“Whe҉re is he?”The words came out distorted, unfitting for his otherwise calm expression.Though there was no trace of menace, Ken Sasaki’s palms were drenched with sweat.“I don’t know that much myself.”A strange man.No—he wasn’t even sure if “man” was the right word.Up close, the figure resembled more an infected than a person.And now, this being had appeared in the Central ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Control Center… asking for “Kyle Han’s” whereabouts.Ken had no idea how to respond.His instincts screamed danger.If this monster learns where that man is… something terrible will happen.Personal loyalty?No—it wasn’t that.He simply knew, as a human being, that it was something he couldn’t reveal.But what could he do?He couldn’t just attack.The piles of shattered debris around the intruder were more than enough proof of his power.A man who had torn apart hundreds of monsters with his bare hands—Ken knew he couldn’t handle someone like that.“Trou҉blesome.”Now it was his turn to move.Ken’s hand hovered over the pistol at his chest, mind racing.But the stranger’s reaction was indifferent.“Don҉’t draw it. Then there҉’ll be no problem.”“Then please leave. There will be no problem.”Ken shot back.The stranger gave a faint, bitter smile.“I have one҉ question.”“What is it?”“Why did you take҉ so many people under your care?”A complicated question.It had simply happened that way.Even Ken himself hadn’t expected so many to join him.He pondered a moment, then spoke.“Because I’m a civil servant.”“……”“And sometimes, in doing so, someone ends up helping you.Like the one you’re looking for.”For a moment, the stranger froze.Then his expression shifted—an unreadable mix of emotions.“Don҉’t trust him too much.”Regret. Anger. Conflict.At the end of all those tangled feelings, only emptiness remained.Ken, almost entranced, asked,“You came all the way here knowing this was the Central Control Center.That means you two have a connection.What kind of relationship makes you seek him out with such killing intent?”The stranger gave him a brief, detached glance.That was all.But the air instantly grew heavier, pressing down around them.Then, after a short silence, the answer came.“Bad҉ blood.”With that, he turned away.Ahead of him lay a path littered with torn remains—proof of the destruction he’d left behind.The tension that had filled the air slowly melted.Ken clutched his trembling legs.“...Phew.”Unlike his terrifying entrance, the man walked away quietly.Someone nearby chuckled softly, scratching the back of his head.“Let’s not dwell on it. We’ve got urgent work to do.”

***—Static—The comms crackled to life, signaling that the Ark Division had begun their descent.At a depth of thirty meters underground, contact with the surface was impossible,but underground transmissions still worked.Benjamin’s voice echoed through the cavern.—Captain, all units deployed. We’ve entered the ant cave.“Chief of Staff, can you see the lanterns we hung?”—Yes, sir. Visibility is good.He paused the transmission, glancing toward Aryan.“What’s your decision?”“……”Their destination: the 7th Defense Force Base.Aryan and his researchers were, if anything, a burden.But that didn’t mean he planned to change the destination just because they were tagging along.Giving them the option to choose had been a small act of kindness, nothing more.Still, the troubled look on Aryan’s face spoke of his genuine dedication to the vaccine project.“Will you join the main force?”“Can’t we reach the cultured-meat farm any faster?”“As I said, that’s impossible. The operation plan is fixed.”“I see… no helping it, then.”Aryan didn’t press further.It would’ve been meaningless anyway.He bit his lip, then said quietly,“To be honest, my researchers and I could use some rest.We’ll go join the main force.”With Aryan’s decision made, he reactivated the comms.—Static—“Follow the passageway. You’ll reach a shelter.Collect any survivors inside as well.”—Engineers?“No. Survivors—Baizen Pharmaceuticals researchers.They claim they can produce a vaccine.”—A va-vaccine?Benjamin’s surprised voice broke through the radio.“It’s not certain yet, but there’s a chance.”—We’ll move as fast as we can. Any identifying details…?A few more exchanges followed.When it was over, Aryan was staring blankly into space, lost in thought.“Aryan.”“Ah—right, forgive me. My mind drifted.”“Rest here for now. The main force will arrive soon.”He nodded.“Thank you. Truly.”He seemed calmer now, though his eyes burned hotter than before.“If we join the main force, we’ll really make it to the cultured-meat facility, right?”“Yes. It’s one of our key objectives.”