Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

Once she was sure the other woman had left, Paige Summers emerged from the shadows and entered Claire Chapman’s tent.

"You’re back? Quick, come look at this!" Claire Chapman exclaimed upon seeing her. "May Joyce actually drew an internal map of The Foundry. I never would’ve guessed. Our odds just got a lot better."

Paige Summers’s eyes widened slightly. She strode forward, took the map, and began to study it in detail.

"So the warehouse is in the deepest part..."

The Foundry was massive. Reaching the warehouse deep inside in a single push was impossible; they would need to establish several footholds along the way. But this map had every factory building and workshop marked, which would certainly give them a clearer picture as they planned their route.

After studying it for a while, Paige Summers leaned in to discuss it with Claire Chapman.

They didn’t just plan a general route; they also worked out personnel assignments.

May Joyce’s people hadn’t been utilized effectively under her command. Claire Chapman was determined to make full use of everyone this time, to squeeze every ounce of value out of them!

Of course, the group leaders were primarily members of Bloodfall.

They wouldn’t have trusted them with the role otherwise.

The two broke down the plan, working through it step by step. As they were discussing how to breach the main gate, Paige Summers suddenly looked up. "There are so many Zombies massed at the gate alone; there are bound to be just as many, if not more, inside. We need to conserve our strength. I just scouted the perimeter and found a good spot..."

It was a slope some distance from The Foundry’s main gate. From the front, the incline looked gentle, barely a slope at all. But at the top, the other side dropped off at a steep 45-degree angle.

As she spoke, Claire Chapman cut in, "You want to lure some of the Zombies over? That slope is nowhere near steep enough to kill them from the fall."

Paige Summers rolled her eyes at him. "Of course we’ll set a trap. In fact, Ben and I already dug a pit. It’s plenty big. All we have to do is sweep the Zombies we lure over into it, and they’ll be immobilized!"

"What’s in it?"

"A special adhesive Andy made. I guarantee that once they fall in, they won’t be getting out. We haven’t applied it yet, though. We’ll do that tomorrow morning before we move out."

Claire Chapman let out a laugh. "He actually managed to concoct something like that! How effective would it be if we just spread it around in an area with a lot of Zombies?"

Paige Summers sounded regretful. "It would probably work well, but there’s too little of it. Using it for a trap is a more focused approach." ’We have to coat the floor and all four walls of the pit. Even with just a thin layer, there probably won’t be any left over.’

"That’s true." Claire Chapman nodded. "Then it’s settled. You’ll be responsible for drawing the Zombies away. I’ll lead the other squads and try to infiltrate from the right." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Catch up as soon as you’re done. We’ll wait for you here."

"Okay." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Then, we’ll..."

They discussed for a good while longer before finalizing the plan, after which they each went to get some rest.

As Paige Summers lay in her sleeping bag, she thought, ’Claire Chapman is pretty fired up. Then again, it makes sense. This is his first big operation since getting his superpower back. He’ll probably have settled down by morning.’

Sure enough, before dawn the next day, Claire Chapman gathered everyone. He stood on a rock, positioning himself slightly above the crowd. His demeanor was completely composed as he methodically announced the group assignments and each squad’s leader.

May Joyce’s people were mostly broken up and distributed among the new squads. This was done partly to best utilize their individual superpowers, and partly as a security measure.

This drew complaints from some of the members.

As soon as the roster was announced, the murmuring among the crowd grew louder.

Claire Chapman’s sharp gaze swept over the crowd, his presence overwhelmingly powerful.

Every person who had voiced their discontent felt that severe, scrutinizing gaze lock onto them, and their voices faltered.

"I’ll say this plainly," he began. "Anyone who disagrees with my decisions, step forward now! As captain, I will permit you to leave on behalf of The Coalition Hunters. But if you choose to stay, you must obey your squad leader’s commands. Anyone who disobeys an order or deserts in the face of the enemy will be killed without mercy!"

As he finished his powerful declaration, the word "killed" hanging in the air with absolute finality, the crowd fell silent.

In the ensuing silence, Paige Summers, who stood beside him, flickered. For a split second, she vanished from sight. When everyone’s eyes refocused, she was standing in the exact same spot, as if she hadn’t moved an inch. But now, an oddly shaped long knife was in her hand. Dozens of yards away, a man-sized boulder let out a loud CRACK... and in the next instant, split cleanly in two, the halves toppling to the ground...

Paige Summers swept her gaze over them, her eyes filled with disdain. Her actions sent a clear message: the words "killed without mercy" were not an empty threat. If anyone disobeyed an order, they could lose their head at any moment.

A chill went down the spine of every one of May Joyce’s people who had been harboring resentment.

They had witnessed Paige Summers’s power when she rescued them the day before, but that had been in the chaos of battle while they were desperate to escape. It was nothing like this moment, where every single one of them felt the full, terrifying impact of her speed and strength.

Even the Natural Ability Users among them wondered if, in a fight against her, they’d be KO’d just like that boulder before they even had a chance to unleash their own superpower!

’Better to just stay in line!’

Pleased with the result, Claire Chapman exchanged a glance with Paige Summers. He then ordered the squad leaders to take a headcount of their members before gathering them for a detailed mission briefing.

The squad leaders were all members of Bloodfall, so they were quite familiar with these kinds of pre-battle briefings. Unfazed by the earlier tension, they occasionally offered suggestions or alternative ideas for the plan. Claire Chapman had always been open-minded in this respect. He permitted any and all dissent, and if an idea proved superior to the original plan, he never hesitated to make adjustments.

Because of this, the members of Bloodfall felt genuinely respected, which fostered a belief that this was truly *their* team.

As a captain, Claire Chapman was, without a doubt, exceptional.

As for Paige Summers, she habitually kept quiet during moments like this.

This, too, was her way of showing her trust and support for Claire Chapman.

「Two hours later, the operation began!」