While Everyone Dies In The Apocalypse, He Trained In The BASEMENT His Whole LIFE! - Manhwa Recap

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The protagonist begins by talking about the old walls of that place and the worn-out furniture. Some small insects pass by the fans. He invites those insects, kills one, and licks it, saying it's somewhat bitter.

However, he spent his entire life in that basement while writing. He says that when he manages to get out of this suffocating place, he will use these reflections he's writing now. Normally, in letters like this, people start by writing their name; however, he has never been called by the name he has, so he doesn't know what it is. But he is sure he must have one, one given by his mother. He was separated from her right after birth.

However, he has this photo in his room of his mother holding him, looking at her smile. He says he is sure she must have loved him. She is dead, if that's what a guy with glasses says next to him. When the guy goes to repeat himself, he turns, asking what he means by that. The guy with a sack-like chin says she died shortly after he was born, jumping off a bridge. The man keeps laughing while the protagonist does not react. This guy is actually his father, the cursed bastard who trapped him in this place. The man's plan is to never let him escape.

The place is composed of several corridors and many doors, and all the keys to that place are at his waist. The father tells him not to worry; he will never see the outside. He asks if he doesn't remember why his mother jumped off the bridge. The boy does not respond, and the man takes a cookie and moves it towards his face, saying she was scared of the world she lived in or this land she knew. An apocalypse was coming.

The boy continues to stare at his father, who warns that the reason he won't leave there is because he loves him. He doesn't want to see his son take his own life. The boy says it's a lie; it's impossible. She preferred to die than live in this so-called apocalypse. He tells him to stop lying about this apocalypse coming. The father says he can choose whether to believe it or not. He takes the notebook and warns that this letter he wrote will never see the light of day. The boy tells him to stop, but the father sets it on fire.

Sometime later, on top of the trash can, he says that this guy doesn't even deserve to be called a father. However, the guy smiles, saying that he can't say something like that since everything he's been doing is for his son. He mourns that the time has come and tells him to follow.

Walking through the corridors, the protagonist says it's at the same time every day they pass through this place, and he doesn't hear the sound of any other form of life. He and his father are the only inhabitants of this vast basement. The father starts writing things on the blackboard while the boy thinks it's the same routine every day: the same lessons and the same training.

The only thing that keeps him surviving this tedious life is the little free time he gets every day to take a look at the library. Among the numerous books there, the ones he likes the most are those that have descriptions of the world outside. He wonders what this sunlight that all the books talk about is like. At least he believes it must be warmer than the light in that basement.

He looks back and sees a field. With this, he imagines himself running in it, saying he wants to experience a peaceful day in life and see a beautiful scenery. He wants to be able to talk to other people and maybe even be friends with them. But the most important thing now is to escape from this place and give his father a good kick.

The father closes the book and says he has already told him that he can only read it during his free time. Watching him, he says it looks like his son was reading a book about the surface and says he continues to be pathetic, wanting to know if he still has some kind of connection to the outside world. The father reminds him that he will never leave this place. When the apocalypse comes, the world will be covered in blood and screams; only ashes will remain, and this place is the only way to survive.

The protagonist says that his father is lying again. He always says that an apocalypse is coming, and it's because of this absurd reason that he has been trapped there his whole life. He wants to escape from this place no matter the cost. However, the time has not come yet; he has to wait for the perfect moment, the time when his father lets his guard down and becomes defenseless.

Sometime later, in one of the other rooms, the protagonist is doing push-ups, struggling. The father says it's ridiculous; he's tired just because of this, and he wouldn't survive the apocalypse like this, saying it's ridiculous that he only did ten with that small weight on his back. The protagonist's arm loses strength, and he falls to the ground.

The father approaches and offers his hand to help. He stays silent for a second, confused. Awkwardly, he asks his father why he is being helped. However, as soon as he takes his hand, the father pulls him and says he never said he would help. He sweeps his legs, making the boy roll and hit his back against the glass.

The father explains once again that anyone who reaches out a hand to help cannot be trusted. In the apocalypse, humans are the most dangerous things, and that's why he's been training him and teaching him combat techniques. It will be inevitable that he encounters other humans, and when that happens, he must be strong enough to win with clean hands.

However, he realizes that his son has fed and turns away, saying the day is over. But at that moment, the protagonist finds a chance; his father was careless. He gets up and grabs a shard of glass. That was the moment he had always been looking for; his father's guard was down, and he prepared and lunged towards him. He was going to finish him off now in this careless state, obtain the key, and escape from this place.

The boy approached and smiled, saying the plan worked. It was just that piece of glass touching his father, and he was about to reach it. However, there was a flaw in his plan; the father remained still, and he knew that man was not someone who would let his guard down like that. At the moment the shard was about to touch him, the father suddenly turned around. The protagonist was startled, and his father's entire body had already turned.

Even so, he didn't hesitate and went for the attack, but the father easily dodged. The plan had failed. The father spun around and kicked him in the face. With that, the protagonist blacked out.

Sometime later, he woke up in his room. Before he could say anything, the father said he finally woke up and noted that it was a great attempt. That attack had been very good; however, he had already warned him that he shouldn't be using any weapons or the training meant nothing, and the penalty for trying to use that would be double training.

For now, he closed the room door and told him to rest because tomorrow would be a very tough day. With that, the father left, and the protagonist says there is something his father doesn't know. As soon as he turns off the light, the electricity in the room is cut for a few seconds. At that moment, if he focuses his hearing, he can hear things he had never heard before, things that are extremely distant: the sound of things spinning, the sound of birds singing, even in a bustling city.

Because of this, he discovered two truths. The father says it's time to sleep, but in reality, it's daytime outside. The other truth is that the world is completely peaceful. The father traps him there because of the so-called apocalypse, but he will break free from it no matter what happens and thus find his mother.

Every time he asks his father about her, he says she is dead. However, he already knows that his father always lies. This means that in reality, she is alive. He lies down, saying that one day he will escape from there and find her no matter what happens.

The father was walking through the corridors, laughing like a madman alone, until suddenly he received a call. His expression changed, and he answered, saying that he had told them not to call unless it was an emergency. While the protagonist slept, he heard something. The call seemed to be serious, and he said that it was fine; he would let him live. With that, the phone fell to the ground, and the father knelt down, crying.

After a while, he started laughing. While the protagonist was waking up, the father seemed out of his mind, laughing like a lunatic in the corner of the room. The protagonist felt that something was wrong and asked what it was. That was when he noticed he was tied to a chair. He asked what his father was doing and told him to untie him.

However, he soon realized that his father didn't seem to be listening. He knew he would have to free himself from those ropes. Slowly, he started rubbing them together, applying pressure, and they began to break. He was confident until his father appeared in front of him and told him to stop.

The protagonist felt something strange, swallowed hard, and asked his father when they were going to start the supposed training that would be twice as hard. The father only said that plans had changed and they wouldn't be doing any of that today. In fact, they wouldn't be doing anything anymore, and the boy would just stay in that chair.

But the protagonist asked what he was talking about, reminding him that he said he was being trained for the apocalypse. The father said the training was over now. The boy had no idea why his father had changed so much, and the worst part was that he couldn't fight back if he was tied up.

He started to wonder if he would really be unable to see his mother. Angrily, he resumed forcing the ropes, and the father asked what he thought he was doing. He ignored him and continued applying pressure, and the ropes began to break. The father approached, almost slack-jawed, and started laughing in his face, seeming to have transformed.

Suddenly, he felt something hit him in the face. The chair fell, and the father lifted him up again, warning him not to move. The protagonist hesitated for a second and then began to move again, taking another blow to the chest and falling to the ground. Despite having nothing to do, he kept forcing the ropes to try to free himself.

The protagonist kept insisting. At that time, he didn't know what was happening to him. Maybe it would have made more sense to just agree with his father and look for another opportunity to escape. However, at that moment, there was something he didn't want to lose, even if it cost him his life: the resentment he had for his father for being trapped.

Sometime later, he broke free from the chains. Seeing that he was free made him excited. He wanted to see the look of disappointment on his father's face for not obeying. However, as soon as he turned, his father was coming again. He imagined his father would have a look of rage, but as he got closer, he noticed something was different.

What he saw in front of him were tears that his father had always been holding back. It was then that he realized that this man had always been extremely sad. This made him wonder why this man had such an expression. At that moment, with that, he was struck and lost consciousness, with his father saying he hoped he understood.

The lessons were always the same. His father talked about the rules for surviving the apocalypse, and the most important one was never to leave the basement. There would be no safer place in the world than that: defense mechanisms that would be maintained for 126 years, resources and supplies enough for anyone to stay alive. That place had everything prepared, and leaving it was asking to die.

The father warned that the end would come without any warning, so he was not to leave. The protagonist woke up face down on the floor. When he regained consciousness, his father had disappeared and left him behind. That had never happened before. The only time he didn't see his father was when he slept.

However, remembering his father's crying expression, he knew something was happening. He had become accustomed to the repetitive days in that place, but that day was different from all the others in his life. He instinctively knew that something was about to begin.

As if his intuition could be heard, the doors to all the rooms opened. At that moment, the boy didn't hesitate for a second. As soon as the doors opened, he saw an opportunity. For the first time in his life, he walked through the doors and started advancing through the corridors. In a certain area, he knew that if his father were there, he would have been stopped, but this confirmed that his father was not there.

All the barriers were deactivated, so he ran until he found the staircase. He knew that was what he had been looking for and started to escape, hoping that the light beyond that hatch would be sunlight. As soon as he pushed the hatch aside, he was blinded by something. He climbed out of the hole and slowly stood up.

He tried to open his eyes and found himself in the middle of a bustling city. The place was lively, and all the people seemed to be living their everyday lives. The protagonist told himself that he had finally managed to escape from there. He stood still, and a bald man asked what he was doing in the middle of the street.

He turned around excitedly, saying he finally found a person. The man was confused by this crazy boy, but then the protagonist stopped to think that it was not the time to focus on that. It was too early to let his guard down, and his father might realize he had escaped. He started running, saying he should distance himself as much as possible from that basement.

As he ran, he smiled, thinking that the moment he had been dreaming of had finally arrived. For the first time, he was free. Not long ago, escaping seemed impossible, so he never imagined that the doors would simply open. But then he stopped running and asked himself why the doors opened.

It was impossible for it to be a system malfunction; his father was extremely meticulous and would never make such a mistake. That's when he wondered, what if the opening of the door was intentional? He shook his head, saying no, something like that was impossible, especially since his father was the one who made the rule never to leave that place.

He looked around, saw people talking, school children laughing, and a little boy going to get a balloon. He saw the excited boy and his smiling family. The children were running, and he felt happy, thinking that it was all right. The boy bumped into someone, and the balloon rose while the protagonist thought that in the end, everything his father said was a lie.

He realized how peaceful it was outside. This was how life outside the basement was; everyone there was living a calm life, just as he had hoped. The balloon floated towards the sun while he thought that an approaching apocalypse made no sense. People were calm.

Then everyone felt something strange, and he remembered that his father always said that the end would come without any warning. Suddenly, all the birds in the city began to flee. People looked up, confused. The entire city was under a shadow, and behind the balloon, another planet was visible. It covered the sun while everyone looked up, confused.

Something started to come out of that planet, almost like a virus searching for a host. From the sky, it headed toward the Earth. People on the ground said that it seemed to be getting closer. No one had any idea what it was, and someone asked if it might be the moon. The protagonist thought it was ridiculous to call it the moon and asked if they weren't seeing what he was seeing.

Amidst the advance of that planet, a creature was visible. The protagonist was paralyzed. Besides that creature, there were countless others connected to it. The tangled mass of monsters formed tentacles that continued advancing, linking with each other until they reached the middle of the city.

"Never leave the basement," his father always said. That was the basic rule of survival. However, there was an exception: if the location of that place was exposed to the enemy. The first creature strangely dove straight into that sewer. The father scratched out the first rule, saying that in the face of great danger, it no longer applied.

The security system showed that the doors would be closed as all the creatures ran through the corridors. Outside, the population didn't understand what was happening. An infinite tangle of creatures reached the ground, and all happened so suddenly that no one even reacted.

In a second, a blonde guy was grabbed and pulled by one of the creatures. Before he could react, he found himself face to face with a monster's mouth. People just watched as the guy's remains fell in front of everyone. With that, they started screaming, and everyone tried to flee.

A boy was walking by with headphones on while everyone passed by. He seemed confused and noticed something above him and was immediately crushed. A muscular creature started hurling rocks at everyone, and another with a clawed arm jumped into the crowd, slashing three people in one stroke. In that place, no one could escape any of the creatures.

The protagonist stood there, not knowing what was happening. People talked about calling the police, but he couldn't react. Then he remembered his father always said that when the apocalypse came, the world would be bathed in blood, and the only thing left would be a heap of ashes.

The protagonist looked up and saw a creature three times taller than a building staring at everyone. The city screamed as one of its steps destroyed half the city. With that, the apocalypse began. The plan in the sky continued to rain creatures upon the Earth. Lying on the ground, the protagonist realized that his father had always been right.

Then he remembered his father saying that his mother was dead and wondered if he was right about that too. As citizens continued trying to flee from the creatures, for unprepared humans, it was impossible. Then someone grabbed the protagonist's arm. When he looked, it was his father.

He was about to ask how this happened, but his father just told him to keep running. A glance back showed everyone being devoured. He was shocked as his father turned the corner, and he followed, only to face a horde of creatures again. His father had already pulled him and told him to follow.

Strangely, his father was moving against the fleeing crowd. Both were running towards a destroyed bridge. No matter which way he looked, the creatures were devouring people. A man and a child yelled for them to run faster. A girl seemed confused behind them. The mass of creatures continued advancing.

Meanwhile, his father and the protagonist were almost at the end of the bridge. The mass of monsters carried everyone who had already died. The protagonist warned his father that they were going to be caught, but his father told him to shut up and run. That was the only way they could get out of the city alive.

Under the bridge, the mass of creatures was already absorbing everything. The protagonist looked back and told his father that they were being followed. That's when something stopped him: a creature behind a taxi managed to grab his foot. The monster squeezed and crushed his leg.

The protagonist agonized, knowing that if he didn't free himself, he would die. However, his father picked up a rock and smashed the creature with it. The monster fell away, and the protagonist cried out in pain. His father glared at him, and just as he was about to say something, both felt a pressure. The mass of monsters continued advancing.

