"Then be specific. What exactly did you truly see in the future?"
Adonis looked at the tea table that had reappeared, and spoke slowly.
Hearing this, John quickly said, "At present, I've only seen the scene of the world collapsing and the appearance of nameless monsters. When the time comes, those who die suddenly turn into monsters. Beyond that… I don't know."
A lie. He had not actually awakened some so-called prophecy. He had been reborn. There was a vast amount of knowledge that humans in his previous life had needed a very long time to explore and understand, yet he already knew it.
For example, aside from the fact that many humans would turn into zombies, many others would also Awaken, becoming Awakeners and obtaining special powers, just like the spatial storage he possessed. More importantly, there was another crucial piece of information: Awakeners could use the crystals inside zombies' heads to increase their own strength. There were also many major events to come. Which places were safe, which places were dangerous, John could remember some of them, but he would not say it out loud.
John had already decided to use the least amount of information possible in exchange for the greatest benefits.
But at that moment, Adonis spoke again, "Very well. Then I will prepare for a large-scale war. When the time comes, I hope the Alexander family will follow orders so they can reach the stronghold safely. The government will not abandon you."
Hearing this, John could not help but be shocked. "What do you mean by saying that? We want the right to collect weapons!"
His voice rang out, almost immediately drawing the attention of the others.
Sensing that the situation did not look favorable, the Alexander family no longer cared about the agreement and walked in.
They looked at John with concern. "What's going on, my son?"
Mr. Alexander also turned his gaze toward Adonis. "Mr. Adonis, we discussed this earlier, didn't we? You can't go back on your word after speaking…"
"What did I say?"
Adonis looked at them. He was still sitting in his chair, clearly looking up at them, yet his presence did not diminish in the slightest.
Mr. Alexander could not help but pause.
In their view, news of the apocalypse was shocking no matter what. They had already exposed this secret instead of monopolizing it, so logically, they should have received correspondingly great benefits.
But seeing Adonis's attitude, another thought could not help but surface in Mr. Alexander's mind.
He murmured, "Could it be that the government…"
At this moment, Adonis stood up as well. He looked at the family of four and spoke slowly. "It is true that the government had its own speculations and contingency plans. We simply did not expect zombies to appear. John's information is undeniably useful, so the government will reserve a place for you in the stronghold, ensuring your safety during the early period of chaos. I believe that should be enough."
John trembled. He did not want this. He wanted power. He wanted crystals. He wanted to keep growing stronger. With his abilities, as long as he gathered enough food, why would he need to fear being unable to build his own stronghold?
He had been reborn. How could he be willing to live an ordinary life?
Mr. Alexander was still speaking incessantly. "But John has spatial storage. He can store a great deal of food and ammunition…"
Adonis shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't trust John either."
The group froze. They had never expected that things would turn out this way. Now that they had caught the government's attention, not to mention stockpiling ammunition, every one of their actions might be placed under strict surveillance.
Only then did the Alexander family understand what it felt like to lift a stone only to smash it onto their own feet.
John was filled with resentment. He could not accept this. He needed more advantages. He wanted to stand above others!
So before he could properly think it through, he blurted out, "Actually, I still have other information…"
In the next instant, he instinctively covered his mouth, looking up in panic, only to see his family staring at him in shock. As for Adonis, for the first time since his appearance, a smile appeared on his face.
Yet it was not truly a smile. It was merely the slight curve of his lips, devoid of any emotion, like some kind of beast that had finally lured its prey into a trap.
At this moment, John did not even know whether he should continue speaking or keep his mouth shut.
But Adonis had already spoken. "It seems John will willingly take a trip with us. We still have many things to talk about."
By this point, was there even such a thing as a way out?
Even if they wanted to retreat, Adonis would not allow it.
"Boom! Crash!"
After a long while, the ground once again welcomed a fierce thunderstorm.
The forecast had said the weather had long since stabilized, though this so-called stability still seemed prone to sudden sunshine followed by sudden rain.
Louis snapped his eyes open in the dead of night. He closed the window and looked toward the calendar at the side. Even in the darkness, his eyes could still clearly grasp whatever he wanted to see.
Ten days remained in the countdown until the apocalypse truly arrived…
Louis narrowed his eyes. In an instant, it was as if countless streaks of light flashed past his vision. In the blink of an eye, he appeared inside the Inner Realm. The light above never went out, gentle and warm.
Although it was risky, Louis had already tested it during this period. He could drink the water from the pond inside, though he did not know whether an ordinary person could do the same.
Of course, he could not soak in the water while drinking it at the same time. That was why a bathtub had appeared in Louis's house recently. He released the water into it, soaking himself while letting his blood drip for Varkas.
At this moment, Louis went to take a look at his orchard.
After this period of time, all the trees in his garden had grown to over a meter tall. With this rate of growth, perhaps after another month they would begin to bloom and bear fruit. As for the tubers, there was no need to mention them. Louis had not harvested them, yet they continued to grow, although at a rather slow pace. Even so, Louis still did not know when they would grow enough to flower. He also needed to obtain seeds from them.
In the end, Louis went back out and reappeared at the same spot where he had disappeared earlier. Outside, thunder and lightning were still raging fiercely. Each shockwave seemed to make the ground tremble slightly, giving the feeling that the sky might collapse at any moment.
Louis slowly walked into the bathroom and stopped in front of the blood circle.
The moment he appeared, a black shadow agilely leapt out, only to crash violently into the dark purple pillar of light surrounding it, forcing it to fall back.
Varkas opened his mouth and let out a threatening sound. His amber-colored eyes stared at Louis as if ready to bite off his neck at any time.
Varkas's soul had already returned to his body, but he was still not strong enough. That was why, no matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free from the pillar of light enclosing him.
He still did not meet the qualifications to become Louis's retainer.
However, Varkas's attitude itself was also a problem. It felt as if his resentment was growing stronger by the day. Moreover, Louis could now clearly sense that this resentment was directed at him.
But Louis truly did not understand what could have caused Varkas to harbor such hatred. Could it be that Varkas had originally only wanted to die?
That did not seem right either. If Varkas had willingly wanted to die, then when he was nothing more than a corpse, he should not have been radiating such intense resentment.
Even so, Louis did not spend much time dwelling on it.
No matter what Varkas's attitude was, until he broke through the confinement and escaped, their blood contract was already complete.
So what if Varkas resented him. In the end, he would still have to become Louis's loyal retainer.
In Louis's eyes, this was nothing more than a tool to increase his own strength. He had saved Varkas not to give him a chance to bite his neck.
Louis stood up and walked out.
Varkas watched the figure of Louis disappear. Only after the door had completely closed did he curl back up, his eyes still wide open, staring fixedly at the door.
He wanted nothing more than to claw out that man's eyes. That cold, emotionless gaze was truly detestable.
Once he got out, he would tear that man's body into countless pieces!
Everyone harbored different thoughts about the future, yet the countdown to the apocalypse was drawing ever closer…