"Boss, are you really sure we should accept those two newcomers without asking more questions?" Duncan asked, his mouth stuffed with potato chips.
"Yuck! Finish eating before you talk—it's rude!" Sharon snapped, clearly disgusted.
"What's the point of manners when we could die at any moment?!" Duncan shot back, just as loudly.
The two argued for a few minutes until Kelvin finally spoke up.
"The man is clearly not ordinary. Besides, Sharon, why didn't you tell me they were coming?"
Sharon stammered, then nervously replied, "I-I didn't see them coming with my skill."
"Hmm. That man couldn't be detected by your Clairvoyance skill," Kelvin muttered, falling silent again while fiddling with an empty milk carton in his hand.
The others fell silent too, occasionally glancing toward the spot where Kael and Thalia were sitting.
***
Kael's watch showed it was one in the morning, but he was still awake, staring at the empty railway ahead of him. This was the spot they'd chosen to rest, separate from the survivors' area.
He had purposely picked this place to avoid others, especially Ron, Kelvin's cousin. But there was another reason—Kael had to keep an eye on the railway.
'The third gate will open soon. From what I remember, it'll be sometime tomorrow before noon.'
He glanced at Thalia, who was sleeping beside him on a thin mat they'd taken during a supply run, her bow and arrows lying next to her.
The subway tunnel where they rested on the platform wasn't cold because there was no wind.
The Awakened had sealed almost every entrance to the tunnel with dirt and stones, leaving just one door as the entry point.
But the creatures coming through the third gate would be different from the others.
Kael leaned his back against the wall and let himself drift to sleep.
***
Hours later, Kael abruptly woke up to the sound of footsteps coming from the waiting area.
He looked at his watch—5 AM.
Some of the survivors were already awake, while others hadn't slept due to tension or hunger.
Although food and drink supplies had been shared, most of it went to the Awakened.
The survivors didn't complain, understanding the Awakened were also protecting their lives.
Kael kept his eyes closed, listening to the faint whispers from the waiting room, though he couldn't make out what was being said.
An hour later, sudden noises erupted—running footsteps on the stairs outside, gunshots, and screams.
Kael opened his eyes, frowning.
Everyone in the subway woke up, startled. The Awakened immediately grabbed their weapons, ready for action.
"What's going on?"
"Can the monsters get inside?"
"Oh God, I'm scared."
Terrified voices rose from the survivors, who moved further into the room and huddled behind the Awakened.
Thalia, now awake, rubbed her eyes and asked Kael, "What's happening?"
Before Kael could answer, Sharon, standing between the Awakened and survivors alongside Tracy and other support Awakened, suddenly screamed, clutching her head with both hands.
Everyone turned to her and saw her kneeling with a horrified expression.
Tracy knelt beside her and asked, "Sharon? What's wrong?"
"More monsters! Ahhh! Help!"
Gasps filled the room after Sharon's words. The survivors pressed closer together at the back, trembling.
Sharon's sobs could still be heard as Tracy held her, trying to comfort her.
The Awakened sprang into position, ready without orders, with their weapons in hand.
Kael remained at the edge of the platform, unmoving, prompting Thalia to ask nervously, glancing between him and the Awakened, "Aren't we going to join them?"
Kael shook his head. "Wait here for now," he said.
Still confused and tense, Thalia replied, "Okay…"
She glanced at Kael, who silently observed the people in the waiting room and said nothing more. Meanwhile, Kael looked calm, but his thoughts were focused on the strange development.
'I didn't expect the third gate to open hours earlier than it did last time. But maybe the type of monsters coming through will still be the same,' he thought, pushing aside the odd timing.
Kelvin glanced at Kael once and nodded, as if he understood what Kael planned to do. Kael returned the nod and unsheathed his katana.
A moment later, a group of people rushed into the waiting room through the narrow entrance they had made.
They ran inside, covered in sweat and blood, shouting loudly.
"M-Monsters are coming!"
"A different type!"
"We're outnumbered!"
Ron, whom Kael remembered from his past life, was among them.
But this time, Ron's face was pale, his blond hair almost white from sweat and blood.
He stopped in front of Kelvin, bending over to catch his breath.
"Where's your weapon?" Kelvin demanded.
"Gone," Ron replied, still hunched over and panting heavily.
"What type of monsters are we dealing with?" Kelvin pressed.
Before Ron could answer, Zeon, who had been guarding the entrance, burst inside, looking terrified.
"They're here! They're here!" he screamed, running toward the Awakened.
All eyes turned to the entrance, tension mounting.
"Kael…" Thalia whispered, gripping her bow and arrows tightly in fear.
Kael silently looked at her while listening to sounds coming from somewhere other than the entrance.
BRUAKKK
A loud noise suddenly echoed from one end of the tunnel, shocking everyone in the waiting room.
Thalia yelped and instinctively aimed her arrow into the dark tunnel.
Kael shouted to Kelvin while leaping onto the railway, "You handle the front entrance, we'll take care of this!"
Kelvin, who had been about to move toward Kael and Thalia, stopped in his tracks.
"Okay!"
Hissing and screeching sounds grew louder, coming from both the entrance and the far end of the tunnel.
The items blocking the entrance started flying away easily, as if thrown by a powerful force. The noise was loud and harsh, making the survivors even more afraid.
From the direction of the tunnel, the sound of footsteps echoed, growing louder and faster, as though someone, or something, was running closer.
Before long, the monsters revealed themselves.
Rats, centipedes, grasshoppers, and other creatures, but in enormous sizes, sprinted towards the people inside the inner waiting room. Their glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness, creating an eerie sight.