"October 25th, 11am."
Cale quietly watched Lee Seung Won who was peeking at him while speaking.
"Keep going."
Lee Seung Won hesitated before responding to Cale.
"Hyung, will this really be useful?"
Cale looked up after seeing the uncertainty in Lee Seung Won's eyes.
He could see the clear sky.
Cale was currently on the roof of the central shelter building, and starring above when he spoke to Seung Won's question
"It will be useful."
There's no need of excessive explanation.
There's no need of trying so hard to convince the other.
His firm confident voice is enough.
Lee Seung Won's ability was necessary.
+
"A taciturn"
That mage had said this about the commander at the battle of Carro Kingdom.
And now she's reliving the experience as she watched their Commander-nim who currently has a black hair, doing exactly the same even in the other world.
+
He put his hand on the shoulder of Lee Seung Won, the boy who was only three years younger than him, Kim Rok Soo, who's 20 years old.
"Data is the future. Even weak humans are able to defeat a monster if they know its weakness. Being able to think. That is the greatest strength humans have."
Lee Seung Won's ability was 'Recording.'
"Seung Won. The information you create with your abilities will become the hope for this world. It might not something that's obviously important as of now. But it would be for our future survival"
"For our future...?"
"Yes. For our future."
Seung Won was spell bound at the words 'our' and 'future' that was spoken by his big brother figure. It gave him sense of hope. So he decided to trust him.
And it seems like Cale saw the change in his eyes since he nodded as if agreeing to the other's thoughts.
"There's no such thing as useless abilities. It's a matter of time and place"
In order to survive they needed every ability.
'Everyone needs to work their asses off harder than back then... Choi Han isn't here after all'
+
"Cale-nim..."
The said swordsmaster is nervous.
He's nervous for everyone there.
For Kim Rok Soo.
For Choi Jung Soo.
And literally everyone...
That being said, he did not question something insignificant as 'Can they make it?'
Because he believed in Cale.
He believed that his savior would find a way.
"He'll find a way..."
+
Cale looked down from the roof and so does Lee Seung Won, They were looking at the area inside the boundaries where monsters did not come.
"Seung Won. Take a good look at today's battles."
Cale's whisper was very confident as if he was telling the truth.
"You'll see how even people without abilities can fight and win."
Lee Seung Won looked back toward Cale.
Cale was standing up at that moment.
Screeeech...!
Cale looked toward Park Jin Tae who had opened the door to the roof and was walking in.
Park Jin Tae was with Lee Chul Min as they walked over to Cale.
He opened his mouth to speak.
"I delivered your message to the other central shelters. We went to more temporary shelters as well."
"They call you crazy don't they?"
"Pfft."
Park Jin Tae chuckled while Cale's eyes twinkle in amusement.
"Who wouldn't? We were telling them that all of the shelters would be destroyed and that monsters will come charging in."
From last night until this morning...
Park Jin Tae and a few others had urgently gathered teams to go visit the two central shelters close to this one and some temporary shelters they knew of along the way as well.
They had informed all of those shelters about the things Kim Rok Soo had told Park Jin Tae and handed them the things the younger had told them to deliver.
"We also brought the people who believed us back, just as you wanted."
One corner of Cale's lips went up.
"Was it just because I wanted it? Didn't you bring them because you wanted to save them?"
Park Jin Tae, who had been busy since last night and all morning today bringing people over from many places, avoided Cale's smile.
"...Don't speak such nonsense."
Cale smirked once more and Park Jin Tae started to frown.
+
"...I guess, that Park Jin Tae person is not all that bad after all?"
Someone from the penguin tribe has commented.
"Everybody has their own good and bad sides. Didn't you learn anything from what the Hero-nim has said??"
Irked that he got scolded instead, he chimed again.
"Then White Star?"
The other penguin were quiet for a bit.
"... we can simply ignored the little of goodness he might did. Because obviously he tilted more to the other side."
Their topic ended there.
+
"I handed out all of our food except for one day's worth."
"Everybody must have eaten until they were full."
Cale nodded.
