Chapter 122: Strange Discoveries About The Supermart [GOLDEN TICKET BONUS]

Even so, something didn’t fit. According to the post, it was supposed to be obvious when an animal gained intelligence and became a true Beast. Mia, however, was still acting exactly like the spoiled house cat she had always been.

Alex couldn’t think of any reason why she would deliberately hide awakened intelligence while continuing to behave like his pet. Maybe he was simply overthinking everything because of what he had just read. After all, there were simpler explanations that didn’t require assuming Mia had secretly become an intelligent Beast.

He had spent nearly four hours in the Land of Origin. During that time, Mia had probably stayed awake through all the panic before eventually falling asleep from exhaustion. As for why she had curled up on his back, that wasn’t unusual either because she had always sought him out whenever something frightened her.

Alex eventually decided Mia was probably still normal. Even so, he would keep an eye on her from now on because there was no harm in being cautious.

In a world where monsters and magic had become reality overnight, it was better not to dismiss strange possibilities too quickly.

After everyone finished their very early breakfast, the group packed their things and left the half-destroyed row of shops. They made their way toward the Supermart, where Stefan’s group had been waiting, and Alex immediately noticed that no monsters were coming out anymore. Either the creatures inside had realized something dangerous was waiting outside, or their numbers had simply dropped too low to keep pouring out.

Stefan spotted them first and raised a hand in greeting. He had changed into a fresh set of clothes, replacing the torn and bloodstained ones from the earlier battle, and aside from looking a little pale, he seemed to be recovering well. When Alex reached him, he gave the man a quick nod.

"How are you feeling now?" Alex asked.

"I’m doing much better. Thank you for saving me. I’m also sorry for rushing into your fight and making things more dangerous for both of us," Stefan replied.

He hesitated briefly before continuing. "And... I’m sorry about the post on Dwitter. I wasn’t trying to undermine you, but I can understand why it looked that way. I deleted it as soon as I realized it could give people the wrong impression."

Alex simply nodded. His first impression of Stefan hadn’t been particularly good because of that post, but the man had quickly realized his mistake, deleted it, and apologized without trying to make excuses. That made Stefan a little more likeable in Alex’s eyes. A person who could admit a mistake without making excuses was much easier to trust, especially in a situation where cooperation mattered so much. Since everyone had already gathered, Alex decided it was time to move on.

"Let’s start the meeting about entering the Supermart," Alex said.

Everyone moved beside a nearby building where an undamaged concrete wall stood. Alex condensed a Mana Thread until it hardened, then used it to carve a rough map into the surface. The layout came directly from Ben, who had worked as a security guard at Jaelo Supermart, so Alex trusted its accuracy.

"The Supermart has six entrances. There are two main entrances at the front, one staff entrance, one loading dock, and two emergency exits," Alex explained while marking each one on the wall. His finger traced each location as he spoke, giving everyone time to memorize the layout.

He continued, "What’s strange is that every entrance and the Supermart’s walls are still intact. The earthquake that happened when the System arrived should have damaged at least some of them, but it didn’t. There are a few other things about this place that don’t make sense either."

Alex glanced toward the Supermart before continuing. The blackened windows that had completely blocked the view inside were slowly turning transparent again, as though whatever had covered them was fading away. It was a change he hadn’t expected, and he wasn’t sure whether it was a good sign or a bad one.

"When we first got here, nobody could see inside through the windows. That’s changing now, which probably means whatever caused it has weakened or disappeared."

He paused briefly before pointing at another note carved into the wall.

"The second strange thing is the Wild Orc’s Origin Energy. It froze everyone outside, but none of that energy entered the Supermart, which is why the people hiding inside weren’t affected."

Everyone listened quietly without interrupting. Even if nobody understood the reason behind those strange phenomena, they all understood one thing: entering a place filled with unknowns was always dangerous. That only made careful planning more important.

"This is why I need everyone to stay alert. We will be splitting into three groups because entering through a single entrance would only get in each other’s way during fights. It could also panic the monsters, causing them to run around and accidentally attack the survivors hiding inside the shops," Alex said.

He tapped the map once more before continuing. "Ben’s group isn’t the only one inside. According to him, there are at least two other survivor groups somewhere in the Supermart. We need to clear the building while avoiding unnecessary chaos."

