Chapter 61: One Second of Time Stop

The evening of the sixth day.

The smell of food filled the air inside the underground shelter.

Penny sat near the small cooking area, kneading dough with the flour Ethan had given her. The generator hummed steadily in the background while a pot of porridge simmered inside the rice cooker.

Nearby, Maya and Lana were sitting on the floor, playing cat’s cradle and whispering to each other.

Ethan leaned against the southern wall, slowly wiping his sword with a clean cloth.

The wound on his shoulder had already healed completely, leaving behind only a faint pink scar.

For the past six days, Ethan had been unusually well-behaved.

Aside from the second day, when he had used his One-Way Teleportation to reach the top of a nearby building and scout the area, he had barely left the shelter.

That brief trip had been enough to make him cautious.

The number of Mutant Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys around the library had nearly doubled.

There were now three larger monkeys leading separate groups of smaller, weapon-wielding monkeys. They had been searching the surrounding streets relentlessly, tearing through buildings and attacking anyone they encountered.

The remains of several survivors had been left scattered across the streets.

Ethan knew exactly what they were looking for.

Him.

Those unfortunate survivors were simply getting caught in the middle.

Penny occasionally glanced toward Ethan while she worked the dough.

After nearly a week of living together, she had slowly gotten a feel for his personality.

At first glance, Ethan seemed relaxed, almost careless.

But she had quickly realized that was only on the surface.

He was more cautious than anyone she had ever met.

He rarely trusted his surroundings, constantly paid attention to small details, and almost always seemed to have a backup plan.

There was, however, one thing about him that still made Penny uncomfortable.

Every now and then, Ethan would stare at her face for several seconds without saying anything.

Sometimes his gaze dropped lower—lingering on the thin line of her collarbone, the way the oversized shirt hung off her narrow shoulders, the soft, undeveloped curve of her chest that barely filled the fabric.

The first time it happened, she had finally asked him directly.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Ethan had rubbed his chin and answered casually.

"I was just wondering what you’ll look like when you grow up."

Then he had added with a completely straight face,

"I’m curious what you’ll look like once those little steamed buns fill out. Right now you’re all bean sprout and no meat."

Penny had nearly smashed her rice bowl against his head.

Heat had flooded her face so hard her ears burned. She had crossed her arms over her chest without thinking, which only made him smile wider.

Since then, she had learned to be suspicious whenever Ethan stared at her for too long.

Because every time he did, she could feel it—like he was already imagining the body she might have later, and the thought made her skin prickle in a way she didn’t know how to name.

---

Across the city, Daisy and the others had already settled into their temporary residence.

Every morning, Daisy had gone outside to search for information about Ethan.

Unfortunately, the only useful rumor she had heard was about an Ability User who could teleport and had killed a Mutant Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey near the library.

She immediately suspected it was Ethan.

Who else could it be?

She had considered going to the library herself to look for him.

But when she got within three kilometers of the area, she sensed an overwhelming amount of vicious emotion coming from ahead.

The sheer intensity of it terrified her.

She had no idea what was waiting near the library, so she had been forced to turn back.

Dr. Elena had spent the past six days guarding her brother’s apartment.

She also went out every day to search for Ethan, but she had found nothing.

Instead, she noticed that large numbers of fierce-looking Mutant Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys had begun appearing throughout the streets.

They seemed to be searching for something.

Or someone.

After seeing them several times, Elena reinforced the doors and windows of the apartment and stopped going outside unless absolutely necessary.

---

The morning of the seventh day.

Ethan woke to the smell of fried eggs.

He opened his eyes and found Penny standing nearby with a plate in her hands.

"You’re awake?"

She held the plate out to him.

The edges of the egg were crisp and golden, while the yolk in the center remained slightly runny.

"I found these in the supermarket yesterday," Penny said. "They hadn’t gone bad yet."

Ethan took the plate.

Then, almost casually, he reached into his Survival Space.

A golden Core appeared in his hand.

It was about the size of a walnut and gave off a faint golden glow.

It was the Core he had obtained from the Mutant Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey.

Penny’s expression changed immediately.

"This is... a Leader-Level Core."

She stared at it for several seconds before shaking her head.

"It’s too valuable. I can’t take this."

