The City of Ruin.Apocalypse City.The world was finally announcing its beginning.Kyaaaaaaak—!!Gyaaaaargh—!!Mutants screamed as if they had been waiting for this moment.Dozens of them—maybe more.The way they prowled about the area was menacing enough just to look at.‘At least that’s a relief.’This was a Defense Force base—on the outskirts of the city.Since it was a government facility in an uninhabited zone, their numbers were relatively few.Unlike the city center, where tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands—perhaps even millions—were running amok.Those unaware of that fact were understandably shaken.“Dear God…”“That… that can’t be real…”The sight was shocking.They barely retained the shape of a human being, yet one glance was enough to see they no longer were.Arms grotesquely swollen, bodies down on all fours—those were the tame ones.‘So it really begins now.’Just because the numbers seemed small didn’t mean they could relax.Mutants.If you had to compare them to something—it’d be a swarm of locusts.“Benjamin, we need to check the unit’s armaments.”“Yes, sir.”Once that swarm swept through, the city—like a field of crops—would be left devastated.And worse, their numbers would only multiply exponentially afterward.No other metaphor fit better than a swarm of locusts.“Mr. Han…!”“Eli, there should be shotgun shells stored here as well. Gather as many as you can carry, as long as it doesn’t hinder your movement.”Was there really no way to suppress this “swarm” in its early stages?Impossible.Unless you were planning to nuke yourself along with them, the odds approached zero.‘There are just too many.’Too many individuals to deal with.Thirty percent of this city’s population had undergone the NH-03 procedure.In other words, millions of mutants were now being unleashed all at once.Even though the early stage of mutation was technically their weakest point, it was still impossible to handle simply due to the sheer number of them.‘Those millions will soon spawn tens of millions more infected.’You couldn’t run.And you couldn’t win by fighting head-on either.That left only one option—To endure.Endure, and hold out.But…Not yet.That didn’t apply right now.‘If I leave them be, they’ll multiply soon enough.’Almost entranced, his steps carried him forward.“Mr. Han? Where are you going?”Eli’s voice, belated but urgent, caught at his heels.“What are you planning to do?”“It’s best to strike now, while their numbers are still small.”“You can’t mean… you’re actually going out there to {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} fight them?”“Yes.”“Are you insane?”Eli grabbed his wrist in panic, then quickly amended her words.“No, I didn’t mean— I mean, it’s just— it’s a lot safer to stay inside!”“It’s better to wipe out a group before they grow strong enough to form a pack.”“Even so, you really think the Defense Force will fight alongside you?”“I’ll do it alone.”“…What?”“Alone will be enough.”“What are you—”“The Black Wing is parked outside anyway.”“That’s not the point—!”Of course she was scared.Anyone would be, when facing something unknown for the first time.But this wasn’t only about stopping the mutants from forming a horde.It was also—an urge.‘A chance to see how effective my Traits and Skills really are.’A perfect stage to test just how far he could go against mutants.The numbers were manageable, and there didn’t seem to be any special variants among them.Maybe that was why—despite the rational pretext—his heart was pounding.Was it fear, like the others felt?No.He couldn’t quite explain it, but his emotions were running high.Looking at the mutants filled him with something close to excitement.“Someone has to do it.”“Han…”His fingers pressed the activation switch on the standard-issue powered suit at his chest.At the same time, he pulled down the helmet module around his neck.Clack—‘Helmet.’Something hard coiled around his head like a snake winding into place.Once it adjusted snugly to his head, his steps carried him to the front gate of the 5th Defense Force base.“Access authorization: recognized.”[Master Key confirmed.]“Opening shield wall.”[Shield wall opening.]Grrrrrrk—!“W–Wait! What are you doing?!”Benjamin’s voice rang out in alarm, echoed by cries from the soldiers nearby.“If you open that gate, those monsters will get in!”“What the hell is that guy doing?!”Ignoring them all, he stepped beyond the threshold.The mutants around him turned their heads, drawn by the sound.“Seal the gate.”[Shield wall closing.]The massive doors slid shut behind him.In that backdrop, he drew his sword—Zero—the blade unfurling down his arm.“...Hoo.”‘Let’s do this.’As he took his stance, messages flickered before his eyes.[‘Hyper-Senses’ Activated]【Encounter Link】Even an unfinished encounter reconnected itself.【Voluntary Crisis】– At the Defense Force base, you have chosen to enter danger of your own will. The Defense Force’s perception of you will change according to your actions.[(Unpredictable Choice)][(Depart)]Once he confirmed the last message, the muscles in his calves compressed——and then:[Flash Step – Lv.1]His body exploded forward.Slash—!Maybe it was a bit reckless.After all, he hadn’t stopped moving since the start. [Slightly Fatigued]Status: [Slightly Fatigued] once more.A little tired, breath catching now and then.Even so, his mind remained clear—whether that was thanks to the activation of [Hyper-Senses] or simply the exhilaration coursing through him, he couldn’t tell.He flicked the blood from his blade.A mutant’s head tumbled free, its blood spraying across the ground in the direction of his swing.“...Hoo.”Now it truly began.The reason he’d started by using his skills was simple—he needed to engage at full strength from the start.