Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies-Chapter 243: Shadow Ability

Elena quickly glanced toward the shadowy area, suspecting her husband might be hiding there.

His skills were still the same as in their past life, so she called out to him, not wanting to waste any more time.

"Husband, show yourself! Stop hiding—we still have a lot to do."

Knowing his wife couldn’t find him, Ethan smirked with satisfaction and finally revealed himself.

"Alright, you really didn’t see me?" he teased, then activated his [Shadow Cloak] skill once more and vanished from where he stood.

Elena then noticed a shadow rushing toward her and calmly waited.

As Ethan appeared, he wrapped his arms around her and gently caressed her belly.

He was truly impressed by his shadow ability and eager to test it in real combat.

"It’s hard to spot you in the shadows," Elena said.

"But when you used your skill in the light to move toward me, I noticed it right away. I think your ability is far more dangerous at night. So, how’s the energy consumption? How many times can you use it?"

"Indeed. Well, I can use it ten times—but I believe I can push it further," Ethan said confidently.

"Don’t try to overdo it," Elena warned.

"Your ability gives you a sense of how much you can use it. Technically, there’s no limit, but once your core runs empty and you ignore the warning, it could crack. And that would be dangerous."

Hearing her explanation, Ethan’s eyes widened, and he gently scolded her.

"I see... So that’s why you kept using your skills even when you were already at your limit," he said, tightening his embrace as memories of the battle on the ice field came rushing back.

’That’s why she always appeared pale—every time she used her skills continuously, it took a toll on her core.’

"You didn’t pay attention to your limits, did you? Wife, please don’t do that again. Like you said, it was dangerous."

During that fight, Elena had repeatedly used her [Blink] skill as if her core held endless energy—but in reality, she had been pushing herself far beyond what her core could handle.

Elena was stunned. She was supposed to be the one warning him—so how did it turn back on her?

"I... Husband, don’t worry. I can control myself, and I promise I won’t do it again," Elena quickly said, trying to soothe his worried heart.

The truth was, in her past life, she had gotten used to pushing herself beyond the limit.

Her mind had grown accustomed to it, making it feel normal—even when it wasn’t.

"Alright, I hope you mean it," Ethan replied, then leaned in and kissed her lips.

"My first skill is [Shadow Cloak], which lets me blend with distant shadows. Is it the same in our past life?"

"Yes, it’s the same," Elena confirmed with a smile. "So, what’s your other skill?"

"It’s either an attack or maybe a support type—not quite sure yet. I can command shadows to morph into solid tools and weapons—like blades, shields, claws, or even simple mechanisms. I call it [Shadow Forge]."

Ethan then demonstrated the skill, forming a shadow blade, a gun-like shape, and several simple tools.

It wasn’t as grand or deadly as Elena’s [Spatial Slash], which could instantly kill, but it had its advantages—its energy cost was low, allowing him to sustain longer in battle.

"That skill is deadly! Imagine using shadows to form a rope and secretly seize an enemy, or create a spike to finish them off. There’s so much you can do with it. You just need to be more imaginative," Elena replied, encouraging him.

The only drawback was that his ability relied on nearby shadows to work effectively.

"We think alike, wife," he said with a grin, kissing her again as he proudly showcased his ability once more.

The couple was still enjoying their time together when Ramon contacted them about the newly established shop, which was now ready to be decorated.

He also reminded Ethan that General Kaiser had confirmed their meeting at 3 PM.

Afterwards, they continued observing Ethan’s ability, with Elena offering tips on how to use it more efficiently and effectively.

She really wanted to spar with Ethan, but he gently declined.

He wasn’t confident in fully controlling his newly awakened ability yet and feared he might accidentally harm the baby.

Soon, they wrapped up their training, ready to leave.

"Husband, let’s have lunch with the kids at home," Elena suggested.

"Alright, let’s go," Ethan agreed.

With a wave of her hand, they teleported back into their house, where the kids were still watching movies.

"You’re still not done? Kids, pause it for a while and come here—it’s time for lunch," Elena called out, then began preparing the ready-to-eat food.

"Sis Ewe, you’re back! How did you know Little Mia was hungry?" she said excitedly, seeing her favorite dishes on the table.

