The thought sent a chill down Elijah's spine. He quickly issued a series of commands to Abigail in his mind.
"Turn left four steps, turn right five steps, take two steps back, and then three steps forward!"
Abigail followed each command precisely. When she finally stood before him, Elijah reached into her chest, and Abigail showed no signs of resistance.
Could she not have advanced? Elijah pondered as he continued to touch her.
Given the usual number of corpse cores I've fed her, she shouldn't be at the point of advancing yet. The texture feels great! No, I haven't sensed any signs of her advancing either!
Reluctantly, Elijah withdrew his hand and switched to Abigail's abilities, confirming she still had first-tier defensive capabilities. But why was she acting so differently now?
"Abigail, have you remembered anything from the past?" Elijah decided to ask directly rather than speculate.
"I remember... some things, like..." Abigail paused, searching for the right word. "Like... a movie!"
Elijah observed her carefully. Whether he touched her or asked her questions, Abigail's expression remained unchanged—still blank like before, though her eyes were more vibrant and her speech more fluent.
"Could it be... due to memory restoration?" Elijah speculated. He couldn't determine if this was a good or bad thing, but he knew Daisy would be overjoyed if she found out.
"As long as she's still under control, it's fine!" Elijah decided not to dwell on it further. He instructed the other female zombies to spread out and keep watch while he brought Abigail back into the villa.
Elijah then went alone to the spirit plants cultivation room to observe the plants. Meanwhile, Abigail stood in the living room, glancing around subtly. Seeing no one paying attention to her, she muttered softly, "Abigail... is hungry!"
She reached under the red sash around her waist, rummaged a bit, and pulled out a corpse core, which she then popped into her mouth and chewed like it was a gummy candy. A look of satisfaction gleamed in her red eyes.
"I like... Daisy... she has food!"
By the time night had fully fallen, Fiona, Lily, and Daisy finally returned to the villa. Seeing them unharmed, Elijah breathed a sigh of relief. Gabriel, Emily, and Xavier also arrived, having been summoned by Elijah.
Sophia had prepared the spirit fish, and Yello, drawn by the scent, came over. Elijah gave it a piece of meat, which Yello devoured eagerly. Still hungry, it circled around Elijah for more.
Elijah teased Yello for a bit, noting no signs of it turning into a zombie. He then sent a message to Gabriel, informing him of the chance to awaken today, though it came with certain risks. Gabriel agreed without hesitation.
When Fiona finished hauling the last load of supplies back, Gabriel eagerly followed her to the island, leaving the truck unloaded.
"Brother-in-law, tell me... how do I awaken?" Gabriel immediately approached Elijah upon seeing him.
It has begun! Elijah thought.
Gabriel felt a warm current coursing through his body, filling him with strength. Eventually, the warmth settled into energy, circulating through his body.
"How do you feel? What ability did you awaken?" Elijah asked as Gabriel's aura stabilized.
"I feel full of strength, especially in my legs and waist!" Gabriel stood up, moving his limbs.
"It's too cramped here. Let's go outside and test it," Gabriel suggested.
"Alright!" Elijah agreed, already guessing what Gabriel's ability might be.
They exited the room, and everyone looked over.
"Gabriel, did you awaken an ability?" Emily asked nervously.
"Yes, and I'm about to test it outside!" Gabriel replied with a proud smile.
"Then hurry up, we're waiting to eat!" Fiona said calmly.
"Okay, sis!" Gabriel lowered his posture involuntarily and quickly ran out of the villa. Everyone followed.
Outside in the open space, Gabriel regained his confidence and addressed everyone, "Watch this!"
He then assumed a running stance. In the next instant, he launched himself forward like an arrow, quickly disappearing into the night.
"Wow! So fast!"
"Is his ability speed?!"
Everyone began discussing excitedly.
Emily, Xavier, and Jasmine watched Gabriel disappear with envy.
"Is it a physical ability? Speed... not bad!" Elijah mused. Gabriel's description of feeling full of strength made him guess correctly. Only physical abilities, especially strength and speed, would show such obvious improvements.
Elijah then switched to Gabriel's ability. He was eager to see what passive enhancements it could bring him!