Chapter 501 Warning
Steven grinned at Otha, "Have you ever come across anything more advanced than the Zombie King?"
Otha looked puzzled. "What are you getting at? Just spit it out."
Steven locked eyes with him. He needed the investigation team to stick around in Starlight City. Their presence would be a major deterrent to the Snowfall Cult.
If things went as Steven thought, that Natasha and Neil were the real masterminds, then as long as the investigation team stayed put, they wouldn't dare make any bold moves.
"I think there's someone pulling the strings behind this zombie tide," Steven said. "The Zombie Kings we took down were just puppets. And there's an even scarier possibility—"
Steven clenched his teeth. "The reason we handled this zombie tide so easily was just for show. They wanted to get you out of the way and throw Silvercrest District off."
Otha stopped, turned, and gave Steven a cold stare. Steven could feel the intensity of his gaze even through the sunglasses.
But Steven pressed on, "This war seemed like a tough win, but it was too smooth. It felt like the zombie tide was playing along with us. Didn't you find that odd?"
Otha was silent for a moment before asking, "Do you have any proof? I need evidence."
Steven took a deep breath, thought for a bit, and then shook his head. "No solid proof yet, but these doubts are real."
Otha smirked, not in mockery, but in encouragement. "You're cautious, and that's good. Being cautious might make things harder, but it keeps you alive. But don't worry. No matter how big the problem in Starlight City is, it's just a small issue for Silvercrest District."
He extended his dry, slender hand and flipped it over. "No matter the trouble, we can squash it if we decide to."
Steven smiled and didn't push Otha further. This was all just his speculation, without any hard evidence. He didn't expect to convince Otha, but he hoped to plant a seed of doubt. With Otha's smarts, he'd notice if something was off.
"I get it. If I find anything, I'll let you know right away. You won't ignore it then, right?" Steven joked, but it was no joke. If his suspicions were right, they'd be up against something way scarier than the zombie tide.
Otha adjusted his sunglasses. "In all areas under Silvercrest District's watch, if anything with a high enough threat level happens, we'll step in. And if you're still worried, you can come back with us. There's no place safer than Blizzard City."
Steven chuckled, "Maybe later!"
After saying goodbye, Steven, Elinor, and a few others got in the car and left the Snowfall Cult, heading back to the shelter. As the car drove away from the corpse-strewn battlefield, Steven glanced at the Snowfall Cult's camp in the rearview mirror, feeling a mix of emotions.
He pulled out a piece of white cloth from his pocket, covered in tiny writing.
"What's that?" Elinor asked, leaning over curiously.
Steven tucked the white cloth away and gave a faint smile. "Oh, just my spare underwear."
Elinor's face twisted in disbelief. "You had time to change your underwear?"
They'd been stuck in the Snowfall Cult's camp for about ten days without a chance to shower, so Steven's explanation seemed fishy. But since he didn't elaborate, she let it slide.
A few hours later, they made it back to the shelter. Along the way, they spotted a few stray zombies.
Without the Zombie King's command, they wandered aimlessly on the snowy plains, some already frozen stiff, likely dead for good. Even those cold-resistant viruses couldn't last long in the harsh post-apocalyptic outdoors. Plus, without food, they were doomed.
Back at the shelter, everything was just as they left it. Cindy and the others knew Steven and his team had been through a rough battle. As soon as they walked in, the girls and women rushed to greet them.
"Steven, are you okay? I was so worried!" Cindy exclaimed.
"You were out there risking your lives, and we could only stay home. I feel so useless," Aubrey said, looking apologetic.
Steven smiled, patting their heads. "We're all fine, see? Everyone has their role to play. No need to feel guilty."
Nora, wearing an apron, and Emilia had prepared a feast to welcome them back.
Steven smiled at Nora and asked, "Anything happen around the shelter while we were gone?"
Nora shook her head. "It's been eerily quiet. Nothing happened."
Steven nodded, relieved. The whole group gathered around the big table, happily eating and chatting about their time at the Snowfall Cult camp. Hearing about the massive zombie attack, everyone felt a shiver of fear.
"Who knows how many people are still alive in Starlight City? Maybe we're the last ones," Aubrey said sadly.
Even though the remaining survivors might not be friendly, the thought of a nearly empty city filled them with loneliness. But that sadness was soon drowned out by the sound of "Cheers!"
At least for now, they were still together and happy.
Steven didn't forget to ask Nora if she'd kept making Supernatural ability food. He was serious about their stockpile of supplies and preferred to have an excess rather than face a shortage.
Nora smiled, "I've been making it every day! You were fighting on the front lines, and I couldn't just sit around."
"By the way, I put all the food in the fridge."
Steven thought for a moment and asked, "After more than ten days, has the effectiveness of the Supernatural ability food weakened?"
Nora nodded. "Based on my observation, if the food isn't eaten, its effect starts to fade after seven days. After ten days, it's completely gone."
Steven made a mental note of this characteristic. Nora's Supernatural ability could be very useful in the future.
Everyone celebrated Steven and his team's safe return, drinking and laughing. Before they knew it, half the day had flown by.
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