Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 116: Do We Need Someone To Stay Behind.

Chapter 116: Do We Need Someone To Stay Behind.

"What’s wrong?" Larry asked, his eyes burning with curiosity.

Ethan cleared his throat and began, "From everything that’s happened to us, the monster hunts, the teamwork, the way we’ve watched out for each other, it’s been incredible. Honestly, it’s been a privilege working with all of you." He paused, taking a deep breath as if steadying himself. "That said, I’ve come to the conclusion that Scarlett is more powerful than the rest of us. I think we all already see her as the leader."

"Oh, come on, man," Larry groaned, slapping a palm to his forehead. "I thought you were about to drop some life-changing news! I’ve already accepted Scarlett as our leader ages ago."

"Same here," Louise chimed in with a warm smile. "Especially after she displayed her powers in the cave. She’s saved us countless times. Honestly, I’m just grateful to be alive and to have met all of you. Without you guys and your powers, I’d probably have been dead a long time ago."

"Oh yeah. That reminds me, how were you able to escape the cave? Is it because Austin left the cave hence the reason why you’re able to escape?" Garvin asked, sitting upright, his eyes burning with curiousity.

"That’s not a story for today. We can talk about that later when we come back from the monster hunt. " Kato replied with a wide smirk plastered on his face.

Ethan nodded before continuing, his tone more resolute. "Well, the real announcement is this, I’ve decided to transfer all of my resources to Scarlett. I trust her completely. Even if the rest of us fall someday, I feel like Scarlett has a hundred lives in her. She’ll keep coming back stronger, and I want to ensure she has the means to carry on." His gaze shifted to Scarlett, who was now staring at him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "You seemed too busy to bring this up, so I thought I’d help you out by making it clear to everyone."

"Like seriously? I didn’t know there was a law of transferring resources," Larry said with a thoughtful nod. "Honestly, I’ve no problem with it. I’m on my third life now, and who knows if the next monster hunt might be my last. It’s better to pass on what I’ve accumulated rather than let it all go to waste. I’d been thinking of hiding everything in the Echo Cemetery, but we kept getting busier. This way makes much more sense."

"She’s an SSS rank now," Kato declared with a smirk, crossing his arms. "Stronger than the rest of us combined. She’s the natural choice for leadership."

Larry’s eyes widened. "Wait, SSS rank? I thought S rank was the highest! What do the extra two S’s even stand for?" he asked, breaking into laughter.

"You could say it means ’Strong, Stronger, and Strongest,’" Kato replied, his smirk widening. "Besides, she’s not entirely human anymore. Half-monster, maybe even full-monster, but the fact that she can control her form and retain her awareness makes her one of a kind.Those with normal S rank are just normal people with power, those With SS ranked are people with powers and half monsters while the SSS ranked...well it’s the highest rank, higher than those with SS rank."

"Oh I see..." Larry nodded in realization.

Garvin, looking puzzled, leaned forward. "What are you all talking about seriously? And what’s this about being on third lives?"

Larry chuckled and waved him off dismissively. "You wouldn’t understand. Only those with powers do." He turned to Scarlett, his tone softening. "I’ll transfer my resources to you as well, Scarlett."

"And me too, Your Excellency," Kato added with an uncharacteristic smile. "I’m on my third life too but well, I wouldn’t die soon " he added with a light chuckle.

Scarlett’s eyes widened in shock. Of all people, she had expected Kato to resist such an idea. His goals were so different from hers that she had dreaded broaching the topic with him. Yet here he was, offering his support willingly.

"Sure," Scarlett replied, though her voice betrayed her lingering disbelief. Without hesitation, she summoned her system interface and held hands with Larry and Kato. Soon, she began the transfer process.

As the resources flowed into her system, Scarlett’s eyes widened in awe. The sheer amount of materials, equipment, and wealth they had accumulated was staggering. She quickly enhanced her system’s storage space to accommodate it all.

Ding!

{Congratulations, Host. Resources have been transferred successfully.}

"Wow. This is amazing," Scarlett said, her voice filled with admiration. "You guys have been busy."

Larry chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Of course. Coins earned are for purchasing resources, after all. That’s why I’m damn broke now!"

Kato nodded in agreement. "Now that you have everything, keep it safe. You’re the only one we trust to do so."

Scarlett smiled, gratitude evident in her expression. "Thank you, everyone. I won’t let you down."

Despite her appreciation, her thoughts lingered elsewhere. I hope Kato doesn’t expect me to transfer everything to the Echo Cemetery. If that’s what he’s hoping for, he’s in for a rude awakening.

Garvin’s voice broke her train of thought. "So, now that we’re done, is it time to leave for another monster hunt? And what about Maya? She can’t possibly join us, you know."

"Good point," Ethan said, finishing the last bite of his meal. "Do we need someone to stay behind?"

"We don’t have a choice," Scarlett replied, folding her arms. "Someone has to stay to watch over Maya and guard against those survivors outside. They might decide to attack while we’re gone. Besides, the hunt might take two or three days, depending on where we go and the types of monsters we face."

"I’ll stay behind," Louise offered, raising his hand. "I could use a break from all the bloodshed anyway. I’ll watch over Maya."

"Such a coward," Ethan muttered under his breath with a scoff.

Scarlett gave Louise a nod of approval. While she would have preferred Garvin to stay, she knew Louise was the better choice. Garvin, for all his bravado, was fragile at his core and far less prepared for danger than Louise. Leaving him behind would be like sentencing Maya and himself to death.

"Alright then, it’s settled," Scarlett said.

"Let’s get moving," Kato announced, rising from his seat.

The group grabbed their backpacks, each one packed with weapons ranging from guns to knives and bombs while they also held bags containing foods and other items to be delivered to the survivors outside. Together, they exited the train station, ready to face another heated fight with monsters.