POV Evelina
I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and full of fearlessness. Spica, who slept next to me, was already awake and looking at me with a smile. I felt deep gratitude and admiration toward the strong woman who was willing to risk her life to help me save older sister.
My mind was cleared of any dirty thoughts. I made a firm decision to let her gain my trust.
She knows Morena and is not afraid of her. That means Spica could go the violent route, could threaten me to get what she wants. But she doesn't. She is not my enemy, unlike Morena, for whom I must now leak information about Thanatos.
But it will only be temporary, because I won't betray Thanatos. I'd rather die! But if I had to die, it would only be in the arms of the man I love.
— Mnah-ah, I want to hold him so badly! — I accidentally expressed desirable thoughts out loud.
— Who do you want to hug? Me? Okay. Only my hug is deadly-dangerous, — Spica began to mock me.
She hugged me tightly, cutting off my oxygen.
— Kraaaaahhhh! It h-h-hurts! — I screamed in pain, so Spica let me go.
— Hey, I was kidding. I put a little effort into it...
I didn't listen to Spica because I couldn't breathe. I was suddenly having trouble breathing again, and much worse than yesterday!
— Aah, breathing... oxygen... can't... ugh, ugh...
I started to faint until I heard Spica scream, — Don't you dare die in my bed!
...
After a while, I opened my eyes again. In front of me I saw Spica holding me in her arms and observing my state of health.
This time I could breathe in and out with my chest full.
— What's happening? — A muffled voice suddenly came from my lips. I grabbed my face and noticed that half of my face was covered by some kind of mask. I got scared, so I turned to Spica, — What did you do to me?
— Saved your life, — she calmly replied, helping me to stand up. Then Spica pointed to the clothes and accessories lying next to me and said, — This is fashionable in my realm. Those disgusting and unpleasant rags you were wearing - I disposed of them into oblivion.
— Sorry, but I can't accept such a generous gift...
I got a slap on my open buttock from Spica, who started growling at me, — Shut up and put on a new outfit to seduce Thanatos when we meet. You can thank me later.
I blushed sincerely at her actions and words.
Once I was dressed, I walked over to the mirror and looked at the mask on my face and my new look with interest: the black mask was covered in gold lines along the side, and two gold filters on each side supported a simplified breath. The suit also matched the color of the mask and was pant-style. The fabric was very sturdy, and the translucent lace mesh covered my belly and held my chest area tightly together with the waistband.
— Wow, I look like such a busy business woman! The only thing I miss is my favorite man on a leash on my lap, — I said jokingly, starting to twirl happily around myself.
Apparently I needed the mask to breathe properly. I'm glad I survived, but I'm sick of the constant problems with my body and my immune system! Didn't I become a Stellar Cultivator or something?
— You have an interesting case, Evelina, — Spica decided to bring up my health, explaining the cause of my current problems, — Because you've hardly ever interacted with Earth's external environment, when you gain power through interaction with an alien environment, you've effectively become a resident of another galaxy.
— What? What are you talking about? — I didn't understand very well what she was saying.
— Anyway, your planet's atmosphere would kill you without your mask, because you're a weak Cultivator. But if you were in the galaxy where the new energy came from, you would be able to breathe in peace. This mask helps filter oxygen from two different environments at once.
— Oh, wow. What a troubled girl I am after all. I'm sorry about that, and thank you for helping. The outfit really goes with my long eyelashes! I hope I can keep it intact until I rescue Agatha and find Thanatos.
We left police captain's office and went to the rest of the group. Everyone was ready to leave. I could feel the excitement and nervousness, but I knew that with Spica on our side, we had a better chance of surviving.
Coughing contrivedly, I asked once again, — Uhm, why don't we go in the motorboat? It's easier to steer and...
— No, — Spica immediately refused, quickening her stride.
Victor approached me and the white-haired girl, saying, — Miss Spica... we have a serious problem with the vault. Even though we have a Ford Crown Victoria police car for each person, we won't be able to carry large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and food supplies. There is also one armored vehicle here in the garage that was used to transport valuables. Danbury is one of the safest places in the country right now, it seems to me.
Spica hummed and clasped her hands together, turning to the man, — Do you really think we can ensure complete control of the city with only six people?
— No, — Victor shook his head.
— That's why we need people for the settlement. I'll temporarily take the items to my vault so that everything won't be stolen from us accidentally. And if we need anything, we'll get it out. Go on, show me what I need to take with me.
No one in the room except me understood what Spica was talking about.
Spica left with Victor, who just did as he was told.
Liam, Emma, and Samuel's eyes fell on me.
— What? She's kind of a strong Stellar Cultivator. She probably has different spatial storage artifacts. Haven't you read the Chinese works?
