《Legend of Chase Marcus》 Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning
The Demon Emperor of the Seventh Realm has died! You have slain the legendary Lord of Destruction!
A translucent window appeared in front of me the moment I severed the beast¡¯s neck. How long was it since this familiar window first appeared? I could not remember. What I was sure of was that decades had passed since the Judgement Day. Billions of humans succumbed to their banes that day, and my loved ones were no exemption. ¡°Heh, damn monster,¡± I spat. My eyes were glaring at the beast in front of me. The ruler of the Seventh Realm. One of the seven rulers of Hell. Its humanoid body was slim, yet muscular. Twin horns protruded out of its forehead, encircling towards the back. Its eyes were bloodshot from rage, and its sharp set of teeth were wide open. Its chest was perforated with holes from my blade, and its right arm was severed from its body. Around us, mountains were split apart, and the previously lush forest had turned barren. The ground had been turned into an endless dessert, and numerous bodies of demonic beasts littered the ground.
You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up!
¡°Great, I gained four levels,¡± I chuckled in mockery. I was Lv.195 now, probably the highest a human had ever achieved in this lifetime. After all, a mere Demon Lord was around level 95. At my current level, taking care of it would be a piece of cake. ¡°Killing Demon Lords, huh?¡± I said. ¡°Now that I remember, there was that Demon Lord that doesn¡¯t like to harm humans. Is he still alive? I wonder. After all, he¡¯s the weakest of his kind.¡± Back then, before I became this strong, I had the fortune to encounter to the Demon Lord called Kreylam. He was a monster that would remind one of a humanoid cat. He had the characteristic horns of demons, but his body that was that of a human entirely. I had not passed the Lv10 mark that time, and just that demon¡¯s aura alone was enough to send me to the brink of insanity. But to my surprise, that demon spared my life. Even now, I could still vividly remember the words he said back then: ¡°The current Lucifer is too lax. There is no doubt that this invasion is perpetrated by the Lord of the Seventh Realm. I will need to talk to him.¡± I had no idea what Kreylam was talking about back then. It was only after a few years had passed since the human race was brought to the brink of extinction that I found out the meaning behind those words. It appears that Lucifer, the current ruler of all seven realms of Hell, was in deep hibernation. Using that opportunity, the Lord of the Seventh Realm rallied his troops and invaded the Mortal Realm, resulting to billions of casualties.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I was in rage. The memories of how I found the corpses of my loved ones repeatedly resurfaced in my mind. Before, I was mindlessly killing all the demons that I could find. But after realizing the meaning behind Kreylam¡¯s words, I had decided that I would kill this so-called Ruler of the Seventh Realm. And now that wish had turned reality. ¡°Bastard,¡± I snarled at the corpse in front of me. Its disfigured face was a sight. ¡°Just killing you isn¡¯t enough! Do you know how much suffering my loved ones went through?! Why did you have to kill all the humans?! Why?!¡± In my rage, I kicked its head, sending it rolling through the desert ground. Sand flew everywhere, and I shouted in utter rage. ¡°Damn it!¡±
Due to the Curse of the Lord of Destruction, all healing abilities had been sealed. Current HP: 158/71590
I was dying, there was no doubt about it. But somehow, there was no regret, only contentment. A single tear flowed down my cheek as the memories of how I struggled in these past years resurfaced within my mind. I trained myself everyday with single-minded focus. My only driving force was my desire to kill this bastard. I let myself fall down the sand-covered ground. The former forest had turned into a desert after our fight. ¡°I¡¯ve become really strong, haven¡¯t I?¡± I said, as I raised a hand over my face, shielding it from the scorching sun above. My HP continued to dwindle down as I laid there, waiting for my final moments to come. ¡°Franchesca¡­ I¡¯m coming to you,¡± I mumbled. I was unable to protect her back then. ¡°We¡¯ll be together, finally.¡± I was about to close my eyes when a voice rang out. ¡°My, my, what a marvelous sight,¡± said the voice. It was cold, eerily cold. ¡°To think that a mere human would be able to kill the Lord of Destruction. Truly a sight to behold.¡± With what little strength I had left, I turned my head and looked at the source of the voice. A child in his early teenage years. His white robe covered his body, and his ivory skin seemed to glimmer upon the faintest touch of light. His blonde hair flowed down till his waist. And those sapphire eyes of his seemed to pierce through me, and I knew that he was looking directly at my very soul. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. The child looked at the headless corpse of the Lord of Destruction, then at me. He smiled, revealing a beautiful set of teeth. ¡°I am Lucifer,¡± he said jubilantly. Shivers crawled down my spine. I knew that he was not lying. My years of battling with demons told me that. ¡°The ruler of all seven realms of Hell. The absolute God of Hell.¡± I tried to stand up, but my body refused to move. Upon looking at my stats, I saw that it was only a matter of moments before my HP was depleted. There were so many questions I wanted to ask Lucifer, but I guess that was impossible now. I smirked from the realization. ¡°Can no longer move and speak, eh?¡± said Lucifer nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to talk with you more, but it seems that is no longer possible. After all, the Reincarnation Ritual works only to those that are on the brink of death. I cannot heal you.¡± Reincarnation Ritual? Those words had an ominous ring to it. Lucifer opened both his arms wide, then smugly declared, ¡°The God of Hell has spoken. With my will, death shall be void. Time shall shatter. The string of fate shall be severed.¡± For a moment, Lucifer and I locked eyes with each other. ¡°After hundreds of years of sleep, I have finally awoken. Mortal, I must thank you for taking care of this mess,¡± said Lucifer. ¡°I thank you for taking down the Lord of Destruction. Saved me a lot of headache, really.¡± There was a soft chuckle after that, like the one you would hear from a child. As I thought, the Lord of Destruction was acting on his own. The Judgement Day was entirely his doing. ¡°As a favor, I will return you to the time before this mess happened,¡± said Lucifer. ¡°Live your life once again. This will be the first and last time we¡¯ll meet. If you meet the me in the parallel timeline, be sure to give your regards. Farewell, mortal.¡± A blinding flash of light enveloped my entire body, my surroundings distorted, and I found myself in an entirely different place. I looked around. A familiar, smelly room. Unwashed laundries everywhere. The cracked glass of the window was something I had not forgotten even now. ¡°This¡­ is my room,¡± I said, voice hushed in disbelief. I ran to the mirror in the bathroom and I could not believe what I saw. Thick brows, bald head, and a small scar on my left cheek. The same slit-like eyes from before were staring directly at my reflection. The wrinkles I gained from age were no longer there. I was young. Absurdly young. I dashed to the bedroom and opened the television. I paid no heed to the pretty female announcer on the news. My eyes were focused on the numbers at the bottom of the screen. It seems that I was transported back a few hours before the Judgement Day transpired. Chapter 2: Sword of Muramasa Chapter 2: Sword of Muramasa I stared at the numbers displayed at the bottom of the television screen. The date, the time, there was no mistaking it. I was indeed transported back to the same day the demons attacked. ¡°Four hours,¡± I said to myself. Somewhere within me, there was this seed of doubt that everything could have been a dream. But my memories were so vivid that my mind refused to believe it was not reality. And I knew that it was not the time for hesitations. I grabbed my phone and dialed a familiar number. A clicking sound was heard as the man answered. ¡°Hey, what is it? I¡¯m a bit busy now so you should call la¡ª¡± ¡°Jerry, this is urgent. I need you to meet me in front of the university gate,¡± I said, my voice deep and stern. ¡°Two hours from now. Be sure to be there.¡± My friend Jerry was obviously baffled by my tone. ¡°W-What are you talking about? You know that I¡¯m on my job, right? I can¡¯t afford to leave now! My boss will¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªJust be there, okay?!¡± I snarled. ¡°Look, listen. This involves the lives of people. I know you have a little sister. She¡¯s your only family, right? Bring her along. Be sure to bring her along.¡± The last part was emphasized the most. There was a long pause after that, and I was sure that my friend, Jerry, was deep in his thoughts. ¡°Mate, could you at least tell what this is about?¡± Jerry said, finally. I took a deep breath then sighed. My voice was calmer somehow. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but you and your sister will die if you do not meet me there. Please, just this once. Listen to me.¡± My voice was half-croaking, half-crying. Back then, Jerry was the one who was with me when the apocalypse transpired. We survived the first day of the apocalypse, but eventually, Jerry decided to look for his sister. And he died along the way. I felt a squeezing sensation in my heart as those memories resurfaced. If these memories of mine were real, then this city was no longer safe. At the very least, we need to get out of here and go to that shelter. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Jerry. From the other end of the line, I could hear the voice of his boss reprimanding him for using the phone while at work. ¡°What happened, pal? Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Unlike you, I no longer have a family. Jerry, you¡¯re my only real friend,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to you. Please listen to me just this once. Please.¡± There was a sigh of resignation from Jerry. ¡°Fine. One o¡¯clock then? The university gate.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Be sure to bring Kristine with you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Jerry. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to talk with my boss here. He¡¯s been glaring at me for quite some time now.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I almost let out a chuckle. I was glad that he would come. ¡°See you.¡± And the call ended. My mind wandered off to what I was going to do next. What was important was our survival. Buying firearms felt useless to me right now. Sure, they were effective against weak creatures like goblins, but as for the rest of the monsters that were about to come, they were nothing but metallic scraps. What I needed right now was a sword, or any other bladed weapon I could get my hands on. I grabbed a large bag inside my room, then went outside. I planned on emptying what little savings I had inside the bank. After all, money would become useless once all hell breaks loose. I needed to buy rations. After withdrawing money from the bank, I went to the grocery store and bought dried goods and a few bottles of water. I also went to the pharmacy and bought some emergency provisions. And lastly, I went to the old antique shop right across our street. Back when the apocalypse transpired, it was the same place where I got my weapon. But back then, the old store owner was already dead, and all the expensive antiques were already torn and shattered. I entered the door, and the metallic chimes rang. The old store owner lowered down the newspaper he was reading, then gazed at my direction. ¡°Yes, what can I do for you?¡± he said in a monotone. He had probably dealt with certain people before: customers who were only here for sightseeing. ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a sword,¡± I said, my eyes glancing around the room. I realized that I could not see it anywhere. The old man raised his brow. He coughed then placed the newspaper on the wooden counter. ¡°We do not sell those stuff here, young lad. Go somewhere else.¡± His voice was icy, but I ignored it. ¡°The sword created by a person named Muzuchi,¡± I said. I saw the transitional change within the old man¡¯s face. ¡°Muzuchi?¡± said the old man. He peered at me behind his spectacles. ¡°That¡¯s an heirloom of my family. How did you know about it?¡± There was a hint of threat within those voice. So, it was an heirloom, huh? No wonder the blade was preserved so perfectly. Back then, that blade saved me numerous times. I placed a hand on the wooden counter. ¡°Please let me buy it. I want to buy it. Please.¡± There was disbelief on the old man¡¯s face. He snorted. ¡°Young lad, an heirloom is not something you buy with money.¡± I inwardly groaned, but immediately regained my composure. I took out all the money I had in my bag. ¡°Here¡¯s all that I¡¯ve got. I need that blade of yours. Please¡­ sell it to me.¡± The money I had placed on the wooden counter was probably good enough for me to live for almost a year. It was my entire life¡¯s saving. The old man took a momentary glance at the bills, then looked straight into my eyes. ¡°That blade is called the Flowing River. It is a sacred treasure that was said to have been used by the famous warrior, Muramasa,¡± he said. ¡°Even if you give me a hundred times of this amount, I will not sell it to you.¡± I closed my eyes for a moment. Just as I thought, it was impossible to obtain the sword using normal negotiations. ¡°I see,¡± I breathed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity then.¡± The old man smirked. ¡°If you understand that, then get out of my sho¡ª¡± With a soft thud, my hand hit the old man¡¯s neck, immediately making him unconscious. The memories of the time when I fought the demons were still very vivid within my memories. My current self right now could probably fight against armed soldiers and still win barehandedly. I grabbed the old man by his collar, carefully putting him down the ground. I looked around. I had long confirmed using my senses that this place was empty save for the old man and I. ¡°Now, where¡¯s the sword?¡± I moved pieces of antiques left and right, not really bothering to care if I broke some of them in the process. After all, these things would soon lose their value. What mattered most right now were human lives. The lives of my loved ones. After some painful search, I eventually found the sword hidden behind the cabinet of a wine cellar. I pulled it out of the scabbard. ¡°Still perfect,¡± I said in glee. Like before, its blade glimmered at the faintest touch of light. It was something that befitted to be called a national treasure. ¡°I missed you, partner,¡± I said as I sheathed the sword into its scabbard. Afterwards, I grabbed the newspaper the old man was reading before and used it to cover the entire sword. Being interrogated by police officers was something I would rather avoid right now. My eyes landed on the unconscious figure of the old man. Within me, I somehow wished he would not wake up. After all, the apocalypse that would soon come was a nightmare no one could avoid. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, old man,¡± I afforded him one last glance. ¡°And thanks for the sword. Farewell.¡± With those parting words, I left the shop and went to our University. Chapter 3: Refusal and Resolve Chapter 3: Refusal and Resolve Just like in my memories, today was scorching hot. The unassuming populace filled the streets with life, as numerous cars passed through the busy road. Towering buildings were seen in all directions, and advertisements were flashed through the large television screens. It was a prosperous city, but I knew that it would meet its end soon. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± greeted Jerry the moment he saw me approaching. He was standing in front of the silver metallic placard of our university, just beside the large steel gate. Numerous university students passed through the gate. On his left was an angelic face that was very much familiar: Jerry¡¯s little sister. ¡°Sorry, I had to fix some things,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ that?¡± said Jerry, his eyes squinted as he scrutinized me from head to toe. ¡°Why did you carry your entire house with you?¡± Right now, I was carrying a large backpack that covered my entire back. On my hand was the newspaper-covered sword I stole from the old man. ¡°I can¡¯t explain right now,¡± I said. I afforded a glance at his sister, then gave a polite and friendly smile. ¡°Jerry, we¡¯re still missing another person. After I get her, we¡¯ll depart for the mountains.¡± Jerry¡¯s eyes widened. He probably could not believe the words I just said. He probably had not expected me to ask him to suddenly go camping. ¡°What, what the hell?!¡± he shouted. Some of the passersby glanced at our direction. ¡°Did you know that I got scolded by my boss because of this?! Dude, I almost lost my job! And now, you¡¯re telling me we¡¯re just going camping?! That¡¯s it?!¡± ¡°Hey, not so loud,¡± I remarked. ¡°We¡¯re not going to be merely camping. Trust me on this one, okay?¡± I swear I saw a small steam come out of Jerry¡¯s nose after that. He looked at his sister, then at me. ¡°Fine. So, who¡¯s the other person we¡¯re taking with us?¡± ¡°Franchesca Voulie. We¡¯ll be taking her with us.¡± Jerry opened then closed his mouth. ¡°You guys know each other?¡± he said in almost a whisper. His sister seemed to have noticed his irregular breaths as he asked that question. She shot a quizzical stare as she tilted her head. ¡°Not really. This is the first time I¡¯ll be speaking with her,¡± I said. From my position, I could clearly make out my reflection against the metallic placard of the university. ¡°But we¡¯ll be taking her with us anyway.¡± I tossed my large backpack to Jerry, and he almost stumbled from the impact. He glared at me, but I casually brushed it aside. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go get her.¡± ¡°Chase, you do realize that she¡¯s the goddess of our university, no?¡± ¡°I know,¡± I chuckled. Somehow, the idea that I would finally be able to protect her filled me with unexplainable bliss. The thought of the upcoming apocalypse was quickly clouded by gleeful thoughts. That¡¯s right. I no longer cared if other people in this world dies. What mattered was that Jerry and Franchesca were safe. Everyone else were second priority. Jerry stared at me as though I was some madman. