2026-08-03 13:21:11BOOM!
The concrete floor exploded. Chunks of cement shot across the warehouse like bullets. Arjun rolled behind a steel container just before a massive black claw slammed into the ground where he had been standing. The entire warehouse trembled. A deafening roar echoed through the underground facility. Then... Something slowly climbed out of the crack. It stood nearly three meters tall. Its body resembled a giant wolf, but patches of black scales covered its skin. Its crimson eyes glowed like burning embers, and rows of razor-sharp teeth dripped with thick green saliva. The creature sniffed the air. Its eyes locked onto Arjun. A blue screen appeared before him. Mutated Shadow Wolf Rank: F Level: 5 Status: Extremely Aggressive Weakness: Eyes, Neck Arjun's face turned pale. "This isn't right..." The first monsters during the original apocalypse had been Level 1 Goblins. An F-Rank Shadow Wolf wasn't supposed to appear until weeks later. "The timeline really has changed." The Shadow Wolf let out another roar and lunged. Its speed was terrifying. Arjun barely dodged, feeling the monster's claws tear through the sleeve of his jacket. "Too fast!" He grabbed a metal pipe from the floor and swung it with all his strength. Bang! The pipe struck the wolf's head. It bent instantly. The monster didn't even flinch. Instead, it turned and smiled. A cold, terrifying smile. Arjun's heart sank. "Steel can't hurt it..." The wolf attacked again. This time, Arjun ducked beneath its claws and drove the Steel Combat Dagger deep into its shoulder. Slash! Black blood sprayed across the floor. The beast howled in pain. For the first time... It was injured. "So the dagger works." The Shadow Wolf's eyes burned with rage. It spun around and slammed its tail into Arjun's chest. Boom! He crashed into a stack of supply crates. Pain exploded through his ribs. Blood filled his mouth. Before he could stand, the monster charged again. Its jaws opened wide enough to swallow his head. Arjun closed his eyes for a split second. Not in fear. To remember. He had fought monsters like this for three years. He knew one thing... Every creature had a rhythm. A pattern. As the Shadow Wolf leaped— Arjun stepped to the side at the last possible moment. The beast flew past him. Its claws dug into the concrete wall. For half a second... It couldn't move. "Now!" Arjun gripped the dagger with both hands and plunged it into the side of the monster's neck. The blade pierced deep. The Shadow Wolf let out an ear-splitting scream. It struggled wildly, smashing shelves and equipment apart. Arjun refused to let go. "Die!" With one final twist— Crunch! The dagger sliced through the creature's throat. The Shadow Wolf collapsed. Silence. A second later— Ding! Congratulations! You have killed your first monster. +500 EXP +300 Survival Points Level Up! Level 4 → Level 5 Reward: 5 Free Attribute Points Golden light enveloped Arjun. The pain in his body faded instantly. His muscles felt lighter. His breathing became steady. "So this is leveling up again..." He had almost forgotten the feeling. Then another notification appeared. Hidden Achievement Unlocked First Blood You are among the first humans on Earth to kill a monster before the official apocalypse. Reward: Silver Mystery Chest ×1 Arjun smiled. A Silver Chest on the first day? His luck was unbelievable. He reached toward the floating chest icon. "Open." The silver chest burst into dazzling light. One item slowly emerged. A jet-black ring engraved with ancient symbols. Before the System could identify it... The entire warehouse suddenly shook again. This time... The vibration was even stronger than before. Cracks spread across every wall. A cold, mechanical voice echoed through the air. "Dimensional Gate Fully Activated." Arjun looked toward the enormous crack in the floor. His expression froze. One Shadow Wolf... Became two. Two... Became five. Then dozens of glowing red eyes slowly opened inside the darkness. He tightened his grip on the black ring. "This battle..." "Has only just begun." To Be Continued...
