Chapter 126 Hope Base

It was an undeniable fact that no matter if the apocalypse had just begun, the sense of superiority of Evolving persons would become increasingly apparent as they recognized their own power.

This had nothing to do with character, because Evolving persons instinctively believed that they and ordinary people were completely different types, or species.

Natalie spoke with the intention of pleasing William, but that didn't mean she didn't genuinely want to do so. Although she didn't retain a sense of justice like Candice and Lucy, protecting her own people was a woman's nature, and it was even more evident in Natalie.

Anthony and Donovan were indeed not part of the team, so Natalie had no obligation to care for them. However, these two were supposed to lead the team into the base. Although William didn't explicitly say it, everyone in the team knew that William wanted to enter the base to exchange for some supplies.

Now, these people were clearly delaying William's plans and coveting the team's resources, which further angered Natalie.

This man, a non-Evolving person, even dared to take advantage of others in front of William, which made her even more furious.

She kicked out like lightning, accurately hitting Micah's stomach. The grown man was sent flying, crashing heavily into the pipe wall behind him.

This kick was on a completely different level of power compared to Donovan's earlier push. As an ordinary person, Micah couldn't resist it at all.

After being slammed into the wall and bouncing back,, Micah couldn't even speak. He spat out blood in large mouthfuls, and moments later, he passed out. Blood continued to trickle from the corners of his mouth, and his breathing became extremely weak. In an instant, he went from looking spirited to appearing feeble and frail.

"Micah!" Kieran cried out in agony, rushing over to help his son, only to find his son's body limp like a noodle, with no response at all.

Kieran ordered, "Kill her!"

At Kieran's command, his men surrounded them, holding blood-stained clubs and iron rods.

Natalie's whip had been taken by William, but as an Evolving person and a professional, she could handle these ordinary people with only one hand. She casually threw out two punches, disfiguring two people's faces, and no one dared to approach her again.

Evolving person!

If anyone still didn't understand that this woman was an Evolving person, they must be fool.

Even Kieran, whose son's life was hanging by a thread, only showed a look of anger but didn't dare to say anything more.

Evolving persons were like gods in Hope Base, and that deep-seated fear made these ordinary people instinctively afraid.

Natalie warned, "Don't reach out recklessly!"

Natalie saw someone she had kicked, unsure if they were dead or alive, and her eyes showed a hint of panic, but it quickly disappeared.

She had killed before, so although the current situation made her momentarily uncomfortable, it was much better than before.

"Move," William said just one word, and the team immediately started moving.

Michelle shook her head slightly at the back, thinking, 'Although Micah and his group were wrong, Natalie had been too harsh.' This thought made her face turn cold.

Donovan retrieved his bag and quickly followed the group, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

As William and the others turned into the entrance of the pipe, Kieran looked at his still-bleeding son, his face full of venom.

"Guard's up ahead, just follow me," Anthony whispered, then added, "Thank you."

William waved his hand dismissively and instead told his people, "Get used to it. This kind of thing will happen all the time in the apocalypse. At least half of the fights are about protecting what's yours from being taken."

"Well done," William praised.

Natalie smiled charmingly upon hearing the praise.

"Natalie didn't overdo it," William said, looking at the five or six people at the end of the passage who had built a makeshift defensive structure with sandbags. Each of them had guns pointed at the passageway, and the ground was blocked by unevenly placed barbed wire, forcing everyone to step carefully. It was clearly to prevent mutant creatures from attacking.

William casually added, "To others, it might just seem like they stole some things, but in the apocalypse, those things could very well be your life. So, looting and killing are no different. Don't just think of it as causing severe injury; killing them wouldn't be excessive either."

These words sent chills down Anthony and Donovan's spines, deepening their respect for William.

"Stop, time for a check!" a voice shouted.

As the group approached, a guard emerged from behind the fortification and shouted at them.

Anthony quickly went over and spoke to the guard.

"You can go in, but there's an entry fee! Also, weapons must be surrendered!"

Entry fees would become a common charge in the future apocalypse, but the requirement to surrender weapons would be gradually abolished. No Evolving person would willingly hand over their life-saving tools to be at someone else's mercy. If such a demand was made, the result would be either people leaving without entering the city or forcing their way in. Countless conflicts had arisen from this rule in the previous life, leading to its gradual abolition.

However, since the apocalypse had just begun, those with some power would try every possible way to protect their interests and the base's safety, with weapon confiscation being a top priority. That's why William had already collected all the weapons beforehand.

Anthony quickly took out a piece of meat from his bag, weighing about two or three pounds. This meat was enough to let everyone pass.

This action earned him a bit of goodwill with William. Anthony's steady and thorough approach was quite rare.

The guard's expression softened upon seeing the meat, and his gaze shifted to the large bags the group was carrying.

"Open them all for inspection!" the guard instructed.

Anthony looked troubled. He knew very well the shock it would cause if the base people saw what was inside the bags.

William told the rest, "Show them."

William was the first to take off his bag and open it, and the others followed suit.

The soldier only took one look and couldn't close his mouth.

The soldier thought, 'How much meat was that? At least a few hundred pounds. These people actually had so much food?'

The soldier swallowed hard, and William directly took out five pieces of meat from his bag, each weighing five pounds.

William remarked, "These are for you guys. It's tough guarding this damn place."

The guard's face lit up, and the other guards showed the same expression.

Although they were base guards and Hope Base provided food, they only got enough to avoid starvation. Their daily meals were very meager, and getting a small piece of canned meat every few days was like a holiday.

Now, each of them had five pounds of meat, enough for two hearty meals. How could they not be happy?

"Alright, checks done! You guys can head on up, but remember, every base has its own rules. Let this resident explain them to you. Don't break them, or getting kicked out will be the least of your worries."

