The stream of water that had shot into the sky trembled.
For a brief moment, it lost its shape entirely and began to change. The column widened, twisted, and folded inward as if something inside it was taking form. Isaac narrowed his eyes and focused.
The form was a—
A sharp pain stabbed straight through his mind.
It was sudden and violent, like a needle driven through his thoughts. His vision blurred. His body froze midair, and for an instant he felt as if he had glimpsed something vast and wrong, something that did not belong within the boundaries of this world.
He blinked.
The pain vanished.
The towering stream of water was gone. In its place stood a beautiful woman with sea-blue hair that fell smoothly down her back and calm, matching eyes. She held an elegant umbrella in one hand, and with the other she lifted the edge of her skirt and curtsied.
"Greetings, Isaac. I apologize for revealing my true form earlier. Having just woken up, I was disoriented."
Isaac steadied himself and exhaled slowly. Alice floated down beside him, her expression cautious but composed.
"It’s fine," Isaac replied as he descended toward the ground. "So, did you finish fusing with the land?"
"I did. Now I can help you take care of your land..."
Avery’s voice trailed off.
She blinked.
Her gaze sharpened. First at Isaac. Then at Alice. The calm smile faded, replaced by unmistakable surprise.
"Please pardon me for a moment," she said quietly.
An almost imperceptible wave pulsed outward from her body. It expanded rapidly, yet there was no wind, no sound. Isaac only felt a faint ripple brushing past his skin before it swept across the farm and beyond.
Avery slowly turned her head.
Her eyes widened slightly.
The small patch of blessed land she had begun fusing with weeks ago was gone. In its place stretched an immense expanse: one thousand hectares of enriched, high-quality blessed land that pulsed faintly with life and mana.
The soil was stable. The water veins were orderly. The mana circulation was dense and smooth.
It was much larger than the farm she had seen before.
Upgrading that small blessed land to this level must’ve taken a great amount of time.
She looked back at Isaac. Then at the distant skyline of the Fortified City, which had clearly changed and expanded. Then she sensed deeper.
The Sun Dragon beside him.
The Silver Drake, and the Devil in the house.
And—
Her senses brushed against the house.
"...What?" she murmured.
A faint presence slept inside. Ancient. Heavy. Royal.
"The Netherborne Empress’ bloodline?"
Her brows furrowed as she focused on Isaac again.
"Have I been asleep for several years? I... see. Something must have gone wrong while I was fusing with the land. That would explain why it took me years to wake up instead of two or three weeks."
There was no panic in her voice. For a being who had lived thousands of years, a few wasted years would be little more than a short nap.
"Several years?" Isaac said, confused. "No. You woke up before even three weeks were up."
Avery stared at him.
Silence stretched between them.
Because if only a few weeks had passed...
"Your combat power is at the peak of Elite rank of an Apex species," she said slowly. "The blessed land’s size has increased to one thousand hectares. The Sun Dragon next to you is quite powerful. Not to mention the Silver Drake, the Devil, and... that Netherborne Empress’ bloodline inside the house. How does she have so many powerful summons when she is only Adept rank?"
She looked at him with a deep frown.
"You are saying you gathered such powerful allies, grew this much, and advanced your territory in under three weeks?"
"Yes."
Isaac gave a wry smile.
"A lot happened while you were fusing with the land. Why don’t we go inside and talk?"
Avery studied him for another second before nodding.
They entered the living room together. The interior had also changed. It was cleaner, sturdier, reinforced with subtle layers of protection. Alice quietly excused herself and went to the kitchen.
She used special herbs she had obtained from Priscilla, the dragon maid, to prepare tea. The scent that soon filled the room was refreshing.
Isaac sat opposite Avery.
"So," he began, leaning back slightly, "after you started fusing with the land..."
He told her everything.
About the monster waves.
About the expansion.
About the ogres and the dangerous battles.
About acquiring new allies.
About Emily.
About the risks and the opportunities that kept coming one after another without pause.
He did not exaggerate. He did not dramatize. He simply spoke plainly, recounting events as they had happened.
Avery listened without interrupting.
Only her eyes changed.