He trembled and started to get up, knowing he had to run to survive. The problem was that he realized little by little that the distance between them and the creatures was decreasing rapidly. He felt a pain in his leg and fell to the ground, realizing that no matter how much he ran, he couldn't escape.

His father came and stared at him. The boy told his father to run, saying he wouldn't make it out alive in this state. At least if his father got out, he could survive on his own. His father's foot started to turn away, and the boy thought that was right. He wanted his father to run because he had always been ignored anyway.

However, in the midst of it all, his father reached out his hands and asked why he wasn't getting up. The boy was confused and shouted, saying that his father should be running. His father simply said that he would stay alive because he had a plan.

The boy was confused and said it was impossible for him to have a plan for this. However, he saw that his father's expression hadn't changed. He paused for a second and remembered his father's expression when he was wrong. He knew that his father really had a plan, so he took his father's hands.

His father pulled him up and told him to run. The boy asked his father if he didn't have a plan. That's when he noticed that his father had left something in his hand. His father just said there was no time and that he needed to escape now.

Via the bridge, he started running again, saying he would obey. He weaved between and distanced himself. Then he noticed his shadow and looked back. The bridge of support had broken, and everything started to collapse. The passage that connected that side of the city to the other fell into the void.

The protagonist wondered what had happened to his father. He stood still for a moment, questioning why this happened now, remembering that his father said he would survive because he had a plan. He wondered if this was the plan. Now he had no idea why this happened. Why did his father go so far for him but also torture him his whole life?

He fell on the bridge, questioning why his father did this. In the end, he told himself he survived, but then for what? What was he surviving for? All the life he had been dreaming of on the surface disappeared: the calm life in a peaceful place and also the sole objective he had been carrying.

He begins to cry, saying he wanted to ask. He sees his father and questions why he went so far to save him like this. In the end, the father says nothing, and he demands his father to tell him what he is going to survive for in this apocalyptic world.

He feels a handshake from his parents and turns around. It is then that he remembers the paper in his hand. Slowly, he opens his hand and sees what is there. However, the creature starts climbing the bridge. The protagonist gets startled and turns to run. However, his leg is still hurting, and he ends up stopping.

He leans on a pillar nearby, and the creature trips. With that, the side of the bridge breaks, and both fall, rolling to the side. The boy slowly tries to get up, but the problem is that this leg can't take anymore. The creature raises its head, and he knows there is no way to escape. He is really going to die like this.

However, he sees a light at the end. He believed there was nothing left. However, on the paper in his hand, he saw the message: his mother was alive and wanted to know why he only found out something like this now. The creature gets up, and the protagonist slowly rises. He tells himself that he wants to keep living. He doesn't want to give up and will do everything possible to find his mother.

The creature roars, and he knows it is not possible to defeat it. However, he remembers his father saying that when the apocalypse began, humans wouldn't be able to survive. That's because they don't have enough power or knowledge to continue existing individually. Even if they get lucky in the first few days, eventually, with the daily dangers, everyone will die.

The creature advances, and the protagonist doesn't know what to do. In the conversation, he asked his father what he was going to do then and how he was going to survive. If what he is saying is true, does that mean there's nothing he will do, and he just has to accept death?

The monster is about to land a punch on him when his father asks if he has forgotten everything he has learned. With that, he remembers all the training he has been doing. With that, he manages to dodge the punch at the last moment. The creature ends up on the other side, and the protagonist can't believe he dodged.

The monster comes again, and he gets scared. However, the father had already warned him that he was different from any ordinary human. The biggest difference between them and others was that he knew how to survive. With that, the protagonist focuses.

The creature comes running, and the father says that everything he has been learning until now, with all the training experience and all the survival wisdom, he'll have to use it to do whatever it takes to survive. He dodges the creature's attack by jumping, grabs the staff on his back, and hits it on the neck.

The entire city is destroyed, and amidst a heap of rubble, the only survivors wonder where the police are. Some comment that they are lucky to at least be alive. The problem is that it's only been four days, and they are already running out of supplies.

The girl tells the guy next to her that if they keep waiting, the police will show up soon, until a guy comes and says she is making everyone uncomfortable. She apologizes and says she's not talking loudly. The guy puts his hand on his face, saying it's not about that; she's talking to her dead husband.

He then says to let it go because he's about to lose his mind. A girl then calls for him, and they talk about having looked for food in a certain region and found nothing. The guy says that even so, they will have to find something if they want to stay alive. She then says there is a place she hasn't looked at yet and asks no one to give up.

The guy smiles and thanks her. She feels a bit embarrassed, and the guy says that everyone is exhausted from having to run from the creatures. However, she still wants to help everyone and says she's a good girl. She says she's not that good and says it's okay.

However, the excited guy responds that everyone will make it out alive. She stands still, not knowing what to say, and after a while, she goes to talk to other people. She asks a redhead if they found food, and they look at each other. With that, she pulls out a piece of bread from the side and says they found this.

The girl smiles, but when the woman opens it, she's confused, and the two have already eaten. The blonde asks what they are doing since everyone said they would share. However, the redhead says she never agreed with that, and it was something the other said.

The blonde points out that they ate some of the shared food yesterday. The chimpy-haired guy says he doesn't even remember that. The girl then warns that it's okay; she will report the two of them to everyone. The guy immediately stands up and asks why she doesn't try to do that.

However, she will soon find out what will happen. The girl says it doesn't matter because she can run very fast. The guy laughs and approaches when suddenly a scream echoes. Everyone trembles, and he asks his friend if it wasn't a creature. She turns around, saying yes, but it came from far away, so they are fine with that.

He feels relieved and says it seems he was scared for nothing. However, looking to the side, he sees the girl covering her ears and trembling. He laughs, asking where her confidence went. How was she going to run if she was trembling so much?

Then the girl notices something: there's a piece of bread in a corner. A while later, that guy from before says hi to her and asks if she looked around. There, she says yes, and he asks if she found anything. With the bread in her pocket, she says she unfortunately didn't find anything.

The guy says that's okay, but it's no surprise because for now, the most important thing is to stay alive since you can always look for food. Suddenly, the monster breaks through the wall behind them. The girl is thrown, and as she starts to get up, she sees the creature right behind the guy.

He raises his hands, pleading for help, but she runs off, apologizing. He screams, asking why, and she says she never claimed to be a good person. With that, the previous couple also flees, and the guy tells her not to look back.

Looking ahead, he sees the girl and a creature. The redhead says that when the girl gets eaten, they should take advantage of it to get past while thinking she was an idiot for going against the beast. The monster raises its arm and attacks her. At that moment, the girl realizes something and jumps, dodging the attacks.

They slip while dodging and manage to reach the other side. They can only watch her get further away while the monster comes from behind. They scream, and a while later, the girl falls to the ground, wondering if she's finally safe.

That's when she notices something beside her: the protagonist is there, standing and sleeping. She slaps him, and he falls to the ground, continuing to snore. At that moment, she notices that he's alive, but on the other side of the pillar, a creature is approaching.

She wonders if the beast heard them. As the creature slowly passes by, she realizes the protagonist is exposed and pulls him by his shirt. The monster passes while he is still asleep. Once the monster is gone, she relaxes, finally having survived.

Then she notices he is looking at her. She jumps back, and he leaps to the other side, asking who she is and what she was trying to do. The girl is a bit confused, and the protagonist remembers that his father told him never to trust anyone. The only way to survive was by keeping others at a distance.

The girl explains that she only hit him so the monster wouldn't see him. However, he keeps remembering his father saying not to trust anyone or he will be used and killed. Now he knows that if his father was right, he won't survive by getting close to people.

He then asks how he could believe her. At that moment, his stomach growls, and he collapses from hunger. The last time he ate was five days ago in the basement. He's already at his limit, and even with long breaks, he now has no energy left.

The girl says she doesn't have anything to eat. He is confused and asks what she is talking about since he didn't even ask. She says he just looked hungry, so she assumed. However, when she goes to apologize, the bread falls out of her pocket.

As soon as she sees it, he asks what it is. She's unsure how to respond, and the protagonist has no idea what that item is. It's strangely his hunger seems to intensify when he looks at it. He asks if it's food, and she says no.

He then remarks that he must have been wrong, and she retorts that it's ridiculous to think it's food. The girl thinks she has found the biggest idiot of all who can't even recognize food. Unfortunately for her, the protagonist doesn't trust humans.

She is puzzled, and he says he will never be fooled by a human's lies. She realizes she's dealing with an even bigger fool than she thought. The protagonist is sure from her reaction that it's food, and then he needs it. If she doesn't want to cooperate, he will have to use force.

However, she offers him a piece, saying she won't give more than half. The protagonist is confused, wondering why she's sharing that reduces her chances of survival. She says he will have to repay her four times over.

The boy realizes that these were her motives: humans are indeed treacherous creatures. He stands up, and she asks where he is going. He says now that he's eaten, he's moving on.

"Human," she runs after him, asking where he thinks he's going in such a world, and says she knows the place well because she grew up there. The protagonist turns and asks if she really knows the place. She says yes, so he asks if she knows where the subway is.

Later, hiding in the city, she wonders why she's following this idiot. If she had known he was like this, she wouldn't have shared the bread with him. However, she remembers asking why he wanted to go to the subway. He said it was safe there, and she questioned why he said it had a concentration of resources they would need to survive.

Most importantly, it was hard for the monsters to detect humans underground. The girl thinks he's strange but talks as if he knows something. Not to mention that this crazy person didn't even know what bread was.

Then she realized they had arrived but says she was sure it was around here. The protagonist tells her to stop lying, as he knows subways are underground. She then says this isn't the subway but the entrance to the place.

At that moment, an old man approaches and tells her to be quiet. He says he came because he heard something but didn't expect to find people. The protagonist asks who the man is. The man responds that his words are a bit rude and leaves introductions for later, telling them to follow him.

The blonde asks where, and he asks if it isn't what they are looking for. After walking through some rubble, he says they've arrived. The protagonist sees the subway, and it's busy. The blonde says there are many people there, and she didn't expect everyone to have had the same idea.

The man comments that he can't forget that moment when the creatures were everywhere. He started running and happened to find this place by luck. He says he walked on the surface a few times in search of medicine, but the two of them are the first people he's encountered.

The protagonist observes everyone. His plan was to establish a base there, but there are far more people than he expected. He can see all kinds of people there: those who were lost and trapped in despair, those who show their cruel side, and the strangest of all, one who stands still without any apparent intention.

He knows that the more humans there are, the more risk factors exist. However, none of the people he observed in the subway seem to pose a danger. He can instinctively recognize who is dangerous, just like the monsters on the surface and his father, but none of the people here give him any sense of danger.

Maybe he should stay there for a while since no one can hurt him. The bully clears his throat and introduces himself. His name is Quang Biam, and he is a doctor. He was looking for medication, and that's how he found them. He waits for them to introduce themselves, but the protagonist says nothing.

The girl then says she will introduce herself and says her name is Haru. The man says that from her uniform, she seems to be from the elementary school called Virtual. She says yes and asks if he knew it. The old man says he did because the hospital was near the mall next to it.

Haru seems confused about not remembering a hospital there. He asks the same of the protagonist, but noticing his clothes, says he spoke something stupid and asks for his name. The protagonist stops to think and says he has no name.

The old man is confused, and the protagonist says he was never given a name. The old man becomes pensive and says that when he feels more comfortable, he can share it. At that moment, a redhead comes and calls for him, saying things are getting worse.

They approach a guy with some bandages on the floor, trembling. He calls for the doctor, who looks at the wound and says it's worse than he imagined. He stopped the bleeding last time, but it wasn't enough. He tells the guy that if he doesn't undergo surgery, he has a high chance of dying from an infection.

He opens his coat full of items and says they will have to disinfect it. The protagonist watches. He remembers reading once about doctors and something his father doesn't even know: he knows the job of treating humans for a price. However, money is useless in this apocalypse, so he asks the old man what he will receive for this treatment.

Everyone looks back, and the man seems a bit confused. The doctor then asks why he would have to receive anything. He is a doctor, and his job is to take care of those who are injured. He tells the guy not to worry, as he rarely fails his surgery. The man hugs him, grateful for the help.

The protagonist can't understand why the guy is helping without expecting anything in return. He wonders if the doctor is stupid or if this behavior is normal for humans. The doctor tells him to be careful, as his wound is getting worse. The man thanks him, but then he notices something: the guy is actually a veterinarian.

The doctor starts the procedure while the man is still in shock. The boy asks him to make a knot, but the doctor says it's not possible, as things could worsen if the man moves during the surgery. The man screams that he is a veterinarian and asks if he really knows how to perform surgery on a human.

The old man, smiling, says yes because humans are also animals. The man starts shouting, saying he doesn't want this surgery anymore. The doctor then asks for some anesthetics, but the red-haired girl says they don't have any. He says he found one, grabs a block, and hits the guy on the head with that.

The protagonist is certain that humans are dangerous. A while later, he's in the corner of the room, saying he finally found some silence. The best option was to leave that place instead of watching that scene. Leaning against the wall, he wonders what he will do now.

The only thing he has is a photo his father gave him and a message saying his mother is alive. Now he has no route since there are no clues on where to go next. However, whenever he looks at the photo, he feels a strange sensation. The plants in the background have shapes similar to those of the aliens.

Even in the basement, he found this odd and researched various books on flowers but never found anything like it. However, if this is a special flower that only grows in certain environments, he might find the place where it was taken. If that's the case, he first needs to find someone who can identify this flower.

A fly passes by, and he kills and eats it, saying it's bitter. In another part, some people tell the boss that they have gathered everyone. A scarred man turns and says it's time to start. In the middle of the crowd, people wonder why they were all called there. One of them points to someone in the crowd, asking for an explanation.

It's the boss, but the man seems unresponsive. He sweats, and the other one trembles. The boss says he can look into the depths of the human mind, finding every thought they are trying to hide, and that man's eyes show fear. He hides it, trying to look tough on the outside.

The man screams for him not to come closer, but the boss punches him in the stomach, saying fear always reveals itself. The people are scared, and he approaches, grabbing the man by the collar. Seeing his desperate face, he says that's what he wanted, telling him to show more of the true form hidden in his soul.

