Chapter 476: Entering the Underground Area, Nicholas Jensen

Chapter 476: Chapter 476: Entering the Underground Area, Nicholas Jensen

The underground area was far vaster than Seraphina Sullivan had imagined.

She had intel from Dylan Kane and supplementary information from Paul Payne to go on.

But only by being here in person could she truly grasp the scale of this "underground city."

A habitat for over a hundred million people, with countless intersecting tunnels and stacked functional areas, it was like a colossal ant nest buried deep underground.

This was her first time delving deep into this place, and it felt completely foreign to her.

But she had a way to deal with that.

Seraphina Sullivan raised a hand and passed it over her face, and the effect of the [Transformation Ring] activated instantly.

Her facial features began to twist and reorganize—her brow bone grew more prominent, the bridge of her nose straightened, her eyes became narrower, and her complexion darkened a few shades.

In just a few seconds, the elegant and gentle "Seraphina Sullivan" had vanished completely.

In her place stood a young woman who looked as plain as could be—the kind you would never be able to pick out of a crowd.

’A perfect disguise.’

Sean Chandler, beside her, was even more direct.

He transformed into his Cat Form again.

His frame began to shrink and contort. A coat of fine black fur sprouted from his skin, his limbs grew lithe yet powerful, and a flexible tail extended from behind him.

In the blink of an eye, the strapping man, who stood over six feet tall, had become a sleek, glossy-furred, pitch-black cat.

The black cat looked up at Seraphina with its amber eyes, its mouth opened slightly, and it spoke. "This should be less conspicuous."

Seraphina bent down, scooped up the black cat, and held him in her arms. She gave his soft fur a stroke; it felt surprisingly good to the touch.

"Come on. Let’s walk around the underground area for a bit and familiarize ourselves with the layout," she said.

The black cat shifted into a comfortable position in her arms and said lazily, "Whatever you say."

And just like that, the woman and the cat casually blended into the massive river of people in the underground area.

No one gave them a second glance.

What was so noteworthy about an ordinary woman holding a cat?

If anything, people might actively avoid her.

After all, anyone who could still afford to keep a cat in these times was clearly not a person to be trifled with.

...

「Meanwhile, at another entrance to the underground area.」

Crystal Lynn, Dexter Luther, and Matthew Dawson returned to the underground area as the gates opened for the night.

Their expressions were natural and their steps unhurried, making them indistinguishable from the ordinary people returning to rest after their night shifts.

However, none of them headed back to their own quarters.

Instead, they packed their things and went to pick someone else up.

Crystal Lynn held a little girl in her arms—her younger sister, Freya Lynn.

The little girl had just woken up. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, staring blankly at the people coming and going around them, and asked in a small voice, "Sister... where are we going? Are we not going back to our place?"

Crystal Lynn looked down and gave her sister a gentle smile. "We’re going to find Sullivan.

You’ve always wanted to play with Flora, haven’t you?

Soon, you’ll be able to play with her all you want."

Freya Lynn’s eyes instantly lit up, and all her drowsiness vanished. "Really?! That’s wonderful! I get to play with Flora!"

She kicked her little legs happily and stopped asking questions, content to rest obediently in her sister’s arms.

Crystal Lynn looked up and exchanged a glance with Dexter Luther.

They shared a nod of tacit understanding.

This was all part of the plan they had made with Seraphina.

Life in the Central Base seemed peaceful on the surface, but dangerous currents churned beneath.

Factional struggles among the leadership, privileged brats running rampant...

The politics here were treacherous, far more complex than back in the Vorlag Safe Zone.

Seraphina was now a target of the higher-ups, which meant a tough fight was undoubtedly on the horizon.

’And them?’

’Should they stay here as ordinary survivors, scrambling for scraps every day, living at the mercy of others, and enduring humiliation?’

’Or... should they follow Seraphina and choose a different path?’

The answer had been clear for a long time.

If they dealt with Connor Webb, they would inevitably make a mortal enemy of Shawn Gardner, a high-ranking member of The Conservatives.

When that happened, they would no longer be able to stay in the Central Base.

’But so what?’

They could strike out on their own, free from anyone’s control, answering to no one.

In the apocalypse, strength was everything.

And Seraphina had strength, resources, and the will to protect her companions.

Following someone like that was a million times better than holing up in the treacherous, backstabbing Central Base.

Matthew Dawson walked at the rear. The wound on his back hadn’t fully healed, making his movements a little stiff, but his gaze was exceptionally determined.

He had made the same choice.

The three of them soon vanished into the labyrinthine tunnels of the underground area, heading in the direction of Seraphina’s RV.

Meanwhile, Seraphina was holding Sean Chandler in his black cat form, walking at a steady pace toward Area A.

The underground area was clearly divided into zones, from A to F.

Area A was the best district, boasting the most superior living conditions and the tightest security. The only people who could live here were either powerful Players or special individuals with connections and resources.

The fact that Connor Webb could live in Area A showed that his backer, the high-ranking member of The Conservatives, Shawn Gardner, had certainly pulled a lot of strings for him.

Seraphina observed her surroundings as she walked.

Area A was one of the best-equipped districts.

This was simply because it had the highest number and greatest concentration of Players.

Resources flowed to the strong—that was an ironclad rule of the apocalypse.

Players had superior survival skills and brought back rare materials from Dungeons, so naturally, they earned the right to live in safer, more comfortable places.

Seraphina’s knowledge of Area A’s geography was purely academic; she wasn’t familiar with its actual layout.

But that didn’t matter. She had ways of figuring things out as she went.

She just hadn’t expected to run into... an old acquaintance on the way to Connor Webb’s place.

A familiar figure in the crowd brushed past her.

Seraphina paused for a moment. A glance from the corner of her eye confirmed the person’s identity.

Nicholas Jensen.

The Player she had crossed paths with back in her second Dungeon.

He possessed a rather unique Talent: [Mobile Doll].

It allowed him to temporarily bring objects like toys and models to life, turning them into combat-ready entities.

There was someone with him, too.

Laura Lowell.

The female administrator from the Central Base entrance, the one who was always surrounded by floating micro-drones.

Back then, Seraphina had wondered where she got all her high-tech gadgets, since she clearly wasn’t a Player.

Now, seeing how close she and Nicholas Jensen were, it all made sense.

’Thinking about it...’ Seraphina mused. ’Could it be that all the high-tech weapons and equipment in the Central Base were created by Nicholas Jensen using his Ability?’

’It wasn’t impossible.’

The Floating City outside and the main structure of the underground city were said to be special items brought back from a Dungeon.

But as for the ubiquitous micro-drones, energy weapons, and protective gear... Seraphina had never seen a Dungeon that produced those things in large quantities.

’If there was someone who could bring toys to life, wouldn’t mass-producing weapons and equipment be as easy as breathing?’