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Stay here, okay?¡± After those words, I entered the University. Behind me, a loud sighing sound was heard. *** Thankfully, the security inside the university was lax. They did not even bother to check the newspaper-wrapped sword I held as I went inside. The guards were merrily chatting with each other, and I immediately used that to my advantage. With fluid movements, I easily blended in with the other students. If I remembered correctly, it was around five days after the Apocalypse transpired before I met Franchesca. To put it simply, she still did not know me around this time. I did not know how she survived those five days of hellish nightmare alone and without me by her side, but one thing was sure: The me right now would do everything in my power to protect her. Back then, we survived together for a few months, prolonging our lives by hiding and eating rotten food. It was disgusting, and there were numerous times we got sick, but it was our only means for survival. But there was no longer any need to do that now. I vowed to myself that I would protect her, no matter what. I easily located her class after asking around. She was undisputedly the most popular girl in the entire university, also nicknamed the ¡®goddess.¡¯ Her beauty was unparalleled, but what attracted me the most was her tenacity to survive¡ªand her kindness. When I was sick, tired, and wounded, she tended to my injuries. When I was on the verge of giving up, she cheered me on. My only regret back then was that I was far too weak. She lost her life trying to protect me. She lost her life trying to buy me time to escape.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Now that I thought of it, I was a big pile of scum back then. I should have held the demons at bay and made her escape instead, despite my injuries. I was a scum. A coward. There was no doubt about that. ¡°It¡¯s my turn to protect you now,¡± I said with resolve. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die. I promise.¡± As I stood outside the door to her class, I heard her professor speak. ¡°The pulmonic heart sound is best heard at the second ICS, left parasternal border. Usually when we auscultate this region¡­¡± I twisted the knob and the door squeaked open. The professor stopped with his lecture as he looked at me. But I did not care about that. My eyes looked around, and I immediately found her. She was sitting at the front, right at the middle. A woman with brown, curly hair flowing till the shoulder. Her blue, almond eyes were gazing at me, and they glimmered with curiosity. Her body was slender, a bit pale when compared to her white dress. Her nose was not flat nor pointed, just the right angle and shape. Her lips were red and velvet, and I remembered the first time we kissed back then. For a moment, my mind went blank upon seeing her beauty. I realized that along with the professor, all of the students were staring at me. I locked eyes with Franchesca for a second. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± said the professor. I ignored her. With a loud and clear voice, I said, ¡°Franchesca Voulie! I love you! I have loved you since I first met you! Please go out with me!¡± My declaration of love stirred everyone inside the room. Some of the female students squeaked, while some shot daggers at my direction. Most of the male students were glaring, while some were snickering. I could not blame them. After all, I was ugly. I knew that since I was a child. ¡°Hey, baldie!¡± said one of the male students at the back. ¡°You¡¯re disturbing our class! The goddess will never go out with someone like you!¡± Laughter from the male students came after that. ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s right!¡± said the professor. For a moment, I thought of how weak her voice sounded. ¡°You¡¯re disturbing the class! Do those things after classes are over!¡± Once again, I ignored her. My eyes were focused on the woman that was intently staring at me. Contrary to my expectations, she was calm and composed even after my declaration of love. She must have been used to being confessed to, huh? ¡°Franchesca!¡± I repeated. I no longer cared about appearances. What mattered was that I was able to take her far away from this city. ¡°Please go out with me!¡± My voice echoed inside the room. Franchesca gave an apologetic bow to the professor. She said, ¡°Sorry about this, professor. But could I go speak with him for a moment?¡± It took a few seconds before the professor was able to respond. ¡°S-Sure! Go ahead!¡± Snickering sounds from some of the students were heard. I was pretty sure that they were expecting her to reject me. Well, it did not matter anyway. My goal was not for her to fall in love with me. My goal was to convince her to come with me towards a safer location. After all, this city would soon become the spawn point of demons. It would be no exaggeration to say that this city was one of the most dangerous places to be in once the apocalypse strikes. Franchesca approached me, and wordlessly, the two of us went outside the room. In the hallway, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I hardly know you.¡± So, she was going to start with an apology, huh? I let out a small smile upon realizing that she was indeed the same Franchesca I knew back then. Her kindness was the same as before. And that beauty¡ªOh, God. She was breathtakingly beautiful. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± she asked. I did not realize that my suppressed smile had already turned into a broad grin. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said as I immediately assumed a serious face. ¡°Well, what I¡¯ve said before¡­ I really do love you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I do not know you. And besides, I have no plans of entering into a relationship with anyone right now,¡± she said, her voice apologetic. I momentarily paused. How should I convince her to come with me? And then realization struck me. I said, ¡°Franchesca Voulie. 20 years old. Your father works oversees. A civil engineer. Your mother died back when you were in high school, due to colon cancer.¡± She shot me a quizzical stare after I said those words. Slowly, her curious face turned into that of terror. Yes, I know. I probably looked like a madman-stalker right now. ¡°Your sister is in the Province of Capo. A student of biology. Right now, your only companion is your dog, Benedict. He¡¯s a large one, isn¡¯t he?¡± She took two steps back as she listened to my ramblings. I was pretty sure that she was about to run away, but then she heard things that only she should have known about, she stopped and listened. ¡°You have three diaries. The first one was written when you were nine. It¡¯s mainly about how awesome your dad is. The second one was written when you were in high school. You were depressed about the death of your mom back then, so you wrote out everything in that diary of yours.¡± By now, her expression of terror slowly faded away. Instead, it was replaced by shock and curiosity. After all, this was information only she knew about. Well, she told me about this back in the previous timeline. But of course, she had no way of knowing that. ¡°How, how did you know that?!¡± she breathed. But I did not respond. Instead I continued, ¡°Lastly, the third diary. It¡¯s a diary filled with your hopes and dreams. About how you wanted to be a singer, but your fear of crowd was preventing you from achieving that. It¡¯s also filled with thoughts of how handsome Aleck Frozen is.¡± I shrugged after I said that part. Honestly, I thought that comedian was ugly. There was a long and awkward silence after that. She stared at me, probably in shock or terror, or maybe both. ¡°I-I¡¯ve never told anyone about that!¡± she said, her voice turned high-pitched and eerie. I chuckled then smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve told me about that,¡± I said. She shook her head. I added, ¡°Otherwise, how would I know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s what I want to find out!¡± she breathed. ¡°Y-You¡¯re¡­ You¡­¡± Her flustered face was such an adorable sight. I wanted to hug her and kiss her, but I restrained myself. I steeled myself and said the words that I needed to say. ¡°You don¡¯t have to love me back. And I won¡¯t be expecting anything in return, but please, just for this instance, come with me,¡± I said. ¡°Otherwise, I can¡¯t protect you!¡± Franchesca shot a quizzical gaze at me. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This city will soon turn into a warzone,¡± I said. I did not reveal the fact about the demons. After all, she would not believe me. ¡°War will soon engulf this area. I need you to come with me. Please.¡± Franchesca¡¯s eyes went wide the moment I knelt down the ground. A student that was going to pass through the hallway stopped and stared at us. ¡°Please. I know this sounds selfish, but please come with me,¡± I begged. Tears started forming at the corner of my eyes. I felt desperate. What if she did not concede and come with me? What should I do? Franchesca breathed in then out. She stared at my pleading self for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said as she shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± And without another word, she went back to her class. I sighed in remorse. I should have expected this. The spectating student from before stared at me for a few seconds more, before he eventually passed through. I heard him whisper, ¡°Pathetic,¡± behind my back. I leaned on the wall. From my position, I could hear the muffled voice of the professor from before. I looked at the newspaper-covered sword in my hand. ¡°If she¡¯s not going to come with me to a safer location, then I¡¯ll just protect her in this place,¡± I said. Resolve shone through my eyes. I went outside and made Jerry and his sister go inside the university. Thankfully, the guards were as lax as before. Our entrance was swift and fluid. ¡°Change of plans,¡± I said to him. Jerry raised a brow. He was probably confused of what was happening. ¡°What? Seriously, pal. Are you okay?¡± I did not answer his question. Instead, I declared. ¡°Change of plans. We¡¯ll stay here. I will guard her with my life.¡± Chapter 4: The Arrival of Dawn Chapter 4: The Arrival of Dawn I silently stood on the hallway as I waited for Franchesca¡¯s class to finish. Every now and then, Jerry would cast dubious stares and glares at my direction. I could not blame the guy. After all, he ditched his work just to come with me to this place. On top of that, he brought his sister with him. ¡°This makes no sense!¡± he said in exasperation. His sunken cheeks moved as he ruffled his brown hair. ¡°What do you mean that our lives are in danger?¡± I closed my eyes for a moment. ¡°Just like I¡¯ve told you. This place will soon be overridden by demons¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªthat¡¯s what I was saying!¡± said Jerry, his voice echoing through the empty corridor. ¡°That¡¯s what makes no sense! Look, Chase! I don¡¯t know why you keep spouting lies like that, but I hope you¡¯ll consider our side as well! You know that I need my job, right?¡± ¡°A job is useless if you¡¯re dead,¡± I retorted. I sighed. ¡°Look, just trust me on this one, okay?¡± I looked at my worn-out leather watch. ¡°An hour left and it¡¯ll happen.¡± For some reason, Jerry stayed silent after that. Maybe he felt the grimness within my voice, or maybe he saw the murderous intent within my eyes, I was not sure. Well, what he thought of me right now hardly mattered. What was important was that he was with me. I cannot and will not let the same mistakes from the previous timeline happen once again. We spent the remaining time in total silence. From the corner of my eyes, I could see that Jerry¡¯s little sister was already uncomfortable of the current situation. Was she hungry? If this was a normal circumstance, I would have offered her the food in my bag. But right now, I knew full well the importance of the rations we currently have. It would soon mean our life and death, and I would do everything in order to conserve it. ¡°Five more minutes,¡± I mumbled. I was not sure of the exact time and moment the apocalypse happened, but I could somehow estimate that it was around this time of the day. ¡°Jerry, take the bag with you. Come with me,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll go inside the room and grab Franchesca by force.¡± Jerry¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief from what I said. He repeatedly opened then closed his mouth, then in a baffled tone, he said, ¡°You-You¡¯re nuts! What do you mean take by force?¡± He grabbed his sister¡¯s hand, probably finally ready to leave the place after putting up with all my charades. Once again, I sighed. As expected, I really looked like a madman right now. I walked to him and stared straight into his eyes. ¡°What will happen in the next few minutes will be a living nightmare. I cannot fight while bringing that large bag with me. Be sure to keep it with you as we flee this place.¡± My eyes momentarily fell on his sister. ¡°And try not to leave my side too much. I cannot protect all of you otherwise.¡± And as though on cue, a familiar window popped up in front of us.
Surprise bitches! Judgement Day is finally here! Scream and fear! Your lives and souls are ours to devour!
Jerry stared at the translucent window in shock. On the other hand, I was smirking after I saw it. My current situation right now was vastly different than before. This time, I knew fully well how to beat this shitty game. I licked my lips then placed a firm grip on Jerry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Stay close to me. And never let go of that bag.¡± For the first time, Jerry conceded. He was still probably surprised by what he saw. ¡°Th-The ground,¡± said Jerry. It started out as a low grumbling sound at first, and it quickly escalated into deafening crackles and whistles. The ground violently shook, and debris fell down the ceiling. The three of us crouched in order to maintain our balance. From the outside, bells and alarms rang, and the sound of students screaming was heard. This continued for a full minute more, before the deafening sounds and violent quakes stopped altogether. The entire hallway was filled with cracks, and a part of the eastern wing had fallen down. A large slab of stone barricaded one of the exits, and we were left with no choice but to traverse through the other one.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Jerry¡¯s sister was crying, almost wailing, but I chose to ignore her. I tried to open the door to Franchesca¡¯s class. It was stuck due to the quake. Without warning, I kicked it open, sending half of it flying inside the room. The inside of the classroom was in chaos. Chairs were scattered all over, and trembling students were crouching on the floor. It was actually a miracle in itself that this building did not fall down even after such a strong earthquake. Well, I had expected it. After all, even back in the previous timeline, Franchesca did not die on the first day. The professor from before was silently crying at the corner. I frowned as I thought of how useless she was. With brisk steps, I stormed the room then grabbed Franchesca by the hand. Tears had formed at the corner of her eyes. For a moment, I felt a squeezing sensation in my heart. I did not want to see her like this. ¡°We¡¯ll be getting out of here,¡± I firmly told her. ¡°Come.¡± I did not know if it was because she was trembling in fear from what transpired, but Franchesca easily went out the room with me. After we went outside, I could hear some of her classmates getting up one after another. I was hoping that they¡¯ll be in stupor for a few moments more. After all, it would be easier to escape if we have fewer people. ¡°Jerry, the bag. Don¡¯t drop it,¡± I said the moment we stepped out of the room. ¡°We¡¯ll be escaping this city. Let¡¯s go.¡± Before long, students started getting out of the room. I firmed my grip on Franchesca¡¯s hand, and ushered all of us towards the exit. Outside, a horrifying scenario greeted us. A large fissure destroyed more than half the campus. Buildings were toppled over, and numerous dead bodies were scattered about, crushed by the slabs of rocks and stones that fell down the ground. Smoke swirled upwards, covering entire sky. It was hard to breathe, and visibility was becoming hazier with each passing moment. I felt Franchesca¡¯s trembling fingers as she held my hand. Behind us, Jerry and his sister dumbfoundedly stared at the unfolded nightmare. ¡°H-Help! S-Stop! Aaaaah!¡± ¡°Help us! Heeeelp!¡± ¡°Monsters! Run! Ahhhhh! Stoopp!¡± Not far from us, screams reverberated. Even from this distance, I could make out the silhouettes of numerous humanoid creatures massacring the surviving humans. A small horn protruded out of their foreheads, and their slit-like eyes glimmered in malice and lust for flesh. Green metallic sheens covered their naked bodies, and a small tail flailed about on their backs. A small box, which seemed to have been taken straight out of an RPG, hovered above their heads.
Lesser Green Demon Lv.3
One after another, the pesky demons slaughtered the students that survived the quake. Blood filled the air as screams of anguish and terror reverberated. Necks were slit, eyes were scooped out, and limbs were severed from the bodies. The claws of those demons were as sharp as blades, and dismembering humans were as easy as cutting through butter. Unable to contain all the fear inside, the Jerry¡¯s little sister screamed. He tried to hush her, but it was too late. Some of the demons directed their focus on us. I swore I saw one of them lick its lips in anticipation of mutilating a new prey. ¡°System, put all bonus points to agility!¡± I said.
Do you wish to allocate 5 points to agility?
I made an annoyed sound when the translucent window popped up. Back then, I was unaware that all humans were given five bonus points the moment the apocalypse transpired. It was not much when compared to what I attained back then. But right now, those bonus points would mean the difference between life and death. ¡°Just do it!¡± I snarled. By now, three demons were approaching our direction. It was only a matter of seconds before they closed the gap between us. Running from them while protecting three more people would prove useless at this point. The best course of action would be to kill the pursuing demons first, then escape after.
5 points has been allocated to agility.
