Chapter 177: The Paradise Inside and Wendy’s Dilemma

Inside the Survival Space, Ethan had barely materialized when a concerned gaze immediately found him.

Kate was sitting in a rattan chair outside the villa, her injuries already treated. The golden feathers along her arms had regained their brilliant sheen, and the exhaustion that had once clouded her face had finally begun to fade.

The moment she saw him, she stood.

"You’re back."

Her eyes instinctively searched his hands.

There was no Core.

For a brief moment, disappointment flickered across her face. She quickly tried to hide it, but the envy in her eyes was impossible to miss.

Wendy, who had been sitting beside her, noticed the change. Without saying anything, she gently reached over and squeezed Kate’s hand.

She understood how much the Eagle King Core meant to her friend.

Kate had spent days fighting that monster, even while recovering from her injuries. On several occasions, she had nearly been killed. The last encounter had come dangerously close to ending her life.

Now Ethan had defeated the Eagle King and obtained its Core.

It was only natural that Kate would feel disappointed.

But Wendy also knew something else.

If Ethan hadn’t intervened when he did, Kate would probably have died alongside the Eagle King. He had risked his own life to save her, and neither of them could pretend otherwise.

A King-Rank Core was an incredibly rare treasure. They had no right to demand one from him, especially after everything he had done.

Neither woman said anything.

Fortunately, Ethan was too distracted to notice their exchange.

His attention had already been drawn to the changes around him.

The transformation was astonishing.

With more than 5,000 square meters now covered in vegetation, the Survival Space looked nothing like the barren refuge it had once been.

Near the lake, the peach trees stood in full bloom. Pink blossoms covered their branches, and the evening breeze sent delicate petals drifting through the air. Some landed on the water, where they floated briefly before the gentle ripples carried them away.

Beyond the trees, the rice fields stretched across the landscape. Golden stalks bent beneath the weight of their grain, swaying together whenever the breeze passed over them. It was a sight Ethan hadn’t expected to see again in a world where most people were struggling to find something edible.

The vines Rose had cultivated were spreading along the walls of the lakeside villa. Their thick green stems climbed over the stonework, while clusters of tiny purple flowers added splashes of colour.

The air was clean and refreshing.

There was the faint sweetness of blossoms, the earthy smell of damp soil, and the unmistakable freshness of growing plants. Every breath seemed to wash away some of the tension that had accumulated since the Apocalypse began.

In the distance, the faint buzzing of mutated fireflies filled the evening air.

Ethan slowly turned, taking it all in.

"This is beautiful..."

He couldn’t help muttering the words.

It was difficult to believe that this place existed in the middle of an Apocalypse.

The Survival Space had become something far greater than a shelter. With its trees, farmland, lake, and endless supply of fresh air, it was beginning to resemble a private paradise.

And he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

The women had gathered outside to enjoy the scenery. Some were chatting beside the lake, while others wandered through the newly grown vegetation.

The three little ones, Maya, Haley, and Lana, were having the time of their lives chasing the glowing fireflies.

Their laughter carried across the open space as they darted between the trees, trying to catch the tiny creatures before they flew out of reach.

A short distance away, Penny, Zara, and Evelyn had gathered around the two enormous eagle eggs. The eggs were nearly the size of basketballs, their golden patterns catching the light as the women examined them from different angles.

They were already discussing how best to hatch them.

The others had settled into small groups around the lake. Their conversations mixed with occasional bursts of laughter, creating an atmosphere that felt almost unreal.

For the first time since the Apocalypse began, nobody seemed to be in a hurry.

Nobody was watching the windows for approaching zombies.

Nobody was listening nervously for the footsteps of a Mutant Beast.

Nobody had to worry about where their next meal would come from.

They could simply sit down, enjoy the scenery, and breathe.

Kate watched them quietly.

Her fingers tightened around the armrest of her chair.

Not long ago, she had been determined to leave with Wendy and Clara. She had believed that staying with Ethan was only a temporary arrangement, something they would eventually have to move on from.

But where exactly could they go?

The outside world had become a wasteland.

Zombies roamed the streets, Mutant Beasts hunted anything unfortunate enough to cross their paths, and even the strongest survivors could be killed by a single mistake.

