Chapter 152: Seeds of the Domain

Inside the Survival Space, Ethan stared at the system panel as a rapid succession of notifications echoed through his mind.

His heart pounded harder with every chime.

He had expected a decent return from the Elite-grade Core he’d given Evelyn. After all, her Beauty Score was exceptionally high.

But the first notification alone was enough to make him sit up straight.

[Ding! You have gifted an Elite-grade Core to a female with a Beauty Score of 95. First-time gift bonus activated. Base Return unlocked.]

[Target: Evelyn]

[Age: 20]

[Beauty Score: 95]

[Rarity: 100]

[Base Return: 150x]

Ethan’s eyebrows shot up.

One hundred and fifty times?

Before he could fully process the number, another notification appeared.

[Ding! Intense emotional fluctuations detected in the target. Current emotional state: Profound Gratitude and Extreme Shyness.]

[Bonus Drop activated!]

[Ding! Energy Points +10,000.]

[Current Energy Points: 22,050/100,000. Rank: Quasi-S-Rank.]

Ethan’s eyes widened.

Ten thousand energy points from a single gift!

He had made considerable progress toward the next rank, and he hadn’t even reached the most important part of the reward yet.

Then the final notification appeared.

[Ding! Return Reward: SSS-Rank Plant Growth Ability.]

[Effect: Rapidly accelerates plant growth within a control range of 100 square meters. Ordinary plants can be transformed into offensive or defensive vines. Ability strength increases with the user’s power.]

[Target Evelyn has awakened the SSS-Rank Plant Growth Ability.]

[Effect: Rapidly accelerates plant growth within a control range of 10 square meters. Ordinary plants can be transformed into offensive or defensive vines. Ability strength increases with the user’s power.]

[System Cooldown: 6 days.]

For several seconds, Ethan simply stared at the panel.

"SSS-Rank... Plant Growth?"

He raised his hand as though he could somehow feel the Ability already flowing through his fingers.

A slow grin spread across his face.

He had been waiting for Rose to wake up so he could use her Plant Growth Ability to fill his Survival Space with greenery. If that didn’t work out, he would have needed to find another Ability User with the same power.

Now, he had obtained the Ability himself.

And it was SSS-Rank.

Even better, Evelyn had awakened the same Ability at the same rank.

The system had just solved one of his most pressing problems.

’This is perfect.’

Ethan looked across the expanse of black soil surrounding him. The Survival Space was large, but its landscape remained barren. Without sufficient vegetation, making it self-sustaining would be difficult.

The Ability could change everything.

He immediately retrieved a packet of seeds he had collected from the suburban logistics park. After sorting through them, he picked out a single rice seed.

Kneeling on the soil, he pressed the tiny seed into the ground.

It looked almost insignificant between his fingers.

Yet, with the right Ability, that little seed could become the beginning of something much bigger.

Ethan placed his palm over the spot.

He concentrated.

Something stirred beneath the soil.

At first, he felt only a faint pulse of energy. Then his awareness seemed to extend underground, allowing him to sense the seed itself. Its outer shell softened, its contents awakened, and a tiny root pushed into the black earth.

A moment later, a green shoot broke through the surface.

Ethan watched in fascination.

The shoot grew taller, unfolding its first leaves. The slender stem thickened as the plant matured at an astonishing rate. Within seconds, the rice plant had grown far beyond what would normally take weeks.

He could sense every stage of its development.

The movement of its roots.

The expansion of its leaves.

The flow of energy through its living structure.

It was as though the plant had become an extension of his own body.

Ethan smiled.

"Now, let’s see what else you can do."

He focused on the leaves.

The green blades suddenly stiffened. Their edges sharpened until they resembled narrow knives, glinting faintly beneath the Survival Space’s light.

One leaf brushed against his palm.

A pale mark appeared on his skin.

Ethan’s smile widened.

"Not bad."

He wasn’t going to cut down zombies with rice plants anytime soon, but the potential was obvious. As his Ability grew stronger, ordinary vegetation could become a formidable weapon.

And unlike conventional weapons, plants could grow again.

He turned toward Evelyn.

She had been watching him with sparkling eyes, her earlier embarrassment gradually giving way to excitement.

"Try it," Ethan encouraged.

Evelyn nodded eagerly.

She knelt beside another patch of soil and extended her fingers. A faint green glow gathered around them as she concentrated.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Her expression tightened.

Then a tiny shoot emerged.

Her eyes widened.

"It worked!"

She leaned closer, watching the little plant grow.

Encouraged, she poured more energy into it. The stem stretched, the leaves unfolded, and thin green vines began emerging from its base.

They moved across the soil like curious snakes, twisting and curling wherever she directed them.

Evelyn gasped in delight.

"I can control them!"

She raised both hands, and the vines suddenly lifted from the ground.

Then her expression changed.

She looked at Ethan.

A mischievous smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Brother Ethan..."

He immediately recognized that look.

"What are you planning?"

"You teased me earlier."

Evelyn placed her hands on her hips.

"Now it’s my turn."

Before he could respond, the vines shot forward.

They wrapped around his wrists and ankles, binding him to the spot. More tendrils curled around his waist, tightening just enough to prevent him from moving.

Ethan glanced down at the vines.

Then he looked at Evelyn.

She was practically glowing with satisfaction.

"Let’s see how you pretend now!"

Ethan deliberately widened his eyes.

"Oh no! I’m trapped!"

He struggled dramatically against the restraints.

