Episode 00
Prologue
The world finally ended.
Faster than scheduled.
Squish.
My shoe landed in a pool of blood.
…Blood?
“Kyaaaah!”
A horrific shriek echoed from somewhere nearby, followed by desperate cries—
“Ahh! Help me! Please, someone help!”
Only then did the scene before my eyes come into focus.
The village had become complete chaos. People were fleeing in all directions, panic written all over their faces. Just yesterday, this had been a lively place—busy enough for a market to be held.
Thud—.
I collided with someone who was running away and fell hard onto the middle of the road. Over the crowd’s shoulders, something grotesque came charging forward.
Yeah.
As ridiculous as it sounded, that thing was a monster.
“Kwaaak!”
Its mouth—almost human in shape—split unnaturally wide. Between rows of densely packed teeth, a person was swallowed whole in an instant.
“XX.”
People were bitten to death by the monsters, and those who weren’t turned into monsters themselves.
And amid that carnage, something caught my eye.
Why is that guy here…?
In the midst of the crowd, a man in a police uniform was helping civilians escape while fighting the monsters head-on.
I sprang to my feet and ran toward the shopping district. A weapon store with shattered glass doors came into view. Dodging fleeing people, I slipped inside, grabbed the weapon I was most familiar with—a fire axe—and rushed back out.
Then I brought it down mercilessly on the monster charging toward me.
Slash—!
Green blood splattered all over my face.
“Grrk?”
The monster beside it lifted its head. Four eyes—each as big as my fist—were embedded in its face. I froze, locking eyes with it, careful not to provoke it.
Its four pupils contracted and expanded as it studied me.
I stared back without blinking, waiting for the moment it let its guard down so I could bury my axe in its skull.
That was when—
Heavy black combat boots splashed through the pooled blood, approaching without hesitation.
Bang—!
A gunshot rang out, leaving my ears ringing. A tall man stepped into view. With a single bullet, he dropped the monster that had been in front of me.
“Damn it. There’s no end to them.”
After scanning the surroundings, the man—Ethan—clicked his tongue and turned toward me.
“Are you injured anywhere?”
I lifted my head and looked closely at him.
No one else knew it yet—but I did.
That man absolutely could not die here.
Ethan Duncan Lancaster.
He was the female lead’s older brother—and the man who carried the virus antibodies.
A sharply tailored navy police uniform, neatly slicked-back blond hair, a cap bearing a golden star emblem. Despite his immaculate appearance, blood was splattered violently across his face and clothes.
His icy blue eyes turned toward me—cold enough to send a chill down my spine.
This isn’t the time.
I hurriedly grabbed his hand. His brows rose in suspicion.
“Come with me. We need to leave the village.”
“I know this situation is completely screwed, but there could still be survivors left.”
Of course he’d say that.
He was a man with an unwavering sense of duty as a police officer.
That’s exactly why I came all this way.
“Kwaaaargh—!”
The number of monsters was steadily increasing, and survivors were becoming harder to spot. There were already several times more monsters than people. The creatures were beginning to overrun the village, blocking most of the roads leading out.
If we didn’t leave now, we’d be trapped.
“I’m sorry.”
Thud!
I swung the axe handle into the back of Ethan’s head, knocking him unconscious.
Thump.
Stronger than most, I hoisted his limp body over my shoulder and ran.
Dodging lunging monsters, I ran and ran without stopping.
After escaping the village outskirts and sprinting up a hill in one go—my lungs burning—I finally reached a massive iron gate.
Bang—!
I rushed inside, slammed the gate shut, and practically tossed Ethan onto the floor. Only after sliding the heavy bolts into place did I allow myself to breathe.
“Graaaah!” “Grrrk!” “Kwaaak!”
The monsters’ howls filled the air outside. Dull, heavy impacts echoed as they threw themselves against the gate. I cautiously peeked through the crack in the door.
“Damn it… no way we’re getting out.”
The monsters that had followed us were swarming outside, and their numbers were still growing.
Thanks to the reinforced defenses I’d prepared in advance, it didn’t look like they could get in.
The problem was—
Neither could we get out.
Ethan and I were now trapped inside this house.
When he woke up, he might very well try to kill me for putting him in this absurd situation, but…
Whatever. For now, I just saved the world.
Well—more accurately, I kidnapped the man who was going to save the world before he could die.
As for how things ended up like this…
We’ll have to rewind time a little.
