Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Talent In An Apocalyptic World-Chapter 72: Colonel Silas Hodge

The journey to Republic Square, Austin Texas, had been peaceful most of the way—except for the glances Mandy kept stealing from time to time. Initially, I planned to ignore her, but now it had happened so many times, it became infuriating.

"Do you have something to say to me?" I asked without sparing her a glance.

My attention was fixated on the crowd of people on all sides of the road. It seemed the Texas government had civilians camped out in this area in masses, and this was where the Limitless enlistment happened. Everything was televised for the world to see—those who were willing to fight and die for this country.

While this was what I wanted, I couldn’t deny this was a nasty tactic.

Texas professional Limitless were barely up to fifty or so in number. Even the Titanfield agency, which is the only agency in the state, barely had up to thirty Limitless—and this included their Founder\Apex Director and board of executives. They just had a few Limitless sitting at the top in the most important positions, while the less important roles were given to powerless humans.

The point is, it’s not difficult to know every Limitless in the state by name. Those who refuse to voluntarily participate in this war will be shamed, and all the negative outcomes that happen in this war will be blamed on them by emotional citizens.

While student Limitless were exempted from this cruelty, this was their future—if they survived the academy level.

Emotional blackmail... These people are vicious!

"I think... I think that girl really likes you." Mandy responded to my question with words I never expected to hear from her.

For a moment, I glanced in her direction with narrowed eyebrows, wondering if I heard wrong—but her anxious expression said otherwise. Letting out a sigh, I shifted my attention back to the crowd scattered everywhere on the streets.

"Does it matter?"

Buzz!

I felt a shift in the atmosphere as Mandy briefly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to sway from side to side, but she recovered in a second. She was a skilled driver to be able to recover this fast—but it didn’t matter to me. If we ended up having an accident, I was certain I would walk out unscathed.

"What?" Mandy blurted out, and I calmly turned to meet her shocked gaze.

"I do not feel the same way. So why should I ignore my emotions and prioritize hers?" I asked calmly, and I saw her shiver while fear reflected in her gaze. freewebnøvel_com

Probably, she had never heard those words before—and that reflected in her futile attempt to respond.

"I..." she mumbled, her eyes searching everywhere in the car for answers that would suit the narrative she wanted to push.

Snorting disdainfully, I returned my gaze toward the crowd that was currently looking at our vehicle with worried eyes. Clearly, Mandy’s mental state was reflected in her driving.

"I advise you to pay attention to the road. Should we get into an accident, I’m quite confident I’ll walk out unscathed. Are you?" I asked without sparing her a glance.

Quickly, the car was stabilized again and silence returned, except for Mandy’s heavy breathing. After a few more minutes, our vehicle rolled to a halt at Republic Square, and from inside, I could already count thousands of people whose attention was pinned on our vehicle.

They all carried banners and signs like ’Save the Nation’, ’Limitless for Humanity’, and many other bullshit I didn’t care to read.

"Head back. I can return home on my own when this is over," I said to Mandy while gazing at the crowd.

"O-okay." Mandy’s shaky voice came from the side.

I opened the door, and the loud cheers of people broke the silence I had enjoyed earlier—but I wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Returning my gaze to Mandy, I said:

"Also, if you wish to follow me, you must learn to mind your business. Just do your job, question nothing, and we’ll get along pretty well." I did not mince my words.

"I understand." Mandy nodded once again, but this time her head was lowered.

With that done, I stepped out of the car, only to be blinded by flashes from reporters on standby. Shielding my eyes with one hand, I slammed the door shut gently and waited until the flashes had subsided and all the reporters rushed forward. However, upon reaching me, they fell silent with confused expressions.

Who is this?

That must have been the question on their minds. That was until one of them, a young reporter of Asian descent, screamed like he just won a million dollars in a casino.

"You are Adam Black!" he yelled. "The student that saved 3,000 civilians from Louisiana a few days ago! You were a part of the rescue team!"

Buzz!

There was silence for a brief moment as everyone gazed at me with genuine shock before the flashes returned—but even more relentless now.

Goddammit! I cursed under my breath and began walking forward.

Rather than waiting for them to blind me with their cameras. With a Strength point of 10, I effortlessly shoved through the crowd. It felt like I was walking through a field of high blade grasses—each shoulder bump sent someone staggering back.

Eventually, these people realized how strong I was and willingly made way, still screaming questions drowned under countless camera shutter sounds. I ignored them until I walked past them—and froze at a familiar sight that was stuck in the brain of the original owner of this body.

It was an aged man, clearly in his sixties, yet his physique and presence were like that of a thirty-year-old. He was half bald, with the top of his head reflecting the moonlight’s rays, while what was left of his gray hair was combed back gently.

This man was not just anyone. He was a name known by all Americans, and he was regarded as one of the greatest heroes of America—Colonel Silas Hodge!

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