Elric watched as realization dawned across Rachel's face.
"I've got it," she said suddenly, her voice rising with excitement. "I can switch places instantly."
The cold, distant expression she usually wore vanished completely. In its place was pure delight.
Without waiting, Rachel began experimenting again. One ability after another unfolded—Scanning, Baton, spatial control techniques she instinctively understood the moment she used them. Each test made her more confident, more animated.
Then, a green light condensed in her hand.
A blade of emerald energy formed.
Elric's eyes narrowed.
"Green… Gamma Knife?"
That made no sense.
From everything he knew, the Gamma Knife was a third-level ability of the Surgical Fruit. Rachel had only just eaten it. There was no way she should already have access to such a high-tier skill.
Unless—
Before Elric could finish the thought, the system answered.
"Ding. Explanation for the host: attached Devil Fruits automatically synchronize their level with the main fruit. There is no need to upgrade attached fruits separately."
Elric froze for a second—then broke into a grin.
"Yes!"
If every fruit had required individual upgrades, the supernatural materials needed later would have been astronomical. Now, all resources could be concentrated on a single growth path.
That realization alone made today worth it.
Rachel, meanwhile, continued testing her abilities under the envious gazes of the others. The more she used the Surgical Fruit, the brighter her smile became. Any trace of her former aloofness disappeared completely.
Only now did she truly understand how terrifyingly powerful this fruit was.
Compared to her previous abilities, this was an entirely different dimension.
Once Rachel finished, Elric moved on without delay. Judging by their expressions, none of them would refuse a Devil Fruit.
Within half an hour, the remaining fruits were distributed.
The Staring Fruit went to Elsa. She was naturally meticulous, sharp-eyed, and exceptionally good at reading people. The fruit suited her perfectly.
The Mirror-Mirror Fruit was given to Grace. As someone experienced in managing households and organizing resources, she was the ideal choice to oversee the mirror world as a long-term storage space.
A ancient beast, and two Logia-class fruits—the magama Fruit and the Thunder Fruit.
Yet there were still more people waiting.
Six others had not received anything. Their gazes were fixed on Elric, filled with barely concealed anticipation.
The unspoken question hung in the air.
What about us?
Elric considered it carefully.
In the end, he decided not to distribute fruits to Lily, Jenna, Nina, or Oli for now. The remaining fruits were simply too powerful. Their personalities were straightforward, and without sufficient mental discipline, controlling such overwhelming abilities would be dangerous.
As for Oli, she wasn't truly his yet.
He wouldn't consider her—for now.
That left two candidates.
Elizabeth and Natasha.
Elizabeth possessed deep technical knowledge and sharp analytical skills. Giving her a powerful fruit would not only ensure her safety, but also greatly enhance her ability to conduct advanced research.
As for Natasha—
She was the first woman to follow Elric.
The one who understood him best.
In the past few days, she had done far more than simply stay by his side. She coordinated everyone, arranged rotations, managed conflicts, and ensured that Elric never had to worry about trivial matters.
No complaints.
No jealousy.
No unnecessary emotions.
Everything she did placed Elric first—and she did it so naturally that no one felt uncomfortable.
She was intelligent, considerate, and steady.
Someone he trusted completely.
The decision made itself.
Elric placed the Thunder Fruit into Elizabeth's hands.
Then, without hesitation, he handed both the ancient beast and the magma Fruit to Natasha.
Along with them, he entrusted her with something even more important.
The responsibility of establishing the shelter.
Natasha accepted everything calmly, without excitement or hesitation—only quiet resolve.
Watching her, Elric felt a rare sense of certainty.
Some people were powerful because of the abilities they gained.
Others were powerful even before that.
And Natasha was both.
"Oh… thank you."
Elizabeth hadn't expected to receive a fruit at all. She froze for a brief moment, then thanked him softly, her tone restrained but sincere.
As for Natasha—when she saw two Devil Fruits placed into her hands, her eyes widened.
She was completely stunned.
She had expected to receive one at most.
But two?
And from Elric's earlier explanation, these remaining fruits were among the most powerful of all—far beyond what Grace or the others had received.
"Thank you, Elric."
For once, Natasha dropped her composed, mature demeanor. She looked almost like a girl again—so happy that she actually hopped forward and kissed him without thinking.
"H-Hey, why—"
"We didn't get any, but Natasha got two!"
"That's not fair!"
"Just give me one, please!"
Those who didn't receive a fruit—Jenna, Lily, and Nina—immediately couldn't hold it in. Their eyes turned red with envy as they stared at the two fruits in Natasha's arms. They crowded around Elric, half-complaining, half-pleading, clearly hoping he would redistribute at least one.
Natasha instinctively clutched the two fruits tighter and hooked her arm around Elric's.
She didn't say a word.
But the message was obvious.
Mine.
Elric shook his head calmly.
"You'll get other fruits later."
"As long as you're loyal to me. As long as you do things that satisfy me."
