After casually taking care of the shadows lurking in the corners, he headed towards the subway.

All the powerful monsters nearby had all been taken care of, and the portals had all disappeared, the dark chasm in the sky had magically been repaired, but Derek knew that it was far from over.

The system had already told him this was just the beginning of the Apocalypse.

He glanced at the EXP bar that was not even one thirds full, he was still stuck at Level 20, if he wanted to make progress only Rank D+ and higher Monsters would be adequate for him.

The mission had hinted there might be the possibility of C rank monsters in the vicinity of the Elden Square Subway.

The more he ventured, the further he saw just how wrecked the city had become.

Streets were cratered, glass crunched underfoot, and steel beams lay twisted like melted straws. Buildings near the subway had collapsed inward, as if something big had forced its way up from below. Whatever normal had looked like here before, it was now buried under a layer of rubble, smoke, and blood.

Elden Square Subway looked like it had been hit by a high-category storm.

The once-bustling transit hub now resembled a termite mound on steroids.

Concrete entrances were buried beneath uneven growths of compacted debris. Car-sized mounds of hardened dirt, metal scrap, and bones covered the plaza. Insectoid shells littered the area—some cracked open, others twitching faintly in death. The stench of ammonia and rot choked the air.

[Approaching Mission Zone: Elden Square Subway – Zone 4c], the system reminded him in its cold, mechanical voice

Derek crouched behind an overturned van at the edge of the square, eyes scanning the wreckage. The creatures moved with purpose—efficient, cold, organized. They weren't mindless. Scouts patrolled in predictable loops. Workers dragged debris into subterranean openings. He could hear the low clicking beneath the surface… like the station itself was breathing.

His grip tightened around his twin blades.

If the mission briefing was accurate, the subway was infested, and going in meant stepping into a nest. One wrong move, and they'd swarm.

He triggered his visor's combat scan.

At least two dozen insectoids, each about the size of a large dog. Multi-limbed, armoured plating, serrated mandibles—nothing mystical about them. Just nature, dialled up to eleven. But several deeper signatures showed up below ground: larger, hotter, moving slower. Those were the C-ranks.

He could wait. He could retreat, regroup. But that wasn't the mission.

The System didn't reward hesitation.

He exhaled, then activated Flash Steps, blinking to the nearest patrol.

Three quick slashes. One drop. No noise.

Then he was gone again.

In the span of fifteen seconds, five bodies hit the ground—legs twitching, heads rolling in opposite directions. Derek didn't stop. Each kill bought him seconds. Each second got him closer to the entrance.

[Target Eliminated: E+Rank Insectoid – +400 EXP]

[Target Eliminated: E- Insectoid – +300 EXP]

[Quickstep Efficiency: +1 Skill XP]

[ From now on, the continuous use of skills will generate Skill XP, which can level up that skill.] The system's voice rang in his ears.

Derek's brow shot up in surprise, then he heaved a sigh of relief, hr had been thinking of how to level up, his skills, so this message was good news for him.

He reached the stairwell. Or what was left of it.

Steel rails had been ripped apart and repurposed. Earth and cement had been gnawed through and rebuilt into jagged tunnel systems. What used to be steps now sloped downward like a burrow. The air down there was dense, humid, and vibrating with movement.

He descended into the cold unknown abyss .

It was hotter underground. And loud.

Suddenly he realised, he was not the only one, paying a surprise visit to the Insectoid Colony, it seemed.

"It's those guys again...what was their name again, Jeny's Squad..no no Geronimo's...no.

"...The Genesis Squad," Derek muttered, after searching his memories, with all his might, he leaned against the wall with a wry grin.

Derek shook his head, eyes scanning their movements. "These guys… Can't even go five minutes without making an entrance. Let's see…"

He sighed dramatically, watching Andrew barrel through the insectoids with a reckless abandon, fists glowing with energy. "The Overzealous Puncher," Derek mused with a smirk. "You'd think the guy has a grudge against the entire insect kingdom, not just the ones in front of him. Maybe he should've named himself The Human Bulldozer or Captain Overkill."

He glanced over at the only female in the group, who was casually floating large chunks of rubble into the air, then carefully disintegrating them with her telekinetic blasts.

"She looks like... The Nervous Wreck. She acts calm, but you know the second things go wrong, she's going to start analysing every possible outcome and talking in circles about 'probabilities' like we care. 'The Worrywart Sorceress' would be a better fit. Or maybe Miss Overthinker—she's probably writing a 10-page essay on how this could've gone better in another universe."

A burly man was laughing maniacally as he swung his warhammer with glee, obliterating whatever was in his path. Derek's lips curled into a grin. "And here we go. The Walking Disaster himself. Felix couldn't hit a target if it stood still for him, but if you give him a sledgehammer and some chaos, he'll turn it into a full-blown apocalypse. 'The Unpredictable Tornado' is more like it. Guy's got no chill."

Derek rolled his eyes and took another step back. "Yeah, Genesis Squad—or, as I like to call them, Team A-Grade Chaos."

After giving what he liked to call a spot on analysis of the genesis Squad, which was actually him just engaging in his imagination, he had to get back to business.

He smirked, then pushed the thoughts of the squad aside. He had bigger things to worry about—like the C-rank insectoids lurking ahead, the ones that would actually be a challenge.

Derek moved through the shadows, his movements quick and fluid, like a predator in the dark. His focus was unwavering as he neared the heart of the Insectoid colony. The Genesis Squad had certainly made their mark on the battlefield, but Derek's task wasn't to babysit them. He had monsters to slay—real ones.

The low hum of activity underground was unsettling. The colony had a life of its own, a pulse that beat with the movement of thousands of legs, clicking and scraping as the Insectoids worked tirelessly beneath the surface. The scent of decay and ammonia filled the air, making it hard to concentrate, but Derek had learned to shut out distractions long ago.

He reached a cavernous section of the subway, its ceiling groaning under the weight of crumbling debris. There, amid the chaos, were the rank C Insectoids. Larger, deadlier, and far more intelligent than the smaller ones he'd dealt with above. They had a presence about them—thick, armoured exoskeletons that shimmered in the dim light, their sharp mandibles twitching in anticipation.

Derek's eyes flicked to the nearest one, a hulking insectoid the size of a small car, its multi-faceted eyes glinting like polished gems. The beast's body was scarred from battle, its carapace slick with the fluid of its kind, but it moved with a quiet, predatory grace. This would be his first real challenge in the Subway.

One of the insectoids spotted him and let out a sharp, guttural hiss—a call for backup. Instantly, half a dozen more surged from the tunnels, their spindly legs scraping against the concrete.

Derek wasn't fazed.

"Well, looks like they heard me coming," he muttered to himself, the corners of his lips twitching up. He loved this part. "Time to make an entrance."

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