Nox’s face turned deathly pale, as if he had just been given a death sentence. He frantically shook his head.
“I’d rather die here than let Lancaster see me being carried on Miss Cherry’s back.”
So it was fine earlier because no one saw, but now it’s not? Was this about pride? Given how much he cared about appearances, it made sense.
Either way, Nox seemed completely fed up with the situation. He raked his hands through his hair in frustration.
“When the reinforcements finally come down from the capital, I swear I won’t let the bastards who caused this mess get away with it.”
Wow. Nox, just like Ethan, still believed reinforcements were coming. Clinging to that kind of hope—poor guy.
I slung the bag over Nox’s shoulder and shoved the axe firmly into his hands. While he stood there looking bewildered, I hoisted him onto my back.
“Let’s move.”
“W-Wait a minute...!”
I didn’t need his permission. Saying he’d rather die than let Ethan see him like this? Was he serious? After everything I went through to climb that damn clock tower and rescue him?
I smacked the uninjured side of his thigh. Smack!
“Hold still, or I’ll throw you off for real.”
That finally shut him up.
The moment we stepped out of the grocery store, we saw a swarm of infected monsters rushing toward the clock tower.
Had Ethan finally made it to our meeting point at the tower?
I was about to sprint in that direction when I noticed the infected charging toward Nox and me instead.
Bang!
I locked eyes with Ethan in the distance. He was staring at me and the Nox on my back with an expression I couldn’t quite place. But there was no time to dwell on it.
“Miss Cherry? Now would be a good time to run.”
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Nox urged me from behind. Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I bolted toward Ethan.
Grabbing Ethan’s wrist, I didn’t even stop to explain and instead sprinted straight for the police station.
Screech!
The monsters let out shrill cries as they charged after us. Loud crashes echoed as the creatures slammed into obstacles in their way.
I could hear the heavy thuds of feet pounding the dirt, closing in fast.
Sweat poured down my forehead and trickled down my back. But we finally reached the police station, shoved open the back door, and slammed it shut behind us.
My legs gave out as I set Nox down and collapsed to the floor.
It seemed the monsters didn’t bother to break into buildings unless they were absolutely certain there were people inside or could hear sounds coming from within.
Ethan quickly shoved a heavy desk against the door to barricade it. Meanwhile, I took the chance to scan the inside of the police station.
“I think getting bitten to death by a monster would’ve been less humiliating than this.”
Nox mumbled bitterly, his face full of despair.
I shook my head at him in disbelief. Tsk, tsk.
Finally, Ethan approached us and spoke.
“I’m glad you’re both safe.”
“Sir Ethan, where the hell have you been?”
“Monsters suddenly swarmed the roof. They must’ve been drawn by the gunfire.”
Well, gunshots are pretty loud. I nodded and let out a sigh of relief. At least being inside a sealed building like this felt safer.
Now all we had to do was make a phone call to the capital and leave town through the morgue that Ethan mentioned.
“So let me get this straight—Miss Cherry was the one charging ahead on the front lines while our cop here hung back to cover her?”
Nox, leaning against the wall, asked incredulously. Ethan didn’t even blink as he shot back,
“Shut the hell up and be grateful we saved your ass, you bastard.”
“Miss Cherry, did you hear that? How is this guy a noble? He’s just a thug.”
“He’s useful for survival.”
Nox turned to me with a look of betrayal, but I ignored him. Instead, I left him and Ethan behind and began inspecting the police station.
The place was silent. All around, there were signs that people had fled in a hurry—overturned chairs, scattered papers, and broken glass.
As I checked each corner, my eyes landed on the front door. We had come in through the back, but thankfully, the front entrance was still securely locked.
“We need to make that call first.”
Honestly, the main reason we left Happy House and came all the way here was for the phone—to check on the safety of the people we cared about.
Nox stood up with a curious expression.
“Where’s the phone?”
“It should be around here somewhere.”
