Chapter 7: Into the Apocalypse

Commander Darwin congratulated the recruits who had successfully activated their abilities.

As he spoke, the twins were already playing around with each other. The brother, whose mutation had hardened his body turned in slow circles, scanning the crowd with squinted eyes.

"Hey, where are you? Come on, show up already!" he called out shakily.

The invisible girl, his twin sister, was circling him with a mischievous grin he couldn’t see. She reached out and tapped his arm, her fingers making a soft clink against his rocky skin.

"Oh shit," she giggled. "You’re hard as fuck. Hehehe."

Nearby, the girl with green and black hair was staring at her claws, flexing each razor-sharp nail with wide-eyed fascination. Her tail flicked behind her, moving with a mind of its own. She touched it hesitantly, as if expecting it to disappear. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated. Slowly, the claws and tail dissolved into wisps of green gas, and she returned to her normal appearance, looking completely human again.

The older-looking guy with the wolfish grin whistled. "Now that’s a neat trick."

Gio, however, was staring at the game-like panel floating in front of him, a panel that no one else could see. His attention was fixed entirely on the description of his ability.

[Command (E-Rank): As a mutagenic host, you can absorb the bioenergy of slain mutated organisms to recreate them as energy-origin replicas...]

The words blurred as his mind raced. He reread the description over and over, dissecting every sentence. This wasn’t an ability he could simply activate on a whim. He would need to defeat a mutated creature, specifically one that possessed a core, to utilize his ability at all. Until then, he was effectively powerless.

’Everyone else got something they can use right now,’ he thought bitterly. ’i got a system that needs me to kill monsters first.’

Commander Darwin’s voice suddenly pulled him back to reality.

"All right, recruits. Follow me to the depot."

---

The recruits followed in a loose formation, flanked by armored soldiers who kept a watchful eye on every movement. They were led deeper into the wall facility, through reinforced corridors and past security checkpoints, until they reached a massive hall built directly into the gigantic walls surrounding the city.

The walls were so thick and enormous that entire rooms and halls had been constructed inside them, a fortress within a fortress.

When the recruits entered the hall, a collective murmur rippled through the group.

Weapons. Everywhere.

Weapons from different eras were displayed throughout the room. Medieval weapons stood alongside modern firearms and futuristic technology. There were swords, spears, shields, chains, daggers, staffs, and various other blunt and sharp weapons.

Among them were the futuristic plasma and automatic guns carried by the soldiers.

Weapons lined the walls and covered tables throughout the enormous hall, creating an overwhelming arsenal of equipment.

Commander Darwin turned to face the recruits.

"You’ll each need to choose one weapon before we head out into the apocalypse."

He gestured toward a box filled with sleek, futuristic bracelets.

"These are communication bracelets. You are required to wear them at all times. We use them to track your movements in case you get lost, and to communicate with you if necessary. Do not remove them."

The recruits surged forward the moment he finished speaking. The weapon hall erupted into a chaotic rush as people grabbed at whatever caught their eye.

The gigantic prisoner with the gigantification ability hoisted a massive war hammer onto his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. Most of the other prisoners chose blunt weapons: clubs, maces, and heavy mauls, though a few helped themselves to plasma guns with eager grins. Many of the civilians gravitated toward the automatic and futuristic weapons, convinced that superior firepower was the best path to survival.

People grabbed all kinds of equipment: shields, guns, plasma pistols, swords, spears, and more.

The twins made their selections eagerly.

The invisible girl picked a mechanical whip. It crackled faintly when she tested the grip, and a small button on the handle promised an electrifying surprise. With a press, the tip of the whip could deliver a powerful electric shock to whoever it struck.

"Ooh, this is fun," she said, grinning.

Her brother, the one who could harden his body, picked up a normal medieval metal mace. He gave it a few experimental swings, the heavy head whistling through the air.

"Solid," he grunted. "Like me."

The cat-like girl chose a simple dagger while The older wolfish man who had whistled earlier selected a handgun and a katana, strapping the blade across his back and tucking the gun into his belt.

Gio, however, couldn’t make up his mind. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

He wandered through the hall, running his fingers over the handles of swords and the barrels of rifles. Nothing felt right. He had never been trained with a weapon. He had never even held a real gun before today. What was he supposed to choose?

Commander Darwin appeared at his side.

"Sometimes, people just don’t know what they’re good at," he said, his voice almost gentle.

He handed Gio a plasma handgun. It was lighter than Gio expected, the metal warm against his palm.

"Try this. Simple. Reliable. Good for a beginner."

Gio looked down at the weapon, then nodded. "Thank you."

---

Once everyone had chosen their weapons and equipped their communication bracelets, Commander Darwin led the recruits deeper into the facility.

The next room was different. Instead of weapons, it was filled with racks and storage units containing clothing and protective gear. Tactical military uniforms, reinforced combat suits, armored vests, boots, gloves, and pieces of specialized equipment were neatly arranged throughout the space.

Darwin gestured toward the equipment.

"Change up. You won’t be going into the apocalypse dressed like that. Pick something that fits and get yourselves ready."

The recruits began moving through the room, examining the different outfits. Some gravitated toward lightweight tactical clothing that offered greater mobility. Others preferred heavier armor and reinforced combat gear. But there was one problem, there were no private changing rooms.

The realization settled over the group. They were expected to change together in the enormous hall.

Awkward glances passed between the recruits. Some looked away. Others shuffled their feet. Slowly, hesitantly, they began removing their old clothes, each person trying to give everyone else as much privacy as possible.

The soldiers stood between the groups, watching impassively, making sure nobody got any ideas.

The green-black-haired girl noticed the rough-looking man glancing in her direction and immediately snapped at him. "Look away."

The man chuckled, raising his hands innocently. "Relax, sweetheart. I’ve seen worse." He turned around, focusing on his own change of clothes with a smirk.

Gio paid little attention to the awkwardness around him. He picked a plain black tactical suit and began changing. Simple. Practical. Nothing flashy or heavy. Just something he could move in.

Within minutes, the room filled with the sounds of rustling fabric and clicking straps as the recruits prepared themselves for what awaited beyond the walls.

When everyone was finished, Commander Darwin clapped his hands once, the sharp sound cutting through the low murmur of conversation.

"All right. We’re ready now. Let’s head back to the armored trucks. We’re driving out into the apocalypse."

---

The recruits returned to the vehicles in their new gear. The civilians entered their designated truck. The nobles entered theirs. The prisoners entered their own, now unrestrained but still watched closely by the soldiers.

Gio took his seat in the civilian truck, the plasma handgun holstered at his hip, the communication bracelet cool against his wrist. His heart was pounding, but his face remained calm.

Then the massive gates began to open.

The gigantic structure rose slowly, its enormous mechanical components grinding against one another with a sound like thunder. Gears turned. Machinery whirred. Massive screws struggled to lift the immense gate, and the ground trembled beneath them.

As the gate continued to rise, the vast wasteland beyond the city walls gradually came into view. A landscape of gigantic twisted trees and jagged ruins, stretching toward a horizon that glowed with an eerie, unearthly light appeared before them.

The three armored trucks began moving.

One after another, they passed through the enormous opening and drove out of the city.

Beyond the walls.

Into the unknown.

Into the apocalyptic wasteland.