The more she heard, the more thoughtful she became.
When he finished, Alice returned with tea and placed a cup in front of Avery before sitting beside Isaac.
Avery lifted the cup, inhaled the aroma, and took a small sip.
"You’ve... been through a lot of colorful weeks," she said at last. "Even in an apocalypse, I have not seen many who face so many dangerous situations and opportunities in such a short span."
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
"Truthfully, I was worried that when I woke up, something might have happened to you. There is no shortage of powerful monsters roaming these lands. I am relieved to see that you not only survived, but expanded and strengthened your territory."
They continued talking.
They discussed monster routes, territory stability, the way the land had adapted to its expansion. Avery explained how her fusion had deepened the foundation of the soil and water veins, how she could now sense disturbances across the entire City now.
After a while, she set her cup down and looked at him more seriously.
"From now on, you do not need to worry about the City’s defenses. With me here, there is almost nothing that can harm it."
Isaac nodded slowly.
He had always known Avery was strong.
But back then, his perception had been limited. Now that he himself had grown and reached the peak of Adept rank as an Apex species, his senses were far sharper.
And yet—
He still could not see the depth of her power.
He had faced ogres above Level 55+.
Those Overlord rank creatures had overwhelming presence.
Now he understood.
Those ogres would not survive a single blow from Avery.
No.
They would likely be erased by a single thought.
The difference in strength between Overlords was enormous.
Until now, Isaac had only encountered Overlords belonging to low-rank species. Seeing Avery up close made him realize how terrifying an Overlord of an Apex species truly was.
With her here, the City was safe.
The weight he had been carrying without realizing it loosened.
For days, he had been responsible for thousands of lives. Every decision he made had consequences. Every battle carried the risk of collapse. If he lost even once, everything could end.
He had not shown it.
But the pressure had been constant.
Now, for the first time since the apocalypse began, he felt like he could breathe.
Alice notices Isaac’s expression loosing up.
Avery folded her hands in her lap.
"Now, you two should sleep. We can continue our discussion tomorrow," she said calmly,
"You don’t want to sleep?" Isaac asked.
"I’ve slept for weeks. So for now, I will stay awake and check on the crops. Some of them are quite interesting."
A faint smile curved her lips, and her tone shifted slightly.
"As for later, maybe you would let me sleep with you? It seems those who follow you get tremendous fortuitous encounters. I would be happy to have a share of the pie as well."
Alice’s eyes sharpened immediately.
A faint, threatening aura slipped from her without her consciously meaning to release it. The temperature rose.
Avery laughed softly when she noticed.
Before Alice could say anything, the water around Avery’s feet dissolved into mist and she disappeared.
Isaac was smiling wryly. He reached out and lightly poked Alice’s nose.
"She was just teasing you since she knows you’re a dragon."
"I know," Alice replied.
Her expression did not ease, though. The dragon in her was territorial by instinct, and Avery’s playful words had not gone unnoticed. Isaac could tell she was wary now, not truly angry, but alert.
He found the reaction oddly amusing.
They returned upstairs together.
Alice spoke before reaching her door.
"Sleep with me. You slept with Celia and Emily already for several hours."
Isaac blinked. "But—"
"Today is a free day since Professor isn’t here. And you already slept half the night with Celia and Emily. So it should be fine if you sleep with me now."
She spoke steadily at first, but toward the end there was a faint trace of stubbornness. Alice rarely asked for things directly, especially not in front of others. Now that they were alone in the hallway, she did not feel embarrassed voicing what she wanted.
Isaac looked at her for a moment.
"You’re sleeping with Selene," he reminded her.
Alice’s eyes froze.
She had indeed forgotten.
"...Goodnight," she said after a brief pause.
She let go of his arm and walked back to her room with a calm face, though Isaac could sense the slight frustration beneath it.
He stood there for a second before quietly returning to his own room.
The night passed peacefully.
In the morning, Isaac completed his routine as usual. He harvested the crops, trained lightly, and checked his status before heading downstairs.
The smell of food greeted him before he reached the kitchen.
Selene was cooking at the stove with steady hands. Celia stood nearby, watching carefully and occasionally asking questions.