Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 102: It’s About The Boy.

Chapter 102: It’s About The Boy.

The four men stepped forward, their movements mechanical and without hesitation, ready to carry out Jones’s order.

_________

Meanwhile, back in the forest, Louise and Kato remained rooted to the spot, their gazes fixed in the direction Scarlett had walked off to. They had been standing like that for over thirty minutes, staring into the distance, waiting and hoping Scarlett would return at any moment.

"Should we keep standing here or find somewhere to take shelter?" Louise finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had settled between them. His voice carried a note of concern as he added, "Austin may have cleared his monsters out of this forest, but more could show up at any moment. And let’s be honest, we’re in no shape to face anything right now."

Kato let out a heavy sigh and was about to reply when a soft chime echoed from the tiny earpiece buried in his ear. A feminine voice followed, cutting through the silence.

"Boss, we’ve been trying to reach you, but we couldn’t get through," the voice said urgently. "What’s wrong?"

"Yeah, that’s thanks to the cave," Kato replied, his tone turning serious.

"Cave? What cave?"

"Forget about that. Now that you’ve reached me, what’s the problem?"

"It’s about the boy," the voice began.

"He’s dead. I already know," Kato interrupted quietly, his voice laced with regret. "I took too long to return back. We’ll just have to come up with another plan."

"No, Boss, he’s not dead," the voice corrected quickly, a hint of relief in her tone. "We managed to melt the collar off his neck. And the collar doesn’t actually contain a bomb, it’s just made to look like one to scare anyone who tries to remove it. I’m sorry we didn’t examine it thoroughly before assuming the worst."

Kato exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. Relief washed over him, though his expression remained stoic. "Well, that’s unexpected," he said, his voice steadier now. "Good work. I’ll be there tonight. Wait for me. I know Victor’s out of his organization, and this time, he’s determined to capture my queen."

"That bastard," the voice spat venomously. "Victor couldn’t sense anyone’s powers before, let alone the queen’s. He’d have to see her transform to even recognize her abilities. So why is he making his move now?"

The Queen has already leveled up in her powers. I suppose Victor could sense that at that particular time," Kato said, his tone calm but deliberate. "He might not know what the Queen looks like or her location, but one thing is certain, he’s bent on capturing her at all costs. It seems he could no longer endure being a low-ranked individual with no abilities whatsoever."

"He’s desperate, and capturing the Queen is the only way for him to change his fate. But to do that, he needs her powers, and obtaining them requires her capture." Kato’s lips curled into a sinister smirk as he added, "Destroying that boy’s collar already convinced him the boy is dead. Victor wanted to use the boy as bait to capture the Queen, but now that the boy is out of the picture, Victor’s moving himself."

"And since we’ve melted the boy’s collar, along with its tracker, which we already destroyed beforehand, Victor assumes the boy is dead. At first, when the tracker was destroyed, Victor likely thought only the device was disabled. But since he could still sense the presence of the collar he molded, he didn’t fully believe the boy was gone. Now that the entire collar has been destroyed, he has no choice but to believe it," the feminine voice responded, her tone precise and calm.

"Hmm, exactly!" Kato mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Victor may be smart, but he’s not that smart. His scent was found on the boy, which makes it easier for me to detect him now. I’m curious to see what this Victor looks like." A confident smirk spread across Kato’s face as he added, "Anyways, I’ll join you at the organization shortly."

Without waiting for a reply, Kato ended the call and let the silence of the forest envelop him.

"What’s going on with you?" Louise’s voice suddenly cut through the quiet, tinged with frustration. "You’re driving me crazy here. Talking to yourself, muttering things under your breath that I can’t hear...what’s going on?"

Kato blinked, seemingly pulled from his thoughts. He turned to Louise, who was staring at him with a mix of confusion and irritation. "I’ve been trying to get your attention for a while now, but you keep zoning out. It’s frustrating, Kato," Louise added, crossing his arms.

