Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies-Chapter 267: The continuation of the match

Ethan drew a slow breath as he watched the abbot’s strange talisman.

It was unsettling how it seemed to devour his shadows, neutralizing his powers each time he tried to use them.

Whenever he struck, the abbot tossed a talisman that swallowed his shadow, leaving him at a steady disadvantage.

Of the five abbots who had come to Camel Tower, three were here now, and their intent was clear: eliminate his wife.

At first, they demanded to see Elena and pressed aggressively, but when he refused, they attacked together.

"You came for one thing—to destroy my wife," Ethan said, spitting blood from a recent blow. "Then you’ve poked the wrong hornet’s nest."

"Young man, hand over that woman who will bring chaos," Brother Terry sneered, brimming with arrogance.

"Heaven has spoken—she is a total disaster. You’d do far better joining us than staying with that woman. With your gift, we could save the world."

Heaven was with them; whatever Heaven commanded was always right.

Ethan nearly vomited at those words — they sounded less like the calm counsel of monks and more like the ravings of a fanatical cult.

He stopped listening to their bullshit and focused on how to outsmart them.

If the abbots’ talismans could swallow his created shadows, relying on them anymore would be useless.

Instead, he’d use the existing shadows on this floor—corners, stairwells, the narrow shades along the railings—for a surprise attack, since they couldn’t absorb every patch of those shadows, right?

Without wasting a breath, he activated [Shadow Cloak] and slipped into the nearest shadow, moving down toward the lower floors.

Fighting up here would be too risky—the floor might get damaged, and the noise could disturb Elena; she needed a calm space more than any spectacle right now.

Thinking of his wife made him more worried, but his face turned hardened as he watched the abbots with dangerous intent.

He knew he had to stop them now to guarantee their future peace.

It no longer mattered if this led to a complete fallout with the abbots—or even the military.

Deep down, he knew they needed him far more than he needed them.

It was a shame that Brother Elias and General Kaiser, once his trusted comrades, had now become little more than strangers.

But life had to move on, and right now, nothing mattered more to him than protecting his little family.

The abbots watched him disappear and widened their eyes in disbelief. If only he joined them, they thought, he could be a powerful asset.

But they misread him: stubbornness wasn’t a virtue they understood, and if he refused, they’d have to be cut down before he grew stronger and struck back.

"Stop hiding, or we’ll force every door," one abbot barked, his irritation sharpening.

Seconds later, Ethan was already on the stairs, descending toward the 25th floor.

"There he is."

The abbot swiftly pulled out a talisman, using it to boost their speed—but to Ethan, their movements were pretty obvious.

His senses had sharpened tremendously after his awakening, allowing him to track their motion.

Without hesitation, he activated his [Shadow Forge] skill.

The surrounding shadowy area rippled simultaneously, forming thick, shadowy tentacles that lashed out toward the abbots’ feet.

Whoosh—

The abbots quickly reacted. One of them tossed another talisman, and it began sucking in the shadow tentacles, devouring it in an instant.

But before the spell could finish, a sharp bang! Cut through the air.

Everyone paused for a brief moment.

If his shadow weapons were useless, then Ethan would rely on something more practical—his gun—to pierce through that paper without a hitch.

Luckily, he was right. The bullet went through the talisman, shattering its power instantly.

He grinned in satisfaction. ’So that’s the weakness.’

The shadow-sucking talismans were fragile—mere paper enchanted to seal his power, unable to defend themselves once attacked.

The abbot’s eyes widened in shock as the destroyed talisman disintegrated in the air.

The abbots fumbled for another talisman, but Ethan was faster, and another gunshot echoed, tearing the new one apart before it could activate.

"Dodge!" the abbot shouted, realizing that the talisman was being destroyed.

But before anyone could react, the shadow tentacles shot forward, wrapping tightly around one of them.

With a fierce tug, Ethan commanded the tentacle shadow to yank the trapped abbot off his feet and slam him hard against the floor—then again, and again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sounds of the beating echoed across the floor, each thud followed by the abbot’s muffled groan.

The second abbot, alarmed by his companion’s helpless state, hastily activated a fire talisman.

Suddenly, flames burst forth in sweeping arcs, scorching the walls as he tried to break Ethan’s momentum.

At the same time, Brother Terry tossed another talisman to absorb the shadows.

But Ethan didn’t waver.

He quickly shot the new talisman before it could activate, the bullet tearing it apart mid-air.

Then, he activated [Shadow Cloak] once more, slipping away just as a wave of fire roared toward him, while dragging the bound abbot down to the lower floor.

The remaining abbot roared in frustration and followed, hurling talismans imbued with elemental power—fire, wind, and lightning.

And Ethan watched from the shadows, momentarily fascinated by the range of techniques they possessed.

Truly remarkable—if only they weren’t Heaven’s lapdogs, things would have been better.

His gaze then darkened with contempt.

Meanwhile, the captured abbot’s body slammed against walls and railings as he was dragged across the hallway.

His protective talisman kept him from being crushed outright, but the constant impact left him battered and dizzy, unable to focus long enough to cast another spell.

"Stop right there! You truly side with the abomination—this world will be destroyed because of you!" the abbot shouted, his voice shaking with anger.

"You stupid abbots!" Ethan snapped back, his tone dripping with mockery.

"You blindly follow whatever your so-called Heaven tells you instead of seeking the truth. Look at you now—nothing but lapdogs."

As they reached the ground floor, Ethan finally breathed a sigh of relief—now he could go all out without holding back.

With a sharp command, the shadow tentacles hurled the bound abbot toward him.

A cold smile curved on his lips as he summoned [Shadow Forge], shaping it into his signature weapon—a massive hammer that pulsed with shadow energy.

With a single swing, he brought the abbot down hard.

Bang!

The impact sent the abbot crashing across the floor like a ragdoll, his protective talisman flaring weakly in defense.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, calculating.

His goal was to shatter that protective barrier and drag the man into Elena’s space, where she could restrain him.

But that damned talisman was persistent, shielding the abbot’s physical body from harm.

Unless he could break it, Ethan couldn’t touch him—let alone pull him inside the space.