Chapter 163: The Lightning and the Earth

The instant the golden Core crossed her lips, it dissolved.

A tremendous surge of energy flooded through Stella’s body. Her eyes widened as the power rushed through her limbs, spread along her veins, and gathered around her core. It was far stronger than anything the Elite-grade Cores had given her, yet it was not destructive. It felt warm, almost gentle, surrounding the dormant Earth power inside her and forcing it to grow. Her body trembled as the transformation began.

At the same time, a series of system notifications appeared before Ethan.

[Ding! A Leader-grade Core has been gifted to a female with a Beauty Score of 99. First-time gift detected. Base multiplier unlocked.]

[Target: Stella, 22 years old. Beauty Score: 99. Rarity: 100.]

[Base Return: 300x!]

[Detected intense fluctuations in the target’s emotional state: extreme embarrassment and nervousness, intense longing, and a trace of inexplicable disappointment.]

[Ultra-high Bonus Drop triggered!]

[Ding! Energy Points +25,000.]

[Current Energy Points: 54,050 / 100,000 (Quasi-S-Rank).]

[Return: Host has obtained the SSS-Rank Ability: Lightning Control.]

[Lightning Control: Allows the host to condense electricity into a Lightning Whip up to 10 meters long. The whip has toughness comparable to alloy and can be formed once every five minutes. Its power increases with the host’s strength.]

[Target’s B-Rank Earth Manipulation Ability has been upgraded to SSS-Rank.]

[SSS-Rank Earth Manipulation: Control range of 100 square meters. Allows the user to form earth walls for defense and earth spikes for attack. Ability power increases with the user’s strength.]

[System Cooldown: 6 days.]

"Three hundred times?"

Ethan’s eyes widened. For a moment he almost wondered whether he had read the notification incorrectly. A 300x Base Return. He had expected a good reward, but this was far beyond anything he had anticipated. The additional 25,000 energy points were even better. His total had jumped to 54,050. He was now more than halfway toward the 100,000 points required to reach S-Rank.

But another part of the notification caught his attention.

A trace of inexplicable disappointment?

Ethan glanced at Stella.

What the hell does that mean?

Could she actually have been disappointed that he had not made a move on her? He could not quite wrap his head around it.

Before he could think further, a crackling sound came from his fingertips. Blue-white electricity danced across his skin. A tiny arc jumped between two fingers, illuminating his hand before disappearing. Ethan looked down in surprise.

Lightning Control.

He had just obtained another SSS-Rank Ability.

"Ah!"

A sudden cry pulled him out of his thoughts. Stella was staring at her palm. Pale brown energy swirled around her fingers, growing stronger with every passing second. The floor beneath her feet gave a faint tremor. A small stone rose from the ground and hovered above her palm, turning slowly in the air.

Stella stared at it in disbelief. She moved her fingers. The stone responded immediately, rising higher before stopping above her head. Her mouth fell open.

"I... I can control it!"

Another pulse of energy spread from her body. The ground shifted, and several sharp earth spikes pushed out of the floor before crumbling back down. Stella looked at them, then at her hands. She could feel the difference. The power within her core was no longer weak or sluggish. It was enormous, and for the first time, controlling it felt natural.

Her Ability had really improved. Not to A-Rank. Not to S-Rank. But all the way to SSS-Rank.

"I... I really have become stronger!"

Tears spilled down her cheeks. But this time they were not tears of fear or frustration. For so long she had felt useless whenever danger appeared. She could dig holes with her Earth Manipulation Ability, but that was about all she could manage. She had watched others fight while she stood helplessly behind them. Now she could do more. She could raise walls to protect her companions. She could summon spikes from the ground to attack their enemies. She would not have to remain a helpless bystander anymore.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Stella rushed forward and threw her arms around Ethan’s waist.

"Thank you, Ethan..."

She hugged him tightly, burying her face against his chest.

"Thank you so much!"

Ethan was caught off guard by the sudden embrace. He stood still for a moment before smiling and patting her back.

"Know how to thank me now?"

He chuckled.

"Just a moment ago, you were calling me a big pervert."

Stella shook her head against his chest.

"You’re not a big pervert..."

Her voice was muffled.

"You’re a good person."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"A good person? Is that all I get?"

Stella slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were still wet, and her cheeks were flushed. She stared at him for a moment, seemingly struggling with a decision. Then she bit her lower lip. Without another word, she rose onto her toes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

Ethan blinked. He had not expected that.

Stella pulled away, her face burning even hotter. When he did not react, she seemed to gather every bit of courage she had left. She reached for the buttons of her shirt and began undoing them.

Ethan froze. He had only been teasing her. He had not expected the little scatterbrain to take his words so seriously. For a moment he simply stared at her. Then his gaze met hers. There was embarrassment in her eyes, but also a quiet determination. He swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

Stella’s fingers trembled slightly as she undid the next button, then the one after that. The shirt parted, revealing the soft curve of her breasts and the thin fabric of her bra. She did not look away from him. When the last button came free, she shrugged the shirt off her shoulders and let it fall. Her skin was warm and flushed. She reached behind her back, unhooked the bra, and let it drop as well. Her breasts were full and heavy, nipples already tight in the cool air of the villa.

Ethan stepped closer. He cupped one breast, thumb brushing over the peak, and she inhaled sharply. He lowered his head and took the other into his mouth, tongue circling slowly. Stella’s hands came up to his shoulders. A small sound escaped her when he sucked harder. He moved to the other breast, giving it the same attention, then kissed his way down her stomach.

She stepped out of her pants and underwear when he pushed them down. Ethan guided her onto the bed. She lay back, one knee bent, watching him with wide eyes as he stripped off his own clothes. When he settled between her legs, she was already wet. He pushed two fingers inside her, slow and deep, and she arched, a soft moan leaving her throat. He curled them, finding the spot that made her hips lift, and kept the motion steady until her breathing turned short.

"Ethan..."

He withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his cock, pushing inside her in one smooth thrust. Stella’s mouth opened on a gasp. He stayed still for a moment, letting her adjust, then began to move. The bed creaked under them. Her hands slid up his back and held on. He kept the pace unhurried at first, watching her face, then drove deeper when her legs wrapped around his waist. She turned her head and bit down on a small sound against his shoulder.

He shifted his angle. One hand braced beside her head while the other stayed between them, thumb circling where they were joined. Stella’s breathing turned ragged. She came with a soft, broken cry, her body clenching around him in tight pulses. Ethan kept moving through it until the tension in her eased, then buried himself and stayed there, spilling inside her in long pulses while his mouth rested against her neck.

They stayed like that for a minute. Her fingers traced slow lines along his spine. Neither of them spoke. The villa was quiet except for their breathing.

Ethan eased out of her. Stella made a small sound and pulled the thin blanket over both of them. He lay on his side so he could look at her. She fitted herself against him, her breasts soft against his chest, one leg draped over his. He kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes, still flushed, a faint smile on her lips.

Outside, the Survival Space remained still. Inside the villa, the only sound was the quiet rustle of the sheets as Stella shifted closer.