After that notification, I turned to Franchesca and Jerry. I said, ¡°Stay here! Don¡¯t go too far from my side! Got that?!¡± At the corner of my eyes, I saw that the classmates of Franchesca had started to go out of the building one after another. They screamed in pure terror after seeing the dead bodies strewn about, and after seeing the demons that kept massacring the surviving humans one after another. I gnashed my teeth. Those damn classmates of hers were too noisy. They should shut the hell up. Otherwise, more demons would come to this direction. But I did not have the luxury to tell them that right now. After all, the three demons had already closed the distance between us. Using its claws, one of the demons swiped at me. I felt the effect of adding all bonus points to agility, as I easily evaded its strike. The battle experience I had accumulated all throughout those years back in the previous timeline proved useful here. Contrary to the Demon Lords and Bosses I¡¯ve slaughtered back then, these puny little devils were nothing but child¡¯s play. But still, with my current level, this might prove more difficult than what it should have been. With swift and fluid movements, I unsheathed the sword I held in my hand. Its blade severed the demon¡¯s neck, sending its head rolling through the ground. One of the demons who saw this flew into rage. ¡°Die, you piece of shit,¡± I snarled. Once again, I dodged the demon¡¯s claws, then quickly countered with a swift strike of the blade. Another head rolled on the ground, and a soft splatting sound was heard as its blood spilled on the ground. I side-stepped as the last demon tried to bite my flesh. Using a single strike, I struck at its shoulder, but my blade failed to cut through its chest. ¡°Not enough strength, huh?¡± I said. As far as I remembered, these demons were already strong enough to resist against pistols. You¡¯ll need a large gun to kill one of these bastards. Therefore, creating such a large cut on its body was already a feat by itself. The demon staggered back as blood oozed out of the large gaping wound on its body. It glared at me with vehement ferocity. I glared back. ¡°Just die already,¡± I simply said as I raised my sword. With a practiced movement, I severed its head from the body. Its head fell down the ground with a loud thud, and its body fell on its knees then kissed the ground. I stood there for a full second as I gazed at its corpse. Red blood. Just like us, humans. I frowned at the thought. Chapter 5: Tunnels and Bones Chapter 5: Tunnels and Bones
As the sixth person to have killed a demon, you have been granted a Title! You have earned the Title: Pioneer!
In front of me, a translucent window popped up after I killed the demons. ¡°A title?¡± I said, my voice a bit curious.
Pioneer Granted to the first fifteen individuals that have killed a demon during the Judgment Day. + 3 to all Stats
For a moment, I stared at the written words on the screen. It was not a bad start. After all, back in the previous time line, I was unable to gain this title. Well, that was expected since I have been hiding since day one back then. Around us, the cries and wails of the surviving students still crescendo. But I chose to ignore that for now. Right now, I have a more pressing matter at hand. I needed to verify first my current stats. ¡°Just to be sure,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Open Status Window!¡± A mechanical Bling! sound rang, and my status screen appeared in front of me.
Chase Marcus
Race: Human Level: 1 Experience Points: 439/2381
HP: 121/121 Mana: 54/54 Stamina: 103/106
Strength: 3 (+3) Agility: 10 (+8) Vitality: 4 (+3)
Intelligence: 9 (+3) Dexterity: 15 (+3) Luck: 8 (+3)
Titles: Pioneer (+3 all stats) Unallocated points: 0
¡°As expected,¡± I said as my I gazed on my experience points. ¡°It¡¯ll take more than just that to level up. I need to kill more of those bastards.¡± Each individual has a different starting status. Those that were originally athletic have greater stamina and agility, and those that have been lifting weights have higher strength. Rationally speaking, leveling up was not the only way to boost one¡¯s stats. You could train your body to its maximum potential, and stats would naturally flow in as a result. I have tried it before, and back then, my base stats were around 35 per attribute. Of course, luck was not included in that. I had not experimented on what luck would do, and I would rather not to. After all, there was this high chance that it would be nothing but waste of status points. There was this definite rule that as you gain more levels, the harder it would be to go up the ladder. There would be an exponential rise in the required experience points for every level you gained in this shitty apocalyptic world. ¡°W-What was that?¡± I heard a voice behind me whisper. Upon turning around, I saw Jerry gawking at my direction. His eyes were wide open, almost bulging. ¡°W-What¡¯s happening? Those are¡­ are monters¡­ demons, right?¡± I simply nodded. At the corner of my eyes, I saw that Franchesca was still in deep shock. Moreover, her classmates were still wailing in fear, and screams of terror would come out every now and then. Those pieces of shit were literally giving out our location. ¡°Jerry, let¡¯s go,¡± I said as tapped his shoulder. He nodded and followed me, his hand firmly holding his sister¡¯s. I approached Franchesca then grabbed her hand. It was ice cold. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked, though I already knew the answer. She was unable to reply. I sighed and frowned. I hate to see her like this. ¡°The Franchesca that I know is a strong person,¡± I said as the memories of my previous life resurfaced. ¡°She¡¯s strong-willed. A survivor. Someone who wouldn¡¯t crumble to mere demons.¡± As I said those words, a sobbing sound came out. Crap. I made her cry. ¡°W-Wait!¡± I stuttered. Did I say something wrong? I racked my brains of the possible things to say but no words came out. When I was fighting demons, I was steady and calm. But against her crying face, I was in stupor. I was unable to fully speak. Behind us, screams echoed. I instinctively glanced at the source. Demons. Dozens of them. ¡°D-Demons!¡± ¡°W-Why are they here?!¡± ¡°R-Run!¡± In the blink of an eye, the classmates of Franchesca were being slaughtered one after another. I ushered my group towards our escape.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. As expected, it was finally happening. This city was indeed the spawn point of demons. The longer we stayed here, the more dangerous it would be. I firmed my grip on Franchesca¡¯s hand. She was trembling, and it would not be a surprise if she suddenly fainted from here. I wonder, how did she survive the apocalypse back in the previous timeline? With heavy breaths, we ran away from the university. We soon reached the metallic gate. ¡°H-Hey, what about those guys back there?¡± asked Jerry, his breaths deep and heavy. ¡°We¡¯re leaving them behind, of course,¡± I simply stated. ¡°Y-You can defeat those d-demons, right?¡± he said. ¡°W-We¡­ You should help them! They¡¯re dying out there, mate!¡± ¡°Are you stupid!?¡± I snarled. Jerry shriveled after my remark. ¡°We don¡¯t have that luxury right now!¡± I cast glance at Franchesca. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn if those guys die,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here¡ªand I¡¯m taking only you guys with me!¡± As I said those words, we¡¯ve finally gotten out of the university. Outside, a nightmare unfolded before our very eyes. Numerous buildings were toppled all over, their previously majestic exteriors cracked and reduced to smithereens. Smoke perpetually swirled up into the sky, smog filled the streets, and numerous cars burned into infernos. Scattered about were numerous corpses of what appeared to be humans. Screams and shrieks echoed, and occasional cackling laughter from the demons crescendo. I quickly stormed my brain for a way out. ¡°The subway,¡± I said as we stood there, our eyes glued to the burning city. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± There were no objections about my decision. All of us went towards that particular destination. Thankfully, no demons spotted us as we tried to escape. We arrived to the subway without much hitch and strife. As far as I remembered, back in the previous timeline, the trains in the subway were non-functional, but the tunnels themselves were intact. I guess I had to thank the government for that. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked Franchesca. She had been silent until now. She bobbed her head once, forcefully. I bit my lips after that sight. I swore that I would not let anything bad happen to her this time. ¡°There¡¯ll surely be monsters along this path,¡± I said. In front of us was the flight of steps that lead towards the underground. I saw everyone stiffen. ¡°But this is far safer than staying on the surface.¡± I did not know if my last statement brought relief to my group, but that hardly mattered now. This path was our best shot for survival. I was sure. I led the group towards the underground tunnels, and our steps echoed as we went deeper down. I realized that all of the lights were out. It was dark, eerily dark. I heard soft, hissing sounds. I signaled the group to stop. ¡°Jerry, the light,¡± I said, as I pointed at the pocket of the bag where it was stored. Jerry, still pallid and clammy, took out a flashlight. He opened it then let out a scream. ¡°Aaaaahhh!¡± His voice echoed through the tunnels, and he almost stumbled down. I did nothing but stare at the creatures that were unveiled by the light. Large plants that were twice the size of an adult human. Their flowers were filled with sharp fangs, and drools dripped down their mouth. Numerous vines crawled and latched through the walls of the subway. Beneath those plant creatures, bones covered the ground. ¡°T-Those are human bones, right?¡± said Jerry, his eyes wide, almost popping out. ¡°Calm down,¡± I said. At the corner of my eyes, I could somehow see that Jerry¡¯s sister was close to fainting. ¡°They¡¯re Demonic Fly Traps. They¡¯re much easier to kill than those demons above us.¡± At the head of those plant creatures, a translucent box floated.
Demonic Fly Traps Lv.3
These creatures have the same level as the green demons above, but their immobility was a great handicap. If one knows that these creatures were weak to the smell of burnt wood, then these bastards would be nothing but living sources of exp. I took out a piece of wood inside the bag and burned it. The smoke quickly spread through the tunnels, and the previously hissing demonic plants began to screech and wail. The members of my group were struck by fear after seeing this, and if not for me signaling them not to run away, they would have fled the subway. After almost a full minute, the screeching stopped. The demonic plants quivered, and their petals started to fall off one by one. I asked Jerry to hold the wood-turned torch for me. I unsheathed my sword and licked my lips. I struck the bodies of the plants one after another. They gave a soft, screeching sound, before their bodies eventually withered away then turned to dust. There were a lot of them, and by the time I was finished, I had finally gained a level.
You have leveled up!
I grinned after seeing the notification. ¡°System, allocate all points to agility!¡±
Do you wish to allocate 5 points to agility?
I was still inspecting our immediate surroundings when I replied, ¡°Do it.¡±
5 points has been allocated to agility!
Once again, I felt the boost from the added agility. I grinned. ¡°If we use this tunnel, we¡¯ll eventually arrive at Nagan Station. We can walk towards the mountains from there,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll take around five hours before we arrive.¡± There was no response from my group. Franchesca was still quivering, her face anxious and pallid. I signaled the group to move forward. Occasionally, I would step on piles of bones, sending a loud cracking sound throughout the subway. The dark tunnels were illuminated by our make-do torch, and the flashlight I now held in my hand. The sound of water dripping down from above served as background. ¡°O-Over there.¡± For the first time since the apocalypse started, Jerry¡¯s sister spoke. I looked at the direction she was pointing at. A distance from us, I could make out two silhouettes of what appeared to be humans. We kept walking, and soon, the light from our torch revealed their figures. Two naked women. And they were absurdly gorgeous. I heard Jerry gulp down the lump in his throat. ¡°Help us!¡± said one of them. She was close to sobbing, and tears were evident at the corner of her eyes. ¡°Please! We don¡¯t want to die!¡± said the other. I broadly grinned. I licked my lips then said, ¡°Then, come over here.¡± There were lust and malice within my voice, and at the corner of my eyes, I knew that the members of my group were staring at my direction. The two women approached me, their naked bodies exposed for everyone to see. ¡°This tunnel is indeed a treasure trove,¡± I mumbled. My eyes turned predatory. Without warning, I unsheathed my sword and struck the two women. Blood splattered as their heads rolled through the ground. Jerry¡¯s sister screamed. As I thought, the shock was too much for her to handle. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re not humans. Look.¡± As I said those words, their corpses slowly turned into a grotesque monster. Their ivory skin turned gnarled and dried, and their hairs turned into leaves and roots. Jerry¡¯s sister was dumfounded as she witnessed the sudden transition. ¡°Dryads,¡± I said. ¡°They take the form of humans and entice unsuspecting survivors. They¡¯ll suck you dry until only your bones are left.¡± I stepped over a pile of bones on my left. They cracked then turned to dust. ¡°These bones¡­ they¡¯re not because of those demonic plants from before,¡± I said. I once again licked my lips. After all, these pesky creatures called Dryads were around Lv. 5. Killing them like this was a stroke of fortune by itself. ¡°There¡¯s so much bones in this subway. I wonder how many people these bastards have killed by now.¡± The Dryads squirmed, but their bodies refused to move. ¡°You piece of shit! Human! I will kill you!¡± said one of them. The soothing voice from before had turned deep and ominous. ¡°I will devour you! I will eat your flesh! I will lick your bones! You damn piece of sh¡ª¡± I struck my sword deep into its squirming body. It screamed in pain, and I twisted my sword further in. I chuckled. ¡°Are you saying something?¡± I pulled out my sword then struck its body again, then again, then again. I only stopped after its body had withered then turned to dust. Of course, I did the same to the other monster. I checked my status points. The experience gained was not much, but I was sure that these creatures dropped that certain item. And I was correct. On the place where the Dryads had turned into dust, a small gemstone glimmered against the torch¡¯s light. ¡°System, identify!¡± I said.
Tears of Dryad Dryads are elusive creatures that feed on lust and flesh of their victims. They will feed on the life force of their prey and use that to extend their own lifespan. Due to their low ability to produce an offspring, their race is among those that are near extinction. Effects: Cures all abnormal status Heals 15000 HP Heals 250 Mana Number of uses: 1 per stone
It was an item that would normally be used by high-leveled individuals. It was merely a stroke of luck that I was able to encounter such monsters here. I tucked the stones inside my pocket. This was a good start, definitely. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said to the group. ¡°We need to get out of this city as soon as possible.¡± Chapter 6: The Bald Stranger Chapter 6: The Bald Stranger Franchesca¡¯s POV I thumbed through my hair as I listened to the professor. I had been suppressing a yawn since the start of the lecture. I guess I should have slept earlier last night. Like ordinary days, the room was filled with second year medical students. I was probably the youngest among these lot, particularly because I skipped a few levels back in elementary. In front of us, an image of the human thorax was projected on the screen. The professor diligently spoke about the proper ways of auscultation¡ªsomething that I had long mastered before. The professor stopped when the door squeaked open. Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to the man that entered. His face was unfamiliar, despite the striking appearance of a bald head and thick brows. For a moment, he remined me of the hoodlums in movies. He was a bit skinny, and his eyes were sunken and droopy. A bit scary, I must say. Still, I dismissed such thoughts. After all, it was never good to judge a person based on their appearance. He ignored the professor, his eyes scanning the entire room. We locked eyes with each other. To my surprise, he called out my name. ¡°Franchesca Voulie! I love you! I have loved you since I first met you! Please go out with me!¡± he shouted. Suddenly, I found myself the center of attention. What was happening? Who was this person? I stormed my mind for any particular encounter, but I could not remember him. Whispers and murmurs from my classmates filled the room. Some of the guys were chuckling. Somehow, this situation was awkward, embarrassing. But still, I tried to be calm and composed. ¡°Hey, baldie!¡± said one of the male students at the back. ¡°You¡¯re disturbing our class! The goddess will never go out with someone like you!¡± Laughter from the male students came after that. The short and plump professor said something about disturbing the class, but I quickly forgot about that. I was still deep in thought on who this person declaring his love was. ¡°Franchesca! Please go out with me!¡± he said, once again. I knitted my brows. I had been confessed to numerous times before, and I rejected each and every one of them. A relationship was not something I would want right now. I asked the professor for the permission to speak with him. After we went out of the room, I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I hardly know you.¡± My voice was deliberately cold. I hope this conversation would be enough to push him away. I stared at him, and I noticed that his smile had turned into a broad grin. I was creeped out, but I did my best not to run away from him. I held my ground. ¡°What are you smiling for?¡± I asked. He seemed flustered of my question, but he was able to quickly regain a serious expression. He said something about how he loves me, and some other things, but I brushed the thought aside. I told him that don¡¯t know him and that I have no plans on entering a relationship right now. An outright rejection. Peculiarly, even those words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. He merely stood there and paused, his mind probably deep in thought. Then he said, ¡°Franchesca Voulie. 20 years old. Your father works oversees. A civil engineer. Your mother died back when you were in high school, due to colon cancer.¡± I have not met him before. How did he know that? Slowly, my curious face turned into that of terror. My intuition screamed at me that I should get away from this man, as far away as possible. ¡°Your sister is in the Province of Capo. A student of biology. Right now, your only companion is your dog, Benedict. He¡¯s a large one, isn¡¯t he?¡± I took two steps back. I was about to run away when I heard things that only I should have known about. ¡°You have three diaries. The first one was written when you were nine. It¡¯s mainly about how awesome your dad is. The second one was written when you were in high school. You were depressed about the death of your mom back then, so you wrote out everything in that diary of yours.¡± What he had said was correct. All of it. But, how did he know that? It was something that only I knew about. I was pretty sure I have not told anyone about those, even my closest friends and my family included. My curiosity got the best of me. I asked, ¡°How, how did you know that?!¡± Instead of answering my question, the bald man continued with his monologue. ¡°Lastly, the third diary. It¡¯s a diary filled with your hopes and dreams. About how you wanted to be a singer, but your fear of crowd was preventing you from achieving that. It¡¯s also filled with thoughts of how handsome Aleck Frozen is.¡± I stiffened. ¡°I-I¡¯ve never told anyone about that!¡± I said, my voice turned high-pitched and eerie. He merely smiled and told me that I did tell him about it. But when? There was no way I would not be able to remember something as important as that. Our conversation continued. He said something about this place becoming a warzone. I did not believe him. And why was he pleading at me to come with him? And what¡¯s with those tears in his eyes? For a moment, I thought that he was pathetic. He should understand it too, right? There was no way that I would just come with him just like that. I did not want to incessantly hurt his feelings, so I merely replied, ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± then went back to class. There was this squeezing sensation within my chest. Once again, I have hurt the feelings of another person. Sometimes, I wondered why God created me like this. I was pretty, gorgeous rather, I was sure. But that was not something I was too fond of. I would have preferred to have been born with an average face. It was not about being grateful for what we have, but it was about how life was more than just pretty faces. I have learned it the hard way before. That there was more than to this life than what meets the eye. ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± asked my friend, the moment I sat down on my chair. I could somehow feel that there were numerous people staring at me, probably trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I simply said. That man was creepy, definitely, but there was no reason to let this matter get out of hand. I chose to keep my silence. After some time, the commotion eventually died down, and we once again focused our attention to the lecture. Our class for today was about to finish when a blue window suddenly popped up in front of us. I was sure that everyone, including the professor, saw it too.