After a while, the man asks him to stop. Then a girl approaches and informs the boss that there are people who are not there. He asks who. She says it's an old man, a boy, a little girl, and another who was injured. The boss says he ordered everyone to be gathered and asks what happened.

She explains that it's the Mohawk guy's zone, and he never listens to anyone. The boss says he doesn't like being controlled but will go there to resolve it. As he leaves, she asks what they should do with the guy on the ground. He tells them to tie him up and throw him outside.

The people ask for help, but no one seems to respond. The protagonist wakes up, wondering when he fell asleep. He had been on guard against the monsters, unable to rest. However, he notices something: he has no idea where he is. He feels a pain in his head, and when he steps on the ground, his foot seems to sink.

He wonders if he is being swallowed by something or worse, if he's already in its stomach. Something pulls him, and suddenly he wakes up, realizing it was a dream, but it felt too real. He's confused, seeing a crowd in front of him that asks who they are.

The boss says he has two minutes to appear at the Central Station, or he will be expelled from that place. His friends comment that he should go, or he'll be in trouble. The protagonist gets up. The boss looks disappointed. He was curious to see who had the courage to hide, but it seemed foolish.

The protagonist stretches his neck and asks how one of the guys is confused and asks who this lunatic is. But the boss says this is how it's fun and orders the protagonist to look at him because he wants to see his true form, to see what's hidden behind that look.

However, he doesn't seem to see anything and is confused. The guy asks the boss what's wrong and tells the protagonist to make the most of the two minutes. However, the boy just questions these two minutes and says that actually, two seconds are enough to finish everyone there.

The guy falls to his knees laughing, saying this kid is funny. He pulls out a blade and asks if those are his last words. The boss places his hand on the man's shoulder, and at that moment, the protagonist notices that the photo is not in his pocket.

The man asks if he's looking for this. The protagonist warns that if there's a scratch on the photo, he will die. The man is startled, and the boss pulls it from his hand, warning that if the boy takes another step, he'll tear it in half.

Later, the protagonist is being kicked. The man asks where his confidence went. The protagonist is hating himself for letting the most important thing disappear while he slept. It seems humans are indeed more dangerous than he imagined.

The man asks the boss if the boy will be expelled. The boss responds no. When he looked into the boy's eyes, he was different from the rest. His soul was so deep that he couldn't see anything. He warns that they will keep an eye on the boy and always keep that photo under supervision.

However, he tells his henchmen never to forget to always keep it in hand. Confused, the man asks the boss if they really have to do all this because of this kid. The boss just says it's an order, and the man says he understands.

Thinking back to the moment the boy stood up, he was somewhat scared, but now it doesn't matter. He turned to the boy and asked where his smile is. At that moment, Haru appears. She asks what they are doing, and the boss says they found another one. Embarrassed, she asks if they were looking for her.

The boss just tells her to go to the Central Station. As he leaves, a man says he hopes to see the protagonist again and will take good care of the photo. Everyone leaves, and Haru approaches the boy. She asks if he's okay, but he slaps her hand away.

She asks why he did that and says she was just trying to help. He tells her he doesn't want help and orders the human to get out of his way. She says her name isn't "human"; it's Haru, and tells him to get it right. He just walks past and asks if he needs to remember something so insignificant.

Later, they are side by side with Juan, who asks if there was any problem. Haru says no; it's just that she tried to talk to someone who doesn't even know how to communicate. The protagonist thinks he would never hold a human's hand.

He remembers clearly that his father warned him that when someone extends their hand, you could never trust it. Humans are enemies. He knows that the man has the photo, and it would be easy to snatch it from his hand by force. Even if he tore it in half, it would still be easy to take it back together.

It's just that he doesn't want to ruin it; it's the only item he has from that basement. The boss then says that everyone has arrived, so it's time to start. He announces that the options are to follow him or not. Those who follow him don't need to worry about being expelled.

He lets the man who is tied up go, explaining that the man caused chaos in the subway, which is the only safe place they have, and that's why he was expelled. He won't force anyone to follow him, but those who do must understand that his word is absolute.

At this, several people start to look at each other and walk towards him. The old man notices that many people are abandoning him, even the couple he helped. He knew that those with more strength always dominate the weak, especially in a world where the law has become obsolete.

Clearly, the guy isn't going to force anyone, but seeing that other person expelled makes everything clear. Choosing the side of the boss is the best choice for living longer. However, the old man smiles, saying that he has lived a long time, so being unpredictable once in a while isn't such a bad thing.

He knows that on the boss's side, he might not even be able to help patients when they really need it, so he will stay here even if he is alone. But the little girl is beside him. He asks if she's really going to stay with him, warning that it's better for her to go to the other side than stay with just the two of them.

But the girl points out that they aren't alone. There is the protagonist, the hooded guy, and a poor girl sleeping. Two of them will be captured and tortured. Another black-haired girl says they will probably just starve to death or become monster food. She starts screaming in desperation while the old man watches.

Then another little girl bumps into him. A man tells her to be careful and apologizes to the old man. He says it's okay and tells her to listen to her father more. But the girl says something he doesn't understand, and when he gets closer, she headbutts him, saying that man isn't her father and he is somewhere else looking for her.

The man with glasses explains that she really isn't his child; he just found her while he was running away, and until he finds her parents, he's acting as her guardian. The protagonist tries to pass through the door, and the guards tell him he can't. The boss ordered that anyone who enters that room will be punished.

But the only thing he wants to know is where that bastard with the photo is. The people gathered to divide the food said those on the other side could only take what was distributed. The girl who was sleeping complained, saying it was too little and the others had received more.

The guy said it would be like that from now on because they just stay in that room doing nothing. However, the smell of the food reached a man lying down. He woke up and said that smell was very good. When they finished distributing, they asked about a certain person.

A guy asked who, and they mentioned the boss's right-hand man, someone who seems very dangerous. Everyone calls him the bomb because he doesn't obey the boss and always walks alone. Everyone knows he is the type to kill people with a smile on his face.

The man feels cold sweat trickle down as someone runs down the corridor towards him. It's the little girl from before, who bumps into him and says he did something wrong. He says it's dangerous for her to run around alone, and now his clothes are all dirty.

The men serving the rations point and warn that he's coming, already wondering if the next victim is the girl. As he gets closer, the men start sweating bullets. He calls for the man, who asks what's wrong. He says it's nothing serious, just to give some food to that girl.

The man is confused and says she already received her share. He then says to give her his portion. Taking his food, he hands it to her. The man is perplexed. Why did he give his food to the girl? Is this some kind of unknown psychological torture?

Just then, the bespectacled man comes running, pulls the girl behind him, and tells her to stay there. He asks what the problem is, and the mohawked man asks what their problem is. The man with glasses grabs the little girl and runs off. As she looks back, she sees the blonde man smiling back at her.

The people in the room continue to be watched, and the girls comment that it seems more and more people are keeping an eye on them. The protagonist, on the other hand, is wondering if he should just leave and look for that guy. He looks at Haru, remembers the slap, and frowns.

The woman seems to notice something, and at night, when everyone is sleeping, the same woman from before gets up and sees the protagonist in the corner. She goes to touch him, and he grabs her arm, asking what she was planning to do. The woman is scared by the boy's strength and says she just wanted to talk.

The protagonist seems not to believe her, and she says she came because he doesn't seem to talk to anyone. He stares at her and says it's his problem if he doesn't talk to anyone. The woman is confused, and he slaps her hand away, telling her to stay away.

She sits down, and after a while, asks why he is always distant from everyone. Maybe he's just a very shy boy. He says she's talking nonsense; it's just that he doesn't want to be close to enemies. She questions this, and he says every human is always an enemy. He can't trust them.

The woman explains that she doesn't plan to hurt him, but he says he doesn't believe her because she could be lying. She then says that's fine; she just wanted him to reconcile with a girl named Haru. He asks if she's talking about the yellow-haired human and says he never fought with her.

The woman then asks if he can get closer to her. The boy says that's another problem; to him, she's a human, no different from the others outside the room. The woman says that the girl thinks she's hiding it, but she cries every night.

The woman explains to the protagonist that there must be something Haru wants to say, but she doesn't have the courage. Since they are the same age, they might get along well. However, he responds that sadness is something only the weak feel. If you got time for that, you have time to think of another plan to survive.

At this point, the woman asks if he has never been sad about losing someone important. He recalls the moment he was separated from his father on the bridge and says no, and it will never happen in the future because he doesn't care about anyone.

The woman tells him that not being able to feel sadness because you have no one to lose is called loneliness. But she tells him not to worry because if he dies, she would be sad for him. He's speechless for a second and says she won't be sad because he won't die, and he doesn't care if she dies.

She says that's fine, but he is very... The protagonist just thinks she is strange, while the other girl, who is always sleeping, wishes they would shut up.

It's been four days since he arrived at this subway. He was only there to find a place to rest, but now he's stuck there because of that photo the guy is holding while being beaten. He asks if the men are having fun. From the back, the guy with the photo says it's not fun; they didn't want to do this. It's just that he needs to be punished for not wanting to leave the room.

That time, the protagonist says if that's the case, why doesn't he come and punish him himself? The guy is taken aback and realizes the boy isn't scared at all and is staring right at him, angry. He says the boy deserves to be punished.

The protagonist remembers his father saying that humans are naturally weak, and now he finally understands what he meant. When he returns to the base, everyone is scared and asks if it was the same guys. He walks through, thinking at least there aren't only those kinds of humans.

The doctor says he doesn't look too bad but suggests disinfecting. The boy says he's fine and sits down. Someone brings his lunch and says they got it because they didn't know when he would return. He starts to thank her but stops mid-sentence. She asks him to repeat, and he says it's nothing.

The protagonist thinks about when she said she didn't want to hurt him and that if he died, she would be sad. Maybe it was true. He thought maybe it was okay to trust her a little. Suddenly, she collapses to the ground, and he asks what's happening and if she's okay.

The doctor puts her on a stretcher and says her symptoms don't look good and she will need medicine. The problem is that they would have to go to the surface because they don't have that kind of medicine here. The woman responds that it's okay and it doesn't make sense to go up there just for her.

However, Wong says that without the medicine, her condition will only get worse. The protagonist asks what the worst outcome would be if they didn't get the medicine. Before the doctor could respond, some men entered, saying that the boss was calling for the doctor.

At that moment, the man saw the protagonist and felt relieved. He still didn't understand why he had to keep holding on to this photo every time he saw the boy, especially considering that the boy could easily take him down even without it. He tells the doctor to go quickly because there are injured people in need of treatment.

However, the doctor responds that he can't do that right now. The blonde man asks if he's going to disobey the boss's orders, but the doctor explains that it's not what he means. It's just that he needs to take care of her first before he can help the others.

The woman stands up and says it's fine; she will go to the surface to try to find the medicine. The doctor says it doesn't make any sense; she will survive in her current state. The blonde man says he understands the situation and that the doctor should have explained it earlier.

With that, he punches her in the stomach, saying that help has arrived. Everyone is shocked, even the protagonist, who is left speechless. Her body falls to the ground, and the doctor approaches as everyone sees her bleeding. The protagonist can't take his eyes off her. He can feel her life slipping away little by little.

He wonders why humans die so easily until he feels something on his leg. Looking down, she asks why he looks so serious. The boy can't say anything, and she reminds him that he said he wouldn't care. With that, her life fades away without him saying a word. Her hand falls to the ground, and everyone falls silent.

The blonde man curses, saying his hand got dirty. Wong asks how it's possible that his expression didn't change after killing someone like that, and he remarks that apparently, the monsters aren't only on the surface. The blonde man simply replies that he saved the old man because if he followed her to the surface, both would have died.

The people around him are angry, and he says they should be grateful for that. But he looks to the side; the protagonist is standing still, and he asks what's wrong. Is he scared? Where did all that courage go? But at that moment, the protagonist realizes the photo isn't in his hand.

The man looks back and says it seems he dropped it when he grabbed the knife. The boy prepares himself, and as the blonde man turns to ask what he's going to do, he sees the boy's stance and asks if he's really going to try. Instinctively, he blinks.

In that instant, the protagonist finds his opening. The man is about to ask if he's going to do something when the boy is already in his face, saying yes. From the guy's perspective, nothing made sense. He saw the boy, and in the moment he blinked and opened his eyes, he had been struck, and the knife had fallen.

The two men beside him hadn't reacted, and his body was still in the air. The protagonist grabbed him by the collar and struck him again, sending him spinning across the room before he hit the wall. The protagonist advanced again. As soon as the man's head touched the wall, the boy grabbed him by the collar, and the knife fell into his hand.

Now everyone understood what had happened, and the boy already had the man immobilized. He stared at the guy, who hadn't reacted for even an instant. This made him angry, seeing how weak this guy was. When he attacked, the man couldn't react, not even when the punch was about to hit him.

If he had known this guy was so weak, he would have just taken the photo from his hand right away. If he had done that, there wouldn't be blood on his leg. At that moment, he saw his father telling him to finish it quickly. He should have no pity for any enemy.

The protagonist felt something strange until someone told him to stop. He turned, and Wong said that if he did that, there was no turning back. However, the protagonist simply asked if he was worried about that human's life. The old man said no; he was talking about the boy's life and told him to ask himself if he really needed to go that far to kill him.

The protagonist remembered a time when he asked his father if he really had to kill. If he just hit people enough, they would forget to attack him. His father laughed and said he wouldn't survive thinking that way and asked if he was afraid to kill a human.

The boy told him to stop with that because he would never become like his father. Even if the apocalypse came, as his father always said, he would live the way he wanted. He wouldn't go around killing people just because he didn't like them.

Then he remembered when the man killed the woman and the expression on his face. With that, he dropped the weapon. The doctor said he made the right choice, but the boy replied that it wasn't because of the options; it was because he knew that if he killed this guy, he would become like him.

He thought to himself that there was no reason to kill that man, and why should he care if that woman lived or not? Even if she were alive, she wouldn't help him find his mother, so it didn't matter. What he didn't see was that another man was coming to hit him on the back of the head, confident it would be easy because he didn't have a knife.

The man went to strike, but the protagonist simply turned and pulled his friend to defend the attack. With that, he let go of the collar and punched the other man in the face. The body rolled and fell at the feet of the last man, who then crouched down.

