My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 923

Chapter 923: Chapter 923 Incoming Zombie Wave
“Really? Is my dad like Superman now?” the little girl asked between sniffles. She didn’t fully understand, but she grasped the heart of Keith’s words, that her father had gone up to heaven, maybe to be with her mother.

Yet the thought only made her tears flow again. Now she was truly an orphan, without a mother or father.

Before the apocalypse, children without parents were often bullied, and the little girl knew all too well how sad it was to be one. The fear of that fate hit her, and she began crying even harder.

Keith pressed his lips together, glancing helplessly toward his grandmother in the distance. She had already noticed the sobbing child, and his pleading eyes begged her to rescue him from the situation.

He had repeated the same words his sister once used to comfort him, but somehow, when he said them, they only made the little girl’s grief heavier.

Grandma Aldens let out a heavy sigh. Watching Keith gently coax the crying child stirred memories she had long buried. She remembered all too well what he had been like before they adopted Kisha, how withdrawn and pitiful he was after being branded a jinx to his parents.

The grief and pain he carried back then were unbearable for a child, yet he kept it all inside.

He never dared to complain or lean on the adults around him, terrified that he would become a burden or, worse, that he would also bring misfortune to his grandparents for taking him in. So, he built walls around himself and hid away in his own small world.

Everything began to change the day Kisha arrived. Bit by bit, she reached through his shell and pulled him back into the light. Grandma Aldens still remembered the words Kisha used to say to him—gentle, reassuring words that gave Keith strength.

Every time, Keith would look up proudly at the sky, convinced that his mother had become an angel watching over him.

It had been more than a decade since then, and the once pitiful, withdrawn boy had grown into someone so lively and full of light. The sight of him now made Grandma Aldens’ lips curve into an uncontrollable smile.

With that warmth in her heart, she slowly stepped forward to comfort the crying girl.

“Sweetie, you may not see your father, but he’s still protecting you. He wouldn’t want you to feel sad, he’d be heartbroken,” she murmured softly as she pulled the little one into her arms, cradling her with gentle care. “Shhh… don’t cry, don’t cry. Grandma will give you some chocolate, and then… how about we let that big brother show you a trick?”

Her gaze shifted toward Keith. He had just breathed out a sigh of relief, only to freeze stiff when his grandmother’s eyes fell on him.

But Keith understood exactly what his grandmother wanted. Without a word of protest, he raised his hand and conjured a small snow-white rabbit, its fluffy form so lifelike it seemed ready to dart away at any moment. The tiny creature hopped around adorably, drawing curious eyes.

“Look, little one,” Keith said gently, crouching closer. “A rabbit came to see you.”

At the mention of a rabbit, something she hadn’t seen in so long, the girl hiccupped mid-sob, her crying stopping as she peeked down. Her wide eyes followed the little white rabbit as it hopped about, while Grandma Aldens tenderly wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Seeing her reaction, Keith smiled faintly and conjured another illusion, a golden retriever with bright, gentle eyes.

His long hours of training were finally bearing fruit; the illusions he created now looked so vivid and real that only a touch would reveal their emptiness. For the little girl, though, they were magic brought to life.

The little girl was instantly captivated as more and more animals appeared around her. Soon, a patch of soft green grass spread beneath her feet, completing the magical scene. Her eyes lit up with wonder, her earlier sorrow forgotten; after all, she was only five, still easily distracted.

For the moment, her pain gave way to pure curiosity as she tried to figure out where all these enchanting creatures had come from.

After a short while of playing, the little girl finally drifted off to sleep. All the crying earlier had drained her tiny body of energy, and now she rested peacefully in Grandma Aldens’s arms. Just then, Vulture stepped out of the meeting room. The moment he spotted Keith standing beside his grandmother, he immediately approached.

“Sir, Keith, may I have a moment?” he asked. Having just discussed a grave matter with Sparrow, one that could endanger all their lives, he hadn’t managed to steady his tone, and his voice came out sharper and louder than intended.

The sudden sound startled the little girl, causing her to stir in Grandma Aldens’s arms. At once, both grandmother and grandson turned and shot Vulture a glare. Startled, Vulture froze, only now noticing the child. His expression softened, and he lowered his voice apologetically.

“Sir, Keith,” he repeated quietly, “may I speak with you? It’s very urgent.”

“Go on, you need to help the team…” Grandma Aldens urged, shooing her grandson away. Just then, Grandpa Aldens entered from outside, having finished his round checking the condition of the shelter. When he noticed his wife cradling a small child, he approached with concern to find out what had happened.

Taking the chance, Vulture guided Keith aside and into the meeting room. After sending the others back to guard the perimeter and continue monitoring the movements of the mutated zombie, the two were finally left alone.

“What’s going on, Brother Vulture? Is something wrong?” Keith asked as soon as the last person stepped out and the door clicked shut behind them.

“Yeah. We believe that the mutated zombie here is on the verge of evolving into a Zombie King, and it already seems capable of controlling every zombie in this town. If that happens, we won’t be able to defend this place on our own. We could lose everything… maybe even our lives if it decides to unleash a zombie wave, like what happened to HOPE Base weeks ago,” Vulture explained gravely.

He didn’t want to pressure Keith outright. Instead of directly demanding contact with Kisha, he chose to let Keith come to that decision on his own. Vulture knew that if he pushed too hard, the boy might grow defensive.

After all, anything belonging to their Young Madam was considered a priceless treasure in the eyes of others, and while outside, Keith was bound to be wary and vigilant.

Keith nodded, already picturing the possible disaster in his mind, so Vulture continued.”We tried contacting the base, but Sparrow couldn’t get through. And our satellite phone… It’s still under repair, so we didn’t bring it. Right now, we’re out of options.” Vulture let his words trail off as he carefully studied Keith’s expression, hoping the boy would catch his drift.

Keith nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, Brother Vulture. I have a way to contact my sister directly. Just leave it to me.”

His open admission caught Vulture off guard. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by relief. Whether it was because Keith trusted them so deeply that he spoke without hesitation, or because he was simply too unguarded in front of others, Vulture wasn’t sure.

If it was the latter, then he silently vowed to protect the boy no matter what. Keith wasn’t just under his care as the team’s second-in-command; he was also the younger brother of their Young Madam.

While Vulture’s thoughts raced, Keith had already started clicking through the limited access granted to him in Kisha’s Territory communication interface. Unlike the other leaders who held full administrative authority over the Territory Space, Keith’s access was almost the same as Duke’s access; it was not only restricted to the map, basic communications, and a few monitoring functions. And it was more than enough for what he needed to do.

Keith quickly located Kisha’s name and opened the chat interface. For a moment, he considered calling her directly, but hesitated. If his sister was busy concocting stamina boosters, crafting magic scrolls, or cultivating, a sudden call might break her focus.

It was safer to message her instead—quiet, unobtrusive, and less likely to disrupt her work.

Just as he was about to type, the radio crackled to life.

“Vulture, over!” Sparrow’s voice came through, tense and slightly frantic.

Vulture immediately snatched up the radio. “I’m here, over.”

“Go on defense immediately! A zombie wave is coming in five minutes—they’re flooding in like a tsunami! I think the mutated zombie has already sensed your presence inside the shelter and wants to wipe you all out!” Sparrow’s frantic voice blared through the radio.

The moment the transmission ended, Vulture and Keith exchanged a sharp look before sprinting to the wall. Sure enough, in the distance, the horde surged forward like a monstrous tidal wave.