Chapter 142 The Price of Freedom


    To leave was to die.


    In her past life, Theresa had stayed at a small camp that lived by this rule. For ordinary people, trying to escape meant certain death. Everyone there was considered the personal property of the camp’s administrators, and no one was allowed to leave.


    Of course, there were exceptions. Ability users often lived under a different set of rules. Campspeted for them, offering whatever they could to keep them, because their freedom couldn’t be easily controlled. Most of them stayed where they were, content with the treatment and resources they received. But asionally, someone was poached.


    If the price was right and properpensation was offered to the original camp, then the transfer could be made.


    Theresa had seen it happen once before. There had been a man in her old camp who was taken by another. His name was Tyger, and he was the only one there with both fire and metal abilities.


    Before the world fell apart, he’d been a fighter in underground boxing rings. His body was covered in tattoos, and his temper was legendary. Everyone knew him as the hothead who didn’t think twice about hitting someone across the face.


    That was what Theresa remembered most-how quick he was to p someone, especially when he was angry. He did it without hesitation, and over time, people in the camp learned to hold their tongues when he was nearby.


    When Theresa had first arrived, plenty of men tried to approach her. Tyger had pped several of them right in front of her, sending them flying without so much as a word. Afterward, he simply walked away as if nothing had happened.


    Theresa had been stunned. That moment stuck with her. It was then she realized that in a ce like this, respect wasn’t given—it was earned. And if no one was going to stand up for her, she would learn to stand up for herself. From that day on, she decided to follow in Tyger’s footsteps. If someone disrespected her, she would fight back. She wouldn’t let anyone step on her.


    Not long after, Tyger was poached by another camp. They made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, and just like that, he was gone. Theresa never got the chance to speak to him before he left. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to-but every time she saw him, he was either pping someone or about to.


    Later, she heard that a group of survivors from a small base in Ansford had offered two truckloads of rice to bring him over. After that, no one ever saw him again.


    Years passed. Around the sixth or seventh year into the apocalypse, Theresa was in a tavern when she overheard that Tyger’s new camp had been wiped out by a massive zombie horde. No one had survived. By then, people had long forgotten his name—everyone except her.


    In the apocalypse, people were like fireworks. They lit up the sky for a moment, only to vanish in an


    instant.


    Back in the present, Theresa knew that anyone who tried to take people from another camp had to pay a


    price. Lucas hadn’t asked her for anything, but that didn’t mean she could walk away without owing him something.


    “We should go now. There’s something I need to discuss with you,” she said.


    “Okay, okay,” Lucas replied.


    Theresa turned to Hugo and the others. “You don’t need to bring anything. Just follow me tomorrow. I’ll get you out of here.”


    Lucas spoke then, his voice calm. “It’s a good thing you’re going with Ms. Hall.”


    The group stared in shock.


    “Did you hear that? Mr. Keaton just said it’s a good thing to follow Ms. Hall.”


    “I heard it too. Mr. Keaton never says things like that.”


    “I knew it we made the right choice. Ms. Hall is the one to follow.”


    “Not to mention her abilities. If anyone can lead us out of here, it’s her.”


    Josiah’s wife stood frozen, her face pale with embarrassment. She’d seen how Lucas treated Theresa-not just with courtesy, but with genuine respect. Earlier, she had mocked Theresa for being all talk, but now she could only feel the sting of her own words. Lucas hade to Theresa’s aid without hesitation, and the contrast was humiliating.


    She turned abruptly, snapping, “Hmph, who knows what that ce,is really like! Everyone, go home! Josiah! Sarah!”


    Josiah lowered his head and sulked as he turned back. His daughter, Sarah, who had been ying nearby, looked up at Theresa with wide, sad eyes. “Are you really leaving?”


    “Don’t be sad, Sarah. I’ll send you a message from the outside-on the radio,” Theresa promised softly.


    The girl’s face lit up. “Okay! I’ll wait for your message!”


    As the crowd slowly dispersed, some went to pack while others simply stood still, their eyes glinting with a quiet hope. No one knew what tomorrow would bring-but for the first time in a long time, it felt like change was within reach.


    Theresa followed Lucas back to his vi. Even before they stepped inside, they could hear the sound of something being smashed.


    “Marshal, think carefully! Evoloid is the future of humanity-you must know that! Are you really going to ignore the camp’s development?”


    “Get lost!”


    A momentter, a well-dressed man in a suit came storming out of the vi. Even in the apocalypse, he had managed to keep up appearances. His jacket was neatly pressed, and his shoes still gleamed.


    The moment he saw Lucas, his expression shifted instantly. He forced a smile and said smoothly, “Ah, Mr. Keaton, good to see you. You really ought to talk some sense into your grandfather. Look, I’m not asking for much. You do your thing, I’ll do mine-we just stay out of each other’s way and work toward the camp’s future. Sound fair?”


    3/