“So it’s being restarted.”When Han didn’t deny it, Aryan spoke with a faint smile.“It’ll be a hard road.”“Yes. A hard one indeed.”“For me, though, its restoration would mean a great deal…”He rose to his feet, his eyelids heavy though his gaze remained fiery.Vaccine.It could become another driving force for the Ark Division.An important task, no doubt.But—Not yet.They lacked facilities.Supplies.Time.Too many hurdles stood in the way.For now, he would set it aside.Finding the research director alone is progress enough.As someone who already understood what equipment and processes were needed,he could make that call.To chase the “vaccine” blindly and limit their movementwould be like taking one step forward and two steps back.“I’ll go rest for a bit.”“Yes, sir.”With that curt reply, he forced himself to focus on the present—the only thing within his control.While lost in thought, he felt someone’s presence.Eli.“Mr. Han.”Her expression was composed, the heaviness gone.“You’re heading out right away?”“Yes, that’s the plan.”“I’ll get ready.”She turned to pack, but something about her seemed… fragile.“Eli.”“Yes?”“Are you all right?”“Yes, I’m fine.”“If you’re tired, you can wait here for the main force.”He spoke gently, concern showing.“I’m needed, aren’t I? You’re taking me because of that.”“Yes.”“Then I’m coming.”Her smile returned—but her eyes were darker now.She’s adapting, Han thought.Once distant from real danger,she was now adjusting to this world in her own way.“How many lanterns left?”“This is the last one.”He wasn’t sure how long they’d been walking.When he checked the time, it was hard to tell if it was morning or afternoon.Without sunlight or darkness, the mind began to fray.“Still… it’s amazing, isn’t it?”“What is?”“The researchers.To think they survived this hellish place for so long.”He agreed.To endure for days in such conditions—their mental strength went far beyond normal human limits.“What now?”“We go in.”“Go in where?”“Up ahead. This passage leads straight to the 7th Defense Force Base.”“……!?”So that’s why he hadn’t worried about running out of lanterns.He’d brought more than enough, calculating the distance in advance.If this was the last lantern, that meant—they’d arrived.The 7th Defense Base.An armored combat division’s stronghold.“You’re going to wait for the main force, right?”Eli’s cautious voice made him pause.Wait for them…?At the pace the main unit was moving—hundreds together—it could take a very long time.They hadn’t even reported reaching the shelter yet.He could roughly guess their speed.His conclusion was simple.“I won’t be waiting.”“I figured.”Eli sighed, exasperated.“You realize there’ll be hundreds of them inside, right?”“Most likely.”She grabbed his wrist, shaking her head.“I know you’re strong, Mr. Han—but this is too dangerous.”She wasn’t wrong.Hundreds of creatures inside a confined base—that was lethal.But if I use the narrow passages, it’s not impossible.“Eli”“……”He gently pulled his hand free.She bit her lip and looked down.“I’m not someone who avoids danger just because it’s dangerous.”Playing safe all the time would gain them nothing.If a shortcut appeared, even a risky one, he would take it.Some might ask what there was to gain by going in alone.But in these early days of collapse—the most precious thing was time.To move now meant—time gained.The Ark Division had already spent a lot of it.He couldn’t afford to waste more.Then Eli’s voice broke through his thoughts.“My uncle… he was strong too.Stronger than anyone I’ve ever seen.”“Vergo, you mean.”She didn’t answer—just turned her eyes away.“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”If the risk to his life were truly fatal,he’d choose to wait.All his decisions, at their core, came from the desire to survive.He wouldn’t throw that away without reason.No, this is the perfect chance.He’d already learned what he needed to grow stronger.And there weren’t many places suited for it.A sealed military base—with no other threats around—was the perfect hunting ground.A dungeon, of sorts.The engineers lingered behind, uncertain.Eli’s face had gone cold.Bearing all that on his shoulders, Han spoke quietly.“Let’s see for ourselves, then.”It was a statement laced with equal parts confidence and arrogance.“I’ll show you… just how strong the commander of Ark truly is.”“Mr. Han… please, don’t be reckless. You’ve done enough…”“The parts I lack—you’ve already covered, Eli.”Her technical expertise and her careful decisions had supported him all this way.So now, maybe it was time to show her—that there was no need to worry so much.

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