[1] Apocalypse: Third Rebirth

Chapter 177: Already Has Four Kings

When I woke up the next day, I was alone in the bed. Now, as much as that doesn't seem like a big deal, that hasn't happened once since the puppy pile started in December. My nerves screaming that something was wrong, I quickly got out of bed and went on a hunt for my men.

Luckily for all of us, they were easy to find in the kitchen, drinking their morning cups of coffee. Wang Chao and Liu Wei were stilling at the table while Liu Yu Zeng was leaning against the counter and Chen Zi Han was digging through the fridge. I could make out the low mummer of their voices, the sound alone causing shivers up my spine.

Smiling I walked into the kitchen. And then there was silence.

Tension seemed to stream out of the guys like it was a visible river seeping out of their pores. I studied each face as I went to sit down in my spot. I noticed the small things, like the tightening around Wang Chao's eyes, the dark circles on Chen Zi Han's face, and the sheer exhaustion on Liu Wei's. Liu Yu Zeng was the same as ever, but if I looked inside at his flame, it was frantically spinning in circles.

I stayed quiet as Chen Zi Han gently put down a cup of coffee in front of me. "Let me guess," I said, taking the first sip of the day. The warmth traveled through my very blood, offering me a little comfort. Cracking my neck back and forth, I tried to suppress a yawn. "We currently have an unidentified spirit user somewhere in the building, but you can't find them."

The men looked at me in shock, their eyes widening a touch. Taking another sip of my coffee, I tilted my head to the right, stretching out the left side of my neck. After counting to 10 I did the same to the other side and then took another sip of coffee.

When the men neither confirmed nor denied my statement, I took it to mean that I was right. "And you brought everyone into a communal room to figure out who is the odd man out?" I asked around a yawn. This was definitely not my morning.

"You made too big of a wave and sent the rat underground," I said with a sigh. This was not the first time it had ever happened to me, in fact, it would become an extremely common occurrence, especially in these early days before security got tighter. Life would be easier if we had a few other spirit users to guard the gates, but c'est la vie.

"Do you have a solution?" asked Wang Chao as he looked at me over the rim of his own coffee cup. I would have to find a good place to plant some of the coffee bushes so it wasn't so suspicious when I had an unlimited supply.

"Meh," I said, fighting another yawn. "It happens a lot," I offered the guys with a sincere smile on my face. And it did, I wasn't upset with the guys or even Ruan Ruo Xi for that matter. But I might turn a bit stabby once we found the uninvited guest. I mean, it was one of those days.

"Wang Chao, you and Liu Yu Zeng start at the very bottom of the building. I'm talking about the boiler room bottom. Any place that a person can go into, you walk around 'inspecting' for any potential damages. Liu Wei, you and Chen Zi Han need to check out any unoccupied residences. It is unlikely that a stranger would be able to slip into a place that already had people living in it without it being noticeable, so we will start with the most probable first."

"I don't want you alone," said Chen Zi Han as he narrowed his eyes on me. The man

might not be a spirit user, but he was definitely able to read my mind most days.

"I need to be," I said with a wave of my hand, depositing an apple and cherry crisp onto the table, 5 spoons already inside the steaming dessert. I knew that most of the boys would turn it down, but I never wanted to assume just in case.

"You think that they are going to come for you?" asked Liu Yu Zeng as he picked up a spoon and bit into the gooey mixture.

"Yes," I said simply, closing my eyes as the sweetness and tartness of the crisp danced over my tongue. Combined with the coffee, it was the perfect breakfast.