The boy asked what he thought he was doing. The man grabbed the photo and questioned if it was important to him. However, now the protagonist simply approached and asked what he was going to do. The man stayed quiet, smoothed out the photo, dusted it off, and handed it back to the protagonist, telling him to be more careful.

After that, the boy returned to the group. They covered the woman's body, and the doctor asked where the other girl and the child were. The spectacled man said they had gone to the bathroom and were lucky not to have seen such a thing.

Suddenly, someone called the protagonist: a chubby man with a mustache asked why he didn't do anything if he was so strong. The boy replied that it was because they had something important to him. The man asked if he was talking about that piece of paper.

The protagonist just said it was important and ignored the man. He approached everyone and said he wanted to ask something, showing the photo. Everyone said they had never seen anything like it. The girl who always sleeps asked where he took that photo.

He replied that if he knew, he wouldn't be asking. The bespectacled man said if they had access to the internet, it would be easy to find out. Wong asked why he wanted to know the location of that place. He said it was obvious; it was because he was going there.

Wong, surprised that he noticed the boy knew how to fight, said it was impossible to survive up there. However, the boy responded that he could survive. Everyone was confused while he thought to himself that he didn't expect to find anyone who would recognize anything.

Then someone appeared: it was the boss, who said they had apparently reached this point. Seeing the thing in the protagonist's hand, he said the man didn't follow such a simple order. Rolling up his sleeves, he said it didn't matter now; they would have to resolve this in a more intuitive way.

Meanwhile, on the surface, a creature was walking and decided to start digging the ground, leading directly to the station. In another part, people had improvised something to make a fire. Haru was nearby, just observing until the little girl came out of the bathroom and said everyone there was ridiculous for not flushing.

Haru said it was inevitable since the flush didn't work. The man from before approached and said it was better for them to return soon. Haru seemed angry, but the man said he was only doing it to survive too.

From a distance, away from the fire, the man asked if they were going to fight. Then something fell into their pot. They went to check, asking what was happening. That's when more rocks started falling. He looked up and saw the ceiling opening at the same time the creature was already in his face.

Meanwhile, the protagonist was face to face with the boss. He looked to the side and saw the henchman all collapse. That confirmed his intuition. In the underworld, he also knew some people like these monsters: people who completely defied normality.

Even though there were actual monsters above ground, now the blonde guy warned the boss to be careful, saying the kid was stronger than he looked. But he took an elbow to the face. The boss said he didn't like being called incompetent. What he wanted to deal with was that boy.

He approached, saying the boy had a very rebellious eye, and now he would find out who was in charge here. Maybe now he could see whatever was inside the boy's soul. He found himself in front of a wall and opened it with his hands, but all he saw was darkness.

That's when he realized he was wrong. It wasn't he who was looking at the boy; it was the opposite. Seeing himself about to be devoured, the boss screamed and fell back. The others asked what happened to him, and the protagonist just stood there, staring at everyone.

The boss was certain he had almost been killed. The people in the room couldn't understand, and the girl behind the boss was questioning why he was acting that way in front of a child. Then they heard a scream.

A man appeared at the door, asking for help, saying he couldn't see. They saw he was covered in blood and asked what had happened. The man said he had had a strange headache for a while, and now something was coming out of his head. One of them asked if that was a monster.

The man said there was something in his head that didn't want to come out. Suddenly, he twisted and then stood up again. The people stood frozen, watching something come out of his eye and shoot across the room. The boss immediately yelled that it was a monster and punched him in the face, throwing him to the other side.

The man was about to get up when the boss grabbed a tool and cut the creature. It fell next to the body, and he finished it off. The people relaxed, saying that now it had stopped moving. The boss had killed it.

The boss was wondering where that monster had come from. The people relaxed, saying they thought they were going to die just now. But something was wrong; they were being saved by the boss. However, the protagonist noticed something: his expression changed, and the boss turned around.

At that moment, a creature appeared, and the door was slammed shut. No one could move, and the monster rose up. Perhaps it was because they had spent too much time underground. Everyone there had already forgotten, or rather, they were trying to forget the terrible memories of what they would have to face.

At that moment, people dropped their bats, turned around, and started running desperately. However, the boss asked how long they would keep running and if they would repeat this forever. Pointing his axe, he said that this was only one monster, and it was different from before.

Together, they could defeat it. Maybe it was because they had just seen one of the monsters get killed, or maybe the boss's words had motivated them. Everyone started to feel confident, saying that maybe they really could do it. After all, if they left this place, they would have nowhere to run.

They picked up their bats again and said they were going to kill that monster. The people were still hesitant, but the monsters were no longer a reason for fear. For the first time since the monsters appeared, they felt something different.

A girl looked to the side and asked the boss for an order. They felt hope, but the boss was killed by the creature from behind. His body was lifted, and everyone was confused because they had cut it into a thousand pieces. The creature dropped his body, and a girl in a suit said it was impossible for it to come back to life.

Everyone came to the same conclusion, and the boss said it was impossible to win against it. With that, the subway wall was destroyed, and the monsters advanced. The poor chubby man didn't even react. The girl couldn't do anything as the monster approached, and the blonde man lost an arm.

The monster grabbed her and gave a crushing hug. The room was painted red, and everyone was fleeing desperately. From the corner, the protagonist was just observing the people in the room, hearing the screams. He said it was only a matter of time before everyone died.

The man with glasses was remembering the girl. However, the doctor grabbed his arm and asked where he was going. He turned around, saying his child was there and he had to find her. The doctor said obviously, if the monsters were there, she was already dead.

The man didn't want to believe that this had happened again until someone passed by him. He looked to see who it was and saw the protagonist back. Everyone was impressed, and the doctor ran, telling him not to do it. However, the boy just kept moving forward from the room.

Everyone watched the red room. The boy just prepared himself. In another place, Haru, the little girl, and the man were hiding. She started crying, and Haru told her to stay quiet. Haru thought she didn't have time to care about anyone else. She can there amidst the chaos but would die as soon as they were found.

However, the little girl was just holding onto her arm, trembling. Haru looked back and, not knowing what to say, just told the girl to stick close. The blonde man, seeing his dead wife, was terrified and asked where they thought they were going. Haru said they had to flee, but he asked where to.

Haru replied that she didn't know where, but they couldn't stay there. The man continued, saying there were monsters here and on the surface. Why did she think they could find a way to survive? She responded that even so, she wouldn't wait for death to come. She would do everything possible to survive, no matter what.

The man then said that in her eyes, he could see she still had a reason to live. But then she looked to the side and saw a monster staring at the three of them. He was shocked and told them to run. However, Haru was paralyzed, and her leg was trembling.

The man hugged the creature and told him to run, saying he had no reason to live anymore. But when he looked to the side, no one was there. The two were already running. He muttered that they could have at least waited for his speech. With that, he started screaming.

While on the other side, people were hacking at the creature with axes. The rest of the group was lying on the ground. The girl in the suit attacked the creature, but its wounds regenerated instantly. The monster lifted the man, and she fell against the wall, certain it was impossible to win.

But the protagonist walked past her. Everyone was wondering what he was thinking of doing and where he was going. The plant monster was still killing everyone using the boss's body. The girl on the ground wondered if he was really going to face it.

Seeing the creature, she knew it was like asking to die since even the boss had no chance. The protagonist calmly observed the attack. When the tentacles approached, he dodged and advanced. He grabbed the sides and pulled the monster while throwing himself forward.

The monster tried to hit the back of his neck, but he jumped off the wall backward and landed on the other side, creating a knot between them. He looked at the man who commanded the monsters to attack, but since the creature was tied up, it couldn't reach him anymore.

His movements had caused the monster to get tangled up in itself. Calmly, he approached the boss and tore the creature off him. The doctor couldn't believe he had stopped the monster. The girl said it didn't matter because the boss was still alive.

With that, the monster screamed, and the others turned to it. He threw the creature to the ground, and the giant advanced. As the monster came to bite him, he jumped and met it in the chin, then slid under its arms. The other creature opened its belly to eat him; however, he just jumped, dodging the attack and landing on its back.

He pulled out the axe he had earlier, but the creature sprayed blood in his face. It then went for an elbow strike that landed solidly. The people were shocked, but the protagonist was still alive. The doctor had no idea how that was possible. To them, this creature had immense strength and the ability to regenerate. Fighting it was basically suicide.

Yet that boy in front of them was standing and fighting alone. The protagonist remembered his father's words: there is no being in this world that doesn't die. Everything that exists needs a source; that's how life begins, and that's what must be cut off.

His father always believed that if it were him fighting the monsters, he would know exactly where the life of each one resided and, more importantly, how to destroy their cores. The monsters attacked, and he dodged them both. He knew exactly where the life of each one resided and, more importantly, how to destroy their cores.

He struck directly at the creature's core, and the attack hit the nucleus. The creature started to disintegrate, its form breaking down as it lost its strength and life.

Do you all remember that the last chapter ended right at the moment when she landed the blow on the core? Concentrated, it fell to the ground like a ball. The people around were all shocked, mouths wide open, wondering how the kid managed to kill that monster.

That's when suddenly Haru and the little girl came running down the hallway. The little girl looked back and told her the monster was coming. Haru didn't know what to do, so she just kept running. But right as she turned the corner, she noticed something waiting for her: a huge crocodile-like creature chewing on someone's foot.

To make things worse, she tripped on a rock but managed to roll away. The creature stared at her, and she slowly looked back at it, growing desperate, unsure of what to do. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was already running away.

She suddenly appeared, stumbling to the ground again, confused, and passed by the protagonist. She slid to a stop and finally realized she was safe. The others were shocked; she had survived. At least she didn't seem to have any visible injuries.

However, as soon as she relaxed for a second, the guy with glasses asked something. He wanted to know where the child who had left with her was. It was only then that Haru realized she had let go of the little girl's hand. They heard a scream, and when they looked back, the girl was standing there with the creature on her back, calling out to Haru and asking where she was.

The man tried to run to save her, but another creature was already coming from behind. As the monster approached, he rushed forward. Haru blamed herself for abandoning the girl. When the monster was about to touch the child's head, a guy with a mohawk yelled and struck the creature on the back.

Everyone was shocked as he grabbed the little girl and leaped to the side. He stood up and asked where that monster thought it was looking. He taunted it to come closer, saying it was about to lose an eye. But strangely, the creature changed direction.

The guy wondered if the beast was scared of him. Someone else was approaching, and Wong said that was probably not the case, but he shouldn't assume since he wasn't seeing what was happening there. The protagonist was already fighting the monster, and Juan mentioned that the reason they were safe was all thanks to that person.

Once again, he finished off another creature, making it two in total. The problem was that as soon as he looked to the side, another one appeared and almost landed a punch on him. He managed to dodge and realized at that moment that two more creatures had shown up.

The initial plan was to deal with one monster and find a safe place. However, the number of creatures he was facing kept increasing, and unlike the earlier monsters, these didn't seem to have a blind spot. If you missed an attack even by a centimeter, it could be fatal. Not to mention, if he took too long, more creatures might appear.

The issue was that he would eventually get tired, which would only decrease his chances of survival. That's when he had an idea. He wondered why he didn't just run away. Escaping from these creatures would be much easier than fighting them. He could probably find a base to hide relatively easily.

But he knew that if he wasn't there, the humans in that place would all die. Still, what did they have to do with him? There was no reason for him to be fighting for these people. After all, humans were the enemy.

Then he remembered the woman who had died. He froze for a second, and suddenly the giant crocodile-like creature was coming from behind. In that moment, he realized he had made a mistake by letting his guard down. The attack hit him squarely on the back, throwing him to the ground.

He stood up in agony as the monster approached, and it seemed that even his normally armored body was injured from the blow. The creature continued approaching as he rose in agony until someone stepped in front of him. The Mohawk guy stood in his way and told him to relax, saying he would handle it.

He asked if the boy really knew a way to kill the monsters, but before the protagonist could answer, the guy smiled and said he just wanted to know how he could help in the fight. Another person raised a shield: it was the glasses guy, who said he helped too.

He explained it was because he saw the girl was in danger and decided to risk his life for her. However, the protagonist didn't understand why they were helping him. He kept asking himself why humans were acting this way. He was certain humans were enemies and saw no reason for them to assist him.

But the Mohawk guy simply answered, "So everyone can survive." The boy was surprised by this response, and the glasses guy chimed in, saying the Mohawk guy was right. If these monsters killed him, everyone there would die.

He stretched out his hands and said that's why it's better for them to work together. The protagonist was taken aback for a second, but then he changed his expression and stepped away from the guy's arm. He didn't want to trust humans at all.

However, he was sure they'd do whatever it took to survive, so he calmed down and focused. Then he told them to distract the creatures. If the humans there truly wanted to survive, there was no reason for them to betray him.

The giant crocodile started running toward them again, and the Mohawk guy excitedly said finally it's coming. While the boy focused, now with all these injuries, he had to finish this even faster. He dashed past the crocodile, and as it turned to look at him, it took a hit to the head.

The biker asked where the monster thought it was looking and declared himself its opponent. Meanwhile, the protagonist kept advancing. His first target was to take down the creature in the back, but as he approached, the hole in the middle of the beast began to glow.

He sensed danger was approaching, and suddenly a laser shot out. He managed to duck, but one blast burned his axe. He knew that if it hit his body, it would be fatal, but he got up and kept advancing. The creature started firing repeatedly, and he dodged each shot, gradually closing

It to come at him and try to take him down. But as the boy went to say something, the monster's attack had already burned the guy's weapon and struck him in the chest, slamming him into the wall. The boy couldn't understand why he hadn't avoided the attack.

Once again, he realized just how different and weak humans were. If he didn't resolve this quickly, everyone there would die anyway. The crocodile attacked to finish off the glasses guy, but the boy managed to hit another core. Now, only one creature was left, charging toward him. But then he stopped for a second and remembered there was another creature besides these three. The woman who had tried to protect everyone was already dead on the ground.

Haru and Wong didn't know what to do. The monster seemed to be draining all her energy, and suddenly the blood beneath her body vanished. The creature twisted, and after absorbing everything, stood tall before them. Haru froze in place as the monster moved to attack. All she could do was close her eyes as the creature dissolved right in front of her.

