After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to make him an offer.
“Come on, just climb on me.”
Knox’s face turned ashen as if he had been sentenced to death. He shook his head vigorously in dismay.
“I think I’d rather die here than have Ethan see me on Miss Cherry’s back.”
Well, no one saw him earlier, so maybe that was okay, but not now. He’s a pretty big fan of appearances, so it makes sense.
Regardless, Knox ran his hand through his hair, as if he were baffled by the situation itself.
“As soon as we get some reinforcements down from the capital, I’m not going to let them get away with this.”
Damn, Knox seemed to believe in reinforcements, as did Ethan. Still holding out hope like that, the poor guys.
I slung the bag over Knox’s shoulder, then shoved the axe into his hand. I scooped him up as he stared at me in bewilderment.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Now, wait……!”
I didn’t need Knox’s opinion. “I’d rather die than let Ethan see.” That’s what he’s supposed to say, and I’d just saved his ass by climbing all the way up to the clock tower!
I slammed my hand against his uninjured thigh!
“Hold still, before I throw you.”
Finally, Knox calmed down.
As soon as I left the grocery store, I saw the virus monster running toward the clock tower.
Had Ethan finally reached the clock tower where he was supposed to meet me?
I quickly ran towards the clock tower. If it weren’t for the virus monster running towards me and Knox.
Taang-!
My eyes locked with Ethan’s in the distance. He looked at me and Knox on my back with an odd expression, but there was no time to be still.
“Ms. Cherry, you better run.”
With Knox nudging me from behind, I summoned all the strength I could muster and sprinted toward Ethan. With a quick grab of his wrist, I made a beeline for the police station.
CRACK!
I heard the howls of the monsters. Then I heard the bang, bang, bang of the monsters as they rushed past.
The sound of stomping and jumping on the dirt followed closely behind.
A cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and I could feel it trickling down my back. Thankfully, we managed to open the back door of the police station, slip inside, and close the door behind us.
My legs went limp, and I dropped Knox to the ground and collapsed.
The monsters didn’t seem to have a habit of destroying buildings unless they could see or hear something they were sure was human.
Ethan quickly moved a heavy desk to block the door while I calmly scanned the interior of the police station.
“It would have been less humiliating to be bitten to death by a monster than this.”
Knox muttered over and over again, his face full of self-pity. I looked at him and shook my head in disbelief. Tsk tsk.
Ethan finally approached us and said,.
“I’m glad you’re all safe.”
“Sir Ethan, where have you been?”
“There were monsters on the roof all of a sudden. They must have heard the gunfire.”
Well, the gunfire was loud. I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. At least we’re in a building that’s sealed off on all sides.
Now all I had to do was make a call to the capital and get out of town via the morgue Ethan had mentioned.
“So, from what I hear, the frontline attack team was Miss Cherry, but you, the cop, were falling back and taking cover?”
Knox, who was sitting with his back to the wall, asked us in disbelief, and then Ethan looked at him without batting an eye.
“You have no say, so thank me for saving your ass and keep your mouth shut, you XX.”
“Ms. Cherry, did you hear that? That’s some kind of aristocrat, that’s a thug.”
“He helped me survive.”
Then Knox looked at me with a look of betrayal on his face. I turned away from Knox and Ethan and scanned the interior of the police station.
The station was silent. There were only traces of people rushing out everywhere.
As I looked around, I suddenly saw the front door of the station. We had entered through the back door of the station, but fortunately, the front door was still firmly closed.
“We should make a call.”
That was the primary reason we had traveled all the way down from the Happy House: to check on the safety of our loved ones.
Knox stood up, curious.
“Where’s the phone?” he asked.
“It should be around here somewhere.”
Ethan muttered, looking around. The phone was on the first floor, after all.
Thud.
The dull sound of something falling to the floor came from upstairs.
Ethan quickly drew his revolver and loaded it.
Thud.
I followed Ethan, grabbed my axe, and slowly stood up from my seat. We both glanced at the stairs to the right of the police station.
The police station was a three-level addition, with the other officers’ quarters on the second floor and Ethan’s quarters on the third.
“Is there someone up there?”
Knox muttered. Ethan replied, his face unmoved and expressionless as he stared up the stairs.
“Humans are more frightening than monsters in a situation like this.”
He was right. In the face of survival, humans are often more cruel and terrifying than monsters. I looked up at the top of the stairs, nervous that Ethan was right.
“Sir Ethan, why don’t you get on the phone? I’ll keep an eye out and see if anyone comes down from above.”
This would be more efficient than going upstairs and trying to talk someone out of hiding.
“I’m here, Ms. Cherry.”
Knox raised a hand to signal his presence.
“You wounded, stay put.”
I glared at the stairwell, not even glancing at Knox, and swung my axe in the air.
“Ms. Cherry, that is danger…….”
Ethan stuttered, his eyes darting to my form, but he quickly raked a hand through his hair and holstered his pistol.
