When the World Ends, She Begins novel Chapter 24

"Whoa! What in the world?!"

What greeted them was a massive lab packed with all kinds of instruments and chemical supplies.

They scoured the whole level, finding room after room of varying-sized laboratories.

Besides an assortment of lab equipment and chemical bottles, there wasn't even a single hair, much less any food.

The disappointment was obvious.

The leader smacked one of his men on the head in frustration.

"You fool! You claimed this place was stocked, and we wasted so much fuel getting the boat here, only to end up with nothing!"

The man being scolded scrunched up his face, tears brimming. "I figured nobody would bother coming to this part of Broadview District."

Someone else stepped in to ease the tension. "Let's drop it. We already scored plenty in the Centralview District. It's not his fault. Who could have guessed Tyro Group emptied the place?"

"And how exactly are you sure Tyro Group was the one to clear it out?"

"Who else could it be? It's not like some crazy person would strip everything down to the desks and chairs! Even the janitor's closet is bare!"

"Doesn't matter who took it. There's nothing left here. Let's get moving."

After bickering for a moment, they shuffled away, muttering irritably.

Meanwhile, Natalie was lounging with her eyes shut on a massage chair.

She glanced at her watch, figured the tower was likely clear, and decided to check outside.

"Lucky! Come on!"

She called for her dog while heading to the mansion's door.

The lawn was empty, with no trace of her. Frowning, Natalie looked around until she finally spotted her by the pond behind the mansion.

There she was, lying belly-up, eyes closed, tongue hanging out, looking stuffed to the brim.

What a ridiculous sleeping pose.

Natalie went over and called, "Lucky, wake up."

She lifted her head, swayed it lazily at her, and then nestled against her legs with a goofy grin.

Natalie could only smile helplessly. She looked as though she'd been drinking.

Scanning the area and finding nothing unusual, she crouched down, scooped some spring water into her palm, and gave it a sniff.

No hint of alcohol.

So what exactly had this silly pup drunk?

"Lucky, are you tipsy?"

Lucky rubbed her round stomach and smiled, seemingly unbothered.

They'd already been in the storage space for nearly an hour, so it was time to head out.

"Even if the building was empty, this trip paid off after all!

"Yeah, two live lambs! Quick, catch their legs!"

Natalie stopped her boat, keeping her distance to watch.

They seemed to be the same group that had been in the building earlier.

The water ahead churned as they surrounded two lambs struggling to swim.

Natalie, having plenty of meat stored already, wasn't about to fight them for it. But she was curious. How did lambs end up here?

Watching the animals' path, a thought struck her. Beyond Broadview District lay the suburban area with a mountain.

Unlike Greenhaven Mountain, which was lined with villas, this one was wild and untouched.

Chances were, the lambs had fled the city and were heading there.

Sometimes, animals were sharper than humans thought, relying on instincts to survive.

Natalie steered away from them and headed toward the mountain's edge. If lamb could get there, there might be other animals too.

Time to take a look.

Once at the outskirts, she saw no one nearby and stored the boat in her storage space.

Suddenly, her backpack began squirming. Lucky was trying to force her way out.