"Your dog's injury is healing well; the stitches are well done. A good rest and proper care will do the rest. Just make sure he doesn't move too much," Dr. Paige said, his tone professional yet warm.
Ethan listened attentively to the Doctor's instructions. Knowing it was almost dinner time, he considered inviting him to thank him and build a rapport. His wife needed a veterinarian, and Dr. Paige had a good reputation, but he still wanted to gauge his true nature.
"No thanks, I have a prior meeting this evening," Dr. Paige replied, politely declining the invitation.
Ethan didn't insist. "Okay. Take care, Doctor."
Elena was busy checking on Poochi while gently washing his fur. Once she saw that the Doctor had left, she carefully transferred Poochi back to her space, and Ethan followed closely in his wheelchair.
Inside her space, Elena placed Poochi on a soft bed in a tent and watched him sleep peacefully. She decided not to wake him for dinner.
Turning her attention to Ethan, she noticed Ethan was lost in thought, looking above.
Ethan was amazed at how the space mimicked the day and night cycle, just like the outside world.
"Is the time here the same as outside?" he asked.
"Yes, it follows the same rules," she replied.
"Could you change it? I mean, could you adjust it to reflect a day when it is already evening?"
"As long as it's within the space, everything is possible," she said with a smile.
With a snap of her fingers, the space transformed into a bright, sunny day.
"Good, make it a day always. Don't use the night function. Since the marked ones can only enter for a maximum of three hours here in the space each day, it's better to make them think that when they enter this space, they have to work, not rest."
"Okay. Let's eat first and then I'll tour you on the five sections in the space," Elena suggested.
"Hmm, what dishes are we going to eat?" Ethan asked, his curiosity piqued.
"What do you want?" she replied.
"Barbecue and a couple of beers?" he said, a grin spreading across his face.
"Sure," Elena agreed.
With another snap, a table, chairs, and utensils appeared in front of them. She gestured, and various barbecue dishes materialized on the table, still hot and ready to be eaten.
"Looks delicious. How many barbecues did you buy?" Ethan asked, eyeing the feast.
"Just a little."
He suggested, "Let's buy more when we find a store."
As they settled down to eat, the atmosphere was filled with warmth.
Afterward, Elena guided Ethan through the different sections of her space, using her [Teleportation] skill, which the Golden Tablet provided, to move them instantly from one area to another.
"This is the central haven," she explained, gesturing around. "To the left is the marketplace, to the right is the community area, and to the north is the hospital."
"I see. I've already contacted my secretary to buy a lot of construction materials. In the meantime, let's look for a portable house that can be assembled easily," Ethan replied, taking in the layout.
"Sounds good! What about the medical equipment?" Elena asked.
"That's done. I convinced my aunt to handle the bidding. We'll visit her next week," he assured her.
"Good! Have you told them about the impending apocalypse?" she inquired, a hint of concern in her voice.
"Not yet. It's not safe to discuss that over the phone. I plan to tell them together with Grandpa," Ethan explained.
"Okay, let's check out the northern black soil," Elena suggested.
With a snap, they arrived at the northern black soil.
She pointed out the boundaries: "I plan to build the research center here while they tend to the herbs, and only those with a leaf-shaped mark can enter this area. "
Ethan examined the quality of the soil and noticed that some herbs had already been planted. "You've already planted herbs, and they're growing healthy," he remarked.
"Well, that's because the soil is of the highest standard; it's perfect for medicinal plants," Elena replied proudly.
"I see. Let's go to the western fertile soil next," Ethan said, eager to continue the tour.
Elena teleported them to the western fertile soil.
"Here, I've divided this area into two parts: farming and livestock rearing. In each part, I plan to build a corresponding processor to handle each product and only those with a plow-shaped mark can enter here," she explained.
Ethan observed the animals roaming freely within the fenced area. Since there were no pens for each livestock yet, they wandered aimlessly. "Wife, you've worked hard. I've already looked for abandoned companies that used to handle meat, food, and industrial processing for sale."
Elena smiled at her husband, her heart swelling with gratitude.
