Chapter 74: Cat Cafe
The old woman’s mouth was covered, and she could only whimper, "Mmmph, mmmph." Her face was full of resentment, but she didn’t dare make another sound.
Just then, the four women who were cleaning the room came out. Leonard Miller quickly gave them a look, and everyone immediately cleared a path.
He said with a smile, "Ma’am, the room is ready. Please, come in!"
Luna Dawson and her group walked straight in, leaving behind a room full of bewildered people.
The people stationed at the stronghold looked at Leonard Miller and Bull’s cautious demeanor, then at the group that had just returned, their minds filled with questions.
Luna Dawson glanced around the room. It was a large three-bedroom apartment. By the wall of the living room balcony, there was a pile of charcoal ash, and the wall itself was stained black with soot.
Fortunately, the women had been efficient, clearing away the trash by the door and the dirty bedsheets from the rooms.
Luna Dawson waved her hand, and all the miscellaneous furniture in the living room was sucked into her space, then moved into the three bedrooms. The area instantly felt much cleaner.
Luna Dawson took out camping tables and chairs, setting up a charcoal stove and some food, letting everyone sit down to warm themselves by the fire and rest.
Kevin Keane, holding binoculars, looked in the direction the rat swarm had gone. He asked, "Boss, did you sense anything?"
Luna Dawson shook her head. "It’s strange. I couldn’t sense the rat swarm or these buildings at all. The Spiritual Ability must be stronger than that of a Second-tier Zombie."
Kevin Keane lowered his binoculars. "The Military Command’s clearing operations inside the base are getting larger. We need to collect more Crystal Cores on this trip."
Luna Dawson nodded, her gaze turning toward the University of Media Arts.
Just then, the woman who had been shoveling snow downstairs knocked on the open apartment door.
She was holding a bag of charcoal, which she lifted slightly. "Are you cold?" she asked timidly. "They told me to bring some charcoal over."
Luna Dawson looked over. The woman had delicate features, but the fingers clutching the bag were covered in chilblains. She had the look of a frail beauty.
She looked to be under thirty, her face dry and peeling, her cheeks slightly sunken, and the corners of her mouth cracked and sore, yet none of it could hide her refined beauty.
She spoke in a soft, quiet voice, not even daring to lift her gaze, keeping her eyes fixed on the tips of Luna Dawson’s shoes.
Luna Dawson didn’t take it. "Oh, we don’t need it," she said. "How did you all find this place?"
The woman picked at her nails, glancing back at the gaunt old woman and Leonard Miller who were staring at her, then looked back at Luna Dawson, seeming hesitant to speak.
Luna Dawson sighed and took out a container of skin cream and a tube of lip balm. "Answer some questions for me, and I’ll trade you for these."
Only then did the woman timidly raise her head to look at Luna Dawson. She stammered, "Could... could you give me some sanitary pads?"
’The people who had just returned had told everyone about Quentin Sawyer’s fate, and about the convenience of this woman’s Space Ability.’
She felt a surge of relief. ’That scumbag should have died long ago!’
"Yes, you can."
Luna Dawson took several types of sanitary pads from her space, placed them in a basket, and casually added the lip balm and skin cream.
The old woman across the hall had been watching. When she saw Luna Dawson materialize the basket out of thin air by the door, her eyes widened. ’So that’s a Space Ability!’
She couldn’t help but yell, "Tilly Lane! Ask her for food!"
’That useless waste!’
’My son is gone, and the more I look at this daughter-in-law, the more I can’t stand her.’
’It’s the end of the world, and she’s actually asking for sanitary pads!’
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had only managed to join the Sawyer brothers’ team by providing their apartment.
But neither of them had a superpower, so they could only do the dirty, exhausting chores for the group, receiving very few supplies in return.
Quentin Sawyer would occasionally come to harass Tilly Lane. The old woman would often pinch Tilly Lane in private, accusing her of cuckolding her dead son, yet she would eagerly open the door for Quentin Sawyer every time, giving them space.
After every incident, she would throw a tantrum and go crying to Logan Sawyer, managing to get some extra supplies for Tilly Lane as compensation.
