"Dammit!" Scarlett muttered as she glanced at Garvin, her gaze sharp with determination. "Rose is still alive in the mall, but she’s in danger."
Although the pendant Rose carried wasn’t actually the source of Scarlett’s powers, but seeing Rose at risk had sparked sothing protective in her. Scarlett knew she and Matthew shared a deep bond, and despite the awful truth, that he had beco one of the monsters, she couldn’t bear to accept it fully.
’With so many monsters surrounding her , every kill grants more coins,’ she thought to herself, strategizing her next steps. ’The mall isn’t safe, and we can’t stay here forever. I need to gather teammates, build a haven using the items I can buy with coins, and protect as many people as I can before this apocalypse swallows everything whole... and before the second one begins."
The lack of a countdown from the system haunted her. ’What if everything ends before I’ve built a safe haven?’ she wondered. ’Where would it even be? The world is overrun with monsters. How am I supposed to locate a place free from all this chaos?’
Ding!
{There is a haven, host. A safe place in Eridoria, protected by a powerful seal and free from monsters, but locating it depends on you.}
{Moreover, you’re not the only chosen one, as I’ve ntioned. There are others with abilities similar to yours, and you’ll need to unite if you want to succeed.}
"How do I find them? Where do I even begin?" Scarlett asked, her curiosity piqued, her brows furrowed.
Ding!
{You’ll encounter them along your journey. Like you ntioned, this mall isn’t safe for long. Monsters will detect you eventually, no matter how quiet you stay. When you leave to explore other places, you’ll et new people, and you’ll recognize other chosen ones when you see them.}
{Also, each of you has a limited supply of resources in your system. Even with enough coins, you won’t be able to purchase certain critical items once these resources deplete. You’ll need the combined resources of all the chosen ones to build the safe haven.}
"Damn it!" Scarlett muttered, frustrated but now more resolute.
"Hey? What’s on your mind?" Garvin’s voice sliced through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. She looked around, noticing everyone’s eyes on her. Apparently, her silent communication with the system hadn’t gone unnoticed; her intense expression had given her away.
"Are you okay?" Mary asked, her brows raised in concern. "You’ve been staring into space for what feels like forever."
"I’m fine," Scarlett replied with a sigh. "Just... thinking things over."
"So, you said Rose is still in the mall and in danger?" Louise scoffed, folding his arms. "Serves her right, if you ask ."
"We need to get that pendant back from her," Mary said, her voice trembling. "When you said she’s in danger, did you an she’s surrounded by monsters?" Her wide-eyed gaze t Scarlett’s.
Scarlett nodded. "Yes. She’s cornered, and it’s only a matter of ti."
"Figures," Louise chid in, not waiting for Scarlett to finish. "We need to get the pendant back, then let the monsters make her their dinner."
"Co on, don’t say that," Garvin interrupted, pacing the room. "Yes, Rose took the pendant, but she’s still one of us. We save her, then take it back."
"How do we even save her?" he continued, frustration seeping into his tone. "The pendant is our lifeline! Without it, Scarlett can’t access her powers, and all our supplies are tied to it. We’re weaponless. How do we fight through monsters to get to her?"
"Seriously," Louise said, his voice taut with anger. "She knew the pendant was essential to keeping us alive and out of danger. So people are just... selfish."
Scarlett cut in. "Even though Rose has the pendant, she can’t use it. The pendant will never recognize her as its master, it’s bound to . So it’s useless to her."
Mary’s eyes widened. "You an... we still have access to food, weapons, and everything else through you?"
"Yes," Scarlett affird, her voice steady. "So let’s stop arguing. If we want to save Rose, I have the resources we need."
"Good! Now Rose can die, pay for her sins. I hate selfish people the most," Louise muttered, with a bitter chuckle. "That pendant will be her undoing. No wonder she’s trapped, helpless against those monsters. Serves her right for putting Matthew before everyone else, even after he turned into one of those creatures."
Garvin spoke up, his face serious. "We need to help her, Louise. She only did it because she thought she could save a friend. I think she realizes now what a mistake it was."
"Are you kidding ?" Louise rolled his eyes. "You’re still on her side, Mr. Hero? I don’t care if she did it to help a friend. I’ve lost plenty of friends in this apocalypse too. Do you see risking the group to do sothing stupid? She didn’t care about us when she stole that pendant. So why should we care if she lives or dies?"
"Both of you, enough!" Mrs. Anderson’s voice rang out, her gaze hard and steady on the two n. "If you keep yelling, the monsters will find us here long before we’re ready to move."
Scarlett squared her shoulders, a small but fierce smile tugging at her lips. "I’m going to save Rose. We’ll need to clear out those monsters if we’re going to leave the mall anyway."
Mr. Anderson frowned, arms crossed. "You shouldn’t make a decision like that on impulse, Scarlett. Sure, you’ve got your powers, but that doesn’t make you invincible. You could still get bitten, and then what? Turn into a monster. You might not have turned into one when you first get bitten but you might after the second bite. Putting your life on the line for one person isn’t worth it."
"I’m going with her," Garvin stepped forward, standing beside Scarlett. "She’s not going alone. The rest of you can stay here and wait for us."
Scarlett glanced over at him, seeing his expectant smile. It was clear he thought she’d thank him for his loyalty.
"You’re not going anywhere, mister," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argunt.
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