My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 65

Chapter 65 Let’s eat
“Little madam, there’s another one here!” Sparrow exclaimed, handing over another crystal core to Kisha.

They had already agreed not to engage with zombies in sight. Thus far, their route had been relatively smooth, encountering only small groups numbering in the dozens. However, as they ventured deeper into the inner part of the western district, avoiding larger hordes became increasingly challenging.

They had no choice but to engage the zombies. Out of the 20 they’d killed, they’d only retrieved two crystal cores. With a total of six in their possession now, they knew they needed more. If luck didn’t favor them, even after killing 20 zombies, they might only acquire one core or worse, none at all.

They’d been out for over six hours, venturing deeper but still not enough to cover the entire western district. It seemed like it might take a week or even two to thoroughly search the area on foot, navigating like in a maze, ensuring not a single spot was left unexplored.

While the statement was figurative, thanks to the drones and Sparrow, they didn’t actually need to physically traverse every inch themselves; it was already mapped out by the bees. However, Kisha and the others still moved about, ensuring they remained vigilant and never grew complacent, particularly the two who had recently awakened.

Kisha concluded that people would likely begin awakening their abilities within a month, if not sooner. With only a few weeks at most, they couldn’t afford to waste time, especially since they still had no clue about the whereabouts of the other Winters.

The inherent adaptability of humans meant that some would undoubtedly uncover the secrets of the crystal cores soon after awakening. This foreboded the emergence of even more challenges. Just contemplating this possibility sent a sudden surge of headaches assaulting Kisha.

Observing the towering apartment buildings surrounding them, Kisha suggested, “Let’s take a break and conserve our stamina. We’ll let Bell and the others handle the scouting in this area.”

To prevent the bees from becoming exhausted due to nonstop flying, Kisha organized Bell to establish a rotation system consisting of at least 10 groups of drones for scouting. Each group would fly for a designated period before returning to rest, then be replaced by the next batch in rotation.

This arrangement proved highly effective. To prevent any vulnerability during the shift change, Bell ensured that the bees exchanged positions midway through the rotation. This synchronized movement meant that as some bees returned, others would be emerging, maintaining a continuous surveillance presence without any gaps for potential exploitation.

This was made possible by Bell’s diligence in recruiting regular bees from the surrounding area. So far, she had amassed thousands of bees under her command. While these regular bees lacked combat abilities, their dedication to scouting and their sheer numbers provided comprehensive coverage in all directions.

“Little Madam, I found a promising vantage point on the second floor of that building at the end of the road. It offers good coverage and multiple exits,” Sparrow indicated with a gesture, leading the way forward.

Kisha nodded, following Sparrow’s lead as they walked onward. She couldn’t help but notice how Vulture and Sparrow had started addressing her as “little madam,” and Duke hadn’t corrected them. Their dynamic had become ambiguous, and Kisha hadn’t attempted to clarify it either, as she herself wasn’t sure where she stood with Duke.

And they didn’t have time to delve deeper into that matter for now, as they had more pressing tasks to attend to.

“Let’s be real, host. You couldn’t help but enjoy it, didn’t you? After all, you’ve had a soft spot for the Tyrant Emperor for quite some time.” 008 chuckled inwardly as it teased her, but sensing Kisha’s rising temper, it retreated to the depths of her consciousness once more.

They’ve engaged in this banter for so long that 008 has grown rather cheeky when it comes to teasing Kisha about her relationship with Duke. Despite Kisha’s frustration, she finds it difficult to lose her temper with 008, as it always seems to sense when she’s on the verge of exploding and promptly retreats.

After reaching the second floor of the building at the road’s end, Kisha and the others settled onto the chilly floor to recuperate and regain their lost energy. Taking advantage of the outdoor setting, Kisha retrieved a portable stove and pot from her inventory, swiftly setting them up to boil some water.

“Will instant noodles suffice for everyone?” she inquired, though she had already begun extracting four packs of Shin Ramyun noodles from her inventory. Anticipating the smaller pot’s capacity, she also retrieved four sets of portable stoves and pots.

As the water began to heat up, Kisha proceeded to retrieve four eggs, luncheon meat, enoki mushrooms, soft tofu, and leeks from her supplies. Prior to diving into the task of cutting the ingredients, she made sure to thoroughly wash her hands with water and soap, ensuring cleanliness before food preparation.

Initially, Duke attempted to take charge of the cooking, but Kisha intervened. “I’m not completely hopeless, you know. I can handle this,” she asserted, brushing off Duke’s attempt to take the knife from her.

Duke couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he observed her bustling about, while the other two men relaxed, patiently awaiting their light meal.

Yes, this is what a light meal is to them because their usual meal was not something anyone could see in the apocalypse, they would always have rice, a fish dish, meat, and vegetables.

When the water reached a rolling boil, Kisha added the noodles along with their powdered condiments, covering the pot for a minute to allow them to soften. Afterward, she removed the lids and arranged the freshly cut toppings, cracking an egg atop the noodles. With the lid back in place, she let the mixture simmer for a few more minutes, ensuring that the noodles cooked thoroughly alongside the toppings and egg.

Once everything had cooked to perfection, Kisha delicately arranged the green leeks as a garnish. She then proceeded to portion out individual servings for each of the four of them, accompanied by a set of chopsticks, a spoon, and a fork for each. With their preferred utensils in hand, they were free to enjoy their meal as they pleased, Kisha ensuring they had their own personalized dining experience.

While she’s digging on her own food, she opened her own status window to see the changes.

[Kisha Aldens]

Level 0

Strength: 20 (+ 10)

Stamina: 25 (+ 10)

Defense: 21 (+ 10)

Agility: 24 (+ 10)

Mental Capacity: 35 (+ 10)

Charm: 30 (+ 10)

Leadership: 31 (+ 10)

Title: 100th Life (additional 10 stat points in all stats)

Skills: None

Talent: Close Combat, Heightened Senses

Gift: Pheonix’s Nirvana, Eye of Truth

Pet: 1

She could readily observe the tangible improvements in her stats following their continuous battles. Despite the absence of experience points to aid in leveling up and enhancing their overall stats, which would naturally reflect in their physical abilities and bodily functions, they had no choice but to rely on manual training. While slower than leveling up, this method was their sole option for gradually building their foundations and enhancing their stats in the current circumstances.

Upon leveling up, their stats cap would correspondingly increase, allowing their physique to potentially surpass the limits achievable by ordinary humans. This inherent advantage of the awakened, compared to those who have yet to unlock their abilities, lies in the continuous enhancement of their physical capabilities through leveling.