Entering Apocalypse in Easy-Mode-Chapter 559: After The Bloody Night

The monsters stopped coming as the sky slowly lightened.

One by one, the distant howls faded, swallowed by the quiet of early dawn.

The street, once alive with claws and screams, lay still. Broken bodies littered the asphalt, steaming faintly in the cold morning air.

Clyde lowered his spear at last. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Enough," he said.

No one argued. Their legs barely held them upright.

Mina motioned toward a nearby house they had cleared earlier, its windows barricaded and door reinforced.

Together, they made their way inside while stumbling and silent.

The moment the door shut, the tension broke.

John dropped his chair leg and slumped against the wall, breathing hard. Ren sat on the floor, staring at his crowbar like he had never seen it before. Yuri hugged her knees, rocking slightly as exhaustion caught up to her.

James pulled Regina into his arms. She clutched his shirt and sobbed openly. Emi stood frozen for a heartbeat, then collapsed into them, crying harder than either of them.

The three held each other tightly, shaking as the reality of surviving the night finally sank in.

Mina watched from the corner, wiping her blades clean with a rag.

Her expression stayed neutral, but her shoulders eased.

Clyde leaned against the wall near the door with arms crossed and eyes half-lidded.

They had lived.

More than that, they had learned how to fight their fears and the real enemies.

A quiet satisfaction settled in Mina’s chest as well. They were no longer helpless. No longer prey waiting to be torn apart.

Clyde felt it too, though his gaze drifted to the boarded window where sunlight bled through the cracks.

He knew something they didn’t. Something very bad.

This night was nothing compared to what was coming. Later, there would be stronger monsters, crueler rules and fewer chances.

But not yet.

For now, he let them have this.

They shared what little food remained. Dry bread, canned meat, lukewarm water. No one complained. Every bite felt earned.

"You guys better sleep now," Clyde said after. "A few hours. That’s all we all can get."

No one argued. The world had already taught them better.

They spread out across the room, leaning against walls, curling beside furniture, weapons kept close. One by one, their eyes closed.

Outside, the sun climbed higher.

For a few fragile hours, the survivors slept, wrapped in exhaustion and silence.

Far from that fragile shelter and its brief peace where Clyde and his group resided, another event was happening.

Ray completed his own Night Quest beneath a sky that never truly lightened.

The alley was a slaughterhouse.

Bodies were piled along the walls. Monsters lay split open, their cores crushed, their limbs torn away.

Humans were mixed among them, faces frozen in shock, blood soaking into the cracked concrete. The air stank of iron and rot.

Ray stood at the center of it all, chest rising and falling slowly.

Then he grinned.

Blood ran down his arms and dripped from his fingers as he stepped forward, boots squelching with every movement.

His eyes shone unnaturally bright, his smile sharp and unrestrained. In the dim light, he looked like a demon walking in human skin.

The short blade in his hand pulsed.

Red and black bled into each other along its surface, as if the weapon were breathing.

A low, pleased whisper slid into Ray’s mind, wrapping around his thoughts.

"Amazing... truly amazing."

Ray chuckled. "Yeah? You liked that?"

The blade vibrated softly.

"You didn’t hesitate. Not once. You cut them down without mercy. That is talent. That is instinct."

Ray tilted his head, stepping over a corpse. "They screamed a lot. Some begged for me to not kill them."

"Yes. You ignored them," the blade purred. "Good. Pity is poison. Mercy is weakness."

Ray wiped gore from his cheek, smearing it across his face. "So this is how I get stronger faster, huh?"

"Yes," the blade answered eagerly. "Kill without restraint. Take everything. Fear, lives, levels. You understand what others refuse to see."

A faint flicker appeared before Ray’s eyes.

He was now Level 35 and felt quite strong.

His grin widened into something feral.

"Not bad," he said out loud.

"Not bad?" the blade laughed softly. "This is only the beginning. Imagine what you will become if you keep listening to me."

Ray tightened his grip. "Then keep talking."

The blade hummed in delight. "Heheh. Of course."

Ray stepped out of the alley as the sun finally broke through the clouds.

Light spilled over him, revealing the full horror of his state. Blood caked his clothes. Dark stains crusted along his arms and neck. Bits of flesh clung to his boots.

Instead of recoiling he smiled wider. His teeth bared wide and his eyes gleaming as the sunlight washed over him.

He looked proud of himself.

"So," Ray said, rolling his shoulders as dried blood cracked against his skin. "Where to now?"

The blade pulsed in his hand, its surface rippling.

"Forward," it whispered. "Always forward. There is a place nearby. A train station."

Ray raised an eyebrow. "What’s in there?"

"Suppliee," the blade replied smoothly. "You can purchase equipment there. You are strong, but you are still exposed. Your flesh can tear and your bones can break. You need armor."

Ray’s breath quickened. "Armor?"

"Yes," the blade crooned. "Protection worthy of a killer like you. Imagine how much faster you’ll grow when nothing can reach your skin."

A low laugh escaped him. "Heh. That sounds fun."

His feet were already moving.

Ray walked down the empty street, leaving bloody footprints behind him.

The city looked different now. As if it was smaller and weaker. Like prey waiting to be claimed. Burned cars and broken signs passed by as he picked up speed, his body responding eagerly, lighter and stronger than before.

He could feel it. The power humming under his skin.

The blade hummed along with him, delighted.

"Good," it said. "You learn quickly."

Ray broke into a run, laughter echoing through the abandoned streets as the train station rose in the distance.

"I want to see what else this world has for me!"

—