My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 293

Chapter 293: Chapter 293 What To Do?
If she calculates the timeline for the second-generation awakeners, they might manifest their abilities within one to three months. Given that the first awakening occurred six months earlier than anticipated, it’s reasonable to expect the second wave to emerge sooner as well. The same early occurrence could apply to the evolving zombies, especially since they’ve already seen the signs of zombies evolving and have already encountered two.

Now, only did she realize too, why the evolved zombies are all stronger than superhumans. It might also be because not only do they have the complete power coming from the virus without needing to filter it but because just like on the human’s side, the zombies might also have those with talents and gifts, and now that she thinks about it, she hasn’t tried peering through the zombies if she could also see their status windows since it was working for the special items with spiritual signatures.

This is something she’ll need to explore further. If she can use this information to her advantage, it would be incredibly useful for countering zombies. Kisha now realizes the importance of dedicating time to testing it out thoroughly.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Tristant posed a question. “Young Madam, how can you be certain that those people won’t turn and awaken an ability? It doesn’t quite make sense to me. Is there some pattern or logic to it?” He tilted his head to the side, clearly trying to grasp the concept.

“Honestly, there’s no visible pattern you could discern with the naked eye or through scientific methods,” Kisha explained with a shrug. “But I have my own methods for identifying who’s more likely to awaken abilities and who isn’t. I can even gauge who’s more likely to successfully awaken, which is why I arranged it the way I did at the medical facility.” She spoke pragmatically, though her tone carried a hint of jest. Despite the casual demeanor, she was being truthful. Whether they took her seriously was up to them; explaining her gift, ‘Eye of Truth,’ would be too complicated.

She had no issue sharing this with Duke, but with others, it was a different story. So she continued, “Since the mass awakening is underway, I was thinking we could wait for the warriors who’ve awakened abilities and assign them to the team heading to the textile factory. This would serve as real training for them, and even if they’re bitten, they won’t turn into zombies because they already have the virus under control in their bodies.”

“But of course, that also means that as superhumans ourselves, we’ll need to put extra effort into guiding them in harnessing their newfound abilities. This responsibility would fall on…” Kisha said, scanning the room.

“I’ll handle it. Since I’m already managing the training, incorporating this additional task will be seamless. That way, those who awaken in the future will be knowledgeable and prepared, even if their awakening happens outside our controlled environment,” Duke offered, presenting himself without a hint of hesitation, as casually as if he were discussing dinner plans.

Kisha nodded thoughtfully. “So, I suggest we only take those who have already awakened and those who can definitely handle themselves outside. Once we’re out there, everything becomes unpredictable, and we can’t guarantee that we’ll always be able to watch over every team member,” she said, considering the logistics of the textile factory mission.

“We? What do you mean by ‘we’? You’re staying here and wait for me to return,” Duke said, pinching Kisha’s cheeks, which took her by surprise.

“No! It would be safer for me to be there,” Kisha argued, her frustration evident. “It would also be more efficient to clear everything inside the factory in one go, rather than making multiple trips. Besides, if we don’t handle it all at once, other factions might notice our movements and ambush our team. I don’t want to be sidelined from this mission,” she said, her anger rising. Honestly, she feels like hitting Duke right now for trying to keep her from doing what’s necessary.”

“But, don’t I have the strength to lead the team and complete the mission? Besides, didn’t you want to keep your ‘Space Type’ ability a secret from everyone in the shelter because revealing it would complicate things? If we only take the essentials and keep making trips, it might become a good option too. Or maybe, if we’re lucky, another ‘Space Type’ user might emerge from those currently awakening,” Duke said, his tone softening as he spoke. He looked like a wounded puppy, his voice pitifully low. Realizing he might have come off as too controlling, he began to backtrack, trying to avoid putting Kisha in a position where she felt restricted.

Kisha then recalled her earlier thoughts. She had indeed planned to keep her Space Ability concealed from the masses to avoid any inconvenience it might cause. She had also decided that the team going outside would make multiple trips to prevent anyone at the base from suspecting anything as they were going to be transporting huge amounts of resources and machinery from the outside.

But when she heard Duke’s domineering tone, it sparked a rebellious streak in her, making her feel like she wanted to defy him. It was as if a chord had been struck, causing her to bristle. Although Duke’s desire to protect her seemed sweet and she appreciated it, the idea of being so sheltered made her uneasy. She feared that indulging in such protection might lead her to become too dependent and weak.

Besides, after surviving in the apocalypse for so long, the notion of being constantly protected had become somewhat irrelevant. She had learned that being powerful and self-reliant was the best option. Engaging in battles and facing challenges head-on would help her solidify her foundation and energy, especially since she had just recently leveled up.

Seeing Duke’s downcast expression made her reconsider her stance. She realized she might have been overreacting, so she decided to back down. “Alright, let’s see what abilities those going through the awakening tonight develop. We’ll finalize the list of those who will join the mission in two days. In the meantime, make sure to train them thoroughly and ensure they understand their abilities well so they can be effective out there,” Kisha said, shrugging her shoulders and taking a deep breath to calm herself.

Duke hugged her tightly, a broad smile on his face. “I knew you understood me best!” he said, his tone affectionate and playful. Despite her inclination to indulge him further, Kisha noticed that their audience was cringing at the sight of the usually formidable Duke acting so endearingly towards his wife. It was an eye-opener for many to see such a big guy displaying such tender affection.

Aston hesitated, not wanting to disrupt the couple’s moment, but he knew he had to bring up the main reason for the meeting. “What about the strategy we are going for?” he asked gently, hoping to address the matter without causing any discomfort.

“Hmmm, regarding the strategy, we can’t always depend on Sparrow to lead the zombies away while the main group gathers what we need,” Kisha said thoughtfully, her expression deep in contemplation.