Chapter 308: The Rain Has Stopped, Return to Subterra!

It wasn’t that they didn’t understand the logic behind Hector Grant’s words. They had simply been too agitated just now, casting their own survival to the wind. After being reprimanded by Hector, they gradually calmed down, and a lingering sense of fear finally crept into their hearts.

The dead were already gone, but the living still had to keep on living. They couldn’t afford to throw their lives away in a moment of hot-headedness. After all, they weren’t alone in this world; back in Subterra, they had family and friends eagerly awaiting their safe return.

As time ticked by, the white bones scattered across the ground were corroded into tattered fragments. If they hadn’t witnessed the entire process with their own eyes, no one would have believed that it had all happened in a mere five minutes. Just thinking about it sent shivers down their spines.

Sierra Sullivan had initially wanted to cover Candice Tate’s eyes to shield her from the gruesome sight. Ultimately, however, she dismissed the idea. Only by seeing the sheer destructiveness of this rain firsthand would the girl know to be more careful in the future and avoid getting hurt.

Candice’s face was paler than usual, her eyes filled with terror and dread. Yet, from beginning to end, she didn’t look away, observing the scene with earnest intent.

“Sierra…” Candice’s voice was small and trembling. “Why is this happening?”

Candice wasn’t the only one wanting to ask this. Everyone present was desperate to know the answer. Why was it that every time they caught a glimpse of hope, they were shoved back into a deeper abyss of despair? Was the world truly dead set on driving every last survivor to extinction?

The heavy rain continued to pour with a relentless SPLASH, but everyone’s faces were etched with numbness. A closer look revealed an underlying despair in their eyes. They had finally found a sliver of hope, only to be ruthlessly slapped in the face the very next moment. Such an emotional rollercoaster in a short span of time, compounded by the prolonged tension they had endured, made their current breakdown entirely understandable.

Sierra merely gazed quietly out the window, leaving Candice’s question unanswered. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to reply; she genuinely didn’t know what to say.

Instead, it was Jayce who broke the silence. His tone wasn’t heavy; on the contrary, it carried a hint of ease and defiance. “Candice, you have to remember one phrase.”

“What phrase?” Candice looked at Jayce, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

It wasn’t just her. Sierra, Nathan Thorne, Hector, and everyone else who heard his voice turned their gazes toward him.

Being stared at by the crowd didn’t make Jayce nervous in the slightest. A faint smile played at the corner of his lips. “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger! Got it? This apocalypse wants to drive us to our deaths, but we’re going to live. We’re going to live well and show this apocalypse exactly who the true masters of this world are!”

Jayce’s declaration was incredibly arrogant. If it had been the old days, people would have probably mocked him for his hubris. But now, no one felt that way. Even the suffocating despair from moments ago was entirely suppressed.

“Well said!” Hector shouted. “That’s exactly how we should think! Hasn’t it been hard before? No matter how tough it was, haven’t we survived until now? What does this little hardship matter?”

“He’s right! Screw it!”

“I don’t believe it! The worst that can happen is death, right? I’m not even afraid of living, so why should I be afraid of dying?”

“We’ll definitely survive this! What is there to be afraid of?”

Morale was thoroughly boosted, and smiles even began to appear on some faces.

Seeing their renewed spirits and fighting resolve, Hector secretly breathed a sigh of relief while casting a grateful glance at Jayce. Low morale was a massive taboo in their line of work. He had been so immersed in his own thoughts earlier that he had completely neglected this. If he had missed this opportunity, trying to rally their spirits later would have been a Herculean task.

Jayce caught Hector’s look of gratitude and simply raised an eyebrow in response, saying nothing more. But that was enough. Sometimes, between two grown men, a single look was all it took to understand each other’s thoughts. Everything was understood without being said.

Sierra noticed the silent exchange between the two and smiled quietly. She had finally witnessed the legendary mutual respect between men. It felt… truly unique.

She looked down at Candice, whose cheeks were slightly flushed, her small hands balled into fists.

“Sierra, I won’t give up!”

Sierra nodded. “Neither will I. None of us will.”

The rain showed no signs of letting up, but the group didn’t stand there watching any longer. Rather than wasting time spacing out, it was better to go back, eat, recover their stamina, and improve their Superpowers.

For the rest of the day, the laboratory was quiet. Everyone methodically went about their own tasks. By the time the sky turned completely dark, the rain outside still hadn’t stopped, nor did it show any signs of weakening.

Falling asleep to the endless SPLASH of the downpour made for a restless night. Even so, everyone forced themselves to rest. Only by recovering properly would they have the energy and stamina to deal with any sudden emergencies.

The torrential rain lasted for three consecutive days. By the final day, Sierra was starting to worry whether the roof would be corroded. If it caved in, they would have nowhere left to hide.

Fortunately, as night fell, the rain gradually lightened before finally coming to a complete stop. However, the world outside was already pitch black. Heading out now was definitely not a good idea, so they could only wait patiently for dawn.

Early the next morning, when the sky was just beginning to brighten, everyone woke up. Sierra walked to the doorway and was immediately greeted by a vast, azure sky.

It was a sunny day! They could finally set off and return to Subterra!

“Listen up, everyone! You have fifteen minutes to prepare. We move out in fifteen minutes and rush back to Subterra as fast as possible!” Hector’s voice suddenly boomed, loud enough to wake the dead. One could tell just from his tone how thrilled he was.

“Yes, sir!” the group roared in response, their excitement matching his stride for stride. They had been out for so long and had been through so much; it would be weirder if they weren’t ecstatic at the prospect of finally going home.

Although Sierra had no desire to continue living in Subterra, Jayce’s relatives were still there, so she had to make a trip back regardless.

Fifteen minutes flew by, but it was more than enough time. Everyone present was a Superpower User, and with Space Ability Users among them, packing up was a matter of minutes.

The vehicles were pulled out of spatial storage, and everyone boarded as quickly as possible. Not a single person dawdled. The researchers, in particular, scrambled onto the vehicles faster than anyone else, terrified of being left behind.

In reality, their fears were entirely unfounded. Hector had never once considered leaving them behind. After everything those researchers had done, they needed to answer for their crimes. There was no way he was going to let them off with a simple, easy death.