Surprise bitches! Judgement Day is finally here! Scream and fear! Your lives and souls are ours to devour!
We stared at the translucent screen in front of us, dumbfounded. Little did I know that it was merely the signal for an upcoming nightmare. The ground rumbled and shook. The chairs and desks toppled over, and cracks started forming on the ground. Debris fell like snow from the ceiling. I wanted to run for the door, but the violent shaking would not even permit me to stand. I crouched as I tried to hold my balance. My judgment was probably clouded by now. I did not know.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. I was scared. I prayed to God that he would spare my life. I begged, silently. And the earthquake stopped. We breathed sighs of relief. I tried to stand, but my legs had lost strength. Seconds passed, and the door to our door flew open. The bald man from before boldly entered, his steps brisk as he approached my direction. He grabbed my hand then ushered me up. For some reason, the moment he touched my hand, I felt my strength returning to my body. ¡°We¡¯ll be getting out of here,¡± he said to me. ¡°Come.¡± There was a moment of hesitation within me, but to my surprise, I conceded. I let him lead the way as we went out of the room. It was probably selfish of me, but I left my classmates behind. I saw another man outside the room. Judging by their conversation, he was probably a friend of his. And there was a little sister too. Dried tears were evident on her cheeks. I saw that one of the exits of the building was destroyed by the quake. We took the only available one, our steps quick and heavy. Even from our current location, we could smell the pungent stench of something burning. Smoke started to fill the building, and I knew that we had to get out of here at any cost. After exiting the building, a horrifying scenario greeted us. A large fissure destroyed more than half the campus. Buildings were toppled over, and numerous dead bodies were scattered about, crushed by the slabs of rocks and stones that fell down the ground. Smoke swirled upwards, covering the entire sky. It was hard to breathe, and visibility was becoming hazier with each passing moment. I felt him tightening his grip on my hand. Peculiarly, it made me feel safe. He could probably feel my trembling fingers. ¡°H-Help! S-Stop! Aaaaah!¡± ¡°Help us! Heeeelp!¡± ¡°Monsters! Run! Ahhhhh! Stoopp!¡± Not far from us, screams reverberated. My eyesight was not that good, but I was sure that something was killing the students that survived the quake. Moments passed, and I was finally able to make out the figures shrouded by smoke. A small horn protruded out of their foreheads, and their slit-like eyes glimmered in malice and lust for flesh. Green metallic sheens covered their naked bodies, and a small tail flailed about on their backs. I stiffed. Those were monsters. There was no doubt about it. Screams of pain continued to reverberate, and shivers crawl down my spine as I saw the monsters slaughter the students one after another. They would laugh and lick their lips as they killed their preys. The young girl with us suddenly shrieked in horror. I could not blame her, for I too wanted to shout and scream. It was horrifying, after all. But that shriek gave away our location. A few of those monsters noticed us. With malice in their eyes, they approached our direction. Oh God, I don¡¯t want to die. Please. I was violently trembling. My heart pounded out of my chest. Each passing second felt like eternity. I wanted to run and escape, but my fear rooted me to the ground. I guess this was it. I was going to die. But something unexpected occurred. The bald man with sunken eyes suddenly walked towards the approaching monsters. I was stunned. What was he thinking? There was no way humans could win against those things, those monsters. Such thoughts ran through my mind as I watched him approach death. I could somehow see his impending bane. Or so I thought. Without warning, the bald man unsheathed a sword. So, that thing wrapped in newspaper was a weapon? In the blink of an eye, one of the monsters was killed. Its head was severed from its body, and it rolled through the ground. He did the same to the other two creatures. Their heads fell down the ground with a loud thud. I was struck speechless. Those movements were inhuman. I was no expert in this field, but even I could appreciate how smooth and fluid his movements were. Each strike was made not with vehement ferocity but with absurdly fine precision that warranted doubt of reality. After killing the monsters, he stood there for a moment. He approached me then said, ¡°Are you alright?¡± I wanted to scream that I was not fine. That I was close to breaking down. But no words came out. Seeing me like this, the stranger with bald head frowned. There was pain within his eyes. Was that for me? I was not sure. ¡°The Franchesca that I know is a strong person,¡± he suddenly said. ¡°She¡¯s strong-willed. A survivor. Someone who wouldn¡¯t crumble to mere demons.¡± What was he trying to say? I did not know why, but the tears that I was holding back all this time suddenly flowed down after that. I sobbed, my hands covering my face. A plethora of feelings. Fear, helplessness, anger, guilt, doubt. Like a violent maelstrom, the feelings within my chest overflowed. The bald stranger seemed to be flustered after seeing me cry. I was ashamed, but the tears won¡¯t stop coming out. ¡°Demons!¡± ¡°R-Runnn!¡± Behind me, I heard screams and wails. It took me a few seconds more before I finally turned around, and my eyes widened in disbelief. What were those monsters doing here? There were more than a dozen of them, and they were killing my classmates one after another. Slaughtering. Dismembering. Not far from me, I could see the headless body of my professor. ¡°Franches¡ª¡± I heard a familiar voice. I was afraid to look. I was afraid of what I would see. But soon enough, my fear and curiosity got the best of me. I watched as my best friend was devoured by numerous demons, her limbs torn into shreds, her innards pulled out of her belly. She was no longer able to speak, but her eyes clearly pleaded at me for help. But what could I do? I felt helpless, powerless. I was close to losing my sanity. The warmth from a person¡¯s hand brought me back to reality. I was still violently trembling, but the clouds within my mind cleared out somehow. I gazed at man holding my hand. He was not handsome, and I could probably say that he was ugly. But his hand held a peculiar warmth that gave me strength to move forward. Without uttering a single word, he ushered me, together with the rest of his group, towards the exit of the university. We fled. We ran for our lives. Upon arrival to the outside, the view of the burning city greeted us. Buildings had toppled, cars blazed into flames, and smoke filled the sky. It was very hard to breathe, and our visibility was hazy, almost cloudy. From our current position, we could make out the dead bodies of numerous humans scattered about. But the thing that bothered me the most was the numerous cackling laughter that echoed. The screams and wails of anguish. The blood lust that filled the streets. The bald stranger said that we should probably go to the subways. I had my doubts about it. After all, there had been a massive earthquake. Most definitely, the trains would not be working. Moreover, there was the risk of the ground collapsing and trapping us underneath. Did he intend to hide underground? I was unable to ask. Thankfully, we arrived at our destination without hitch and strife. We stood there motionlessly as we stared at the flight of stairs that led deeper underground. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked me. I forcefully tried to squeeze out a reply, but no words came out. Instead, my head bobbed once. I heard him sigh. We descended the flight of stairs. Below, it was pitch black. I had this worry that some monsters would just suddenly grab us from the shadows. ¡°There¡¯ll surely be monsters along this path,¡± the bald man said. In front of us was the flight of steps that lead towards the underground. ¡°But this is far safer than staying on the surface.¡± I stiffened. I heard an ominous, hissing sound. After receiving his instruction, the friend of the bald man took out a large flash light. For a moment, I wondered of how prepared this group was. Was that bag full of provisions? The light was switched on, and a loud shriek from one of us echoed. Well, I could not blame him. After all, even I was rooted in place after seeing those things, those monsters. They somehow resembled rafflesias, probably twice or thrice the normal size. I was pretty sure those large sucker-like mouth could devour a person whole. Drools dripped down the sharp fangs at their center, and soft hissing sounds reverberated throughout the tunnel. I had never realized that flowers could actually become such grotesque monsters. The bald man took out a piece of wood then lit it aflame. Immediately, the plant monsters violently screeched after that. Were they afraid of fire? For a moment, that was what I thought. But soon, I realized that it was the smoke they were afraid of. Was that also the reason they lived underground? After all, smoke had the tendency to go up. A minute passed, and the bald man approached the now flaccid plant monsters. He swiftly cut them one after another. Their bodies quivered, they violently hissed, then withered and turned to dust. By now, this single realization had solidified: This man knew what was happening right now. This man knew what those monsters were, their weaknesses, how to defeat them. A sense of security and relief somehow washed through me. The quivering of my body stopped. For some reason, I felt safe when I was beside him. The bald man seemed satisfied after killing those monsters. He led us further into the subway. As expected, the trains were there, but they were not working. Or rather, there was no electricity. It was dark, and only the light from the make-do torch and flashlight was what illuminated what¡¯s around us. Sometimes, we would step over bones. I realized they were from humans. And the thought sent chills down my spine. We continued walking through the dark tunnels. ¡°O-Over there,¡± said the little girl in our group. We stared at the direction she was pointing at. Sure enough, there were silhouettes there. Two of them. Well, I was not entirely sure. It was dark, after all. After we approached, the light of our torch revealed their figures. Two naked women. And wow, I had never seen anyone so beautiful before. Yes, I was called the goddess by many, but these two naked beauties easily outshine me in many ways. Just looking at them would give one the feeling that they would be sucked into a world of lust and flesh. And even as a female, I was not excluded. ¡°Help us!¡± said one of them. She was close to sobbing, and tears were evident at the corner of her eyes. ¡°Please! We don¡¯t want to die!¡± said the other. I see. As expected. These two were also victims of those monsters, huh? I somehow pitied them. Judging by their lack of clothes, they must have gone through a lot as they tried to survive until now. I had this urge to hug them tight. The bald man broadly grinned. He licked his lips then said, ¡°Then, come over here.¡± I noticed that the two naked women were hesitant to come towards us after seeing that. Well, even I was creeped out by the bald man¡¯s eyes. Those were clearly filled with malice, or maybe lust. These two naked women have beauties far surpassing anyone that I knew. I inwardly prayed that the men of our group would not do anything to them. As those thoughts ran through my mind, I heard an unsheathing sound. A moment after, two heads rolled through the ground. I was stunned speechless. The bald man had just beheaded the two right before our eyes. The little girl in our group screamed. Why did he do that? What was he thinking? Why did he kill them?! As anger boiled within me, he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders then said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. They¡¯re not humans. Look.¡± My glare was still ferocious as I directed my attention to the corpses. Wait, what was happening? Before my very eyes, the bodies of the naked women slowly turned into gnarled wood. Their hair turned into leaves and roots. ¡°Dryads,¡± he said. ¡°They take the form of humans and entice unsuspecting survivors. They¡¯ll suck you dry until only your bones are left.¡± I was unable to fully comprehend what just happened. He stepped over a pile of bones on his left. They cracked easily from his weight, then turned into dust. ¡°These bones¡­ they¡¯re not because of those demonic plants from before,¡± he said. I saw him lick his lips. ¡°There¡¯s so much bones in this tunnel. I wonder how many people these bastards have killed by now.¡± The naked humans-turned monsters squirmed, but their bodies refused to move. ¡°You piece of shit! Human! I will kill you!¡± said one of them. The soothing voice from before had turned deep and ominous. ¡°I will devour you! I will eat your flesh! I will lick your bones! You damn piece of sh¡ª¡± The bald man struck his sword deep into the monster¡¯s squirming body. It screamed in pain, and he twisted his sword further in. I heard him chuckle. ¡°Are you saying something?¡± He was enjoying this. There was no doubt. He pulled out his sword then struck its body again, then again, then again. He only stopped after its body had withered then turned to dust. Without hesitation, he did the same to the other monster. After that, he picked up a small stone on the ground. I did not have an idea what it was for, but he was broadly grinning after tucking it inside his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said to our group. ¡°We need to get out of this city as soon as possible.¡± I stared at him in silence. I silently thanked God that this bald stranger was with me. Chapter 7: Monster in the Dark Chapter 7: Monster in the Dark Chase Marcus¡¯ POV Time quickly went by. An hour had already passed since we went down the subway. Occasionally, we would see dead bodies of humans along the way. This should have been considered a normal occurrence, considering the fact that demons were literally slaughtering humans above the surface, but the way the dead bodies were squashed and bent in random directions was what bothered me. This could not be the work of the plant monsters, nor this could be the work of the Dryads. There was no doubt about it¡ªthere was a dangerous monster lurking within the tunnels. My companions were still dead silent even now. Well, I could not blame them. After all, it would not be easy to merely brush off the idea of death. The vivid memories of people being slaughtered. I was actually grateful that none of them had broken down by now. I remembered my previous self. I could not even move from fear back then. I was utterly pathetic. Compared to the previous me, the members of my group were actually a lot calmer. The light from our third torch finally died out. I opened the flashlight and illuminated our immediate surroundings. There were numerous cracks on the ceiling, and detritus would occasionally fall down like flakes. Rats would occasional scamper away as my light touched them. Even now, it was pretty amazing that the tunnels the government had built were this strong. ¡°Kristine! Are you okay?¡± said Jerry. I had not noticed it, but it seems Jerry¡¯s little sister had fallen to the ground. Her legs were wobbling, shaking, probably from fear or fatigue, or maybe both. I had wanted us to continued further, at least until we reach Nagan Station, but I guess this was our limit. I got to admit: I had not taken into consideration that we were bringing a child along with us. I sighed. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll stop and rest for now.¡± Jerry seemed relieved after hearing that. ¡°That¡¯s great! My sister¡¯s been sickly since she was very young. I was worried that this¡­ this have taken too much toll on her.¡± That was a long speech, and it made me somehow hesitant to say the words within my mind. ¡°Just ten minutes,¡± I said, not minding the current state of things. After all, staying in this dark and gloomy place was far too dangerous. ¡°We¡¯ll depart after that.¡± Jerry seemed like he wanted to retort to that, but eventually decided to just shut his mouth. I felt a bit sorry for them, but now was not really the time for compassion and any of those stuff. We need to prioritize our escape from the city. ¡°If we¡¯re still unable to leave this city before the day ends, we¡¯ll die,¡± I simply stated. Well, that was not entirely true. I could probably survive by myself¡ªbut what about Jerry and Franchesca? I could not possibly leave them to fend for themselves. ¡°What do you mean?¡± For the first time since the apocalypse started, Franchesca spoke. Currently, she was stroking the legs of Kristine. It was useless to tell them this now, but I had decided to anyway. ¡°This is merely the first wave. The second wave of monsters will arrive tomorrow. It¡¯ll be exponentially harder to escape once those beasts arrive.¡± ¡°First w-wave?¡± said Jerry. He probably felt the ominous message behind my statement. ¡°Y-You¡¯re speaking as though this is some kind of game! What do you mean by a second wave? Are you telling us that this is merely the start?!¡± His voice had escalated into a yell, but I did not reprimand him. His fears were understandable considering the situation. My only wish was that he would not die like what happened back in the previous timeline. I sighed. I rubbed my bald head. ¡°Try saying ¡®System, show my status window!¡¯¡± There was an awkward pause after that. ¡°Just do it,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m trying to say after that.¡± Though hesitant, the three of them did it. I saw the clear transition in their faces. From embarrassment, to hesitation, then to that of surprise. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± said both Franchesca and Jerry. ¡°Read the bottommost portion. How many unallocated points do you have?¡± I said. ¡°F-Five,¡± said Jerry. Franchesca said the same thing.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I breathed in a gust of air. I sighed. ¡°Right now, this world has turned into a living game. If you want to survive, then you should do your best to level up and acquire skills. That¡¯s the only way to live long in this shitty game.¡± There was a suppressed snarl within my voice, and I was sure that everyone noticed it. ¡°Allocating all your points into vitality is useless right now. Five points won¡¯t do much,¡± I said. ¡°What we need is mobility so we can escape this spawn point.¡± A group of rats scampered away as the light of my flashlight touched them. I said, ¡°All of you. Allocate all points into agility.¡± It was not a suggestion but an order. Jerry started to open his mouth. I had known him for many years now, probably a decade. I knew what he was about to ask. ¡°Just say ¡®System, allocate all points into agility¡¯,¡± I said. The three of them did it, and I heard a soft bling! sound. ¡°How¡¯s it? Feels lighter, right?¡± I said, half-grinning. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Jerry. He was staring at his hands for some dumb reason. ¡°Feels like I could run twice as fast now.¡± It was an overstatement. I knew. After all, you¡¯ll need around 40 points before that happened. ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°How about you, Franchesca?¡± Franchesca merely nodded. She said, ¡°By the way¡­ I still don¡¯t know your name?¡± My ears twitched after I heard those words. I knew that we were in the middle of an apocalypse, but I could not help but feel elated after that statement. ¡°Chase,¡± I said, broadly smiling. My eyes glimmered for a moment. ¡°Chase Marcus.¡± Franchesca seemed taken aback by my sudden jubilant tone. There were a few seconds of pause before she was able to reply. ¡°I-I see¡­ You know my name already¡­ but I am Franchesca.¡± Did she just blush? I was not sure. It was dark, after all. ¡°I haven¡¯t thanked you before,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you¡­ thank you for saving me back then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural,¡± I said. And I meant those words. ¡°You¡¯re important to me, after all.¡± I knew that she wanted to ask why, but she was unable to say the words out loud. ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to be out of this place before the day ends.¡± I withheld to them the information about the monsters that were about to come out tomorrow. A sudden panic attack was something I would rather avoid right now. After all, those monsters were way worse than the green demons during the first wave. They were monsters that would ravage and rape women. Monsters that would impregnate humans to propagate their species. Once again, our group continued with our escape. We finally passed by the first station since we entered the tunnels. Of course, getting out towards the surface in the middle of the city was out of the question. We¡¯ll just die a dog¡¯s death if we did that. No matter how skilled I was with the sword, I could not possibly protect all three of them against dozens of demons. We merely passed by that station then continued traversing the tunnels. ¡°As I thought. I need to obtain that skill,¡± I mumbled to myself. There were three reasons why we were heading to the Nagan Station. First was that it was the closest station to the Mountains. Second, it was near a military base. I was pretty sure that it took a few days, probably a week, before that military base fell into ruins. We could use that as temporary shelter if things went south. And lastly, at the mountains near Nagan, lurked a peculiar creature that I have to kill at any cost. It was a boss type monster. An impossible one to kill if confronted by inexperienced humans. But right now, I could probably defeat it. After all, I knew its only weakness. I glanced at the bag Jerry was carrying. Inside it was the item that would enable me to defeat that boss monster. And once I defeated it, I would finally gain the skill book for that coveted skill I used back in the previous timeline. It was a unique skill that I had gained back then. The skill that enabled me to survive even the most dangerous moments. A skill that I have to acquire at all costs. I heard sounds coming not far from us. ¡°Stop,¡± I said. ¡°Something¡¯s here.¡± Everyone stiffened. Soon enough, a large silhouette appeared in front of us. I flashed the light at it. And my eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What is that doing here?!¡± I breathed. This was out of my calculations, my expectations. In front of us was a large monster easily surpassing the four meters mark. Its entire body was made entirely of stone, and a large gemstone glittered at its chest. Deep within its eye sockets, fiery flames blazed. I then realized that this was probably the monster responsible for the squashed corpses we passed along the way. But, this monster was supposed to arrive on the fourth wave. What was it doing here? And of all places, here in the supposedly safer underground tunnels.
