When it came to robbers and thugs on the road, there was no need for wasted words on them; she just needed to end them with a strike. But when it came to Baxton and Tiffany, letting them die quickly would never balance out the agony they'd once carved into her flesh in another life. This time, she made sure they felt the cruelty and despair of the apocalypse. She would drag out their suffering, forcing them to taste pain again and again, until finally they died in the most miserable ways imaginable. Only then did the anger in her chest finally ease. Natalie scooped up Braxton's two suitcases of supplies and tucked them neatly into her storage space. Then she stuffed both of them into burlap sacks, tossed them in the back of her car, and drove to a nearby supermarket.After parking, she hauled the sacks across the pavement and dragged them inside. A few desperate people were still scavenging through the empty shelves. The place was already picked clean—people were even fighting over a single bag of moldy millet found in a corner. The supermarket was already picked clean, and with another woman walking in, the survivors turned to glare at her with hostile gazes. When they saw she was carrying not one but two bulging sacks, their eyes turned sharp with suspicion and greed. "Where did she find so much stuff?!" "She's greedy. Already scored that much, and now she's here to snatch what's left from us?" Even those who had been brawling a moment ago suddenly froze, their eager gazes locked on Natalie and the bags in her hands.But Natalie didn't look at them. She walked straight past, calm as could be, until she reached the meat section. Everyone frowned in confusion. Why would she go there instead of looking for food? There hadn't been real food there in ages. She paused by the beef and poultry counters, then strode purposefully into the pork section. Without a word, she dropped both sacks onto the floor. Then she turned and walked away, humming a horribly off-key tune as if in high spirits. "It's a bright new day, "Everything's falling into place. "It's a bright new day, "From the moment I wake, things go my way." The crowd slowly approached the pork counter, curiosity pulling them closer. Finally, someone loosened one of the bulgy bags. A bloodcurdling scream split the air. "Ahhhhhh!!" "It's—it's people! Dead people!" Some staggered back in horror, bolting for the exit. But others froze only for a moment, then their eyes filled with a different hunger—one far darker. That was how a true avenger should act—using the enemy's own cruelty against them. Natalie, however, couldn't bring herself to eat human flesh, nor would she let the filthy duo taint her body. But in the apocalypse, there were always those willing to risk infection by pry on disease rather than starve to death. Driving home, Natalie replayed Braxton's words in her mind. A never-ending night with no sun.Violent raiders running wild. Some kind of mutated, terrifying animal. This trip had turned out to be far more valuable than she'd imagined. She has taken her revenge against the enemies from her past life and learned about another apocalypse ahead of time. Braxton's words weren't fully reliable, but judging from his state, he didn't have the strength to make up such a perfect lie. Whether the next disaster after Frostfall was truly Evernight, it was still better to prepare early. But, evernight and violent raiders she could understand. What she couldn't figure out was the mutated animals. What kind of terrifying creatures were they? When she thought of mutation, Natalie's mind drifted to Lucky.Originally, Lucky had been a small dog, only about 2 feet long and barely 20 pounds. Now, she had double that size! Before the apocalypse, Natalie had never seen a french bulldog this large. If she kept growing, she'd be bigger than most medium-sized dogs like collies or shepherds. Still, her Lucky wasn't frightening. She was ugly, sure, but Lucky thought of herself as a spoiled little princess—stubborn, proud, and ridiculously cute. Whatever Braxton meant about those mutant beasts, Natalie knew one thing for sure; the stronger she became, the better her chances of surviving long-term. And not just her—Lucky would need to train too. Strong muscles and real strength were the only things she could rely on in this world. As these thoughts filled her mind, Natalie pressed harder on the gas pedal, driving home as quickly as she could. Meanwhile, on the hillside estate. Roderick hurried up the path toward the villa at the very top. For once, he wasn't in his usual business suit. Instead, he wore a T-shirt, shorts, and a pair of oversized slippers as he stepped inside Cassian's home. The moment he walked in, cool air wrapped around him. He let out a long sigh of relief. The heat outside was brutal, and just walking from his house to the villa had nearly drained him. But Cassian's place was something else. This massive villa had central cooling running through the whole house. Unlike his own, where the air conditioner was only switched on in the bedroom, forcing his family of three to huddle together to escape the heat. To save fuel, he dared not set the temperature too low. Still, it was far better than those who didn't have a generator or fuel. Roderick walked through the halls and finally found Cassian in the gym. Cassian's muscles flexed and bulged as he pressed a barbell overhead, sweat running down his arms. The sight made Roderick pause. He couldn't help but thought. People were collapsing from the heat, terrified they might die from it, but my boss here carried on his life untouched—working out and keeping himself strong.