"Yes. That's the only way for them to be able to deal with your plan."
Park Jin Tae took a step toward Cale. He then started to speak in a concerned tone.
"We will starve in one day if you lied."
Cale's calm eyes looked toward Park Jin Tae.
"There's no reason for you to believe me. But you do. And you know why"
And in fact, Jin Tae knows. This feeling, and the fact that none of the monsters are approaching.
"It's the calm before the storm."
Park Jin Tae's gaze hardens.
"I don't have foresight, but I do have my intuition. It seemed as if there would be a storm soon."
Lee Chul Min had a stiff expression while standing behind Park Jin Tae as well.
"Grandma Kim told me to give you a message. She said that the things you asked for are all prepared."
"Then I guess I should go down now."
Cale headed toward the door while the two of them were right behind him.
+
"I guess even in that world, that unlucky bastard ended up needing to fight for his life after all"
Alberu hummed to that.
"This is only the beginning, Eruhaben-nim. My 'avatar' have not even make my appearance just yet.
The gold dragon barely hold back his sigh.
+
Lee Seung Won watched them for a moment before starting to speak albeit nervously
"The current time is 11:45 am on October 25th. All central shelters will be destroyed at 12:01 pm. The temporary shelters will slowly be destroyed as well. The monsters will continuously attack for 24 hours."
Seung Won closed his eyes for a moment before opening them back.
"However, A new central shelter will soon appear."
His voice was being recorded.
"We plan on heading there."
Lee Seung Won hesitated before continuing to speak.
"Kim Rok Soo has prophesized all of this and I, Lee Seung Won, believe everything he said. We will now start the first record."
Lee Seung Won clenched the badge and headed down from the roof.
It was so that he could follow behind Kim Rok Soo.
'Hmm.'
Cale looked around as he headed to the bottom of the building. He could feel the whispers and anxious gazes being focused on him.
'They were like this back then too'
Then again, who wouldn't be nervous if suddenly someone appears and deducted the end of the world like some sort of prophet?
+
The Senior Knight that has scolded the citizens earlier, nodded.
'See? Even the Hero-nim gets it!'
+
'We did as much as we could.'
It was only one day, but there were many things prepared throughout the building that Cale had asked for.
"Hey, Rok Soo."
"Grandma."
He nodded to Grandma Kim who was in charge of everything inside the building while Park Jin Tae was going to the nearby shelters last night.
Cale then headed for the main door on the first floor.
"Mister."
Jang Man Soo who was sitting on a chair near the door waved at him.
"Here. Take this."
It was a watch.
The current time was 11:55 am.
Cale opened his mouth to speak.
"Lee Chul Min, please move the mister."
The bastard grumbled, but under Jin Tae's glare, he could not do anything but obey.
Then, while Jang Man Soo got onto his back, Cale headed out the door.
He walked toward the edge of the boundary ignoring all the stares filled with anxiety, distrust, confusion, and all sorts of other emotions.
"You're here?"
Lee Seung Won's older sister, Lee Jin Joo, awkwardly smiled and greeted him.
"Is this my spot?"
"Yes, sir. Lee Chul Min, please, put the mister down."
Jang Man Soo was now next to Cale. He had been lowered right in front of the boundary.
He felt the soft blanket under him as he looked up at Cale, who was standing up straight despite the anxious, fearful, distrusting, and angry gazes focused on him, in amazement.
+
"It was to be expected as it was a chaotic situation"
Witira nodded to herself, also understanding why those people were staring at Cale like that. Though at the same time, she was astonished with Cale's mental stability.
'He looked like he's used to it'
At this point, that's certainly the case.
+
Cale started to speak at that moment.
"There's 1 minute left."
Park Jin Tae quickly raised his voice.
"Everybody, get to your stations!"
People quickly moved to their stations at Park Jin Tae's order.
Soon.
The moment that was described would be here soon.
They heard Kim Rok Soo's nonchalant voice at that moment.
"3."
The sun was still bright and the sky was clear.
"2."
Everybody inside the central shelter looked up at the sky.
Their hearts were beating wildly.
