Apocalypse: Every Woman I Invest In Makes Me Stronger

Ethan woke to a strange, prickling itch crawling under his skin.

For a few seconds he didn’t know where he was. The air was cool and still. Soft light came from somewhere above him. Then the pain in his wrist sharpened, and memory slammed back into place~the vipers, the bite, the teleportation, the darkness.

He opened his eyes.

Debbie was sitting beside him. One hand hovered over his head, a pale white healing glow seeping from her palm and flowing toward his wrist in a slow, steady stream. Her face was pale. Loose strands of hair clung to her sweat-damp forehead. Dark circles sat under her eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept at all.

”Debbie,” Ethan said, voice rough. ”Take a break.”

He reached out and caught her wrist. She flinched at the sudden contact, then looked at him. Her eyes were red.

”You’ve been unconscious for an entire day,” she said quietly. ”Your wrist was swollen like a balloon. I thought... I thought the venom was still spreading.”

”I’m fine now.”

Ethan slowly sat up. The room tilted for a second, then steadied. He rotated his wrist. The numbness was still there, deep and stubborn, but most of the burning heat had faded. Debbie’s healing had done more than he expected.

He glanced toward the door.

”Go get everyone. There’s something I need to discuss.”

Debbie hesitated, then nodded and left.

A few minutes later the door opened again. Daisy came in first, followed by Rose and Sofia. Dr. Elena entered last, Haley half-asleep in her arms. The moment they saw Ethan sitting up, the tension in the room loosened. Relief moved across their faces in different ways~Daisy’s shoulders dropped, Rose let out a quiet breath, Sofia’s eyes brightened, and Elena adjusted her grip on the little girl with a small, tired smile.

Daisy reached him first. Her Mental Ability swept over him like a cool net, checking for any remaining wrongness in his body.

”How do you feel?” she asked. ”Is there still venom in your system?”

Ethan gently lowered her hand. ”Some of it’s still there. More importantly~the Snake King’s aura is still on me. As long as I’m outside, there’s a chance it will attract the viper swarm again.” His expression turned serious. ”Let’s talk inside the Survival Space.”

Before anyone could argue, he activated the ability. Light flashed. The air shifted. When it cleared, the entire group stood on the black soil of the Survival Space, the generator’s soft glow pushing back the darkness.

For a moment no one spoke. The women looked at one another, then at him. Elena had already told them the rough outline while he was unconscious, but standing here, seeing the space for themselves, made everything feel heavier.

Ethan didn’t waste time.

”The Snake King’s aura is basically a mark,” he said. ”As long as I’m outside, the vipers can track it. I’m going to recover here. Once I’m fully healed, I’ll leave the underground casino for a while. You all stay inside. It’s safer.”

Debbie’s voice came immediately. ”Is there any way to remove the aura?”

”Not yet.” Ethan shook his head. ”But it’s not a death sentence. I have this space. If I run into something I can’t fight, I can hide.” He looked at each of them in turn, then at Elena and Haley. ”Dr. Elena and Haley are staying with us from now on. We’ll look after each other.”

Rose nodded without hesitation. ”Don’t worry. We’ll get along.”

Elena shifted Haley in her arms. The little girl had woken fully and was staring at the dark soil with wide eyes. ”We already talked while you were out,” Elena said. ”You’re still recovering. Rest. We’ll handle the rest.”

Watching them accept it so easily eased something tight in Ethan’s chest. He sent everyone except Debbie back out of the Survival Space. When the light faded again, only the two of them remained.

The quiet settled.

Ethan reached into the space’s storage and pulled out the dark purple Macaw Core. He held it out to her.

”Here. Try absorbing it. It might strengthen your Ability.”

Debbie looked at the Core for a long moment, then took it. She swallowed it without asking questions. A pale green glow erupted from her palm almost at once. Healing energy surged through her body in a thick, rising wave. Ethan watched the light intensify. Debbie’s eyes widened as she felt the change~her Ability growing denser, sharper, more responsive.

Ethan waited.

Nothing.

No system notification. No return. No Bonus Drop.

His frown deepened.

After a moment he pulled out a barrel of bottled mineral water and set it in front of her. ”This is for you.”

Debbie gave him a strange look but accepted it. The second her hands closed around the barrel, the familiar mechanical voice rang in Ethan’s mind.

[Ding! Mineral Water gifted to Debbie!]

[Base Return: 50x!]

[Returned: Mineral Water x50!]

Fifty barrels appeared in the corner of the Survival Space, stacking themselves with a soft series of thuds. Debbie stared. Her mouth opened, then closed again.

Ethan studied the pile, mind working fast.

So that was the rule. After they became intimate, special resources like Cores no longer triggered returns. Ordinary supplies still did. The high-multiplier path with her was closed~but the basic multiplication remained.

Debbie’s voice was quiet. ”What’s going on?”

She didn’t demand an answer. She just waited, eyes moving between the water and his face.

Ethan looked at her for a long time. The Snake King’s mark. The swarm. The fact that he might have to leave them for days at a time. The way she had sat beside him for an entire day without stopping the healing light.

He made a decision~but not the full one.

”I have a way to multiply certain supplies when I give them to people I trust,” he said carefully. ”It doesn’t work the same with everyone. And after we... got closer, some of the stronger effects stopped working with you. Regular things like water and food still multiply. Cores don’t. That’s all you need to know for now.”

Debbie’s eyes widened. She looked at the fifty barrels again, then back at him. After a moment she nodded once, firm.

”I won’t tell anyone.”

Ethan felt something ease in his chest. ”Has your Ability gotten stronger?”

Debbie nodded. A dense white healing glow gathered in her palm~noticeably larger and brighter than before. ”I think I can heal faster now. Do you want me to treat you again?”

Ethan suddenly grinned. The tension of the last day, the venom, the mark, the swarm~all of it was still there, but for a moment it could wait.

”No rush.” He reached down and tugged open his shirt, the fabric sliding off one shoulder. ”Let’s do something else first.”

Debbie froze. Her eyes landed on his exposed chest. Color flooded her cheeks so fast it almost looked painful.

”You...”

Before she could finish the sentence, Ethan pulled her into his arms. She made a small sound of surprise against his shoulder, then slowly, carefully, let herself lean into him. The Survival Space was quiet around them. Outside, the underground casino waited. Farther out, the Snake King’s mark still clung to his skin like a beacon.

But for now, the only thing that mattered was the warmth of her against him and the steady beat of her heart finally slowing to match his.