Zombie Apocalypse: I Have Safe Zone Superpower

Chapter 681: Portal-1

The intensity of it made even Paris and Siya shiver, their expressions turning pale as they watched.

Thankfully... Ivy didn’t turn her attention toward them.

By the time Ariana woke up, nearly an hour had passed, yet her entire body was still trembling violently from the milk that had been injected into her system earlier.

All the arrogance Ariana once carried had completely disappeared by now.

At this point, she was even beginning to fear the sight of Ivy, terrified that another injection of that horrifying milk would soon enter her body again.

Unfortunately for her, that fear became reality almost immediately.

Ivy walked in calmly with another syringe in her hand.

The moment Ariana saw it, her pupils shrank violently, and her entire body jerked backward in terror despite the restraints holding her down.

"Stop! "Ariana shouted frantically, her voice trembling so hard that it nearly cracked. "Don’t inject me with that again!"

However, Ivy ignored her completely.

"W-Wait!" Ariana cried out desperately. "We can negotiate! We can talk this through!"

Seeing Ariana reduced to such a frightened state caused both Paris and Siya to feel slightly conflicted.

After all, despite everything, Ariana was still someone they were acquainted with.

Watching her shiver helplessly on the chair stirred a faint sense of pity within them.

Yet at the same time, the sight before them was strangely amusing.

Just an hour before, Ariana had still carried herself arrogantly like some untouchable commander, but now she looked utterly broken.

The contrast was simply too dramatic.

As the two of them failed to hide their snickering, Ariana noticed their expressions immediately. Rage burned fiercely beneath her fear.

’Just wait until I get my chance,’ Ariana cursed inwardly while gritting her teeth. ’Once I escape this place, I will definitely report both of you to the royal family. Let’s see how you laugh after that.’

Completely unaware of Ariana’s thoughts, Paris and Siya exchanged glances before sighing softly.

After all, was Ariana a commander from their world? Now, seeing her trembling like a frightened animal made the situation feel oddly heartbreaking.

Eventually, they decided to step in.

Looking toward Ivy, Paris spoke carefully.

"Even if she refuses to tell everything, shouldn’t you at least give her a chance first? Maybe she could still provide useful information."

Siya nodded in agreement.

"At the very least, try talking before using another injection."

Hearing that, Ariana immediately nodded repeatedly like someone grasping desperately at a lifeline. Her fearful eyes locked onto Ivy.

Meanwhile, Ivy merely chuckled softly.

"You are terrified that much already?" Ivy asked with a faint smirk.

Ariana hurriedly shook her head.

"No, that’s not what I mean," she muttered nervously. "I just think... maybe we can find some kind of middle ground here."

Ivy stared at her silently for a few moments before asking calmly,

"And what kind of middle ground are you talking about?"

Ariana swallowed hard before answering carefully.

"As long as you don’t ask questions that threaten the interests of my superiors or mine, I can answer your questions. I will cooperate within those limits."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Ivy lowered her eyes thoughtfully before eventually nodding.

"Fine," she replied casually. "Let’s try that first."

Then she looked directly at Ariana and asked, "Tell me about the portal."

The moment she heard that question, Ariana instinctively tried to organize her thoughts carefully. She clearly intended to reveal as little information as possible.

"The portal..." Ariana began hesitantly while licking her dry lips. "It is basically a medium through which people from a higher world can travel to Earth."

Before she could continue further, Ivy narrowed her eyes coldly.

"Don’t try feeding me vague nonsense," Ivy warned calmly. "I don’t have much patience."

Hearing those words, Ariana’s shoulders stiffened immediately.

Ivy continued speaking.

"How exactly do they use the portal? Is some kind of special power required? I know formations are involved, but I don’t understand the mechanism."

This time, Ariana hesitated briefly before finally answering more honestly.

"A portal is connected to a special coordinate system," Ariana explained slowly while trying to calm her trembling breathing.

"To open one, a person first needs the exact coordinates of the destination area. Once both sides establish those coordinates, they can begin transferring the atomic particles of the superior beings from one world to another."

As she spoke, Ivy listened carefully without interrupting.

"Of course," Ariana continued quietly, "that process requires enormous energy. Usually, the energy is supplied through the portal itself, while the superior beings sacrifice part of their cultivation to stabilize the transfer."

Hearing that explanation, understanding finally flashed across Ivy’s eyes.

Previously, Siya and Paris had briefly mentioned sacrificing cultivation, but Ivy never fully understood what they meant. Now, things were finally becoming clearer.

Looking at Ariana calmly, Ivy asked another question.

"If that’s the case, then I also heard that you’ve recently found a method to increase cultivation here on Earth. Is that true?"

The moment she heard that question, Ariana’s eyes flickered slightly.

After a few seconds of silence, she reluctantly nodded.

Ivy leaned slightly closer. "What material increases cultivation?"

Ariana took a deep breath. Since this information wouldn’t directly damage the interests of her superior beings, she finally decided to tell the truth.

"It’s gold," Ariana admitted quietly.

For the first time, genuine surprise appeared on Ivy’s face.

"Gold?" Ivy repeated slowly. "You absorb energy directly from gold and convert it into cultivation?"

At the same time, Ivy could not help thinking inwardly that gold in this world truly seemed absurdly versatile.

However, Ariana quickly shook her head.

"No," she corrected. "Gold can’t simply be absorbed directly. First, it has to be ground into powder... then consumed."

Ivy froze briefly before staring at Ariana like she had just heard something ridiculous.

"Consumed?" Ivy repeated slowly.

When Ariana nodded again, Ivy inhaled deeply before speaking.

"There must be side effects, right?" Ivy asked calmly. "The human body normally gets poisoned after consuming gold."

Ariana instinctively looked away.

The next second, Ivy suddenly raised her hand and slapped Ariana across the face.

Smack!

Ariana immediately glared at Ivy furiously while her cheek burned painfully red.