Chapter 1
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Prologue
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And so, the world ended. Sooner than planned.
Squelch.
My shoe landed in a pool of blood.
‘…Blood?’
Shrieeeeek!
A horrifying scream echoed from somewhere.
“Aah! Help me! Somebody, help!”
A cacophony of pleas for help tangled in the air.
Only then did the village, now a scene of utter pandemonium, come into view. The people in the streets were panic-stricken, fleeing for their lives.
Just yesterday, this village had been bustling, lively enough to host a market.
Thud-
Pushed by the fleeing crowd, I fell in the middle of the street. A bizarrely shaped monster charged after them.
Yes. It was unbelievable, but that was a monster.
Gwaaaah!
The mouth of the creature, which vaguely resembled a human, gaped wide. A person was instantly devoured between its densely packed teeth.
“Shit.”
Many were bitten and died, only to turn into monsters themselves.
And in that chaotic melee, something caught my eye.
‘What is *he* doing here…?’
In the middle of the street, a man in a police uniform was fighting for his life against the monsters while helping people escape.
I scrambled to my feet and ran toward the center of the village. A weapon shop with a shattered glass door came into view.
Dodging the fleeing people, I entered the shop. I found an axe, a weapon I could handle with ease, and came back out.
Then I struck down a monster charging toward me without mercy.
Splaash-
The monster’s green blood splattered all over my face.
Krrk?
This time, the monster next to it raised its head. Four eyes, each the size of my fist, were set in its face.
Our gazes met, and I froze in place, trying not to provoke it.
Its four pupils contracted and expanded repeatedly, fixing on me.
I stared back without so much as a blink. I intended to plant my axe in its skull the moment it let its guard down.
It was then.
I saw a pair of hard, black combat boots striding fearlessly through the pools of blood.
Bang-!
The sound of a gunshot deafened my ears.
A tall man entered my field of vision. He had shot and killed the monster in front of me with a single bullet.
“Damn it, there’s no end to them.”
The man, Ethan, surveyed the area, swore harshly, and turned to me.
“Are you hurt?”
I looked up, getting a better look at him.
No one else knew yet, but I did. This man absolutely could not be allowed to die here.
‘Ethan Duncan Lancaster.’
He was the heroine’s older brother and the man who carried the antibody to the virus.
A perfectly tailored, navy-blue police uniform, neatly combed-back blond hair, and a cap emblazoned with a gold, star-shaped insignia.
In stark contrast to his sharp appearance, Ethan’s face and clothes were gruesomely splattered with blood.
My eyes met the man’s piercingly blue ones. They were chillingly cold.
‘This is no time for that.’
I quickly grabbed his hand. Ethan’s eyebrows shot up in question.
“Come with me. Out of the village.”
“I know this situation is fucked up, but there might still be survivors.”
I knew he’d say that. He was a man with an unwavering sense of duty as a police officer.
‘That’s why I came all this way.’
Kwaaaak-
The number of monsters was steadily increasing, and now, there were hardly any survivors left in sight.
The monsters outnumbered the people several times over.
The growing horde began to overrun the village, blocking most of the roads and making an escape to the outskirts look nearly impossible.
If we don’t get out now, we’ll be trapped.
“Sorry about this.”
Thwack!
I slammed the handle of the axe into the back of Ethan’s head, knocking him unconscious.
Thump.
Being stronger than most, I hoisted the fallen Ethan over my shoulder and ran.
I ran and ran, dodging the monsters that lunged at us.
I left the village outskirts, sprinted up a hill in one go, and just as I was gasping for breath—
I finally reached a massive gate.
Slam-!
I stepped inside, slammed the gate shut, and all but threw Ethan to the floor. Only after sliding the bolt into place did I let out a sigh of relief.
Graaah! Krrk! Gwaak!
The monsters’ cries filled the air outside. I could hear the dull thud of their bodies repeatedly slamming against the gate.
I cautiously peeked outside through a crack in the gate.
“Damn it. There’s no getting out.”
The monsters that had chased us were swarming outside, their numbers steadily growing.
Thanks to the sturdy defensive wall I’d prepared, it seemed impossible for them to get in. The problem, however, was that I couldn’t get out either.
Ethan and I were trapped in this house.
When Ethan comes to, he might just try to kill me for this absurd situation, but…
‘Whatever. For now, I’ve just saved the world.’
Or more accurately, I kidnapped the man who *will* save the world before he could die.
To explain how things ended up this way, we have to go back about three weeks.