Once again, the protagonist had finished it off. The core fell to the ground, and he collapsed right after. The room was a mess with dead bodies everywhere. The boy stared at the core, observed it for a moment, stretched out his hand, and touched it with one finger. With that, he seemed to lose consciousness. Voices started shouting to treat his injuries immediately because he urgently needed help.

Sometime later, he began waking up. He sat up, his body covered in bandages, with Haru yawning beside him. Wong was amazed, saying it was a miracle he was already awake. He mentioned that the boy had been out cold like a corpse for two days straight. The boy, however, simply noted that people had taken care of his body. But then he ripped the bandages off, startling Wong. The wounds on his back had already healed completely.

The old man couldn't understand what kind of miraculous regeneration this was. The glasses guy stood nearby and said he'd been worried the boy might never wake up. He added that he was very happy to finally thank him for saving everyone. But the protagonist only replied that he should forget about it, as he fought for himself. Then he asked if the guy who had fought alongside him was already dead.

The Mohawk guy stood up and told him to stop killing off people who were still alive. Coughing up blood, he assured everyone his body was tough and resilient. The glasses guy then asked why he had helped everyone if he wasn't one of the bad guys. The Mohawk guy seemed surprised they had that impression of him. He explained that it was because gangsters were always hanging around him. He tried to clarify, saying he had nothing to do with those people. Everyone thought he was a subordinate of that Lumic, but he acted independently.

Someone commented that no matter how they looked at him, he seemed very dangerous. But he just replied not to judge a book by its cover. That's when Haru fully woke up and asked the protagonist if he was already awake and feeling okay. But he only asked her why she was sitting beside him if she didn't seem injured like everyone else. Irritated, she said that's what she got for worrying about him.

Wong then mentioned that for the entire time the boy was unconscious, she had stayed by his side. She tried to deny it, saying it wasn't true and that she would never stay near someone who didn't even know her name. But then the Mohawk guy chimed in, saying he remembered her when he woke up amidst the chaos. He had seen her running by and thought it was incredible; he had never seen anyone move so fast in his life.

Oddly, Haru placed a hand on her forehead, stood up, and walked off, leaving everyone confused. The protagonist watched her and noticed she didn't seem happy. Then he remembered the woman from before who had said she knew he didn't like her, but at least he could show concern for Haru. For the first time, he called her by her name and asked if he had pronounced it correctly. She paused for a moment and then walked away, saying he had.

Later, a guy with glasses came to explain the situation. Only twelve people had survived, and in the past few days, forty-three bodies had been found. Wong stated that they had lost eighty percent of the people. The glasses guy continued, saying they had discovered something strange when collecting the bodies. Most of them seemed to have been drained of blood, like ancient mummies.

One of the women said she had seen the moment a monster latched onto someone and started extracting their blood. Another woman gasped, saying she was confused and wanted to know what kind of monster it was. There was talk that it might be some kind of government experiment. The glasses guy said he'd heard that theory but didn't believe it. He had heard they appeared suddenly from the sky. What did that make them, aliens or something?

A man with a mustache interrupted, saying there was something more important to discuss: what was the identity of the boy? Everyone turned to look at him, and the man said he had seen what the boy did and how he already knew the method to kill each of those monsters. The protagonist simply replied that he had spent his whole life preparing for the apocalypse. He showed a photo, saying it was the only thing that had brought him to this point.

A woman with her arms crossed said that to be honest, the photo wasn't enough to trust him. After all, it could easily be forged. Not to mention how strange it was that he claimed to have spent his whole life training in a basement, and the most confusing part: how he already knew the apocalypse was coming. As the boy expected, no one believed him.

Then the woman said there was one exception. She remembered everything he had done to kill the creatures and said that after everything he had done for the people there, everyone would believe what he said. He stood there a bit confused. Just when the woman tried to punch him, he dodged easily, and she apologized, saying she was just testing to see if he was really trained.

Haru said she believed in the boy too because when he started taking care of him, his body was covered in scars. This made her think that for someone his age, it didn't make sense. In fact, for any ordinary person, it wouldn't make sense to have so many scars. Haru asked how he got so many scars. He explained that he gradually accumulated them while trying to escape the basement.

She paused for a moment and said it must have been really hard for him. But he simply replied no, those scars were proof that he had fought, so he didn't see them as a memory of hard times. Suddenly, someone yelled out, saying they didn't believe him. It was the man with the mustache, demanding to know why he already knew about the apocalypse and didn't warn anyone. If everyone had known, they could have prepared.

The protagonist thought back to how his father believed humans were enemies. That was why he chose not to cooperate with anyone. Even now, he didn't trust these people. But remembering everything that had happened, he knew they had helped him. He wasn't sure why his father taught him that humans were evil, but at the very least, he believed these people weren't that bad.

The man said that no matter what he was, he was important to the people here. That was because he was the only one who could kill the monsters. The Mohawk guy remarked that if he knew the weak point, the boy wouldn't be the only one. He could just swing his hammer, and the monster would die.

The glasses guy suggested that if he found his mother, he might get information about the monsters. But the man with the mustache asked what they would do with that information. It's not like they'd survive another day because of it. The only reason they were lucky was that the entrance to this place was completely covered. That's why the monster hadn't found them yet.

They'd have to go deep underground, where there was no light, to finally reach this place. But that tiny bit of luck was all they had. However, it wasn't impossible for the monsters to find them again and attack. The Mohawk guy told him to stop being so pessimistic, especially since they had plenty of supplies. Until they realized all the food they had stored had been crushed.

He asked if they weren't confusing the location of the storage. One person said it seemed they weren't, while the lazy one grabbed a can and walked off. Later, everyone gathered at the escalator. Hang commented that now they'd reached this point, they needed some people to go up and collect food. The Mohawk guy volunteered, saying he was tired of suffocating down here. But everyone knew his wounds hadn't healed yet, so he had to stay.

The same went for the poor glasses guy. The doctor told them not to remove their bandages and to keep resting. He mentioned that someone uninjured should go. The sleepy head obviously didn't want to volunteer. Everyone said that leaving this place was basically a suicide mission. The PED guy also said he wasn't interested. Who even was this guy?

Wong pointed out that at this rate, they'd have serious problems since they only had enough food for one more week. That's when the protagonist stepped forward and said he would go. The man immediately thanked him, saying he felt much safer if it was him. The boy explained that he had to go anyway to find more information about the photo, maybe even find a better base than this one.

He climbed the escalator, saying that the most important thing was that he hated living in basements. Someone said they'd go with him: a girl and another glasses guy who seemed ready to die for sure. They apologized for not helping earlier but said this time they wanted to contribute. The girl said she had gained courage after seeing him fight and was sure she could do something. The glasses guy said he wanted to take some risks too, especially since the boy had put his life on the line for everyone. If it had been up to him, he'd have just run away if he could.

Wong then asked if anyone else wanted to go. He looked over, and Haru was standing there, but she lowered her head. He thought about how hard things must have been for her. Everyone got ready and called for the protagonist, but he didn't seem enthusiastic. They asked if he was going to prepare, and he asked what the problem was. They wanted to know if he wasn't going to take any supplies or put on clothes instead of just walking out in his underwear.

That's when the woman from before said she had sewn some clothes for him while he was unconscious. He seemed a bit surprised, and she told him to be happy because it was an honor. She might not look like it, but she was a first-class designer. Before all this started, people would line up to wear what she made. Not that it mattered anymore since all of her clients had disappeared.

The protagonist then remembered how he received clothes in the basement. He told his father that he had heard people on the surface wore all kinds of different styles, so why did he always wear the same old dirty shirts? His father showed him that it was all they had. He told the boy not to be disappointed, as he lived the same way.

The protagonist explained to the woman that wearing different clothes had been one of his dreams on the surface, and he thanked her for making them for him. She was startled but then smiled. She said that now that he was wearing first-class clothes, nothing else in his life would satisfy him.

Haru approached, about to ask something, but at that moment, his pants fell down. She froze in place as he asked what the problem was. Obviously, poor Haru froze, unable to react, and everyone else started turning red. Haru stopped for a moment, looked down, and then turned red herself. She slapped him, calling him a pervert, but the boy simply dodged and asked why he was being attacked out of nowhere.

Poor Haru stumbled. "Goodness, where are you going, girl?" She just veered to the side, died, and fell to the ground. He stood there confused while she was trembling all over. He asked why she wasn't getting up and shouted at him to put on some clothes already. He stood there thinking he really couldn't understand humans.

"Oh boy, check out the vibe on this guy, looking like a ninja from Konoha." Meanwhile, the glasses guy asked why the monsters attacked this place. The sleepy girl glanced down and noticed people were cooking something. She grabbed a lighter, claiming it as hers. The protagonist then pointed out that might have been the reason these monsters seemed to be attracted to fire. The two were shocked to make this discovery.

He warned the girl to be careful not to light it accidentally; otherwise, the monsters might show up again. Haru already had the lighter in her hand, and the girl said she would leave this amazing gift with her. Then she ran off. Suddenly, a guy spoke up, saying he just remembered something. He asked if Haru wasn't the athlete from Gassing High School.

She asked how he knew that. He replied he was sure he had seen her before. He recognized her because of the scar; he always thought she looked so cool when she ran. That's when Haru remembered the moment she was running and passed by that guy. He must have seen the scar on her forehead. She clenched her fists and said no, that scar wasn't cool because it reminded her that she had once been a coward.

We see Haru as a child heading to school. As she walked among her friends, someone shouted her name from afar in a little car. It was her parents; they were celebrating her first day of middle school. Her brother told her to stay strong, but without responding to anyone, she just pulled her hood up. Everyone wondered who Haru was. Before they could figure it out, she had already walked off.

Her father sat in the car, wondering if she would adapt well. He remembered her as an energetic child, but everything changed after that accident—something that left her so terrified it altered her everyday life. Then we see a scene where a man had captured her and was threatening everyone. People were scared, but suddenly Haru bit his hand, broke free, and started running. But she tripped and fell to the ground. She looked back as the man slowly approached and attacked her, leaving the scar on her forehead.

A little later, she woke up in the hospital, startled. Her parents thanked her for waking up, but she seemed desperate. Her father hugged her, telling her to calm down, that the man had already been caught, and there was nothing to worry about anymore. But the memory of him remained etched in her mind.

Back in class, she always kept her bangs covering her forehead. Some girls nearby were chatting, and when Haru glanced at the window, she saw a shadow. Startled, one of the girls asked how she was feeling. The girls all wanted to know what she was most afraid of. Haru paused for a moment and said what scared her the most was dying. Until the girls clarified they were talking about movies, so what was she even answering?

Sometime later, it was time to run. Haru and her people were commenting about her, but she didn't want to give up on everything. Still, ever since the day she got that scar, she felt like terrifying waves of water were constantly closing in on her. When that feeling grew stronger, everything in front of her would turn white. That's why she didn't like running. Every time she ran, it reminded her of that day she tried to escape.

When the boys were running casually, Haru passed them all, leaving everyone behind. But it only made her realize how much of a coward she was. The teacher announced it was a new record, and everyone was impressed. They congratulated her, saying they didn't know she had such talent. People crowded around, asking her name and if she was an athlete. She said no, but the teacher chimed in, saying she had potential as a runner.

As she started training, she'd soon be one of the best in the region. She tried to explain her fear of that memory, but she paused for a moment, clenched her fists, and said fine, I'll do it. Time passed, and she was now stacking up trophies. Someone commented that the girl who started just two years ago already held several records. An older man asked if the girl with the scar was there, and the teacher confirmed it.

Opening the door, he saw Haru drying off after a game. He said she was the athlete of the moment and asked if he could take some photos with her. She agreed, and a bit later, he said he was a fan and asked her to smile. Then he moved closer, saying the photo wouldn't turn out well if she stayed so distant. But as soon as he touched her, she remembered the day of the attack.

The man stood there, confused, trying to figure out what happened. In an instant, Haru had run to the corner. Later, the man said he felt weird about it. He didn't know the girl was so strange and claimed he hadn't done anything wrong. The teacher tried to explain that Haru was a bit strange but asked the man to understand. He said she could be considered a bit of a coward, always running away from things.

Haru was standing nearby and overheard the entire conversation. Back at home, her father was complaining about the internet not working. His wife told him it was because he needed to learn not to use his phone at the table. He apologized and asked Haru how the news report went yesterday. She stayed silent, and he commented that he never imagined she had such talent. He was now excited to see his daughter on TV.

But suddenly, Haru said it was all because of that accident; that was why she got so good at running. Her father didn't know what to say. She explained that every time she started running, she remembered that incident, which made her run faster. Ironically, that was the reason she started running in the first place. She thought if she kept running, she would eventually escape the cowardly personality she had.

But after all this time, nothing had changed. No one said anything at the table. She got ready and was about to leave for school. Her father stopped her and said she didn't need to fix anything; it was okay for her to be a coward. Haru wanted to respond but stayed silent. Deep down, she knew it wasn't okay for her to be like this.

She constantly felt like people saw her as strange because of her personality. People would always judge her for running away from even the smallest things, just like that reporter had said. There was clearly something wrong with her. She told her father it was okay; he didn't mean to try to make her feel better. It didn't bother her that much anymore, but he hugged her.

He said he wasn't trying to make her feel better; he was just telling the truth. It didn't matter if she was a coward. Nothing had changed before or after the accident; she was still his daughter and the person he loved most in the world. He gently brushed her bangs aside, exposing her forehead, and told her she didn't need to hide it anymore. That scar was proof that she had fought and survived.

Haru began crying, thinking people didn't like her because she was a coward. That was the only reason she tried so hard to change. But the world was a better place because despite everything, there were people who understood her. Her brother teased her, calling her a crybaby, but Haru was more focused on what her father had said—that there was nothing wrong with her, that it was okay for her to be a coward.

Her father extended his pinky and told her a promise that she wouldn't cry anymore. Every time she thought of herself as a coward, she hesitated for a moment but then smiled and said okay. With that, her mother said she was taking her brother; they'd be back soon. Haru and her father stayed behind, watching them leave until the wall in front of them was destroyed.

Before her father could react, a chunk of debris struck her mother in the head. Her brother was taken with her. The entire front of the house had collapsed, and creatures had begun roaming the area. Her father, desperate, ran to the rubble, searching for his wife's body. He paused for a moment as Haru called out to him, asking what happened and where her mother and brother were. But then she realized her father had also lost one of his legs.