"Take it."

Ethan simply placed the Core into her palm.

His fingertips deliberately brushed against the soft skin of her hand, then lingered a fraction longer than necessary, tracing the edge of her wrist.

Penny’s fingers twitched.

A faint blush immediately spread across her cheeks and down her neck. She could feel the heat of his touch still on her skin even after he pulled away.

"Your Flight Ability has speed, but it doesn’t have much offensive power. Try absorbing this. You might awaken another ability."

Penny stared at the Core in her hand.

She knew Ethan was right.

Her Flight Ability had been extremely useful for movement and escape, but in a real fight, it couldn’t do much damage.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling nervous.

Over the past few days, Ethan had developed a habit of teasing her.

Sometimes he would casually comment that she was "thin as a bean sprout with two little steamed buns."

Other times, he would watch her knead dough and say things like,

"You look pretty domestic when you’re cooking. You’d make a good wife."

Every time he said something like that, Penny would become so flustered that she didn’t know where to look. Her stomach would tighten. Her pulse would jump. And she hated how much she noticed it.

And now he had suddenly handed her such a valuable Core, with that same slow, deliberate touch.

Her heart beat a little faster.

Then the system notification appeared.

[Ding! Leader-Level Mutant Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey Core gifted to a female with a Beauty Score of 85 [Growable].]

[Base Return: 60x.]

[Target emotional fluctuation detected: Shyness from teasing + Satisfaction from being valued.]

[Super-High Bonus Drop triggered.]

[Returned: SS-Rank Time Stop Ability.]

[Effect: Freezes targets within a 5-meter radius for 1 second.]

[Cooldown: 30 minutes.]

[Special Condition: If Penny Eira’s Flight Ability reaches SS-Rank, the host’s Time Stop Ability will simultaneously upgrade to SSS-Rank.]

[Penny Eira’s B-Rank Flight Ability has upgraded to S-Rank.]

[Flight altitude increased to 10 meters.]

[Dynamic vision enhanced. Can track high-speed targets within a 10-meter range.]

Ethan’s eyes immediately lit up.

Time Stop.

It only lasted one second, but that one second could decide the outcome of a life-or-death battle.

One second was enough to dodge a fatal attack.

Enough to land a killing blow.

Enough to escape.

More importantly, Ethan had been worried that giving a Core to someone who already possessed an Ability might not produce another Ability through the system.

Now he knew that concern had been unnecessary.

As for not receiving an SSS-Rank Ability immediately, Ethan didn’t care.

He had gained something useful.

That was enough.

"Not bad."

He looked at Penny.

"How do you feel?"

Penny opened her mouth to answer.

"Nothing..."

Then she stopped.

Something felt strange.

Her body suddenly became lighter.

The sounds around her seemed to stretch, as though everything had slowed down by a fraction.

She instinctively rose onto her toes.

Then her feet left the floor.

"Ah!"

Penny shot upward.

She barely had time to grab the nearby metal rack before her body continued rising.

"Wait!"

She flew toward the ceiling.

Ethan’s expression changed.

"Careful!"

He instantly drew his sword.

A Spatial Cut flashed upward.

The invisible slash sliced through the protruding steel bar above Penny’s head just before she could collide with it.

Penny flailed helplessly in midair.

She looked like someone who had been thrown into a swimming pool without knowing how to swim.

"I can’t control it!"

She continued rising.

Then—

Bang!

Her head and shoulder hit the ceiling.

"Ow!"

Her body immediately dropped.

Ethan moved without hesitation.

He stepped forward and caught her.

Penny’s body crashed into his arms.

Soft. Light. Warm.

Her chest pressed flat against his, the thin fabric of her shirt the only barrier between them. He felt the small, firm shape of her breasts crush against his chest for a split second—barely there, but unmistakable. Her thighs slid against his hip. One of his hands automatically settled at the small of her back, fingers splaying over the narrow curve of her waist to steady her.

Their faces were suddenly inches apart.

Then her lips accidentally pressed against his.

Both of them froze.

The contact was soft. Warm. Slightly parted.

Penny made a tiny sound against his mouth—"Mm"—half surprise, half something else.

Neither moved.

For several seconds, the shelter was completely silent.

