Chapter 157: The Burrowing Escape and the Winged Shadow

9:00 PM.

Ethan reappeared in the mountain forest.

The moon hung above the treetops, casting pale light over the abandoned woodland.

He chose a maple tree with a trunk roughly as thick as a bowl and approached it.

Just as he was about to activate his Space Ability, something made him stop.

A faint tremor passed beneath his boots.

Ethan lowered his hand.

"Hmm?"

He stood completely still.

Another vibration followed.

This time, he felt it more clearly.

The fallen leaves around his feet began to tremble. A few pebbles rolled down the slope, and the soil beneath the tree shifted slightly.

Something was moving underground.

Ethan’s expression hardened.

He silently drew his sword.

A thin layer of spatial energy gathered around his fingertips, ready to form a Spatial Cut.

’Another Mutant Beast?’

He focused on the ground.

Crack!

The earth suddenly split open.

A muddy hand burst through the soil and grabbed the edge of the hole.

Ethan reacted instantly.

His sword shot forward, stopping barely a centimeter from the person’s throat.

A head emerged from the hole, followed by a pair of shoulders.

The stranger’s hair was tangled and covered in dirt. Mud streaked her face, and her clothes were almost completely buried beneath the soil.

For a split second, Ethan thought she was a zombie.

Then he saw her eyes.

He recognized them immediately.

Stella!

The girl hadn’t expected to find a sword waiting for her when she emerged from the ground.

Her pupils contracted.

She squeezed her eyes shut, convinced she was about to die.

But the blade never came.

A moment passed.

Then another.

Confused, she slowly opened her eyes.

When she recognized the man standing before her, her expression crumpled.

"Ethan!"

Her voice was hoarse.

Tears immediately spilled down her muddy cheeks.

"Ethan..."

She tried to say more, but the words caught in her throat.

Ethan lowered his sword.

"What happened to you? Why were you digging underground?"

Before she could answer, a piercing screech tore through the night.

KRAAAAH!

The sound was so loud that birds burst from the surrounding trees.

Leaves shook violently, and several fell from the branches.

Ethan’s expression changed.

A tremendous pressure descended from above.

He looked up.

A massive golden-brown silhouette was diving out of the clouds.

Its enormous wings spread wide, blocking out the moonlight. Its feathers shimmered beneath the pale glow, while its curved talons reflected a cold, metallic light.

A Mutant Eagle!

It was moving far too quickly.

Ethan barely had time to react.

He grabbed Stella’s wrist.

"Don’t resist. Come with me!"

Space distorted around them.

Both figures vanished.

A split second later, the eagle’s talons slammed into the ground.

BOOM!

The impact shattered the rocky surface. Stones exploded in every direction, and a cloud of dust rose into the air.

The eagle landed heavily, its enormous wings beating against the trees.

It raised its head and stared at the empty patch of ground.

Its sharp eyes moved from side to side.

A moment ago, it had clearly sensed two living creatures.

Now they were gone.

The eagle let out another furious screech, its voice echoing through the mountain forest.

---

Inside the Survival Space.

Stella staggered as soon as they appeared.

She nearly fell, but Ethan caught her before she hit the ground.

For several seconds, she could only stare.

The towering trees, the lake, and the illuminated villas in the distance were completely unfamiliar.

She had spent the last several hours crawling through the darkness beneath the earth, desperately trying to escape the creature hunting them.

Now she was standing in a place that looked almost untouched by the Apocalypse.

Her eyes widened.

"Where...?"

Before she could finish, someone approached.

Daisy had noticed their arrival and hurried over.

"What’s going on?"

But Stella barely acknowledged her.

She suddenly grabbed Ethan’s arm with both hands.

"Ethan! You have to hurry!"

Her voice cracked.

"Please, save Sister Kate! She’s dying!"

Ethan’s expression changed.

"Kate?"

He frowned.

"What happened to her?"

Stella struggled to catch her breath. Tears continued running down her face, mixing with the mud covering her cheeks.

"She was injured by that Mutant Eagle!"

Ethan’s gaze sharpened.

"The one outside?"

She nodded frantically.

"We’ve been hiding in the Underground Casino. That thing has been circling the entrance ever since Sister Kate returned. It won’t let us leave!"

Her grip tightened around his arm.

"Sister Kate is unconscious. She’s losing blood, and we don’t have anyone with a Healing Ability strong enough to save her."

She swallowed, trying to control her trembling voice.

"She told us to find you. I used my Earth Manipulation Ability to dig a tunnel beneath the ground. I thought I could reach the city and find you there."

Ethan’s expression grew serious.

He finally understood why she had emerged from the earth.

She had risked everything to escape the casino and find him.

And judging by her condition, she hadn’t had an easy journey.

"How long has Kate been unconscious?"

"I... I don’t know exactly."

Stella shook her head.

"She was still conscious when I left, but she could barely speak."

Ethan’s heart sank.

Kate was a Quasi-SS-Rank powerhouse. If a single attack had left her in such a condition, the eagle’s strength was terrifying.

It had most likely reached King-Rank.

He immediately turned toward the light screen.

The surveillance image showed the enormous eagle circling above the mountain forest.

Its wings moved slowly as it surveyed the surrounding area.

It hadn’t left.

In fact, it was circling almost exactly where Ethan and Stella had disappeared.

Its sharp eyes scanned the ground, occasionally pausing as though it had sensed something.

Ethan watched silently.

’It can still sense the Survival Space?’

He had always relied on the Survival Space’s perception shielding to hide himself from dangerous creatures.

But this eagle appeared to have detected something despite that protection.

Perhaps King-Rank mutant beasts possessed senses that ordinary creatures couldn’t even approach.

Ethan’s expression darkened.

If the eagle could detect the Survival Space, approaching the Underground Casino would be extremely dangerous.

And there was another problem.

Could a King-Rank Mutant Beast actually damage the Survival Space itself?

He looked at the eagle again.

It suddenly stopped circling.

Its enormous head turned toward the ground.

For a moment, its gaze seemed fixed on the exact spot where Ethan had vanished.

Then it spread its wings.

A terrible screech echoed through the forest.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

He had to save Kate.

But charging into the mountain forest with that creature waiting outside would be suicide.

And if the eagle possessed the strength to attack his Survival Space, even hiding inside might not be enough.

He clenched his fist.

’How the hell am I supposed to get her out of there?’