Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

Jensen Archer and the others followed the Forrest siblings over.

Over the past few days, the four of them had only grown to admire Claire Chapman and Paige Summers more and more.

They were so young, yet their Abnormal Ability Levels were so high. Their skills were solid, but they were humble and never shirked their duties... How should one put it? At first, they couldn’t help but secretly think Claire and Paige were a bit naive. But they had to admit they were secretly thrilled to have teammates like them. But were they really naive? The Forrest siblings, especially that sharp-witted Rachel Forrest, followed their lead without question. Would truly naive people inspire that kind of trust?

It was more likely a case of great wisdom appearing as foolishness.

Unconsciously, the four of them had formed a very high opinion of the pair. Whether Claire and Paige were naive or brilliant was no longer important. What mattered was that they wanted to build a lasting friendship with people like them.

To build that friendship, they’d naturally have to see each other more often, which was why Lucy Lee had spoken up.

Claire Chapman wrinkled his nose. "Sister-in-law, you’re teasing me, aren’t you? Of course you and Boss Archer are welcome! And you too, Brother Donovan and Little Fox. I’ve saved all your phone numbers. Once we get back, rest up, and buy a phone, I’ll give you all a call!"

Satisfied, they all agreed. "Okay, for sure!" With that, they parted ways.

Levi Young had gotten word that they were returning and came early to pick them up.

Once in the car, Claire Chapman let out a sigh, feigning distress but actually looking smug. "Sigh... It’s such a headache being so popular!"

"Pfft!" Paige Summers burst out laughing, refusing to play along. "That’s just because they saw you charge at Mutant Beasts first and take the lead in scouting. They’re just hoping to team up with someone like you again!"

Claire Chapman said in a profound tone, "That’s because they’re short-sighted. Hunting isn’t just about earning Crystal Cores. The most important thing is to seize every opportunity to train yourself. They might not notice it once or twice, but after a hundred or a thousand times, they’ll find that the gap between them and me has grown huge!"

Although he sounded like he was showing off, Levi Young, who had been taught the most by Claire Chapman, knew these words were true. Even the Forrest siblings looked thoughtful.

Paige Summers smiled and nodded. "That’s true."

’It’s the same with Artifact Making,’ she thought. ’I still remember how I made a mess of my first piece of wood back then. But after ten, a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand pieces, the wood in my hands became like a living thing. I could make whatever I wanted, my mind, eyes, and hands working as one.’

’Claire Chapman must be the same. With such a strict father, he’s probably speaking from firsthand experience!’

They chatted and laughed all the way back to their residence.

Once they were in their rooms and had relaxed, exhaustion suddenly hit them.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Paige Summers and Claire Chapman remembered about the Pathfinder Rats.

Levi Young looked both pleased and concerned. "The boss said the first two we sent over were sold! The original price was one hundred thousand Credit Points each, but the second one went up to two hundred thousand. I was hesitant to give him another, but he pleaded for a long time, and I figured the timing was about right, so I gave him one yesterday. According to him, this one could sell for about two hundred and fifty thousand."

Claire Chapman’s jaw dropped. It took him a moment to process the numbers with his scrambled brain. "Th-th-then... doesn’t that mean we’ll get over seven hundred thousand Credit Points?!"

"Yeah, and people are even coming from other districts specifically to buy them."

Paige was happy, but also surprised.

The speed at which this was spreading seemed too fast, far exceeding her expectations.

She rubbed her temples. "Give me some time. I need to think."

Five days later, after they handed over the last Pathfinder Rat they had, the boss immediately settled the full amount, even prepaying for that final one.

After Paige Summers and Claire Chapman split the profits, with him giving the Forrest siblings their agreed-upon commission, she herself received around four hundred fifty thousand Credit Points.

By this time, she had already crafted a long knife that she felt was very good, and two daggers.

She announced her decision to Claire Chapman and Levi Young. "I’m not going to make any more Pathfinder Rats for now. I want to find a storefront in the commercial district and open a weapon shop!"

Levi Young immediately agreed. "That’s a good idea. There are a lot of weapon shops in the commercial district, so making weapons won’t attract as much attention."

Claire Chapman, however, was stunned for a moment. He scratched his head and said, "Aren’t you two being a little too cautious? The boss did say some people were trying to ask about the creator indirectly, but he fended them all off. He told us not to worry and that he would absolutely not leak any information."

Hearing this only strengthened Paige’s resolve.

’I should end this now before it attracts any more attention. After a while, people will probably stop trying to figure it out.’

She thought for a moment, then said, "Just tell the boss that the person who makes the Pathfinder Rats has left Central City."

"Huh?" Claire Chapman was dismayed. ’Just dropping it like that? It’s such a waste! We’re right in the middle of making a killing!’

Levi Young shot him a look. "Don’t let the immediate profits go to your head. If some powerful group, or even the military, takes an interest, do you think they’ll let Paige Summers go? If they try to take her by force, can you stop them?"

Claire Chapman was dumbfounded.

’The Pathfinder Rats are good, sure, but it’s not like they’d attract that much covetous attention!’

Paige cleared her throat and said fairly, "It’s not that serious for now. But the Pathfinder Rats are a bit too high-profile. To avoid any trouble, making weapons is more suitable." ’And I enjoy it more, anyway...’

Claire Chapman mulled it over for a long time. He felt that although Levi Young might have been deliberately trying to scare him, being in the spotlight really could attract trouble. Their little group had no power or influence in Central City. It was better to prevent a disaster now than to deal with a man-made "accident" later.

He finally understood. Getting up, he said, "I get it! Then it’s settled. I’ll go talk to the boss right now, and while I’m at it, I’ll see if there are any suitable shops for rent."

Paige Summers and Levi Young both breathed a sigh of relief and said in unison, "Okay."

As Claire Chapman was leaving, he tossed one last sentence over his shoulder. "When I get back, we’ll talk details about shares and the Hunting Party!"

Paige chuckled.

’Shares, I get that,’ she thought, ’but what’s this about a Hunting Party?’

Seeing the matter settled, Levi Young immediately returned to his room, which doubled as his research lab. His energy research had recently hit a bottleneck, and he’d lost who knows how much hair over it.

Paige, on the other hand, decided to take a day off and think about things like the shop’s renovation and what to do after it opened.

But it wasn’t long before that plan was interrupted.

Sean Raines, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, came to visit, and he brought news of Erin Quinn.