Chapter 155 Night Talk on the City Wall
"How long's the boss been gone?" Jack asked, lighting a cigarette. He glanced at David, who was sitting next to him on the city wall.
William never wanted David on dangerous missions. In his past life, David had created the Magic Crystal weapon, making him one of the most valuable people in the post-apocalyptic world. Losing him would be a huge blow.
But David was stubborn. He couldn't stand watching the team risk their lives while he stayed safe, sharing the resources they earned with their blood and sweat. He never said it out loud, but it ate at him.
Especially after the intense battle at the base earlier. David didn't know if it was the first big fight between humans and mutants, but he felt ashamed for not being in the thick of it.
No one questioned William's decision to keep David out of the fight. They all knew he was a tech genius who could help them big time in the future, so they looked out for him.
But the more they protected him, the more useless David felt. He was an Evolving person now, yet he was still hiding behind others. This time, he insisted on coming along, even if it was just for support.
William thought about it and agreed. Some battle experience might do David good.
"It's been about half an hour," David said, glancing at the dark city outside.
"The boss is pretty mysterious, don't you think?" Jack asked.
David turned to look at Jack through the faint glow of the cigarette. He replied, "Everyone's got their secrets."
"That's not what I mean," Jack said. "I mean, don't you think the boss seems to know things ahead of time? Like he really gets this post-apocalyptic world."
David said, "So what?"
His question left Jack speechless.
Jack thought, 'Yeah, so what?'
Jack wondered, 'Could I leave William and go out on my own?'
Just the thought of not having William around made Jack shiver. He quickly pushed the idea away.
"What does it matter if he has secrets?" Natalie chimed in from the other side. She was lying on her whip.
Natalie added, "No matter how mysterious he is or what his past is, I only know he saved my life, gave me the Evolution Elixir, made me a professional, taught me how to fight, and how to survive in this damned world."
The team members on the wall listened quietly, memories of their time together flashing through their minds.
Lucy, who was closest to Natalie, kicked the whip, making it swing. She scolded, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."
"Some things are hard to keep inside," Natalie said, floating in mid-air with her whip. "Maybe it's too early to call William our destiny, but I believe it will be like that in the future."
She had a good dance background, and her Windancer profession and Evolving person body made her incredibly flexible and in control.
Natalie remarked, "I'm lucky, and I think we all are. We're alive and kicking because of this guy who just turned twenty. I don't know about you, but I'll always follow him. If he wants me to be good, I'll be good. If he wants me to be bad, I'll be bad. If he wants me to save people, I'll save people. If he wants me to kill, I'll kill."
"You really have no bottom line," Lucy snorted, but her tone was more playful than serious.
Natalie claimed, "How much does a bottom line cost? Can you eat it? Can you trade it for Evolution Elixir? All I know is, my bottom line is that William's enemies are my enemies, and what William wants to do is what I want to do. Whether he becomes an angel or a demon, I'll be with him."
Everyone fell silent. They knew Natalie was loyal to William, but they didn't expect her to be willing to give up everything for him.
Natalie explained, "I came from the countryside and didn't meet many good people, but I met plenty of bad ones. Everyone wanted to strip me naked and have their way with me. They were willing to pay only what a meal or a phone call could solve, but they wanted me to give up my most precious thing."
She continued, "Before the apocalypse, I never met anyone who gave me so much. Now, in this post-apocalyptic world where people kill for a piece of bread, meeting William makes me very satisfied."
She reminded, "David, Michelle, even though you don't say it and smile on the surface, I know that when you look at the dark night sky, you think of those who once loved you but betrayed you. It's human nature, and it's an experience you don't want to mention. But because of this, I think you should cherish William even more. He may not be a good person, and he's definitely not noble, but he gave us hearts that still beat, bodies that are still warm and sensitive, and the right to stand here and look down on the sea of corpses."
She then declared, "Even if, in the future, I have to give my life for him or be betrayed by him, I will have no regrets."
She added, "Because my life was given by him."
The sound of the wind and the howls of zombies drifted over the city wall as everyone pondered Natalie's words.
After a while, David laughed. He remarked, "From the moment William saved me from that cold and humiliating building, my life was his. I'm not a hero willing to die for a friend; I'm just a regular guy who's grateful to whoever saves my life, follows whoever feeds me, and is loyal to whoever treats me well."
Jack scratched his head, looking troubled. He said, "I just asked why the boss is so mysterious, and you all made me out to be the bad guy. Of course, I'm following the boss. You all have professions, and I don't have one yet. Besides, the boss said he'd show me something good in the future, and I haven't seen it yet."
Everyone laughed, genuinely, not because of Jack, but because they felt a sense of unity under the same figure amidst the battles and bloodshed.
"I've talked with Michelle and Lucy," Candice said, touching the cold blade of the Edge of the Moon. "I want to see where this man will end up."
At this moment, William, who Natalie said was off playing somewhere, was standing by a huge ingredient pool in a large feed processing plant at Hope Base, looking down with a complex expression at...
A pit of corpses!
