Chapter 541 (2/2)

She trailed off for a second, then snapped back into focus. “What I’m saying is that I believe that the obsidian armored man was in fact a foreign power. But he was not a person. He was Zone 1’s Nemesis.”

Everyone fell silent again. Simon opened his eyes slowly. “I had felt something was wrong. But to think… well, as you expect, I have tested my limits. I cannot leave the Zone. I am bound here. I did not lie. Nothing changed after joining the wider world. I can dream of anything under the sun, as long as I dream it here.”

“...so the working theory is that there is System created, super powerful terrorists,” Donny said slowly. “That can move from Zone to Zone. And as more Zones connect to the wider world, the more of them there will be… can they be killed?”

This final question was directed at Lyra. She nodded. “Plus, all Champions’ powers currently grow fuzzy around the Nemesis. A head start. When there are more, that fuzziness will fade, so they can be located more easily.”

“Better to kill them now. I’ll look into it,” Mrs. Hamilton said with a nod.

Donny almost wanted to smile. If today was any other day, he would have smiled at the relentless practicality of the woman. Just like that, a whole new series of threats were coming their way, but she faced it unflinchingly. Donny wished for that assuredness.

He also wished that the Ghosthound was still here. Because what he had to do next was very difficult. But the Ghosthound had made his choice clear, and it made sense. Donnyton needed to grow on its own. It couldn’t rely on that man’s strength forever.

With a sigh, Donny stood. The rest followed his lead. “Well, let’s get to it. This funeral won’t run itself.”

*****

Randidly left the compound before Tatiana had emerged, content to return another time to speak with her about her presence there. He moved Nathan and the rest into town, where they took up residence in his small hovel-like it was nothing. Tanya seemed the most happy, because there was a distinct lack of hairdressers in the steelworkers’ town.

But Karlito took all of an hour to ingratiate himself with some seedy looking workers and was soon playing dice while preparing his stew. Bruya hummed softly and began curing leather from some monster they had killed. Tykes was surly and seemed perpetually looking West, towards the girl he had carried.

Nathan was the most delighted because he finally had some children his own age to play with.

Each wore a powerful illusion, as their faces were known to Ghost, which was another headache that Randidly needed to explain to Tatiana. But that could wait for now.

Randidly had intended to return to the smelting rooms, to make some more metals, but he was stopped by another large screen that the Unity Church had erected. Now, they were talking about asking for volunteers in the building of their new shelters for the rapidly growing number of refugees. The government predicted another wave of suburbs would be freed up in a week, and they needed labor to finish the project in time.

“We are also happy to announce,” An elderly man said with a stern face, making his message somewhat comical, “that the Unity Church will now be purchasing large quantities of steel made from this location for its construction, and even more importantly many of the drones produced by Ghost’s initiative. These observation and defense drones will constantly patrol the areas owned by the Unity Church; while working on the project, your safety is all but guaranteed.”

Randidly snorted and turned away. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do about the Unity Church issue as of yet, but he had already given Dinesh orders to scope out the surrounding area for similar organ harvesting locations. And when one was found…

Well, Randidly would personally go to get to the bottom of the issue.

But then he froze, and turned around, looking at the elderly man who was still speaking. Because he recognized him.

It was his maternal grandfather, Kulwort Shaw.