‘The ideal way to control my power… is to gradually scale it down.’It was obvious, but—this was a life-or-death situation.The standard-issue powered suit greatly reduced the risk of infection from the mutants, but the probability wasn’t zero.‘If even a single drop of their bodily fluid gets inside me, that’s the end.’With the [Weakened Immune System] trait, any bodily-fluid contamination meant certain death.Therefore, even if this was just to gauge distance and combat capability, it was far more rational to go all-out first, then gradually pull back.“Next.”Ah.Maybe he didn’t even need to say that.Kyaaaaaaak—!!Grrrrk!Dozens of them were already charging in, closing the distance fast.The pressure—they were nothing like the creatures you saw on a screen.A wry smile tugged at his lips.Naturally, they were different from any human opponent he’d ever faced.Faster.Stronger.One of the “named survivors,” the [Lab Director], had theorized that mutation might be a form of evolution.Stripped of reason, they had gained monstrous physical abilities.But he didn’t see it that way.To him, it was nothing more than a plague.He considered any “strength” gained at the cost of humanity’s greatest asset—its mind—to be utterly worthless.Still, the sight of them attacking from every direction was enough to make his palms sweat.His expanded senses caught every motion, every twitch of muscle, every footstep.They were fast.But he was ready.He steadied his breathing, adjusted his stance.[Slash LV.1]In one smooth upward sweep—three mutant heads flew into the air.Shraaaak—!“Holy—he’s insane!”“Shouldn’t we stop him or something?!”“Ben! What do we do?!”The base was in chaos.But right after Kyle Han’s form blurred for a split second—everyone froze, doubting their own eyes.“What the hell… is that?”They’d all known he was strong.After all, they’d seen him single-handedly tear through the illegal androids that had infiltrated the base.But this—this was on another level.He vanished into a blur, reappeared beside a monster, and with a single stroke, its head rolled.Even when the others retaliated, lunging with inhuman speed—each new motion simply carved more headless corpses into the floor.“Miss Eli.”“Yes?”“Is Mr. Han a Transhuman?”“Would that even explain this?”Eli found Benjamin’s question almost childish.Transhumans—cybernetically enhanced humans—were incredibly rare even in the cities.He probably wanted to believe Han was one of them, since he clearly wasn’t an android.But even so… no Transhuman could move like that.“Mr. Han always exceeds expectations…”The only thing that seemed odd was that he wasn’t using a firearm.But she could guess why.‘Because of the noise?’Her gaze darkened.“Eli?”“Just… give me a moment.”She sat down abruptly, ignoring the chaos, trying to sort her thoughts.Now wasn’t the time to relax, but she needed a second to think.‘He’s absurdly strong.’In normal times, that kind of individual power would be meaningless—but now, it was exactly the kind of strength the world needed.If she had to guess why Kyle chose to fight alone instead of with the Defense Force—‘He probably thought it was a waste of time to persuade anyone.’She recalled his behavior up to now.If he decided something was necessary, he did it—regardless of what others thought.And when he acted, he never hesitated.He always used time efficiently, pushing for results.Even now, he must have judged that hunting the monsters alone was simply necessary.‘I need to do something too.’As long as she stayed by his side, their survival was linked.Kyle’s survival = her survival.So she had to be useful.Her eyes swept the room, steady and sharp.If she couldn’t fight like Kyle, then she would support him in other ways.‘Recruiting the Defense Force isn’t my job. But… I can still lend strength.’Watching the soldiers stand there, stunned and useless, made her want to scream.But if they were necessary allies—‘Then so be it.’She pushed away every useless emotion.She even considered trying to make things easier for Kyle to persuade them later,but she knew that wasn’t what he wanted.Then she noticed a subtle shift in the atmosphere nearby.“Reflexes, speed… even timing—perfect.”“Howard, what do you think?”Amid the gasps of awe, a few figures were watching with analytical eyes.“If we assume full military implants and an enhanced suit… don’t you think we could keep up?”“Not a chance. Not with movement like that. And besides, he’s not even using a firearm—comparing him to standard combatants is meaningless.”“What if he did use a firearm?”“I doubt it…”They were clearly elites—different from the average soldier.“Those monsters aren’t ordinary either.”“No. Their movements are almost animalistic. If we engage, we’ll need to move in squad formations.”At the center of that group was Benjamin—ordinary-looking, but not ordinary at all.In that instant, Eli realized she might have to revise her judgment of him.‘Maybe… they’re not as unreliable as I thought.’She dropped her wandering thoughts there.She’d already decided to be of use—watching wasn’t enough.“Mr. Howard.”“Yes, Miss Eli?”“Where’s your communications unit?”“What kind of comms…?”“Anything that connects to the outside will do.”“Given the situation, I can’t escort you directly. But there should be a map showing its location in the central corridor.”“Thank you.”‘If I use my ability right, I can become another of Kyle’s assets.’People naturally follow the capable.And that doesn’t just apply to the person in front—it extends to those who support them.Her footsteps carried her deeper into the base.A firm resolve gleamed in her eyes.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.