Chapter 162: The Confrontation and the Core

Ethan led Stella into his villa and closed the door behind them.

The soft click echoed through the quiet room. Morning light filtered through the curtains, catching on the simple furniture and the pale walls. Outside, the Survival Space was still and calm, but inside the villa the air felt tighter.

He released her wrist, turned around, and leaned against the door, watching her with a faint, mischievous smile.

Stella stood a few steps away, gripping the hem of her shirt with both hands. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her eyes kept darting between Ethan and the closed door. A faint blush already colored her cheeks. She looked smaller than usual, shoulders drawn in, like she was trying to take up less space.

"You... What do you want to do?"

Her voice was unsteady, almost breaking at the end.

The terror of the previous night’s encounter with the King-Rank Mutant Eagle had yet to leave her. She could still remember the thunderous crashes of lightning, the terrifying shadow sweeping across the sky, and the feeling of helplessness as the creature hunted them. Her hands tightened on the fabric of her shirt.

Now Ethan had pulled her into his villa and shut the door.

Her imagination was running wild.

Kate was right. This guy really does have designs on me!

Ethan studied her expression, the amusement in his eyes growing. This little scatterbrain was even more entertaining than he had expected. He deliberately let the silence stretch before speaking.

"What do you think?"

His gaze moved over her slowly before settling on her flushed face.

Stella’s cheeks turned bright red. The warmth spread down her neck, and she instinctively tightened her grip on her shirt. She looked up at him, her eyes already glistening.

"I... I promised to repay you for saving me, but that doesn’t mean you can take advantage of me!"

Her voice grew quieter with every word. Despite her attempt to sound firm, she lacked conviction. After all, she was inside Ethan’s Survival Space. He had saved her life, and she was living under his protection. If he really intended to do something, what room did she have to bargain?

If Ethan hadn’t intervened the previous night, she would probably have become the Eagle King’s next meal.

Perhaps offering herself in return wasn’t entirely unacceptable...

The thought made her face burn. But then she remembered the embarrassing scenes she had once watched in those little movies, and her courage nearly deserted her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, eyes dropping to the floor.

Ethan watched her struggle with her thoughts for another moment. Then he burst out laughing.

"You’re unbelievable."

He straightened away from the door. With a shift of his consciousness, a golden Core appeared in his palm. Its smooth surface caught the morning sunlight, giving off a brilliant glow that lit the space between them.

"Here. This is for you."

He held it out.

Stella’s eyes immediately settled on the object.

A Leader-grade Core!

She had seen one in Kate’s possession before. It was an extremely valuable treasure, capable of strengthening an Ability User and, under the right circumstances, even raising their Ability rank. Kate had previously offered to share some with her and Wendy. But neither of them had been willing to take them. They had wanted Kate to strengthen herself first.

Now Ethan was offering her one.

Stella’s fingers moved instinctively toward it. But just before her fingertips touched the golden surface, she stopped. Something didn’t add up. Why would he suddenly give her such a valuable Core?

Wait... Is this the payment?

Her face turned even redder. She bit her lower lip and took a small step backward.

"I don’t want it!"

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

He deliberately moved the Core closer.

"Not good enough?"

"No! That’s not what I mean!"

Stella hurriedly waved both hands. Her eyes shifted between the Core and Ethan before finally settling on the floor.

"It’s too precious. I can’t accept something like this from you. Besides, if I take it..."

She stopped, unable to finish.

Then I’ll really have to do that kind of thing!

Ethan watched her expression change. It took him a moment to understand what she was thinking. Once he did, a smug smile appeared on his face. He reached out and tapped her lightly on the forehead.

"Little scatterbrain, what exactly are you imagining?"

Before she could respond, he placed the Core in her hand.

"I’m giving you this because I want you to become stronger. You saw what happened last night. Your current strength isn’t enough to protect yourself, let alone anyone else."

Stella lowered her gaze. The golden Core rested in her palm, warm against her skin. His words brought back the memory of the previous night. She remembered Kate fighting desperately against the Eagle King. She remembered Sofia and Evelyn putting themselves in danger to block the lightning. And she remembered standing helplessly nearby, unable to make any meaningful difference. She had wanted to help. She had wanted to protect Kate. But all she could do was watch.

Her fingers slowly closed around the Core.

"But..."

Her voice softened.

"My aptitude is terrible. My Earth Manipulation Ability is only B-Rank."

She looked down at the golden object.

"Kate gave me several Elite-grade Cores before, but none of them worked. My Ability never improved. If I absorb this one and nothing happens, it’ll be a waste."

Ethan’s expression became serious. He stepped closer and raised the Core toward her lips.

"Trust me. This one will be different. It can at least raise your Ability to S-Rank."

Stella blinked.

"Really?"

She had been stuck at B-Rank for so long that she had almost given up hope. No matter how many Elite-grade Cores she absorbed, her Ability remained unchanged. Eventually, she had accepted that her potential might simply be limited. But Ethan’s expression was different. He wasn’t hesitating or making an empty promise to comfort her. He seemed completely certain.

Stella’s lips trembled slightly. After a moment, she finally opened her mouth.

Ethan placed the Core on her tongue. The golden surface was smooth and cool for a brief second before it began to dissolve. A soft warmth spread across her tongue and down her throat. She swallowed, and the energy started to move.