She ran to him, but he told her not to come closer. Her mother's body was beneath the rubble. Haru didn't know how to react. She fell to her knees, memories of her family flashing through her mind as she spiraled into despair. Her father called out to her and told her she could still escape. He said he would stay behind with her mother and brother. But Haru said no.

She begged him not to say such a thing because she couldn't leave him behind. He was the only person she had left. She didn't want to run away anymore because she'd never forgive herself if she did. In front of her father, a crowd of people was fleeing from the creatures. They glanced at the house as Haru stood up. She was about to tell her father she'd never run away again when a swarm of shadows closed in on him and rushed past her.

Amid the chaos, she froze, watching as her father slowly turned toward her. He was enveloped in a glowing light, and she couldn't move forward. The shadows seemed to pull her back. She remembered her father once telling her it was okay to be a coward, that there was nothing wrong with her. So she ran, thinking he was wrong. She abandoned him despite saying she wouldn't, and after that, she kept abandoning others.

Back on the train, Wong watched the protagonist preparing himself. He looked back and saw Haru standing there. He remembered how isolated she had seemed and chose to ignore it. He kept climbing, and she stood frozen, paralyzed by fear. But then suddenly, she moved. She ran past everyone on the stairs and stumbled in front of him. She was determined not to run away anymore.

She said this time she was going with them. On top of one of the buildings was a monster doing push-ups—or was that just an illusion? Meanwhile, the group sneaked through the buildings slowly. They advanced, following the protagonist's signals. After some time, he turned around and told them they could talk; it was safe.

The woman immediately commented that she thought her heart was going to explode. The glasses guy said he was certain that at this rate, they were all going to get eaten. He turned to Haru and asked how the map was coming along. At that moment, we flashed back to see the protagonist earlier handing her a piece of paper, explaining that they needed to make a map.

He said it was just as important as finding food because it was the only way to plan ahead for where resources were located. Since it was so important, Haru had been enthusiastic about the task, saying she could handle it, especially because she knew the neighborhood well. Now, however, she admitted that while she was confident at first, with the city so chaotic, her prior knowledge wasn't helping much.

The streets that were once easy to navigate were now completely destroyed and nonsensical. They gathered everything they collected, but everyone felt that after all that walking, they hadn't managed to get enough. Most of the food was already spoiled. It was summer, scorching hot, and the city had been without power for nine days.

The glasses guy pointed out that they all knew what they needed to do: they had to eat the food before it spoiled further. The woman disagreed, insisting they should take it back to the base and decide what to do there. But the glasses guy argued that it wouldn't be fair for them to eat only what was already spoiled. Besides, they were the ones who risked their lives coming here with monsters all around.

He said it would actually be unfair if those who took the risk didn't get a reward. Still, the woman protested, saying the people at the base were waiting for them. Then they heard swinging noises. The protagonist was calmly eating, saying it was delicious. Of course, everyone immediately started eating too. The woman left with no other option and reluctantly joined in.

The boy was happy; at the base, they only had bland nutritional food. At least this was tasty. Just eating it made him feel content. Haru then mentioned that she remembered the first time they met; they had eaten bread together. Back then, she thought he was a complete idiot for not even recognizing what bread was.

He paused for a moment, then handed her a bunch of supplies, saying he didn't owe her anything anymore. She was confused and asked what he was talking about. But of course, he was trying to repay her for that day when she said he'd have to pay back four times what he received. She stood there puzzled, and he realized she might have forgotten what she said, or maybe from the beginning, she never intended to get paid back.

He thought to himself that she must enjoy losing and called her stupid. Naturally, she snapped back, asking who he thought he was to say something like that. Later, they continued walking. Before all this, the protagonist had warned them about the most important rule of moving on the surface: don't get discovered by the creatures.

If anyone was spotted, they would have to fight, and before they could take down the first monster, more would already arrive. If that happened, they'd eventually be surrounded by an endless swarm. While recalling this, he noticed something approaching from the rooftop. A creature descended, casting a shadow in front of him. As soon as he saw the shadow, he knew what was coming. The plan to stay undetected had failed.

He looked back as the creature landed between them. Everyone panicked, and Haru started trembling. Immediately, he told them to split up and run. Haru was the first to pass him, bolting from the spot. This was his plan to increase the chances that at least one of them would survive. But then suddenly, a hand stopped her. He had grabbed her arm and told her to wait.

He observed the creature; it didn't seem to have noticed them yet. The monster wasn't reacting at all. The glasses guy, shaking, tried to back away, but he accidentally stepped on something, and the creature leaped toward him. That's when the boy realized the monsters reacted to sound. Haru was about to scream, but he covered her mouth.

He signaled everyone to stay silent while keeping their eyes on the monster. He prepared himself, knowing that if they attracted more creatures, things would spiral out of control. He would have to take down the monster in a single strike. Earlier, someone had handed him a weapon. It was the mustached man who had said he had no intention of going to the surface with them. But that didn't mean he would sit idly by while they struggled for supplies.

The protagonist asked what it was, and the man showed him a hammer. He explained that he forged it after watching him fight; it was a weapon designed to hit weak points. Armed with two giant needles, the protagonist stood still, watching the creature. In an instant, he disappeared, leaping toward the beast. This was their only chance; if they failed, the entire city would be alerted.

Everyone was terrified as he struck, hitting the core dead on. The creature dissolved instantly. Finally, the day came to an end. They set up a temporary camp and were sleeping outside the city. The boy sat staring at the weapon he had been given. He remembered how his father had many weapons, but his father always said he shouldn't rely on such things. He needed to be able to defeat any of them with his bare hands.

The boy had once asked his father if he meant the humans on the surface. The stern man fell silent before eventually replying yes. Weapons didn't suit people like them, his father had said, and soon he would understand. But the boy only grew more confused. His father had told him he'd understand, but he couldn't imagine killing these monsters without using a weapon.

What was stranger still was that his father had never spoken about these creatures. Maybe it was because he never believed in their existence either. After all, he didn't even believe in the apocalypse. But little by little, the boy began to piece things together: why he had to go through such inexplicable training. Each one of those preparations was to teach him how to fight, how to survive against these monsters.

But there was still something that didn't make sense to him. His father had said he had no intention of ever letting him out of the basement. So if that was true, why train him to survive on the surface? Which part of the story was a lie? Did his father really never plan to send him to the surface? He remembered the moment his father had panicked. He was certain that wasn't an act.

And aside from his mother's death, his father rarely lied. If he truly didn't intend for him to go to the surface, then the training must have been to ensure he'd survive if it ever happened. But something still didn't add up. On the day the apocalypse began, all the doors to that place had opened. He was sure that wasn't part of the original plan. Yet he knew that if he had stayed there, he would have died in the swarm of monsters that invaded.

What he didn't understand was why so many creatures had attacked that place, and more importantly, how had his father known the apocalypse was coming? As he stared at the monster's core, the glasses guy asked what the unbreakable object was. He tossed it to the woman and asked if she wanted to figure it out, but she screamed and said it was disgusting, throwing it back.

The core rolled toward the protagonist, who slowly stopped it with his finger. The energy inside seemed to react to him, flowing into the core before it fell to the ground again. It rolled to his side, and the glasses guy asked what had just happened. The protagonist looked puzzled, picked it up, and examined it. Someone else suggested it was better for everyone to sleep, as tomorrow would be a long day.

As he looked back at the core, it disintegrated in his hand. Haru lay nearby, silent. She was reflecting on how she tried to run away again despite promising herself she wouldn't. She remembered the girl she had abandoned and muttered that she needed to apologize to her. The protagonist lay down as well. He seemed to recall his father reading a book, wondering about the memory.

He remembered that there had been a time when his father was normal—so long ago that he had forgotten what it was like. The boy asked his father if he wanted to read that book, and his father said yes. It was a story from his homeland, a tale of a hero whose name he had forgotten.

But his father's image faded, and the boy woke up to find Haru near him—actually far too close. What was she doing? But don't get too excited; of course, she covered his mouth and trembled, pointing to the side. There was a noise coming from behind the rocks. The two stayed perfectly still, watching. Haru was sweating bullets.

What appeared was a little rat. She sighed in relief, muttering that she couldn't believe she got so worried over that. That's when she realized she was on top of him. The protagonist remarked that she was kind of heavy and asked if she could please get off. Furious, she shouted that she wasn't heavy and told him to be quiet.

Later, she was observing the city through binoculars. No matter where she looked, it was full of creatures. She called over to him, asking how the map was coming along because they needed to leave. He said it was coming along fine but reminded her to call him by his name. At that moment, the glasses guy asked what the boy's name was since no one knew, including them.

The protagonist replied that he didn't have a name, having never been called one since he was a child. The woman asked if they should just keep referring to him as "you" or if they could give him a name. Right now, he seemed confused, asking if they were going to name him. Haru suggested calling him "stupid" because it would be easy to remember.

Caught off guard, the protagonist had no idea what name he wanted yet never thought about it before. Then he remembered the conversation with his father and the book. Finally, he said they could call him "Blue." Everyone was a bit puzzled. Haru said it was a strange name and asked if it had any meaning. He replied that it didn't; it was just the name of a character in a book he used to read as a kid.

That's when the group realized they hadn't introduced themselves yet. The woman said her name was Eugen, and the glasses guy was Gien. Haru introduced herself, adding that she was sure the idiot wouldn't remember any of their names. The protagonist was about to introduce himself, but everyone stared at him expectantly.

He remembered being in the basement, lifting a pen. He declared, "My name is Blue. It's nice to meet you all." Haru smiled, and the group exchanged glances, saying it was nice to meet Blue too. He thought back to the dreams he had of leaving that place. He always imagined that if he could reach the surface, he'd greet people and have conversations with them. Maybe he wanted to become friends with them.

Shikun extended his hand and said, "Now we're friends." But just as the protagonist reached out to shake his hand, memories of all the deaths flooded his mind. The thought of finding his parents stopped him, and he pulled back, saying no. Everyone was confused for a moment, but it was time to continue their journey.

He knew that if not for the apocalypse, he would never have been friends with these people. But finding his mother was his priority. It wasn't the time to chase the dreams he had before. At that moment, someone screamed nearby. Ahead of them, a man was trying to defend himself from a creature. The monster, a massive beast with gnashing teeth, was attempting to eat him.

Eugen started to move forward, but the protagonist stopped her and asked what she was thinking. Embarrassed, she said they should help the man; otherwise, he would die. The protagonist firmly replied no. He explained that if they could hear the man's screams, so could the monsters. Eugen insisted they still had time to save him before something worse happened.

But the protagonist reminded her of what he had said before they came to the surface. She had promised to follow his orders. Eugen hesitated, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, she darted toward the man. The protagonist shouted that she was an idiot. She grabbed her branch and stabbed the monster in the back, throwing it to the ground where it rolled away.

The man, shocked to see other people, stammered. Eugen told him to calm down and stay quiet so they could lead him to safety. But the man yelled, warning her to look behind her just as the monster lunged for her head. The protagonist saved the day again. The man was stunned, asking how he had done it. But Blue ignored him and turned to Eugen, asking if she realized what she had just done.

She had put everyone in danger. They quickly discovered the man had broken legs, complicating things further. The protagonist knew the man would be of no use to them. Then he started hearing sounds; creatures were closing in from all sides. He told the man that they couldn't help him anymore. They had already risked too much saving him from the monster.

He then turned to Eugen and said if she truly wanted to help this man, he didn't care. But if that was the case, she wasn't to follow him anymore. He reminded her that she had promised to obey him. To stay on the surface, she agreed, saying the boy was right. It wasn't the time to worry about others; they had to remember the people waiting for them back at the base.

Eugen paused for a moment before finally agreeing. "Fine," she said, "I'll obey you." But the protagonist looked startled. The man she had saved spoke up, asking who gave them permission to leave him there. He demanded they stop joking around; it was obvious he would die if abandoned. He argued that leaving him there was worse than murder; it was the same as killing him.

The protagonist told him to shut up. Suddenly, something started approaching. The man, desperate, drew even more attention. Everyone seemed surrounded. Amid the chaos, the protagonist took a moment to breathe. Haru asked what they were going to do as monsters were closing in from all directions. He said the worst hadn't happened yet; they still had time to escape before being cornered.

They knew at least the path they came from was free of monsters. All they had to do was retrace their steps. But then the man lit a lighter. Everyone asked what he was doing. He pointed to a nearby smoking hazard sign. Chun shouted, asking if he realized that would attract the monsters. The man calmly replied that he knew exactly what it would do. After all, he had accidentally destroyed the last base he was at.

The boy demanded to know why he was doing this. The man lit the lighter, releasing smoke, and said he just wanted one last smoke before he died. Monsters began rushing in from every direction. Blue yelled for everyone to run. The man on the ground was the first to die. Two creatures charged at the protagonist, who pulled out his knives. Meanwhile, Eugen and Gien took off running.

Haru stood frozen, watching as the protagonist was surrounded by creatures. She didn't understand why he wasn't running. He dodged another attack, sliding away only to avoid another. He approached one creature, found its core, and struck it dead on. He managed to take down one after another, but then he was struck, thrown backward as more creatures approached.

A stone suddenly hit one of the creatures in the back. The protagonist looked up, confused. It was Yuan who had thrown it. The group was trembling but still there. He asked why they hadn't fled when he ordered them to. Gien shouted back no. He reminded him that while he had given the order to flee, he himself hadn't run.

The protagonist paused, questioning why he hadn't fled. Then the realization hit him: he hadn't run because he believed everyone would die if he did. Now Gien was face to face with a creature. Haru remembered Eugen, who was now fending off another monster. She stood behind them, frozen, unable to do anything as cores of fallen creatures piled up on the ground.

Blue kept fighting, yelling for everyone to run. Gien, holding his bat, said it was fine; there were fewer monsters now. If they gave it their all, they could make it back to the base together. But then an unusual creature emerged. It had a feminine body, but there was nothing appealing about it. But it was clearly not going to be an easy target.

The protagonist froze in shock. The creature had at least four cores inside it, visible through its translucent body. It formed a grotesque head, and Gien asked what was wrong. That's when he turned and saw something terrifying: all the other monsters were kneeling before it. He froze for a moment, and Blue shouted for him to run. But it was too late; the creature had already passed him, holding his still-beating heart in its hand.

