Free Web NovelChapter 329: Chapter 315: Submit to Discipline (3)
Seeing that everyone was ready, Flora Bloom waved her hand. The tall grass by the wall receded into a lawn, and the rose vines retracted, revealing a passable opening at the main gate.
This scene left Sepherdine and the other two so shocked they were rendered speechless.
Seth Warren was especially stunned. "This... You can control these plants?"
Flora Bloom smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying it.
Quinn remained silent, his face expressionless but his demeanor exceptionally cautious. Sepherdine, on the other hand, had been looking to Flora Bloom for every cue from the start. Whatever Flora Bloom said, he did. It wasn’t a matter of trust. He just knew... ’Even if you don’t trust her, what can you do?’
The food was still in Flora Bloom’s hands.
The water source was in Villa No. 3.
The greatest combat strength also lay with the people and beasts on Flora Bloom’s team.
And this was what Flora Bloom liked most about Sepherdine. ’He does whatever I say. Even though I’ve known Seth Warren the longest, that man is so gloomy. Everything he says is steeped in despair and negativity.’
’Quinn and I may have a partnership, but I can’t read him at all. And I’m not willing to waste time trying to figure out people I can’t read. Strength trumps all.’
’Of these three, Sepherdine is the only one I feel at ease with. He understands the situation and knows his place.’
’Seth Warren is full of ideas but has no plans, so he’s not a real factor. And while Quinn is a partner, I know he buries his thoughts too deep. You can’t have a long-term partnership built on mutual trust with someone like that.’
A decrepit aura surged in from the outside. It was the scent of antiquity and decay, like some untouched, primeval land. The air was frighteningly crisp, but the oxygen content was extremely low—completely unsuitable for human survival.
The few people protected by Flora Bloom’s watery mist felt it as well. Even within the mist, they could feel their breathing becoming obstructed.
This was especially true for Lisa.
Lisa was clutching her throat, her face flushed red as if she were about to suffocate. Aside from Flora Bloom, Sepherdine, and Caleb, everyone else—Jade, Seth Warren, and Quinn—had grim expressions, all of them gasping for the thin air.
Flora Bloom waved her hand again. Rose vines of varying thickness overlapped and closed, weaving themselves into a dense lattice. The gaps were covered by green leaves until it resembled a solid wall of vegetation.
The main gate was once again covered by plants, sealing off the decrepit, ancient aura of the outside world.
The rose vines and the newly lengthened grass slowly began to emit a green Spiritual Energy, which completely purged the aura that had entered the base.
Lisa’s color gradually returned. She stood rooted to the spot, patting her chest and taking deep, shaky breaths.
Everyone except Flora Bloom stared at the newly sealed gate as if they had seen a ghost.
Flora Bloom asked with an amused smile, "Still want to go out?"
Sepherdine hung his head and started walking back, looking utterly dejected. Flora Bloom watched his desolate figure but didn’t call out. Seth Warren and Quinn were shocked, but they weren’t as crushed by the revelation as Sepherdine was.
’Of the three of them, Sepherdine’s ambition is the most obvious. He wears it on his sleeve, which makes all his actions seem open and justified. What’s more, he trusts me. Though I have no idea where that trust comes from.’
’As for Seth Warren, he saved Shauna Wallace and gave me hints and warnings before Morgan Sterling died. But all of that was just the result of him weighing the pros and cons. Quinn is the same.’
So after the three of them left, Flora Bloom had Caleb call Sepherdine back.
’This Sepherdine... He has ambition and cunning, and his strength isn’t bad. But it’s not enough.’
’In this apocalypse, especially here in Morhaven, you need more than just strength and ambition. You need supplies, food, and water. And as it happens, I have all of those.’
When Sepherdine returned to Villa No. 3, he saw Flora Bloom lounging in a rocking chair eating grapes, just as she had been the first time he’d entered the villa.
"Captain Flora, why did you call me back?"
"One month."
Flora Bloom said nonchalantly, popping another grape into her mouth. Sepherdine watched her, fighting the urge to grab this seemingly careless and naive woman and shake some sense into her.
’Does this woman have any awareness that it’s the apocalypse?! Those grapes are so big and plump, they look delicious. It makes me want to snatch them for myself. I haven’t had fresh fruit in so long.’
"What about one month?" Despite his thoughts, Sepherdine got back to the matter at hand.
"The situation outside will last for another month."
Sepherdine wasn’t surprised that Flora Bloom knew. He just asked curiously, "Why did you call me back alone to tell me this?"
Flora Bloom looked up and gave him a cunning grin. "I want you to bring every faction in this safe base, big or small, under your control within one month!"
Sepherdine frowned. "Under my control...?"
"Solidify your position as the leader of this safe base. Maintain its stability and security, ensure everyone can survive and develop, and most importantly, protect my parents."
Sepherdine froze.
"Protect your parents? Are you leaving?"
Flora Bloom just smiled faintly, saying nothing.
