You expect us to believe the world's ending in four days—and stockpile supplies for a war against Mutated Beasts? Are you out of your mind?
Li Jiangtian's voice cut through the smoky air of the VIP room, skepticism thick in his tone.
Kael leaned back, jaw tight as steel.
He repeated every word Elara had told him—about Superpowers, Mutated Beasts, the urgent need to stockpile.
To convince them, he made up two vague scenes from his "dream."
Too much detail would've felt fake—and he wasn't stupid enough to risk that.
The four men had started listening like they were hearing a bad novel.
But their smirks faded. Their expressions turned grave, one by one.
When Kael finished, the room fell deathly silent.
He finally spoke, voice low and firm, no room for doubt.
"I know the apocalypse sounds ridiculous. But my gut's screaming it's real."
"We'll know the truth by the 14th, max. I've got shit to do—I'm out. Prepare. That's an order."
Kael stood and left, the door slamming shut behind him.
Li Jiangtian squinted, slouching deep into the sofa.
After a long pause, he spoke slowly, breaking the silence.
"What do you guys think? About what the boss said."
"Apocalypse? Mutated Beasts? Superpowers?" Chen Zian scoffed, his usual lazy smile gone.
"Sounds like a fantasy movie plot."
"But if it was just some random dream, why'd he tell us so seriously?" Zhou Lin frowned, his voice gruff and low.
"He looked hesitant. Like even he's not fully sure."
"Of course he's not," Chen Zian cut in, indifference dripping from his tone.
"Who'd believe this shit unless they saw it with their own eyes?"
"Nah. The boss isn't the type to spout nonsense." Ye Haobo shrugged, his voice casual but certain.
"Nine times out of ten, he's right."
Li Jiangtian nodded, slamming his fist lightly on the table to settle the debate.
"We've known him long enough to trust his judgment."
"And even if it's a hoax? So what?"
"We can sell the supplies later. Prepare—no questions asked."
"We can sell the supplies later. Prepare—no questions asked."
Li Jiangtian was the brains of the group, despite ranking third.
His words carried weight—everyone listened.
Chen Zian smiled, nodding. Ye Haobo and Zhou Lin agreed too.
Meanwhile, Kael drove to the suburbs as darkness fell.
An abandoned food processing plant sat there—his secret armory. He'd been renting it to resell weapons.
A batch Zhou Lin had sourced for him a few days prior was still there, thanks to Elara's request to keep it.
The plant was reinforced with thick steel plates on three sides, an electric sliding door on the fourth.
Only one electronic lock secured it.
Forced entry would trigger a high-voltage current.
Enough to kill a man instantly.
No guards needed. Only Kael knew about this place.
He pressed the remote. The door slid up half a man's height.
Kael ducked inside. Five minutes later, he emerged, sliding the door shut and locking it again.
He got in his car and drove away, no hesitation in his movements.
Back at the villa, Elara finished dinner with her parents and retreated to her room.
For three straight days, she'd studied her Superpower nonstop.
Eating only when necessary, sleep a distant afterthought.
Her efforts paid off.
Elara sat cross-legged on her bed. Two purple weapons lay before her: a sword and a knife.
The sword was three centimeters wide, seventy centimeters long—thin as a cicada's wing, delicate yet deadly.
No extra carvings, just two letters—XM—engraved on the hilt. The tip, blade, handle—all forged naturally by her power.
No extra carvings, just two letters—XM—engraved on the hilt. The tip, blade, and handle were all forged naturally by her power.
The knife was ten centimeters wide, eighty centimeters long, one centimeter thick. Unassuming, with XL engraved on its handle.
The sword was for her. The knife, for Kael.
In the early days of the apocalypse, they couldn't reveal their Superpowers.
Not unless they wanted to be arrested by the government.
And no one knew when Kael's power would awaken.
These weapons would be their lifeline.
Ordinary guns and blades couldn't hurt Mutated Beasts.
But weapons forged with her Mutated Extreme Gold Superpower? They'd slice through a Level 1 Mutated Beast's thick fur like butter.
Elara smiled, gently touching the weapons. The purple glow faded, replaced by gold.
She picked up the knife in her left hand, the sword in her right.
With a thought, their golden light flashed—and they vanished into her arms.
Carrying them openly was too risky.
Hiding them elsewhere didn't feel safe.
Her body was the best vault.
Forged with her power, she could summon them anytime, in any form.
Elara checked the time: 9 PM on the 10th.
She hadn't seen Kael in days.
Time was running out.
She had things to discuss with him—urgent things.
She went downstairs to the living room, settling on the sofa to wait for his return.
Elsewhere, Reno Stark wiped sweat from his brow, his voice obsequious as he addressed Kael.
"Boss, what else are we missing? I've got all the rice, oil, clothes, and daily necessities you asked for."
Since Kael's call three nights ago—ordering him to stockpile for a "warehouse supermarket"—Reno hadn't slept much.
Carts of supplies filled a large warehouse he'd rented north of the city.
But Reno was confused.
No appliances, no furniture—just tons of gasoline and a generator. Supermarkets didn't sell gasoline in bulk.