Ethan could feel the heat of her breath. The way her lips stayed pressed to his, soft and unmoving, like she had forgotten how to pull away. Her body was still trembling from the fall, pressed fully against him from chest to thigh.

Maya and Lana had been watching the entire thing from the corner.

Maya’s eyes widened.

She immediately covered her own eyes and then pulled Lana’s hands over her face as well.

"We can’t look!"

She whispered loudly.

"Sister and Ethan are kissing! That’s embarrassing!"

Penny’s entire face turned bright red.

She shoved Ethan away with both hands, stumbling backward. Her lips still tingled. She could still feel the imprint of his mouth, the solid heat of his chest against hers, the way his hand had held her waist like it belonged there.

"It was an accident!"

She scrambled back to her sleeping area, grabbed the blanket, pulled it over her head, and curled into a tight ball.

She looked like she wanted to disappear.

Under the blanket, her heart was hammering so hard she was sure he could hear it. Her cheeks burned. Her lips still felt warm. And the place where her chest had pressed against him still felt strangely sensitive, like the contact hadn’t fully faded.

Ethan rubbed his chin.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

Her upgraded Flight Ability was clearly going to take some getting used to.

And that accidental kiss...

He could still feel the soft press of her mouth. The small weight of her body against him. The way she had frozen instead of immediately pulling away.

He walked over and tapped the blanket.

"Hey."

No response.

"Stop hiding under there."

Still nothing.

Ethan chuckled.

"I’m going out for a while. I might be gone for a few days."

The person beneath the blanket shifted slightly.

But she still refused to answer.

Ethan didn’t push her.

He turned and walked toward the center of the shelter.

His wounds had completely healed, and his spatial energy had already recovered to its peak.

After observing the area for several days, he was now confident that the shelter was safe enough to serve as a temporary base.

It was time to bring the others here.

He had never been comfortable leaving them inside territory controlled by the Snake King.

"Penny."

The blanket moved slightly.

"Keep an eye on the little ones. Don’t let them wander outside."

He paused.

"And stay away from the back of the library. Especially that area."

A muffled voice came from beneath the blanket.

"Got it."

"The monkeys are still searching the area. Wait until I come back. I’ll deal with them."

"Okay."

Ethan nodded.

He didn’t say anything else.

He closed his eyes and focused his consciousness on the Space Anchor Point he had left at the Underground Casino.

A familiar spatial distortion formed beneath his feet.

Ethan glanced back one last time.

Penny was still hiding beneath the blanket.

Maya was sitting nearby with a fried egg in her hand, staring blankly at him.

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face.

The city outside was still dangerous.

There were Mutant Beasts, Evolved Zombies, hostile survivors, and the Snake King.

Yet somehow, being surrounded by these people made the ruined city feel a little less unbearable.

Spatial energy began wrapping around his body.

His figure slowly became transparent.

Then Ethan heard a scream behind him.

"Wait!"

His body had already begun disappearing.

He turned his head.

Penny had thrown off the blanket and was rushing toward him.

She was holding the half-eaten fried egg in one hand. Her face was still flushed, lips slightly swollen from the earlier contact, hair messy from the blanket.

Ethan blinked.

"What’s wrong?"

Penny stopped in front of him, breathing slightly harder.

"Your..."

She lifted the plate.

"Your fried egg! You didn’t finish it!"

Ethan stared at her.

Then he laughed.

His laughter faded into the spatial distortion as his body disappeared.

Inside the shelter, Penny stood in the middle of the room, staring at the empty space where he had been.

The fried egg nearly slipped from her hand.

Maya leaned closer.

"Sister."

Penny looked at her.

Maya whispered,

"Your face was as red as a tomato."

"Mind your own business."

Penny shoved the fried egg into Maya’s mouth before turning around.

She grabbed the blanket and covered her head again.

But this time, hiding under it didn’t help.

Her heart was still pounding.

When she had rushed toward Ethan just now...

Had she imagined it?

She could have sworn she saw the corners of his mouth curve upward.

And she could still feel the ghost of his lips against hers.

Meanwhile, thousands of meters away, Ethan reappeared inside the Underground Casino.

And whatever waited for him there was something he hadn’t yet anticipated.