Acceber fell into a coma in the outside world, and her brother took care of her till he decided to return to Bloodstone pack. Since his brother could enter the residence on his own will, he brought their parents and his wife after the wedding.
Before coming, the couple sold their assets, inheritance, and properties. They also brought survival materials and piled them in the newly constructed shed by Stephen and his father. With Acceber having no signs of awakening, Alexandra stayed with her husband to communicate with Zephyr and Elizabeth to prepare for the long-term chaos.
- District X: 2052 -
'Hmm? What's the date?'
As Acceber awakened, the black rain falling on the shield of her residence caught her eye outside the window. Merging her soul with Nicoletta's fragments enabled her body to open up the spiritual veins of the Yin and Zerrudo families. She became an awakened superpower with multiple abilities.
'Time for work! There's still a lot for me to arrange. Even if I want to lie on this warm bed, I can't abandon my responsibilities.' With the intervention of Nicoletta's soul, she performed a ritual formation that would protect her residence from danger the very first time she came here. So she went outside to confirm her guess when she left bed.
An invisible barrier shielded the residence from the black, corrosive rain. The ground wasn't wet at all, like they were enclosed in a massive dome. Nicoletta was an assassin and a practitioner who entered a sect after her rebirth. Acceber doesn't even know how to thank her. If not for Nicoletta's sacrifice, she couldn't have returned on the same day and changed the lives of some people close to her.
'The apocalypse has officially started!'
Acceber moved into the living room to see her brother and sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law was reading a book titled 'How to Make DIY Weapons,' and the seriousness on her face made Acceber's lips curl. How could ordinary DIY weapons fend off zombies with unexpected mutations and level upgrades?
"Ace! You're awake! Are you hungry? Come to the kitchen with me, and I'll make some food!" Adriana wanted to feed her sister-in-law when she saw her standing not too far from her. She's too fond of having Acceber around since she never had female sisters. And she wanted to experience the role of pampering a younger sister.
But Stephen was quicker to react. He held back his wife and said, "I'll cook for her. You are a pregnant woman in the early trimester! What if something happens to you?" Adriana felt sad that she couldn't do the things she liked doing the most because of her pregnancy. Yet she also agreed that Stephen was a better cook than her.
"Ace, are you okay now? Nothing major happened when you fell into a coma, right? I could sense your soul leaving your body for a while, and I guessed that you needed time to merge two souls completely."
"Thanks for worrying, but I am truly fine, brother. Let my sister-in-law accompany me to the kitchen to eat. I'm actually starving!" Acceber smiled as she held her sister's arm and walked to the kitchen.
The three spent the morning without seeing their parents leaving the conference room. The things the elders were discussing must have been rather very special or serious. The impression of zombies would not yet appear in the first three days of seeing the black rain. Rather, they will infect people after the fall of the meteorites.
"Brother, I need to go somewhere. I want you to drop blood on this stone, as well as all of the members of this family. The early days at the end of the world would mean horror and hiding for common people. I need to take this opportunity to acquire more stocks. The stone will help you with the entry and exit."
"But it's not peaceful outside, and you only woke up! Mom and dad will kill me if I let you out. Besides, we do not know if there are evil cultivators wanting to catch your trail."
"You can't stop me, brother, but I can imprison all of you here. The food I stored in this residence can last several months or even a year. But that amount won't be enough if our parents suddenly invite guests over."
"Why do you say so?"
Acceber stared at the rain on the shield. "Mother and father will notice the relative safeness of our residence. Their friends and comrades at arms will be brought in, sooner or later, to shelter from the corrosive rain. There will be people who will take refugees with us, but food is scarce. Some with hidden hearts might plan something different."
"I will prevent mother and father from doing such thing. We are not superheroes! We can't have mercy on all people we know and let them bring us to a disadvantage. I don't care if the prophecy asked us to cooperate and save people on Earth. I need our family to be safe and healthy!" Stephen suddenly handed the stone back to Acceber's hand.
"Why did you return it to me?"
"I can't let our parents out of this residence, no matter how strong they are. I will also temporarily disable my teleportation ability to bother you less. It doesn't matter if they beat me up, but I will allow no entry to your residence!"
Acceber packed some light clothes in front of her sister-in-law. Then she bid farewell and went out of the residence. This time, with the memories of Nicoletta, she chanted a spell, and a mirage formation occurred around her residence. Anyone who dares to trespass will be trapped in the formation and will die of starvation.
'My brother was quite easy to manipulate. He listens to my opinion well!'
Acceber walked till she reached the main road and retrieved an armored car. The exterior was equipped with a 360-degree monitoring camera. A map also censors things on the road fifty meters ahead. A solar panel was also attached at the top to ensure enough energy to do things conveniently, like cooking inside the car.
'This is more convenient than an RV with a massive build and attracts attention. I should drive to the Capital's largest mall first and sweep everything on District C.'