"Someone help me! I’ve been captured by the terrifying Heroine Evelyn!"

Evelyn burst out laughing.

"That’s right! And if you don’t apologize, I’ll never let you go!"

She had barely finished speaking when the vines around Ethan began to soften.

Their grip loosened.

Then they collapsed harmlessly onto the soil.

Evelyn blinked.

"Huh?"

Before she could understand what had happened, another cluster of vines erupted beside her feet.

They coiled around her ankles, waist, and arms so quickly that she barely had time to react.

Within seconds, she was bound almost as tightly as Ethan had been.

Her smile vanished.

"Hey! What happened?"

Ethan stood up and brushed the dirt from his trousers.

He walked over, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"Looks like your opponent has a higher rank."

Evelyn tugged at the vines, trying to command them to release her.

Nothing happened.

She could still feel her Ability, but the vines refused to obey her. Ethan’s control over the plants was simply too strong.

"You’re cheating!"

She stamped her foot, only to realize that even that movement was restricted.

Ethan stopped in front of her and lightly tapped the tip of her nose.

"Who told you to ambush me?"

Evelyn puffed out her cheeks.

For a moment, she looked genuinely offended.

Then she started laughing.

Ethan laughed with her.

For a little while, the Survival Space no longer felt like a refuge built in preparation for a ruined world. It felt like an ordinary place where two people could tease each other without worrying about zombies, hunger, or the next battle.

Evelyn had spent so much of the Apocalypse being afraid. Even when she was safe, the memory of what she had experienced remained with her.

But right now, she was simply a young woman enjoying herself.

And Ethan was glad to see it.

He released her from the vines.

Evelyn immediately grabbed a nearby pillow and hurled it at his head.

"Big bully!"

Ethan caught it with one hand.

"That’s how you treat your benefactor?"

She stuck out her tongue.

Then, just as she turned to leave, she paused.

She looked back at him, hesitated for a heartbeat, and stepped forward.

Rising onto her toes, she quickly planted a kiss on his cheek.

Before Ethan could react, she darted toward the doorway.

"I’m going to become a heroine!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Then I’ll teach every man who bullies women a lesson!"

Her voice grew fainter as she disappeared from sight.

Ethan remained where he was, one hand resting against the cheek she had kissed.

After a moment, he let out a helpless laugh.

’That’s twice in two days.’

He shook his head, but the smile remained.

Then his gaze followed Evelyn’s retreating figure for a moment before he turned back to the system panel.

A thought suddenly occurred to him.

’This system really does favor beautiful women with good figures.’

He recalled Debbie, whose Beauty Score matched Evelyn’s, but whose Rarity was slightly lower.

Despite their similar scores, the Base Return differed by a hundred times.

Why?

Ethan was still thinking about it when a familiar system voice sounded in his mind.

[Ding! The system’s Base Return calculation considers multiple characteristics of the target, including Beauty Score, Rarity, and age-related development potential.]

Ethan blinked.

’Age-related development potential?’

He stared at the notification.

Then he burst out laughing.

"This system really has an answer for everything."

He shook his head and dismissed the thought.

There were more important things to consider.

Ethan returned to the patch of soil where he had planted the first rice seed. He took out several more seeds and scattered them across the ground.

With a thought, his Ability activated.

Green shoots burst through the black soil.

One after another, the plants grew rapidly, their leaves spreading outward as their roots dug deeper into the earth.

Ethan watched the expanding patch of rice with quiet satisfaction.

"Finally, I don’t have to rely on Rose anymore."

It was a tremendous relief.

He now possessed two SSS-Rank Abilities, Time Stop and Plant Growth. Both were exceptionally useful, and together they made him far more capable of surviving the Apocalypse.

He could also consider deep fusion with eligible gift targets, but he had no intention of rushing into it.

Time Stop was too valuable to sacrifice without a good reason. Its ability to freeze enemies, interrupt attacks, and create opportunities to escape had already proven indispensable.

For now, he would keep it.

Once he obtained more SSS-Rank Abilities, he could reconsider his options.

His immediate priority was expanding the vegetation inside his Survival Space.

Plants would help stabilize the environment and eventually support its oxygen needs. With enough greenery, he could gradually transform the barren space into a place where people could live comfortably without depending entirely on stored supplies.

Unfortunately, finding suitable trees in the city would be difficult.

Most of the greenery in Silvermont City’s central districts had been destroyed by fighting. Other plants had withered after exposure to contaminated water and the effects of the Red Fog.

The surrounding mountain forests were a better option.

They contained countless healthy trees that could be transplanted into the Survival Space. With his new Ability, he could help them adapt and grow, turning the empty landscape into something resembling a natural forest.

There was another reason to head into the mountains.

The Snake King had left Silvermont City while pursuing Dr. Lilith. It might not return for some time.

That would give Ethan an opportunity to search the surrounding forests for other mutant creatures, particularly those with Mental Abilities.

If he could find another suitable Core, it would be worth the trip.

Ethan gathered the women and explained his plans.

They listened carefully, their expressions gradually brightening.

The idea of living in a Survival Space filled with trees, flowers, fresh air, and abundant food was more than appealing. After everything they had endured, the thought of a peaceful home seemed almost unreal.

They began discussing what they wanted to plant and where they might place the trees.

For the first time in a long while, their conversation wasn’t dominated by fear of what tomorrow might bring.

Ethan listened to them, a faint smile touching his lips.

He knew the Apocalypse wouldn’t give them peace easily.

But if he could build a safe home for them, he intended to do it.