Waking up in the morning to another fist in the mouth, Kain couldn’t help but groan. He lay in bed, not quite ready to face the world.

He checked the system and saw the tasks were complete.

The first thing he checked was the seeds. Jon hadn’t come back to him about the seeds, so he assumed they had grown. He would check it at some point today.

He looked at the seeds the system had given him. There were three packets. One packet had seeds that were a deep emerald green and were the size of a fingernail.

Another packet had seeds that were not even as big as a grain of rice. The seeds were a deep purple colour.

In the last packet, the seeds were red and black. These seeds were spiral-shaped, and each was about the size of a 4A battery. They didn’t look like something that should be planted.

The system didn’t tell him what the seeds were. Only the red and black seeds came with a warning on the packet. It was only to be consumed by people who have awakened.

He took a longer look at the seeds when he saw that warning.

Leaving them in storage, he went to look at the future information the system promised.

When he finished reading it, his eye twitched.

He shut his eyes tightly.

’Can’t a guy just be a lazy bum ever so often?’

He got out of bed, leaving Amelia and the children to sleep a while longer. He left some food out for them, then went down to Floor One. He still remembered he needed to speak to Marcus.

When he arrived, Marcus was awake. He was watching the team work hard to make bone tools.

Kain sat beside him. The two sat side by side in silence.

"You had food and shelter. There was no reason for you to come here."

"I did. The building’s structure was compromised. It would sink sooner or later."

Kain hummed. "There are many choices. I’m sure I couldn’t be your first choice."

"You weren’t. You were the closest."

"So you intend to leave?"

Marcus stared at the bone tools. At the people walking around the first floor.

They were organized. Each person had a job. It was clear they had food. It wasn’t what he expected to see, especially when he saw the children.

In his mind, most people would have abandoned the children a long time ago.

"No," he said after a while. "I choose to stay."

"Good. But if you stay, you’ll have to work. I won’t confiscate your food. That’s your own private property. Rations will still be distributed to you should you need them.

You were a bodyguard before, so you should have some skill. You can choose to go with the team to hunt, or you can help keep order on the floors."

Neither of the two talked about Marcus killing his employer. Kain thought he deserved it. Based on the food Marcus brought, they weren’t lacking. There was no reason to drug him.

The reason was most likely not food, but Kain had no intention of questioning anything.

Kain got up. He needed to go see Jon and give him the seeds.

Before he walked away, he left behind these words. "I suggest going to the hunting team. The benefits are good for Awakeners like you."

Marcus’ head snapped up. He wasn’t sure what an Awakener was, but he was certain Kain was referring to the energy he felt inside him.

He shook his head inwardly. There was no way Kain should know unless...

He watched Kain walk away, his shoulder relaxed, his hands in his pockets. People moved out of the way to let him pass. His pace didn’t slow in the slightest.

Up on the roof, Kain watched the three people bustling about.

They were obviously in a good mood.

Jon spotted him first and greeted him.

"Mr Nightfall," he smiled widely. "We have good news."

Kain nodded.

"After a little more than a week, we’ve managed to cultivate a plant. Though it is the only one, it means there is hope for us to plant more after obtaining seeds from this one."

Kain was pleasantly surprised. He held no expectations from the seeds after the first time. He only had them working so they’d have something to do.

Jon led him towards a small bud. The vitality was strong. Kain could feel the Source Energy radiating off it.

The corner of his lip curved into a smile.

He reached into his pocket and produced the three packets.

"As a reward for your good news. I’ll give you these. I’m not sure what kind of seeds they are. I guess we should know when they germinate."

He gave the first two to him. As for the third, he may have to grow these on his own. The space has some Source Energy, and he can step outside. There isn’t a specific place to plant anything.

His plan was simple: drop them on the ground and see what they grow into.

Before he left, he asked Jon if he knew of any plants that could protect against insects. He also asked about practical household items that could be combined as a way to get rid of insects.

Jon thought the question was strange, but answered nonetheless.

Kain nodded and left.

He opened the door of the penthouse to see Amelia and the children eating. They looked well-rested. Claire was standing in the corner, waiting.

Kain scrutinized her. He still wasn’t sure about having Claire as their bodyguard.

They finished eating, and the children went to their room with Claire.

"Stop looking," Amelia chimed in. "Ashton was the one who asked her to come. He apparently wants to ask her about Matthew."

Kain ran a hand through his hair. "They are too intelligent sometimes. If it weren’t for their height and their sometimes childish behaviour, I would think they are adults in kids’ bodies."

Amelia nodded in agreement. "Doubt it. But even if that’s the case, it’s not like we plan to give up on them. They’re still our own flesh and blood."

He leaned on Amelia, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Kids aside, in about two weeks, we’re going to need a hell of a lot of insect repellent."

Quizzically, she looked up at him. Kain repeated what the system had told him.

Amelia’s face went blank, then she said, "More than insect repellent, I think we might need weapons. If the sea creatures can grow this big, what’s to say mosquitoes won’t?"