The Apocalypse Took Everything, This Time I Hoard It All First
Chapter 13: Coach

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Coach

A little after eight, Luna Dawson sent Evan Olson a message. "Are you leaving today?"

Evan Olson, thinking Luna was in a hurry to start training, sent her a contact card.

"I’ll be busy for a few days. If you’re in a hurry, add this person. I’ve already cleared it with them."

Luna Dawson read the message and thought, ’He didn’t mention his grandfather, and he’s still leaving town without any worry. The old man must be fine.’ She breathed a sigh of relief.

Unable to sleep, she went downstairs for breakfast. Her brother and mother were already awake.

Seeing Luna come downstairs, the three of them said in unison, "His grandpa is fine..." and then burst out laughing.

It turned out Mrs. Dawson had taken some steamed dumplings over a little after seven to check on the situation. Only after seeing the grandfather and grandson both up and getting ready for the day did she return, relieved.

"I’m heading to the warehouse to pick up a shipment, and then I’m off to the training gym Brother Evan recommended for some physical conditioning. He said one of his army buddies is there and will give us some pointers. You in?" Luna Dawson asked Miles, raising an eyebrow.

Miles replied snidely, "What army buddy? You mean some retired, chocolate-colored old man?"

Luna grabbed Rollo’s plush doll and chucked it at him. Miles yelped and surrendered, "Okay, okay, I’ll go! I’ll go! But Sis, I think I’m turning into a freak this month from drinking the spirit spring water. I’ve gotten ridiculously strong!"

"I haven’t really noticed. The pocket dimension is making me lazy~" Now it was Luna’s turn to be smug.

Hearing this, Miles rolled his eyes so hard they practically disappeared into his head.

Luna stared at the minimalist profile picture for "Kevin Keane." She’d heard he was a mercenary who worked overseas.

’Even Brother Evan calls him a big shot,’ she thought. ’Just how incredible must he be?’

Her fingertips tapped the screen as she sent the friend request: "Hello, Coach Keane! My name is Luna Dawson, a friend of Evan Olson’s. If you’re available over the next few days, my brother and I would be training at Gale-Force Training Gym and would be grateful for a few pointers～"

Although she had survived for two years in her past life, the skills she’d picked up were ruthless moves learned out of desperation. She had never systematically studied any formal fighting techniques.

’In the coming days, I just need to train hard. I’ll be satisfied as long as I can improve my physical conditioning and technique.’

Luna Dawson: Age 23

Height: 5’4", Weight: 111 lbs

Occupation: Influencer

Family: Father deceased (illness) at age 6; brother, Miles Dawson, age 21; mother, Rosalind Dawson, age 52...

"Evan’s childhood friend. He asked me to train her for a week."

Kevin Keane casually flipped through Luna Dawson’s profile.

Lynn Shelby said with a faint smile, "In the span of one month, she’s conducted multiple large-scale commodity trades across the country. The delivery addresses are a logistics park for agricultural trade in Southen and a logistics park in Kensington. She has two records of leaving and re-entering the country. In just over a month, she’s burned through about a billion yuan..."

Kevin Keane handed the file back to Lynn Shelby. "You certainly dig up info fast... That’s a little creepy. Do you run a background check on everyone?"

Blake Blue glanced at the two of them. "You both have way too much time on your hands."

Aaron Palmer shot up from his seat dramatically. "Are you saying Brother Evan is finally showing interest in a woman?! Has hell frozen over?!"

Kevin Keane spoke slowly, "Perfect. I’ll go see what all the fuss is about."

...

Nearly half an hour later, the friend request was approved.

Kevin Keane’s reply was short and to the point: "I’ll be at Gale-Force Training Gym for the next few days. You can come over anytime. Remember to bring proper workout gear."

After picking up their supplies, the siblings immediately drove to Gale-Force Training Gym.

They entered the gym to find it filled with a wide variety of neatly arranged equipment.

The siblings changed into their workout clothes. Luna braided her long hair into a secure fishtail. Just as she was about to message Brother Evan’s army buddy, a tall figure started walking toward them.

It was almost noon, and dazzling sunlight streamed into the gym. Kevin Keane stood in a halo of light, dressed in simple workout clothes.