Stone Golem of Fury Lv.17
A level 17 monster. Right now, it was impossible for me to defeat it despite having a very good sword in my hands. The gemstone at its chest was its weakness, and in order to defeat it, you needed to shatter it into pieces. If I had known that we were going to encounter this thing, I would have allocated some points into strength. After all, the gemstone at its chest was as hard as steel. Merely my agility alone would not be enough to destroy it. ¡°C-Chase,¡± said Jerry. ¡°W-What do we do?¡± He was probably expecting me to fight that golem, after seeing me defeat all the monsters we¡¯ve encountered along the way. But that was a far foolish decision. ¡°We¡¯ll run away,¡± I breathed. I looked at Kristine. It seemed that her legs had yet to heal. For a moment, I had this urge to leave her behind and prioritize the escape of Jerry, Franchesca and I. But I knew that Jerry would never permit that. Despite being smug and stupid, this friend of mine loves his sister so much. I was pretty sure that he would rather die than leave her alone. With these thoughts in mind, I grabbed Kristine¡¯s hand then began to carry her. ¡°I¡¯ll carry your sister,¡± I said. After all, out of everyone in this group, I had the highest stats. I guess I had to thank the Pioneer Title for that. ¡°Jerry, make sure not to let go of that bag.¡± He nodded. I turned to Franchesca. ¡°Prioritize your escape. If one of us doesn¡¯t make it, don¡¯t turn back. Just keep running.¡± My words were direct and definitely ominous, but there was no point in sugarcoating things. Franchesca seemed aware of the grimness within my voice. She nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things I still want to ask you,¡± she said. A part of it was probably why I knew so much about this apocalypse, and a part of it was probably why I cared for her so much. ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t die.¡± I smiled. ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°How can I possibly just die and leave you behind?¡± She was unable to reply to that. Damn, what that too smooth? I inwardly praised myself for that remark. The golem roared, and its fury reverberated throughout the tunnels. I almost had the urge to cover my ears. ¡°Keep running,¡± I said. ¡°And to all of you¡ªdon¡¯t you dare die.¡± With that as the signal, we charged forward. Chapter 8: The Tree of Maya Chapter 8: The Tree of Maya On my signal, all of us charged towards the Stone Golem. With its massive body, it blocked a third of the entire tunnel, giving us limited room to pass through. Its deafening roar continued to reverberate, and the cobbles and stones on the railways clanked against each other, trembling.
You have been affected by the Roar of the Stone Golem Movement speed has decreased by 12%
I frowned after seeing the notification. To someone like me who was carrying a human baggage, this was a blow against my survivability. Just carrying this pallid little girl was more than enough handicap, since I was unable to use my sword, and now, I had been inflicted with a movement slow status. I was pretty sure that Jerry and Franchesca were affected by it too. I could discern the minute restriction that bound their bodies, something an untrained eye would have a hard time noticing. The Stone Golem kept trashing about, its every strike pulverizing asphalt and concrete. Cobbles and stones flew about, and the ground shook and rumbled. Clouds of dust swirled up into the air. ¡°Too damn noisy,¡± I snarled as I ran along with Jerry and Franchesca. Even while carrying a little girl with me, I could easily outrun the two of them, but I chose not to. Escaping by myself would be useless if they were both dead. It would be nothing but a repeat of the previous timeline. ¡°Can¡¯t you guys run faster?!¡± I said, my brows creased. ¡°It¡¯ll catch up to us at this rate!¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying!¡± retorted Jerry. A shadow flew past us as a gargantuan arm missed its target. Stone against metallic rails created a deafening impact, sending sparks flying into the air. ¡°To the side!¡± I shouted. As soon as we had leapt to the sides, a large slab of stone flew past us. It skidded through the railways, sending stones flying everywhere, before eventually coming to a stop a few moments after. I glanced at the Stone Golem. The flames deep within its eye sockets blazed fierily, its deafening cry full of hatred and rage. Normally, this Stone Golem was a docile creature¡ªharmless unless provoked. Something must have happened to it while it was in these tunnels. I could somehow imagine that the humans who first saw it attacked it without thinking of the consequences¡ªand this was the result. An enraged monster. If I was even half as strong as the previous timeline, I would have killed this rampaging creature in the blink of an eye. But right now, that was far too optimistic, definitely impossible with my current strength. We kept running, all the while dodging the stone throws of the Golem. I could feel my stamina dwindling down as time went by. This was one of the fatal consequences of having imbalanced stats. Too much agility or strength would lead to a faster depletion of stamina points. And even in this game-like reality, the only way to regain stamina was to rest. Of course, there were stamina potions, but those were really rare that you could actually exchange a dozen HP potions for a single one. They were out of the equation. As we ran through the tunnels, we saw a nonfunctional train along the way. I flashed the light through it, revealing the surprisingly in-good condition carts. The windows were intact, and there were no dents on its metallic exterior. ¡°Chase,¡± huffed Jerry. I could see the numerous beads of sweat on his forehead. ¡°Should we go inside?¡± ¡°No,¡± I immediately shot down the idea. ¡°Continue running.¡± Despite the perfectly good condition of the train, I knew that the Stone Golem could eventually bulldoze its way through it. It was no exaggeration to say that those stone fists were strong enough to crush and dent metal. Getting inside the metallic cart was no different from suicide. We ran past the train, and behind us, we could hear the Stone Golem trying to squeeze its way through the gap between carts and the tunnel walls. The sound of stone scraping metal reverberated, and sparks flew through the air. The furious roar somehow turned into frustration as the Golem repeatedly tried to squeeze its way into the gap between the carts and the walls. We used it as an opportunity to further widen the gap between us and the stone monster. After I had determined that we had gained a good enough distance from it, I closed the light. Darkness enveloped us once again. ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound,¡± I whispered. ¡°Just continue walking forward.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Won¡¯t it catch us? Shouldn¡¯t we run?¡± breathed Jerry. I frowned and whispered, ¡°Shut up, Jerry.¡± There was a dissatisfied grunt after that, but there were no more oppositions to my suggestion after. Using my keens senses, I could make out the soft thud sounds of my companions as we traversed the tunnels. On our rear, the furious roar of the golem still continued to echo. But it was starting to fade away now, probably because the damn stone monster could not find any lead on where to find us. It was probably lost in the dark. I smirked at the thought. Minutes passed, and we could no longer hear the golem. Most probably, it had given up the chase. ¡°You can walk on your own now,¡± I said to Kristine. I gently placed her down the ground. I opened the flashlight and scanned our immediate surroundings. The walls of the tunnels were covered in moss, and occasional unassuming vines have latched themselves through the cracks. Somehow, it was amazing that all of these things had transpired in such a short time. If we had not known better, we would have thought that these plants had grown over the years, and not in a span of a few hours. ¡°T-Thank you,¡± said Kristine, her voice stuttering. Somehow, her face was red. I did not reply. Honestly, I do believe that she was merely a baggage, and if not for Jerry, I would have discarded her without second thoughts. Jerry checked on his sister if she was fine. He kept bombarding her with questions, just like some worrywart. Well, I believe we were far enough from the Stone Golem by now. He could blabber to his heart¡¯s content. I noticed that Franchesca was looking at me, no¡ªstaring. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± I said. She shook her head then replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± Then hurriedly turned her cheek away. What was that? I inwardly asked myself. Once again, our group resumed our journey. I glanced at my watch. We¡¯ve been in this tunnel for more than two hours now. Should we stop and recuperate first? For a moment, I was tempted by the idea, but I eventually dismissed the thought. We kept walking, and only the sound of our feet hitting stones and cobbles served as background. I knew that the members of my group were already tired, probably exhausted, but they did not voice it out loud, probably in consideration of everyone. We were about to reach the next station when I suddenly stopped in my tracks. I stared at the shiny plant latched on the tunnel wall. It was round, small, and inconspicuous, and if not for its ability to reflect light, I would have not noticed it amidst the vines that crisscrossed all throughout the wall. I approached it. ¡°System, Identify,¡± I said. A second passed and a translucent window appeared in front of me.
Rainbow Fluff An unremarkable plant that grows in the dark. Aside from its beautiful color, it is inedible and useless.
I plucked the shiny plant out of the wall, and its luster died out immediately. The simple details provided by the system was true, but not entirely accurate. Indeed, this one is inedible and will cause severe constipation if eaten. But it was not useless. If brewed right, this plant could actually be made into a potent hallucinogen. A drug capable of making a person relieve his worst nightmares. Most probably, right now, the system had not recorded anything useful from this plant, and that was the reason for the mundane description. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Jerry. I tucked the marble-sized plant into my pocket. It may become useful later. ¡°Collecting medicine,¡± I simply stated. Right now, I was in no mood to explain things to him. I was hungry, and if not for the impending danger of the upcoming second wave, I would have asked everyone to eat and recuperate. We continued walking after that until eventually, we arrived at the next station. Just like before, I made it clear that we were not going up the surface. It was a far too foolish decision to make. We once again saw a train in front of us. I flashed the light through it, scanning the carts as we passed by. Unlike the perfectly good condition of the one we had encountered before, this one was a complete mess. Its windows were broken, and vines had twined around the carts, giving it semblance to a miniature jungle. As though complementing the train wrapped in vines, the tunnel walls were also covered in plants, spreading throughout all directions. Roots covered the ground, and the scent of flower filled the air. Though the plant-covered tunnel was somehow peculiar and eerie, we had no choice but traverse it. Soon, surreal images greeted our eyes. Amidst the darkness of the tunnels, small dots of light floated about. At first, I thought they were fireflies, until I realized that they were pollens from the flowers latched on the walls. It was a serene sight. It was so breathtakingly beautiful that even I forgot for a moment that we were in the middle of an apocalypse. ¡°So beautiful!¡± said the young girl, Kristine. At the corner of my eyes, I could see that Franchesca was gawking at the sight. I smiled at that.
You have entered the Underground Jungle of Maya HP recovery has increased by 50% Mana recovery has increased by 30%
My brows rose upon seeing the message. These buffs were without doubt the effect of a Haven¡ªa rare area that randomly sprouts in this apocalyptic world. It does not restrict monsters from entering, but due to the great buffs given by that particular location, it was the usual basis when creating a home. Back in the previous timeline, I even heard news of a city in the far north that was built inside a large Haven. I never had the chance to visit it, since I entered the Realm of the Underworld after receiving news of the Lord of Destruction¡¯s location. The floating particles of light gave ample enough illumination that I no longer felt the need to use the flashlight. We continued walking, and we soon came across what I deemed to be the heart of this haven: a tree that touched the ceiling. Its trunk was thick, almost touching the walls from side to side. Its leaves emitted a faint glow of light, and numerous shining fruits grew on its branches.