— Well, yes, of course. Fantastic, — Samuel shook his head tiredly. He found it hard to accept the fact that the old world had collapsed.
And Liam and Emma were just holding hands like a loving couple, believing whatever information I was sharing.
We were having our usual conversation, waiting for Spica.
— Phew, your blonde hair keeps getting in my face, Emma! You need to cut your hair as short as Evelina's so the zombies can't get a hold of you, — Liam had been arguing with his sister for a long time about the length of her blond hair.
She slapped his chest, snorted, and turned away to whip her brother with her dainty hair.
Liam clutched his face painfully, and a disgruntled Emma began to snarl sweetly at her brother, — You're a liar! You just don't like my hair, you could have just said so... When we reach the military base, then I'll think about your offer.
— The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love. You fight like a married couple of pigeons, — I teased as I played cards with Samuel. I felt comfortable in their company.
— Hey, we're just brother and sister, — Emma squealed immediately.
Ha ha ha, it's like she's afraid that the truth about her true feelings for Liam will come out. She's not good at lying.
With a chuckle, I beat Samuel at cards with a trump ace and then turned to the couple and mumbled sarcastically to Emma, — Yes, yes, of course...
Spica returned with Victor ten minutes later.
Victor, Samuel, and Liam were armed with automatic rifles and machetes, and Emma was given a pistol and a dagger.
Spica and I don't need guns, since we have superpowers.
As an armed group in body armor, we went outside and walked toward Bridgeport.
We moved without transport, since Spica didn't want to gather the horde of zombies that roamed the neighborhood. I could even see a black fog in the distance, where the undead would surely reign supreme.
Along the way, I mulled over a plan of action and dreamed of meeting my big sister. Hope and fear mingled within me, but I didn't give up. I believed Agatha was alive, I could feel it in my soul.
The road wasn't easy, as we encountered small piles of zombies and goblins along the way.
I had already dealt with 12 goblins who had tried to defile and rape me.
I was frightened then and miraculously escaped the terrible fate, but now I would dissolve them into a shapeless slur!
Victor, Samuel, and Liam began chopping up zombies with machetes. If they encountered a First or Second Star walking dead, Spica would immediately intervene and destroy the threat in a second with sharp vines and branches that sprang from the ground. Emma mostly finished off the wounded zombies with her dagger.
We walked slowly toward Bridgeport and learned to deal with the stronger monsters.
— Die, you filthy gnomes! — Meanwhile, I concentrated my murderous gaze on the object of my hatred.
I'd learned how to manipulate acid energy, killing goblins in all sorts of ways: chopping them in half with a thin stream, splitting them with curved streams and projectiles.
I also learned how to make acid bombs, but that turned out to be a terrible idea. I was not prepared for such experiments and the ball of acid exploded in my palms, — AAH! SPICA! AAAAAH!
I screamed in panic at the top of my lungs, even though I was wearing a mask with filters.
There was a high-pitched, squealing shriek that would attract the undead and goblins.
— Calm down, you fool, stop screaming, — Spica said quietly as she covered me with her black jacket.
— W-What... am I alive? — I looked down at my body with fear in my eyes. It was partially naked from the dissolved clothes. But my body was perfectly intact.
— Of course you're alive. The acids of this world now mean nothing to you. You can't even harm yourself. I thought you knew that, — Spica said, shielding me from curious glances. Spica ordered the group to continue ahead so that she could help me change into more comfortable attire.
— Oh, thank you for covering me! There willever I could have looked Thanatos in the eye if those three perverts had seen me naked.
I started to change into the exact same clothes that Spica had pulled out of thin air.
But while I was changing outfits, Spica decided to mock me and started teasing, — I'll be interested what he would say about you sleeping with another woman. That you shared a bed with me and...
I immediately clapped my hands together to scare the prankster, — SPICA! I'll spit acid at you! Don't mock me. Nothing happened between you and me, and he'll believe me. And I'll tell him how bad you are.
— Hey, I was kidding. You can't tell Thanatos I'm bad, or I'll beat you up real bad, hehe, — Spica laughed awkwardly and quickly turned the subject to saving my big sister.
It didn't take us long to get to Bridgeport.
Once there, we began looking for a ferry to cross to Long Island. Spica coordinated the group, and I could see how her determination and knowledge helped us through the difficulties.
Spica's superpower of spiking really proved effective against the zombie crowd. I secretly admired her skills and her high level of control over natural energy.
I don't even know who to thank for getting Spica on my side.
— Crap, there's too many of them in here! — Liam warned us, having the urge to get the machine gun.
Finally, we found a pier with a few empty ferries, but we had to go through 9 circles of Hell to successfully cross to Long Island...