His 6’2" height accentuated his long legs and narrow waist, and the powerful contours of his muscles were faintly visible beneath his clothes.

He had strong, chiseled features—deep-set and well-defined, with a heroic intensity in his brow.

"Now *this* guy works! He’s super hot! And not chocolate-colored, either~" Miles said with a cheeky grin.

"Is ’chocolate-colored’ the main point? The point is that he’s not an old man," Luna corrected.

"Sis, are you really here to train? I’m starting to have my doubts."

"What the hell do you know? A fine flower is in full bloom, and it needs a connoisseur like me to appreciate it!"

Kevin, who had overheard their entire conversation from a distance, almost lost his composure. As the two approached, his eyes brazenly sized up the strange girl.

Luna was dressed in an off-white, short-sleeved workout set. Its clean cut accentuated her graceful figure, creating a stark contrast to the rugged, sweat-soaked atmosphere of the gym.

Her smooth black hair was tied back in a neat braid, with a few stray wisps framing her face and fluttering in the slight breeze.

She had a pair of sparkling, almond-shaped eyes that seemed to dance with light, and the small beauty mark just beneath one of them only added to her allure. Her delicate features looked even more radiant under the gym’s lighting.

As she stood quietly beside the rack of boxing gloves, the mix of her feminine charm and the sharp cut of her sportswear somehow brought a touch of gentle softness to a space otherwise filled with shouts and the thud of striking gloves.

A half-smile played on Kevin Keane’s lips. "So, you’re an admirer of mine?" he asked.

"Yes. Brother Evan said you’re incredible. So one day, I’ll be just as incredible as you are."

Luna admitted it readily, a hint of sweet naivete in her expression, like the first, most captivating touch of color in early spring.

Kevin Keane cleared his throat twice and narrowed his eyes with amusement. His voice held a magnetic, sexy quality. "I’m Kevin Keane. I’ll be taking over for Evan Olson for the next few days, in charge of your combat training. I’m honored to be your goal."

A second later, he switched into full-on trainer mode. "Let’s start with a baseline assessment. Miles, Luna, I want a fifteen-minute run to test your conditioning."

The moment he finished speaking, Miles and Luna hopped onto the treadmills, their strides light and powerful.

Kevin Keane nodded. "Your conditioning is pretty good. Have you trained before?"

’Of course it’s good,’ Luna thought. ’I’ve been drinking from the Spiritual Spring for over a month straight.’

"I followed some online videos for a few months," Luna said, lying without batting an eye.

"Coach, I’ve never trained," Miles chimed in. "But my sister’s been beating the crap out of me since we were kids, and she hits pretty hard."

Luna pinched the inside of Miles’s arm, hard, and warned through gritted teeth, "Shut. Up."

"Why don’t we spar? I want to see your fundamentals."

A smile touched Kevin Keane’s lips as he looked at her. For some reason, he suddenly had an interest in gauging her abilities himself.

Luna was a little stunned. He was ex-special forces, a mercenary. Her own amateurish skills were hardly something she could show off in front of him.

She wasn’t confident, but she braced herself and accepted. This was a rare opportunity to spar with a real expert.

Besides, she couldn’t let him think she was afraid, could she?

"Alright."

Luna pushed off the ground, instantly falling into a fighting stance. She pounced like an agile leopardess, her fist cutting through the air as she aimed straight for his face.

Her self-taught, wild-style moves were fierce but lacked any real technique.

Kevin sidestepped her with a slight turn, easily avoiding the blow. He raised a well-defined hand to parry, using her own momentum to deflect most of the force, but was still startled by its sheer power.

Aaron Palmer happened to be walking over to see what was going on. He watched them start to spar, his eyes wide with surprise. "With her build, she has that kind of explosive power?! That shouldn’t be possible."

Explosive power is determined by strength and speed, and there’s a natural physical disparity between male and female builds.

Just as Kevin was processing his surprise, Luna suddenly twisted, ramming her elbow viciously toward his midsection.

Luna’s attacks were all wide and sweeping, with no fancy tricks—just pure, powerful strikes.

"Plenty of power, but you’re applying it all wrong."

Kevin’s voice was low, tinged with a hint of imperceptible admiration. With a flick of his wrist, he caught Luna’s forearm. "Close-quarters combat is about technique, not brute force."