Tree of Maya Lv.1
A level 1 monster that was totally harmless to humans. Based on my knowledge, this was definitely a young haven core, which was also the reason why the buffs it gave were mediocre. A 50% increase in HP recovery was nothing when compared to a full-grown haven core, which could give as much as 400% HP recovery increase to those within its perimeter. Jerry touched one of the fruits hanging on its branches, and it immediately broke into numerous particles of light. ¡°Wha¡ª,¡± mumbled Jerry. His eyes widened after seeing that. ¡°You can¡¯t pluck those,¡± I simply said. ¡°They¡¯ll just burst then disappear from sight.¡± I knew fully well that those fruits were merely decorations. This tree had no other use than to give buffs to those around it. I glanced at my watch. I had decided. We would most likely not find another place like this after a long time. If we were going to rest, it would be better if we did it now. ¡°We¡¯ll rest here for fifteen minutes,¡± I declared, as I sat down on the root-covered ground. ¡°After that, we¡¯ll depart.¡± Chapter 9: Weight of Ones Sins Chapter 9: Weight of One¡¯s Sins Time quickly flew past by. We were all so mesmerized by the floating particles of light that we did not realize that more than 15 minutes had passed. I frowned as I stared at my watch. Not far from me, Jerry was wearing a satisfied smirk after devouring his share of food. Kristine was leaning her head on her brother¡¯s shoulder, eyes droopy, while Franchesca was merely staring at the floating specks of light. I broke the serene sight. ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± I said with a loud clap. ¡°Let¡¯s move out.¡± Almost groaning, the members of my group stood up one after another. I gripped my sword as I stared at the tunnel in front of us. What kind of monsters would be waiting for us this time? Normally, I would have not been bothered by this, but the Stone Golem from before was living proof that not everything from the previous timeline was going to happen in this one. Once again, we continued our journey. No one asked why we were going to that particular station, but I was pretty sure that everyone had an idea by now that I knew something about this apocalypse. They merely refused to ask, probably out of fear of the answers. I could see that Kristine was limping a bit, but I pretended to have not noticed. What was with that little girl? Her image as human baggage was starting to solidify further as time went by. So useless. Soon enough, the plant-covered ground vanished entirely. We were back to cobbles, stones and metallic rails. The fragrant scent of flowers was replaced by the pungent stench of stale air and sewer rats. The familiar sound of water dripping down was background. We kept walking, and minutes quickly turned into hours. We passed by occasional dead bodies, broken trains, stations, and scampering rats. By the time we arrived at our destination, it was already late in the evening. A few hours more and the second wave would arrive. I hastened my pace after that thought. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± I said as I flashed the light towards the steel placard. It clearly showed the words: Nagan Station. My legs felt numb from all the walking, and I was panting. This current body of mine was not fit enough for these things, and if not for the added bonus stats from Pioneer Title, I would have been severely struggling like everybody else. ¡°Finally,¡± said Jerry in relief. ¡°I¡¯ve been carrying this bag for God knows how long. Damn it.¡± I smiled wryly. I would have volunteered to carry it, but I was the only one within our group who knows how to fight. Restricting my mobility was never a wise decision. I flashed the light throughout the station. It was empty. And I soon understood the reason why. Above, near the end of the flight of stairs leading to the outside, numerous Demonic Fly Traps blocked the path. They instantly screeched violently the moment the light touched their bodies. The members of my group took steps back. ¡°We¡¯ve killed these bastards before,¡± I said in assurance. I could make out the figures of dead human bodies below the plant monsters. ¡°Relax.¡± I looked at Jerry, ¡°The torch.¡± He nodded then took out one of the few woods we have left. I grabbed and lit it. ¡°Nice to see more of you guys here,¡± I grinned. The plant monsters repeatedly screeched and wailed as the smoke from the torch touched their bodies. ¡°I¡¯ll reach level 3 easily at this rate.¡± Seconds passed and eventually, their bodies turned flaccid. I unsheathed my sword and killed them one after another. An easy prey. ¡°I wish the demons outside are like these.¡± I licked my lips. By the time I¡¯ve finished slaughtering the damn bastards, an anticipated notification popped up.
You have leveled up!
A devilish snort came out. I was broadly grinning when I said, ¡°System, allocate all available points to agility!¡±
Do you wish to allocate 5 points to agility?
The confirmatory message appeared once again. I simply said yes.
5 points have been added to agility!
I was still basking in self-elation when Franchesca tapped my shoulder. She whispered, ¡°Chase¡­ behind us.¡± The sound of unfamiliar footsteps was heard as I turned and looked at our rear. From within the shadows, three figures emerged. I gripped the hilt of my sword, and bloodlust oozed out my body. ¡°W-Wait!¡± said one of the figures. He probably felt my murderous glare. The light from the torch touched the three of them, revealing two skinny men and a young woman. For a moment, I stared at the young woman. There was something eerie within those eyes. It was as though hope had vanished from it entirely. On the contrast, the two skinny men were agitated, but their eyes continued to blaze with life. ¡°W-Wait!¡± repeated one of them. The taller of the two men stepped forth, then with a shaking voice, he added, ¡°Y-You¡­ How¡­ How did you do that? Y-You easily killed those monsters!¡± I have no obligation to answer that question. I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, old man.¡± He was clearly taken aback by that statement. Unyielding, he continued, ¡°Y-You¡¯re planning on going up, right? You p-plan to leave this.. this tunnel, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± answered Jerry. ¡°We are.¡± Damn, this friend of mine. He should shut the hell up. Couldn¡¯t he see that there was something wrong with these three? I shot a glare at Jerry, and he immediately understood my intentions. By now, the Demonic Fly Traps had all turned to dust. ¡°We¡¯re wasting time here,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The members of my group nodded, and we started climbing the flight of stairs. ¡°Take us with you!¡± said the smaller guy. His voice reminded me of a squirrel. Annoying. I slammed a foot on the ground, and the reverberating sound made them jolt. These three were suspicious. Too suspicious. At the corner of my eyes, I could see that Franchesca and Jerry wanted to take the three of them with us. I sighed mentally. I pointed my sword at them. They took a step back in reflex. I once again stared at the young woman. ¡°Why should I take the three of you?¡± I smugly said. And I meant it. The last thing I needed right now was additional human baggage. The taller guy was the first to respond. And what he said afterwards were nothing but bullshits, to me at least. ¡°We¡¯re fellow humans!¡± he squeaked. ¡°You saw those monsters, those demons too! If we¡¯re not going to help each other, then who will?¡± If I was my former self, I would have been convinced by that simple statement¡ªand the members of my group seemed to have been convinced by that too.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. But I was a different person now. I have survived decades of endless carnage back in the previous timeline. And I have encountered all sorts of people. Reliable people. Truthful ones. Liars. Backstabbing bastards. Fence sitters who would jump at the biggest bandwagon. And even those that were truly evil to the core. Right now, my instinct was screaming at me that these three were not to be trusted. Well, honestly, I was not so sure about the young woman. Her eyes were empty, as though she had experienced something so horrible that she went into a state of blank. Her clothes were torn and tattered, and despite the darkness of the tunnels, I could see the numerous bruises that had crawled through her skin. Suspicious. Definitely. ¡°I refuse,¡± I said. ¡°If you want to leave this hellhole, then go on your own. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°Then let us follow you!¡± said the smaller guy. ¡°Please!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± said the other one. ¡°You''re strong, aren¡¯t you? Please!¡± Even now, the young woman remained dead silent. I was about to retort when Franchesca¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Let¡¯s take them with us,¡± she said. The way she looked straight into my eyes sucked my breath away. Damn, that¡¯s cheating. Damn it. ¡°Yeah, mate,¡± said Jerry. ¡°W-We can¡¯t just leave them alone, r-right?¡± Somehow, there was nervousness within his voice. Was I that scary? I sighed. It was definitely wishful thinking to try and save everyone we meet along the way. Such a na?ve mentally would get us killed sooner or later. ¡°Please,¡± said Franchesca. All reasoning within me vanished entirely. Those eyes of hers¡ªthere was no way I could refuse if she asked me that way. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± I said. ¡°But first, answer some of my questions.¡± The two men nodded vigorously. The young woman, on the other hand, merely stared into space. Was she a walking doll? My eyes swiveled from the taller guy then to the other man. ¡°Before I killed these monsters, I scanned this station for the presence of any survivors. There was none.¡± I said. ¡°Why did you appear only now? And after I¡¯ve killed those plant monsters.¡± The two skinny guys glanced at each other. I was pretty sure they communicated within that single instance. ¡°W-We were scared,¡± said the taller guy. ¡°We thought that more monsters are coming this way!¡± It was a plausible statement, but I inquired further. ¡°Monsters?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen it, right?!¡± he said. ¡°Those demons above! Those abhorrent monsters that killed humans like some hunting game! Those bastards! Those damn bastards!¡± There was a snarl within that voice, and the blaze within his eyes flickered for a moment. ¡°I see,¡± I nodded. ¡°And despite knowing that those demons roam the surface, you still wish to come with us?¡± It was a single instance, but I saw the two of them glance at Franchesca¡¯s direction. For a moment, I was sure that there was malice and lust within their eyes. I cannot be mistaken. My decades of surviving through hell clearly told me that. A boiling hatred surged within my heart, but I quickly suppressed it. Now was not the time for that. I needed to hear their stories first. ¡°Yes,¡± said the other man. ¡°We¡¯ve seen how you killed those plant monsters. Y-You¡¯re strong, right? And if my hunch is correct¡ª¡± He glanced at the taller guy. They nodded at each other. ¡°You know something about¡­ about this¡ªwhatever this is, right?¡± My evaluation of them shot to the roof. They noticed that immediately despite seeing us only for a short while. These guys were cleverer than they looked. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°I know a lot of things about this apocalypse.¡± At the corner of my eyes, I saw the members of my group stiffen after that remark. Hey, what was so surprising about that? My head started to throb for some reason. ¡°Then, please!¡± said the two men. ¡°Take us with you! We¡¯re sure that we¡¯ll be safer if we stick with you! If we stay here, what awaits us is starvation!¡± I nodded. That was true. There was no point in staying here for too long. But I still have some questions I needed answered. ¡°Demonic Fly Traps were blocking the exit of this station,¡± I observantly said. ¡°By that alone, we can safely assume that all of you came from a different station. There¡¯s no way there¡¯re only the three of you. What happened to the rest of the survivors?¡± I stared at their tattered garbs. What bothered me the most were not the holes and bruises, but the dried blood that clung to their clothes. ¡°And those blood stains,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re not from monsters.¡± The temperature within the tunnel seemed to have turned cold suddenly. ¡°Those are human blood. There¡¯s no doubt.¡± It was amusing how the color within their faces faded away immediately after my statement. ¡°How many men did you kill before coming here?¡± I smirked. I have encountered humans like these before, from the previous timeline. Hyenas waiting to strike down their preys. ¡°And for how long have you been abusing that woman over there?¡± For the first time since we met, the young woman looked straight into my eyes. Her previously dead eyes regained their luster, but only for a moment. Once again, she blankly stared into space. ¡°C-Chase?¡± breathed Franchesca. She seemed to have realized what I was pointing out. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± I let out a laugh. ¡°Those people you want to help¡ªthose guys over there. They¡¯re no different from demons.¡± I paused, then gave a diabolical grin. Murderous rage was evident within my eyes. ¡°No, they¡¯re worse than demons.¡± I stepped down and approached the three, and the two men immediately took a step back. I gripped the scabbard of my sword. I stopped right in front of the young woman. Her brown eyes were dead, and her night black hair was ruffled all over. Cuts and bruises filled her skin. Yet despite that, her beauty was still evident even to the eyes of a stranger. ¡°Tell me,¡± I said to the young woman. ¡°Do these men deserve to live?¡± There were a few seconds of deafening silence after that. Eventually, like a violent geyser, the emotions within the young woman burst out. Tears quickly formed at the corner of her eyes, before flowing down like river. Her lips quivered, and her entire body trembled. ¡°No!¡± she snarled. It was the first time that she spoke, but her voice was powerful enough to shake the entire tunnels. She shouted, ¡°These bastards! These demons!¡± she spat at the two skinny men. ¡°They killed my husband! They killed my son! They¡­ they killed everyone! They raped the women! Made them their plaything! Then killed them after!¡± She sobbed and wailed. She clutched her head and began pulling out her hair. She screamed, ¡°They¡¯re no worse than demons! They¡­ they repeatedly took turns at me! They repeatedly touched and ravaged my body!¡± Her screams decrescendo into whispers, but I was sure that everyone clearly heard it. I glanced at Franchesca and Jerry. They were clearly stunned by the revelation. This was reality. This was human nature. Within me, I wished that Franchesca and Jerry would come to accept it sooner or later. After all, it was an absolute rule that in this apocalypse, every man was for himself. There were only a handful of people you could actually trust in this reality-turned-nightmare. I placed a hand on the young woman¡¯s shoulder. For some reason, her trembling stopped. ¡°Well said.¡± I grinned. ¡°Then, answer my question¡ªdo these men deserve to live?¡± There was no pause. Only a hatred-filled answer. ¡°No.¡± I chuckled. I gazed at the two men, my eyes filled with malice. ¡°What an interesting story, gentlemen,¡± I snickered. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this fun? Honestly, I don¡¯t believe in God. And even if he does exist, I have no need for a God who abandons his people. But you see¡­ there¡¯s this thing we call ¡®being humane¡¯¡ªyou damn bastards.¡± The two of them shrieked after receiving my bloodlust, and a second after, they pulled out rusty daggers from their backs. No, those were not rusts, but blood stains. ¡°D-Don¡¯t come near us! You monster!¡± said the taller guy. ¡°Hahaha!¡± I chuckled. I was broadly grinning. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am a monster.¡± The last word was emphasized the most. This single statement seemed to have struck the two at the core. Without warning, they aimed their daggers and struck at me. I simply evaded then struck back with a simple punch. Immediately, they both fell down their knees. ¡°How does it feel to kill innocent people?¡± I playfully whispered. ¡°How does it feel to rape women?¡± The two men were violently trembling. It was without doubt evident to them by now that they were no match for me. ¡°W-We did nothing wrong!¡± said one of them. ¡°She¡¯s making things up!¡± ¡°Lies!¡± shouted the young woman. Her rage was so great that even I felt suffocated for a moment. ¡°You damn bastards! Demons! You¡¯re no different than monsters!¡± ¡°What are you talking abou¡ª¡± The taller man stopped midway in his retort. He screamed as I struck the blade of my sword deep into his thigh. ¡°Aaahh!¡± his scream echoed. The smaller guy who saw this turned even more pallid. I crouched then twisted the sword further in. ¡°S-Stop! Pl-Please! Stop! Ahhhh!¡± I smirked. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not the type to be patient in these things.¡± I stared straight into his eyes. ¡°Tell me the truth. The first one to speak will be spared. But I¡¯ll kill the other one. Not a bad offer, yes?¡± ¡°I-Is that true?¡± said the taller guy. He swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°I promise.¡± I grinned. And the first one to speak was the smaller guy. ¡°It¡¯s him! That damn bastard was the one who killed those guys! He also forced me to rape the women! It¡¯s him! It¡¯s him! I swear I did not do it! I swear to God!¡± The taller guy was in deep rage, but after I twisted my sword lodged into his thigh, he screamed in pure agony. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± he cried. He glared at the other man. ¡°You fucker! You sold me out! You damn piece of¡ª¡± And his head rolled down the ground. Silence befell us all. I struck the air, and the blood that clung to my sword fell down the ground. ¡°It¡¯s a waste to listen to a dead man talking,¡± I simply said as I stared at his headless corpse. ¡°Now, for the next one.¡± The smaller guy seemed to have realized my intent. His eyes grew so wide that for a moment, I thought they would pop out of the sockets. ¡°W-Wait! What do you mean?¡± he squeaked. ¡°You told me that you¡¯ll spare my life! You promised!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Promise? What promise?¡± I clearly saw the transition of emotions within the man¡¯s eyes. From terror, to confusion, to rage, then back. It was an amusing sight. ¡°You dumb fuck! You told me! You promi¡ª¡± And another head rolled down the ground. I once again struck the air to remove the blood clinging to my sword, then sheathed it into the scabbard. I have killed numerous humans back in the previous timeline, but this was the first time my present self has killed one. As expected, I did not feel anything even after beheading those two. I dusted off my garb. ¡°What a waste of stamina,¡± I said. I looked straight into the young woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot. I know that you¡¯ve probably thought of death numerous times by now¡ª¡± I tilted my head to the side. ¡°¡ªIf you wish to die, I will gladly help you with that.