Chapter 42: It’s Just Skin

Two mutant macaws spread their wings, each spanning nearly two meters. Their hooked beaks glinted in the faint light.

The force generated by their dive sent dust and loose gravel skittering across the ground.

These weren’t birds anymore.

They were fighter jets with feathers.

"Spatial Cut!"

Ethan didn’t dare underestimate them. A white arc of spatial energy slashed toward the left macaw’s wing.

Clang!

The attack was partially deflected by its dense feathers, only slicing through a few bloody primary feathers. The macaw shrieked and lunged at Ethan’s shoulder with its talons. Its claws tore straight through his windbreaker.

"Damn. Their feathers are tougher than they look."

Ethan rolled with the impact and barely avoided the follow-up strike. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second macaw circling behind him, its massive beak aimed at the back of his neck.

He ducked. His sword swept backward and struck the bird’s leg. The blade sank roughly half an inch. Black blood sprayed across his face.

Four cuts left.

Ethan counted silently. He couldn’t afford to waste them. Once all five Spatial Cuts were used, his Teleportation Ability would also be temporarily disabled. With two monsters like these on him, Teleportation was his last safety net.

The injured macaw circled around and dived again. Its wings kicked up a cloud of dust. Ethan deliberately left an opening. When the creature closed in, he suddenly sidestepped and unleashed another Spatial Cut at its exposed wing.

This time, there were no feathers in the way. The white arc tore through the wing, leaving a half-meter-long gash. The macaw lost its balance and slammed into the warehouse wall. Its scream echoed through the building.

Ethan moved in to finish it.

Then the second macaw suddenly abandoned him. It changed direction and dove toward Dr. Elena. Its beak pointed straight at her face. The creature moved so fast that it looked like a black blur.

"Son of a bitch!"

Ethan’s pupils tightened. He immediately swung his third Spatial Cut horizontally. The white arc forced the macaw to pull back for a split second. But Dr. Elena was already trapped against the wall. The scalpel in her hand looked like a toothpick compared to the giant beak coming toward her. Her face had gone pale, but she didn’t run.

The wounded macaw struggled back onto its feet. Then it did something Ethan hadn’t expected. It lowered its head and viciously tore at its own injured wing. With a violent jerk, it ripped away part of the damaged membrane. Black blood dripped onto the ground. The murderous light in its eyes became even more intense.

The two macaws spread out. One on the left. One on the right. They slowly closed in on Ethan. They were clearly trying to kill him first before dealing with Dr. Elena.

Ethan tightened his grip on his sword.

No more holding back.

He raised his hand. The fourth Spatial Cut shot toward the left macaw’s eye. That was the only part of its body not protected by thick feathers. The white arc pierced straight through its eye. The macaw’s scream stopped abruptly. Its enormous body crashed onto the ground.

Ethan immediately stepped forward and cut open its skull. He pulled out a walnut-sized Fire Core.

"Skreeee!"

The remaining macaw let out a piercing shriek. Its feathers stood on end. Then its body seemed to swell as its muscles tightened. It ignored Ethan completely and charged straight toward Dr. Elena. Its wings smashed through part of a low wall. Its massive beak stopped only inches from her forehead.

"Teleportation!"

Ethan didn’t hesitate. He used the last of his energy to activate the Ability. His body vanished. The next instant, he appeared directly in front of Dr. Elena. His left arm wrapped around her waist while his right hand drove his sword into the macaw’s throat.

The bird jerked its head upward. Its beak grazed Ethan’s scalp, ripping away several strands of hair.

Ethan gritted his teeth.

Too close.

With a thought, the two of them vanished.

Dr. Elena only felt her vision blur. The next second, everything around her went completely dark. Then the lights came on. Ethan had already activated the generator inside his Survival Space. The oxygen concentrator hummed to life.

Dr. Elena stared around in disbelief. Black soil covered the ground. Supplies and medical equipment were stacked neatly along the edges. The entire space was enclosed, silent, and completely isolated from the outside world.

Just moments ago, she had been staring down the beak of a giant mutant bird. Now she was standing in a place that shouldn’t exist.

"Is this... a Space Ability?"

Ethan leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. The wound on his arm had reopened during the fight, and blood was already soaking through the fresh gauze.

"We’re safe for now."

