Chapter 27: Fortress Rising

Morning sunlight streamed through the observation port of Villa 8, casting uneven patches of light across the floor.

Ethan slowly opened his eyes.

The scabs covering his back had fallen away during the night, leaving behind fresh pink skin. His strength had mostly returned, though a dull ache remained whenever he moved too quickly.

He turned his head.

Debbie was asleep beside him, her brow still faintly furrowed. She had barely rested the night before. Every hour she had used her Healing Ability to treat his wounds until exhaustion finally overcame her near dawn.

Ethan watched her for a moment. Then he carefully shifted.

Debbie immediately woke.

"You’re awake?" She sat up quickly and placed a glowing hand against his back. "Does it still hurt?"

"Much better." Ethan caught her wrist gently. "You should get some sleep."

After making sure she was comfortable, he headed down to the first basement level.

The scene waiting for him brought a smile to his face.

Daisy sat with her eyes closed, her mental energy spreading through the villa and its surroundings like invisible ripples. Nearby, Rose knelt beside a tray of soil. Her fingertips brushed the surface, and a mung bean sprout pushed through the dirt. Its tender green leaves unfolded right before Ethan’s eyes. Across the room, Sofia stood beside a bucket, concentrating on several tiny water arrows suspended in the air. With a small movement of her fingers, the arrows shot toward a target on the opposite wall. Every one struck the bullseye.

"Ethan, you’re awake!"

Sofia was the first to notice him. She turned with a bright smile and guided the water arrows into the air, shaping them into a crooked GOOD.

Ethan chuckled. "Creative."

Rose stopped working and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "There aren’t many nutrients in this soil. We’ll need fertilizer if we want the plants to grow properly."

"Once we deal with the immediate problems, I’ll look for some," Ethan replied. "There should be fertilizer somewhere nearby."

He opened his Space Ability and began taking out the weapons recovered from Villa 100. Eight military-grade walkie-talkies appeared first. The words Silvermont SWAT were printed across their bodies. Next came six police pistols and six hundred rounds of ammunition. The scratches and worn grips showed that the weapons had seen real combat. Finally, Ethan brought out the assault rifle.

"Two thousand rounds," he said, inspecting it. "Enough for several serious fights." He ran a hand along the rifle’s body. "Judging by the model, these probably came from the District Police Headquarters."

Daisy opened her eyes. She rose to her feet, her expression serious. "The Winged Zombie on the roof of Villa 9 disappeared sometime during the night." She glanced toward the windows. "And I’ve been sensing hostile emotions near Villa 2. They appear and disappear every so often. I can’t tell which group is watching us now."

Ethan handed out the walkie-talkies. "One for everyone. They’re already set to an encrypted channel. These are military models, so communication within two kilometers should be reliable." He looked at each of them. "Keep them on you at all times."

Then he began distributing the pistols. Debbie came downstairs carrying Nina. Ethan spent the next hour explaining how the pistols worked, how to load and unload the magazines, and how to handle them safely. Once he finished, the women began practicing. Their movements were awkward at first, but they gradually became more confident.

Ethan moved to the far corner of the second basement level and focused. The concrete beneath his feet trembled. Small stones and dust lifted slowly into the air.

"Maybe we should dig another basement." His eyes brightened as he studied the floor. "There’s enough room beneath us. If we dig down three meters and reinforce the walls with steel, we can expand our living space." He glanced toward Rose. "And you could grow vegetables down there."

Rose looked up. "Grow vegetables? Do we even have enough seeds or water?"

"We can use Sofia’s ability for the water," Ethan said. "As for seeds, we’ll search for them outside."

He walked to the wall and activated SSS-Rank Earth Manipulation. The earth and stone within twenty meters suddenly became clear in his mind. He could sense every layer, every crack, and every pocket of loose soil.

"Let’s start with a hundred square meters," he said. "Once the walls are reinforced with Metal Manipulation, it should be secure."

For the next several hours, the second basement became a construction site. Ethan began excavating one corner, using his Space Ability to remove the earth and stone. Beneath the concrete they found a layer of dark soil that still held a little moisture. Rose transplanted vines from the villa’s green belt into the newly opened ground. Whenever her fingers touched the soil, fresh shoots emerged and began spreading across the earth. Sofia used her Water Manipulation to draw moisture from the damp soil and distribute it through the planting area.

