Zombie Queen transmigration into a book-Chapter 139: Why were you unconscious?

Ethan lay back on the grass, glad the problem wasn’t as bad as they believed.

"Do you know anyone who suddenly gains another power after waking up?" Aaron asked aloud, feeling puzzled and incredulous as he looked over at Eva.

Ethan looked up at the sky and let out a low chuckle, feeling Eva’s new powers were a good thing, then responded. "Eva’s just different from normal people. We shouldn’t dwell on how she got another power—instead, we should focus on improving it to add more chips to her safety."

Aaron was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh — he realized the surface was extremely dangerous and agreed more with Ethan’s words. He didn’t want to lose his sister, whom he had only recently found.

"I don’t have an unranked monster core to boost her power rank like before... hmm, but the dungeon can help us level up, luckily." Aaron’s tone was filled with realization and relief.

"That means, we have to stay in this desert for a while until her water ability reaches intermediate dungeon explorer." Ethan decided, fear still lingering in his mind at her earlier unconscious figure.

The thought of losing her made his heart tighten painfully—no, she has to become stronger. The dungeon showed him the reality of them being separated, making it impossible to always save her from danger.

"Ah, I almost forgot to ask!" Eva exclaimed, moving closer to Aaron and Ethan with a curious expression.

"What was that acidic smell from outside your dome, and did I cause the rain?" Her last words were asked in a doubtful tone, not thinking she was powerful enough to cause such big rain.

Aaron started explaining everything that happened while she was unconscious. Eva’s eyes widened in shock, and then fear flickered in her eyes at the thought of their flesh burning under the rain’s onslaught.

"Why were you unconscious? Did you overdraw your power while defeating a dungeon monster?" Ethan asked the question that had been bothering him for a while.

Eva trembled at the thought of those flying monsters and tattoos taking over her body.

"I was thrown into a dark depth by flying monsters... those ugly things were too much, so I planned to absorb their life force. Who knew the tattoo on my back would get greedy and drain all the monsters without my consent?" Eva explained, skipping the gory details. Her voice carried both frustration and lingering fear from the ordeal.

Before she knew it, Ethan had pulled her into a tight embrace, whispering into her ear, "Glad you’re safe." He repeated the words over and over until the fear in his heart began to ease.

Aaron’s heart sank at her words, and he felt she was glossing over some details, like how dangerous her situation was at that moment or the fear and injuries she sustained from falling from such a height.

He felt a wave of relief and gratitude that she was safe. Next time they entered the dungeon, he vowed to hold her tight, refusing to let them be separated. Minutes passed, and Aaron’s lips twitched from the long, lingering embrace.

But he clicked his tongue and walked away, leaving them a moment alone. Later, he’d settle the score with Ethan.

"It’s okay, I’m fine, but I need to freshen up; I reek of monster blood." Eva patted his back and tried to pull away from his embrace, but instead of letting go, he carried her and stood up.

Eva let out a short cry, startled, and quickly wrapped her legs around his waist as his hand steadied her from behind.

"What are you doing!? Put me down!" Eva yelled as she wrapped her hands around his shoulders for support.

"Didn’t you say you want to bath... I’ll carry you to the stream," Ethan patted her behind and responded in a matter-of-fact tone.

Eva tried to wriggle free from his hold, her body pressing against his with the friction causing Ethan to pause for a moment.

"If you keep struggling, it wouldn’t be bathing again," Ethan warned in a strained tone, his throat growing dry as he felt her body heat pressing against him.

Eva froze mid-struggle, not daring to tempt him further. It had been a while since they had made love, and she still feared the intensity of last time. ’It’s only Ethan... maybe it won’t be as overwhelming as before,’ she thought, wavering—and making a dangerous assumption.

Ethan’s heart pounded in his chest when he accidentally glimpsed her thoughtful expression; his hands, holding her, clenched in anticipation and excitement.

"Hum...I don’t mind." Eva whispered into his ear, her face flushing shyly under his stunned expression.

Then her words registered in his mind, and his gaze grew intense, burning with untamed desire that sent a shiver down her spine.

Eva swallowed hard under his gaze, sensing danger. "I-I’ll wash up first," she stammered, pressed by the intensity of his stare. Instinctively, she placed her hand over his eyes.

Eva finally exhaled. "Your gaze is so scary... like you want to swallow me whole and leave nothing behind," she complained, fear still in her voice, almost wondering if she’d deprived him too much.

Ethan let out a low chuckle, patting her back gently, "I want so badly to do that—you don’t know how tempting you are, but right now, I need to get to the stream." He admitted candidly, unbothered by revealing his desire for her.

Eva’s heart skipped a beat at his words, feeling happy inside, and she hid her blushing face against his neck as she lowered the hand that had been covering his eyes.

"Hmph, smooth talker. I’m washing up first before we do anything," Eva’s muffled words floated to Ethan’s ears, making his lips curve into a grin as he hummed in response—his steps quickening as if he might fly to the stream.

Upon reaching the stream, Ethan set Eva down. His tall frame loomed over her, making her feel like a dwarf.

Eva looked up at him with a mix of jealousy and envy before glancing down at her own petite figure, which showed no signs of ever growing. A small, depressed sigh escaped her lips.

"Turn around, I want to change, ah! We didn’t bring soap with us!" Eva exclaimed, just remembering the most important thing she needed for her bath, and her hands stopped moving to her buttons.

"I’ll go get it. Don’t move to the deep side of the stream," he warned before dashing back the way he came.

Eva didn’t pay much attention to his warning; she could swim, even with those stiff limbs she’d had as a zombie. Back then, she’d looked so ugly she never wanted to remember it.

Glancing at her reflection in the water, "Tsk, who’s this stunning beauty~" she giggled, blowing herself a kiss before diving in with a loud splash.

The cool temperature of the water brushed against her skin, prompting a comfortable sigh.

Swimming slowly toward the gushing waterfall, she stopped swimming and floated lazily on the surface as she waited for Ethan to return.

"Eva!" Ethan yelled, his voice thick with panic when he saw only her head above water; he thought she was drowning and was about to freeze the water and rush to her when Eva spoke.

"I can swim! I’m just floating around. Did you bring the soap?" Eva swarmed toward him after those words, trying to prove she wasn’t lying.

Ethan’s hanging heart eased instantly at her words. He subtly rubbed his chest with a helpless expression, feeling he had been scared enough by Eva today.

"Get in," Eva invited him for a swim with an outstretched hand as she got closer to the shore.

Ethan hesitated briefly before speaking honestly. "I can’t swim. Don’t worry about me, I wash up in the shallow area."

Eva’s eyes widened in surprise, followed by a flash of realization. "No, that won’t do. What if you drown out there, or get stuck while we’re fighting beasts? I’ll teach you how to swim," she said firmly, thankful she had realized it in time—otherwise, something terrible might have happened.