No appliances, no furniture—just tons of gasoline and a generator. Supermarkets didn't sell gasoline in bulk.
And every time he delivered supplies, the warehouse was empty.
Even though he'd stuffed it three times over.
Still, he didn't ask.
Ten years with Kael had taught him to stay in his lane—ask no questions, follow orders.
Kael nodded, satisfied with Reno's silence.
He'd left the purchasing to Reno while he refitted cars, ordered more arms from Zhou Lin, and sold his father's antiques.
These past few days, he'd barely stopped moving.
"Tomorrow, stock up on fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of meat. That's it." Kael's voice was casual but sharp, leaving no room for argument.
Reno nodded and left.
Kael locked himself in the warehouse. An hour later, he emerged, locking it layer by layer before driving home.
It was 11 PM when he arrived.
The living room TV was on, its glow casting soft light on Elara—asleep on the sofa.
Kael held his breath, kneeling gently before her.
He stared greedily at her sleeping face—like a man starved, drinking in every detail.
Her beautiful brows, butterfly-wing eyelashes, plump pink lips, soft white neck—every curve made his mouth go dry.
Desire coiled in his gut, hot and unrelenting.
This quiet, defenseless Elara… so different from the cold, distant girl who usually avoided him like the plague.
A wild roar echoed in his head. Raw desire and greedy possession burned in his veins, turning his eyes bloodshot.
His breathing grew heavy.
Maybe his gaze was too hot. Elara frowned in her sleep, shifting uncomfortably.
Kael's sanity snapped back—partially. Shit. Not here. Not under his parents' roof.
Her attitude had only just softened—fragile, like thin ice.
One mistake, and he'd face her lifelong hatred. Irreversible.
He couldn't bear that.
But his eyes fixed on her lips. A voice whispered, urgent and tempting: Just one kiss. Gentle. Secret. She'll never know.
He held his breath, leaning in slow.
His lips brushed hers—soft, slow, grinding gently, savoring the sweetness.
Sweetness flooded his body—addictive, intoxicating, better than any drug.
He wanted more, needed more. His hands itched to pull her close, to deepen the kiss.
His eyes flushed red. Fear and longing warred in his chest.
Then Elara's eyelashes fluttered. She was waking up.
"Damn it," Kael cursed silently. He pulled away abruptly, stumbling to the entrance, pretending he'd just walked in.
Elara opened her eyes, squinting at Kael. Her voice was drowsy, lazy with sleep.
"You're back?"
Kael's face stiffened. Heat surged in his body—again. He cursed under his breath, jaw tight.
"Yeah. Need something? I'll shower first. We'll talk after."
He rushed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
Elara blinked, confused by his haste. Most of her drowsiness faded. She sat up, rubbing her brows, and sipped the cold tea on the coffee table.
She felt awake now.
Even a cold bath didn't calm Kael. He stayed in the shower for thirty minutes.
Only the icy water, pouring over his head, finally suppressed his burning desire.
He leaned against the wall, letting water pour over his head. Bitter laughter escaped him.
When would this suffocating longing end?
Kael walked out, wiping his hair with a towel. Cold, wet steam filled the air.
Elara frowned slightly, holding back her original question.
In her past life, Kael had always taken cold baths.
After the apocalypse, when there was no running water, he'd wiped his body with snowmelt—even in winter, even when his fingers turned blue.
Once they settled in the Safe Zone, he'd gone back to cold showers.
It was a habit. He never got sick from it.
Elara decided not to comment—pointless to argue with old habits.
"How's the preparation going?" She asked, shifting to her main concern.
"Almost done. One or two more days, max." Kael tossed the towel aside, his gaze falling on her empty teacup.
His brows furrowed, irritation flaring at the sight.
"You have a bad stomach. Drink less tea—especially herbal tea. It'll mess you up."
Elara froze. She hated milk, soda, coffee—only drank tea or water.
And she loved herbal tea, loved cold water. It was a hard habit to break.
But Kael was right. Her stomach had always been fragile, especially in high school.
Her mother's soups had helped, but it still acted up easily.
Full recovery would take time—time they didn't have.
She brushed off the topic, urgency returning. She leaned forward slightly, voice sharp with purpose.
"Now that we're almost ready… I think we should go to City X."
"Now that we're almost ready… I think we should go to City X."
## Next Chapter Highlight
## Next Chapter Highlight
City X? Kael's rage and confusion explode at Elara's sudden proposal—what hidden secret is she hiding about this place? As the 14th draws near, the sky darkens prematurely, and the first wisp of bloody fog creeps into the city, sending panic rippling through the streets. Kael's supply warehouse is breached by raiders, and in the chaos, his latent Superpower flickers to life—shocking his crew. Elara summons her Mutated Gold Sword to fight, her weapon's golden glow cutting through the fog and raiders alike. But as they race to flee for City X, Kael's stolen kiss is exposed—Elara tastes the lingering warmth on her lips, and her cold facade cracks. Worse, a horde of Level 1 Mutated Beasts blocks their escape route, and their new weapons are put to the ultimate test. Will they survive the first wave of the apocalypse? And will Elara's secret about City X tear them apart when they need to trust each other most?