Looking up at the statue and feeling the faint, abnormal changes stirring within his body, Lear slowly leaned against the weapon crate and drifted into a deep sleep.
He didn't know how many hours had passed, but when he opened his eyes again, the room was filled with the bright light of day.
Just as he moved to stretch his stiff limbs, he realized a small figure was leaning against him; Sherry was huddled quietly by his side.
"Awake? The little girl didn't sleep long. As soon as she opened her eyes, she asked where you were. Once she saw you, she insisted on staying right next to you."
Marvin walked over, his eyes bloodshot and his expression weary.
"Marvin, you didn't sleep at all last night?" Lear frowned.
"I dozed off for a bit, slumped over the front desk. Things aren't looking good." Marvin lowered his voice. "After David and the others returned yesterday, I checked everyone. Out of seventeen people, five had injuries—including some of our own brothers. Luckily, they all know what's happening. David took the initiative to lead them into isolation."
"Last night?" Lear's brow furrowed even deeper.
"Yeah. For safety, we moved them to the East Office overnight. Don't worry, Jill led the team over there. You were sleeping so soundly we didn't want to wake you. The doors over there are sealed off; no incidents so far."
Marvin spoke nonchalantly, but Lear understood the reality perfectly.
Being scratched or bitten by a Licker was practically a death sentence; no one accepts such a fate peacefully. However, he didn't press further, partly because he trusted Marvin's judgment, and partly because he acknowledged Jill's capability.
Jill would never compromise the safety of the majority out of momentary pity. If someone truly lost control, she would likely have them contained before the mutation was even complete.
Thinking of this, Lear suddenly realized he hadn't seen Jill anywhere.
"Where is Jill?"
"She headed home to grab some supplies and see if she could pick up any more survivors on the way. David took two men with her, so she should be fine."
As Marvin answered, he handed over a bag of bread and a tin of canned food. "Eat something. We don't know when Chief Raymond and the others will be back. You won't last if you don't eat."
Lear nodded. Just as he took the food, he felt a light movement at his side.
He looked down to see that Sherry had woken up at some point and was gazing up at them.
"Did we wake you?" Lear softened his voice and smiled.
"No, I woke up on my own," Sherry answered softly.
After spending the previous day together and surviving that terrifying pursuit by the Tyrant, she was no longer as guarded around Lear as she had been at first, and was now able to speak to him naturally.
"Hungry?" Lear held the food out to her.
"I'm not hungry, you eat," Sherry said, but no sooner had the words left her mouth than her stomach gave an ill-timed, soft growl.
The young girl's face instantly flushed crimson, and she hurriedly looked down. "It's fine, go ahead and eat. Our little Princess Sherry has her own separate 'deluxe breakfast'."
Marvin smiled warmly from the side as he brought over a portion of food containing milk, bread, and a bag of instant beef. "My daughter is about your age, but she and her mother evacuated earlier with Chief Raymond." As he spoke, Marvin pulled out a photo to show Lear. "Meryl, my daughter."
Lear looked at the photo as something suddenly clicked, and he immediately asked, "Which bus was she on?"
"The first one. Why?"
"It's nothing." Lear let out a sigh of relief. "As long as it wasn't the last one. When we ran into a Tyrant yesterday, the last bus was blown to pieces by a rocket."
Marvin's face turned pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his expression filled with nothing but sheer relief.
After Marvin left, Lear picked up the bread and began to eat slowly.
It was strange; while he was locked in fierce combat with the Tyrant and slaying the Licker last night, he hadn't felt the slightest bit of hunger. Yet now that he was awake, he felt completely hollowed out, as if every cell in his body was screaming for replenishment.
He ate faster and faster, eventually stuffing entire slices of bread into his mouth and devouring the canned food in a few large gulps. More than half of it was gone in the blink of an eye.
Even after finishing this breakfast, he still didn't feel the least bit full.
Looking up, he met Sherry's wide-eyed, stunned gaze. The young girl's large eyes were perfectly round with surprise; seeing him look over, she hesitated for a moment before gently pushing her half-eaten breakfast toward him.
"Um... Lear, if you don't mind, you can have mine," Sherry said softly.
Lear felt both helpless and amused. He reached out and gently patted her head. "You eat, Sherry. I'm probably just this hungry because yesterday was so exhausting."
Just then, Elliot passed by.
"Lear, eat this. I usually take these for lunch when I'm on patrol."
As he spoke, he picked up a paper bag from a nearby table and handed it over.
Lear opened it to find a bag filled with large American donuts.
Under normal circumstances, he would definitely have refused. Neither before nor after his soul-transmigration had he ever cared much for overly sweet foods.
But currently, his hunger was so intense that he couldn't afford to be picky. He pulled one out and started chewing. Though they weren't particularly delicious donuts, at this moment, they tasted like the finest delicacies in the world.
As he ate, Lear could clearly feel the emptiness within his body being filled bit by bit.
Before long, the entire bag of donuts had been wiped clean.
He looked up just in time to see Elliot staring at him with a bewildered expression.
"Lear... you never usually eat that stuff."
"Too hungry to be picky." Lear wiped the corners of his mouth. "By the way, where did these donuts come from?"
Elliot shrugged. "Grabbed them from a bakery while I was busy rescuing people yesterday. If you want more, there are still several bags over at the front desk."
It wasn't that Lear truly liked eating donuts, but he could clearly feel the massive amount of sugar being converted into energy at high speed, replenishing his body's abnormal level of consumption.
Given the current situation, high-sugar foods like donuts were a rare find for replenishment. Just as Lear was debating whether to have Elliot bring over the remaining donuts now or save them for when he desperately needed to restore his stamina later, Marvin walked over quickly with a grim expression.
"Lear, you need to hear this."
"What's wrong, Marvin?" Lear immediately turned to face him.
"It's Chief Raymond on the phone. I'm afraid the situation has changed. Come and take this."
Lear followed Marvin to the Police Station front desk. Just as he picked up the receiver, Chief Raymond's voice came through. It was heavy with profound exhaustion.
"Lear... Marvin says you're okay. That's wonderful. I thought we'd lost you."
"I'm fine, Chief. With Jill's help, I made it back safely."
"Jill... yes, that's good. I knew she wouldn't just sit around and wait for death. With her there, you all have an extra layer of protection."
The Chief paused, his tone suddenly becoming deadly serious. "Son, listen to me now—prepare to evacuate immediately. Don't worry about anyone else. Prioritize your own survival. You must make it out alive."
Lear's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, Chief? Aren't we waiting for you?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, followed by a heavy sentence:
"We... aren't coming back."
(Translated by yourtl.app)