Chapter 173: Transplanting the Forest

Ethan materialized among the ruins of the Underground Casino.

The place was almost unrecognizable.

What had once been a sprawling entertainment complex was now little more than a field of broken concrete, twisted metal, and shattered walls. Deep gouges scarred the ground, while several collapsed buildings lay scattered across the area. It was obvious the Eagle King had unleashed its fury here.

Ethan glanced around before activating his Teleportation Ability.

A moment later, Kate appeared beside him.

She took in their surroundings, then pointed toward the distant mountains.

"The Eagle King’s nest is at Eagle Beak Cliff, northeast of here. We should stay as far away from that area as possible and focus on the southern forest. There are plenty of trees there."

Ethan nodded.

"How are your wings recovering?" he asked. "If we run into the Eagle King, will you be able to dodge its lightning?"

A confident smile appeared on Kate’s face.

She spread her wings and gave them a gentle flap. A small gust swept through the surrounding debris, stirring dust across the ground.

"I’m almost fully recovered. I haven’t completely reached SS-Rank yet, but I can handle the Eagle King’s lightning. Besides..."

She gave him a playful look.

"Don’t I have you to protect me?"

Ethan chuckled.

"Then let’s get moving. We need to transplant as many trees as possible before that monster notices us."

The two left the ruins and cautiously entered the forest.

But something felt wrong almost immediately.

The deeper they went, the quieter the surroundings became. There were no birds calling from the treetops, no insects buzzing through the undergrowth, and not even the occasional rustle of small animals moving through the bushes.

Only the wind remained, whispering through the branches.

Ethan slowed down.

He raised one hand, and a faint distortion of spatial energy gathered around his fingertips. His gaze moved from one section of the forest to another, searching for any sign of movement.

’Something’s wrong.’

He looked at Kate.

"Have you noticed? I haven’t seen a single Mutant Beast since we entered the forest. Even the weakest ones seem to have disappeared."

Kate frowned and closed her eyes.

Her Spiritual Power spread through the forest, extending farther and farther until it covered the surrounding area.

A few seconds later, she opened her eyes.

"There are no living creatures within three kilometers of us."

Her expression grew serious.

"But I don’t think the Eagle King could have driven everything away by itself."

Before Ethan could respond, a piercing cry rang out from the northeast.

KREEE!

The shrill sound tore through the forest, sending a faint tremor through the leaves overhead.

Both of them turned toward it.

It was the Eagle King.

But something about its cry was unusual. It didn’t sound like the triumphant call of a predator defending its territory. There was anger in it, but also a hint of alarm.

Almost as though it had encountered something it couldn’t easily deal with.

Kate listened carefully.

"It’s coming from Eagle Beak Cliff. The Eagle King is fighting something."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

’Another King-Rank Mutant Beast?’

If two powerful creatures were fighting over territory, it could be a rare opportunity. With the Eagle King occupied, they might be able to finish their work without drawing its attention.

"Whatever it’s fighting, let’s not waste this chance."

He approached a nearby pine tree and placed his hand against its trunk.

His Space Ability activated.

The massive tree vanished, leaving behind a patch of disturbed soil.

"Go back and help them plant it," he told Kate. "I’ll keep collecting."

She nodded and flew into the air, keeping watch over the surrounding forest.

Inside the Survival Space, Rose and Evelyn were already waiting.

The moment the pine tree appeared, both women stepped forward and activated their Plant Growth Abilities.

Green energy spread through the tree.

Its roots pushed into the black soil, digging deeper as the branches and leaves gradually unfurled. Within moments, the pine tree stood firmly in its new location, its green canopy adding another patch of life to the growing forest.

Outside, Ethan continued working.

One tree after another disappeared from the mountain forest and reappeared inside his Survival Space.

The process was exhausting.

Every four hours, he returned to the space to recover. Debbie and Tessa would then use their Healing Abilities to help restore his depleted energy.

Their cooperation became increasingly efficient. The moment he returned, they were ready to help him recover, allowing him to resume work without wasting too much time.

Meanwhile, the sounds of battle continued to echo from Eagle Beak Cliff.

Sometimes they heard the Eagle King’s furious screeches. At other times, the mountain shook with the dull, thunderous impacts of two enormous bodies colliding.

The fighting sounded brutal.

But rather than worrying Ethan, it gave him a measure of relief.

As long as the Eagle King remained occupied, they could continue working in relative safety.

A full day and night passed.

By then, the area covered by trees inside the Survival Space had reached 1,600 square meters.

Rose and Evelyn had pushed themselves to their limits. Their Plant Growth Abilities were nearly exhausted, and both women were sitting beside the lake, breathing heavily.

Even Ethan was beginning to feel the strain.

His Spiritual Power had been drained repeatedly, and his body was growing tired from the constant movement between the forest and the Survival Space.

Still, whenever he looked at the expanding greenery inside his space, he forced himself to keep going.

They weren’t doing this for appearances.

The Survival Space needed a stable ecosystem. Without enough trees, they couldn’t produce sufficient oxygen to support the people living inside it.

He couldn’t afford to stop halfway.

Another day and night passed.

When the morning sun finally rose over the mountains, the green coverage inside the Survival Space had reached 2,800 square meters.

Ethan leaned against a tree trunk, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath. Sweat had soaked through his T-shirt, leaving the fabric clinging uncomfortably to his back.

He wiped his forehead and glanced at the system panel.

"Another 2,200 square meters..."

He pulled a piece of compressed biscuit from his Survival Space and took a bite.

"If I can keep this pace, another two days should be enough."

Kate returned shortly afterward.

Dust covered her wings, and there was a trace of fatigue in her expression.

"The fighting at Eagle Beak Cliff is still going on, but the noise has become weaker. I can’t tell whether they’re both exhausted or if one of them has gained the upper hand."

She glanced toward the surrounding forest.

"Most of the trees in the southern region have already been transplanted. If we continue, we’ll have to move northeast, closer to Eagle Beak Cliff."

Ethan swallowed the biscuit and looked in that direction.

They had already spent two days on this task. Turning back now would only waste their efforts.

"Then we’ll take the risk."

His gaze returned to the system panel.

"We need to reach 5,000 square meters. We’re not stopping until it’s done."

The third day passed without any major incident.

Ethan and Kate gradually moved toward the northeastern region, carefully avoiding the areas closest to Eagle Beak Cliff.

The farther they went, the more signs of destruction they encountered.

Several trees had been snapped in half, their trunks scattered across the forest floor. Deep claw marks scarred the ground, and patches of dark red blood stained the leaves and rocks.

Some of the trees had been uprooted entirely.

Judging by their size, whatever had caused the damage was enormous.

Ethan studied the marks for a moment before continuing.

The battle at Eagle Beak Cliff had apparently stopped. No more roars or screeches disturbed the mountain forest throughout the day.

He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

He and Kate worked until evening.

By the time they stopped, the green coverage inside the Survival Space had reached 4,400 square meters.

"Only 600 square meters left."

Ethan checked the figure again.

A trace of exhaustion showed in his eyes, but there was also a hint of satisfaction.

"One more day."