Everything they were doing was to ensure their survival in the apocalypse.
"Nice! If you come across any exotic animals, you should consider buying some," she encouraged. "Next, let's head to the Eastern Lake. The southern inventory is just a storage space area."
"Wife, I want to see the south inventory," Ethan said, his curiosity piqued about how things were stored there.
"Sure," Elena replied, and with a wave of her hand, she teleported them to the vast area.
As they arrived, Ethan was amazed by the limitless space filled with neatly sorted shelves. "This is where our food is stored? So this area can preserve materials."
"Yes, only those with the box-shaped mark can enter this area. They can access to sort and retrieve the materials I've stored here," Elena explained. "By the way, your heart-shaped mark allows you to enter everywhere and use each section at your discretion."
She continued, "Each marked person can have their own inventory inside their temporary core, accessible only to themselves. You can store your things in the inventory."
Elena then summoned a book. "Try it. Just think about wanting to store it."
Ethan held the item and wished to store it. To his surprise, the book vanished, and he felt a warm sensation in his temporary core. Soon after, he saw a book shape appear there.
"I saw a book," he said, intrigued.
When he thought about taking it out, the book reappeared in his hand.
"The inventory in your core is linked to the south inventory section," Elena explained.
"Your Golden Tablet is still Tier 0. I wonder what else it can do when it reaches a higher tier. Maybe it will become a full-fledged system," Ethan mused.
Elena smiled, amazed at how her space worked. "I don't know. The system only gives me its functions at Tier 0, along with some hints for the next tier."
"Can I use this inventory outside?" he asked.
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Also, any items the space deems dangerous will be automatically stored in your inventory," she added.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, eager for more details. "Can you explain?"
"If a person enters with a bomb, the system recognizes it as dangerous and automatically stores it in that person's inventory. They cannot use the bomb inside the space and can only retrieve it once they leave. However, I have the capability to bend these rules if necessary. For example, if scientists require radioactive materials that the system considers dangerous, these materials will be stored directly in their inventory. To use them inside the space, they would need my permission."
"Technically, the Golden Tablet allows me to create rules within the space. Isn't it amazing?" she concluded.
"Indeed! Thank goodness we have this space. This is definitely our advantage during the apocalypse," Ethan said, looking at his wife with admiration. "Thank you for all your hard work. The materials stored in the south inventory must have taken a lot of effort."
"This is all for you and me. Now, let's head to the Eastern Lake," Elena said, teleporting to the destination.
"Here, I plan to build a water refining station, and in that area, I intend to dig for seafood farming and only those with a fish-shaped mark can enter this area," she explained as they arrived.
After the tour, they returned to the tent to plan their agendas for the upcoming week.
"Next week, let's visit Grandpa and Aunt. Then, we'll go to Seafood City to stock up on seafood livestock and buy some materials. Afterward, we can head straight to Emerald City to buy lots of jade. What do you think?" Ethan asked, seeking her opinion.
"I want to, but the farming machinery will be delivered next week. Who will receive it?" she replied, a hint of concern in her voice.
"My comrades Xander and Oslo will be back in a few days. Let's mark them so we can use them for some errands," Ethan suggested.
"Okay," Elena agreed, recalling how trustworthy they had been in the past.
"The space temperature is nice and lukewarm. Others will surely covet such a good place. Let's always be careful and discreet in our movements, wife." Ethan warned.
"We should return; it's almost been three hours for me."
"Okay, I'll listen to you, husband," Elena said, winking playfully at him.
As they returned home, Ethan immediately wrapped his arms around his wife. "Wife, you're playing with fire."
"What do you mean, husband?" she asked, feigning innocence.
"You winking at me—are you suggesting something," Ethan said, making a statement rather than a question.
"Oh, husband. It's not that I don't want to, but look at your state right now," Elena replied, her voice laced with pity, though she couldn't help but laugh inside at his seriousness.
"Hmph, do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You better prepare once I'm healed," Ethan vowed, his expression resolute.
Elena almost laughed at his serious demeanor. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, trying to ease his aggrieved expression.
With that, they both settled down and drifted into a peaceful sleep.