Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies-Chapter 304: Recruiting more people

Elena and Ethan made their way down to the twenty-fourth floor, where Lieutenant Fern’s unit was located.

According to him, Brother Elias and General Kaiser were waiting there, intending to inform them about something important.

This news piqued Elena’s curiosity. Since she had also wanted to speak with them, their arrival felt both timely and welcome.

"I haven’t seen Jetro for a while now. Is he okay?" Elena asked, wondering why Brother Elias and General Kaiser had approached Lieutenant Fern instead of Jetro, the leader of this Building Base.

"He began his awakening four days ago," Ethan replied, gently holding her hand. "He’s currently resting in his unit rather than inside Paradise."

Since Jetro’s subordinates were watching over him and clearly cared about him, Ethan decided to let him remain in his own unit under their guard to avoid raising suspicion.

Of course, he also instructed the Paradise kids to secretly monitor Jetro’s condition at all times, making sure he was completely safe.

"Besides the elders, it seems most of our people have already awakened. At least we’re ahead of the others now," Elena chuckled, wondering what kinds of abilities they had gained.

She truly had no idea. In her previous life, most of her people either hadn’t survived or they had never crossed paths — except for Lydia, her best friend.

"In a good mood?" Ethan asked, noticing how thoughtful she looked while staring out the stairway windows. "Should we check on Building C afterward?"

This was also a rare moment alone with his wife — now that Elena had finally stepped away from the babies.

Of course, before leaving, she had carefully lulled the triplets to sleep. Otherwise, if she had disappeared too suddenly, they would surely have turned the entire space upside down searching for her.

"That’s a good idea," Elena nodded.

"I can sense a Tier 1 mutated beast resting there. It seems the area our youngest son created with his ability has become a suitable nest for it to grow stronger. But that’s bad news for us. If it advances further, it will become much harder to deal with."

"Alright. We can also test our abilities and maybe collect some low-tier cores," Ethan agreed.

Though his expression remained calm, there was clear excitement in his eyes.

Elena easily sensed his hidden enthusiasm and couldn’t resist teasing him. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

She then leaned in and gave him a quick smooch — the same way she kissed the babies.

"Hmmp, the triplets might be satisfied with that," Ethan murmured, pulling her gently to his side, "But I’m not."

He lowered his head and captured her lips properly this time, savoring the long-missed intimate.

For a moment, it felt as if the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.

Though they had been together every day, the constant interruptions from the babies had left them longing for even the smallest private moment.

"Stop..." Elena gasped softly, pushing Ethan away. Her cheeks flushed red under her husband’s heated gaze.

With the sweltering heat in the stairwell and the possibility of people passing by, it would be awkward if someone saw them.

"Can you be more aware of where we are?" she protested, lightly nagging at his antics — though the smile on her face betrayed her happiness.

Ethan chuckled, clearly amused by how adorable his wife had become. "With the babies taking up all your time, when would I ever get a moment alone with you?"

The two lovebirds continued their playful banter as they descended the stairs. Despite the teasing, their eyes revealed how deeply they cared for one another.

Without realizing it, they had already arrived in front of the unit. Before they could even knock, the door opened, and Lieutenant Fern welcomed them inside.

"Chief, Mistress... please come in," Lieutenant Fern said politely, stepping aside to let them enter.

Everyone inside paused upon seeing them. Only General Kaiser let out a loud laugh, as if everything had finally made sense to him.

"So this is why you refused to join the military," he said with amusement. "You’re now working with the Caldwell?"

His subordinates immediately straightened up.

They had long known that their leader had been cooperating with a generous patron. Because of the missions they carried out under Lieutenant Fern’s command, they received supplies as payment.

Thanks to that arrangement, they had been living relatively well during this ongoing disaster.

It was far better than before — when they were still under government orders, struggling to scrape together supplies and surviving on only one meal a day.

Now, seeing their mysterious benefactor in person, they were stunned to discover that it was the well-known Caldwell from Military D.

Well, Lieutenant Fern had never revealed the Caldwells’ identity to them, especially his connection to the Paradise shop.

He only gave brief instructions about each client request, never disclosing who stood behind it.

Back in the living room, Lieutenant Fern merely chuckled, allowing General Kaiser’s imagination to run wild with speculation.

"It’s good to see you’re doing well, General Kaiser," Ethan said, interrupting the atmosphere as he guided his wife to sit beside him.

"Same to you..." General Kaiser replied with a snort.

His attitude was slightly sour for a reason. The last time they had met, Ethan hadn’t even allowed him to see the triplets, insisting that the babies were still too vulnerable to receive visitors.

However, Ethan had promised that once Elena woke up, he would bring the babies to visit. Yet a week had already passed with no updates, which naturally made them worry.

