My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Chapter 267 Being the Pioneer
Everyone below cried out in astonishment and disbelief. They remained in a prolonged state of shock, trying to process the information Kisha had shared while staring at the sky, where only smoke lingered from the explosion.

Duke stepped back, positioning himself closer behind Kisha. She allowed a moment for everyone to react, knowing this information would be difficult to accept or understand as it was far beyond their previous experiences. Surprisingly, the younger ones were the quickest to accept it. Like Keith, they loved reading fantasy novels and manhua, which made their worldview more open and accepting of these emerging powers.

In fact, they were even more eager to hear about what Kisha and her people had discovered after experiencing the fever. Sensing their excitement, Kisha continued her explanation. “As you can see, my husband has awakened the ability to control lightning and fire,” she began. Calling him her husband in front of so many people made Duke’s heart skip a beat, a wide, prideful smile spreading across his lips.

“But these awakened abilities don’t seem to be limited to just fire and lightning. We’ve discovered powers involving water, wind, earth, and even abilities beyond natural elements. However, we believe not everyone will be able to awaken an ability. We’re unsure if there are specific qualifications or if it’s simply a gift from the heavens or a latent potential. Regardless, I believe that even if not everyone awakens, we will still stand a chance against the zombies. This might also be connected to the zombies themselves, as they grew stronger after the first raid. Perhaps this is the heavens’ way of balancing things out.”

To be honest, Kisha was mixing lies with truths, essentially spouting a bunch of bullcrap. She couldn’t exactly tell them she had died and come back to life, nor that her knowledge about awakened abilities and the probability of awakening came from a scientist she met who had uncovered the origin of the zombie virus and the awakening process.

Unable to reveal most of what she had learned in her past life, Kisha had to blend truths with bullcrap, hoping it would make sense to everyone. It was essential to inform them about the awakened abilities, not only to help the base gain more power to defend against zombie raids but also to earn the people’s trust.

If she portrayed herself and her people in a positive light, the people’s faith would naturally shift towards them. As the first to brave the dangers to understand the virus and discover the awakened abilities, their respect and trust in Kisha and her team would skyrocket, placing them on a pedestal. This way, if Kisha made a bold and seemingly dangerous decision in the future, the people would be more likely to trust her and believe in her ability to lead them to safer options.

Because in the near future, such outrageous situations would inevitably arise, forcing her to make life-and-death decisions for many. Without the absolute trust of her people, she would be fighting not only the enemy but also facing resistance from within.

Although it was a distant future, she wanted to begin building the people’s trust and her image now. Few would question the logic of the awakened abilities; most would be excited about their potential. This revelation would spark hope and enthusiasm, encouraging more people to register for warrior recruitment.

The sequence of her actions was crucial. While the people were still energized by the revelation of the awakened abilities, their excitement and hope were high. It was important to leverage this moment to give them an extra push, encouraging as many as possible to seize this opportunity and enlist as warriors.

“As many of you may know, my team and I have been outside the shelter for a few days, rescuing survivors. But our experiences went beyond just these rescues; we faced numerous challenges and made several discoveries. Among these discoveries is this.” Kisha held up a bottle of Scarlet Honey. Its glittery appearance, with a rainbow-like luster, gave it an almost luxurious quality, resembling honey mixed with glitter. While its appearance might seem extraordinary at first glance, the people below still did not know that it was an elixir or something of significant value.

“We discovered that this substance has the potential to strengthen a person’s constitution. While it doesn’t guarantee awakening, it could improve one’s overall strength and help individuals push beyond their limits, even if they don’t achieve an awakening.”

“Although we don’t have scientific proof yet, you can trust that my team and I are presenting our findings based on our own experiences. We hadn’t planned to reveal this discovery so soon, as we’re still uncertain about its full benefits. What I’ve shared is largely speculative, but we did notice significant differences, which might explain the superhuman abilities we’ve awakened.

Due to the limited supply, we can only offer one bottle to those who join our defense force to ensure our warriors are strong and battle-ready. We will make every effort to distribute more of this substance through the Supply Center so that everyone has a chance to obtain it. However, please be aware that it will likely be very expensive.”

Kisha aimed to present the Scarlet Honey as a remarkable substance that her team discovered, without revealing its true origins. By obscuring the source, she not only protected it but also created the narrative that it was developed using a special recipe from unique herbs or mutant plants. Her goal was to establish this as common knowledge so that even if individuals from other shelters or bases came across the Scarlet Honey and attempted to identify its composition, they would only waste their efforts on futile research, unable to uncover its true nature.

Although it appeared as if Kisha was laying all her cards on the table, revealing everything to the people, she was actually withholding the most critical information that could endanger her and her team. She only shared what she believed they would eventually uncover on their own. Humans have an inherent drive to uncover the truth, so the crystal cores and the nature of the awakened abilities would likely be discovered by someone in the future. By being the first to reveal this information, Kisha not only expedited the discovery but also secured the benefits associated with being a pioneer, enhancing her and her team’s standing in the eyes of others.

The crowd erupted in cheers and excitement upon hearing Kisha’s news, showing an unexpected level of reverence. They began to view her almost as a goddess, a reaction that surpassed her expectations. As soon as she finished her explanation, nearly all the able-bodied men formed a single file, chanting in unison, “All hail the City Lord! All hail the Hope Base! We will serve the Base! Hoohaa!”

Their voices reverberated through the square, and the ground trembled from the sheer excitement as the crowd stamped their feet in unison.

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