After I Fully Prepared for the Apocalypse, the Ungrateful Cried with Regret-Chapter 43: First Time Using the Safe House

City D, outside the walls of the Rondale Food Factory.

No one noticed the new brick house that had appeared here.

A horde of zombies loitered around the brick house before slowly starting to disperse after a while.

Inside, Nina Jacobs could see everything happening outside. Seeing the crisis had passed, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

This brick house was her safe house. As long as she hid inside, the zombies outside couldn’t detect her.

Once the zombies had retreated, Nina Jacobs climbed onto the roof of the brick house and jumped straight over the wall into the food factory.

"System, retrieve the safe house."

Nina Jacobs issued the command to the System while observing the situation inside the factory.

Although this was the first time in this life she had used the safe house, she was already an expert at it.

[Safe house has been securely retrieved. Awaiting Host’s next use.]

The System handled both the retrieval and deployment of the safe house, so Nina Jacobs didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing it.

The System never made mistakes.

Today was also the final day for the "Freebie Haul Mission 12."

The reason she rushed here today was that the System’s mission prompt indicated a fire was about to break out.

The acid rain had ended, and City D had already lost power.

In that case, there was likely only one possible cause for a fire.

A Fire Element zombie.

The head of a Fire Element zombie contained a Fire Element Crystal Core, also known as a Superpower Crystal Core.

These Crystal Cores could be absorbed by Superpower Users to temporarily replenish their Superpower Energy, and they also helped to increase a Superpower User’s strength.

However, absorbing Crystal Cores came with significant side effects.

Absorbing too many could even cause a Superpower User’s Superpower to stagnate.

If a Fire Element zombie appeared here, its brain would definitely contain a Fire Element Crystal Core.

Her "Heart of Strange Fire" needed a Fire Element Crystal Core to eliminate its cooldown time.

’The roads are just too dangerous.’

Nina Jacobs’s car had been blocked by a massive pile of obstacles halfway here.

Without the safe house just now, she would have had to fight hundreds of zombies all by herself.

Fortunately, there weren’t too many zombies inside the food factory.

This was probably because all the employees had left during the acid rain period. Nina Jacobs only spotted two zombies.

Seeing the two zombies running toward her, Nina Jacobs launched two consecutive Fireballs.

She didn’t hold back this time. The two zombies’ heads were quickly burned to a crisp.

Another zombie crawled out from behind a derelict car.

This time, Nina Jacobs tried her Earth Element Superpower, controlling a sharp rock and plunging it into the zombie’s eye socket.

[Host has been detected completing first kill with an Earth Element Superpower. Reward: "Earth Element Skill Book"!]

’An Earth Element Skill Book?’

Nina Jacobs’s eyes lit up. She really didn’t know much about the Earth Element, so perhaps the Skill Book rewarded by the System could teach her some techniques.

But now was clearly not the time.

Rondale was a factory that produced instant meals. In the warehouse, Nina Jacobs collected a large quantity of self-heating hot pots, instant noodles, dried noodles, and hot and sour noodle cups.

In the apocalypse, these items were the most sought-after supplies.

She also took all the rice, flour, and oil from the raw materials warehouse.

Even by the time the System announced the mission was complete, Nina Jacobs hadn’t found any mutated zombies.

’Was my reasoning wrong?’

’Or had the zombie not evolved yet, and I accidentally killed it?’

However, Nina Jacobs was certain the three zombies she had just killed were all ordinary, as no Crystal Cores had formed in their heads yet.

The prerequisite for becoming a mutated zombie was the formation of a transparent Crystal Core in its head.

’I should head back for now.’

’At least the mission is complete.’

Nina Jacobs was about to study the map for the return trip. But as she started to head down the stairs, she suddenly saw a figure standing a short distance ahead.

To be precise, it wasn’t a human figure, but a zombie.

A closer look revealed that this zombie was quite different from the others, whose bodies were entirely rotten. This one’s body seemed to have formed a layer of scabs, and its thick skin showed no signs of flesh peeling away.

ROAR!!

As if it had discovered an intruder in its territory, the zombie let out an angry roar at Nina Jacobs.

Immediately after, a Fireball materialized in its right hand and hurtled toward her!

"So there you are."

Nina Jacobs looked at the Fire Element zombie as if she had just found a treasure.

She had already dodged its Fireball with ease, and in return, she sent an even larger one back at it.

ROAR!

The Fire Element zombie leaped aside, but the Fireball still struck its shoulder, burning right through it.

’So it’s already learned to avoid danger.’

Mutated zombies were already beginning to learn and adapt to this world. They would kill other species, avoid danger, and in later stages, even launch sneak attacks...

They were the greatest enemy of the survivors. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"You won’t be so lucky next time."

Nina Jacobs’s gaze sharpened. Two clusters of fire shot out, attacking it in a pincer move from both sides!

BOOM!

The Fire Element zombie tried to dodge again, but this time it failed. The two fire clusters collided above its head, blowing it to pieces.

A sparkling, red, glass-like crystal fell to the ground.

As if she had found a priceless treasure, Nina Jacobs picked up the crystal.

"The first Fire Element Crystal Core is mine."

After placing the Crystal Core into her storage space, Nina Jacobs planned to head back immediately.

If she didn’t go back soon, she was worried that Leo Hale and the others would come looking for her.

After all, she had run off without telling anyone.

...

Over the past two days, Vera Coleman had been going through old photos in the old house.

Most of them were pictures of Nina Jacobs as a child.

Even though she had taken most of these photos herself, looking through them again still brought tears to her eyes.

"You know, your personality is really a lot like your father’s."

When she mentioned Nina Jacobs’s biological father, Vera Coleman’s tone lacked its previous tension.

"You probably don’t remember him, do you? After all, he went abroad when you were very young."

Hearing Vera Coleman mention Sterling Jacobs’s name, Nina Jacobs felt as if she were hearing about a past life.

Sterling Jacobs was her biological father and had already started a new family abroad. Coincidentally, he had returned to Drakonia just before the apocalypse.

And in the second year of the apocalypse, he had used his status to find Nina Jacobs.

"Yeah, I don’t remember."

Nina Jacobs nodded.

Whether before or after the apocalypse, she felt nothing for Sterling Jacobs.

When she did think of him, it was mostly his emotionally sensitive, prodigious daughter, Ianna Jacobs, who came to mind.

Ianna Jacobs was a famous Water Element Superpower User in Drakonia who later awakened a Wind Element Superpower. She was said to be ranked in the top six on Drakonia’s combat power rankings.

Back then, only Shannon Renner’s Water Element Superpower could rival hers. However, Nina Jacobs always felt there was something strange about those rankings and never let anyone on her team participate in the combat duels.

Thinking back now, this was also one of the reasons why Liam Grant and the others had become dissatisfied with her.

"Well, it’s fine if you don’t remember. It’s been so many years, I can’t be bothered to bring him up either.

But every time you go out, your Uncle Hale worries. Can’t you go out a little less? It’s so dangerous outside."

Vera Coleman finally couldn’t stop herself from saying what she had been holding back.

"I can’t."

Nina Jacobs’s answer defeated Vera Coleman.

"Failed, didn’t you?"

Outside the door, Daniel Hale, who had been waiting for a long time, looked at Vera Coleman’s helpless expression. He had known this would be the outcome.