The crowd imdiately erupted into a commotion.
"Go? How are we supposed to go? Do you even have a direction?"
"Exactly! If we’re still out here when night falls, we’ll freeze to death, won’t we?"
"We’re dead no matter which way we go!"
Theodore Frost frowned. These weren’t his people, just ordinary civilians. There was truly nothing he could do about them.
’But we can’t find the way, so I can’t really bla them, can I?’
’The robots malfunctioned, and there was nothing to be done about it. The country had already invested so much to prepare for the apocalypse. Who could have predicted it would start early here, or that the temperature would drop so rapidly?’
’Everything was unexpected. The fact that we’ve managed to respond this well is a testant to our quick action. But why can’t so people understand that? Why do they have to stand here shouting and cursing?’
Theodore Frost was growing weary. It wasn’t worth it. He had half a mind to abandon these people and walk away.
"So you don’t know the way either, right?"
Silas Hawthorne’s gaze swept over the crowd. In an instant, their cursing grew even louder.
"You’re the captain! You have to take responsibility!"
"Yeah, this is all your fault!"
"We demand an explanation!"
As the few of them continued to babble on, Sue Lawrence snorted coldly. "Demand an explanation from him? Are you kidding ? We’re the ones who ca to save you. Without us, without our Liquid Nitrogen Anti-cold Suits, you’d still be trapped down there without even a sip of hot water to drink. What gives you the nerve to demand an explanation from us?"
’What’s wrong with them?’ Sue Lawrence thought. ’How can people be so shaless? So ungrateful!’
"Besides, we only got stuck here because you all dragged us down! Our original squad was back at the base yesterday, eating well, drinking heartily, and sleeping in warm beds! If anyone should be demanding answers, it should be from you! You’re the ones who should be taking responsibility!"
"Nobody asked you to co!"
"Yeah! Since you ca, you have to be responsible!"
’Damn, are they nuts?’
Just as Sue Lawrence was about to step forward, Silas Hawthorne grabbed her and pulled her back. He shook his head lightly. "No need. Not in this frozen wasteland. Don’t damage the anti-cold suit."
Nothing was more important than the anti-cold suits.
Sue Lawrence frowned. She knew Silas Hawthorne ant well. But without their helts, the Liquid Nitrogen Anti-cold Suits lacked their advanced functions, and she couldn’t privately ssage him to ask what he was thinking.
So she snorted coldly. "I know the way back, but I don’t want to take you. You people disgust !"
"You know the way back?"
Everyone was stunned for a mont, then soone burst out laughing.
"We know your Superpower has to do with climbing. What, are you telling us you can navigate too?"
Sue Lawrence couldn’t be bothered to respond to them. She just said, "Apologize. Apologize to Silas Hawthorne. Otherwise, I’m not taking you anywhere."
"You can really lead us back?"
"I can!"
"And if you can’t?"
The leader of the group clearly didn’t believe her. Jason Sterling, too, was staring at her skeptically.
Sue Lawrence herself had to laugh. "If I can’t lead us back, I’ll die out here too. You think I’m going to risk my own life?"
When she put it that way, it actually made sense.
The people looked at each other, and in the end, they relented.
In the face of survival, everything else was trivial, including their pride.
The few people who had just been pointing and cursing at Silas Hawthorne could only walk up to the man, bow deeply one by one, and offer incredibly sincere apologies.
"We’re sorry. We were reckless just now."
"I apologize. I just want to live so badly."
"I’m sorry."
Watching them apologize one by one, Theodore Frost’s eyes went wide.
’This Sue Lawrence girl really has so tricks up her sleeve,’ he thought. ’A mont ago, these people were cursing her out, but she didn’t say a word and just let her strength do the talking. And now, she’s practically forcing them to bow their heads and apologize to Silas Hawthorne.’
’Tsk, tsk. Those two were alone for a bit. I wonder if sothing happened between them?’
His gaze shifted between the two of them. ’I recall how, when they first t, Silas Hawthorne seed to have a good impression of Sue Lawrence. They had even chatted quite pleasantly.’
After the few of them finished apologizing, they returned to Sue Lawrence and said, "There. Satisfied?"
"I am. In the future, if you don’t have what it takes, don’t run your mouth. Soone ca to save you and this is how you act? They could have just left you to die, you know?"
The group completely shut their mouths and said nothing more.
Silas Hawthorne wanted to say sothing, but he also kept his mouth shut. ’I’m not exactly noble myself,’ he thought. ’The only one I really wanted to save was Theodore Frost. It’s not every day you get an S Level Human-shaped Weapon. It would be a real waste for him to die in this apocalyptic freeze before the zombies even show up.’
"Well? Lead the way."
The group was getting anxious. They really didn’t want to stay out here any longer. They really didn’t want to die.
"Fine. Dominic Trent, get out so snowboards."
Dominic Trent, suddenly put on the spot: ...
’I’m being treated like Doraemon,’ he thought. ’Everyone asks for everything. I an, I did hoard so, but...’
"Hurry up! Walking is too slow. We’ll never get back before dark. Snowboarding is the fastest way!"
’A dogsled is out of the question. We don’t have any dogs, or a sled for that matter.’
Dominic Trent looked miserable. He had actually wanted to keep them for his own use, but he realized now that was a hopeless dream.
So he could only glumly take out the snowboards and hand them out one by one. Then, Sue Lawrence turned her head and activated her Superpower—the pathfinding Ability of an ant.
This Ability was amazing. A dotted line would naturally form in her mind’s eye, like a trajectory, appearing on the snow before her.
Even though the environnt had changed and the surrounding buildings were no longer recognizable landmarks, she still found the direction with unerring accuracy.
"This way."
The group exchanged doubtful glances. Even Theodore Frost hesitated for a mont.
It was already past noon. If this was the wrong direction, night would fall before they made it back.
’The temperature at night will be even lower than during the day. Can they survive it?’
He glanced worriedly at Silas Hawthorne, but to his surprise, the man didn’t hesitate at all. He turned in the direction Sue Lawrence had pointed and imdiately took a step forward.
’He trusts her that much?’
’Is it really going to be okay?’
Theodore Frost was stunned for a second, then his confidence returned. He didn’t know Sue Lawrence well, but he trusted Silas Hawthorne.
As for the rest, the soldiers naturally followed Theodore Frost—they’d do whatever he did. Dominic Trent and Jason Sterling, however, instinctively felt a sense of unease.
"Are you sure?"
Even Dominic Trent couldn’t help but ask. He himself was wavering. After all, the idea that Sue Lawrence was useless was deeply ingrained in their minds, thanks to Jason Sterling and Tiana Lynch, who would repeat it countless tis a day.
’So, can she really do this?’
"You’re free to pick your own direction otherwise."
Sue Lawrence was perfectly calm.
"Alright, get the injured onto the boards."
They set up so iron plates as makeshift sleds, securing them with ropes. The able-bodied mbers tied ropes around themselves, and then everyone pulled in unison.
’Pick our own direction? Yeah, better not.’
’For now, we’ll just have to trust this woman. Our luck can’t be *that* bad, can it?’
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