay, Amily, don't worry."
"This is just… her ability leveling up."