Elric—cold, calculating, ruthless, but undeniably strong—watching over them, she might actually have a chance at seeing another week, another month.
Although it was just instant noodles—something she'd have overlooked completely before the disaster, something she would have considered cheap student food—now, after running for her life and barely eating for two days, Grace found herself savoring every bite like it was gourmet cuisine.
Each mouthful was a small miracle, a moment of relief amid the chaos and horror.
"Natasha… I don't know how to thank you," Grace said, her voice shaky with emotion that threatened to spill over into tears. "If it weren't for you, I might not have made it just now. I'd still be out there, or worse."
She meant every word with painful sincerity. Natasha had invited her into this precarious but necessary alliance—to become Elric's companion, giving her a chance to survive and enjoy the safety and supplies they now had access to.
Without Natasha's intervention, without that offer extended at the perfect moment, Grace might still be scrambling to survive outside, exposed to the horrors stalking the campus. Or she might already be dead, drained to a skeleton by those tentacles.
"Heh. It's simple," Natasha said, raising an eyebrow with that characteristic expression, a small smirk forming on her lips. "As long as you serve my boyfriend well, as long as you make yourself useful and keep him satisfied, there will be… benefits in the future. Rewards."
Grace blinked, somewhat confused by the phrasing.
"But… I'm not his woman yet," Natasha continued, her tone shifting to something more serious, almost conspiratorial. "You say he doesn't like you, right? Otherwise, why wouldn't he let you sleep with him tonight?"
Grace's stomach sank with a different kind of emptiness. Elric hadn't approached her tonight, hadn't shown any interest, which could only mean he didn't favor her particularly. Not yet, anyway.
She glanced down at herself, feeling deeply insecure. Compared to Natasha and Jenna, she knew she wasn't as striking, not as naturally beautiful or perfectly proportioned. She had nothing else to offer—no special skills, no supernatural powers, no weapons training—just her body and appearance, which now seemed inadequate.
Natasha noticed the doubt flooding Grace's eyes and leaned closer, lowering her voice into a near-whisper that was almost intimate.
"Hey, don't worry so much about it. Sure, you're not as flashy as me, not as obviously beautiful. But you've got your own advantages—that mature elegance, that professor vibe. You just need to play them right, emphasize what makes you different."
She paused, making sure Grace was listening closely.
"My boyfriend won't reject someone I've vouched for—that's practically a guarantee. Find a dress that suits you tonight, something flattering. Take the initiative instead of waiting to be chosen… and you'll be fine. Men appreciate initiative."
Grace hesitated, biting her lip until it hurt. "But… didn't he say the three of us would sleep in the other room tonight? How can I—"
Natasha rolled her eyes with exaggerated exasperation. "Grace, why are you still being so honest? So literal? If you don't take the initiative, do you think he'll wait around forever? This isn't the world we used to know where courtship took months. If you hesitate too long, you risk being left out… or worse, thrown out to be eaten by that monster outside."
Her words, sharp as a knife and twice as cutting, sliced through Grace's remaining hesitation and fear.
Slowly, Grace's eyes hardened with determination, and she nodded once, firmly. She would survive. She had to survive. Whatever it took.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Elric rinsed the grime and dust from his body under the stream of precious water, the Physical Enhancement Fruit from earlier still making him feel powerful, energized despite the day's exertions.
As he dried off with a clean towel, his eyes fell on the small blue crystal he had picked up on the rooftop—the one that had dropped from the mutant Azure Sparrow.
He held it in his hand, turning it over, watching how it caught the light. "I wonder… is this some kind of supernatural substance? A core?"
It had fallen from the mutant bird he had encountered, its faint blue glow still visible even in the bright bathroom light, pulsing gently like a tiny heart.
If it was supernatural, if it contained condensed energy, it could potentially be absorbed and converted into Devil Fruit experience points—a useful boost for the powers he was steadily mastering.
"Let's see what happens."
Elric concentrated, holding the crystal firmly in his palm, focusing his will on it.
A warm current immediately coursed through him, starting from his hand and spreading through his arm. The crystal slowly melted like ice in summer, dissolving into a glowing mist that was absorbed directly into his skin.
His eyes widened slightly with satisfaction. It worked. It's definitely a supernatural substance!
The sensation was pleasant—like drinking something warm on a cold day, spreading comfort through his entire body.
The System's notification chimed promptly in his consciousness:
"Ding! Detected: Host absorbed supernatural substance."
"Devil Fruit experience points increased by 0.5."
"Surgical Field: Level 3 (2.5/20)"
Elric smiled, genuine pleasure crossing his features. Small victories like this added up over time. Each resource he scavenged, each supernatural substance he discovered, strengthened him incrementally for the trials ahead.
It was slow, methodical progress—but progress nonetheless.
Outside the bathroom, the quiet rustle of Grace, Natasha, and Jenna preparing for the night reminded him: survival wasn't just about personal power.
It was about securing allies, making the right choices, and ensuring that those under his protection could endure long enough to be useful.
Tonight, he would rest and recover.
Tomorrow, the real challenges would begin.
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