Bella nervously stared at the door, and with a creak, it opened, revealing Elijah carrying various items on his shoulders and in his hands.
Upon seeing Elijah unharmed, Bella's face immediately lit up with delight.
"Did you encounter any zombies?"
Bella asked with concern, noticing the faint bloodstains on him, as she stepped forward to help him with the items.
"Yeah, encountered a few at the door, but I took care of them," Elijah replied, handing her the backpack.
As Bella reached for it, she was surprised by its weight.
"So heavy..." she exclaimed.
Elijah chuckled and placed another backpack on the ground, then turned to bring in the items left outside the door.
"So many things!"
Bella exclaimed joyfully as she opened the backpack, her eyes squinting with happiness.
"Potatoes, eggs, apples, tomatoes, celery, eggplants, lotus roots..." She muttered happily as she pulled out each item, unable to contain her excitement.
Meanwhile, Elijah placed the "zombie grass" in the corner and watered it.
"What's this plant? It seems to be glowing?" Bella, too, was intrigued by the peculiar appearance of the zombie grass and asked curiously.
"I call it zombie grass. Found it at the entrance of the unit, and the zombies were all around it, so I brought it back," Elijah explained casually.
"By the way, there's a portable outdoor gas stove and four gas canisters in the other backpack, enough for us for a while!"
Bella hadn't seen it before, and upon opening the backpack, she discovered a small gas stove, instantly beaming with joy.
"We can have a good meal for lunch. Let me think about what to cook..." She looked at the array of ingredients on the floor and found herself somewhat puzzled.
This made her feel absurd.
One moment she was worrying about the future, and the next she was troubled about what to eat for lunch. Is this really the apocalypse?
But then she thought again, zombies were wandering outside, people were being eaten constantly... And yet here she was, comfortable and provided for, all thanks to the man in front of her.
With him around, maybe the future wouldn't be so bad after all...
"What are you thinking?" Elijah's voice snapped Bella out of her reverie.
She lightly bit her lip, her face slightly flushed, and muttered, "Nothing... nothing at all..."
"Help me take off this shirt!" Elijah extended his sleeves towards Bella.
Due to the magazine tape wrapped around them, it was uncomfortable to take off.
"Sure... sure thing!" Bella grabbed the cuffs and helped Elijah take off his shirt.
He didn't put on another shirt under the tactical vest, revealing his muscular body, which made her heart flutter.
When did he get in such good shape?
Despite the intense heat of summer, wearing a tactical vest and engaging in strenuous activity had covered Elijah in sweat.
He tilted his head back and drank a bottle of water to alleviate the heat in his body slightly.
"Do you want to take a break and let me give you a massage?"
Bella picked up the two backpacks, just one of which made her feel exhausted carrying up and down the stairs.
She noticed Elijah was carrying two, along with bags of rice, flour, and buckets of water, which must have made him quite tired.
"It's no trouble," Elijah replied, not feeling tired, just uncomfortable from the heat.
But the heat was something he was already used to after a year of exercising in the apocalypse.
However, since the beautiful girl was willing to help, why refuse?
Elijah lay on the couch, and Bella began to massage him, starting from his legs.
Compared to the previous days, her hands had noticeably gained more strength, making Elijah feel even more comfortable, causing him to close his eyes and enjoy the sensation.
"Turn over," Bella instructed after she finished with his back. Elijah obediently turned over, continuing to enjoy the massage.
As Bella finished massaging his legs, Elijah felt her body move closer to him.
He faintly smelled a familiar fragrance, and as he opened his eyes, he saw Bella standing next to the couch with her legs straight.
He remembered how she had reacted when she changed back into shorts. Elijah's heart began to race with anticipation.
He couldn't be certain, but that didn't stop him from trying.
Slowly, Elijah lifted his right hand and reached out towards her. He felt Bella's body stiffen for a moment.
But before he could explore further, Bella suddenly said, "You... take a rest. I'll go cook!"
Her face slightly flushed, and she seemed slightly flustered as she turned and left his side.
...
"Good, not too strong of a reaction!"
Elijah silently chuckled, then glanced at the "zombie grass" in the corner.
It had already grown its fourth leaf, and when the fifth leaf grew, it could be harvested and eaten.
By then, he had a chance to elevate his superpower level, something he hadn't achieved even in his previous life.
In the first two months of the apocalypse, he had stayed holed up in this rental house waiting for rescue. Only when the food ran out did he venture out.
Back then, the zombies outside were much more formidable than they are now.
Although his body had undergone natural strengthening, it was still precarious, nearly dying several times.
Relying on his ability to control zombies, he hid and evaded for a month before venturing out of the urban area and reaching the outskirts where there were fewer zombies.
It was there that he began to interact with other survivors...
Information transmission after the apocalypse was slow, and it wasn't until over half a year later that they figured out how superpowers awakened.
Learning how to level up superpowers came even later, just before his reincarnation...
"Zombie grass needs at least one more corpse core to mature. Looks like I'll have to sweep the other units in this building. There should be zombies on the fourth floor too..."
Elijah thought, recalling the sounds he heard on the third floor, formulating his next plan.
On the other hand, Bella walked into the kitchen with a flustered expression.
The moment Elijah touched her leg, she panicked. Especially seeing Elijah's unrestrained gaze, she understood the intense heat concealed within it.
"Should I change back into pants..."
Bella bit her lip, but ultimately didn't move. Since the moment her husband passed away, she had been feeling something faintly.
Alone together, trapped in the building, with no rescue in sight... The friction of dry wood, when would it ignite, depended only on how long both sides could hold out!
Lunch was quickly prepared—potato stew with beef and cold lotus root salad—long-awaited stir-fried dishes that whetted their appetites.
Elijah ate while observing Bella, noticing her eyes avoiding his gaze. A slight stir in his heart prompted him to brazenly survey her up and down.
Today, Bella wore a tight pink and white short-sleeved top, accentuating her fine figure.
Beneath the cotton shorts, which were about the length of a hand, were legs as straight as chopsticks, fair and slender, with a hint of rosy hue, perfectly proportioned, neither too fat nor too thin, like a masterpiece of craftsmanship, a natural work of art.
It made people unable to resist wanting to hold it in their hands, to appreciate it thoroughly.
Bella seemed to sense something, her cheeks blushing slightly as she ate, and her ears tinged with a hint of red.
One ate while watching, the other only knew to lower their head and eat, an inexplicable atmosphere lingering between them.
Soon, the food on the plates was devoured by the two of them.
"I'll clean up the dishes!" Bella swiftly moved, fleeing from her seat.
Elijah patted his stomach and lazily sat in his chair, not bothering to move. Watching the graceful figure bustling in the kitchen, he couldn't help but feel a stirring.
Elijah stood up and walked into the kitchen. Bella's body tensed for a moment, afraid of what he might do. What if he made improper advances towards her?