"Oh..."
"You're awake."
The young woman's gentle voice broke the silence.
Kai's eyes immediately sharpened.
His body reacted instantly.
His muscles tensed.
His breathing slowed.
Kai's right hand slipped beneath the pillow.
Nothing.
The chain.
The knife.
It wasn't there.
For the briefest moment...
Kai's heartbeat accelerated.
The nurse noticed.
She stopped several steps away, raising both hands slightly.
"Easy."
"You don't have to be afraid."
Kai didn't answer.
Instead, Kai silently observed her.
The rise and fall of her breathing.
The subtle trembling of her fingers.
The tiny scar above her left eyebrow.
The ripped sleeve on her uniform.
A snall stained along with it.
Human.
Nothing about her resembled the flawless people inside the illusion.
Kai slowly relaxed.
"...Who are you?"
The woman smiled.
"My name is Estelle."
She gave a small bow.
"I'm a nurse here."
"Welcome to Blessings Hospital."
Kai quietly repeated the name.
"...Blessings Hospital?"
I never heard of it.
Kai glanced around the room once more.
Nothing luxurious.
Nothing impressive.
Just repaired equipment.
Old walls.
A place held together by determination instead of money.
"...How long?"
Estelle tilted her head.
"Hm?"
"How long was I unconscious?"
Estelle looked toward the calendar hanging beside the window.
"As of today..."
"It would mark as seven days or one week."
"Today is September 14, 2026."
Kai lowered his gaze.
"One week?"
The memories slowly resurfaced.
The Corrupt Walker.
The illusion.
Raze.
The farewell.
The White Flame.
The cocoon.
The explosion.
"..."
"So..."
"It really happened."
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Estelle blinked.
"Were you talking to me?"
Kai slowly shook his head.
"No."
Silence settled between them.
Estelle gently approached the bed, checking the IV connected to Kai's arm.
"You suffered multiple fractures."
"Three broken ribs."
"A dislocated shoulder."
"Internal bleeding."
"Severe muscle damage."
Estelle smiled awkwardly.
"Honestly..."
"I'm amazed you're alive."
Kai let out a weak chuckle.
"...Me too."
Estelle laughed softly.
"I'm serious."
"When they brought you here..."
"We almost declared you dead."
Kai looked up.
"...They?"
The nurse nodded.
"The people who rescued you."
"They carried you all the way here."
"They refused to leave until we promised we'd save you."
Kai's expression remained calm.
Yet something flickered behind Kai's eyes.
"...Other people..."
"Are there other survivors too?"
Estelle looked confused.
"Of course."
"There aren't many..."
"Humanity hasn't disappeared you know."
Kai quietly looked toward the cracked window.
For days...
I had walked through empty streets.
Fought monsters.
Buried a friend.
Kai begun believing that he was the last survivor.
A quiet breath escaped him.
"...I'm glad."
The words were barely louder than a whisper.
Yet Estelle heard them.
Her expression softened.
"You've been alone..."
"...haven't you?"
Kai said nothing.
Kai's silence answered everything.
Estelle smiled gently.
"You don't have to be anymore."
Kai looked toward the ruined city beyond the window.
Safe.
No...
Nowhere was safe.
But...
Perhaps...
I won't feel alone anymore.
Estelle suddenly remembered something.
"Oh."
"I almost forgot."
"The people who rescued you have been visiting every morning."
"They've been asking whether you've woken up."
Kai slowly nodded.
"...Can I meet them?"
"Of course."
"I'll call them here."
Estelle turned toward the door before stopping halfway.
"Oh."
"And don't leave the bed."
"You'll reopen your wounds."
Kai smiled faintly.
"I'll try."
Estelle pointed a finger at Kai.
"I'm serious."
"I've heard those exact words from stubborn patients long ago."
"They always regret ignoring me."
"...I'll behave."
"I hope so."
Kai hurriedly in a hesitant shout tone.
"M-My name is Kai."
Estelle gave one last smile before quietly leaving the room.
"I'll be back Mr. Kai."
Click.
Silence returned.
...
Kai leaned back against the pillow.
The room became still once again.
Then—
A familiar blue light unfolded before Kai's eyes.
System Activated.
The interface expanded far wider than before.
Several translucent windows appeared simultaneously.
Kai stared quietly.
"...Status."
───
Name: Kai Vilia
Level: 21
Experience: 000 / 300
Race: Human
Titles: Survivor, Bloom Killer, Arsonist, Lone Star
HP: 224 / 224
Condition: Fatigue, Injured
Strength: 15 +1 +1
Agility: 14 +1 +1 +1
Vitality: 15 +1 +2 + 1 +3
Intelligence: 16 +1 + 1
Available Skills:
Instinct Lv. 3
Mental Stability Lv. 6 Level up
Nightmare Encyclopedia Lv. 3
Regen Lv. 3 Level up
White Flame Lv. 5 Level up
Inventory Lv. 1 New
Condition: Fatigue, Injured, Recovering
Kai slowly exhaled.
"...My HP recovered."
Kai continued reading.
───
Kai quietly compared the previous awakening.
It changed a lot.
"Though I'm not strong enough."
"I'm still weak."
"I won't be able to protect anyone with this status."
Kai tightened his grip in regret.
───
Mental Stability Lv. 6 LEVEL UP
A passive skill
Slightly reduce mental break down by 18%
Regen Lv.3 LEVEL UP
A passive skill.
Slightly increases natural healing speed by 12%
White Flame Lv.5 LEVEL UP
5% Hp per minute.
A sacred flame hostile toward Nightmares.
Effects:
+25% Damage against Nightmares
Recover 8% of damage dealt as Health
Inventory Lv.1 NEW
Creates a personal dimensional storage
Capacity: 50kg
Kai's eyes lingered on the final skill.
"...Inventory..."
Kai slowly raised a hand.
"Open."
A small blue window materialized.
Kai blinked.
"...seems transparent."
Kai tried to add the pillow inside the inventory.
And it vanished.
"So how should I take it back?"
"Pillow?"
"Come out pillow."
Kai experiment tons of ways about inventory.
Item can be taken out by imagining.
Item can be stored by imagining.
Item can be either pulled or put directly from the window.
Kai believes the potential of the inventory.
If used right it can be strategic trump card.
A moment of silence.
Kai frowned before remembering.
The knife and the chain.
"Where could it be."
I dropped it after collapsing.
Hopefully...
Whoever had rescued me picked it up.
Then.
Another window shimmered faintly in the corner of his vision.
Unlike the others...
It remained locked.
Golden letters pulsed across its surface.
[Job Function]
Requirements Fulfilled:
Level 20 Complete
Ready for Selection.
Kai stared at it.
"...A Job?"
_______
Whatever came next...
Kai's journey was about to change.
Just then—
Three gentle knocks echoed from the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Estelle's cheerful voice followed.
"Mr. Kai?"
"The people who brought you here..."
"They're ready to see you."
Kai closed every System window.
Kai's eyes slowly turned toward the door.
For the first time since the apocalypse...
Kai wasn't about to face another Nightmare.
Kai was about to meet new individuals.
Survivors.
Or perhaps...
The beginning of something new.
To Be Continued...