"What?" Lily and Sophia couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Elijah's expression mirrored their astonishment.
"Nathan's leader is Matthew? Could Matthew be Olivia's father?" Elijah pondered briefly. However, Olivia had previously mentioned her surname didn't match Matthew's... but it could be her mother's surname.
"Do you know Olivia?" Nathan's face lit up with a glimmer of hope, feigning a surprised expression.
"Well, well, what a small world," Elijah chuckled noncommittally. "So, who is your leader?"
"Kylie," Nathan replied without hesitation. His words were all true, so he wasn't concerned about any lie-detection abilities.
Elijah frowned slightly. He had never heard of this person before.
"The CEO of YLK Cosmetics? I didn't expect Olivia to be a young heiress!" Fiona suddenly interjected with a smile.
"Indeed. Do you know our leader?" Nathan's heart skipped a beat.
"We've met a couple of times. Her cosmetics are good; she once gifted me a few sets, and I'm still using them. How is Kylie doing these days?" Fiona asked with a smile that was more mocking than friendly.
"She... she's doing fine," Nathan forced himself to appear composed.
"As long as she's doing fine. Surviving in this apocalypse is no easy feat. But Kylie has a good eye for people; she sent you out to find her daughter. Your abilities seem quite suitable for navigating this world overrun by zombies," Fiona remarked casually. "I'm curious, though—can your ability also cloak others invisibly? How do you plan to safely bring Olivia back once you find her?"
Seeing no suspicion in the others, Nathan breathed a sigh of relief.
He grinned ingratiatingly, "Originally, no, but recently my abilities have improved. Now I can barely cloak one person along with me."
His words hinted that he might know how to enhance abilities, thereby increasing his leverage for survival.
"Second-tier abilities?" Elijah was surprised.
He hadn't expected Nathan to advance to the second tier so early. No wonder he dared to roam alone, stirring up trouble everywhere.
"Hmm," Elijah nodded thoughtfully. "Do you know where their company is located?"
"It's in the West City District... Oh! I know where he meant by that place where you can live worry-free for life!" Fiona's eyes lit up. "Yes, how did I not think of it before?" She shook her head in frustration. "Even if you figure it out, it's no use. We're on the East Coast here.
To get to the western suburbs, you'd have to go through the city center or detour from the south suburbs. It's not only too far, but there are too many zombies, especially in the city center! Safety can't be guaranteed, unless like Nathan, you rely on your abilities for solo missions."
"Huh? By the way you're talking, do you know where that place is?" Fiona blinked.
"The western suburbs. The only place that fits the description would be the online shopping mall's warehouse base, and it's probably the largest in the country! Nathan and his group could have thought of it because they have goods stored there."
"Pretty smart. So apart from Olivia's matter, this person isn't of much use. Have you figured out how to deal with him?" Elijah asked calmly.
"Of course," Elijah replied, then turned back to face Nathan.
"Elijah, returning, watched Nathan nervously. He didn't know what Elijah and the woman had discussed, but he understood that this was the moment his fate would be decided.
"Big brother, I... I... I know how to enhance abilities. Since you've awakened superpowers yourself, surely you want your abilities to advance further?" Nathan hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and revealed his biggest trump card.
Elijah chuckled lightly at his words. "Do you think someone who can defeat you would have abilities inferior to yours?"
Nathan's face stiffened. He had guessed this would be the case, which was why he no longer kept this secret. He hadn't expected Elijah to truly not care.
"As for the place you mentioned, the one where you can live worry-free for life, I actually know about it. So you see, aside from you coming to find Olivia, which did surprise me, you can't provide any value that would make me overlook your actions just now."
"Big brother, this... it's all a misunderstanding. Please consider Kylie's reputation..."
"Kylie... I don't know her, so there's no reputation to speak of. However, there is something on you that I do need."
"What?" Nathan's face lit up with hope. As long as he could save his life, he was willing to offer anything.
"Your corpse core."
"Huh? Corpse core??" Nathan looked utterly bewildered.