I Built a Safe Zone in the Dead World

Rain poured endlessly across the destroyed city while thunder shook the skyline above burning streets. Smoke rose from collapsed buildings while infected corpses covered the flooded roads beneath flashing military lights. The battlefield had completely frozen now.

Nobody moved, Not the military soldiers, Not Black Flag, Not even the infected still wandering nearby.

Because the pressure radiating from Ren and Lucien alone felt enough to crush the entire city.

Black energy swirled violently around both men while rain evaporated near them unnaturally. The streets cracked beneath their feet while thunder echoed endlessly overhead.

And standing between those monsters—

Was Arata.

His breathing remained uneven while black markings spread across his neck and chest. The system warnings flickered constantly before his eyes after Ren’s appearance. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

[Compatible Host Detected]

[Unknown Synchronization Response]

[Warning: Emotional State Unstable]

Akari immediately noticed his expression worsening again. Without hesitation— She tightened her grip around his hand with Warmth, Human warmth, Arata slowly looked toward her afterward.

For one brief second— The chaos around them felt distant again, Akari frowned slightly. "...Don’t start collapsing now."

A very small smile almost appeared on his face,Almost.

Meanwhile Ren quietly observed them both from across the battlefield.

Then calmly spoke.

"You stabilize him better than expected."

Akari instantly looked annoyed. "...I’m seriously getting tired of people analyzing my existence."

Unexpectedly— Yuna pointed dramatically toward Ren afterward. "YES. THANK YOU."

Ren slowly blinked once, Then looked toward Yuna.

Silence followed briefly.

"...You are loud."

Yuna gasped immediately. "EXCUSE ME?"

Reina burst out laughing nearby while spinning one combat blade casually. "Okay I like this guy already." Lucien ignored them completely.

His golden eyes remained fixed on Ren.

"...Eden should’ve stayed underground."

Ren’s expression remained emotionless afterward. "And Black Flag should’ve stayed buried."

The atmosphere instantly became dangerous again. Military soldiers slowly backed away while both sides prepared for another battle.

Even Elena looked tense now.

Akari quietly leaned slightly toward Yuna afterward. "...Who exactly are these Eden people?"

Yuna whispered back immediately, "I was hoping YOU knew."

Elena overheard them.

Then quietly answered while keeping her eyes on Ren.

"Eden was humanity’s first survival project after the apocalypse began."

Silence spread briefly afterward.

Kaede’s eyes narrowed slightly. "...Underground civilization theory confirmed."

Elena nodded once.

"Several governments secretly gathered scientists, military leaders, and high-priority survivors during the first collapse." Her expression darkened slightly afterward. "They built an underground city beneath Sector Zero."

Yuna blinked slowly. "...There’s literally a hidden futuristic city underground while we’re suffering up here?"

"...Basically."

"That feels extremely unfair."

Ren calmly continued afterward. "Surface civilization was considered unrecoverable." His gray eyes shifted toward the ruined city surrounding them. "Humanity adapted elsewhere."

Lucien smiled faintly. "...By abandoning billions."

"By preserving humanity."

"Interesting excuse."

The tension between them became heavier instantly.

Meanwhile Arata quietly processed everything.

An underground city.

Advanced survivors.

Other system users.

The world kept becoming larger, More dangerous.

And somehow— He remained connected to all of it. The Devourer’s corpse still lay nearby across the shattered street while rain slowly washed blood into flooded drains. Military soldiers cautiously surrounded the area while watching Ren’s group nervously.

Nobody trusted them, Honestly— Even Yuna looked ready emotionally collapse from all the revelations already.

"...So let me understand this correctly." She pointed aggressively between everyone afterward. "There’s evil science organization number one, secret underground civilization number two, military survivors number three, and zombies evolving into boss monsters."

Silence.

Then Reina casually answered:

"...Yes."

Yuna stared blankly into the rain afterward. "...I miss normal problems."

Suddenly— One Black Flag soldier moved behind Lucien nervously. "Commander... reinforcements are approaching."

Lucien quietly looked toward the distant streets afterward.

Through the rain— Massive movement echoed across nearby roads again.

More infected.

Thousands.

Attracted by the earlier battle.

Elena immediately cursed quietly. "...Everyone prepare defensive lines!"

Military forces repositioned rapidly while armored vehicles aimed toward the approaching horde. Eden operatives calmly activated strange silver weapons attached to their arms while Black Flag soldiers prepared to retreat through surrounding buildings.

But before anyone moved— Ren suddenly spoke again.

"Enough."

Silence instantly followed.

Then slowly— He raised one hand toward the approaching streets.

The air changed.

Pressure exploded outward violently across the city.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!

Every nearby infected suddenly froze.

Completely motionless.

Like puppets whose strings had been cut.

Everyone stared in shock afterward, Even Lucien narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ren’s gray eyes glowed faintly afterward while black markings spread across portions of his hand.

Then quietly— He clenched his fist.

CRACK.

Every infected within visible range collapsed instantly.

Dead.

Thousands of bodies hit flooded streets simultaneously.

Silence consumed the battlefield afterward.

