The Bigshot's Superstar Wife-Chapter 169: Leave and Raid

Athena waited until the dead of night before she made her move. The base, looming in the distance, was no longer her concern.

She had no intention of paying whatever toll they demanded just to be granted entry.

It was clear that this so-called safe zone had turned into a stronghold for the powerful, leaving the weak and desperate to fend for themselves.

She glanced back at the small group of soldiers she had traveled with.

They were exhausted, worn down from the journey, their hope resting solely on the possibility of sanctuary within those walls.

But Athena had never been one to rely on others for survival. Silently, she placed several bags of food, water, and medicine beside them.

She knew they would wake up and find her gone, but at least they would have enough supplies to last a little longer.

Then, without a sound, she slipped away into the darkness. Her true goal lay beyond the fortified walls of the military base. The city outskirts.

Malls, warehouses, grocery stores, places people had either raided early in the outbreak or abandoned entirely out of fear.

She needed more supplies. Not just for herself, but for the uncertain future that lay ahead. The night was eerily silent as Athena moved through the desolate streets.

The once-bustling roads were now filled with abandoned cars, rusting under the elements, their windows shattered.

She could still see dried blood smeared on the pavement, the remnants of those who had met a gruesome end when the world first fell apart.

The farther she moved from the base, the darker the city became.

She had scouted the area earlier and knew that there were a few large shopping complexes that might still have resources left untouched.

Most of the desperate survivors had already taken what was easily accessible, but Athena wasn’t looking for the obvious.

She was looking for hidden storerooms. Back entrances. Underground storage areas that people had overlooked.

As she reached the first target, a once-popular shopping mall, she crouched behind a ruined vehicle and observed her surroundings.

The place was massive, with multiple floors and various stores, but it had clearly been overrun at some point.

The entrance was shattered, glass covering the ground. There were old, decomposing corpses scattered inside, but strangely, no recent signs of activity.

That meant one of two things. Either the mall had already been picked clean, or something still lurked inside. Athena readied her blade and stepped forward.

The moment she entered, the stench hit her, decay, mold, and something else. Something metallic.

Blood.

She moved cautiously, her ears tuned for any sound. The first floor was a wreck, clothing stores with their shelves ransacked, electronic shops completely looted.

But food stores were what she was after. A few scattered canned goods remained on the floor, but nothing substantial. She needed more.

Then, she noticed something. Near the back of the grocery store, there was a locked metal door. A storage area.

Athena moved toward it and examined the lock. It was old but still intact, meaning no one had managed to break in yet.

A small smirk played on her lips. Jackpot. She pulled out a small tool from her pack and worked on the lock, her fingers moving swiftly. Within minutes, she heard the satisfying click.

The door creaked open, revealing a dark, narrow hallway leading deeper into the storage area. Athena stepped inside, her grip tightening on her blade.

The air here was different, stale and heavy, as if untouched for weeks. She moved through the dimly lit corridor, her footsteps silent. Then, she heard it. A low, guttural growl.

She froze.

Slowly, she turned her head toward the sound. At the end of the hallway, just beyond the reach of her flashlight, something moved.

It was hunched over, its body twitching. Athena exhaled slowly, steadying her breath.

A new type of infected?

She took a cautious step forward, but the moment her boot lightly scraped against the floor. The thing’s head snapped up. Glowing, hollow eyes locked onto her. Then, it screeched.

A sound so high-pitched and unnatural that it sent chills down Athena’s spine. It lunged. But Athena was faster.

Her blade flashed in the darkness, slicing through the creature’s throat before it could reach her.

Blackened blood sprayed against the walls as the monster collapsed, twitching violently before finally going still.

Athena didn’t hesitate. She wiped her blade clean and pressed forward. The deeper she went into the storage area, the more shelves she found, stacked with supplies.

Non-perishable foods, bottled water, medical kits, everything she needed. Quickly, she began loading as much as she could into her space.

She worked swiftly, knowing she didn’t have much time. Athena didn’t stay in the alleyway for long.

She needed to move before anything, or anyone, came looking for the source of the explosion.

The hunters might have been injured, but she doubted they were dead. And if they were smart enough to track her once, they could do it again.

She adjusted the straps of her pack, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her blade as she stepped back into the open.

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The city was eerily quiet, the wind whistling through shattered windows and abandoned vehicles. Every shadow felt like it was watching her, waiting for her to slip.

She wouldn’t give them the chance. With her map in hand, she marked the next location, an old warehouse district on the outskirts of town.

If the malls and grocery stores were overrun, she would have to look elsewhere for supplies.

Industrial storage buildings were often overlooked, and if she was lucky, she might find hidden stockpiles of food, weapons, or medical supplies.

As she moved through the streets, she remained alert, her senses sharp. She had survived this long by being cautious, by trusting her instincts.

And right now, her instincts were screaming at her. She wasn’t alone. Somewhere nearby, something, or someone, was watching her.

Athena’s grip on her sword tightened as she halted mid-step, her eyes scanning the rooftops and alleyways. The eerie silence of the abandoned city felt heavier now, suffocating.

She could hear her own breathing, slow and controlled, but beneath it was something else, a faint shuffle, the barely-there sound of movement.

She exhaled through her nose and continued walking as if she hadn’t noticed. If they wanted to follow her, she would let them. But they wouldn’t get the chance to ambush her.

She turned a corner swiftly, then darted into a nearby building, pressing herself against the wall, ready to strike.