The two people and two birds emerged from the grotto, traveling through the sea inside Flora Bloom’s water-shield bubble.

Soon, however, the two of them became somewhat lost. But just then, the octopus monster that had fled earlier suddenly shot over, waving its seventeen thick tentacles in front of them.

On its tentacles were eleven red, crystal-like spheres that the Thunderbird had called Energy Crystals.

"You sure have a knack for picking your moments to return! When we ran into danger, you ran faster than me, your own master!" Flora Bloom looked speechlessly at the Great Crow. "But this is perfect. Take us to the oceanic vortex where you dragged me into the sea before. The sooner, the better."

"AUNG!"

The octopus monster hesitated in its mental link with Flora Bloom, unsure how to begin.

"Master, my... my eggs... can they, can they rest inside your space?"

Flora Bloom looked at the octopus monster’s squirming form in surprise. She circled it but couldn’t see where it was hiding the eggs. "You laid eggs? Where?"

"Wait a moment, Master."

The octopus monster then proceeded to spit out thirteen octopus eggs, each the size of a human head, from the oral opening beneath its tentacles, right in front of the two of them. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Each one was translucent and plump, and very elastic to the touch. Inside the transparent eggs, the basic forms of tiny octopuses were already visible.

"Give them to me."

Flora Bloom took the thirteen octopus eggs and placed them in her space’s Spirit River.

"I’m telling you, Master, you have this amazing internal space but don’t know how to use it. It’s a colossal waste!"

The Golden Crow, which had burrowed into the hair behind Flora Bloom’s ear, suddenly popped its head out and chirped next to her ear. After signing the master-servant contract with Flora Bloom, it could sense everything she sensed. As long as Flora Bloom agreed, it could also look inside her space.

"The eggs of the Great Crow clan are treasures! While the water of your Spirit River can promote their evolution and growth, it’s not seawater. If the growing environment of the Great Crow clan changes, the eggs can easily become duds!"

"Duds? But the water of my Spirit River can heal all things. How could it turn them into duds?"

"You’re so stu— COUGH COUGH, Master, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but a dud egg isn’t a dead egg. ’Dud’ means the Great Crow offspring that hatches might be devolved, becoming like the ordinary creatures on this Earth."

"Oh, so that’s what it means! What should I do then? My space only has a Spirit River, no seawater!"

"Master, the internal space can be changed according to your needs! If you want to gather a sea within your space, it’s very simple."

Flora Bloom’s eyes lit up. "How do I do it?"

"Master, you just need to immerse yourself in the seawater and open up your internal space."

Flora Bloom glanced back at Lex Cross and saw him nod at her. Reassured, she stepped out of the water-shield bubble. Following the Golden Crow’s instructions, she opened her space.

Opening her space actually meant receiving anything her body could touch. For instance, the seawater that was now in close contact with her.

Just then, something amazing happened.

Endless seawater surged through her body and into the space.

The space, having evolved after merging with the Fire Element Crystal Stone, had grown by more than just a little. She couldn’t even see the edge of the forest or the border of the empty land on the other side of the vortex-like area downstream of the Spirit River.

’Could this seawater be stored in the empty land on the other side of the vortex, downstream of the Spirit River?’

The moment the thought formed in her mind, the seawater pouring into the space from outside her body began to converge downstream of the Spirit River, just as she had imagined.

It was called empty land, but it was actually within the riverbed connected to the lower reaches of the Spirit River. It was just that this vast, wide riverbed looked like an empty plot of land.

The seawater entering the space first rushed into the downstream vortex. This vortex was like a bottomless black hole; no matter how much external seawater poured in, it seemed impossible to fill.

Seeing this, Flora Bloom went all out. She swam in the sea, and the surrounding water frantically drilled into her body as if she were the epicenter.

The schools of fish and microorganisms swimming nearby couldn’t see Lex Cross inside the water shield. As they swam past Flora Bloom, they were suddenly sucked into a watery vortex spinning around her body and instantly arrived in a new world.

After a while, the vortex downstream of the Spirit River was finally like a filled container and began to overflow with azure seawater. The empty riverbed started to fill, seawater spilling over and gradually pooling.

The small marine creatures accidentally sucked in by Flora Bloom all ended up on the side being filled with seawater. Flora Bloom then conveniently moved all the marine life she had previously placed in the Spirit River to this new saltwater area.

The great pearl oysters, the schools of sand lances, some of the fish caught from the last sea-fishing trip, and, of course, the thirteen octopus monster eggs.

The riverbed seemed full, but as Flora Bloom continued to draw in seawater, the entire channel felt like a bottomless pit that could never be filled.

Flora Bloom thought to herself, ’The Thunderbird pair could return at any moment to ambush us. This isn’t a good time.’ She immediately cut off the connection between the seawater and her body and returned to the water-shield bubble.

"Let’s get out of here first!"

......

Back in the Morhaven Safe Base, the people seemed to be living in peace and tranquility, but in reality, an ulterior conspiracy was brewing behind the scenes.

Ethan Warren was one of the people Flora Bloom’s group had rescued from the hospital that day, part of Mark Sterling’s crew.

But at this moment, he was walking out of Chester Sawyer’s office with a troubled expression, his mind consumed by what Chester Sawyer had just ordered him to do.

’No matter how you explain it, you’re the one who told me about Jade’s spatial bracelet. If the people in your team find out, do you think you’ll meet a good end?’

As Ethan Warren walked, cold sweat never stopped trickling down his face. ’Flora Bloom and Captain Cross have been missing for seven days. If they disappear forever, then maybe no one will come after me for this!’

’That’s right, I haven’t betrayed Flora Bloom! Morgan Sterling is the leader of the base and controls all its resources. A wise bird chooses a good tree to nest in. I just don’t want to be the most useless person who’s always ignored!’

As dusk fell, Ethan Warren returned to the villa area on the other side of the quarantine wall. Just as he entered, Maeve Preston, Sherman Lynch, and Mark Sterling walked toward him.

"Ethan, have you seen Morgan Sterling?" Mark Sterling asked anxiously. The three of them looked frantic, and no one noticed the dishonest and evasive look in Ethan Warren’s eyes as he prepared to answer.

"N-no, I haven’t! The guards said he led a team out to hunt zombies."

Maeve Preston sighed helplessly, her face etched with worry.

"What are we going to do! Shelly might not last much longer! Morgan Sterling and his people are shameless! To think they’re using Joel Bloom to force Flora and Jade to work for him! Shameless, absolutely shameless!"

Sherman Lynch also had a worried expression.

"Have you found Shauna Wallace? Could she have been locked up by Morgan Sterling too? That Morgan Sterling, he acted all chummy and harmless before, but he’s actually such a hypocrite!"

"Old Lynch, isn’t Flora Bloom very familiar with that group of special forces soldiers? Can’t we ask them for help?"

Maeve Preston suddenly asked, but was interrupted by Mark Sterling.

"Maeve, Captain Cross suddenly went out a few days ago, it seems like something came up. Those special forces soldiers also left two days ago, saying they were going to look for their captain. They haven’t come back yet!"

"Isn’t that little girl, Chelsea Todd, still here? She must have a way to contact them!"

"That little girl... SIGH. She’s too arrogant, she won’t even talk to us!"