He closed his eyes and focused on his spatial perception. Outside, the remaining macaw was still there. It was frantically pecking at the ground where they had disappeared. Its beak struck the concrete again and again. After several minutes, it had created a hole nearly half a meter deep. It kept searching for them.

Ten minutes passed. The macaw finally stopped. It picked up the corpse of its companion, flew to the iron framework near the top of the warehouse, and settled into the shadows. It didn’t leave.

Ethan’s expression darkened. Through his spatial perception, he could sense the creature’s emotions. Violence. Anger. Obsession.

"The damn thing is waiting for us to come out." He let out a bitter laugh. "Looks like we’re staying here for a while."

Dr. Elena finally snapped out of her shock. Her eyes fell on Ethan’s bleeding arm.

"Your wound." She immediately moved toward him. "Let me treat it."

She took antiseptic and fresh gauze from the nearby supplies and carefully removed the blood-soaked dressing. When she saw the wound underneath, her brows knitted together.

"It’s much worse than I thought." She cleaned it carefully. "You shouldn’t have fought that hard."

"If I hadn’t, you’d be bird food."

Ethan hissed when the antiseptic touched the wound. Then he remembered the Fire Core. An idea came to him. He took it from his pocket and held it out to her.

"This is for you."

Dr. Elena stared at the crystal. Her eyes widened slightly. "Is that a Core?" She immediately shook her head. "No. You risked your life to get it. I can’t take it."

"Take it." Ethan pressed the Core into her hand. "Surviving the Apocalypse isn’t easy. This might help you awaken an Ability."

"I said I don’t want it." Her voice was unusually firm. She tried to return the Core. "I didn’t help you fight that bird. You already gave us rice. I can’t take something this valuable from you too."

Ethan stared at her. He was genuinely stunned. Most people would have fought each other for a Core. She was actually refusing one.

Has she really survived this long without learning how ugly people can get?

He looked into her serious eyes. Then he changed tactics.

"You think I actually want to give this away?"

Dr. Elena looked at him.

"This space has a problem. We can’t stay here forever. If that macaw outside isn’t dealt with, we’re eventually going to die in here." He pointed at the Fire Core. "This isn’t a gift." His voice became serious. "My group doesn’t have a doctor. If you awaken an Ability, you join us."

Dr. Elena remained silent.

"And if you awaken an Ability, you might be able to kill that macaw yourself." Ethan paused. "You’d also be able to protect Pete."

Her expression changed. Her gaze moved across the supplies around them before returning to Ethan. He had powerful abilities. He had food. Medical supplies. A strange space that could hide them from the outside world. Most importantly, he had just risked his life to save her. Following him might give Pete a better chance of surviving.

"If I join your group..." Her voice was quieter now. "Can I bring Pete, Leo, Zach, and the others?"

Ethan thought for a moment before nodding. He didn’t particularly want four extra people following him. But he knew Dr. Elena wouldn’t accept the Core otherwise. The important thing was getting her to awaken an Ability. Everything else could be dealt with later. The Apocalypse was dangerous. If some of those men died along the way, that wasn’t something he could control.

Seeing him agree, Dr. Elena finally accepted the Core. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she placed the Core into her mouth.

The moment she swallowed it, crimson light erupted from her body. The black soil beneath her feet trembled. Flames suddenly burst across her skin. Her white lab coat caught fire almost instantly and turned to ash.

Ethan froze.

Five minutes passed. The flames slowly died down. By then, everything combustible that had been on her body had burned away.

Ethan stared at the scene in stunned silence. He didn’t even notice the system notification.

Another five minutes passed. The flames completely disappeared. Dr. Elena slowly opened her eyes. She had gained complete control over her new Ability.

She noticed Ethan’s dazed expression and calmly looked down at herself. Then she glanced back at him.

"It’s just skin." Her voice remained completely calm. "Is there any reason to make such a big deal out of it?"

Her words snapped Ethan back to reality. He immediately looked away.

"Right."

He quickly searched through his Survival Space. He found a set of Debbie’s clothes and handed them to her. Their builds were close enough.

"Put these on."

Dr. Elena accepted the clothes without hesitation. Ethan turned away.

Inside, however, he couldn’t help grumbling.

Just skin?

Has being a doctor really made her completely desensitized to the human body?

I’m a perfectly normal man in his prime.

My heart nearly stopped a moment ago.

I’ve already seen way more than I was prepared for.