Teaming Up with My Enemy to Rule the Apocalypse

General Aldridge saw Trevor Thorne’s expression perfectly. He raised an eyebrow at him and pointed to the steaming wok-seared noodles and scallion pancakes in front of him. "Commander Thorne, care for a bite?"

Before Trevor Thorne could refuse, General Aldridge continued with a smile, "Don’t be so formal. We’re all survivors, and we came all this way to help. Besides helping you fight Aberrant Beasts, we can certainly spare some food. I know you’re not short on it, but a change of pace is nice now and then, don’t you think?"

Before Trevor Thorne could even speak, Nathan Thorne was already upset.

"That won’t be necessary. We’re just like the other survivors; we eat what they eat. We couldn’t possibly indulge ourselves behind their backs. Superpowers should be used where they’re most needed, not for personal enjoyment. Otherwise, even if no one else saw, I wouldn’t feel right about it."

Nathan Thorne’s words were clearly barbed.

He was making an indirect jab, accusing General Aldridge and his people of only caring about their own pleasure and disregarding the lives of ordinary survivors.

General Aldridge was a man who valued loyalty, but he wasn’t one to shoulder all responsibility, nor would he suffer needlessly.

"We put our lives on the line every single day. Every meal could be our last. Under these circumstances, what’s wrong with doing everything we can to eat a little better? We’re Superpower Users, yes, but we’re not saints. We can’t be expected to protect them *and* eat nothing but scraps ourselves, can we?"

"Or are you saying everyone at Dawnlight Base is just that selfless? If that’s really the case, then I’ve got to give you a big thumbs-up. You can do what I can’t. That’s really something!"

Although Nathan Thorne had just been spouting self-righteous nonsense, it was just that—all talk.

’If my own life wasn’t on the line, I wouldn’t be defending Dawnlight Base. I would have abandoned these people and run off long ago.’ 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Now, being "praised" like this by General Aldridge, Nathan Thorne’s face burned with shame. He felt the general was subtly mocking him.

’Wasn’t General Aldridge supposed to be a straightforward man who didn’t beat around the bush?’

’Apparently, that’s not the case at all!’

Seeing that Nathan Thorne was speechless, his father, Trevor Thorne, could no longer stay silent.

Trevor Thorne managed an amiable smile. "General Aldridge, don’t stoop to this kid’s level. He’s young and simple-minded, sometimes he speaks without thinking. Please, don’t take it to heart. We won’t be having any of your food. You all should eat up; we might have a busy afternoon ahead of us. Go on and eat, I won’t disturb you any longer! We can talk later after you’ve finished."

Trevor Thorne had been wanting to leave for a while, and now he finally had a legitimate excuse. After saying his piece, Trevor Thorne stood up and left.

As he passed Nathan Thorne, he shot him a glare. "What are you still standing here for? Get moving! Are you actually waiting for a handout?"

Although Trevor Thorne hadn’t spoken very loudly, his voice was by no means quiet.

Plenty of people nearby heard him clearly.

Nathan Thorne didn’t even need to look around to feel the numerous stares landing on him. The burning gazes made his skin crawl.

Nathan Thorne didn’t dare say a word and hurried after Trevor Thorne.

Dawnlight Community was a mid- to high-end residential complex with a variety of floor plans.

The Thorne Family lived in one of the better layouts in the community: a four-bedroom, two-living-area apartment.

While not as spacious as Sierra Sullivan’s sprawling single-floor apartment, it wasn’t cramped for the family members living there.

If properly maintained, the apartment could have been quite cozy.

But under the current circumstances, with water being scarce, wiping down the rooms daily was obviously unrealistic. On top of that, the seals on the windows weren’t very tight, so a layer of dust covered all the furniture and decorations, giving the place a drab and grimy appearance.

They had been looking at this scene for months and had long grown used to it.

But now, looking at the dust-covered room, the father and son felt nothing but utter annoyance.

When Evelyn Warren saw the father and son return, she immediately came out of the kitchen. "You’re back? You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I made some dumplings. I can boil them for you now. They’re filled with cured meat—they smell wonderful!"

As she spoke of this, a hint of pride appeared in Evelyn Warren’s eyes.

While everyone else had to make do with a hodgepodge stew of Exotic Beast Meat, their family could still enjoy white-flour dumplings with a cured meat filling. What a contrast!

In the past, hearing such words would have made Nathan Thorne happy.

’They could eat things others couldn’t!’

But now, after what he had just witnessed, hearing about cured-meat dumplings didn’t fill Nathan Thorne with happiness or anticipation. Instead, he felt a wave of irritation.

"Dad," Nathan Thorne said, looking at Trevor Thorne. "How can they have so much food? And they’re eating it right in front of us on purpose. I don’t think they came to help; they came to show off. Do they really think we can’t manage without them? They think way too highly of themselves."

The more Nathan Thorne spoke, the angrier he became, his voice starting to strain.

Listening to this, Evelyn Warren grew curious. "What’s wrong? Did something happen? Who came?"

"People from the neighboring Red Sun Base. They said they were here to help, but I think they just came to show off..."

Nathan Thorne blurted out everything that had just happened, embellishing most of the details.

Evelyn Warren listened intently, her expression gradually changing.

"So, according to you, one of them is a Space Ability User and the other is a Wood Ability User. But didn’t we hear before that this Jayce fellow has a powerful Water Ability? And his girlfriend possesses the extremely rare Sand Ability. How come that’s different from the rumors?"

Trevor Thorne, who had been silent all this time, suddenly looked up at Evelyn Warren. "You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that? The rumors must be true. I saw them using their Superpowers to kill Aberrant Beasts outside the base just now. They’re genuinely powerful."

"Then what’s going on?" Nathan Thorne asked, confused. "Could it be that they both have a Dual Ability? But how is that possible?!"

Dawnlight Base had plenty of Superpower Users, but they’d never heard of anyone with a Dual Ability.

’Are the people from Red Sun Base just that special?’

Trevor Thorne’s eyes burned with intensity. "I don’t know what’s going on, but we can ask! If it’s really possible for everyone to awaken multiple different Superpowers, then our base wouldn’t be in such a passive position. We might even have an easier life than they do. Since they’re here to help, they shouldn’t mind telling us the reason, right?"

Nathan Thorne was uncertain. "What if they refuse to tell us?"

"If they won’t talk, there are ways to deal with that." Trevor Thorne snorted. "Survivors should help each other, not be wary and plot against one another. Otherwise, they’ll be despised by everyone."