"I just noticed Little Mia kept drooling," Elena teased.

Little Mia quickly wiped her mouth with her tiny hands and pouted.

"I didn’t! Sis Ewe, don’t lie! My nephew will definitely grow up telling lies!"

"Don’t worry," Elena chuckled.

"His dad will discipline him well if he ever becomes naughty. Come on now, Little Koby and Little Erick, wash your hands."

The kids then lined up and washed their hands obediently. Afterward, Ethan helped them into their chairs.

As Elena watched them eat happily, she smiled and gently placed food on each of their plates.

She couldn’t help but enjoy these simple moments—maybe it was because she was going to be a mom, and her heart had grown softer.

After their hearty lunch, Elena instructed the kids to help Grandpa Caldwell in the farming section to feed the livestock, and they eagerly agreed.

Then, she and Ethan exited the space and appeared at Ramon’s location.

Seeing them arrive, Ramon greeted them enthusiastically and immediately gave an update on the latest news he had gathered.

"Boss, you’re finally awake! Congratulations! Oh, and I almost forgot—General Kaiser wants to buy water tanks. As many as we can provide."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure if they had any spares, so he turned to Elena for confirmation.

"Wife, do we still have water tanks?"

"I think we do. I collected quite a lot some time ago. We can trade at least twenty of them," Elena replied.

"Alright, that should be enough."

Soon after, Elena summoned the others to help decorate their new shop, and the group eagerly worked together.

In just a matter of minutes, the unit was transformed into the Paradise Shop, with shop rules neatly posted on the walls and a clear list of available items displayed for customers.

"All done! Everyone, have a snack before continuing your tasks," Elena said, making sure they had enough energy to keep going.

Everyone agreed and thanked Elena. ƒгeewebnovёl_com

Xander then spoke up, "Chief, we’re almost done collecting ice from our rooftop. I plan to continue gathering more from Building A’s rooftop. I’ll ask for Jetro’s assistance."

"Do as you see fit," Ethan replied.

Xander nodded and added, "Alright. How about the Paradise Homes kids? What’s their setup now? Since our building doesn’t have any residents anymore, there’s no one for them to gather info from. Should we transfer them here?"

"How many can work for now?" Elena asked.

"Ten teenagers. Five can roam around the shop area and gather information. The other five can help with shop duties."

Thinking of their leader, Keith, Elena considered how to use their help while still ensuring their safety.

"Transfer them here. They can use that room to stay. As for the infants and younger kids, let them remain in Unit 2702, near us."

"Got it."

"Alright, I’ll visit them soon and make sure they’re properly fed."

"Noted. Aunt Joana is the one keeping an eye on them," Xander replied.

After their brief discussion, everyone left one by one, leaving Ethan, Elena, Ramon, and Jessa behind to finalize the shop setup.

Well, they also stayed to wait for General Kaiser.

When the clock showed ten minutes before 3 PM, a knock came at the shop door.

Ramon quickly opened it and found General Kaiser and his men standing outside.

He politely gestured for them to enter, while Jessa headed to the kitchen to prepare tea or coffee for their guests.

"Amazing! I was gone for just a couple of hours, and you’ve already furnished your shop," General Kaiser said, genuinely impressed by how quickly they had pulled it all together.

"No need to exaggerate. We just called our people in to help so we could finish sooner," Elena replied, casually brushing off the compliment with a light excuse.

"Well, if you say so. By the way, did you guys just return from your vacation? I’m so envious! Where did you go?" General Kaiser teased, eyeing the two masked staff members closely.

He still remembered another staff mentioning that their master and mistress were on vacation, and now he was trying to figure out if the two standing before him were actually them.

Elena chuckled at his playful tone—she had always liked this General.

"Oh, we went to ’Paradise.’ Please, have a seat, General."

"I hope I get to visit ’Paradise’ one day," he laughed, before shifting to a more serious tone.

"Anyway, back to business. The higher-ups want to purchase water tanks. Can you sell some to us?" he added, explaining that they were currently collecting ice and urgently needed proper storage to prepare for the upcoming extreme heat.

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