The questions in her mind vanished as quickly as they appeared.
It no longer mattered why the officials hadn't shown up in her past life.
As long as the officials came in this life and established a safe zone here, that would be enough.
Although order could never return to what it was before the apocalypse, the presence of officials would at least ensure some semblance of it. It wouldn't be so dangerous that you couldn't even leave your own home.
Sierra Sullivan let out a long sigh and picked up her binoculars again.
Just as she looked toward the main gate of the residential complex, she saw several people, laden with bags, scrambling inside in a panic.
The person at the front ran without looking back.
Of the few people following behind, some sprinted with their heads down, but two of them kept glancing back as they ran.
The ground was already covered in a lot of sand, making it difficult to run.
With their attention divided, they were even more likely to slip and fall.
Before the two of them could get up, a pack of Aberrant Beasts pounced on them.
At such a great distance, and with her window's good soundproofing, Sierra Sullivan couldn't hear their screams.
However, the sight of bodies being torn apart in an instant and the blood splattering everywhere was a visceral shock to Sierra.
Sierra's pupils contracted. She now had a new, deeper understanding of just how dangerous the Aberrant Beasts were.
The Aberrant Beasts were about the size of large dogs.
Their fur was a dusty, yellowish-brown.
Even from a distance, she could tell their fur was likely coarse and stiff.
Their eyes were vicious, their mouths full of fangs.
They looked like dogs, but also a bit like wolves.
Their bite was incredibly powerful.
In just a few minutes, two grown adults were torn to pieces, leaving nothing but a gory mess on the ground.
The sight of blood often brings a deeper level of fear.
Looking at the blood-stained sand and the scattered remains, anyone would feel their blood run cold.
Sierra Sullivan hadn't planned on going outside to begin with, and after seeing this, her resolve not to leave became unshakable.
'I can't go out!'
'At least, not before the officials arrive, not before I have a better grasp of this apocalypse, not before I have a Superpower of my own! I can't go out!'
'At the same time, I can't stop training!'
Sierra Sullivan put down the binoculars and began her workout for the day.
'I've been at it for two days. Time to increase the intensity!'
...
Sebastian Crawford was the first one to burst through the building's entrance.
The mad dash left him gasping for breath. His throat was raw, and his lungs felt like they were on fire.
But even so, Sebastian Crawford had no intention of stopping.
He grabbed the handrail, using it for leverage to climb the stairs even faster.
By the time he reached the fifth floor, his legs felt like they were filled with lead.
But his survival instinct didn't let him pause for even a second, and he refused to waste time looking back.
Finally, he dragged his exhausted body to the tenth floor.
Sebastian Crawford had wanted to go straight home.
But his doorway was crowded with people.
They were all family members of the people who had gone out with him to find supplies.
As soon as they saw Sebastian Crawford, they all swarmed him.
"Mr. Crawford, where's my husband? Why did you come back alone?"
"Yeah! Where are the others? How many supplies did you find?"
"How much is our share?"
Having just escaped death, Sebastian Crawford was still reeling. Their questions only made him feel more irritated.
Just then, more people staggered up the stairs.
Every one of them was in shock; the moment they reached the landing, they collapsed to the floor.
Seeing this, the families of these few survivors walked over, their faces beaming with joy.
Their first move wasn't to help them up or ask if they were okay, but to grab the bags of supplies they had brought back.
Moments ago their faces were filled with worry, but now they were all smiles.
So many supplies! It would be enough to last them for a while.
Those whose family members hadn't returned stared anxiously at the top of the stairs.
But after several minutes of waiting, no one else appeared.
Now, they began to panic in earnest.
"Where's my husband?"
"How come only a few of you came back? Where's my husband?"
"Say something!"
Sebastian Crawford had taken a drink of water by now and composed himself.
He stood up and said in a somber tone, "They... they're not coming back."
At his words, the area fell instantly silent. You could have heard a pin drop.
"Not... not coming back?"
"What do you mean, 'not coming back'?"
Sebastian's tone remained grim. "We went out with torches this time, so we didn't run into any Dunescrawlers. Getting the supplies went smoothly. But just as we finished gathering everything and were about to head back, we were ambushed by a pack of Aberrant Beasts. They were vicious and fast, attacking on sight. We were caught completely off guard, and they were..."
Sebastian Crawford didn't finish his sentence, but his silence at that moment was more potent than any words.
Everyone understood what had happened.
But that didn't mean they accepted it.
Several women immediately lunged at Sebastian Crawford.
"Sebastian Crawford! You were the one who led my husband out there! Why are you back safe and sound while my husband isn't?"
"Didn't you say you have a Superpower? Aren't you a Superpower User? Why didn't you save them?"
"Why wasn't it you who died?"
The women surrounded Sebastian Crawford, grabbing his clothes, shaking and tearing at him.
At first, Sebastian Crawford endured it, but he quickly lost his patience and forcefully shoved them away.
"Before we left, I told all of you that the situation outside was unknown and would definitely be dangerous. I couldn't guarantee I could protect every single person. I also said back then that we could go out together, but everyone was responsible for their own life..."
"That's bullshit!" a woman roared. "If you hadn't claimed to be some Superpower User, would my husband have gone out with you? You were happy to boss everyone around when you were playing leader, but now that there's trouble, you want to wash your hands of all responsibility? Fat chance!"
"Exactly! You have to take responsibility for this! My husband is dead! What are we supposed to eat and drink, with the old and the young in our family? You have to be responsible for all of it!"
"And our family! You have to give us a bigger share of the supplies you brought back!"
The women's voices grew louder and louder, their faces a mask of entitlement.
Before Sebastian Crawford could say anything, Troy Lowell scrambled up from the floor and stood in front of him.
"Stop making a scene! Mr. Crawford made it clear before you left. He was just leading everyone to find supplies; whether you made it back alive was up to you! They had bad luck and died out there. Who can you blame? If you keep this up, don't blame me for getting rough!"
With Troy Lowell playing the bad guy, Sebastian Crawford was happy to continue being the good guy.
Sebastian Crawford pulled Troy Lowell aside and faced the women himself. "I know you're all hurting, and that's why you're saying these harsh things. It's okay. Here, take this bag of supplies. As for the future... my abilities are limited, and there isn't much I can do. But I will help you as much as I can, whenever I'm able."