Yuna slowly lowered her rifle. "...Okay no." She pointed at Ren immediately. "That is absolutely illegal."

Reina grinned wildly. "...Now THAT was cool."

Akari stared silently too, Because honestly— Ren’s power felt terrifying, Not explosive like Arata’s, Controlled, Absolute.

Like he already mastered something Arata was still struggling to survive.

Lucien quietly smiled afterward despite the tension.

"...So Eden perfected synchronization after all."

Ren looked toward him calmly.

"No." Silence followed briefly afterward. "We survived it."

The difference in wording sent cold tension through the battlefield instantly, Arata noticed too, Because Ren didn’t sound proud.

He sounded exhausted, Like surviving synchronization came with a cost.

Ren’s gray eyes shifted back toward Arata afterward.

Then calmly spoke:

"You’re reaching critical evolution too quickly."

Arata frowned immediately. "...Critical evolution?"

Lucien answered instead.

"Once synchronization exceeds eighty percent..." His golden eyes narrowed slightly. "...the system permanently changes the host."

Silence.

Akari immediately looked toward Arata afterward, Because his synchronization already reached seventy-four earlier.

Too close.

Way too close.

"What happens after eighty?" she asked quietly.

Nobody answered immediately, Then Elena finally spoke.

"...Most lose themselves completely."

Heavy silence followed instantly afterward.

Yuna slowly looked toward Arata. "...That sounds extremely bad."

Ren calmly continued afterward. "Your emotions, instincts, personality, and survival responses begin restructuring permanently." His expression remained unreadable. "Some evolve." A brief pause followed. "Others become monsters."

Arata’s hand slowly tightened afterward.

The black markings across his arm flickered faintly.

And suddenly— His fear returned again, Not fear of dying.

Fear of disappearing, Akari noticed immediately.

Then stepped directly beside him again.

"You’re not becoming a monster."

Arata looked toward her quietly. "...You can’t know that."

"Yes I can."

"...How?"

Her violet eyes stayed locked onto his afterward.

"Because monsters don’t keep risking themselves to save people."

Silence, Rain fell softly around them.

And for some reason— Her words always reached him, Lucien noticed that too.

Then quietly smiled again.

"...Interesting."

Before anyone could react—One military soldier suddenly screamed nearby.

"Incoming!"

Everyone turned instantly.

A massive explosion erupted across distant buildings afterward while something enormous moved through the smoke-covered streets beyond.

Heavy footsteps echoed across the city.

Slow.

Massive.

Each step shaking the flooded roads beneath them.

Yuna’s soul visibly attempted leaving her body again. "...There’s another one?"

Kaede’s expression darkened slightly while observing the distant shadows.

"...No."

Even Ren’s eyes narrowed now.

Because this pressure felt different.

Human.

But wrong, Then through the smoke—A giant armored figure slowly emerged into view.

Nearly three meters tall, Black armor fused directly into flesh.

Mechanical cables extended across its body while glowing red eyes illuminated through the rain.

Not infected.

Not human.

Something between both.

And on its chest— A familiar symbol, Black Flag.

Lucien’s expression changed instantly afterward.

"...Impossible."

The giant figure slowly looked toward him.

Then spoke in a distorted metallic voice.

"...Lucien."

Everyone froze.

Because somehow— The creature sounded emotional.

Angry.

The armored monster slowly stepped farther into the battlefield afterward while rain crashed against its metal-covered body.

Then its glowing eyes shifted toward Arata.

"...Original host confirmed."

The system exploded violently before Arata’s vision.

[Warning]

[Prototype-Class Entity Detected]

[Threat Level: Catastrophic]

[Designation: TYRANT-01]

Ren’s expression became colder instantly.

"...So Black Flag actually completed a Tyrant."

Lucien looked genuinely shocked now.

"That project was terminated."

The armored giant slowly laughed afterward.

Distorted mechanical laughter.

"You abandoned us."

Silence spread across the battlefield.

Then Elena whispered quietly:

"...Oh no."

The Tyrant suddenly moved.

Too fast.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The flooded street exploded beneath its feet as it charged directly toward Lucien.

Even Lucien barely reacted in time before the giant fist smashed through an entire building behind him.

CRAAAAASH!!

Concrete collapsed everywhere, The Tyrant roared furiously afterward.

"You created us!"

Its voice shook the battlefield violently.

"You turned us into monsters!"

Lucien barely escaped another devastating strike before black energy erupted around him defensively.

For the first time— Lucien looked pressured, Actually pressured.

Meanwhile Ren’s expression slowly darkened further.

"...Everyone move back." His voice became colder afterward. "Now."

Because unlike the Devourer— This thing still had intelligence.

Hatred.

Memory.

And worst of all— Purpose.

The Tyrant’s glowing eyes slowly shifted away from Lucien afterward.

Then directly toward Arata. Silence consumed the battlefield instantly.

Then the armored monster spoke one sentence:

"...The Creator wants the original returned alive."

Arata’s heartbeat stopped briefly afterward.

Creator, Not Lucien, Not Eden. Someone else existed above all of them.

And suddenly— The apocalypse became far bigger than anyone imagined.