"Remember—everything revolves around me."
"If benefits come, you won't be missing out."
His tone was firm, final.
There would be no changes.
Jenna pouted, clearly unhappy, but she didn't dare argue further. That had always been one of her traits—sharp-tongued with others, but never daring to openly defy Elric's final decisions.
Just like that, the distribution of the seven Devil Fruits came to an end.
Elizabeth and Natasha ate their fruits and tested them briefly, but neither dared to go all out. After all, the Rock Fruit, Dragon Fruit, and Thunder Fruit were all massively destructive—one mistake and this entire building would be gone.
Once that was settled, Elric brought up the topic of the shelter again.
This time, aside from Elizabeth, Oli, and the two maids, almost every woman showed strong interest.
Natasha even spoke decisively, saying she would personally handle the establishment and management of the shelter for him.
Elric nodded.
He understood why they were so eager.
On the surface, it was about status—in a group like this, power meant position.
But deeper down, there was another reason.
Family.
Unlike Elric, these women all still had families out there. They had wanted him to help, but no one dared to ask directly, afraid of displeasing him.
A shelter changed everything.
If they built it themselves, using Elric's name and resources, bringing their families in would be natural.
"Alright," Elric said calmly."Then I'll tell you the shelter's highest purpose."
He paused.
"There's only one."
"It exists to help me find beautiful, qualified women."
He didn't sugarcoat it.
Everything else—saving people, protecting families, building order—was secondary.
As long as the shelter helped him find suitable women, rewards would follow: supplies, protection… even Devil Fruits.
When the women heard that Devil Fruits could be used as rewards, their interest skyrocketed.
At this point, they were already numb to Elric bringing in more women.
Jealousy still existed—but with so many already here, a few more no longer felt like the end of the world.
What mattered was this:
As long as they stayed useful, stayed close to him—
They would never lose out.
"Hm."
After finishing his explanation, Elric reached into his system space and took out a small model that looked like a finely crafted figurine.
The object resembled a miniature floating island, its surface smooth and metallic, faint white light slowly circulating across it like drifting clouds.
This was none other than the Air Base unlocked through Elizabeth.
Until now, Elric had never taken it out.
The Ginkgo Society apartment was spacious enough, but even so, thirteen people living together meant someone always had to sleep on the floor. If this air base was truly usable, then moving everyone there today would be the most reasonable choice.
"What is that?"
The moment the model appeared, every woman in the room turned to look.
Elizabeth's reaction was the strongest—her eyes lit up instantly, curiosity and excitement burning within them.
But just as she was about to ask, Elric suddenly frowned.
He turned his head toward the window.
Something wasn't right.
Outside, within the usually quiet Ginkgo Society residential complex, movement had begun.
The morning fog was still thin, but from multiple buildings, residents were pouring out—families, elderly people, children—well over a hundred individuals, all heading in the same direction.
They were moving toward the main gate.
"Oh?"
Elric raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued.
He activated Clairvoyance, his vision extending effortlessly toward the community entrance.
At the gate, he saw a group of armed men standing at the intersection outside the complex.
They were holding pistols and rifles.
At the front stood a young man with glasses, a handgun at his waist and a loudspeaker in his hand, shouting something to the crowd.
"Heart Net."
Elric activated the Thunder Fruit's ability.
In an instant, a flood of overlapping voices rushed into his mind, making his head buzz. After a brief moment of adjustment, he filtered the noise.
The voice from the gate became clear.
"Everyone, we are members of a Shelter."
"Our shelter was founded by Mr. Rick, one of the former top ten outstanding young entrepreneurs and philanthropists in Hangzhou."
"In these catastrophic times, he has chosen compassion."
"We are willing to accept refugees free of charge, providing safe shelter, food, and clean water."
"Only by uniting can humanity survive this era."
Elric listened quietly.
Then he scoffed inwardly.
"Another shelter."
Compared to the other Shelter he saw, this one sounded far too perfect.
Free housing. Free food. Free water.
Even before the apocalypse, that kind of promise was unrealistic.
In times like these, it was almost guaranteed to be a trap.
Still, Elric had no interest in interfering.
These people weren't his responsibility.
He was just about to withdraw his attention and return to the air base—
When his gaze suddenly froze.
Among the crowd heading for the gate, one woman caught his eye.
She wore a loose blue linen jacket, her long hair tied back carelessly.
Her figure was outstanding—tall, well-proportioned, even the loose clothing couldn't hide her curves.
But her face…
It was ugly.
Painfully so.
Small eyes, an exaggerated nose, features that didn't quite fit together.
At first glance, Elric was ready to ignore her.
But then something felt off.
Her ugliness felt… deliberate.
Too deliberate.
Like a mask.
Makeup. Facial alteration. Intentional distortion.
This face wasn't real.
Just as that thought formed, the system notification rang out.
"Ding!"
"Detected a new eligible adopter."
"Name: Shasha."
There is 60 chapter Advance, in my patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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