Everyone was busy with different tasks. Some trees were being cut down to make way for construction—some used their earth powers to level the ground, while others operated machines to uproot the trees and smooth out the terrain.

"The rate they are clearing this land, it’s going to take a month before they can start construction," Ethan commented as he stared at the canopy of huge trees. They hadn’t even cleared a fraction of the trees in the area.

Eva sipped the fruit juice through the straw and nodded in response. Even with the machines, it will take a while—they need more people.

Julian dusted off his pants, sneezing as a cloud of dust rose into the air, while a tree fell to the ground with a loud boom.

"Can you use your powers and clear out this side? I don’t think we’ll need that many trees!" Julian yelled above the noise, pointing toward the dense trees, where he had just had the idea and felt it was feasible.

Ethan looked at where he was pointing and walked toward the area. Suddenly, the air around him grew cold; a wisp of it seeped from his hands and spread toward the dense trees.

The trees froze as soon as they came into contact with the cold air. Eva was amazed by the beautiful sight of the frozen trees; the atmosphere had a mesmerizing quality, as if it bridged winter and summer.

Ethan waved his hand slightly, and the tree turned into shards of ice. The sound caught some people’s attention, and a wave of envy swept over them at how easily Ethan could clear out countless trees when it took them twenty minutes to cut down just one.

Eva reached out her hands to catch the snowflakes in the air, her eyes brightening as an idea sparked. ’Isn’t Ethan a walking freezer to make ice cream? Gulp...’ The thought made her mouth water, and her gaze grew hotter as she looked at Ethan.

He shivered, feeling under her gaze, and wondered what was going through his wife’s mind again. If he knew what she was thinking, he would have shaken his head with a helpless sigh.

With that idea in mind, she hurried to find the chef, the cool drink she had been drinking no longer quenching her thirst—she needed something colder under this hot sun.

Ethan watched her lively figure leave in haste and turned to the wide ice-covered clearing.

"Your powers are useless after all. Maybe we should clear out some trees we won’t be using," Julain muttered with a click of his tongue, his feet crushing the ice beneath him as he walked around the cleared space.

Though Ethan was tempted by his words, his gaze fell on the people working tirelessly to clear the trees and grasses, and he shook his head before responding.

"They have to do it themselves; that’s why they’re here. Instead, we’d better tour the other linking island.’’

He felt it was time for them to put themselves to use; he couldn’t always look after them. They came here to build a stronghold for the Osa’s city, not to relax.

Julian remembered how no one offered to help during that snake attack, and the last bit of help he wanted to give faded from his mind.

"Alright then, tomorrow let’s explore the island nearby," Julian responded and went to check on those working to ensure no one was slacking off.

Some women clearing grass beside the chef’s tent watched as Eva handed the chef a request to prepare something new for her. They glanced at their own hands, covered in mud from pulling weeds, and a feeling of envy and discontent grew in their hearts.

"Some people are working to build a stronghold for Oasis city, while others are behaving like some misses and know only how to stuff their faces with food." One of the women couldn’t help but speak in a sarcastic tone.

"Tsk, who isn’t working under the hot sun. I envy some people who know how to walk aimlessly around," another person added in a raised tone, clearly wanting Eva to hear.

Eva burst into a fit of giggles at their raging jealousy, and a mischievous glint flickered in her eyes.

She took a bowl of bananas from her space and went to find Ethan to ice them. A few minutes later, she returned with the iced bananas and, without sparing them a glance, entered the tent.

"Chef, please blend this until it’s creamy." She placed the peeled bananas on the table, and the chef, who was sorting seasonings, paused and reached for a manual blender from the pile of pans.

"Madam, do I need to add anything else?" he asked as he placed the bananas inside. She shook her head. He pulled the lever on the side, and the sharp blade inside sliced the bananas into chunks, then turned them into a thick, smooth paste.

"Nice." Eva praised, giving him a thumbs-up as he transferred the contents into a clean bowl for her. She saw the honey on the table and drizzled some on top.

She left the tent with the bowl, its coldness chilling her fingers, and brought out a chair and a table to sit in front of the gossiping woman, taking a spoonful.

"Mhmm... delicious~’’ Eva commented out loud, her eyes crinkling in enjoyment, the occasional sounds leaving her lips, her face filled with pleasure, causing the women to swallow hard—their mouths watering. Still, they could only watch painfully as Eva enjoyed her ice cream.

"What are you eating?" Julian asked as he walked toward her, briefly glancing at the four women tormented by his wife before returning his focus to Eva’s bowl.

She was in a good mood and offered him a spoonful. Julian took a bite and instantly felt a coolness soothe his throat, followed by a sweet aftertaste. Unable to resist, he scooped up another spoonful.

"Don’t touch my ice cream! If you want, tell Ethan to ice this for you and have the chef blend them up." Eva dropped a bowl of fruit on the table and quickly pulled her bowl away from Julian’s greedy hands.

Julian reluctantly gave her the spoon back. Then, when his gaze fell on the bananas, he picked them up and teleported to where Ethan was.

Ethan, who had been asked a second time to ice bananas, couldn’t help but grow curious. When he went searching for Eva, he found her and Julian enjoying a bowl of ice cream together. What puzzled him even more were the women who looked starved but kept watching them eat.

"What’s going on with them?" Ethan hinted to Julian with his eyes as he took out a spoon and dug into Julian’s bowl.

"They might have offended wife," Julian responded, coming to a conclusion. A few minutes before Ethan arrived, the women wanted to leave and clear out other areas, but swung a dagger into a tree, forcing them to stay where they were.

"Oh, was this made from the bananas you both asked me to freeze?" Ethan changed the subject, already convinced the women were at fault. He knew Eva almost always ignored others and wouldn’t look for trouble unless it came her way.

"Yeah. Ask the chef to make another bowl," Julian responded, moving his bowl away from Ethan’s reach.

Ethan gave Julian a bland look, as if to say he was the one who froze the fruits he was enjoying at the moment. Julian ignored his gaze without a hint of guilt, feeling refreshed despite the hot weather.

"Let’s never hunt those lava beasts again. I’m still traumatized by the heat." Eva grimaced as she remembered her clothes dripping, as if she had been doused in hot water. The heat had embedded itself in her mind and body, so that even after they left the area, she still felt overheated.

Julian and Ethan both frowned at the thought of those beasts, but they knew there were still more of them deep in the forest.

Meanwhile, the spaceship moved closer to its destination. Its silver, sleek body was stained with black, dried blood from creatures, and its weapons were exposed, ready to defend or attack as soon as those flying beasts targeted them.

[Reaching destination in ten minutes.] Aries’ mechanical voice echoed through the spaceship, and everyone’s hanging heart sank back into their chest.

They had endured many attacks on their journey here and desperately wanted to reach solid ground.

This attack made Grace and the others realize the dangers of the surface. It was much worse than the dungeon, and it was only in the air; they hadn’t even encountered land beasts yet.

"We will soon see them. I hope they are all okay," Grace muttered in concern as she glanced at the vast sea below them.

"They’ll be fine. Don’t worry, their power levels are high enough to keep them safe even if it’s too escape." Leo responded in a consoling tone, taking her hand in comfort.

"There’s an island ahead." Stone’s words drew everyone’s attention, and the spaceship began to descend.