Yet here, there was food in abundance. Fresh vegetables grew in the fields, clean water flowed through the lake, and the Life Crystal Stone Ethan had moved to the centre of the Survival Space continuously released a strange energy.

She had personally experienced its effects.

The energy could gradually restore injuries and replenish strength. Even when someone was exhausted, spending time near the stone made recovery noticeably easier.

Kate’s gaze drifted toward the centre of the space.

The Life Crystal Stone looked familiar.

She remembered seeing something similar deep inside a mountain cave. A massive, thousand-year-old turtle had been trapped beneath a yellowish stone, and the energy coming from it had felt strangely similar.

’Could that stone have come from the same place? Were they both meteorites?’

She was still lost in thought when a familiar voice sounded behind her.

"What are you thinking about?"

Kate turned sharply.

Ethan stood a short distance away, wearing a relaxed smile.

For some reason, the sight of him caught her off guard. A faint warmth crept into her cheeks, and she quickly looked away.

"Nothing."

Her answer came a little too quickly.

She glanced toward Wendy, perhaps hoping to find some distraction, but the other woman was staring blankly at the lake.

Ethan followed her gaze.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he quietly activated his Telepathy Ability.

Wendy’s thoughts immediately entered his mind.

’The Eagle King Core is so important to Kate’s breakthrough. But Ethan risked his life to obtain it. How could I possibly ask him to give it to her? And if he actually gives it to me, what could I possibly offer in return?’

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face.

He had been wondering how to find a suitable opportunity to give Wendy a gift.

It seemed the opportunity had practically presented itself.

A King-Rank Core was considerably more valuable than a Leader-grade Core. If he could trigger the system’s return by gifting one to a woman with a Beauty Score of 100, the reward could be incredible.

He was already looking forward to finding out what the system would give him.

Unfortunately, there were too many people around.

Giving Wendy such a valuable gift in front of everyone would only attract unnecessary attention. He would wait until they were alone.

His attention then shifted back to Kate.

Her golden wings had disappeared, and apart from her unusually beautiful features, she looked no different from an ordinary woman.

Yet the system had never identified her as a gift target.

Why?

Could it have something to do with her origins as an evolved zombie?

’What a waste. If she qualified, I could give her the other King-Rank Core and see what kind of reward I’d get.’

A system notification suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

[Target: Kate Kasen. Evolution Completion: 99.5%. Transformation into complete female characteristics remains unfinished. Current gift conditions not met.]

Ethan blinked.

’99.5%?’

He stared at the notification for a moment.

So Kate hadn’t completed her evolution?

That explained why the system hadn’t recognized her as a gift target. But the notification also raised another possibility.

If her evolution reached 100%, would she finally qualify?

His expression became thoughtful.

It would certainly be interesting to find out.

For now, there was nothing he could do about it.

Ethan dismissed the notification and walked toward the others.

He joined Penny, Zara, and Evelyn around the two eagle eggs, pretending to take their little hatching project seriously.

"Have you figured out how to hatch them yet?"

Penny glanced at him.

"Not yet. We’re still discussing it."

Ethan crouched down and examined one of the eggs.

"Maybe they need to be kept warm. We could put them somewhere comfortable and wait."

"That’s your brilliant suggestion?" Penny asked.

"Do you have a better one?"

"Of course. We could start by not letting you touch them."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Are you afraid I’ll steal them?"

"Knowing you, I wouldn’t put it past you."

Zara burst out laughing, while Evelyn covered her mouth, trying to hide her amusement.

Ethan looked at Penny with an expression of exaggerated disappointment.

"After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you treat me?"

"You’re still a rascal."

The others laughed again.

The cheerful atmosphere gradually spread across the entire Survival Space. Even Wendy, who had been unusually quiet earlier, found herself smiling as she watched them.

For a little while, the Apocalypse seemed very far away.

It wasn’t until ten that night that everyone finally began returning to their villas.

After spending the entire evening enjoying the scenery, even the most energetic among them were ready for bed.

Ethan returned to his villa, washed up, and changed into fresh clothes.

He had barely settled down when someone knocked on his door.

Knock. Knock.

He frowned slightly before getting up.

"Coming."