The moment we opened the gate of Happy House, a massive figure lumbering down the hill came into view.
Ethan quickly stepped in front of me and drew his sword. We had agreed to refrain from firing guns as much as possible due to the noise.
Whoosh.
His cloak fluttered in my vision, and in an instant, Ethan was gone. Before I knew it, he was already standing in front of the infected monster, swinging his sharp blade high.
Slash—!
The monster collapsed without even managing a scream.
‘Wow. He’s not the main character for nothing.’
Technically speaking, Ethan was the heroine’s older brother.
I checked the kerosene lantern in my bag to make sure it wasn’t broken, then approached Ethan. I had brought the lantern just in case the sun set while we were looking for Nox.
The setting was similar to early 19th-century Europe, which made the lack of modern conveniences like flashlights frustrating in more ways than one.
Ethan was wiping the green slime off his blade with a handkerchief.
“We should also secure more kerosene. And alcohol, too.”
Flashlights just needed batteries, but kerosene lanterns required fuel as well as alcohol for preheating.
Still, even if we didn’t end up using the lantern, kerosene was essential for making torches. I had prepared some supplies before the world fell apart, but it seemed better to stock up as much as possible while we still had the chance.
It’s always best to secure as many supplies as we can.
I sighed and walked past Ethan. He followed closely behind as we made our way downhill. From the slope, the edge of Brunel Village came faintly into view.
At first glance, the village seemed quiet—so quiet that it was hard to believe the chaos from earlier had happened at all. The eerie silence felt unsettling.
‘Where did all the monsters go?’
I swallowed nervously and kept scanning the village as we walked down.
“Stay behind me.”
Ethan stepped in front of me with long strides as he spoke. I nodded and retreated slightly, gripping my axe tightly while following him.
After walking a little farther down the winding path, we finally reached the outskirts of Brunel Village.
The neatly paved stone streets were covered in bloodstains.
The afternoon sunlight was warm, but the view before us was soaked in red, turning the scene bleak and grim.
I tried to push the horrible sight out of my mind and turned my gaze toward the clock tower. Neither the clock tower nor the police station was far from where we stood.
We had to save Nox.
Doctors were incredibly valuable in this ruined world.
“Sir Ethan. Even if Mr. Ludfisher isn’t at the clock tower, I think we should keep looking for him somewhere in the village. He’s a doctor.”
I wasn’t sure how Ethan interpreted the emphasis I’d placed on the word ‘doctor.’ He stared at me for a long moment before asking,
“I want to save Ludfisher too. But Cherry—what if... what if the area outside Brunel is still intact? In that case, wouldn’t calling for reinforcements take priority?”
“No, Sir Ethan. Wait a minute.”
The situation outside Brunel wasn’t any better.
Judging by Ethan’s reaction, if it came down to choosing between saving Nox or making that phone call, he’d choose the phone without hesitation.
‘What if there’s no one left to pick up the call anyway...!’
I swallowed the words I wanted to say.
Screech.
As I struggled to think of a way to persuade Ethan, something suddenly approached from behind. Annoyed, I swung my axe without even looking.
“Ugh, can you not?!”
Thud.
Squawk—!
I felt a dull impact through the axe but ignored it and turned back to Ethan.
That’s when I saw his startled expression shift past me, looking over my shoulder.
“Aaaahhh!”
A scream erupted from somewhere nearby.
And we weren’t the only ones who heard it.
Gurgle? Gurgle!
Screech! Roar!
The grotesque cries of monsters erupted from all directions, shattering the silence that had hung over the village. A chill ran down my spine, tension prickling at my nerves.
“We have to check! What if Ludfisher’s been discovered?!”
“Damn it.”
Ethan immediately drew his longsword and broke into a sprint. Gripping my axe tightly, I ran after him.
The scream had come from the direction of the clinic. It was most likely Nox.
As we ran toward the clinic, I spotted a group of monsters running parallel to us from the next block over. Just as expected, there were a lot of them.
“Wait.”
Ethan stopped abruptly in front of an alley, blocking my path.
At that moment, the clouds parted, and bright sunlight poured down, illuminating the scene ahead.
The monsters—twisted and grotesque in all shapes and sizes—were clustered in front of a building. Just as we suspected, it was the clinic.
“Do you think someone’s still inside?”
“Even if they are, I doubt they’ve survived this long.”
As Ethan said, several monsters had already forced their way inside the clinic.
Ethan quietly observed the situation for a moment before speaking.
“It looks like we’re already too late to save them.”
He wasn’t wrong. It did look too late. The screams we’d heard earlier had already gone silent.
I bit my lower lip hard.
“Let’s head to the clock tower first.”
A quick glance at the clinic revealed that it was already in ruins, and the swarm of monsters made it look nearly impossible to approach. Inspecting the inside seemed entirely out of the question.
Ethan, looking tense but keeping his face carefully blank, placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t stray from my side.”
I obediently nodded and tightened my grip on the axe. No matter how strong I was, that was all I had—raw strength. In terms of actual combat skills, I couldn’t compare to Ethan, who was a police officer.
“I’ll cover the rear.”
Ethan glanced between me and the axe in my hands, then let out a faint laugh.
“Cherry, you and that axe really don’t match, you know that?”
And then he laughed again.
What? He’s laughing? In this situation? Really?
Oddly enough, his calm, almost casual demeanor made me feel a little more secure.
“Alright, I’ll leave the rear to you.”
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With that, Ethan adjusted his grip on his longsword and started moving forward.
We had ended up in the wrong direction after chasing the scream from the clinic. If we had stuck to the original plan, we could have reached the clock tower by simply heading straight from the outskirts.
Even if we took the back alleys to avoid attention, we’d still have to pass the main road swarming with monsters. The police station was directly across from the clinic.
I leaned in close behind Ethan and whispered,
“The monsters are pretty big. We should keep low and stay out of their line of sight.”
Ethan glanced back at me.
But before he could respond, a monster suddenly lunged out in front of us.
Without thinking, I shoved Ethan aside and swung my axe, slamming it into the charging creature.
Screech—!
The monster’s scream echoed alongside the sound of a collapsing building.
The monsters lingering in front of the clinic froze. Then, all at once, they turned to face us.
XX. We’re screwed.
I grabbed Ethan’s hand.
“Run!”
Ethan hesitated for just a moment, then tightened his grip on my hand and started running with me.
There was no way we could reach the police station through the back alleys now. The monsters were already pouring into the alley, cutting off the path ahead.
We quickly ducked into a back alley along the line where the police station was located. Then, without hesitation, we opened the back door of the first building we saw and slipped inside, hiding ourselves.
Ethan, who had entered first, grabbed my wrist and yanked me in after him. The door slammed shut the moment I stepped through.
Leaning against the closed door, Ethan listened intently to the sounds outside. I pressed myself against his chest, holding my breath as I tried to stay as still as possible.
Screech—!
A monster’s roar echoed from somewhere nearby. Sweat began to form on my palms.
‘If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have used the catapult so loudly.’
Ethan’s chest rose and fell in steady, tense breaths as I rested my head against him. The warmth of his breath brushed against my forehead, making my mind go blank with tension.
Thud, thud, thud—
The irregular thumping of heavy footsteps came closer. It sounded like a group of monsters moving in unison, just outside the door.
After the cacophony of footsteps passed, the outside grew quieter.
Thud. Thud.
Suddenly, slow, deliberate footsteps echoed right outside.
I swallowed dryly and held my breath again.
As my trembling hands rested tensely in my lap, Ethan’s large hand covered mine.