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Chapter 201: The Things We Cannot Decide
The rain had stopped, but water still dripped from the library roof.Nox arrived early the next morning. Mara was already inside, checking the repaired shelves and arranging a new stack of books near the entrance.“You're early,” she said.“I wanted to finish the labels before the children arrive.”“Then I have something else for you.”She placed a small cardboard box on the table.Nox opened it. Inside were several envelopes, a handful of photographs, and a folded sheet of paper covered in handwritten names.“Someone donated these yesterday,” Mara explained. “They belonged to an old community reading group. We don't know whether the people named here want their photographs displayed or their letters kept in the library.”Nox examined the box.“Should we return them?”“We don't know who donated them or how to contact the people involved. That's why we need to be careful.”He lifted one photograph. It showed a group of children sitting beneath a large tree. Their faces were bright with
Chapter 200: The Choice to Knock
Leena returned to the library three days later.This time, she carried a small photograph.Nox was arranging returned books when Mara called him over. Leena stood near the desk, holding the photograph by its edges.“I found this while looking through an old suitcase,” she said. “I thought you might want to see it.”Nox approached.The photograph showed two children standing beside a railway platform. The younger one held a blue cloth bag. The older child stood close, one hand resting on the younger one's shoulder.“Is that you?” Nox asked.Leena nodded.“And the boy?”“My brother Daniel.”Nox looked at the photograph again. The boy's face was slightly blurred, but the expression was unmistakably cheerful.“Do you remember when it was taken?”“Not the exact date. I think it was shortly before we were separated.”Mara brought a clean folder and placed the photograph inside a protective sleeve.“Would you like us to compare it with the photographs in our records?” she asked.Leena nodded
Chapter 199: The Visitor Who Remembered the Ending
The second copy of the traveler's book arrived on the library table the next morning.Nox was helping Mara compare the pages when a familiar voice came from the entrance.“You found another one?”The woman from the previous afternoon stood by the door. This time, she carried no bag. She looked at the two copies lying side by side.Mara welcomed her inside.“You said your brother used to read this story,” Nox said. “Do you remember his name?”The woman hesitated.“Daniel.”Nox looked at the book again.Mara noticed his expression. “Do you know someone named Daniel?”“Not exactly,” Nox answered. “We've heard the name while looking through some old records.”The woman pulled out a chair.“My brother's name was Daniel Vale. We lived in the northern district when we were children. After our mother died, things became difficult. I was sent to stay with relatives, and Daniel went somewhere else.”Nox remained quiet.“Was it an assistance center?” he asked.“I think so. I was too young to und
Chapter 198: The Day the Story Changed
The argument began over a missing page.Nox noticed it while arranging the books in Story Harbor. A thin picture book lay open on the table, its pages held together by an old piece of thread. The story followed a young traveler searching for a place where the stars could be seen clearly.But halfway through, the numbers jumped from twelve to fourteen.“Someone tore out page thirteen,” Nox said.Sami looked over his shoulder. “Maybe it was the best page.”“Why would someone remove the best page?”“Maybe they wanted to keep it.”The little girl who had been listening shook her head. “Maybe it got damaged.”Nox examined the binding. The thread around that section was loose, but there were no fresh tears. The missing page had been removed a long time ago.Mara joined them. “That book has been in the library for years. We don't know its original condition.”“Can we find another copy?” Nox asked.“We can check the catalogue.”They searched the records, but the title appeared only once. Ther
Chapter 197: A Place for the Unfinished
The library’s reading corner was busier than usual.Sami had returned with two friends, and the little girl who loved the first book was sitting beside them. They had gathered around the shelf marked **Story Harbor**, arguing quietly about which story Mara should read aloud.Nox stood nearby, holding a box of donated books.“Can we read one that doesn’t have an ending?” Sami asked.Mara raised an eyebrow. “Every story in this box has an ending.”“I mean one where the ending doesn’t explain everything.”“That’s a different request.”Nox set the box down. “Maybe we can find one.”They searched the shelves together. Some books ended with a journey completed. Others ended with a door opening, a letter arriving, or a character deciding to try again. The children rejected each one for a different reason.“Too sad,” said the little girl.“Too easy,” Sami said.“That one has a dragon,” his friend pointed out.“Dragons can have unfinished stories,” Nox replied.Eventually, Mara chose a short b
Chapter 196: The Book That Came Back
The book arrived at the library in a paper bag.Nox noticed it because Mara set it apart from the morning’s donations. The cover was worn, the spine had been repaired with clear tape, and a faded label on the inside read: **Story Harbor**.“Is it one of ours?” Nox asked.“I’m not sure,” Mara said. “Someone left it at the desk before opening. No note, no name.”Nox looked at the cover. It was a collection of short stories, the kind with small drawings at the start of each chapter. He opened it carefully.A folded sheet slipped from the pages and landed on the table.Mara reached for it, then paused. “You can read it if you want. It was left with the book.”Nox unfolded the paper.*I borrowed this when I was little. I never finished it. I don’t remember who gave it to me, only that someone read the first story aloud. I found it while clearing a box. I thought it belonged here.*There was no signature.Nox read the note twice. “Maybe someone used to come here.”“Maybe,” Mara said. “But w
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