"Weren’t you asking me what would happen if Earth’s space becomes unstable and can’t withstand the pressure of too many spatial rifts?"

As Lex Cross said this, Flora Bloom’s expression grew even more tense.

"What would happen?"

"Look at this volcano, the Eye of the Earth’s Core. It’s likely what’s left of a planet whose space shattered after losing stability, then drifted into a rift in spacetime."

"What? If Earth’s space loses stability, it will shatter?"

"Yes, it will shatter into pieces, tearing different regions apart and dragging them into spatial rifts throughout the universe. If your power can’t break through to the High-level, you won’t even be able to withstand the cosmic pressure. You won’t survive."

"..." Flora Bloom’s mind went blank. From what she knew, the Eye of the Earth’s Core wasn’t the end of it. In the coming years, more volcanic clusters would appear. Not only that, but for the nine great secret realms, there were nine corresponding great perils, including the Eye of the Earth’s Core. This meant at least nine spatial rifts would appear across the globe, and there were many other secret realms, both large and small.

’In other words, the more secret realms, the more perils, and the more spatial rifts there will be,’ she thought. ’The more rifts, the more unstable Earth’s space becomes! Will Earth eventually shatter, all life perish, and become just another fragment in the cosmos, lost forever in the universe?’

"Flora, that’s why you have to promise me you’ll raise your Superpower Level as quickly as possible. Once the spatial rifts here increase, the power of people like me will be restored. Once it is, I can take you back to my Star Nation. We can take your family and friends and leave together." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Flora Bloom barely heard what Lex Cross said next. Earth, the place that had given birth to countless lives... Every living being born here shared a bond with it, a connection that ran as deep as blood.

Whether before or after the apocalypse, Flora Bloom had never imagined that one day, it would shatter and disappear.

"Lex, what about you? What’s your level?"

"Me? I’m Cosmic Level, one step away from War God Level. But after coming to Earth, my level was suppressed by the planet’s unique laws. Right now, my Original Superpower has recovered to High-level, and my Thunder and Dark Element superpowers are both at Level 3."

Flora Bloom’s eyes widened in shock. "You... you’re a Three-System Superpower User? But I’ve only ever seen you use your Fire Thunder System and Dark Element superpowers. What’s your Original Superpower?"

Lex Cross smiled faintly. "Devour."

Flora Bloom thought for a moment. "No wonder. So when we were trapped in that tree hollow by those Three-Eyes gorillas, you used your Devour Original Superpower to get rid of that aphrodisiacal Water of Life?"

Lex Cross nodded. "Mm, that stuff was certainly potent. Still, it makes me feel quite nostalgic."

Flora Bloom shot him a glare. "Tch! Pervert! Nostalgic my ass!" Then a thought struck her. "Hey, wait a minute. If you have this Devour superpower, then that time four months ago... you could have removed the effects of the drug for me, couldn’t you?"

Lex Cross froze. His eyes flickered, and a suspicious flush appeared on his pale face. "Ahem, ahem."

"Tell me, did you do it on purpose?!" Flora Bloom grabbed the collar of Lex Cross’s black combat vest, tugging it fiercely.

"You want the truth?" The whirlpools in Lex Cross’s eyes spun, seeming to bore straight into Flora Bloom’s heart.

"Of course I want to hear it. Tell me the truth, were you just captivated by my beauty?"

"I could have used my Origin Energy to devour the drug’s effects. It’s just that my Original Superpower had only just started to recover. If I had forcibly neutralized the drug for you, its effects would have been transferred to me."

Flora Bloom pouted. "Saving a life is a great deed! How could you bear to ruin the innocence of a beautiful young maiden in the prime of her life!"

"Flora." Lex Cross suddenly turned on his side to look at her, his heavy breaths drifting in the space between them.

"..."

"Even if I had neutralized the drug for you back then, the outcome would have been the same."

"How could it be the same? At least I would have kept my innocence!"

"Hah! Are you sure?"

"..."

"If the drug’s effects had been transferred to me, I would have become even more uncontrollable."

Lex Cross’s eyes seemed to glaze over as if he were recalling what happened. "With that small frame of yours, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have been able to withstand my... unrestrained ravaging."

"Who says... I... Tch! You shameless pervert!" Flora Bloom’s face grew hot, and she quickly pulled the blanket over her head.

"Oh? Are you saying you can handle it?" The color in Lex Cross’s eyes deepened as he rolled over, looming over Flora Bloom from on top of the blanket.

"Flora, I never expected we would have a child. I’m so glad I didn’t miss out on you two."

Lex Cross hugged Flora Bloom tightly, blanket and all. "No matter what, I will never let anything happen to you and our child!"

Flora Bloom poked her head out from under the covers and asked sullenly, "Lex, is there any way to stop this from happening? To stop space from shattering and being torn apart?"

Lex Cross sighed. "No."

"I..." Knowing Earth’s fate, Flora Bloom was suddenly overcome with grief. Her tear-filled eyes left Lex Cross at a loss.

"What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?"

"I... I don’t know, I just suddenly feel like crying. *Sob*, I... I can’t control it." As if triggered by her emotions, a sudden cramp seized her lower abdomen. A wave of nausea, something she hadn’t felt for a while, rose from her stomach, overwhelming her senses.

"BLECH..."

Flora Bloom quickly threw off the blanket and leaned half her body over the edge of the bed. "BLECH!"

She retched for a long time, but with no food in her stomach, she only brought up some stomach acid. The heaving of her stomach left her feeling utterly drained and lethargic.

"I’m so tired." Even after drinking some spiritual water to quell the nausea, Flora Bloom still had no energy. This bout of sickness felt different from before.

Previously, drinking spiritual water after being sick would settle her stomach, and she never felt this exhausted, no matter how bad it was. Flora Bloom blamed it on pushing herself too hard recently and not providing Polly with enough nutrients.

Besides, now that she was four months along and starting to show, it was when Polly would be growing the fastest. A lack of nutrients would affect her development later on.

’Looks like I can’t keep running around and exerting myself like this anymore!’

"Flora, are... are you okay?"

Lex Cross knelt on the floor, watching Flora Bloom’s exhausted face. He felt a pang of heartache, mixed with a sense of helplessness.

"I’m fine. Polly is four months old now and really starting to grow. I probably haven’t been resting well, and she’s not happy about it."

Lex Cross carefully helped Flora Bloom back into bed, tucked the blanket around her, and watched over her with a worried expression until she fell asleep.

He somewhat regretted telling Flora Bloom about the spatial rifts. It was obvious she hadn’t taken the news well. Earth’s civilization was too low-level; stabilizing its space was easier said than done.

Only a high-level civilization would have the rare opportunity to obtain something that could stabilize space. Such an item was incredibly rare and couldn’t be sought out on a whim. Even he couldn’t just get one.

’If my power was fully restored, I could go *there* and give it a try.’

To stabilize space, you needed a Space Stabilizer. Various nations throughout the cosmos sold stabilization devices for low-level civilizations. Although the price was exorbitant and they were almost never on the market, he had ways to acquire one.

But he couldn’t let the woman before him know about this just yet.