By noon, the third basement level had begun to take shape. The hundred-square-meter space was still rough, but it already looked promising. Vines climbed the steel supports, filling the underground room with patches of green. A shallow pool of clean water shimmered near one wall, supplied by Sofia’s ability. Nearby, Debbie practiced loading and unloading her pistol. Her movements were becoming smoother with every attempt.

In the afternoon, Ethan carried the steel materials he had collected to the perimeter. He stood beside Villa 7 and activated Earth Manipulation. The ground shook. Soil surged upward, rising into a five-meter-high earthen wall. It curved around Villa 7 and Villa 8, sealing both properties inside a single defensive enclosure.

Ethan then opened his Space Ability and released the steel plates he had stored. His Metal Manipulation guided them into the earthen structure. The plates slid into place, locking together and forming a thick alloy shell over the wall.

"Close the roof plates," Ethan said into his walkie-talkie.

Inside Villa 8, Daisy moved to the control console and pressed a button. Steel panels above the enclosure began sliding into position. Piece by piece, the fortress sealed itself. Only one entrance remained: a reinforced alloy door requiring both fingerprint verification and a password.

Ethan also installed surveillance cameras scavenged from several abandoned villas. He hid them along the perimeter, beneath eaves, and inside decorative fixtures. The camera feeds were connected to the monitors on the first basement level. Now, anyone approaching the fortress would be seen before they reached the wall.

Ethan returned to the third basement and continued working. He used Earth Manipulation to lower the soil along both sides of the steel staircase, creating deeper channels beneath the planting area. His plan was to build a temperature-controlled greenhouse underground. Sofia’s Water Manipulation could regulate the moisture. Rose’s Plant Growth could accelerate cultivation. And with the generator’s heating system connected to the room, they could grow crops even during winter.

The idea was simple. Food production meant independence. Independence meant survival.

Then Daisy’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Ethan, two people just passed near the villa. I heard them talking."

He stopped working. "What did they say?"

"They plan to use Molotov cocktails at ten tonight to break through the wall."

Ethan looked toward the women, who were still practicing with their guns. "We have visitors coming tonight," he said. "Stay alert and keep yourselves safe."

Sofia tightened her grip around her weapon. A trace of nervousness crossed her face, but she nodded firmly. "We won’t get in your way."

---

The evening sun cast a golden glow over Century Skyline Villa District.

Inside Villa 56, Talon sat in the living room with a small flame dancing between his fingers. Across from him, Blaze leaned against a table. Small whirlwinds spun lazily around his body.

"Talon," Blaze said, "are you sure your Wind Ability is fast enough to catch Ethan?"

Blaze grinned. "Don’t worry. A lot of mutant vipers have appeared in the villa district over the past two days. I’ve consumed two more Viper Cores, and my Wind Ability has grown much stronger." He pushed away from the table. In a blur, his body crossed the room and stopped beside the door. For a moment, a faint afterimage remained where he had been standing. "At ten tonight, we’ll use Molotov cocktails to attack the wall. With your Fire Ability, we should be able to force Ethan out of his little iron cage." He glanced over his shoulder. "Once he’s outside, I’ll use my speed to capture him."

Talon’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t underestimate his Metal Manipulation. That ability could cause trouble." He rolled the flame between his fingers. "I still can’t believe that kid has been hiding here."

Blaze gave a dismissive laugh. "It doesn’t matter how strong an ability is. If the person using it can’t keep up with me, it’s useless."

---

Inside Villa 18, Max stood near the rear window, watching the walls surrounding Villa 8 through night-vision binoculars.

"Boss," one of his men murmured behind him, "that wall looks new. It’s pretty solid."

Max didn’t answer. A bone flute rested between his fingers, glowing with a faint green light. After the Apocalypse began, Max had killed a Mutant Pangolin inside the prison and consumed its Core. Then he had escaped, gathered a group of followers, and begun hunting zombies. Over time he had consumed more than eight hundred Zombie Essences extracted from zombie brains. During the journey from the city center to Century Skyline, he had consumed another two hundred. His Zombie Summoning ability had finally begun to take shape. By blowing into the bone flute, he could attract zombies and mutant animals within a one-kilometer range.

Max lowered the binoculars and stared at the five-meter-high wall. A cold smile spread across his face.

"Solid?" He raised the flute slightly. "Then we’ll use zombies to wear it down."."