The appearance of Vert startled the recently healed pangolin and the peacocks, which had just regrown some of their feathers. They scrambled behind the white tiger to complain about Vert’s misdeeds.

As the first creature to enter the space, Vert was understandably proud. When the white tiger cub let out a roar, Vert didn’t hesitate to vibrate its abdomen in warning, preparing for a fight.

Just then, Flora Bloom suddenly appeared between them, and both sides immediately calmed down.

The brand the space placed upon them was absolute, seared deep into their very souls. They could not disobey or resist Flora Bloom’s commands, or the space itself would obliterate them.

Of course, no creature branded upon entering the space would ever betray or resist; they felt a soul-deep obedience toward its owner.

Even if Flora Bloom were to kill them, they would not resist.

Flora Bloom looked at the scene before her. Vert and the golden cicada were on one bank of the river, while the white tiger cub, the two peacocks, the two monkeys, and the pangolin were on the other. Then, she gave her command.

"No killing each other in my space. If you do, don’t blame me for what happens next."

As she issued the command, it was deeply etched into the soul of every creature in the space, just like the brand itself. This was the information Flora Bloom was able to read from each of their souls.

Suddenly, Flora Bloom noticed that in the black soil on both sides of the river, the fruits and vegetables that had been mere sprouts were now much taller. Their growth was incredibly promising. She had a feeling that before long, she would be reaping her first harvest from the space.

On top of that, the baby monkey she had placed in the thatched hut was now awake.

Flora Bloom moved it out of the hut.

The baby monkey was overjoyed to see Flora Bloom. It immediately leaped onto her shoulder and started grooming her hair, then wrapped its arms around her neck and swung back and forth, clearly mistaking her for its mother.

But the next moment, the baby monkey started nuzzling against Flora Bloom’s chest. At first, Flora didn’t know what was happening and, with an awkward expression, pulled the monkey away from her chest several times.

’You’re not a male, are you?’

But a second later, the baby monkey’s mental link told Flora Bloom that it was hungry.

Flora Bloom suddenly understood. Of course a newborn monkey would need its mother’s milk. Since it saw her as its mother, it would naturally come to her for food.

But then, another realization struck Flora Bloom.

Never mind the baby monkey, which had just been born via C-section and wasn’t an evolved creature. Although her space could nourish its body, it still needed to be nursed. Where was she supposed to get milk?

On top of that, Flora Bloom’s space now housed so many creatures. The golden cicada was fine; even though the saplings in the space weren’t fully grown, they could still provide it with enough nutrients.

But what about all the other creatures?

Flora Bloom gave the baby monkey some store-bought milk to tide it over. Once it had its fill, it went off to play by the river with Monkey Two and Monkey Three.

Following the laws of nature’s food chain, pangolins ate insects and ants, peacocks ate grains or bugs, monkeys ate fruits and bananas, tigers ate meat, and Vert ate bugs.

’After running through the list, it seems like I’ll have to build an entire ecosystem in my space just to feed these guys.’

The thought gave Flora Bloom a headache. But then she reconsidered. ’Isn’t my goal to create my own little world in this space anyway?’

A spring where all things are reborn, a summer with a blazing sun, an autumn of golden harvests, and a winter of blanketing snow. She didn’t know how much longer such seasons would last in the real world, so she wanted to create a sanctuary within her space.

Though she knew creating such a sanctuary would be a long and arduous journey, she was determined to at least fill her space with vibrant life: birds in the sky, beasts on the land, fish in the rivers, and forests on the mountains.

Amidst all these thoughts, Flora Bloom suddenly found another purpose in this apocalyptic world, one beyond protecting her loved ones and seeking revenge.

With this new goal, Flora Bloom suddenly felt her heart, once clouded by hatred, become clear and open. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

’Even in an apocalypse, life should still be savored.’

Having figured all this out, Flora Bloom left the space and summoned all of her evolved creatures, giving them instructions.

"You know this mountain forest better than I do. I have a mission for you: capture anything that’s alive and bring it back. Understand?"

The creatures all indicated that they understood.

"If you run into anything you can’t beat, come and get me."

The evolved creatures departed on their own, but Flora Bloom kept the white tiger cub behind.

She stroked the cub’s soft, comfortable fur and asked, "Tell me, what caused that wound on your belly?"

The white tiger cub suddenly understood what Flora Bloom meant and communicated, "They’re a herd of mad horses. Their leader, Mr. Marshall, is incredibly strong. I couldn’t beat him."

Flora Bloom figured these must be the horses that had gone missing from the club’s stables. ’But if even the white tiger cub with its lightning superpower is no match for him,’ she thought, ’just how powerful is that Boss Marshall?’

"Let me ask you, besides the two humans you captured, are there any others here?"

The white tiger cub immediately replied, "Yes! The human woman is with Mr. Marshall. He wouldn’t let me eat her. He even kicked and injured me."

Hearing this, Flora Bloom suddenly smacked the cub on the head and said fiercely, "From now on, you are never to eat humans. Do you hear me?"

The white tiger cub replied plaintively, "But I’m hungry."

"I don’t care how hungry you get, you are not to eat humans! Do you understand?"

The white tiger cub nodded with tear-filled eyes to show it understood. Flora, a believer in the "carrot and stick" approach, made a piece of fresh meat appear in her hand, intending to fill the cub’s belly.

But the white tiger cub sniffed it and suddenly said, "Master, this meat isn’t good."

Flora Bloom frowned, then it dawned on her. She soaked the meat in the spiritual water for a moment before taking it out again. Only then did the white tiger cub begin to devour it ravenously.

After the white tiger cub finished the meat, Flora Bloom patted its head and said, "Alright, you’ve eaten, now it’s time to work. Let’s go. Take me to that herd of horses."

Now that she had news of Oscar Owen’s mother from the cub, there was no reason not to go and rescue her.

Meanwhile, Leigh Atwood and Luna Thorne, who had already come down the mountain, had regrouped with Oscar Owen and Neal Wallace. After resting for a moment, the two women recounted their experience of being "captured."

When the men heard that the women had actually been dragged into the mountains by a giant pangolin and two enormous monkeys, they were left clicking their tongues in amazement.

However, having already witnessed Flora Bloom’s tamed giant mantis, the two of them had developed a certain immunity to such fantastical events and didn’t overreact.

Once the two women had rested enough, Neal Wallace and Oscar Owen escorted them to the side gate and into the van that Ethan Monroe and Mervin Warren had ready.

The sun was now high in the sky, radiating heat. The group waited in the car for another half hour, but Flora Bloom still hadn’t returned. This filled Neal Wallace and Oscar Owen with anxiety.

This was especially true for Oscar Owen. When he saw that Leigh Atwood and Luna Thorne had returned, but Flora Bloom hadn’t come down with them, he knew she must have gone to help him find his mother.

The minutes ticked by, and still, Flora Bloom did not return. Oscar Owen stood up, declaring that he was going into the mountains to find her.

Neal Wallace wanted to go with him, but Oscar Owen said, "Flora still isn’t back because she’s looking for my mother. It’s my responsibility to go find her. You’ve awakened a superpower, after all. You should stay here and protect everyone."

Neal Wallace paid him no mind, resolutely getting out of the car to follow him into the mountains to find Flora Bloom.

’Aside from Ethan Monroe, with whom he was somewhat acquainted, he had no real connection to the others in the car. He had no obligation to protect them. But Flora Bloom was different. She had saved his life, and he owed his superpower to her. He had to go and see for himself that she was safe before he could rest easy.’