Chapter 118
Suzy wasn’t used to dealing with a teary-eyed young girls. It made her feel... awkward.
She turned her back, gripping the paddle. "Lead the way. We’ll head out now."
Gloria wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded firmly. "Okay. I’ll help too."
She picked up the second pair of paddles at the back of the inflatable boat.
According to her, her grandmother’s home wasn’t far—just within a nearby residential complex.
The journey went smoothly.
A few opportunistic troublemakers along the way tried to target them, but Suzy handled each one without hesitation.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived.
The area was heavily flooded—water had already risen to the fifth floor.
"What floor does your grandmother live on?" Suzy asked.
"Ninth floor," Gloria replied.
Suzy could already feel it—their arrival had drawn attention. Eyes, watching from above.
"I’ll take you up," she said.
In a situation like this, letting three children go up alone wasn’t safe.
She steered the boat toward a window along the building’s stairwell.
It was clear the flooding here had lasted for quite some time—inside, makeshift wooden platforms had already been constructed.
All Suzy had to do was dock outside the window. From there, they could step onto the platforms and make their way up to the stairs.
Gloria hesitated. "Miss... if you come up with us... what about your boat?"
On the way here, she had felt those same watchful gazes.
If the boat was left here unattended, it might not be there when they came back down.
"Miss... you can just leave us here. I can take my brother and sister upstairs," she said softly.
"No," Suzy replied without hesitation.
The distance wasn’t long—but that didn’t mean it was safe.
And besides, she had already brought them this far.
Gloria looked at her with quiet gratitude. In her eyes, Suzy had already done more than enough.
"Wait a moment. I need to prepare something."
Suzy pulled out the backpack she had been using as cover.
She packed it quickly—long-lasting food, a dagger, and... her pepper spray launcher.
These were things she intended to leave with Gloria.
She liked the girl. And more importantly, she had gained quite a bit from her as well.
The gold. The bead.
Both could help upgrade her space.
Compared to that, what she was giving now was nothing.
The bag was soon filled.
She handed it over. "Take this. There’s food and something for self-defense inside."
Gloria stared at her, stunned.
"...Miss, this is too valuable."
She was old enough to understand exactly what food meant in times like these.
This woman had saved them—and now she was giving them this...
How could she ever repay her?
"Consider it repayment for the gold," Suzy said calmly. "Take it. You want to live, don’t you?"
Gloria fell silent for two seconds. Then she took the bag, her grip tightening.
"Thank you. Miss... I want to live."
Suzy heard the determination in her voice and reached out, gently patting her head.
"That’s more like it."
Suddenly, Gloria grabbed her hand.
"If I ever get the chance... I will repay you," she said seriously.
Suzy smiled faintly. "Alright."
After securing the inflatable boat, Suzy said, "Wait here. I’ll go take a look."
Gloria nodded obediently. But before Suzy could move, two figures appeared in the stairwell.
An elderly man and woman—both holding knives.
Despite their age, they stood firm and steady, their bodies strong, their eyes sharp and clear. There was even a faint, unmistakable killing intent about them.
Suzy’s guard instantly went up. She thought they were here to rob them.
Then, behind her, "Grandpa! Grandma!!"
Gloria’s voice burst out, filled with disbelief and joy.
The murderous tension around the elderly couple shattered in an instant.
They froze... Then emotion flooded their faces.
"Gloria!!"
The knife slipped from the old woman’s hand with a loud clatter, tears streaming down her face.
Suzy glanced between them and the girl.
Through her tears, Gloria quickly explained, "Miss... they’re my grandparents."
That saved Suzy the trouble.
Judging by their presence alone, these two were not to be trifled with—and since they were family, there was no better outcome than this.
The couple finally turned their attention to Suzy.
The old woman’s eyes were red, her voice choked with emotion.
"Thank you... truly, thank you for saving the children..."
She was so overwhelmed she could barely form complete sentences, repeating her gratitude again and again.
The old man looked at Suzy with deep appreciation—and even cupped his hands in a respectful salute.
"No need to be so formal," Suzy said.
She helped them guide the three children into the stairwell.
Gloria was the last to step up.
After a moment’s hesitation, Suzy added, "If you get the chance to go out for supplies... make sure you prepare warm clothing."
Gloria blinked, then nodded firmly. "Thank you, Miss. I understand."
Watching her climb the stairs, Suzy felt a quiet sense of closure.
She exhaled softly. "Then I’ll be going."
"Wait, young lady—let me go home and get you something..." the old woman said, wiping her tears as she turned.
To them, Suzy was their savior.
They had been unable to reach their daughter and son-in-law for days and already feared the worst. They had been preparing to search for them, never expecting that Suzy would bring their grandchildren back instead.
"No need," Suzy interrupted gently. "Just take care of them."
"Stay safe."
With that, she pushed off, steering the inflatable boat away from the complex and continuing toward Starlight Towers.
Only when she was alone again did Suzy finally have the space to examine the reward for Derek’s affection surpassing eighty points.
This time, it wasn’t a random draw.
Like before—when she had bonded with someone else—it presented her with several choices.
She suppressed her curiosity for now, focusing instead on the journey.
Half an hour later, she arrived at Starlight Towers.
Finding a concealed spot, she stored the inflatable boat back into her space and waded through the shallow water toward Building Eight.
This was why Starlight Towers stood out.
Elsewhere, the floodwaters had already swallowed multiple floors, but here, the water only reached her calves.
Inside the building, she began climbing the stairs.
She had always assumed Building Eight was sparsely occupied.
But today, on her way back, she ran into someone on the stairwell.
They met halfway up.
Suzy looked up and heard the system notification in her mind.
[Binding-compatible target detected.]