"1."
And at that moment...
The world turned dark.
+
Many people holds their breath.
Some even feel dizzy that they need to get seated as anxiety filled their hearts.
This is not their battle. However, none of them could deny the fear from creeping in.
+
Everybody felt as if they were losing strength in their arms and legs.
Their bodies felt as if they were going cold.
It was because they could imagine the terrible nightmare that was to start.
'Kim Rok Soo was right!'
+
"Then everything else too... all the talks about the incoming monsters..."
Jack clasped his hands together as he prayed to the god he's believed in to keep Cale and everybody there safe.
+
From inside the darkness...
Park Jin Tae started to frown in this world where he could not see anything.
It was at that moment.
"Noona!"
He could hear Kim Rok Soo's voice through the darkness.
He was calling for Lee Jin Joo.
"Noona! Speak as loudly as you can!"
Cale put his hand on Lee Jin Joo's shoulder as she was curled up in fear from the darkness.
After that encouragement, she then started to speak.
{This is a message from the Park Jin Tae shelter. Last night, or maybe early today. You should have received information from the Park Jin Tae shelter.}
Her voice echoed through the dark world.
Her ability was 'amplification.'
Her voice was loud enough to reach the nearby shelters and the other two central shelters.
{Please use that information to persist.}
To the people in the other shelters who had not believed Cale's words that Park Jin Tae had delivered to them...
Her voice would be like a lighthouse.
{As mentioned in the information we delivered, a new central shelter will appear.}
The new central shelters would be the size of 3 - 5 current central shelters combined.
'But that means that 3 - 5 of the original central shelters will disappear.'
3 - 5 of the original central shelters would disappear and a large central shelter would take their place.
She continued to speak.
{You will hear my voice once every hour.}
It was about time for that voice to stop talking for a moment.
{I hope to see you all at the new central shelter. Let's all survive together.}
+
'Shit! I'm not even there yet I could already feel the pressure!'
Hannah, who had seen her brother praying on his knees were clutching onto her arms that are covered in goosebumps.
+
Cale who was listening to the ticking of the watch that still had batteries started to speak.
"10 seconds."
'9, 8, .... 5, 4.'
{Good luck.}
As Lee Jin Joo's first amplification came to an end...
'3, 2.'
"1 second."
The world brightened up again.
"Ho!"
Step.
Park Jin Tae subconsciously took a step back as he felt Intense pressure was bearing down on him from all sides.
He felt as if he was going to be suffocated to death.
Park Jin Tae stopped walking back after looking out in front of him.
"...Fuck......"
He could not see the end.
There were so many Grade 3 monsters that Kim Rok Soo mentioned moving toward them that he couldn't see the end.
The Grade 2 and Grade 1 monsters would be waiting their turn behind them.
+
"S-So many!"
"Oh my god..."
"With that number... not to mention their possible strengths..."
Could those people survived that???
Will the Hero-nim be able to handle them???
+
"...My goodness! I-It really-!"
Lee Chul Min's astonished voice could be heard, and Everybody couldn't help but feel fear and despair at the reality of the situation. Everyone felt the same.
They heard a sharp voice at that moment.
"Everybody snap out of it!"
They turned toward Cale who was standing right in front of the boundary.
They were all looking at his back.
Cale knows he needed to do something about the people who were afraid of the reality of the situation.
"It is not the time to panic. We will all survive"
Choi Han is not here. And everyone else's were either too scared to move or doesn't believed in themselves yet.
Realizing this, Cale has decided that he shall be the beacon of hope that would spark the first fuse.
"Watch closely"
That's all he said before then starting to run toward the Grade 3 monsters charging toward them with a sword covered in red Aura on hand...
+
"That!"
Every swordsmaster alive has their eyes rounded at the sight.
Choi Han especially, as he realized that Cale just copied his exact movement and nailed it.
He knows that it is possible that Cale had fight with a sword before as Kim Rok Soo.
But this?
This sword art is on a brink of extinction in that world except for one other person.
And yet, Cale just used his movements with 98% similarities.
Just...
'What is going on here?'