“Follow me, then.”
Something in his tone and the look in his eyes told me he trusted me quite a bit now. Not me, exactly, but my power.
He’d seen me blow up a giant monster with an axe, so he had reason to trust my strength now.
Ethan started looking around for his phone. I sneak a look at him.
Knowing the current state of events in the novel, I was very skeptical about calling the capital, but I still harbored a glimmer of hope.
Like a butterfly effect, I hoped the future had changed because I hadn’t acted the way I was supposed to, that Brunel was a mess. After all, the virus had spread, but that the capital was still intact.
“Found it.”
Ethan’s voice came from behind me.
“Do you have a connection?”
Picking up the receiver, Ethan twirled his fingers around the phone dial and answered.
“I’ve got a signal.”
Good. The phone tower hadn’t been attacked by the monster yet.
But after a while, there was no word of a connection. I couldn’t hear Ethan’s voice on the other end of the line.
I looked up at the darkened stairwell and then back at Ethan.
“It’s no use. I’ve tried dozens of times already. There’s no one on the other end. Not even the capital.”
“Who is it?”
I shouted, gripping my axe tighter at the sound of a voice from somewhere. The voice seemed to come from up the stairs.
“Even if the waterworks were intact, there would be no trains, and people wouldn’t come all the way down to Brunel in the mountains.”
Thud. Thud.
I heard the sound of footsteps descending the stairs. In the darkness of the stairwell, the first thing I saw were brown shoes, followed by a pair of navy blue cotton pants.
Next, a pistol holster around his waist and a police jacket, and finally, a middle-aged man’s face, dirty and splattered with blood.
“Captain?”
Ethan exclaimed, dropping the receiver in surprise. I glanced in his direction, then fixed my gaze on the man on the stairs.
I recognized him as Inspector Hans, whom I’d run into many times at the police station.
“Sir Ethan. I knew you’d be alive.”
The Inspector, or rather, Mr. Hans, sighed and walked toward us, his face glistening with sweat.
I panicked, stepping back a little and pointing my axe at him.
“Wait, stop.”
Both Hans and Ethan looked at me in disbelief.
“Did you get bitten?”
“What?”
Mr. Hans looked away from me, unable to comprehend my words.
Silence fell over the grimy police station, and I could clearly hear the footsteps and cries of the monsters roaming outside.
“Have you ever been bitten by one of those monsters?”
At my question, Mr. Hans’s face turned from mine to Ethan’s in confusion.
After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to make him an offer.
“Come on, just climb on me.”
Knox’s face turned ashen as if he had been sentenced to death. He shook his head vigorously in dismay.
“I think I’d rather die here than have Ethan see me on Miss Cherry’s back.”
Well, no one saw him earlier, so maybe that was okay, but not now. He’s a pretty big fan of appearances, so it makes sense.
Regardless, Knox ran his hand through his hair, as if he were baffled by the situation itself.
“As soon as we get some reinforcements down from the capital, I’m not going to let them get away with this.”
Damn, Knox seemed to believe in reinforcements, as did Ethan. Still holding out hope like that, the poor guys.
I slung the bag over Knox’s shoulder, then shoved the axe into his hand. I scooped him up as he stared at me in bewilderment.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Now, wait……!”
I didn’t need Knox’s opinion. “I’d rather die than let Ethan see.” That’s what he’s supposed to say, and I’d just saved his ass by climbing all the way up to the clock tower!
I slammed my hand against his uninjured thigh!
“Hold still, before I throw you.”
Finally, Knox calmed down.
As soon as I left the grocery store, I saw the virus monster running toward the clock tower.
Had Ethan finally reached the clock tower where he was supposed to meet me?
I quickly ran towards the clock tower. If it weren’t for the virus monster running towards me and Knox.
Taang-!
My eyes locked with Ethan’s in the distance. He looked at me and Knox on my back with an odd expression, but there was no time to be still.
“Ms. Cherry, you better run.”
With Knox nudging me from behind, I summoned all the strength I could muster and sprinted toward Ethan. With a quick grab of his wrist, I made a beeline for the police station.
CRACK!
I heard the howls of the monsters. Then I heard the bang, bang, bang of the monsters as they rushed past.
The sound of stomping and jumping on the dirt followed closely behind.
A cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and I could feel it trickling down my back. Thankfully, we managed to open the back door of the police station, slip inside, and close the door behind us.
My legs went limp, and I dropped Knox to the ground and collapsed.
The monsters didn’t seem to have a habit of destroying buildings unless they could see or hear something they were sure was human.
Ethan quickly moved a heavy desk to block the door while I calmly scanned the interior of the police station.
“It would have been less humiliating to be bitten to death by a monster than this.”
Knox muttered over and over again, his face full of self-pity. I looked at him and shook my head in disbelief. Tsk tsk.
Ethan finally approached us and said,.
“I’m glad you’re all safe.”