Nobody disagreed with Alex’s plan. Instead, everyone began discussing the best way to divide the teams, with the big guy from Stefan’s team, Holland, and Rae contributing most of the suggestions. Holland’s experience working important security jobs and later serving as a bodyguard for a high-ranking politician made his advice especially practical.

Alex listened to everyone’s opinions before making the final adjustments. The discussion didn’t take long because most people agreed on the general approach, and the teams were finalized within a few minutes. Stefan led the first group with the majority of his teammates, while Tina, Kevin, Ophelia, and the remaining members of Alex’s group formed the second team.

Alex took command of the third group, which consisted of himself, Rae, Charlotta, a tank from Stefan’s group, and a ranger. Five people was enough for what he had planned, especially since he intended to level up his one particular long-range spell while fighting. The smaller group would also be easier to protect if something unexpected happened.

Stefan looked over the final arrangement one last time before speaking. "Are you sure about this? Your group doesn’t have much fighting power besides you."

His tone wasn’t doubtful, only concerned. He wasn’t dismissing his own team members either, the one that joined Alex, but he knew his and their limitations.

"Yes." Alex nodded calmly.

Stefan studied him for a moment before nodding in return, deciding to trust Alex’s judgment.

With the teams decided, everyone began making their final preparations. Weapons were checked, backpacks adjusted, and healing supplies distributed so they would be easy to reach during combat. The atmosphere gradually became quieter as everyone mentally prepared themselves.

Sophia walked over while Alex was securing his backpack.

"Should I come with your group? I can help carry Miss Rae while you are fighting," Sophia said.

Alex shook his head. "Stay with Tina’s group and focus on leveling up."

The monsters inside the Supermart should be much weaker than the Titan Reef Crab Dungeon, since all monsters coming out from it were Level 4-6, and most of them had been probably killed either by the Wild Orc or during earlier fighting.

Alex was confident in fighting while protecting Rae. He also wanted to test his long-range spell, and would likely not enter close range combat.

Sophia nodded, and left after speaking a few words to take care of himself and not fight recklessly.

Alex then walked over to Ophelia. Although she tried not to show it, her eyes repeatedly drifted toward Charlotta, making it obvious she was worried about leaving her daughter behind. Alex understood that feeling because no parent would willingly separate from their child in the middle of an apocalypse.

"I’ll keep her safe. You don’t need to worry about that," Alex assured her.

Ophelia gave him a grateful smile, though the concern in her eyes didn’t disappear completely.

There were two reasons Alex wanted Ophelia in Tina’s group instead of his own. First, he planned to let Rae gain experience while he practiced the long-range spell he had been thinking about, so traveling with a close-range tank like Ophelia would only reduce her opportunities to level up.

Second, Ophelia possessed exceptional talent for Aura, something Alex couldn’t ignore.

She and Stefan had been the only people capable of resisting the Wild Orc’s Origin Energy. Stefan had spent much longer adapting because he had entered the Land of Origin, but Ophelia had only experienced Aura for a little over an hour before learning to control it with remarkable precision.

Alex didn’t know exactly how talented she was yet, but he was certain she had tremendous potential and needed proper combat experience to develop it.

Once everyone finished preparing, the big guy from Stefan’s team, Holland, opened a backpack and handed out several walkie-talkies. There weren’t enough for everyone, but each group received one so they could stay in contact if necessary. After confirming the channels, the three groups headed toward their assigned entrances.

Alex’s group approached the staff entrance and quietly stepped inside. His brows immediately creased as the smell of dried blood filled his nose, mixing with the stale air trapped inside the building.

Flickering ceiling lights barely illuminated the corridor, while overturned shelves, shattered glass, and long streaks of dried blood stretched across the floor, making it painfully clear that what had had taken place there before they arrived.

Several shopping carts were scattered across the aisle, while abandoned baskets and spilled groceries lay mixed with broken glass. The entire place looked as though people had fled in complete panic.

The destruction left a strong impression, but something else immediately drew Alex’s attention. The air inside contained Origin Energy, and although the concentration wasn’t especially high, it was noticeably denser than outside the Supermart. More importantly, he could sense it slowly fading away.

’The concentration is about the same as the Titan Reef Crab Dungeon after it was cleared,’ Alex thought, his expression gradually becoming more serious. If that comparison was correct, then another question immediately came to mind.

..

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