Clearly, the meat had worked, and the guard's attitude had improved significantly.

The group shouldered their bags and climbed up the iron ladder on the wall.

The entrance above was surrounded by fortifications, serving as the second line of defense. If the lower level was breached, this area would need to hold the line.

There were quite a few guards with guns around, and they looked surprised to see so many people coming up at once. However, no one came over to ask questions since they had already been inspected below.

Once they were out of the guards' range, Anthony asked, "You guys just got here, nowhere to crash, how about coming back with us? We've got plenty of empty rooms where we live."

William hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. He had some questions for Anthony, so it was a good idea to go with him.

"I'll pass," Michelle suddenly said, stepping forward. "I'm gonna go find my husband."

Candice said, "Michelle..."

Candice felt reluctant to part ways, but she knew that she and Michelle were destined to go separate ways because they had chosen different paths.

"Take care, Candice." Michelle hugged Candice and whispered in her ear, "You should ditch William when you get the chance. He's too cold-blooded and not a good person."

Candice was taken aback and gave a bitter smile but said nothing.

Michelle let go of Candice, greeted Jack, and then looked at William. She said, "Even though I don't agree with a lot of what you've done along the way, you've kept your word. We're even now."

With that, she turned and left alone.

William shrugged, feeling no emotional ripple.

Anthony and Donovan's home was on the west side of Hope Base, an area mostly filled with unfinished but unoccupied buildings. Most of the survivors who had flooded in during the first few days of the apocalypse were concentrated here.

Anthony led the group to his home, an 18-story building without an elevator. Because it was so high, many people were unwilling to come up, so there were plenty of vacant rooms. There were two empty rooms next to where Anthony and Donovan's families lived.

Their families' eyes reddened when they saw them return. Going outside the base to search for food was dangerous; people went out every day, and some never came back. Anthony and Donovan had been gone for a day and a night, and their families had been worried sick. Now, seeing them return, they felt a sense of relief, as if they had narrowly escaped disaster.

Anthony had a younger brother who was still a minor, and with his parents, they made up a family of four. Donovan's family was larger, including his grandparents, parents, and an uncle and aunt.

The two men took out the meat and gave it to their families to eat, explaining that they owed their survival to William and his group. Naturally, these ordinary people were deeply grateful to William and his team.

William and his group settled in the adjacent room. Since it was an unfinished apartment, there were no beds or bedding. However, since they had brought outdoor tents, they weren't worried about sleeping on the floor.

Still, William decided to buy some bedding. Although he and Jack, as Evolving persons, could endure harsher conditions, David, the future master, was not yet an Evolving person. Over the past few days, David had shown signs of fatigue, and William didn't want someone so crucial to his future plans to fall ill or suffer any lasting harm.

So he called Anthony aside and, in a serious tone, said, "Now that we're in the base, I need to buy some supplies and daily necessities. Do you know where I can find them?"

Anthony quickly nodded. He informed, "Daily necessities are easy to find. There's a small market not far from here, near the border with the southern district. They sell everything there, and you can trade for it with a bit of food."

William nodded and then asked a question that startled Anthony.

"What about bullets?" William inquired. 

Anthony then realized that William had come to the base to replenish such items. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Bullets are only available from the former artillery unit and Director Cox. You won't find them in the market, but..."

Anthony added, "I've heard there's a black market in Hope Base where bullets occasionally go on sale."

A black market?

William was surprised. He hadn't expected a black market to exist just days after Hope Base was established.

It seemed humanity's adaptability to the apocalypse far exceeded expectations.

Since there was a black market, then...

William continued, "Have you ever seen anyone selling strange items?"

This question puzzled Anthony, who cautiously asked, "What do you mean by strange items?"

William explained, "Things like scrolls, certificates, potions, or materials you don't recognize."

Anthony thought for a moment. He replied, "I haven't seen anything like that."

William looked a bit disappointed, but Anthony's next words lifted his spirits.

Anthony mentioned, "But I heard someone in the eastern district of the base was trying to sell a formula for a high price. Everyone thought he was crazy. Now that we know more about the apocalypse, it might be one of those items you're talking about. I don't know the specifics, though."

A formula?

William's eyes lit up. Formulas were rare and valuable. If it was something he could use, it would be incredibly valuable.

"Can you help me find this person?" William eagerly asked.

Anthony had only heard a couple of sentences and didn't know much else, so he looked troubled.

"Here, take these. You can exchange them for stuff. Consider it your payment. It's okay if you can't find him," William said as he handed him a piece of meat, not as big as the one he had given Anthony before but still weighing five or six pounds.

Anthony gritted his teeth. He promised, "Alright, I'll make sure to find him for you."

With the meat in hand, Anthony left to search for information about the formula. William then called Donovan to go to the market with him to buy supplies. The women immediately perked up and insisted on coming along, even Candice.

William had no choice but to leave Jack behind to protect David and the others. He gave Jack the Edge of the Moon but instructed him to wrap it in paper so no one would see it.

William took the women downstairs, led by Donovan. After a few minutes of walking, they reached the southwest corner of the base. Turning a corner, they saw an open area where many people were setting up stalls. Numerous survivors were browsing, occasionally haggling with the vendors, creating a lively atmosphere.

This was the first time since the apocalypse began that everyone had seen so many living people gathered together, and everyone was a bit excited.

Even though the market was open-air and the air carried a faint stench.

Donovan explained, "The most popular items here are, of course, food. But there aren't many food stalls, and the prices are very high."

Donovan led the group into the market. William and his team looked well-fed and energetic, unlike the weak and hungry survivors. Plus, the three women were all stunningly beautiful, attracting a lot of attention.

After a short while, Lucy tugged at William's sleeve. Following her gaze, William was surprised to see that such things were already happening.