CHAPTER 257: OBSERVATION

As the days went by, the extreme heat worsened, eventually reaching a staggering 60 degrees Celsius.

The unbearable conditions plunged the world into chaos—heat strokes became increasingly common, especially in tightly enclosed spaces where the heat had nowhere to escape.

With the relentless rise in temperature, the floodwaters that once surrounded the area began to recede, evaporating rapidly under the scorching sun.

Conditions were becoming more and more dangerous outside.

But inside Paradise Shop, everything continued to operate smoothly, thanks to the security provided by the military.

With everything running well, Elena was able to focus more on her pregnancy, finalizing preparations before her labor began.

However, today she had an important meeting with the military officials—they needed more supplies, especially medicine.

Of course, Elena was always willing to help, particularly since she appreciated the jade she received in return for each transaction.

She chuckled at the thought, but her smile faded quickly.

Right now, they were in urgent need of more resources.

The Golden Tablet had recently unlocked a new function—[Building]—but this new feature consumed a large amount of spiritual energy to keep running.

On top of that, they needed to replenish the well water supply.

Although its quality had improved since reaching Tier 1, the quantity had dropped dramatically.

Now that all medicine production relied entirely on well water—and they were also using it daily for drinking—the current supply was no longer enough.

Also, they had been staying inside the space more than the allowed time, which drained the points from the Reserve Energy Tab at an alarming rate.

To solve this issue, Elena needed to recharge the Reserve Energy Tab, which required jade and antiques to restore its energy points.

Fortunately, the shop had been collecting plenty of resources lately.

So, life inside the space remained stable and thriving for now, but this setup demanded a steady and large amount of spiritual energy.

"Wife, it’s still early. Why are you getting up already?" Ethan mumbled, wrapping his arms lazily around his wife and trying to pull her back into bed.

"I’ve had enough rest these past few days," Elena replied, gently nudging his arm aside.

"Besides, I want to check on those strange people who keep barging in like they own the place—asking too many questions about our shop. I’m starting to think they’re investigating us."

"Actually," Ethan said thoughtfully, "I can sense spiritual energy coming from their bodies. Do you think they might be ability users like us?"

Elena’s brows rose in surprise. This was the first time he had mentioned anything like this.

"You never told me about that before."

"I didn’t want to jump to conclusions," Ethan said quietly.

"I planned to tell you once I had more solid clues. For now, I’ve just been observing them from a distance."

"I see. If they really are ability users, then maybe the world has started awakening," Elena replied with a sigh.

"But honestly, I still doubt it."

Her thoughts briefly turned to the abbots who also had spiritual energy surrounding them.

Now that her husband had developed his own ability, it made sense that he had become more sensitive to such energies.

But even then, he still couldn’t clearly tell whether those people were truly ability users or not.

"Let’s have breakfast," she added, brushing her thoughts aside. "I want to see the situation at the shop with my own eyes."

Ethan nodded in agreement.

The couple then quickly got up, freshened themselves, and shared a light meal together.

Not long after, they exited the space and reappeared in front of Ramon, who was stationed at the Paradise Shop’s military evacuation center branch.

Upon seeing them arrive, Ramon quickly greeted the couple, his face lighting up with enthusiasm as he gave his report.

"Boss, everything’s normal so far. We still have long lines of customers. It’s just getting really hot, so I think we need to install more cooling devices."

"Alright, go ahead and add more—but do it tomorrow," Elena replied, her eyes scanning the surroundings with a calm gaze.

If the devices appeared too suddenly and the temperature dropped all at once, it might raise suspicions.

It was better to make the changes quietly after the shop closed for the day.

After their simple conversation, she and Ethan then continued observing the shop.

The situation was stable.

Thanks to the military’s strong discipline, the crowd was well-behaved—people lined up properly and traded based on what they could afford.

Elena had also started offering free cold drinks to loyal customers, which boosted the shop’s popularity even more, filling the space with an energetic buzz.

After a while, Elena’s eyes caught something unusual.

A man wrapped in a subtle glow of spiritual energy walked calmly toward Jessa’s counter, likely there to make a purchase.

"That’s the man I mentioned," Ethan whispered beside her, keeping his eyes on the figure.

"His body is a vessel of spiritual energy, just like Brother Elias. He’s not an ability user," Elena said firmly, her gaze fixed on the man.

While Elena and Ethan continued observing the mysterious visitor—Brother Terry—he, in turn, was ordering supplies while discreetly studying the masked woman behind the counter.

His eyes lingered on Jessa, who faintly radiated spiritual energy.

At a certain moment, Brother Terry sensed a sudden surge of spiritual energy—but just as quickly as it came, it vanished without a trace.

It was strange, far too unusual to ignore.

What he didn’t know was that Jessa had just opened her [Inventory] to retrieve supplies.

When the space briefly opened, a small leak of spiritual energy escaped.

Though unintentional, it only deepened the abbot’s suspicion that she was hiding something important.

He had been discreetly collecting information about this newly opened, mysterious shop.

And something about it felt off.

Since receiving a divine mission from Heaven, he believed this place could be the center of it all.

Convinced that the people behind the shop were not ordinary, he continued trying to uncover their secrets.

He had to confirm whether they were connected to the woman Heaven had warned him about—the one destined to bring great disaster to mankind.

He needed to find her, identify the threat, and fulfill Heaven’s task.

But as he carefully observed, his expression grew grim.

He sensed faint spiritual energy from multiple women working in the shop.

That alone shocked him. Spiritual vessels were meant to be rare, exceptional, and even.

’How could so many of them exist in one place?’

No... this wasn’t some chance gathering. This was deliberate.

One of these women, he felt certain, was the one Heaven had marked—the one he was meant to eliminate.

However, when he tried to examine their auras to determine who they really were, he was taken aback.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see through them. It was as if a barrier was guarding their mind.

At first, he suspected his own skill as a practitioner of spiritual energy was failing.

But when he tested it on others nearby, his skills worked just fine.

That’s when he realized—the problem wasn’t with him.

It was them.

Unbeknownst to him, it was the power of the Golden Tablet Mark that concealed their true identities, shielding them even from the most sensitive spiritual eyes.

"May I speak with your leader?" Brother Terry asked with a polite smile, though the flicker of impatience in his eyes betrayed his growing frustration.

He had been visiting the shop repeatedly, each time trying to meet the person in charge.

But this masked woman continued to block his path.

"I’m sorry, sir. Our leader is currently unavailable," Jessa replied, her voice respectful yet unwavering.

"If you need anything, you’re welcome to speak with our manager."

Brother Terry was just about to insist further, crafting another polite argument to get past her, when he suddenly felt a presence—sharp and focused—watching him from a distance.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

’Hmph... who could it be?