¡± Silence befell us. The young woman bit her lips. Tears still continued to flow down her cheeks. ¡°But if you want to continue living, come with us.¡± She closed her eyes and conveyed all of her emotions into a single statement. ¡°There¡¯s no point in living,¡± she said. ¡°Please.¡± I closed my eyes for a moment. ¡°My name¡¯s Chase,¡± I said. ¡°Chase Marcus.¡± She smiled, revealing a dimple on her left cheek. ¡°Marissa,¡± her soft voice was angelic. ¡°Marissa Corvan.¡± I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly. I should have been used to killing fellow humans by now, but for some reason, I felt a light squeezing sensation in my chest. ¡°Chase,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. And¡­ thank you.¡± The sound of the wind was heard. Her head fell down the ground. Chapter 10: Guns and Demons Chapter 10: Guns and Demons The silence was deafening. I stared at the three headless corpses in front of me, then at Franchesca and Jerry. The way the two of them looked at me was painful, as though I was a monster clad in human skin. Well, I probably am. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, my voice somehow raspy. My steps echoed inside the tunnel, and my feet felt heavy as I climbed the flight of stairs. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± said Franchesca. I could feel the burning rage within her voice. ¡°That¡¯s it?!¡± She grabbed my shoulder, and with vehement ferocity, slapped my cheeks. ¡°Why did you kill her?! Why did you have to kill them?!¡± she screamed at the top of her lungs. Her chest rose then fell as she glared at me with tear-filled eyes. ¡°Why did you?! Why?! Why!!¡± Slowly, her enraged voice turned into sobs. I felt a squeezing sensation in my heart. I glanced at Jerry. He was pale, and I could see dried tears on his cheeks. ¡°You heard what happened to her, right?¡± I said. The tunnels seemed darker than before. ¡°Chase,¡± it was the first time she uttered my name, but for some reason, it did not bring me joy but sadness. Her voice was full of hatred and resentment, and it crushed my heart. ¡°I¡¯ve misjudged you. I thought¡­ I thought that you¡¯re a far better man than this.¡± For a moment, time itself stopped. I digested those words, slowly and painfully. But this was the burden I had to carry. If it meant that the two of them would be safe in this timeline, then I would gladly be called a monster. The light of the flashlight started to dwindle, and the darkness of the tunnels loomed over everyone. I glanced at my watch. ¡°We need to get to foot of the mountains before the day ends. We¡¯ll be safer there.¡± No one responded, but I knew that they all clearly heard what I said. ¡°Once we get out of this station, we¡¯ll definitely encounter those demons from before,¡± I said. There was a palpable tension within the group after I said those words. ¡°I know that it¡¯ll be scary, but make sure not to run too far from me. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect you guys.¡± Kristine nodded at my statement. Silently, I began to approach the exit of Nagan Station. The carcasses and ashes from the Demonic Fly Traps filled the path. As I neared the exit, I could hear the faint sound of screams and malicious cackles. I gripped my beloved sword. We finally got out of the station. And the familiar scene of carnage greeted us. Toppled buildings. Burning cars. Dead bodies scattered about. A ravine which reeked of the word bottomless ran through the small town where Nagan Station was located. It clearly split the residential district into two, and above, the famous bridge from history books was decimated beyond recognition. ¡°Stooop!¡± ¡°S-Someone! Please! Help us!¡± ¡°Ahhhh! Stop! Please!¡± Screams of agony reverberated amidst the sound of flames licking flesh and stones. Smoke filled the streets, and the scent of burnt flesh and blood filled the air. Kristine vomited on the ground. ¡°K-Kristine?!¡± gasped Jerry. ¡°Are you alright?!¡± The human baggage in the form of Jerry¡¯s little sister once again made her appearance. She was so damn useless. I gnashed my teeth at the thought. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for that,¡± I spat at her. Jerry shot a glare at me, but I simply brushed it aside. ¡°This place¡¯s filled with demons. If you want to play victim, do that once we¡¯ve reached the mountains¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªChase!¡± snarled Jerry. ¡°What are you trying to say?! Can¡¯t you see that Kristi¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªShut it, Jerry!¡± I snarled back. ¡°We both know that now¡¯s not the time for this! Don¡¯t¡ª¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it I stopped midway when I noticed numerous silhouettes approaching our direction. Despite being shrouded by smoke, I could estimate that there were over a dozen of them. Were they attracted by our loud voices? There was no way to actually tell. ¡°Damn it,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± The members of my group all instinctively looked at the direction of the demons, and the colors in their faces vanished entirely. I grabbed Kristine¡¯s arm and for a moment, she flinched from impact. ¡°Can you run?¡± I sternly asked. After receiving no reply even after a few seconds had passed, I repeated in a louder voice, ¡°Can you run?!¡± Eventually, she shook her head. I groaned. ¡°Jerry, I¡¯ll carry your sister,¡± I said. This conversation was somehow familiar. ¡°Make sure not to drop the bag you¡¯re carrying. Understood?!¡± Jerry probably felt the ominousness within my voice. My usual calm demeanor was gone. He nodded. The uncertainty of this timeline had been bothering me ever since I encountered that golem. For a moment, I doubted if that certain item I was keeping in the bag would actually work against the Boss Monster living in the Mountains. Well, it should. Otherwise, we¡¯re damn screwed. The skill book that Boss Monster would drop after its death was so vital that it would mean our life or death in this apocalypse. I had to kill it¡ªno matter what. Without warning, a notification popped up in front of us.
Time left before the Second Wave 2:59:59 2:59:58 2:59:57
If there was indeed a God, then he was probably laughing right now. We were surrounded by dozens of demons right now, and to make things worse, there was only a few hours left before the Second Wave arrives. I turned to Franchesca, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far from me.¡± She was still staring at the window that popped up in front of her. She nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I said. As though that was the cue, the demons that surrounded us began to run. Their cackling laughter echoed as their steps made quick thuds on the ground. All of us ran forth with all our might. In situations like these, I really did wish I was not carrying this human baggage called Kristine with me. If my hands were free, then I might have been able to do something about these demons chasing us. Well, killing all of them would be far too risky at this point, but I was pretty sure that I would be able to defeat half their number. I inwardly shook my head. Now was not the time for this. The reality was I was currently carrying a young girl with me, and I was supposed to run away from dozens of demons, all the while making sure that none of the members of my group was harmed. All the odds were against me. I let out a suppressed snarl at the thought. We ran past burning buildings, blazing cars, and burnt bodies. Using my keen senses, I realized that more demons were chasing us as time went by. Most probably, their cackling screeches and laughter attracted the other demons nearby. ¡°Oh, God. Oh, God!¡± huffed Jerry. ¡°Please help us!¡± I smirked. There was no point in asking God for help. That damnable God. ¡°Over here!¡± I said as I led the group past an intersection. We kept running west, towards the direction of the mountains. It was the safest place to be once the second wave starts. After all, it was a place where Hygradia Plants bloom. They were transiently-living plants that live only for a few hours, before withering away from existence. But thankfully, the pollens they leave behind during their death deters low ranked monsters. One could actually say that they were the best Haven you could ask for during the first few waves of the apocalypse. I afforded a glance at the pursuing demons. Still chasing. ¡°Damn it,¡± I inwardly snarled. Behind me, Jerry and Franchesca were having trouble keeping up. There was blatant fatigue written on their faces, and numerous beads of sweat crawled through their skins. At this rate, those demons would catch up to us. I stormed my mind for possible ways out. Should I let go of Kristine? Feed her to the demons so we could escape? For a moment, I was tempted by the thought, but knowing Jerry, he would probably come running towards his sister¡¯s rescue once that happened. Then, the best option was probably to face the demons head-on. It was risky, despite the decades of experiences I have accumulated within me. After all, my experiences would be nothing but trivial knowledge if I didn¡¯t have the appropriate stats and skills to back it up. But I have no choice. I was about to put Kristine down on the ground then face the demons when gunshots were heard. Numerous gunshots. We all halted in our tracks and stared at our rear. Not far from us, three soldiers clad in camouflage were shooting the pursuing demons. They were atop a large slab of stone, their rifles aimed at the demons. I was not an expert in weaponries, but I was pretty sure that those soldiers were using MK16 rifles. Their bullets pierced through the bodies of the demons, a feat that would not be possible with mere pistols. A fourth soldier appeared behind them. He shouted, ¡°The military base is still open for refugees!¡± I noticed that he was staring at Jerry¡¯s little sister, particularly. ¡°Go right after crossing that building over there!¡± He pointed at a toppled building not far from us. ¡°The soldiers will protect you!¡± It was a pleasing offer, a stroke of luck within this shitty reality. ¡°Chase!¡± said Franchesca, her breathing heavy. ¡°Let¡¯s go there! They have¡­ They have weapons! Guns! We¡¯ll be safe there!¡± Jerry nodded vigorously at that statement. Behind us, the demons were still being killed one after another. It was a spectacular sight, considering the fact that normal guns had no effect on those monsters. ¡°No,¡± I shot down the idea. ¡°We¡¯ll keep going towards the mountains.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± squeaked Jerry. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the soldiers said? There are refugees there! A military camp, mate! A damn military camp!¡± I did not have the time to explain to them that that military camp would collapse around a week from now. ¡°Just trust me on this one,¡± I simply said. ¡°It¡¯s safer in the mountains.¡± Furthermore, I needed to kill the Boss Monster there¡ªthe sooner the better. And I would not be able to do that if I was stuck inside a military base that would soon collapse. Doubt was palpable within our group. Most definitely, they were hesitant of my decisions. Jerry glanced at the soldiers, then at me. He sighed. ¡°Okay, Chase. I¡¯ll trust you on this one.¡± He nodded thrice to himself. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I smiled. We ran towards the direction of the mountains. Chapter 11: Voice of the Wind Chapter 11: Voice of the Wind Behind us, gunshots roared through the night. I could hear the faint sounds of demons wailing as bullets pierced through their bodies. Those soldiers, with their MK16 rifles, were strong. There was no doubt about it. I was glad that Jerry and the rest of the group agreed to move to the foot of the mountains, despite the offer of protection from the nearby military camp. ¡ªor so I thought. ¡°This isn¡¯t right,¡± a familiar voice said. She stopped in her tracks, then looked at the direction we came from. Despite the smoke shrouding the streets, we could see the muzzle flashes from the soldiers¡¯ rifles. I stopped and asked, ¡°Franchesca?¡± There was a hint of uncertainty within my voice, for I somehow knew the next words she was going to say. ¡°Chase, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She looked torn. ¡°But I really think it¡¯s safer to stay with them. With those soldiers.¡± For a few seconds, I stood there like a statue. I was expecting Jerry to be the most hesitant of this decision, but to think that those words would first come out of her mouth ¨C my chest tightened a bit from the thought. And the next words she uttered struck me right at the chest. ¡°And¡­ I¡¯m not sure I can trust you,¡± she breathed. She looked at Jerry, as though seeking affirmation, then back at me. ¡°You¡­ you killed people before. Please understand¡­ right now¡­ I can¡¯t trust you.¡± I was unable to retort to that. Why was it that whenever she was involved, I felt weak, helpless, as though all strength in body had vanished into wisp and smoke? She approached Jerry. ¡°I¡¯m going to the military camp. Come with me. Your sister will be safer there.¡± Knowing Jerry, this was probably the last push he needed in order to separate from me. Well, I could probably not blame him. After all, any sane person would choose to be protected by armed soldiers than a single man and his sword. But his reply was unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m coming with Chase,¡± he simply said. Within those large, bulging eyes, I saw affirmation and determination. ¡°And I¡¯m taking my sister with us.¡± I was taken by surprise by this sudden development. I opened then closed my mouth. Jerry breathed in then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m really confused right now. I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± the last part escalated into a shout. ¡°Where should I go? Who should I trust? I really feel that it would be safer to seek refuge in the military camp¡­ but!¡± Jerry looked at me, his eyes pleading for answers. ¡°Chase, you said before that it¡¯s safer in the mountains.¡± His voice felt forced, almost choking. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s true, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Jerry closed his eyes for a moment, then turned to Franchesca. ¡°I¡¯ve known this guy all my life. I trust him. That¡¯s why, despite the odds, I¡¯m coming with him.¡± I was at loss for words. Somehow, tears started forming at the corner of my eyes. I willed them back. Franchesca bit her lips as she stared at me. Her shoulders were quivering, as though she was suppressing her emotions from coming out. After a few more seconds of silence, she finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯ll stay with the soldiers.¡± My eyes widened after that remark. Myriad of emotions washed over me. But then, I realized that it was only a few hours since we first met. Jerry and I have been friends for over a decade, but she and I were definitely mere strangers. Franchesca shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± she said. And she began running towards the direction of military camp. Slowly, her figure started to vanish amidst the clouds of smoke. Jerry and I stared at each other for a moment, and without uttering a word, he understood my intentions. I began running after her. ¡°Wait!¡± I said. Behind us, the sound of gunshots had finally died out. Did the soldiers kill the demons? Or was it the other way around? Franchesca afforded a glance at me, but did not say a word back. We kept running, until eventually, we reached the military base. We halted in our tracks as we stared at it in awe. It was beyond my expectations. A small wall, probably six meters tall, surrounded the area. Three large watchtowers made of wood, which easily passed the ten meters mark, stood proud near the entrance. Despite the smoke that continued to twirl up into the sky, I could see numerous silhouettes of soldiers at the top. On top of the walls, barbed wires were latched.Stolen story; please report. You could say that this military camp was as large as half the town itself, and I started to wonder why back in the previous timeline, I failed to notice it. I was probably too busy trying to survive back then. Maybe, that was the reason why. ¡°Why did you follow me here?¡± ask Franchesca. There was no spite within her voice, only surprise and confusion. ¡°I¡¯d rather die that let anything bad happen to you,¡± I replied in a heartbeat. Clich¨¦ line, but it was the truth. For a moment, her eyes stared straight into mine. ¡°If you¡¯re not with me, how can I protect you?¡± ¡°But!¡± she said. ¡°You told me that the mountain¡ª¡± She stopped midway her remark when a voice was heard near the entrance of the camp. I could feel that numerous scopes were aimed at us. ¡°Stop right there!¡± said a deep voice. I immediately knew what he was so cautious of. I stepped in front of our group. ¡°We¡¯re humans!¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve met some soldiers along the way, and they told us that this camp is still accepting refugees!¡± At the corner of my eyes, I could see that Franchesca was staring at me. ¡°Please, let us enter!¡± The sound of men murmuring was heard. A few seconds after, the metallic gate slowly creaked open. An elderly man in camouflage went out. A platinum badge dangled on his chest. ¡°I see,¡± he said with a soft smile. I noticed that his eyes were looking at Kristine. Most probably, this old man was fond of children. ¡°We still have enough rooms for a few more people.¡± His eyes scanned my group. From Kristine, to Jerry, to Franchesca, then finally me. ¡°Go inside for now.¡± It did not escape my notice that he momentarily stared at my sword. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said. Honestly, I really believe that coming to this place was a bad decision. There was no doubting my knowledge that back in the previous timeline, this place was turned into ruins by the hands of monsters. But for now, ensuring Franchesca¡¯s safety was top priority. With the old man in lead, we went inside the small gap created by the opened metallic gate. As soon as we entered, it shut closed, creating a deafening bang. I immediately scanned my surroundings. Dozens of soldiers armed with rifles. A smaller wall not far from us, definitely serving as a second line of defense, stood. A watchtower to our right, and below it was a few armored vehicles that resembled tanks. If I had now known better, I would have been on the impression that this place was impregnable even against those demons outside. A soldier approached the old man and whispered something to his ear. The old man nodded once then turned to us. Like before, he was wearing a gentle smile. ¡°Welcome to Camp McArthur,¡± he said after clearing his throat. Numerous soldiers nearby attentively spectated. ¡°I am Lieutenant McMillan, third-in-command of this military base.¡± He nodded to the nearby soldiers, and they immediately approached our direction. ¡°We¡¯ll need to check your belongings. Anything dangerous will be immediately confiscated.¡± He was looking at my sword as he said the last part of his statement. I suppressed a groan. I knew that this would happen. