My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse novel Chapter 390

Duke could sense the tension and worry etched on Kisha’s face. Though he offered her words of reassurance, he knew they wouldn’t be enough.

He wanted to stay by her side, to provide comfort, but duty called—he was needed at the western wall.

When it came to decisions involving Kisha, Duke’s loyalty was unwavering. He would choose her over everything—even if it meant the base would be overrun or razed to the ground.

His family, and especially Kisha, would always be his priority. Seeing the worry in her eyes over Rose, Duke quietly sat beside her, offering his silent support.

Kisha was just as surprised. She had specifically tasked Duke with overseeing the defense of the western wall while she stayed behind to watch over Rose.

After all, aside from herself, Duke was the most powerful person in the entire base. She trusted him to step into her shoes, ensuring the defense of the western wall without letting a single life be lost.

"I’m not leaving you alone," Duke declared firmly. He didn’t need Kisha’s permission; his mind was already made up.

After all, why would he let her shoulder all the burden when he was the man in their relationship, meant to protect her?

And besides, if things took a turn for the worse and Rose did end up becoming a zombie, at least he and Kisha could handle the situation together.

Two heads are better than one, after all—just like when he helped her during that last battle with the unique zombie.

"Why aren’t you leaving?" Kisha asked, raising an eyebrow, though she didn’t push him to go.

"Why would I leave knowing you’d be facing a great danger alone?" Duke replied. "Besides, we’re in your territory. What’s the harm if we’re not around for an hour or two? The base won’t crumble just because we’re absent for a little while, right?"

"If that were true, it would mean we haven’t done a great job making the base self-sufficient or resilient without us," Duke said, half-joking, though his words carried a certain gravity. Kisha knew he wasn’t entirely kidding, but she chose not to respond.

But Duke was right—everything he said made sense. Now that he was there, Kisha felt a wave of relief wash over her.

She gradually let go of the worries that had been consuming her thoughts about Rose.

The two sat quietly, side by side, gazing at the block of ice in front of them, a peaceful silence settling between them.

Another hour passed, and still, there was no movement from Rose. It had already been over 24 hours, edging closer to 35, far beyond the expected time for the awakening, which was supposed to last only half a day to a full day.

Now, more than fear, Kisha was starting to feel deep concern for Rose. A strange thought crossed her mind, comparing Rose to a chick that dies inside an egg before it can hatch.

’What if Rose, instead of becoming an evolved zombie, was stuck in some irreversible state—like an egg that never breaks?’

"008, is there truly no way we can check Rose’s progress using my gift, the ’Eye of Truth’?" Kisha asked through their mind link, her thoughts tinged with a little desperation. _{freёweɓnovel.com}

"Host, I’ve already attempted to scan her, but it seems the crystal ice is interfering with the process. Either that, or she’s in a limbo state—neither transforming nor awakening. That’s why every scan results in an error," 008 explained, uncertainty creeping into its usually confident tone. No matter how many times it tried, the result remained the same: error.

"Hmm," Kisha murmured, her mind spinning with another wave of thoughts. Duke noticed the intensity in her expression, glancing at the crystal ice before turning back to her.