“Sir Ethan, where have you been?”
“There were monsters on the roof all of a sudden. They must have heard the gunfire.”
Well, the gunfire was loud. I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. At least we’re in a building that’s sealed off on all sides.
Now all I had to do was make a call to the capital and get out of town via the morgue Ethan had mentioned.
“So, from what I hear, the frontline attack team was Miss Cherry, but you, the cop, were falling back and taking cover?”
Knox, who was sitting with his back to the wall, asked us in disbelief, and then Ethan looked at him without batting an eye.
“You have no say, so thank me for saving your ass and keep your mouth shut, you XX.”
“Ms. Cherry, did you hear that? That’s some kind of aristocrat, that’s a thug.”
“He helped me survive.”
Then Knox looked at me with a look of betrayal on his face. I turned away from Knox and Ethan and scanned the interior of the police station.
The station was silent. There were only traces of people rushing out everywhere.
As I looked around, I suddenly saw the front door of the station. We had entered through the back door of the station, but fortunately, the front door was still firmly closed.
“We should make a call.”
That was the primary reason we had traveled all the way down from the Happy House: to check on the safety of our loved ones.
Knox stood up, curious.
“Where’s the phone?” he asked.
“It should be around here somewhere.”
Ethan muttered, looking around. The phone was on the first floor, after all.
Thud.
The dull sound of something falling to the floor came from upstairs.
Ethan quickly drew his revolver and loaded it.
Thud.
I followed Ethan, grabbed my axe, and slowly stood up from my seat. We both glanced at the stairs to the right of the police station.
The police station was a three-level addition, with the other officers’ quarters on the second floor and Ethan’s quarters on the third.
“Is there someone up there?”
Knox muttered. Ethan replied, his face unmoved and expressionless as he stared up the stairs.
“Humans are more frightening than monsters in a situation like this.”
He was right. In the face of survival, humans are often more cruel and terrifying than monsters. I looked up at the top of the stairs, nervous that Ethan was right.
“Sir Ethan, why don’t you get on the phone? I’ll keep an eye out and see if anyone comes down from above.”
This would be more efficient than going upstairs and trying to talk someone out of hiding.
“I’m here, Ms. Cherry.”
Knox raised a hand to signal his presence.
“You wounded, stay put.”
I glared at the stairwell, not even glancing at Knox, and swung my axe in the air.
“Ms. Cherry, that is danger…….”
Ethan stuttered, his eyes darting to my form, but he quickly raked a hand through his hair and holstered his pistol.
“Follow me, then.”
Something in his tone and the look in his eyes told me he trusted me quite a bit now. Not me, exactly, but my power.
He’d seen me blow up a giant monster with an axe, so he had reason to trust my strength now.
Ethan started looking around for his phone. I sneak a look at him.
Knowing the current state of events in the novel, I was very skeptical about calling the capital, but I still harbored a glimmer of hope.
Like a butterfly effect, I hoped the future had changed because I hadn’t acted the way I was supposed to, that Brunel was a mess. After all, the virus had spread, but that the capital was still intact.
“Found it.”
Ethan’s voice came from behind me.
“Do you have a connection?”
Picking up the receiver, Ethan twirled his fingers around the phone dial and answered.
“I’ve got a signal.”
Good. The phone tower hadn’t been attacked by the monster yet.
But after a while, there was no word of a connection. I couldn’t hear Ethan’s voice on the other end of the line.
I looked up at the darkened stairwell and then back at Ethan.
“It’s no use. I’ve tried dozens of times already. There’s no one on the other end. Not even the capital.”
“Who is it?”
I shouted, gripping my axe tighter at the sound of a voice from somewhere. The voice seemed to come from up the stairs.
“Even if the waterworks were intact, there would be no trains, and people wouldn’t come all the way down to Brunel in the mountains.”
Thud. Thud.
I heard the sound of footsteps descending the stairs. In the darkness of the stairwell, the first thing I saw were brown shoes, followed by a pair of navy blue cotton pants.
Next, a pistol holster around his waist and a police jacket, and finally, a middle-aged man’s face, dirty and splattered with blood.
“Captain?”
Ethan exclaimed, dropping the receiver in surprise. I glanced in his direction, then fixed my gaze on the man on the stairs.
I recognized him as Inspector Hans, whom I’d run into many times at the police station.
“Sir Ethan. I knew you’d be alive.”
The Inspector, or rather, Mr. Hans, sighed and walked toward us, his face glistening with sweat.
I panicked, stepping back a little and pointing my axe at him.
“Wait, stop.”
Both Hans and Ethan looked at me in disbelief.
“Did you get bitten?”
“What?”
Mr. Hans looked away from me, unable to comprehend my words.
Silence fell over the grimy police station, and I could clearly hear the footsteps and cries of the monsters roaming outside.
“Have you ever been bitten by one of those monsters?”
At my question, Mr. Hans’s face turned from mine to Ethan’s in confusion.
