The Apocalypse Took Everything, This Time I Hoard It All First
Chapter 29: Awakening

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Awakening

In the villa next door, the four men who had already awakened their superpowers were watching the surveillance feed of Luna Dawson’s house, lost in thought.

Lynn Shelby found it amusing to watch Aaron Palmer eating his meal while keeping his eyes glued to the villa next door, as if he were afraid of missing the slightest movement.

"What, you think the zombies out there now could get into that fortress of hers?"

Aaron Palmer shoveled a large mouthful of sausage from his self-heating rice into his mouth and mumbled, "I’m just worried! She came over to take care of us before she fell into a coma, and she even helped us smuggle our supplies back to Celestia. No girl has ever been that nice to me. I think I dreamed that she fed me some really sweet water."

He was genuinely concerned about the situation over there. After all, Brother Evan was also in a coma, so their defenses were now basically just the empty shell of the villa.

Blake Blue ruffled Aaron Palmer’s messy hair. "She probably gave you a glucose drip. Now, eat up. I’ll go stand watch over there later. They need someone reliable."

’We’re partners, and we owe her,’ Blake Blue thought to himself. ’Of course we have to honor our promise and do our part to protect them.’

Kevin Keane was lost in thought. They had previously speculated that Celestia’s actions were preparations for war, which was why they had stockpiled several warehouses full of supplies, just in case.

But they never expected it would actually be an alien virus triggering a global zombie crisis.

’The national alert we saw after waking up must mean the government knew all along,’ he thought. ’It was going to be a zombie apocalypse with mutated plants and animals, not a war.’

As he thought, he channeled the energy in his body, conjuring a wisp of a purple electric arc in his palm and marveling once again at the wonders of life.

Just then, Lynn Shelby voiced his own theory, his words filled with conviction.

"What do you guys think? Could someone have awakened early? That would explain why Celestia started planning ahead. And that person might have a special type of superpower, like prophecy or precognition."

"Also, do you really think Luna Dawson and Evan could go abroad for just one week and move the contents of all our warehouses back to Celestia? Leo, you’re still too naive."

Compared to Aaron Palmer and Blake Blue, Lynn Shelby, that old fox, was far more cunning.

"It’s possible more than one person awakened early, and it’s also possible for people to have a second awakening." Lynn Shelby clenched his own frost-covered hand, his eyes filled with certainty.

A glint flashed in Kevin Keane’s eyes. "You think it’s Luna Dawson, too?"

The truth was, when Lynn Shelby first looked into Luna Dawson’s family, it was purely out of curiosity. He had just wanted to know what kind of person Evan’s childhood sweetheart was.

But coincidentally, shortly after he finished his investigation, Celestia’s various policies and actions started to seem strange.

The two of them naturally connected this to the fact that the freakishly strong siblings had already stockpiled a huge amount of supplies.

The more they thought about it, the more they realized just how unusual everything was.

Lynn Shelby glanced around at the others. "I hacked into the surveillance systems of all the warehouses where we stored our things. The moment those two went in, the power would go out, and then the cameras would be destroyed. They were extremely proficient, as if they’d done it countless times before.

"And they’d come out in less than half an hour. I have no way of knowing what exactly they did inside. I couldn’t see the internal cameras, but the surveillance around the warehouses still served as my eyes."

At this, he gave a slight smile. "And for all those warehouses, besides those two, no other people or vehicle convoys ever entered."

Blake Blue and Aaron Palmer shot to their feet in shock. Aaron Palmer forgot all about his food and slammed his bowl down.

"Are you saying that Luna Dawson and Evan awakened their superpowers months ago?!"

Kevin Keane lightly tapped Aaron Palmer on the head. "Just Luna Dawson. When she first started buying supplies in bulk, Evan was still in the army."

Blake Blue’s brow furrowed. "No wonder. When we discussed our partnership that day, Evan was so careful and deferential toward Luna Dawson."

Kevin Keane then added, "This is all just speculation for now. But if Luna Dawson says she has a Space Ability after she wakes up, then we’ll know our guess is pretty much spot on."

As he finished, the corner of his mouth curved into a smirk. ’Evan’s little neighbor is really something else,’ he mused. ’Quietly pulling off major feats all the time.’

Aaron Palmer was completely in awe. "She’s incredible! Her superpower must be on a whole other level than ours."

"I think Luna Dawson has more than just a Space Ability," Lynn said. "She probably has something like precognition, too. Otherwise, even if an ordinary person suddenly gained a superpower, they wouldn’t pour all their abilities and financial resources into stockpiling supplies.

"Besides, she even hired our handsome Mr. Keane to be her sparring partner for a few days to improve her combat skills."

Lynn Shelby coughed twice, his gaze sweeping over Kevin Keane’s backside as he spoke...

Hearing this, Kevin Keane recalled his first meeting with Luna Dawson, and a blush crept up his face.

He spoke up, a bit embarrassed. "Ahem, the reason we’re talking about this today is so everyone can get a general idea of who our boss is. And based on our time with her so far, I wanted to ask what you all think."

Aaron Palmer was the first to respond. "I don’t have any objections. Even Luna Dawson’s dog and cat have awakened superpowers, and she probably has several herself. She’s beautiful, kind, and generous. I say we should ride her coattails." His words were filled with admiration for Luna Dawson.

Blake Blue saw that both Kevin Keane and Lynn Shelby were looking at him. Guessing that the two of them had already made up their minds, he nodded. "We already agreed to partner up. From now on, we’re a team."

Hearing Blake Blue’s declaration, Kevin Keane and Lynn Shelby exchanged a look. "Alright! Blake and Leo, you two take the watch over there tonight. Lynn and I will take over tomorrow night."

「Two more days passed while Luna Dawson remained in a coma.」

That evening, a groggy Luna Dawson heard Little Tiger purring. It also felt like Rollo’s tongue was constantly licking her palm, and the tickling was becoming unbearable.

"Rollo, stop licking me."

The mumbled words made Mrs. Dawson jump to her feet, overjoyed.

"Luna, you’re awake?"

Luna Dawson opened her eyes. Little Tiger was lying on her pillow, and seeing her move, it started to lick her earlobe incessantly.

She rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, feeling more well-rested than she ever had before.

"How long was I asleep?"

Mrs. Dawson hugged Luna Dawson as she answered, "You were asleep for four days! Four whole days! You scared your mother to death!"

Luna Dawson herself was shocked to hear it. ’How could I have slept for so long?’

She raised a hand to pat her mother gently, signaling that she wanted to get up and get washed.

Mrs. Dawson composed herself and let go of Luna, her voice filled with joy. "Your uncle is downstairs cooking... Come down and eat once you’ve cleaned up."

She relayed this happily before turning to go downstairs and share the good news with everyone.

After all, in the days Luna Dawson had been unconscious, everyone else had already woken up and, one by one, awakened their superpowers.

Coming from a southern family, Luna Dawson felt an immediate wave of disgust at the thought of not having showered or washed her hair for four whole days. Her skin felt tight and sticky, and she felt as filthy as a cockroach scurrying through a trash can.

She scrambled out of bed and into the bathroom, where she meticulously scrubbed herself clean from head to toe.

With her hair wrapped in a fluffy towel and dressed in a soft set of Crayon Shin-chan pajamas, she carried Little Tiger in her arms, led Rollo by her side, and slowly made her way downstairs.

Just as she stepped onto the last stair, the villa’s main door clicked open. Miles Dawson stood in the doorway, with several other people behind him.

Four pairs of probing eyes stared straight ahead, meeting Luna Dawson’s gaze head-on.