Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

If the vehicle hadn’t been modified with specially thickened and reinforced plating, it undoubtedly would have been pierced through!

Zephyr Mercer, in one fluid motion, used the momentum from his rope to latch onto the back of the vehicle, then vaulted onto its roof... By the time he calmly flipped back down and settled into his seat inside, the previously indignant crowd in the cabin could only stare, dumbfounded.

If he had used a superpower, they wouldn’t have been so shocked. They would have just assumed he’d posed such a difficult challenge because he had the right kind of superpower for it. But everyone, from Bloodfall’s members to Marcus Monroe’s men, could see that Zephyr Mercer had completed the entire feat relying purely on his own physical prowess.

It was a staggering display!

They had all been ordinary people once; they knew the limits of human speed and strength. ’Even with training, it’s impossible to be this incredible, right?!’

They’d heard of and even seen people from the Ancient Martial Clans, but very few had ever fought against one. Now that they had truly witnessed their abilities firsthand, only one thought remained. ’If everyone from the Ancient Martial Clans has this kind of prowess... are they even human?’

Completely unaware that he had just been labeled "possibly not human" by the crowd, Zephyr Mercer was inwardly giving himself a massive pat on the back for successfully intimidating the punks who dared to underestimate him. Of course, he didn’t let it show. Slipping on his cool and composed mask, he looked at the crowd. "You failed the first test. As for why, you should already know, right? One, you lack speed. Two, you lack strength. And three, you lack methods. I’m not wrong, am I?"

"I probably could have done it. I have a Wood Element Superpower," one of the team members suddenly spoke up. ’If I used vines to latch onto the vehicle, it would be similar to his rope. Then I could just climb aboard. It should be possible. It’s just that the vehicle is moving at nearly two hundred kilometers per hour. It’s hard to say if my power would hold out the whole way.’

"Probably? Ha!" Zephyr scoffed. "Then we can change your third point to ’a lack of guts’!"

Silence.

After a long silence, someone asked, "What’s the second test?"

Zephyr Mercer looked at him and said seriously, "Ask me that after you pass the first one."

More silence.

As the silence stretched on, everyone’s gazes began to drift toward the back of the vehicle, obviously contemplating how they could pull it off.

Seeing this, Paige Summers silently turned her head toward the window, her hand half-covering her face to hide the smile she couldn’t suppress.

’What a cunning guy!’

Setting aside Marcus Monroe’s men, she knew her own team well. If they were given some time to think, at least five of them could pass this so-called test. They would have to use their respective superpowers, of course. After all, even she couldn’t match Zephyr Mercer’s level of physical prowess. It was just that Zephyr’s challenge had been too sudden and his movements too fast—a swift, decisive blow that had completely stunned them.

But in that moment, she also saw the root of her team’s failure.

Just as Zephyr Mercer said, those with the ability lacked the guts, while those with the guts lacked the ability. On top of that, their adaptability and teamwork were still far too poor! Zephyr never said the test had to be completed alone. They could have worked in pairs, or even in teams of three... Sighing to herself, she had to admit it: her team was still too green.

The team wasn’t without its smart members, though. They quickly recognized their own shortcomings, and a few of them flushed with embarrassment. They started to rein in their disrespectful attitudes and began humbly asking Zephyr Mercer for advice.

As they began to ask questions and receive answers, the atmosphere inside the vehicle gradually relaxed.

Paige Summers felt a sense of relief.

Their skills might be lacking, but at least they were teachable.

’That’s good.’

Everything is a process. As long as they had the will to improve, their potential for growth was limitless. And as they matured, Bloodfall’s overall strength was bound to increase dramatically.

Zephyr Mercer had taught them a valuable lesson.

Frankly, even without today’s little spectacle, her team would have eventually matured through future training and combat.

But Zephyr Mercer had accelerated that process. In other words, he may have helped them avoid casualties down the line.

By all rights, she ought to be grateful.

If only his gaze didn’t always linger on her, unconsciously broadcasting a signal that screamed, "I like you! I like you! I just really like you!"... then she might actually be happy about it...

In this world, most women—as long as they aren’t exceptionally unfortunate in their circumstances—have probably had the experience of being liked by two or more men.

When liked by a man they aren’t interested in, some women feel smug, while others see it as a burden.

And Paige Summers, as it happened, was the latter.

This was exactly why the more concern Zephyr Mercer showed her, the more annoyed she became.

"I’m telling you..." Seeing her sitting there, lost in thought, Claire Chapman nudged her arm and handed her a piece of jerky. "You have absolutely no reason to feel sorry about this. All that ’You like me, but I don’t like you, so please don’t be so nice to me because it makes me feel guilty’ nonsense... that way of thinking is completely idiotic!"

The corner of Paige Summers’s eye twitched. She lifted the jerky and took a hard bite.

"What? Think I’m wrong?"

Paige Summers shook her head. "No, I just think you sound like you have a lot of experience with this."

Claire Chapman froze, then gave a bitter, inward smile.

’Of course I have experience!’

’Too bad I was making eyes at a blind woman.’

’This blind woman sitting across from me still hasn’t noticed a thing!’

Then again, if Paige had found out, even though I’ve let it go now, it would probably be hard for us to get along as well as we do.

’This just goes to show, a secret crush is fine. Relentless pestering is what you should never do.’

’Like that Mercer kid, for example...’

For some reason, thinking about that guy’s stubborn behavior, she suddenly felt a strange and complicated emotion.

She paused for a moment, then adopted a calm and steady demeanor.

"Experience or not, I understand the male psyche better than you do," Claire Chapman said, narrowing her eyes. "Don’t worry too much about him. Since he’s here, just let him be. You don’t need to stop him from doing what he wants, as long as he doesn’t get in our way. I hear he’s preparing to train our crew, and is even drawing up a proposal? Then let him. The Mercer Family has its own training methods that others couldn’t get their hands on even if they begged. Since he’s so insistent on offering, it’d be a waste not to take him up on it. Of course, we won’t take it for free. We’ll definitely pay him a fee, and just treat it as hiring an instructor for the team. That way, no matter how you look at it, no one can find fault with us. ...However," she added, "if he does get in the way, you don’t need to lift a finger. I’ll take care of him."

Paige Summers had to admit that made sense. She was already a broad-minded person to begin with. After being vexed for a while, she now decided to just let it go.

"Alright, let’s do that then."

’If the training is effective,’ she thought, ’I definitely won’t be stingy with his instructor’s fee!’