Ethan muttered as he scanned the area. The phone had to be on the first floor.
Thud—
A dull sound suddenly echoed from upstairs.
Ethan quickly pulled out his revolver and loaded it.
Click.
I followed his lead, gripping the axe tightly as I slowly rose to my feet. Together, we both turned to face the staircase on the right side of the station.
The police station was a three-story building. The second floor housed the officers’ dormitories, and the third floor was Ethan’s quarters.
“Could there still be someone up there?”
Nox murmured. Ethan, his expression completely blank, kept his eyes fixed on the stairs as he replied,
“In situations like this, people are scarier than monsters.”
He was right. When it came to survival, people could be far more ruthless and terrifying than any monster. I tightened my grip on the axe, my nerves on edge as I stared up the staircase.
“Sir Ethan, go ahead and connect the call. I’ll keep watch and see if anyone comes down.”
Rather than dragging out some hidden survivor and getting into a pointless fight, this seemed like the smarter option.
“I’m here too, Miss Cherry.”
Nox raised his hand, reminding us of his presence.
“Wounded people should stay put.”
I didn’t even spare him a glance as I kept my eyes on the landing and swung the axe in the air a few times to loosen up.
“Miss Cherry, that’s dangerous...”
Ethan trailed off as he looked at me, but then scratched the back of his head awkwardly and holstered his gun.
“Alright. I’m counting on you to cover us.”
Judging by his tone and the look in his eyes, it seemed like he trusted me now. Or maybe it wasn’t me he trusted—just my strength.
After seeing me send a giant monster flying with my axe, it was only natural for Ethan to trust my strength now. Damn right.
Ethan began searching the area for the phone, and I glanced at him briefly.
Honestly, knowing the situation through the novel, I was pretty skeptical about calling the capital. Still, I couldn’t help but cling to a sliver of hope.
Maybe, like a butterfly effect, my actions had already diverted the future from the original plot. Brunel might have been ravaged by the virus, but I prayed that the capital was still intact.
“I found it.”
Ethan’s voice came from behind me.
“Does it connect?”
He picked up the receiver, spinning the dial with his fingers before responding.
“There’s a signal.”
Thank God. That meant the telephone exchange hadn’t been destroyed by monsters yet.
But even after a long wait, there was no sign that the call had gone through. Ethan didn’t speak, and no one answered on the other end.
I looked away from the dark staircase and turned back to him.
“It’s useless. I’ve already tried dozens of times. No one picks up—not even in the capital.”
“Who’s there!”
A voice rang out suddenly, and I tightened my grip on the axe, shouting back. The sound seemed to come from upstairs.
“Even if the capital’s intact, there’s no way trains are still running. No one’s coming down to this backwater village, Brunel.”
Thud. Thud.
Footsteps echoed as someone descended the stairs. From the shadows at the top, I first saw a pair of worn brown shoes. Then came faded navy trousers, followed by a gun holster strapped to the waist and a police jacket.
Finally, the face of a middle-aged man emerged, stained with dried blood.
“Chief?”
Ethan called out in surprise, hastily setting down the receiver. I shot him a quick glance before focusing my gaze back on the man on the stairs.
Looking closely, I recognized him—Hans, the station chief we’d run into multiple times before.
“Sir Ethan. I knew if anyone survived, it’d be you.”
Hans let out a shaky breath as he approached, his face glistening with sweat that rolled down in streaks.
I stepped back cautiously, raising my axe toward him.
“Wait. Stop right there.”
Both Hans and Ethan froze, looking at me with puzzled expressions.
“Were you bitten?”
“What?”
Hans stared at me blankly, clearly not understanding my question.
The filthy silence inside the station made the noises outside—monsters’ footsteps and howls—seem even louder.
“By those monsters. Have you been bitten?”
My voice cut through the tension as Hans’s face contorted in confusion. He glanced between me and Ethan, looking flustered.