"What is Power Rain?" Silas asked with a frown.
"You can think of it as the last mercy by the god or the punishment inflicted by god," Ivy said with a grim expression,
"Those who have direct contact with the water droplets of Power Rain will become zombies mostly; however, a small percentage of people might awaken or trigger a rare power."
"What about those who come in contact indirectly?" Silas's words were laced with curiosity.
"Their chances of becoming superhumans are greater than transforming into a zombie," Ivy explained.
Silas was stunned by Ivy's words.
He knew the arrival of the zombies was a warning sign of the impending danger looming over humanity.
But the concept of Power Rain was even more unique and terrifying...
Even if he doesn't want to doubt Ivy, but...
"Are you sure it will happen?" Doubt dripped from his voice.
Ivy anxiously nodded and assured,
"Just trust me this once. If I am lying... even if you never acknowledge my presence, I will not blame you."
Silas sighed, and a decision had already formed in his mind. He loved Ivy... and was ready to blindly trust her.
However, he wasn't alone... he had many responsibilities on him.
By asking everyone to stay behind and hunt even at night, in the mountains... while the danger of zombies was increasing... he was taking a big risk.
"Okay. I will listen to you. But Ivy... if this is one of the tricks your family has come up with, tell me right away. I can't risk the lives of my friends for a scheme."
"I am telling the truth! I swear!" Ivy insisted, her eyes flashed with sincerity.
Silas nodded and turned toward where his team was.
He didn't ask Ivy how and why she knew such things. Because he didn't want to put her in a dilemma.
Ivy stared at Silas with a complicated expression and looked away. She was truly tempted to hug him... and kiss him...
"We are staying here and continuing with the hunt. Get ready." Silas's command sounded thunderous, and Ivy expected everyone to protest.
However, to her shock, Henry, Amelia, and Chloe nodded.
Not once did they question Silas.
'Oh right... They are a team and trust their captain. As long as I am not involved in any of the decisions Silas has made, they will trust it.' Ivy thought.
"I will inform Team B," Chloe stated before turning and calling the members of Team B.
To make the hunt easy, Silas's team was divided into two teams.
Once Chloe finished with her reporting, the team continued their hunt.
Under Silas's orders, the group pushed deeper into the forest, determination driving their tired limbs.
The moonlight barely filtered through the canopy, casting eerie shadows, but Ivy led with sharp eyes and steady hands.
Soon, a herd of elk emerged near a clearing, their massive forms grazing quietly. Ivy signaled, and the team split into formation.
With precision, they brought down four large elk, each weighing over 300 kg. The meat would last weeks.
They didn't stop.
Later, they encountered a group of wild hogs rummaging through the underbrush. Henry and Amelia flushed them out while Ivy and Chloe picked them off cleanly.
Ten were taken down in minutes.
Then came a rare sight, a massive moose, easily over 600 kg, drinking from a stream.
Silas gave the order. Ivy steadied her rifle and hit its leg, slowing it.
Chloe followed up, and together, they felled the beast without damaging the meat.
As they dragged the moose back, Ivy suggested checking near the riverbed.
There, they caught dozens of snapping turtles and speared three large catfish, each nearly half her size.
By midnight, the ground was piled with game.
The team was so tired that none of them had the strength to move. Even Ivy couldn't move.
Despite aching muscles and heavy eyelids, the team pressed on.
The forest had grown quieter now, but Ivy's instincts remained sharp. Near a patch of tall grass, she noticed tracks, large, deep, and fresh.
"Black-tailed deer," she whispered. Moments later, a herd emerged from the shadows. They moved quietly, but the team was quicker. In a coordinated effort, they took down six healthy bucks, each weighing nearly 200 kg.
As dawn approached, Amelia spotted movement near a marshy patch. "Over there," she pointed.
A pair of American bison, massive and slow-moving, were grazing. Silas hesitated. Bison were rare and dangerous. But Ivy stepped forward.
"I'll handle the shot."
With a perfect angle and steady hands, she brought one down cleanly. The other fled, but no one chased it.
They butchered quickly, knowing time was running out.
Just before sunrise, Chloe found a cluster of wild turkeys roosting in the trees. Acting fast, Henry and Ivy used slingshots and nets, capturing fifteen fat birds.
Exhausted but satisfied, they gathered the last load.