Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies-Chapter 262: Concession

"Lucky? How so?" Elena sneered, her patience thinning at the abbot’s arrogance.

Without hesitation, she flicked her fingers, activating her skill—[Spatial Slash].

A sharp arc of spatial energy sliced through the air, targeting Brother Terry at a terrifying speed.

Whoosh!

At first, the group of abbots noticed the condensed spiritual energy gathering around the masked woman and mistook it for an ordinary spell.

But they soon realized it was something different, something they couldn’t fully comprehend.

Shock spread across their faces as they rushed to intercept, yet the attack was far too fast for them to react.

"Move! Brother!!!"

In the next instant, the arc lunged straight at Brother Terry, and strands of his already thinning hair fluttered to the ground, leaving his forehead bare and gleaming under the light.

For a moment, silence hung in the scorching corridor.

Then, soft chuckles began to ripple among the onlookers, quickly spreading into muffled laughter.

The sight of the furious abbot with his head now shiny and exposed was too ridiculous for them to ignore.

For the residents, it became unexpected entertainment; after all, both groups carried an air of mystery, and any clash between them was bound to stir curiosity.

But for Brother Jay, it was nothing short of humiliating. His dignity was being chipped away in front of countless eyes.

"What are you laughing at?! Get out of here!" he thundered, his voice cracking with fury as his glare swept across the residents.

His tone was so sharp that the laughter died instantly, leaving only the abbot’s burning rage hanging in the air.

Brother Elias sighed and quickly instructed the military to disperse the crowding residents.

’This is going to be troublesome.’

"All of you, return to your rooms. Stop gathering here—it’s far too hot."

Once the residents had left, he turned to the raging abbot and spoke in a calm, steady tone.

"Brother, we must calm down. This could all be a misunderstanding between factions. Let’s sit and talk it through peacefully."

But the abbot only glared, his eyes sharp enough to silence him.

"After what they’ve done—first beating one of us, and now humiliating another—you still want to speak kindly of them? Hah, you’re far too magnanimous with outsiders."

"This so-called staff is far too arrogant, recklessly flaunting their spiritual energy. Do they think we won’t retaliate?" another abbot sneered, his voice carrying open hostility.

His hand lingered on his talisman, ready to fight the moment their leader gave the order.

Brother Elias was left speechless at their fiery reaction. It was as though they were facing sworn enemies.

’Have they not seen it? The skills displayed by this masked staff are far beyond their own. When did they become so blind... so reckless?’

He stopped wasting words on the stubborn abbot and instead turned toward Brother Jay, hoping the leader would be more rational.

"Leader, if this continues, trust me—we will be doomed. It’s not that we are weak, but they are far too strong. And more than that, they are not bad people. I’ve seen it myself—they never start trouble unless someone provokes them first."

Brother Jay exhaled slowly, his gaze sweeping over the tense corridor.

"All right, enough. All of you, stop now. Let’s put an end to this before it gets out of hand," he commanded, his tone carrying the weight of authority.

In truth, his mind was already elsewhere.

Their mission was far more important—they needed to find the woman the Heavens had pointed them toward.

Wasting time and making enemies over a military-favored merchant who supplied rare goods would be foolish.

What they needed was cooperation, not bloodshed.

Stepping forward, Brother Jay raised his hand, motioning for everyone to stand down.

"Comrades, let’s both step back. Perhaps this was all just a misunderstanding. I will arrange a time to sit down and discuss this properly."

The military officers, who had been listening with tense faces, quickly nodded.

Their eyes shifted toward Elena and Ethan, waiting anxiously for their response.

Deep down, they only hoped the two would agree.

"Right, right. Let us settle this with a proper discussion—perhaps over a meal," General Kaiser added, his tone light but tinged with amusement as he observed the strength of both sides.

If forced to choose, he would naturally side with the Paradise staff, for their aid had proven invaluable.

The abbots, despite their past ties with the Department of Unnatural Phenomena, had behaved recklessly and without dignity this time—truly unbecoming of them.

Elena exhaled in quiet irritation before giving a reluctant nod.

"Then, for the sake of the military, I’ll give face this once. But I hope this will be the last time."

Her words carried a clear edge—it was a concession, but not to the abbots.

Her respect was reserved solely for their military allies.

Without waiting for a reply, she and Ethan turned away, leaving the corridor behind.

Not far away, the Paradise members were waiting.

Xander and Oslo stood at the front with their eyes sharp, ready to step in if needed.

They had seen everything and nearly rushed forward to support their leaders, but Ethan’s calm telepathic command to stay put held them back.

So, they waited in silence, allowing Elena and Ethan to handle the matter.

After both groups made their concessions, Elena and the other Paradise staff made their way downstairs to the shop.

Along the way, murmurs from the residents filled the corridors, spreading like wildfire as they discussed the scene they had just witnessed.

Those new to the military evacuation center were left astonished—and even fearful—of the Paradise staff’s powerful background.

Meanwhile, those already familiar with the shop only became more certain that Paradise was not a group to be trifled with.

"Chief, what happened with them? How did the meeting turn so chaotic?" Xander asked, his brows furrowed.

"The abbot came to buy information, but when we asked for payment, he suddenly attacked us without reason," Ethan said with disdain, his hand tightening around Elena’s.

"Are they so short on jades that they’d rather attack than pay?" Andrei muttered, shaking his head slightly.

Daniel let out a long sigh, glancing at his friend.

"It’s pretty obvious—he was testing them. They want to measure how strong Paradise really is, and fighting would be the best way to gauge our strength."

Elena smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement. This future brainiac never failed to impress her with his sharp insight.

"Daniel is right. That’s exactly why I showed them a glimpse of our strength—so they’ll think twice before trying to provoke us again."

"I see..." Andrei murmured in thought.

Soon after, the group finally returned to the Paradise shop, where everything quickly returned to normal as they busied themselves catering to the customers crowding inside, eager to buy supplies to defend against the oppressive heat.

Unsurprisingly, the best-selling product was none other than water and cold ice.

Elena had priced it low on purpose, determined to help the people endure the scorching weather.