Entering Apocalypse in Easy-Mode-Chapter 568: Next Morning

All of them were staring at Clyde now. The air around him felt heavy, warped by an aura that pressed down on their instincts.

It was power that felt raw and unrestrained, nothing like the presence of monsters they had fought before.

Monsters were violent and chaotic. This was different. This was controlled and deliberate. And deadly.

The man who had shouted earlier took a step back without realizing it. His grip on his weapon loosened slightly. His throat felt dry.

He knew it. He had become the target.

Clyde noticed, but he didn’t react. His expression remained unchanged.

In his mind, the images surfaced again. Six bodies, blood-soaked ground, and eyes that had looked at him with trust until the very end.

He had failed them. And now these people stood here, asking him to join another group.

He didn’t want it.

The leader cleared his throat, forcing himself to move past the fear crawling up his spine.

"Listen," he said carefully. "We’re not weak. We have a place. A real shelter."

Clyde didn’t answer.

"It’s protected," the leader continued, gesturing behind him. "One of our members has a strong skill. He can create barriers. Actual barriers that cover the entire house. Monsters and human can’t get in. It’s safe. Safer than wandering alone."

A few of the men nodded, eager, and hopeful.

"If you join us," the leader said, voice steady now, "you and your friend would benefit too. We have food, protection, and numbers. You two wouldn’t have to worry about everything alone."

Clyde listened without interruption.

Then he spoke.

"I’m not interested," he said. "Me and my friend are fine alone."

The words were simple. Jt sounded final.

The leader frowned.

"But what if the next scenario is worse?" he pressed. "Stronger than anything you’ve faced so far. What if it’s more than you two can handle by yourself?"

Clyde was silent for a moment.

He knew the leader wasn’t wrong. The Selection Stage scenarios never eased up. Each scenario escalated with stronger monsters. Harsher rules, which equal to more deaths.

But that didn’t change anything.

"I don’t think I can be useful in a group," Clyde said at last.

His tone didn’t soften.

"Because I won’t save you if you’re in trouble."

The words landed heavily.

Several of the men stiffened. One of them inhaled sharply.

Clyde’s eyes moved across them, one by one.

"If you fall behind, I won’t slow down," he continued. "If you make a mistake, I won’t risk myself to fix it. And if you die, I won’t feel responsible."

He stopped speaking.

The silence that followed was thick and uncomfortable.

"That’s not a group," Clyde finished quietly. "That’s baggage."

No one argued.

The leader clenched his jaw, then slowly nodded. He understood now. This man wasn’t arrogant. He wasn’t reckless. The leader felt like this man was just done with this.

"I see," the leader said.

Clyde lifted his spear slightly, not in threat, but as a reminder.

"Then leave," he said. "Before I lose what little patience I have left."

The men didn’t hesitate this time.

One by one, they backed away at their leader’s order.

Clyde watched them until the last footsteps faded into the night.

Only then did the pressure in the lobby ease.

He turned without another glance and headed back toward the stairs.

He had no intention of joining anyone. All he wanted now was to return upstairs, lie down, and steal whatever rest he could before the tomorrow came.

—

Morning came quietly. Gray light filtered through the broken windows, thin and cold, slipping into the room without ceremony.

The city outside was silent in that unnatural way that came after too much destruction.

Clyde didn’t wake. Mina stirred first.

She lay still for a moment, blinking as her mind slowly surfaced from sleep. Then she turned her head to the side.

Clyde was still asleep beside her.

His face looked pale in the weak morning light, his lips slightly parted. He was breathing slowly and heavily. Dark shadows rested beneath his eyes, deeper than before. He looked worn down in a way that sleep alone couldn’t fix.

Mina watched him quietly.

Normally, she might have found the way he slept a little awkward. Maybe even embarrassing, waking up in the same bed as him like this. But none of that reached her now. There was no flutter in her chest, no self-consciousness.

Only concern.

He looked... exhausted. Not just physically, but deeper than that. As if his body had finally collapsed after holding itself together by sheer will alone.

She moved carefully, easing herself out of the bed without waking him. The floor creaked faintly, but Clyde didn’t stir.

Good. Mina then slipped out of the room and made her way downstairs.

The lobby was empty. She passed through it and headed toward the kitchen on the first floor.

Before starting, she paused by a window and looked outside, at the city stretched out in ruins.

She saw collapsed buildings, cracked streets, and burn marks and dried blood staining the ground. Human corpses lay where they had fallen, tangled among the remains of monsters twisted into unnatural shapes.

It didn’t feel distant. It didn’t feel unreal. This wasn’t a nightmare she could wake up from.

She sighed heavily and turned away.

In the kitchen, Mina gathered what supplies she could. The ingredients were limited, scavenged and mismatched, but still edible.

She worked carefully, cleaning what needed to be cleaned, cutting what needed to be cut.

She cooked the best meal she could manage.

The sound of sizzling filled the quiet space, warm and grounding. For a while, it pushed the world outside away.

Nearly half an hour passed. Clyde came down the stairs without a sound.

Mina didn’t notice him at first. She was focused on the pan, finishing the last touches.

Then she felt a presence behind her.

She turned and saw Clyde stood at the kitchen entrance. His hair still slightly messy, his eyes clearer but tired. He looked better than last night, but only barely.

His gaze went to the table.

Some of the dishes were already set.

For a moment, he just stood there. Then a genuine and unguarded small smile crossed his face.

"This looks delicious," he said.

Mina blinked, then smiled faintly back.

"It’ll be ready in a minute," she replied.

At that moment, the alarm blared, as a sign that the second scenario had begun.

—