Chapter 463 Recruitment
Otha's face was pretty much a blank slate.
He said in his usual cold, indifferent tone, "We're gonna need your help for the upcoming operation against the zombie horde in Starlight City."
"So, it's important we know each other's abilities. Just so you know, my power has its limits; using it too much will speed up my death."
Steven nodded, catching the unspoken part of Otha's message.
As the captain of the Silvercrest District dispatch team, Otha wasn't worried about Steven turning his supernatural ability against him.
First off, Steven wouldn't dare mess with Silvercrest District.
Second, Otha wasn't afraid of dying in his current state.
Otha put on his sunglasses as he spoke, "Right now, I'm practically blind, relying on this visual aid device to see. To me, you look like a blurry figure with a red glow."
Steven nodded again.
Otha placed his hands on the table and brought up a topic he'd mentioned before.
"Ever thought about coming to Silvercrest District? You've got strong abilities, and you might become a Level 5 powerhouse someday."
"Starlight City will only hold you back."
Steven wasn't too keen on Otha's offer.
He smiled and said, "I'm not looking for fame or fortune, or to make a name for myself."
"I just want to live well with the people around me in this post-apocalyptic world and wait for the world to restart."
He thought to himself, 'Going to Silvercrest District would mean going out on missions every day and fighting. I don't want that kind of trouble!'
"Don't be so quick to say no," Otha said. "Life in Blizzard City is way better than here."
"People live like they did before the apocalypse. There are streets, bustling night markets, and comfy apartments!"
"These are things you can't experience in Starlight City, no matter what."
Steven pictured a bustling city surrounded by steel and concrete walls, with street vendors and happy shoppers.
Parents holding their kids' hands, couples chatting and laughing, and even the snow falling like Christmas decorations.
For a moment, Steven really wanted to see that scene again.
But he smiled at Otha and looked out at the desolate snowy field outside the window.
Then he asked, "Can it be more comfortable than the shelter I'm living in now?" He wasn't buying Otha's sweet talk.
In the apocalypse, if Blizzard City, the central hub of Silvercrest District, really had a lot of people, there's no way they could keep a high standard of living.
Sure, some major bases had comfy living conditions, but that was only for a select few.
Seeing Steven wasn't convinced, Otha kept going, "Starlight City isn't safe. It's right by the Gulf of Mexico, and if the ice and snow ever melt, it'll probably flood first."
"Plus, there could be enemies coming from across the sea."
"The central part of the country is the safest. Have you thought about that?"
Otha's points made Steven frown and think for a moment.
He could ignore human threats, but he couldn't ignore nature.
The Ice Age was caused by cosmic fluctuations.
If Earth ever warmed up again, coastal Starlight City would definitely flood.
But that's a problem for later. No one knows exactly what the future will be like.
Honestly, the last Ice Age lasted tens of millions of years!
Steven frowned and said, "Who can say for sure about the future? We'll deal with it when it happens!"
Seeing Steven's resistance, Otha just smirked a bit and dropped the subject.
Solving the zombie crisis in Starlight City was the priority.
He just needed to plant a seed in Steven's mind, and maybe when the time was right, Steven would head to Silvercrest District.
After all, Otha didn't have much time left.
He'd finally found a good Level 4 candidate, and if Steven could fill the gap in the investigation team after his death, that'd be perfect.
Then, they started talking about the zombie horde.
Steven didn't hold back in front of Otha. He shared all the info about the zombies and the rat swarms.
Like he said, the investigation team was there to help solve the problem, and the sooner the zombie horde was gone, the better for Steven.
After finishing a glass of water, Otha slowly stood up. "I've said what needs to be said, so we won't bother you any longer. If needed, I'll contact you."
With that, he turned and walked towards the door.
Steven stood up and followed, "How about staying for a meal?"
He was a bit worried these folks might actually want to stay. But from their attitude, it was clear that while they envied Steven's shelter, they weren't overly covetous.