Now, seeing Elena looking healthy and radiant, General Kaiser finally felt relieved.

"Elena, how have you been? Tsk... look at your husband — he wouldn’t even let us see my little nephews," he complained openly.

Elena simply chuckled. "I’m doing well, Uncle Kaiser. We’re planning a small celebration soon to formally introduce the triplets. You’re welcome to attend."

"That’s more like it!" General Kaiser laughed. "Finally, I’ll get to meet them. Brother Elias and I will definitely be there."

Brother Elias also nodded, his gaze fixed on Elena. As usual, he still couldn’t read her aura. Instead, he only sensed that she had grown far more formidable in a very short time.

Perhaps it was because she had awakened her ability.

The young girl he had once been commissioned to eliminate had now become someone powerful.

He felt relieved — even proud — that he had listened to his conscience and trusted his instincts. Deep down, he had always felt that Elena is special.

Now, he was curious about what she would achieve next.

His expression then gradually turned serious as he interrupted their light conversation.

"Actually, we came because we received alarming news from our scout team on the east side of City A," Brother Elias said gravely.

"An unidentified creature massacred most of the residents inside a single building. According to a survivor, it looked humanoid... but it had three arms, and its limbs resembled those of a lizard."

He then took out a cloth sealed with a talisman. Without hesitation, he tore it open.

Black pus oozed out.

A foul stench instantly filled the room, making several people nearly vomit. But for Elena, the smell only triggered a flood of memories.

"It’s similar to what mutated beasts leave behind," Brother Elias continued. "But the color is darker — almost red-black — and the odor is far stronger."

He then looked directly at Elena, as if silently asking whether she recognized it.

Of course, she did.

The moment she saw it... the moment she smelled it... she already knew.

There was only one explanation.

The aliens had finally begun to make their move.

A heavy thought surfaced in her mind. Either the sequence of events was accelerating... or perhaps it had always happened earlier, and in her previous life, they had simply learned about it too late.

General Kaiser added, "It’s highly toxic — almost like an acidic substance. Don’t try to touch it. I think we should ask the Paradise Shop for information about this."

He still didn’t know Elena and Ethan’s true identities. To him, they were merely acquainted with the Paradise Shop — not its owners.

Brother Elias chuckled, almost blurting out the truth that the owners were sitting right in front of them.

But he quickly restrained himself, glancing at the others still inside the unit.

"Lieutenant Fern, may I shamelessly request a private discussion with the Caldwell?" he asked politely.

Lieutenant Fern looked toward Ethan for confirmation. After receiving a slight nod, he instructed his subordinates to step out and conduct a routine inspection of the building.

Understanding that the matter was confidential, the officers quickly complied, leaving the room to give them privacy.

Once they were alone, Brother Elias silently conjured a talisman, activating a soundproof barrier.

With awakened ability users becoming increasingly perceptive, he wanted to ensure no one could eavesdrop on their meeting.

"What do you think?" he asked Elena directly.

Elena remained calm. Instead of answering immediately, she used her [Inventory] to retrieve a chilled pitcher and several glasses, gesturing for them to drink.

Her casual display shocked General Kaiser.

"You have a space ability? That’s incredible!"

His mind raced with possibilities. The ability to store countless items — and judging by the cold pitcher, time inside the space seemed frozen.

That meant food wouldn’t spoil. It was an extremely practical and valuable ability.

"Would you like to have this kind of ability?" Elena asked lightly, almost like a fairy offering a wish.

"Of course!" General Kaiser answered without hesitation. "It would be incredibly convenient."

Even Brother Elias felt a hint of envy. Though he possessed a space talisman, it was limited in capacity and lacked the perk of preserved time.

"First, I want to thank you, Brother Elias, for helping Ethan during that fight," Elena said sincerely.

She was referring to the time when the abbot leader attempted to eliminate them. Because of Elias’s intervention, Ethan had managed to escape while carrying her unconscious body.

"There’s no need to thank me," Brother Elias replied calmly. "Let’s just say I was repaying a debt. Besides, Brother Jay had grown unreasonable. As his junior, it was my duty to stop him."

’A debt?’ Elena raised her brows inwardly.

In her previous life, she had always believed she owed him instead. But she chose not to dwell on it.

"Well then," she continued smoothly, "I’d like to invite both of you to join our team. If you agree... a space ability like this can be one of the benefits."

She spoke almost like a composed saleswoman closing a deal.

Whereas, Ethan’s gaze subtly darkened as he looked at the two men. They now knew too much. If they refused, he would have to take measures.

Meanwhile, General Kaiser was utterly confused.

From Brother Elias helping the Caldwells... to Elena being able to grant abilities...

"What exactly is going on?" he blurted out. "Can someone explain? I think I’m completely lost here."