Gien dropped his bat, looking down to see that the heart was his own. His body collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Haru fell to her knees, screaming in despair. Gien called out to him while Blue stood frozen, unable to act. He clenched his fists, grabbed his weapon, and charged at the creature. But it merely extended a finger, shattering the weapon with a single tap.

Before he could react, it flicked him aside with its finger, sending him rolling across the ground. As he struggled to get up, coughing blood, he felt his chest; several ribs were already broken. The creature then crushed Gien's heart in its hand, the splattered blood forming a new red tentacle around his body. It pointed toward Blue, and the other monsters began charging at him.

Still lying on the ground, he could only watch as Eugen and Haru stood frozen, unable to react. He managed to stand and shouted for them to run now. Slowly, he tried to walk toward the creatures as Haru trembled in terror. Her heart felt like it was about to explode, but she knew she couldn't run again. If she ran now, she'd be abandoning the people precious to her again.

She threw down her bag and dashed for the monsters. The protagonist was barely conscious when suddenly he was shoved aside. Opening his eyes, he saw Eugen had been impaled through the stomach. Despite her actions having caused all this, it was still a gut-wrenching sight for Blue and Haru. Eugen, clutching the monster's arm, apologized.

She admitted it was all her fault for putting everyone in danger. She asked them to escape and make her sacrifice worthwhile. With that, she ran off, attracting the monsters to her. But once again, it was a bloodbath. The protagonist could only stand there, paralyzed, as the tentacled woman began collecting the cores from all the fallen creatures.

Looking to his side, he saw Haru trembling uncontrollably. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he stood and told her to run. She couldn't move, unable to process what was happening. But he insisted, saying this was their last chance. Eugen's body was being devoured, and the creature was continuing to collect cores.

Haru asked him what he was talking about, ignoring her. He continued moving toward the monsters. She demanded to know if he lost his mind. From the beginning, the plan had been to separate and escape. He acknowledged that, saying at the time it was the right plan. She then asked what had changed.

He replied that it changed because it had been fun—fun to go to the surface with them, to share meals together. It had been nice to introduce themselves and grow closer with each passing moment. He realized that the dreams he had back in the basement were even better than he had imagined. But all of it ended when people died. When someone died, they could no longer talk, share names, or connect.

He remembered Gien extending his hand for friendship and how now that would never happen. He recalled the time in the basement when a woman asked him if he'd ever felt sadness from losing someone precious. At the time, he hadn't understood what she meant, but now he was beginning to comprehend. That's why he wanted Haru to run. He didn't want to see anyone else die.

Standing there, Haru stared at him, the bodies of Eugen and Gien lying in pools of blood. She dropped the wooden stick she'd been holding and began to break down. Once again, she was in the same situation: shadows of monsters rushed past, just like the day she abandoned her father. And just like that day, Blue turned to her and told her to run.

She asked herself why. Why were they saying the same thing? She screamed no. She had decided she wouldn't run away alone anymore. She didn't want to keep living haunted by the memory of that moment—the moment she abandoned her father. She was terrified, even thinking about the way he had looked at her.

Her father had been the only one who truly understood her, telling her it was okay to be a coward and that it wasn't her fault. But she abandoned him anyway. That's why she was so scared. Haru was consumed by fear, afraid her father might have hated her in his final moments.

The protagonist laughed and said he knew it. She was the kind of person who liked to lose. Haru stood still as shadows rushed past her, and the protagonist smiled just like her father had. That's when she realized even in his last moments, she was certain her father still loved her.

She remembered when he held out his pinky and told her she wouldn't cry anymore. Every time she thought of herself as a coward, she hesitated for a moment but then smiled and said okay. With that, her mother said she was taking her brother; they'd be back soon. Haru and her father stayed behind, watching them leave until the wall in front of them was destroyed.

Before her father could react, a chunk of debris struck her mother in the head. Her brother was taken with her. The entire front of the house had collapsed, and creatures had begun roaming the area. Her father, desperate, ran to the rubble, searching for his wife's body. He paused for a moment as Haru called out to him, asking what happened and where her mother and brother were. But then she realized her father had also lost one of his legs.

She ran to him, but he told her not to come closer. Her mother's body was beneath the rubble. Haru didn't know how to react. She fell to her knees, memories of her family flashing through her mind as she spiraled into despair. Her father called out to her and told her she could still escape. He said he would stay behind with her mother and brother. But Haru said no.

She begged him not to say such a thing because she couldn't leave him behind. He was the only person she had left. She didn't want to run away anymore because she'd never forgive herself if she did. In front of her father, a crowd of people was fleeing from the creatures. They glanced at the house as Haru stood up. She was about to tell her father she'd never run away again when a swarm of shadows closed in on him and rushed past her.

Amid the chaos, she froze, watching as her father slowly turned toward her. He was enveloped in a glowing light, and she couldn't move forward. The shadows seemed to pull her back. She remembered her father once telling her it was okay to be a coward, that there was nothing wrong with her. So she ran, thinking he was wrong. She abandoned him despite saying she wouldn't, and after that, she kept abandoning others.

Back on the train, Wong watched the protagonist preparing himself. He looked back and saw Haru standing there. He remembered how isolated she had seemed and chose to ignore it. He kept climbing, and she stood frozen, paralyzed by fear. But then suddenly, she moved. She ran past everyone on the stairs and stumbled in front of him. She was determined not to run away anymore.

She said this time she was going with them. On top of one of the buildings was a monster doing push-ups—or was that just an illusion? Meanwhile, the group sneaked through the buildings slowly. They advanced, following the protagonist's signals. After some time, he turned around and told them they could talk; it was safe.

The woman immediately commented that she thought her heart was going to explode. The glasses guy said he was certain that at this rate, they were all going to get eaten. He turned to Haru and asked how the map was coming along. At that moment, we flashed back to see the protagonist earlier handing her a piece of paper, explaining that they needed to make a map.

He said it was just as important as finding food because it was the only way to plan ahead for where resources were located. Since it was so important, Haru had been enthusiastic about the task, saying she could handle it, especially because she knew the neighborhood well. Now, however, she admitted that while she was confident at first, with the city so chaotic, her prior knowledge wasn't helping much.

The streets that were once easy to navigate were now completely destroyed and nonsensical. They gathered everything they collected, but everyone felt that after all that walking, they hadn't managed to get enough. Most of the food was already spoiled. It was summer, scorching hot, and the city had been without power for nine days.

The glasses guy pointed out that they all knew what they needed to do: they had to eat the food before it spoiled further. The woman disagreed, insisting they should take it back to the base and decide what to do there. But the glasses guy argued that it wouldn't be fair for them to eat only what was already spoiled. Besides, they were the ones who risked their lives coming here with monsters all around.

He said it would actually be unfair if those who took the risk didn't get a reward. Still, the woman protested, saying the people at the base were waiting for them. Then they heard swinging noises. The protagonist was calmly eating, saying it was delicious. Of course, everyone immediately started eating too. The woman left with no other option and reluctantly joined in.

The boy was happy; at the base, they only had bland nutritional food. At least this was tasty. Just eating it made him feel content. Haru then mentioned that she remembered the first time they met; they had eaten bread together. Back then, she thought he was a complete idiot for not even recognizing what bread was.

He paused for a moment, then handed her a bunch of supplies, saying he didn't owe her anything anymore. She was confused and asked what he was talking about. But of course, he was trying to repay her for that day when she said he'd have to pay back four times what he received. She stood there puzzled, and he realized she might have forgotten what she said, or maybe from the beginning, she never intended to get paid back.

He thought to himself that she must enjoy losing and called her stupid. Naturally, she snapped back, asking who he thought he was to say something like that. Later, they continued walking. Before all this, the protagonist had warned them about the most important rule of moving on the surface: don't get discovered by the creatures.

If anyone was spotted, they would have to fight, and before they could take down the first monster, more would already arrive. If that happened, they'd eventually be surrounded by an endless swarm. While recalling this, he noticed something approaching from the rooftop. A creature descended, casting a shadow in front of him. As soon as he saw the shadow, he knew what was coming. The plan to stay undetected had failed.

He looked back as the creature landed between them. Everyone panicked, and Haru started trembling. Immediately, he told them to split up and run. Haru was the first to pass him, bolting from the spot. This was his plan to increase the chances that at least one of them would survive. But then suddenly, a hand stopped her. He had grabbed her arm and told her to wait.

He observed the creature; it didn't seem to have noticed them yet. The monster wasn't reacting at all. The glasses guy, shaking, tried to back away, but he accidentally stepped on something, and the creature leaped toward him. That's when the boy realized the monsters reacted to sound. Haru was about to scream, but he covered her mouth.

He signaled everyone to stay silent while keeping their eyes on the monster. He prepared himself, knowing that if they attracted more creatures, things would spiral out of control. He would have to take down the monster in a single strike. Earlier, someone had handed him a weapon. It was the mustached man who had said he had no intention of going to the surface with them. But that didn't mean he would sit idly by while they struggled for supplies.

The protagonist asked what it was, and the man showed him a hammer. He explained that he forged it after watching him fight; it was a weapon designed to hit weak points. Armed with two giant needles, the protagonist stood still, watching the creature. In an instant, he disappeared, leaping toward the beast. This was their only chance; if they failed, the entire city would be alerted.

Everyone was terrified as he struck, hitting the core dead on. The creature dissolved instantly. Finally, the day came to an end. They set up a temporary camp and were sleeping outside the city. The boy sat staring at the weapon he had been given. He remembered how his father had many weapons, but his father always said he shouldn't rely on such things. He needed to be able to defeat any of them with his bare hands.

The boy had once asked his father if he meant the humans on the surface. The stern man fell silent before eventually replying yes. Weapons didn't suit people like them, his father had said, and soon he would understand. But the boy only grew more confused. His father had told him he'd understand, but he couldn't imagine killing these monsters without using a weapon.

What was stranger still was that his father had never spoken about these creatures. Maybe it was because he never believed in their existence either. After all, he didn't even believe in the apocalypse. But little by little, the boy began to piece things together: why he had to go through such inexplicable training. Each one of those preparations was to teach him how to fight, how to survive against these monsters.

But there was still something that didn't make sense to him. His father had said he had no intention of ever letting him out of the basement. So if that was true, why train him to survive on the surface? Which part of the story was a lie? Did his father really never plan to send him to the surface? He remembered the moment his father had panicked. He was certain that wasn't an act.

And aside from his mother's death, his father rarely lied. If he truly didn't intend for him to go to the surface, then the training must have been to ensure he'd survive if it ever happened. But something still didn't add up. On the day the apocalypse began, all the doors to that place had opened. He was sure that wasn't part of the original plan. Yet he knew that if he had stayed there, he would have died in the swarm of monsters that invaded.

What he didn't understand was why so many creatures had attacked that place, and more importantly, how had his father known the apocalypse was coming? As he stared at the monster's core, the glasses guy asked what the unbreakable object was. He tossed it to the woman and asked if she wanted to figure it out, but she screamed and said it was disgusting, throwing it back.

The core rolled toward the protagonist, who slowly stopped it with his finger. The energy inside seemed to react to him, flowing into the core before it fell to the ground again. It rolled to his side, and the glasses guy asked what had just happened. The protagonist looked puzzled, picked it up, and examined it. Someone else suggested it was better for everyone to sleep, as tomorrow would be a long day.

As he looked back at the core, it disintegrated in his hand. Haru lay nearby, silent. She was reflecting on how she tried to run away again despite promising herself she wouldn't. She remembered the girl she had abandoned and muttered that she needed to apologize to her. The protagonist lay down as well. He seemed to recall his father reading a book, wondering about the memory.

He remembered that there had been a time when his father was normal—so long ago that he had forgotten what it was like. The boy asked his father if he wanted to read that book, and his father said yes. It was a story from his homeland, a tale of a hero whose name he had forgotten.

But his father's image faded, and the boy woke up to find Haru near him—actually far too close. What was she doing? But don't get too excited; of course, she covered his mouth and trembled, pointing to the side. There was a noise coming from behind the rocks. The two stayed perfectly still, watching. Haru was sweating bullets.

What appeared was a little rat. She sighed in relief, muttering that she couldn't believe she got so worried over that. That's when she realized she was on top of him. The protagonist remarked that she was kind of heavy and asked if she could please get off. Furious, she shouted that she wasn't heavy and told him to be quiet.

Later, she was observing the city through binoculars. No matter where she looked, it was full of creatures. She called over to him, asking how the map was coming along because they needed to leave. He said it was coming along fine but reminded her to call him by his name. At that moment, the glasses guy asked what the boy's name was since no one knew, including them.

The protagonist replied that he didn't have a name, having never been called one since he was a child. The woman asked if they should just keep referring to him as "you" or if they could give him a name. Right now, he seemed confused, asking if they were going to name him. Haru suggested calling him "stupid" because it would be easy to remember.

Caught off guard, the protagonist had no idea what name he wanted yet never thought about it before. Then he remembered the conversation with his father and the book. Finally, he said they could call him "Blue." Everyone was a bit puzzled. Haru said it was a strange name and asked if it had any meaning. He replied that it didn't; it was just the name of a character in a book he used to read as a kid.

That's when the group realized they hadn't introduced themselves yet. The woman said her name was Eugen, and the glasses guy was Gien. Haru introduced herself, adding that she was sure the idiot wouldn't remember any of their names. The protagonist was about to introduce himself, but everyone stared at him expectantly.

He remembered being in the basement, lifting a pen. He declared, "My name is Blue. It's nice to meet you all." Haru smiled, and the group exchanged glances, saying it was nice to meet Blue too. He thought back to the dreams he had of leaving that place. He always imagined that if he could reach the surface, he'd greet people and have conversations with them. Maybe he wanted to become friends with them.

Shikun extended his hand and said, "Now we're friends." But just as the protagonist reached out to shake his hand, memories of all the deaths flooded his mind. The thought of finding his parents stopped him, and he pulled back, saying no. Everyone was confused for a moment, but it was time to continue their journey.

He knew that if not for the apocalypse, he would never have been friends with these people. But finding his mother was his priority. It wasn't the time to chase the dreams he had before. At that moment, someone screamed nearby. Ahead of them, a man was trying to defend himself from a creature. The monster, a massive beast with gnashing teeth, was attempting to eat him.

