Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies-Chapter 278: Leaving home

"Chief, the situation around the building is getting worse. The residents are rushing out while outsiders are forcing their way in, convinced that a deity has descended here," Lieutenant Fern reported, sharing the information he had gathered.

It was chaotic—residents panicking as they carried their families away from the building, while outsiders were in a frenzy, desperate to be the first to see the dazzling light.

According to the residents he spoke to, these outsiders came from different areas, along with people from the government evacuation center.

Ever since the Paradise shop cut ties with the government and chose to cooperate with the military instead, the situation there had become even more chaotic.

Their rations were reduced, causing the lower-level officers to grow dissatisfied while the higher ranks continued receiving enough.

The evacuees were furious as well, feeling abandoned by the government. This tension pushed them to the brink of planning a coup against the government officers.

But then the solar eclipse arrived, and people started collapsing one by one.

All their anger shifted into fear, and instead of planning an uprising, they focused on how to save their fallen loved ones.

That was when they noticed the mysterious light shining from this building, brighter than anything they had ever seen.

In their panic and desperation, they believed it was a gift from heaven.

And now, driven by frenzy and uncontrollable emotions, they were rushing here in huge numbers, trying to secure it to save their fallen family.

So, Ethan needed to move immediately; otherwise, they would soon be surrounded by the incoming crowd.

"There were also rumors that the vines growing in the building can heal," Lieutenant Fern added.

With such rumors spreading everywhere, people became even more convinced that the building had been blessed by a deity sent to save humanity.

Hearing this, Ethan was completely alarmed by these people’s ridiculous imagination.

If they had simply said they were starving and had no choice but to eat the vines, it would have been far more believable than these wild, foolish claims.

"Since we’re already done here, let’s move," Ethan said with conviction, taking one last look at their unit.

They had lived here for a year, turning this place into a warm home for his family and friends.

This building had seen everything—from the early days of their marriage to the birth of his children.

And now, they had to leave indefinitely, unsure if they would ever return.

Well, as long as his family was with him, there was no place they couldn’t call home.

He only hoped that next time, they could finally build a permanent place for his little family.

He brushed the thought aside and went to Elena’s room, gently carrying her in his arms.

"Wife, we’re finally leaving."

But before they could step out of their unit, they heard outsiders on the floor, breaking down doors one by one.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Someone forced open the unit across from them and barged in aggressively.

"Not here. Too clean. And it looks like everything is gone. I don’t think anyone’s lived here for a long time."

Unbeknownst to them, Ethan and the others had already emptied and cleaned everything, leaving nothing behind.

"Weird. The residents said this upper floor was off-limits because someone with a scary reputation—someone who would kill without even blinking—lived here. So where did they go?"

Hearing that, Ethan raised a brow.

So this was how the residents described them—far darker and more intimidating than he expected.

"Since nothing is here, let’s check the other units," someone ordered as they urgently tried to open the remaining doors on the upper floor.

"This door is way too sturdy. We need something stronger to break it," an outsider lamented, looking at the iron door with anger.

"Who would install this many metal doors in one unit? This is suspicious—like they’re hiding something."

"Don’t back down, everyone. We’re close to discovering what this unit is hiding," their so-called leader urged, still clinging to the idea of the deity-like light they had seen earlier.

Soon, loud banging echoed down the hallway as they tried harder to pry the door open.

Inside, Ethan and the others listened closely to their ridiculous guesses.

From the sound of it, there were a lot of outsiders. Confronting them wasn’t a smart move.

"Go inside Paradise. Don’t worry about me and Elena—I’ll find a way to get out of the building," Ethan instructed firmly.

Ramon and the others exchanged uneasy looks. They didn’t have any better ideas, as they were now surrounded.

And since Elena couldn’t enter the space, Ethan would have to carry her out on his own.

If they tried to help, it would only create unnecessary trouble. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

So they agreed, but not without concern. "Then... we’ll see you later in Building A."

Still, they couldn’t help wondering how Ethan planned to leave without being noticed.

They hesitated, delaying before entering the space, until Ethan looked at them with confusion.

"What are you waiting for? Go inside Paradise. They’re about to break the door."

The banging grew louder and more violent as the outsiders worked desperately to force the sturdy metal door open.

Hearing the banging, Ramon and the others nodded before entering the space.

Once they disappeared, Ethan quickly put on a mask to hide his features.

He then lifted his wife securely into his arms and moved toward the balcony, using his ability to unlock the door from a distance.

The moment it slid open, the vines wrapped around the building swayed gently into view.

These were the very vines people whispered about—the ones rumored to possess miraculous healing properties.

Ethan reached out and plucked a small sample, intending to keep it as a souvenir for his third son, whose emerging ability seemed connected to them, and to study it further when they had time.

The vines stretched all the way down to the ground, looking mysterious and almost sacred with how they had suddenly appeared.

Ethan finally understood why the people outside were obsessed—they truly looked like a miracle.

But before he could think any further, the front door burst open as the outsiders finally broke in and rushed into the unit.

What they found, however, was another empty room. Completely cleaned out.

"F*ck... again? Nothing! Totally empty!" one of them groaned, his face full of frustration, hunger pushing him close to losing his mind.

But before he could continue his curses, he froze—eyes widening as if he had seen a ghost.

"A man—there was a man right there! He jumped! He jumped off the balcony!"

His shout made the others scramble toward the balcony, but when they looked out, they saw absolutely nothing.

Just the quiet drop below. They glared at him instead.

"You idiot."

"You’re hallucinating from hunger," one said flatly.

"Who would jump from a building like this? And the place is empty. No one lives here."

"I’m not lying! I really saw someone!" he insisted, but no one believed him.

While they argued, Ethan was already far below, descending swiftly from the top floor with controlled momentum.

The Golden Tablet hovered behind him; they were both fully concealed beneath the cloak of shadow his ability provided.

With the ongoing solar eclipse dimming the world, they were completely invisible to anyone below.

But someone still noticed his descent—someone with sharp senses and sharper instincts.

The figure’s eyes narrowed with interest, and without hesitation, he rushed toward the spot where Ethan would land.

"Who could you be...?" the man muttered under his breath, trying to reach the landing point ahead of him, pushing everything within his power to capture Ethan.