It had been over a day since the territorial battles had begun but the ark was calm, traveling at a moderate speed.

In the conference room, the upper echelons were busy studying the book of knowledge. However, there was an unsightly look on their faces as they looked at a certain with a light smile on their faces.

"What!"Grandpa Philip snapped. He was wrapped in bandages, covering his chest and right arm.

The previous encounter with the empty room shivered deep into his heart and wanted to erase the experience from his mind. However, these people kept staring at him, like a specimen.

"Why the anger, we're just trying to understand how you feel when you attack the formation," Nasir asked.

"Why don't you go and try it yourself to understand how it feels." Grandpa Philip banged the table.

If he had known the array formation would attack with fire, he would have prepared for it. Besides, the fire was just too fierce for his liking. He wondered how Justin could create such a thing in the shortest time frame.

Hearing this, a chuckle escaped the room as the others couldn't but look at Grandpa Philip and Nasir's banter. Everyone knew of Nasir's unusual ability — talking. When it comes to talking, he had no rival.

Buzz!

"Chief, Miss Vera needs your attention." A voice came from Nasir's radio.

Hearing this, everyone inside the room turned their head in Nasir's direction, wondering what was happening. More so, Nika had a knowing smile on his face.

"What are you doing? Leave quickly. It is not as if you are studying the book of knowledge." Nika said with a tight lip smile.

"Of course, I will go. But I wonder what you're doing when you are not also studying the book of knowledge." Nasir retorted as he stood on his feet, looking at him with an evil grin. 'Since you like to play it like that. Two can play.'

Hearing this, Grandpa Philip cleared his throat and looked at the two, and wondered what was going on. He looked at the others and noticed the others were trying to avoid his gaze.

"Is there something going on that I'm not aware of?" He asked as he felt he was the only one in the dark.

"I also. What the hell is going on." Pipe raised his head from the book of knowledge.

Nasir and Nika looked at each other and gave wry smiles before they hid their faces. Nasir couldn't stay in the room without letting the cat out of the bag. Thus, he scurried out of the room without looking back.

Meanwhile, Kira stabs Merab's leg with her feet giving her a knowing smile. Seeing this, Merab's face reddened as she tried to maintain her stoic expression.

"Do you agree?" Kira whispered.

"To what?" Merab responded in a low voice only limited to the two of them.

"Do you want to do it the hard way?"

"Why don't you focus on the king?"

"Of course, I'm focused on the king. But you must know he's quite busy without any time for romance right now." Kira responded without getting flustered. "Besides, it's not like we're hiding it."

Hearing this, Merab's tongue twisted, and stared at her for a couple of seconds. "Fine. You win. Now, I understand how cold beauty feels around you."

Saying this, Merab felt a piercing gaze on her body and all the hair on his body stood straight as if she was being watched by a predator. She raised her head and searched for where the gaze was coming from. She realized it was coming from Susan. She swallowed the lumps in her throat and averted her gaze slowly.

'What a fierce gaze!' She shouted in her mind.

'Why must you scare her?' Susan heard Kira giggling through their soul link.

'I just don't like people talking about me behind my back.'

'Oh-oh. Ok then. Do you want to join the conversation?'

'Not interested.'

'Boring. That's why you are called the cold beauty

'Whatever.'

'Really?' She giggled. 'I will tell him you say that.'

'Tell who?'

'You know who?'

'If you dare!' Her voice was laced with hints of panic and annoyance.

'Why won't I?'

The short conversation between Kira and Susan only lasts three seconds. Thus, Kira ignored the piercing gaze and the continuous yell in the soul link and looked at Merab.

"So would you tell me or not?" She smiled.

"Why did you want to know..." Merab creased her brow as she could imagine the headache she would have if she told her.

"Because I want to know. Besides, is there anything fun apart from little gossip?" She giggled. "So tell me before I change my mind." Her expression turned solemn, giving Merab no chance to refute.

"Fine. I agree to date him." She said grinding her teeth and averting her gaze.

"Date who?" She teased.

"You know who?" Her face had reddened like a ripe tomato ready to burst.

"I don't know. Perhaps, I should ask the others."

"No. No." She shook her head vehemently and looked at her with a grievance. "Nika." She said with a mosquito voice.

"I can't hear you. Come again." An evil grin appeared on Kira's face as she teased her.

"Nika," She said, raising her voice a bit.

Unknown to her, everyone was paying attention to their conversation. Although they couldn't hear their whispering, they knew it was something relating to one of them. But when they heard Nika, a gasp echoed in the room and everyone turned their head in a direction as everywhere descended into an abrupt silence.

Noticing the sudden change in the atmosphere, Merab raised her head and saw the look on everyone's faces, and turned to look at Nika. 'What have I done.' She screamed in her heart as covered her face with her palm.

"Hahaha. Now, I understand what is going on" A hysterical laugh came from Grandpa Philip as his face moved from Nika to Merab.

"Congrats. I'm happy for both of you." Pipe man said with a light smile.

Nika didn't know how to respond to the sudden change in atmosphere. He looked at the shy Merab and shook his head when he saw the knowing smile on Kira's face. 'This devil.'

Kira didn't care about Nika's unsightly looks and gave him a thumbs up. Seeing this, everyone inside the room burst into laughter when they realized everything was Kira's plan and Merab fell into it.

Left with no choice, Nika played along with everyone and said with a forceful smile. "Thank you for your support everyone. When it's your turn, I will surely support you."

Hearing this, the group roared into another round of laughter. Hence, everyone forgets about their serious study and jokes with one another.

In another car, a young man held the palm of a shy lady as he caressed the back of her palms. It was Nasir and Vera.

"Do you miss me already?" He teased me.

"I—" Vera bit the corner of her lips and her face reddened. Her bashful expression made Nasir's heart skip a beat. He drew her closer to his chest and inhaled her fresh fragrance. She just took her bath and everything was still damp.

"You don't have to say anything. I feel the same way about you." Nasir whispered and lay her head on his chest as he soothed her hair gently.

Seeing this, a sweet smile appeared on Vera's face and she hugged him tighter.

Since the loss of her boyfriend to the zombies, she never expected to find love again in this life. And yet, here she was. Of all the people on the ark, Nasir was the one that understood her the most. Albeit, he talked too much, it was one of the reasons she loved him. Staying around him, brightened her soul and put a radiant smile on her face.

"When you two are done. You should visit the commoner section." A voice echoed in Nasir's head. Hearing this, he jacked his head back and looked at the surroundings for the source of the voice but found none.

"What the matter?" Vera asked.

Forcing out a smile. "Nothing. I remember I need to visit the commoner section. Wait for me in the med bay. I will come back quickly." He gave her a light peck and left her to embrace in a large stride.historical

Vera stood dumbfounded on the spot and his backside. She sighed with a bitter look on her face before she dragged her body reluctantly toward the med bay.

'Sometimes. I don't understand him.'

Nasir didn't look back as he rushed toward the commoner with his back drenched in cold sweats. 'How should I explain it to the King.' He thought with his heart racing.

Unknown to him, Justin didn't care about their personal life. He detected a fluctuation in the heavens mark in the commoner section and asked him to see it.

A couple of miles to the ark, on a desolate land filled with yellow sands with arid air. A group looked at the ark moving in the distance with an unsightly look.

"Those are the new enemies." A voice said among the beings. These beings are the Abyssal Desert Horde. They are from the recon team.

"Yes. Let's report back to the camp." With that, the group disappeared into the yellow sands.