It was late at night.

2:00 AM.

Catherine couldn't sleep. Trembling, she curled up on her bed, clutching her head as she stared at the quiet room.

"Hawson Wer is dead. Jason is dead!"

When the three of them had been living together, she hadn't felt so scared. But now, she was all alone. The eerie purple glow from the bedroom lamp reflected off the walls, while the living room was engulfed in total darkness.

Catherine was restless, her nerves fraying. She couldn't shake the feeling that something monstrous might leap out of the shadows.

At the same time, the bloody scene of James Lon effortlessly crushing Hawson Wer with one hand replayed over and over in her mind.

"Damn it! With the men dead, what am I supposed to do?"

Catherine finally came to understand the most terrifying aspect of the apocalypse.

She deeply regretted encouraging Hawson Wer to go after James Lon.

That guy is too cunning!

He was so strong but never showed it in the group chat.

Catherine began to suspect that James Lon's stockpile of food wasn't pre-prepared after all.

Could he have stolen it from others?

Her scalp tingled.

How many households had James Lon robbed to gather that much food?

Would he come for me next?

At that moment, the faint sound of someone tampering with the front door lock reached her ears.

Catherine jolted upright, her heart racing.

Who's trying to open my door in the middle of the night?

Could it be James Lon?

Tears welled up in her eyes.

He's here to kill me! Damn it! If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!

Catherine's fierce personality kicked in. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the baseball bat next to her bed and, turning off the light, crept to the door, trembling but determined.

The door creaked slightly as it opened, and a flashlight beam cut through the darkness.

Standing in the doorway were a man and a woman.

Catherine, hidden behind the door and squinting against the light, couldn't make out their faces.

The woman spoke first:

"No lights—she must be asleep. Let's keep quiet, kill that b***h, and take whatever food Hawson Wer hoarded!"

The man replied nervously,

"Cici, do we really need to kill her? Can't we just grab the food and leave?"

It was Brond Push and Cici.

Cici scoffed, lowering her voice.

"What are you afraid of? Who's going to know it was you? Hawson Wer and that other trainer are both dead. There's only this slut left. Kill her, and we can search the place properly. There's no way Hawson Wer didn't go looting after he gained his ability."

You're all too eager to make me the killer! Brond Push thought, resisting.

"We don't have to kill her..." he protested weakly.

While he was tempted by Cici's charms, Brond wasn't stupid.

If he killed someone, Cici could use it to blackmail him later, tightening her control over him.

Their brief time together had already made him realize Cici wasn't easy to deal with.

And her wild behavior in bed made him suspicious:

With all her experience, is she really some 'good woman' as she claims?

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Brond scratched at an itch below his waist.

For some reason, it had been unbearably itchy all day.

Hearing their conversation, Catherine was both furious and amused.

That whore! Always ready to kill me at the drop of a hat! Did I steal your man?!!

Wait...

Why not steal this man? With his locksmith skills, he'd be invaluable in the apocalypse.

As a rune sorceress, Catherine had plenty of experience dealing with conflicts—and stealing men.

The key was gaining the locksmith's trust quickly.

As the pair stepped into the room, their backs turned to Catherine, Cici whispered:

"Don't you want to know how Hawson Wer got his ability? Let's capture this woman and make her talk..."

Bang!

Catherine swung the bat with all her strength, striking Cici on the head.

Cici dropped like a log, collapsing to the ground.

Brond Push jumped back in shock, raising his kitchen knife defensively while his flashlight illuminated Catherine.

"Who's there?!"

The beam revealed Catherine—none other than the woman who had been with Hawson Wer.

Brond was stunned, realizing he'd been set up.

Clang!

Catherine dropped the bat to the floor, raising her hands in a gesture of peace.

"Master... big brother, it's me, Catherine. Don't kill me. I want to work with you!"

Brond hesitated. Seeing her disarm herself eased his tension slightly. He kicked the bat away with his foot before checking on Cici's condition.

She was gone.

Blood pooled around her lifeless body.

Overcome with anger and panic, Brond waved the knife wildly.

"You killed my woman—how can we work together now?!"

Gritting her teeth, Catherine yanked open her collar, revealing a snowy expanse of skin.

"Big brother, I'm a woman too. Let me follow you," she said seductively.

What the...? Brond's head spun.

Catherine, a fitness trainer, was tall and slender, her flat stomach devoid of any fat.

Just below her navel was a purple succubus rune tattoo, contrasting alluringly against her pale skin.

Brond swallowed hard.

Is this the apocalypse? Or heaven?

In the past, a woman like this wouldn't have spared him a glance. Now they were throwing themselves at him one after another.

Gathering his courage, Brond asked,

"What kind of 'work' are you proposing?"

Seeing his softened attitude, Catherine approached, wrapping her arms around his and pressing herself against him.

"What's your name, big brother?"

Brond, savoring the moment, smirked.

"Brond. Brond Push."

"Great name!" Catherine replied, rubbing his arm suggestively. Then she whispered,

"I know how Hawson Wer got his ability."

Brond's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

He scratched at his itchy crotch again, which Catherine mistook for lust. She nodded earnestly, suppressing her disdain.

"Do you know why Hawson Wer targeted James Lon today?"

"James Lon?" Brond asked, puzzled.

She explained,

"He's the one who killed Hawson Wer. In the group chat, he goes by 'Slave Collector.' His girlfriend used to train at my gym."

Brond nodded.

"So why did Hawson Wer go after him?"

"For the ability! I saw it with my own eyes—Hawson Wer ate a black Nephelium and gained his powers. James Lon posted in the group chat asking to buy a black Nephelium. Hawson Wer assumed James Lon had another one."

"Black Nephelium?" Brond recalled the photo James Lon had posted earlier.

So that's how abilities are gained!

Like many, Brond had assumed abilities were randomly awakened through luck.

It's from eating the black Nephelium! I need one too!

He asked eagerly,

"Does James Lon still have one?"

Catherine speculated,

"He probably already ate it. Hawson Wer's strength doubled after eating his. James Lon crushed him with one hand, so his strength is clearly far greater. He must've eaten the second black Nephelium to gain his ability."

Brond frowned.

"Then what's the point of talking about it now?"

Idiot! Catherine thought, though she smiled sweetly.

"Think about it. The black Nephelium is so strange—most people wouldn't dare eat it. What if someone has one but doesn't know what to do with it? James Lon posted about it because of that possibility. If he can bid for it, so can we!"

Brond hesitated.

"But we don't have as much food as James Lon. How can we compete with him in a bidding war?"

Lowering her voice, Catherine said,

"We just have to offer a higher price. If someone contacts us, we won't actually buy it. We'll just figure out where they live and take it for ourselves!"

Brond's eyes gleamed.

"Brilliant idea!"

After discussing their plan, they tossed Cici's body out the window and posted a message in the group chat:

"Offering 10 packs of instant noodles for a black Nephelium."

Once the "business" was done, the two of them wasted no time tearing off their clothes and tumbling into bed.

Their passionate moans echoed from the room late into the night...