No Skills, No Limits: Conquering the Apocalypse
Chapter 90: AN ENORMOUS PLANT

Chapter 90: AN ENORMOUS PLANT

Days had passed, and yet they hadn’t discovered anything. Even though they repeatedly went around for 2 days straight, trying to search for some clues, they found nothing.

Their hearts and minds were losing hope already. They thought that they made a great discovery for the case, only for it to get taken back.

As the night approached, all of them stayed in the camp.

Tomorrow was their last day.

After that, they would return to each of their houses; for Terrence’s instance, he would proceed to Linus Town for his grocery store.

Even though they hadn’t discovered anything except for the hole in the ground 2 days ago, they were still thankful to be able to spend time with one another.

It was a new and fun experience for all of them.

Rey, who cooked for 3 days straight, served their meals. Their food right now might not be as much as the first day, but they were more satisfied.

Terrence and Natalie sat beside each other. They were in front of a large campfire surrounding it. They sat on stones or branches of trees that fell off the ground.

Forming a circle, the camp was noisy.

Each one of them was talking and having fun with one another.

At first glance, you might think that it was just an outing between a set of friends. Despite their age difference, the oldest being 52, all of them had a good time.

"I’m such a great cook, aren’t I? My role as a husband cook does not fail." Rey smiled as he boasted about his cooking skills.

Everyone chuckled. They have met Rey’s wife, and they would say that she was a tiger reincarnated as a woman.

Fredrick glanced at Yuki. He was the youngest out of all of them who were police officers.

"Do you have a girlfriend or a wife?" He curiously asked.

Yuki was someone who rarely talked about himself or his family in gatherings. It was different compared to those veterans whose talk would usually go around flexing their family.

Yuki shyly nodded. He placed his hand on the back of his head and scratched it. ’Why was the topic suddenly gone to me?’

When people fell silent as if waiting for an answer, Yuki sighed.

"I have a fiancé," he answered, which sent the people into shouting.

They were cheering on Yuki. Saying how hard it was to get married but how fulfilling it was.

Terrence chuckled when he saw that Yuki looked like a tomato. His ears were bright red at the continuous teasing.

"Look at him blushing and all," Terrence pointed out at Natalie, who was laughing too.

"It seems he was shy to talk about it," Natalie smiled. She glanced at Terrence. Her eyes were etched with teasing.

"What about you?" she asked in a teasing voice.

Terrence chuckled.

"Who says I will be shy when talking about you?" He grinned as if he hadn’t done something cheesy

Natalie’s jaw fell to the ground. She wasn’t expecting that as an answer.

She shyly looked away. Her cheeks were now starting to heat up, too.

Terrence laughed more, seeing Natalie’s reaction. "You liked my answer, don’t you?"

Natalie nodded. "Yes," she breathed out.

Terrence’s lips curved upwards in a sweet smile.

"I like you,"

Gathering all his confidence, Terrence stated with courage. After thinking about it for too long and after consulting Rey and Yuki about it, Terrence realized that he needed to step forward and tell his feelings.

Especially right now that Natalie’s father seemed like he was looking for potential marriage partners with Natalie.

Natalie’s eyes widened. Her ability to talk disappeared.

"Terrence..." Natalie breathed deeply as her heart was beating too fast.

Natalie’s eyes teared up. She wasn’t expecting it at all. She thought that it would still take a while before they had this conversation.

"I like you too." A smile appeared on her lips.

Natalie’s hands were shaking as Terrence held onto them.

Terrence’s heart thumped loudly after hearing Natalie’s confession. He already knew it, but hearing it on Natalie’s lips, he felt like he was a teenage boy.

The two of them laughed together. The happiness was overwhelming their emotions and ability to talk.

"Hey, Terrence! Hey Natalie! Do you guys want some marshmallow?"

Ruining the fun was Rey, who was carrying a large pack of marshmallows with him. How will their camping be completed without eating smores?

Even adults of old age wouldn’t resist that.

Looking at each other, Terrence and Natalie happily stood up together. They went near Rey and took a long stick and marshmallow.

The long night was filled with laughter and fun. They all had gotten closer together as if they had known each other for ages.

They slept at midnight and woke up early. They felt refreshed now and were more determined than ever. It was their last day, and so they thought they would give it all to them.

When they woke up, they just ate and proceeded to walk around. However, after 3 hours of nonstop walking, being tired was inevitable, especially in the scorching heat.

"Do you think we should just give up? I don’t think there’s anything we can find here."

Hearing the voice, they all stopped walking to look at one another.

Some of them have the same thoughts, too, but they choose to keep it to themselves, knowing that Fredrick wouldn’t accept it.

"It’s too early to jump to conclusions," Frederick replied, his gaze fixated. "Why are we even here if we’re just going to give up? We shouldn’t have stayed for 3 days then." He continued, now in a serious tone.

’Is this guy asking for death? How can he recommend such a thing?’

That was the thought that was going on around their minds as they watched how Fredrick’s mood slightly changed.

"How about we part ways today?" Another man suggested at the side. He thought it would be better for them to split up since the area was too big, and they would need to leave by afternoon.

"That doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all." Fredrick slowly nodded. He had considered what was suggested to him.

"Alright. Let’s do that." Fredrick placed his hands together. He looked around and stared at each of them. He had been planning in his mind how he would split the whole group into 2.

"Terrence, Natalie, Rey, and I will be in one group, while the rest will be in the second group," Fredrick stated.

Without any complaints, all of them agreed.

As the groups formed, Frederick led his team deeper into the forest. They went to the right side while the other team went to the left side.

Each of them had a radio phone for easy communication.

"Stay alert, everyone," Frederick urged, his voice low but commanding. "Even though we haven’t found out anything these past few days, still be mindful."

Terrence scanned their surroundings, his hand resting still. Natalie was walking beside him. They were slowly walking around, wary of their surroundings.

Terrence sighed as he looked around. Oddly enough, he felt like something was about to happen today.

He wasn’t just sure what that would be.

As they went deeper in the forest, the trees became bigger and taller in height. It was a few that Terrence seems to grow fond of.

The wind was splashing, creating a melodious rhythm from the leaves dancing and falling to the ground.

Rey, scanning the ground meticulously, pointed ahead. "Commander, look there," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

A series of tracks marred the ground, unlike anything they had

seen before. Fredrick knelt down, examining the imprints with a furrowed brow.

They were faint, almost ghostly, but distinctive in their peculiar shape,

almost a circle.

"These tracks... they do not belong to a human,"

Frederick murmured, a tinge of concern lacing his words.

"They do not look like they came from animals either." Terrence continued since the animal’s tracks would leave a distinct pattern.

The 4 of them looked at each other, unsure of their discovery.

Fredrick, in a hurry, told the others to come in their direction. He pressed something in the radio phone.

Frederick’s expression hardened. "Secure the perimeter. We might not be alone here. Contact some backup."

When the other team replied, they quickly ran to the other side to go to Fredrick’s aid.

Fredrick looked at Terrence and Natalie.

"It’s unsafe here. I think you two should go back already and just wait for us."

However, before Terrence and Natalie could even answer, a sudden crackling noise disrupted the calm. The underbrush ahead rustled violently, causing the team to snap into a defensive stance.

When they glanced at the side, their eyes widened in fear.

In there, laid before their eyes, was an enormous plant, almost half the size of a tree. It had a pair of eyes and a mouth. Inside was a series of sharp teeth, ready to attack.