Plundering in the Apocalypse

Within half an hour after dinner. As Shin expected, all the children started getting drowsy. Lily was also feeling a little sleepy, but not because of the sleeping drug, but because she was genuinely tired.

"Okay, everyone will start traveling now. You can sleep inside the buses."

As soon as that announcement came, some of the drowsy children started complaining.

"No way I'm so tired."

"Ugh, I want to sleep."

"Why do we have to travel at night?"

*Yawn*

Some children, because of tiredness and under the effects of the drug, barely had their eyes open.

"Okay, okay, stop complaining and follow us."

When everyone was led outside the building, Shin's eyes narrowed as he sensed something. 

'Are they here?' Killing intent flashed in his eyes, which dispersed in a second, and no one noticed anything.

Outside the building, five buses were parked and more than a dozen people in black martial arts clothing were doing some weird moves near the buses.

'Are they making the formation that Dad was talking about?'

Shin looked at them curiously and sure enough, within a few seconds, some weird patterns appeared in thin air and were attached to behind all the buses.

As soon as the formations were activated, Shin felt that the buses became a bit inconspicuous. 

'This formation is giving a similar effect to my mind control waves. It is making other people subconsciously ignore these buses. But that's not all. Its effect is even better than my current mind control.'

Shin sighed, thinking their method was pretty powerful. With this formation in place, tracking them is very difficult.

'Maybe only Alice's soul mark will work here.'

While Shin was busy thinking, those martial artists seemed to have felt something as they turned toward Shin, looking for something. 

'Oh? Did they find out? It seems their senses are pretty sharp.'

Thinking that, he averted his eyes from them and shifted his attention toward Lily. As expected, as soon as Shin's gaze averted from them, they looked around in puzzlement.

"Did you feel that?"

A martial artist asked his partner, looking at Noah and Lily with a frown. 'It's just kids. Am I imagining things?' 

"Yeah, someone was watching us." The martial artist beside him answered while looking around vigilantly. 

"What should we do?" Another martial artist asked.

"Everyone be on guard. Three of you will go around and check. If there are any suspicious people. Bring them back here. We can't fail this mission." The martial artist who seemed to be their leader said in a deep voice.

"YES! CAPTIAN!" Those three martial artists answered in unison and disappeared into the woods. 

She also saw their movements, but wasn't the least bit worried. Of course, he was pretty confident in his shape-shifting ability, otherwise, he wouldn't have used it to infiltrate.

With his magic eyes, he also sensed that these martial artists were pretty powerful. Moreover, he was familiar with their martial arts uniform.

'They're all the members of the Shadow Hawks. A separate army of martial artists who only serve Reizer Wolner and do all his dirty works.'

Even Nicolas Wolner can't command them. 

Some time passed and by the time those three martial artists returned, all the children were already seated inside the buses, and most of them were already asleep, not being able to handle the effects of the sleeping drug.

"Did you find anyone?" the captain asked.

Shaking their heads, they answered. "No sir, everything is clear."

With a frown on his face, the captain rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Then commanded. "Hmm, get ready to depart and keep your eyes open for any followers."

***

As night fell and the white full moon hung in the sky overlooking the entire country of Hazelwood. In the mysterious dark forest that has appeared between the village of Kulhard and Kenshun city after the cataclysm. Five inconspicuous buses were moving fast, carrying a hundred sleeping children. Because of the formation on the buses, the monsters and the animals in the forest also subconsciously ignored it. 

Soon, dark clouds gathered above the mysterious forest, and heavy rainfall started. As the sounds of water splashing sounded and the bus engine roared, Shin who had his eyes closed was constantly monitoring everything around him, with his enhanced senses. 

Lily beside him was already asleep and so were all the children.

The Shadow Hawks' vigilance was also reduced a little when they confirmed that they weren't being followed. 

Inside the bus, it was unusually silent, and only the sounds of the bus moving, and the rainfall could be heard. 

'Elena and the others should have arrived in Kenshun city by now.'

'I wonder what Alice is doing?'

While he was thinking, Shin also relaxed a little. Unfortunately, he couldn't sleep like everyone else and this long night he was bound to be sleepless. 

***

Kenshun City.

This evening, a group of visitors arrived in this commercial city known to be the center of the economy of Hazelwood country. 

This group of visitors are also all familiar people. They were members of the Astros Guild.

"Wow! As I expected! Kenshun City is the best place to come for shopping!" Jenny exclaimed, looking at all the high-end shops and stores of popular brands around them.

James looked at his wife speechlessly and said, "We are not here on vacation."

Jenny pouted while rolling her eyes. "You don't have to tell me that. I know." As she said that, her eyes lit up as she saw a dress displayed in the nearby store.

James sighed in relief, but Jenny's next words made him choke a little.

"Anyway, we still have time before the operation starts. So why don't we check some stores out?"

James wanted to rebuke her, but Selene's words behind him made him swallow back his words. 

"Yeah, we are undercover anyway. So, it's better to act more like tourists, right?" 

When Selene said that, both she and Jenny looked at each other and nodded with a knowing smile, then simultaneously they looked at Elena expectantly with shining eyes.

They too know the importance of this mission, so obviously they won't move around without permission. 

Elena thought for a moment and agreed. "We still have time, so we can move around separately for now."

Selene and Jenny smiled cheerfully, then Selene grabbed Marine's hands, and they entered the nearby store. 

James looked at the back of his leaving wife and smiled wryly. But he still didn't go after them and stayed with Eddie. No way. He knows how troublesome it is to be mixed up in his wife's shopping. Now that she is accompanied by other girls, it's better to let them be.

Aurora and Emily also left, saying that they were a little hungry and were going to a popular restaurant nearby.

Elena nodded and didn't say anything. 

"Miss Elena, when is Guild Master going to arrive?" Alex asked.

"He said they will start moving at night, so based on the distance, they should arrive before dawn," Elena said, calculating the time it should normally take to cover the distance between Kulhard Village and Kenshun City. 

When he heard this, Alex's tensed nerves visibly relaxed a little.

"Elena!" Reina called out.

"Yes, Aunty?!" Elena replied subconsciously, looking at Reina and Alfred beside her.

With a glance, Reina could see that Elena was a little nervous. But it was normal, considering it was her first time leading everyone. Even though Reina knew that she wasn't going to help or comfort her. This was something that Elena needed to experience and overcome to grow and become a good leader.

Raising a sound barrier around them, Reina said. "Your uncle and I are going to see the movements of the Tarragon family."

"Should I come with you as well?" Elena asked tentatively.

This time Reina didn't answer. Instead, Alfred said. "No, you should prepare for the operation."

He wanted to say that 'Your recon skills are not that good yet.' But thinking that it might hurt the girl's heart, he changed his words.

Elena didn't think much about it and nodded. 

But after the two of them left, Elena felt a little awkward as she was the only girl left. 

James, Eddie, and Alex also didn't know what to say at this moment.

Elena turned to look at them and said, "I am also feeling rather hungry. I'll go check that restaurant. Aurora and Emily were talking about."

Leaving those words, Elena left hastily. But she looked more like escaping.

Now only the men were left. Of course, Alex wasn't much happy, as none of the two were his type. One was a married man and had a loving wife, so he couldn't destroy their family. The other was an under-aged kid. 

'As for boss Shin, until Miss Alice is here, I don't have a chance. Moreover, there is also Miss Elena who likes him.'

Looking at Eddie and James beside him, Alex couldn't help but sigh.

*Sigh*

'Why aren't they any handsome single men in the guild?'