’But that short-lived Quentin Sawyer actually died! How am I supposed to survive on the few supplies we have in the apartment now!’
’Now that Tilly Lane has a chance to get supplies, of course I have to fleece them for all they’re worth!’
Hearing the old woman’s shrill voice, the woman’s delicate brows furrowed, and she turned to glance at her.
Luna Dawson placed the basket on the table. "Take it or leave it."
Her voice wasn’t loud, but the old woman standing across the hall heard it clearly. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth and began winking and nodding frantically at Tilly Lane.
’The sanitary pads are fine too!’
’We can use them to trade for other supplies later!’
Tilly Lane averted her gaze from the old woman and met Luna Dawson’s eyes. "Alright, ask your questions."
"How many people are in your group?"
"Eighteen. No... seventeen now!"
"Who’s your leader?"
Tilly Lane glanced toward the apartment where Charlotte Caldwell was. "It’s Logan Sawyer now. He’s the man who closed the door. Before, he and his brother, Quentin Sawyer, made the decisions together."
"Have you always lived here?"
"Yes, my mother-in-law and I have always lived here. About half a month ago, Logan Sawyer was chased by a swarm of mutant rats and happened to take refuge in this building. That’s how he and his people ended up here."
"Oh? And you just let them come up and stay so easily?"
When Luna Dawson asked this, Tilly Lane glanced at the gaunt old woman and lowered her voice. "My mother-in-law accepted supplies from them at the beginning. Later... some things happened, and we ended up providing the apartment in exchange for joining their group."
With each question the woman answered, Luna Dawson handed her a pack of sanitary pads. She also gave her a tube of lip balm and a box containing a menstrual cup.
"What’s the story with the mutant cat?"
Tilly Lane accepted the items and answered immediately. "The first and second floors of the next building are commercial units, facing the University of Media Arts. There was a cat cafe there."
"Shortly after the apocalypse began, some people broke in. The owner, a young man, was hacked to death."
"There were about ten cats, and almost all of them were killed. Only one was left—a fire-breathing White Cat that burned all those people to death."
As she spoke, Tilly Lane rubbed her arm, her voice filled with lingering fear as she described the scene.
"The screams of the people being burned alive were horrible! Their charred corpses are still frozen in front of the shop. The people who came for revenge later were also all killed by the cat. After that, no one dared to go near the cat cafe. When the mutant rats pass by, they avoid it, just like they did today."
"Have you seen the cat?"
At this, the old woman from across the hall couldn’t restrain herself any longer and sidled up. "Add some food to the deal, and I’ll tell you where it is."
Luna Dawson didn’t get annoyed. She took out a five-pack of chicken ramen and placed it in Tilly Lane’s arms.
The old woman snatched the ramen from her arms, her face immediately breaking into a grin.
"That beast is really something. Anyone who tries to break into the cat cafe gets burned to a crisp! The cat runs out at night and comes back around five in the morning. It just sits on the scorched second floor and meows nonstop."
As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled a plastic bag from her pocket, stuffed the instant noodles inside, and then snatched the few packs of sanitary pads from Tilly Lane’s hands.
When she tried to grab the last pack, Tilly Lane refused to let go.
The old woman shrieked, "You slut! Let go! Don’t you know you’re supposed to respect your mother!"
Hearing the word "mother," Tilly Lane’s body shuddered, and she glared at the old woman with eyes as cold as ice.
Watching the two of them struggle, Luna Dawson spoke coldly, "Don’t cause a scene here. Where is the cat?"
The old woman’s scalp tingled. She had almost forgotten this living Yama was watching. She immediately let go and answered sheepishly, "The second floor! In the hanging basket on the east balcony! It’s always there during the day."
She glanced at the setting sun and added, "You’ll see. As soon as the sun goes down, it’ll meow a couple of times and then dart off and disappear."
Seeing the old woman let go, Tilly Lane quickly clutched the box with the menstrual cup and ran into the apartment diagonally across the hall, slamming the door shut with a BANG.
The old woman spat. "Knew she was nothing but a slut who’d cheat on my son."
Luna Dawson frowned and waved her hand, dismissing her.