Eugen started to move forward, but the protagonist stopped her and asked what she was thinking. Embarrassed, she said they should help the man; otherwise, he would die. The protagonist firmly replied no. He explained that if they could hear the man's screams, so could the monsters. Eugen insisted they still had time to save him before something worse happened.

But the protagonist reminded her of what he had said before they came to the surface. She had promised to follow his orders. Eugen hesitated, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, she darted toward the man. The protagonist shouted that she was an idiot. She grabbed her branch and stabbed the monster in the back, throwing it to the ground where it rolled away.

The man, shocked to see other people, stammered. Eugen told him to calm down and stay quiet so they could lead him to safety. But the man yelled, warning her to look behind her just as the monster lunged for her head. The protagonist saved the day again. The man was stunned, asking how he had done it. But Blue ignored him and turned to Eugen, asking if she realized what she had just done.

She had put everyone in danger. They quickly discovered the man had broken legs, complicating things further. The protagonist knew the man would be of no use to them. Then he started hearing sounds; creatures were closing in from all sides. He told the man that they couldn't help him anymore. They had already risked too much saving him from the monster.

He then turned to Eugen and said if she truly wanted to help this man, he didn't care. But if that was the case, she wasn't to follow him anymore. He reminded her that she had promised to obey him. To stay on the surface, she agreed, saying the boy was right. It wasn't the time to worry about others; they had to remember the people waiting for them back at the base.

Eugen paused for a moment before finally agreeing. "Fine," she said, "I'll obey you." But the protagonist looked startled. The man she had saved spoke up, asking who gave them permission to leave him there. He demanded they stop joking around; it was obvious he would die if abandoned. He argued that leaving him there was worse than murder; it was the same as killing him.

The protagonist told him to shut up. Suddenly, something started approaching. The man, desperate, drew even more attention. Everyone seemed surrounded. Amid the chaos, the protagonist took a moment to breathe. Haru asked what they were going to do as monsters were closing in from all directions. He said the worst hadn't happened yet; they still had time to escape before being cornered.

They knew at least the path they came from was free of monsters. All they had to do was retrace their steps. But then the man lit a lighter. Everyone asked what he was doing. He pointed to a nearby smoking hazard sign. Chun shouted, asking if he realized that would attract the monsters. The man calmly replied that he knew exactly what it would do. After all, he had accidentally destroyed the last base he was at.

The boy demanded to know why he was doing this. The man lit the lighter, releasing smoke, and said he just wanted one last smoke before he died. Monsters began rushing in from every direction. Blue yelled for everyone to run. The man on the ground was the first to die. Two creatures charged at the protagonist, who pulled out his knives. Meanwhile, Eugen and Gien took off running.

Haru stood frozen, watching as the protagonist was surrounded by creatures. She didn't understand why he wasn't running. He dodged another attack, sliding away only to avoid another. He approached one creature, found its core, and struck it dead on. He managed to take down one after another, but then he was struck, thrown backward as more creatures approached.

A stone suddenly hit one of the creatures in the back. The protagonist looked up, confused. It was Yuan who had thrown it. The group was trembling but still there. He asked why they hadn't fled when he ordered them to. Gien shouted back no. He reminded him that while he had given the order to flee, he himself hadn't run.

The protagonist paused, questioning why he hadn't fled. Then the realization hit him: he hadn't run because he believed everyone would die if he did. Now Gien was face to face with a creature. Haru remembered Eugen, who was now fending off another monster. She stood behind them, frozen, unable to do anything as cores of fallen creatures piled up on the ground.

Blue kept fighting, yelling for everyone to run. Gien, holding his bat, said it was fine; there were fewer monsters now. If they gave it their all, they could make it back to the base together. But then an unusual creature emerged. It had a feminine body, but there was nothing appealing about it. But it was clearly not going to be an easy target.

The protagonist froze in shock. The creature had at least four cores inside it, visible through its translucent body. It formed a grotesque head, and Gien asked what was wrong. That's when he turned and saw something terrifying: all the other monsters were kneeling before it. He froze for a moment, and Blue shouted for him to run. But it was too late; the creature had already passed him, holding his still-beating heart in its hand.

Gien dropped his bat, looking down to see that the heart was his own. His body collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Haru fell to her knees, screaming in despair. Gien called out to him while Blue stood frozen, unable to act. He clenched his fists, grabbed his weapon, and charged at the creature. But it merely extended a finger, shattering the weapon with a single tap.

Before he could react, it flicked him aside with its finger, sending him rolling across the ground. As he struggled to get up, coughing blood, he felt his chest; several ribs were already broken. The creature then crushed Gien's heart in its hand, the splattered blood forming a new red tentacle around his body. It pointed toward Blue, and the other monsters began charging at him.

Still lying on the ground, he could only watch as Eugen and Haru stood frozen, unable to react. He managed to stand and shouted for them to run now. Slowly, he tried to walk toward the creatures as Haru trembled in terror. Her heart felt like it was about to explode, but she knew she couldn't run again. If she ran now, she'd be abandoning the people precious to her again.

She threw down her bag and dashed for the monsters. The protagonist was barely conscious when suddenly he was shoved aside. Opening his eyes, he saw Eugen had been impaled through the stomach. Despite her actions having caused all this, it was still a gut-wrenching sight for Blue and Haru. Eugen, clutching the monster's arm, apologized.

She admitted it was all her fault for putting everyone in danger. She asked them to escape and make her sacrifice worthwhile. With that, she ran off, attracting the monsters to her. But once again, it was a bloodbath. The protagonist could only stand there, paralyzed, as the tentacled woman began collecting the cores from all the fallen creatures.

Looking to his side, he saw Haru trembling uncontrollably. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he stood and told her to run. She couldn't move, unable to process what was happening. But he insisted, saying this was their last chance. Eugen's body was being devoured, and the creature was continuing to collect cores.

Haru asked him what he was talking about, ignoring her. He continued moving toward the monsters. She demanded to know if he lost his mind. From the beginning, the plan had been to separate and escape. He acknowledged that, saying at the time it was the right plan. She then asked what had changed.

He replied that it changed because it had been fun—fun to go to the surface with them, to share meals together. It had been nice to introduce themselves and grow closer with each passing moment. He realized that the dreams he had back in the basement were even better than he had imagined. But all of it ended when people died. When someone died, they could no longer talk, share names, or connect.

He remembered Gien extending his hand for friendship and how now that would never happen. He recalled the time in the basement when a woman asked him if he'd ever felt sadness from losing someone precious. At the time, he hadn't understood what she meant, but now he was beginning to comprehend. That's why he wanted Haru to run. He didn't want to see anyone else die.

Standing there, Haru stared at him, the bodies of Eugen and Gien lying in pools of blood. She dropped the wooden stick she'd been holding and began to break down. Once again, she was in the same situation: shadows of monsters rushed past, just like the day she abandoned her father. And just like that day, Blue turned to her and told her to run.

She asked herself why. Why were they saying the same thing? She screamed no. She had decided she wouldn't run away alone anymore. She didn't want to keep living haunted by the memory of that moment—the moment she abandoned her father. She was terrified, even thinking about the way he had looked at her.

Her father had been the only one who truly understood her, telling her it was okay to be a coward and that it wasn't her fault. But she abandoned him anyway. That's why she was so scared. Haru was consumed by fear, afraid her father might have hated her in his final moments.

The protagonist laughed and said he knew it. She was the kind of person who liked to lose. Haru stood still as shadows rushed past her, and the protagonist smiled just like her father had. That's when she realized even in his last moments, she was certain her father still loved her.

She remembered when he held out his pinky and told her she wouldn't cry anymore. Every time she thought of herself as a coward, she hesitated for a moment but then smiled and said okay. With that, her mother said she was taking her brother; they'd be back soon. Haru and her father stayed behind, watching them leave until the wall in front of them was destroyed.

Before her father could react, a chunk of debris struck her mother in the head. Her brother was taken with her. The entire front of the house had collapsed, and creatures had begun roaming the area. Her father, desperate, ran to the rubble, searching for his wife's body. He paused for a moment as Haru called out to him, asking what happened and where her mother and brother were. But then she realized her father had also lost one of his legs.

She ran to him, but he told her not to come closer. Her mother's body was beneath the rubble. Haru didn't know how to react. She fell to her knees, memories of her family flashing through her mind as she spiraled into despair. Her father called out to her and told her she could still escape. He said he would stay behind with her mother and brother. But Haru said no.

She begged him not to say such a thing because she couldn't leave him behind. He was the only person she had left. She didn't want to run away anymore because she'd never forgive herself if she did. In front of her father, a crowd of people was fleeing from the creatures. They glanced at the house as Haru stood up. She was about to tell her father she'd never run away again when a swarm of shadows closed in on him and rushed past her.

Amid the chaos, she froze, watching as her father slowly turned toward her. He was enveloped in a glowing light, and she couldn't move forward. The shadows seemed to pull her back. She remembered her father once telling her it was okay to be a coward, that there was nothing wrong with her. So she ran, thinking he was wrong. She abandoned him despite saying she wouldn't, and after that, she kept abandoning others.

Back on the train, Wong watched the protagonist preparing himself. He looked back and saw Haru standing there. He remembered how isolated she had seemed and chose to ignore it. He kept climbing, and she stood frozen, paralyzed by fear. But then suddenly, she moved. She ran past everyone on the stairs and stumbled in front of him. She was determined not to run away anymore.

She said this time she was going with them. On top of one of the buildings was a monster doing push-ups—or was that just an illusion? Meanwhile, the group sneaked through the buildings slowly. They advanced, following the protagonist's signals. After some time, he turned around and told them they could talk; it was safe.

The woman immediately commented that she thought her heart was going to explode. The glasses guy said he was certain that at this rate, they were all going to get eaten. He turned to Haru and asked how the map was coming along. At that moment, we flashed back to see the protagonist earlier handing her a piece of paper, explaining that they needed to make a map.

He said it was just as important as finding food because it was the only way to plan ahead for where resources were located. Since it was so important, Haru had been enthusiastic about the task, saying she could handle it, especially because she knew the neighborhood well. Now, however, she admitted that while she was confident at first, with the city so chaotic, her prior knowledge wasn't helping much.

The streets that were once easy to navigate were now completely destroyed and nonsensical. They gathered everything they collected, but everyone felt that after all that walking, they hadn't managed to get enough. Most of the food was already spoiled. It was summer, scorching hot, and the city had been without power for nine days.

The glasses guy pointed out that they all knew what they needed to do: they had to eat the food before it spoiled further. The woman disagreed, insisting they should take it back to the base and decide what to do there. But the glasses guy argued that it wouldn't be fair for them to eat only what was already spoiled. Besides, they were the ones who risked their lives coming here with monsters all around.

He said it would actually be unfair if those who took the risk didn't get a reward. Still, the woman protested, saying the people at the base were waiting for them. Then they heard swinging noises. The protagonist was calmly eating, saying it was delicious. Of course, everyone immediately started eating too. The woman left with no other option and reluctantly joined in.

The boy was happy; at the base, they only had bland nutritional food. At least this was tasty. Just eating it made him feel content. Haru then mentioned that she remembered the first time they met; they had eaten bread together. Back then, she thought he was a complete idiot for not even recognizing what bread was.

He paused for a moment, then handed her a bunch of supplies, saying he didn't owe her anything anymore. She was confused and asked what he was talking about. But of course, he was trying to repay her for that day when she said he'd have to pay back four times what he received. She stood there puzzled, and he realized she might have forgotten what she said, or maybe from the beginning, she never intended to get paid back.

He thought to himself that she must enjoy losing and called her stupid. Naturally, she snapped back, asking who he thought he was to say something like that. Later, they continued walking. Before all this, the protagonist had warned them about the most important rule of moving on the surface: don't get discovered by the creatures.

If anyone was spotted, they would have to fight, and before they could take down the first monster, more would already arrive. If that happened, they'd eventually be surrounded by an endless swarm. While recalling this, he noticed something approaching from the rooftop. A creature descended, casting a shadow in front of him. As soon as he saw the shadow, he knew what was coming. The plan to stay undetected had failed.

He looked back as the creature landed between them. Everyone panicked, and Haru started trembling. Immediately, he told them to split up and run. Haru was the first to pass him, bolting from the spot. This was his plan to increase the chances that at least one of them would survive. But then suddenly, a hand stopped her. He had grabbed her arm and told her to wait.

He observed the creature; it didn't seem to have noticed them yet. The monster wasn't reacting at all. The glasses guy, shaking, tried to back away, but he accidentally stepped on something, and the creature leaped toward him. That's when the boy realized the monsters reacted to sound. Haru was about to scream, but he covered her mouth.

He signaled everyone to stay silent while keeping their eyes on the monster. He prepared himself, knowing that if they attracted more creatures, things would spiral out of control. He would have to take down the monster in a single strike. Earlier, someone had handed him a weapon. It was the mustached man who had said he had no intention of going to the surface with them. But that didn't mean he would sit idly by while they struggled for supplies.

The protagonist asked what it was, and the man showed him a hammer. He explained that he forged it after watching him fight; it was a weapon designed to hit weak points. Armed with two giant needles, the protagonist stood still, watching the creature. In an instant, he disappeared, leaping toward the beast. This was their only chance; if they failed, the entire city would be alerted.

Everyone was terrified as he struck, hitting the core dead on. The creature dissolved instantly. Finally, the day came to an end. They set up a temporary camp and were sleeping outside the city. The boy sat staring at the weapon he had been given. He remembered how his father had many weapons, but his father always said he shouldn't rely on such things. He needed to be able to defeat any of them with his bare hands.

The boy had once asked his father if he meant the humans on the surface. The stern man fell silent before eventually replying yes. Weapons didn't suit people like them, his father had said, and soon he would understand. But the boy only grew more confused. His father had told him he'd understand, but he couldn't imagine killing these monsters without using a weapon.

What was stranger still was that his father had never spoken about these creatures. Maybe it was because he never believed in their existence either. After all, he didn't even believe in the apocalypse. But little by little, the boy began to piece things together: why he had to go through such inexplicable training. Each one of those preparations was to teach him how to fight, how to survive against these monsters.

But there was still something that didn't make sense to him. His father had said he had no intention of ever letting him out of the basement. So if that was true, why train him to survive on the surface? Which part of the story was a lie? Did his father really never plan to send him to the surface? He remembered the moment his father had panicked. He was certain that wasn't an