Obviously, as high-level ability users, their living conditions in Blizzard City were pretty good too.
"Dinner's not necessary; we brought our own military rations. Besides, we've got other things to do next," Otha declined Steven's offer.
The two walked into the living room, which was super quiet.
The investigation team and the shelter's residents didn't interact much, and the atmosphere was kinda tense.
Seeing the two come out of the small room, both groups seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Otha said to his team, "We've rested enough; it's time to go!"
The team members immediately put down their water and stood up.
"Thanks for the hospitality!" they thanked Steven and Elinor.
As Lanny walked past Steven, his eyes showed a clear fighting spirit. "Steven, how about a sparring match next time we get a chance?"
Otha's regard for Steven had caught Lanny's attention.
And from what Otha implied, Steven might very well become a member of their team in the future.
Naturally, Lanny wanted to test Steven's strength.
Steven smiled faintly and didn't answer.
Otha called out to Lanny, "Do you know what time it is? Stop fooling around!"
Lanny scratched his head with a grin and then followed the others out.
Steven and the others watched them leave.
Otha and his team got into their vehicle and left the shelter. Only then did the people in the shelter start to talk.
"Those folks have such a heavy killing aura!"
"Yeah, you could feel it from a distance. They're completely different from anyone we've met before."
Steven took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "Luckily, they're not enemies. Otherwise, we'd be in big trouble."
Among those seven people, Otha's strength was beyond question; his terrifying supernatural ability was unmatched in all of Starlight City.
Even Steven, if caught unprepared, would be killed.
However, if he were prepared, the defensive power of Dimension Door could definitely block Otha's attack, judging by the power he displayed today.
Everyone had seen the strength of the others; even Daron, who wasn't highly ranked in the team, easily defeated Silverlake Base's second-in-command, Oliver.
No one could imagine how terrifying the strength of such a team was.
But Steven believed that it wouldn't be difficult for these seven people to destroy a base. Because they had the backing of Silvercrest District!
At that moment, Cindy's cold voice cut through the air, reaching Steven's ears.
"But with only seven people coming, it might not be easy to solve the zombie horde problem. That's not necessarily good news."
Everyone turned to look at the genius girl with extraordinary intelligence.
Steven looked down at her and asked seriously, "Cindy, what do you think?"
Cindy wheeled herself in front of everyone, her cold eyes shining with wisdom.
"Silvercrest District sent them here, not necessarily expecting them to solve the massive zombie horde in one go."
"They might just be the vanguard. Once they find out the source of the horde, a large-scale force might move into Starlight City."
"At that point, the entire structure of Starlight City will be rewritten. We will inevitably be affected."
Steven nodded. "That's very possible."
Earl said worriedly, "Will we be driven out of the shelter then?"
Steven's team could dominate in Starlight City, occupying the West Mountain District and Eternal River District.
But that was because their opponents weren't strong, mostly small groups stationed in Starlight City.
However, Silvercrest District's strength was on a completely different level.
Besides their weaponry, they had many lethal means and could destroy the shelter if they wanted to.
Moreover, in terms of soldiers and psychics, Silvercrest District far surpassed the major forces in Starlight City.
Steven frowned. "Probably not!"
His tone was somewhat uncertain.
But given their team's strength, even if Silvercrest District sent people to Starlight City, they should be treated with some respect.
In the post-apocalyptic world, it wasn't always about fighting; sometimes, you had to consider human relationships.
Cindy, however, said, "If that's the case, it wouldn't be the worst outcome. The worst would be if the investigation team found the zombie horde too large and decided that completely clearing it would require an enormous cost."
"At that point, things would get really troublesome!"
Everyone couldn't help but feel tense.
No one knew how many zombies were underground in Starlight City.
If all the dead had turned into zombies, it would be a scale of millions!
At that point, how Silvercrest District would handle Starlight City was almost self-evident.
Steven took a deep breath. "So, we must do everything we can to solve the zombie horde problem with them!"
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