"I’m fine, just thinking about some things," Kato replied, forcing a smile that looked unnatural on his face.

Louise eyed him skeptically, but before he could say more, Kato’s gaze flickered to Louise’s neck. The sound of blood rushing through Louise’s veins was deafening, louder than the drumbeat of Kato’s own heart. His throat felt dry, and he swallowed hard.

Scarlett will end up at my organization eventually. I’ll make sure of it. That’s the only way to keep her out of Victor’s grasp. I know he’s fully prepared, but so am I. That’s why I need to act quickly, Kato thought to himself. He exhaled heavily. Maybe I should have a proper meal tonight. Acting like a good guy back in the cave made me sick. I’m starting to lose track of who I really am. Some fresh meat and blood should bring the real me back.

"Where are we going to stay until Scarlett comes back?" Louise asked, his exhaustion evident in his voice. His gaze remained fixed on Kato. "I don’t think she’ll be back anytime soon, and your behavior is starting to scare me. You keep zoning out. If something’s on your mind, just tell me. Don’t keep me in the dark."

Kato turned to him with an enigmatic smirk. "Am I scaring you?" he asked, his voice smooth but teasing. His expression darkened as his fangs extended, gleaming in the pale moonlight.

Louise froze, his eyes widening in fear as a shiver ran down his spine. "What’s wrong with you? What’s with the fangs?" he stammered, his voice trembling.

"I’m hungry," Kato replied simply, his voice carrying a predatory edge. "Terribly hungry. And I wouldn’t want to die of starvation."

Before Louise could react, Kato lunged at him, pinning him to the ground.

___________

The loud sound of music and the chatter of people filled the air as Scarlett...now Ayra...approached Austin’s organization. Her presence alone was enough to shock the armed guards stationed at the tower.

"I thought Austin said she was dead," one of the guards muttered under his breath, clearly shaken.

"Exactly," the second guard replied, swallowing hard. "But now she’s standing right in front of us. Should we let her in or inform Austin first?"

Scarlett caught their words despite their hushed tones, and her sharp, angry expression, so reminiscent of Ayra’s infamous temper when impatient made the second guard decide quickly. He hurriedly opened the gate, unwilling to risk her wrath as he knew that would cost them their heads.

Scarlett stepped into the organization. As she walked, the free citizens’ gazes fell on her one by one, freezing them mid-dance or mid-bite. Whispers and gasps rippled through the crowd as they stared in disbelief.

"Austin told us she was eaten by monsters," one murmured, his voice trembling with confusion.

"And now she’s here, alive," another replied, his eyes wide with shock. Or perhaps she’s a monster, here to eat us all?

Scarlett ignored the murmurs and stares, her focus elsewhere. Memories of the halls began to surface as she tries pinning them together to lacate Garvin and the rest. She was more concerned with finding Garvin and the others.

’Where’s Austin though? He should release Garvin and the others since his so called sister is back to the organization.’ Scarlett thought to herself with a smirk on her face.

Suddenly, Austin appeared, his eyes widening in shock as they locked onto her. "Sister?" he called, his voice trembling with disbelief as he approached her. "You’re..."

"I’m alive, brother," Scarlett replied immediately, offering him a warm smile in Ayra’s voice.

"Sister!" Austin exclaimed, tears glistening in his eyes as he scooped her up into a hug and spun her around. "I thought you were dead! I thought I’d lost you forever."

Scarlett allowed herself to mirror his joy, portraying the relief of someone who had narrowly escaped death.

Well, I nearly did, but not as Ayra, she thought.

After what felt like an eternity, Austin set her down. "You have to tell me everything that happened," he said eagerly. "Come, let’s talk in the inner room." Taking her hand, he began leading her deeper into the organization.

Perfect, Scarlett thought, a sly smirk tugging at her lips as she followed him. I need to explore every corner of this place, especially the restricted areas only accessible to the ruler. This will give me the edge I need.

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