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll be taking that sword,¡± said one of the soldiers. He was about to grab my beloved partner when I defensively pulled it back. ¡°No,¡± I said in a decisive tone. The soldier looked at Lieutenant McMillan. ¡°Honestly, a lot of our soldiers have died during the last few hours,¡± said the Lieutenant. His frizzy white hair dangled as he approached me. He stopped and stared straight into my eyes. ¡°Our duty is to protect the citizens and to uphold public order. We need to confiscate all weapons of civilians. Precautions. Please understand.¡± His stance was understandable, but letting go of my beloved sword was out of the question. It was the partner that stood with me through the worst of times back in the previous timeline. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I held my ground. ¡°I can¡¯t give this to you guys.¡± The lieutenant groaned. He looked at me as though I was a kid who could not understand what was happening around. ¡°We can¡¯t let you enter then,¡± he warned. ¡°Those are the rules¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªLet this one slide, Old man,¡± interjected a young man, probably in his late teens. He emerged from the platoon of soldiers near the second gate. His clothes were that of a civilian: Baggy jacket and faded jeans. His red hair was neatly combed to the back, his eyes droopy. ¡°M-Master Nostra!¡± said the Lieutenant. Immediately, everyone, including the old man, made a staunch salute. Who was this young man? Judging by his attire and physique, he was no soldier. There was no way he would be accepted in the military with those twig-like limbs of his. Nostra chuckled, his eyes dancing as he gazed at me. ¡°Interesting,¡± he whistled. ¡°You know something about this apocalypse, don¡¯t you?¡± My eyes widened. My instinct screamed at me that this young man was not merely guessing around. He knew. ¡°Who are you?¡± I tried to shadow out the wariness within my voice. Nostra broadly grinned. He pulled out a small talon from his pocket. It was silver with patches of gold. And I immediately recognized what it was. ¡°Your expression tells me that you know what this item is,¡± said Nostra. He placed the talon back inside the pocket of his jacket. After looking up the smoke-filled sky, he said, ¡°The wind told me to let you guys enter this camp. That one of you¡ª¡± he looked at my direction. ¡°¡ªis strong enough to stand by my side.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this kid talking about?¡± whispered Jerry. I ignored him. ¡°You¡­ why do you have that item?¡± I said, my expression stern. That talon was definitely from that mini boss monster. Considering that only a few hours had passed, there was no way he could have obtained that item. But reality was stating otherwise. What was happening? Nostra chuckled at my question. He spread both his arms wide. ¡°I killed that beast, of course.¡± I was stunned at his declaration. There was no way that was possible. ¡°You can¡¯t believe something even when the truth is right before you, eh?¡± he said in mockery. Once again, he looked up the sky. ¡°Ahh~ the wind is telling me that I should go back to that place.¡± Nostra said to the Lieutenant, ¡°Old man, give those three the permission to enter the camp. There¡¯s no need to confiscate their weapons.¡± Lieutenant McMillan bowed his head. ¡°As you wish, Master Nostra.¡± ¡°Also, that man over there,¡± said Nostra as he pointed at me. ¡°Let him go in and out of this place as he wishes. If the Captain complains about it, tell him that I permitted it.¡± Once again, Lieutenant McMillan bowed and conceded. A voice whispered at me. ¡°You plan on going to the foot of the mountains, right? I heard your conversation before, back when you guys were still outside the camp.¡± My eyes were wide as I stared at Nostra. He was a good distance away from me, his eyes dancing and his lips crooked into a grin. As far as I remembered, we were hundreds of meters away from the military based when that certain conversation transpired. And he still heard that. There was no doubt. This young man possessed that certain skill after killing the Mini Boss Monster. Who was he? How did he kill that beast? So many questions ran through my head, but I had no way of answering any of them. And he once again whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve made things easy for you. Do not disappoint me.¡± Chapter 12: The Military Camp Chapter 12: The Military Camp After being given permission to enter, we passed through the second gate of the military camp. The view that greeted us reminded me of a medieval city. Stone houses were seen in all directions. Dome-shaped structures, which I assumed to be barracks, were positioned near the intersections, obstructing most of the view. Further ahead were wooden watchtowers. The soldiers moving about blended with the civilians that took refuge inside the military camp. Well, I should probably stop calling this a camp. It was far too large and fortified than that. We walked further inside and soon, we saw a crowd gathered not far from us. ¡°Repent, O ye sinners!¡± said a skinny man wearing a tattered chasuble. He stood on top of a make-do pedestal and was at the center of the crowd. ¡°This is the wrath of the Heavenly Father! For the world has sinned!¡± Judging by the reactions of the crowd, this man had been preaching for quite some time now. At the corner of my eyes, I could see some soldiers standing and listening to his speech. Weren¡¯t they going to do something about that guy? Surely, he would cause unrest within the refugees. That was something we don¡¯t need right now. The man raised his arms to the heavens. Some of the refugees knelt down the moment he did so. ¡°Oh Father! Cast your mercy upon us! Upon these wicked souls!¡± he said. Even from this distance, I could feel the passion within his voice. ¡°By your will, we shall take arms and fend off the spawns of the devil! By your will, we shall stand up and rise! We shall bring light to this forsaken world!¡± I almost shook my head after his statement. If the atmosphere was not so tense right now, I would have been rolling on the floor, laughing. ¡°Pastor Keith,¡± said one of the refugees. ¡°What will happen to us? What should we do so those demons won¡¯t kill us? Please tell us!¡± ¡°Pastor Keith!¡± ¡°Pastor!¡± The shrieks and wails of the crowd amalgamated into buzzing sounds that screamed of the word loser. I frowned as I lead my group away from the mob. ¡°Just trust in the Lord!¡± shouted the Pastor. I swear, guys like this one would be first to flee from danger. ¡°He will make way! He will save us! Just trust our God!¡± ¡°An interesting guy, isn¡¯t he?¡± said a voice behind me. I turned around and saw Nostra. Like before, he wore his usual arrogant smirk. ¡°Normally, I would have asked the soldiers to throw him to jail¡­ but he¡¯s so funny that I can¡¯t bring myself to do it.¡± There was a chuckle within his voice, and I clearly heard it. ¡°Say, if there really exists a God,¡± said Nostra. ¡°Then he¡¯s nothing but a shitty existence that loves to play with the lives of mortals.¡± It was the first time I met someone with the same views. I nodded at that statement, and he seemed delighted after seeing that. ¡°So, what do you think of the military base?¡± said Nostra. ¡°My military base.¡± Once again, I glanced around. It was far more peaceful than I thought. The tension in the air was palpable, but order still existed within the grounds. Soldiers would patrol the streets, and refugees would come in and out of stone houses. If I were asked what surprised me the most in the city, then I would point out the numerous stone houses built in strategical places. I could clearly see those stone houses as another wall, and the barracks at the intersections were the gates. I was pretty sure that even if the walls were breached, this military base would be able to hold on for a decent amount of time. I had to give credit to whoever planned the layout of this military base. ¡°I built this place,¡± said Nostra, as though he was able to read my mind. ¡°Took me some time to plan the layout and the defenses, but it¡¯s definitely worth it.¡± He nodded at his words. ¡°Definitely the best place to be during this apocalypse. There¡¯s no safer place.¡± I had the urge to retort that the foot of the mountains was far safer, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. After all, there was no point in revealing all my cards. We passed by a small cathedral, and as expected, it was packed full of refugees praying to their God. ¡°Oh, the cathedral¡¯s mandatory,¡± said Nostra. He tucked both his hands inside the pockets of his baggy jacket. ¡°The soldiers insisted that we build that thing. Though I really think it¡¯s a waste of space.¡± Occasionally, some of the soldiers would see Nostra, and they would immediately stand rigidly and make a salute. It was an amusing sight, as though this teenager was a God clad in human flesh. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. There was a chuckling sound before Nostra playfully replied, ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± He briskly walked ahead of us then turned around to face me. He tilted his head to the side and placed a finger on his lips. ¡°Rather¡­ I should be the one asking that.¡± His eyes, as he stared at me, were predatory. ¡°Who are you? The wind kept whispering at me that I should meet you, no matter what.¡± I did not reply. I merely stared back at him. A soldier approached Nostra then whispered something to him. Nostra nodded then mumbled, ¡°I see¡­ I see.¡± His brows creased momentarily, but he was able to immediately regain his smiling face. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to take care of~,¡± he playfully said. He pointed at a stone house not far from us. ¡°You can use that one. Topmost floor. The one at the right. Oh, you don¡¯t mind sharing a small room, do you?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The soldier beside Nostra seemed uncomfortable of our presence. He intently glared at my direction. He whispered something to Nostra, and Nostra replied with, ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s fine!¡± Thunder bellowed on the sky. The refugees on the streets shrieked, and some crouched on the ground. I remembered my past self. I was like that before, too. I was so traumatized of the events that transpired that the slightest bit of noise would make me jolt and tremble in fear. ¡°It¡¯s probably going to rain,¡± said Kristine, her voice small and trembling. Nostra approached me then sniffed my neck. I took three steps back in reflex. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I said, my voice filled with wariness. This guy was too weird. Nostra snickered. ¡°You really smell of blood.¡± He stared at my sword for a few seconds. ¡°Don¡¯t kill the soldiers, ¡®kay?¡± At the corner of my eyes, I could see that Franchesca and Jerry were clearly bothered by what Nostra had said. I was sure that once again, the image of me killing humans before resurfaced within their minds. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that,¡± I simply stated. After all, it did not matter who it was. If someone were to harm Franchesca and Jerry, I would kill without hesitation. And the soldiers were not excluded from that list. Nostra chuckled. He meandered back towards the soldier from before. Before disappearing amidst the crowd, he said, ¡°Then, see you later!¡± And he was gone. The four of us went towards the stone house Nostra previously pointed at. Even from the distance, we could hear the voices of men and women arguing inside. I knocked on the door thrice then twisted the knob. The door creaked open, and those that were inside stared at us. Eleven people. If we include our group, it was a tad too many for such a small house. ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted politely. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to occupy the room at the topmost floor. The one at the right¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªThis house¡¯s full,¡± interjected one of them. ¡°Get lost, kids.¡± The members of my group shriveled from the glares shot by the adults. ¡°The soldiers told us that we¡¯re supposed to occupy the room at the topmost floor,¡± I stood my ground. ¡°Didn¡¯t ya hear me?¡± snarled one of them. ¡°This house¡¯s full¡ª¡± He stopped midway in his remark when an old woman tapped his shoulder. Her brows were creased as she gently shook her head. From that single instance, I realized that that woman held great authority within the group. Everyone suddenly turned quiet as she spoke. ¡°You can take the room at the topmost floor, son,¡± she said. Her voice was gentle, almost soothing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the rude remarks of family. You see¡­ a lot has happened since we came here¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, and I was sure that her mind was reminiscing the horrid encounters. Her lips quivered as she suppressed the tears from coming out. Silence befell us. And the agitated man from before broke the ice. ¡°You heard her,¡± he said, this time calmly. ¡°You lot can take the room. Go.¡± Indeed, not everyone was evil. These people were just probably traumatized by what happened. Judging by their expressions, these guys had probably lost some of their family members. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I led my group towards the spiraling staircase. There was silence as we climbed up the floors, and eventually, we reached the room at the top. I opened the wooden door and it made a characteristic creaking sound. ¡°It¡¯s a lot bigger than I¡¯ve expected,¡± I whistled. This was not a bad place to stay, at all. Well, at the very least until the fifth wave arrives. After all, this place would be reduced to smithereens once the monsters from the fifth wave attacked this place. After all of us entered the room, Jerry shut the door tight. He gulped down the lump in his throat then said, ¡°Pal, aren¡¯t you going to explain to us what¡¯s happening?¡± Silence was absolute as everyone stared at my direction. I sighed for I knew that this was going to happen. I sat down on one of the two beds in the room. The cold breeze of the night whistled through the window on my right. And I began explaining to them the things that I knew, and the things that I¡¯ve experienced before. It took me a long time telling them my story, and that was after leaving out the most horrid and gruesome details. Jerry and Franchesca was staring at me, their eyes wide and their jaws slacked. Kristine, one the other hand, merely looked dumbfounded. I was not ever sure if the brat understood what I have just told them. ¡°W-Wait!¡± shrieked Jerry. I told him to hush, and thankfully, he did. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that you came from the future, and that you¡¯ve experienced this nightmare before? That in that timeline, both Franchesca and I were dead and you were the only one that survived?!¡± I nodded, and Jerry pulled out some of his hair. ¡°And what¡¯s with the story of entering Hell?!¡± he once again shrieked. ¡°You mean to tell me that you successfully killed the one responsible for this shitty reality¡­ this apocalypse¡ªbut died afterwards? And what with the kid at the end of that story? You¡¯re telling us that¡¯s the famous lucifer from the bible? That¡¯s a damn crazy story!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty crazy,¡± I said in agreement. Jerry still wore a dubious face as he repeatedly opened then closed his mouth. I looked outside the window and saw the numerous stone houses inside the military camp. ¡°This place¡¯s going to fall a few days from now. A week at most,¡± I said. The members of my group shivered after the thought. ¡°Personally, I think it¡¯s safer in the mountains,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing living there aside from the Silver Wisp.¡± ¡°Silver Wisp?¡± said Jerry. I smoothened out the blanket of the bed then nodded. ¡°A Boss monster that lives in isolation. It¡¯s pretty aggressive if someone enters its territory¡ªand that includes even the other monsters. So simply speaking, if we know the limits of its territory, we can use that to our advantage. We can use that monster to protect us while we bid for time. Plus, there¡¯re those flowers that bloom at the feet of the mountain.¡± I did not further elaborate that I needed to kill the Silver Wisp to obtain its special skill. This explanation of mine was good enough for now. Franchesca walked towards me. ¡°Chase¡­ if your story was true, then¡­¡± I immediately understood what she was trying to say. I did say that we used to be lovers before, back in the previous timeline. I gave out a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell too much on it. Even if you don¡¯t feel the same way this time, I¡¯ll still continue to stay by your side. No matter what.¡± I emphasized the last part. Franchesca seemed flustered by what I have said. She momentarily stared at me, then averted her gaze after. Jerry wore a mischievous grin as he approvingly nodded at me. After we took our rest, time quickly ticked by. Kristine fell asleep on the bed, while Jerry and Franchesca merely sat inside the room in silence. I could not blame them. After all, so much things transpired. They¡¯ll probably find it hard to sleep for the next few days. Suddenly, the people outside shrieked. The three of us immediately stood up to see what the commotion was about. From the window, we saw the sky turn redder by each passing moment. The clouds twirled into a violent maelstrom, and thunder bellowed continuously.
The second wave of monsters have arrived! Despair, mortals!
Moments after that announcement, particles of light formed right at the center of the twirling mass of clouds. The entire sky turned blood red, and lightning slithered into numerous crisscrossing veins. From the center of the vortex, a pillar of blinding light fell down. I squinted as I watched its intensity wane and disappear a few seconds after. Eventually, the clouds dispersed, and the sky resumed its lull. ¡°W-What was that?¡± breathed Jerry. Even now, the people outside, the soldiers included, were flustered. ¡°The start of the second wave,¡± I said. Tears started forming at the corner of Jerry¡¯s eyes. ¡°W-What do you mean, mate?¡± ¡°New batch of monsters,¡± I said in simple terms. ¡°The guys that arrived this time are far more dangerous than the demons from before. It¡¯s a good thing we¡¯ve gone out of the city.¡± As though on cue, numerous gunshots were heard from the outside. Buzzes and shrieks were heard as the refugees went into a state of panic. ¡°Monsters! A wave of monsters is attacking us!¡± one of the soldiers shouted. And this drove the crowd into frenzy. ¡°Stupid,¡± I said as I grabbed my sword. ¡°What¡¯s the use of telling the refugees about it?¡± For sure, chaos was something we did not need right now. I opened the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be going out of a bit. It¡¯s safe in this camp¡ªfor now.¡± I looked at Jerry and Franchesca. ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t go out. I¡¯ll be back in a couple of hours.¡± I licked my lips. I guess this was the perfect time to slaughter some monsters.