"W-wait, young girl, what is a girl doing in a spot like this?" he pondered, attempting to see the girl standing before him more clearly.
Observing her, the girl's state was quite poor. Her lips were extremely parched, as if she hadn't drunk water in ages. She appeared quite frail and had numerous cuts and bruises scattered across her body, unlike other children her age, indicating that she had been mistreated by someone.
Noticing her condition, he was convinced that she was with someone, likely not a good influence.
It made sense, given the apocalypse had occurred, so people showed their true selves just for things as mundane as survival.
As badly as he wanted to help her, it did not seem to be an appropriate time.
As Rover kept his silent stare on the girl, he heard footsteps leading to the room.
The steps got louder until they stopped, a door opened, and a person appeared.
A man in his thirties, with long curly blonde hair, and tall, was looking at Rover and seemed to be analyzing him like a bug.
"Oh well, look at that, the little guy is awake," the man said with a disgusting smile on his face.
Rover still barely responded and just stared blankly ahead.
That infuriated the man, prompting him to swiftly attempt to punch Rover.
He halted when the young girl clutched his leg, attempting to prevent him.
"P-please, master, don't harm uncle," the girl pleaded with a quivering voice, as if the individual on the bed meant everything to her.
However, that did not disturb the man. Instead, he became irritated and kicked her forcefully to the opposite side of the room.
"You little bastard, how dare you touch me with your dirty hands, hah. Do you want to be killed like your mother, Rika? Because her dumb and refused to serve us, we killed her and used her in turns. Be grateful your mother was used by us, or we would've killed you too a long time ago," he said, continuously kicking her small, defenseless body.
Conversely, the girl could merely attempt to shield herself, striving to stifle the hurt and tears, shutting her eyes.
Since the apocalypse, her existence had utterly transformed, and she could no longer endure living.
Witnessing her mother murdered and exploited right before her, enduring oppression, violence, kicks, hair being yanked, and nearly losing her life at the hands of others. She simply wished to return to a time when she could live normally alongside her mother.
"M-mom..." she called, attempting to reach out to her mother repeatedly. She wished for this not to occur and anticipated a swift conclusion.
And just like that, in under 5 seconds after her thought, the man's physical assaults abruptly ceased, causing her to feel relieved, believing he had departed and lost interest in her.
She gradually attempted to open her eyes and observe her surroundings.
The room was plain, but when she turned around, she felt a chill as she saw Rover directly in front of her. She instinctively pulled back in fear that he was going to hit her like all the grown-ups who have done nothing but risk her life since the start of the apocalypse.
Instead of taking a hit from Rover, she felt a gentle touch on her head, followed by gentle strokes that caused her to stop trembling and feel the warmth of the man's body.
"I don't know what you've experienced up to this point, and I can't even begin to easily imagine what you've been through simply to survive.However, rest assured, your pain has come to an end now. "Your uncle will keep you safe."
Like water that couldn't be contained, the girl was the same. She simply wept deeply, pressing her face into the man's shoulder.
All the weights and dark memories that troubled her instantly disappeared from her thoughts, substituted by lovely recollections of when she was
All the weights and painful memories that plagued her instantly disappeared from her thoughts, substituted by lovely recollections of the time she spent with her mother. She continued to cry because she was no longer alone at last.
This went on for some time until the weeping ceased and the hold on his shoulder loosened.
"Seems like she's in slumber," he considered, continuing to caress her hair. He gradually raised her body and placed her on the bed he had occupied earlier.
He noticed the girl's expression, a girl who deserved a bright future but had it shattered by an apocalypse that altered the lives of many, including himself and the girl before him.
After observing the girl for a bit, he began to gather his belongings, which appeared to have been examined by the other members earlier, indicated by the absent 'symbiote' ball and some food items.
(If you've overlooked the 'symbiote,' feel free to revisit chapter 3.)
'As anticipated, I suppose I need to retrieve my belongings,' Rover pondered.
As he dressed in the clothes he had removed before, he continued to contemplate the strategy for the task assigned to him during the training of his new skills.
Once he finished his preparations, he swiftly exited his resting place and noticed the man who had struck Rika previously in the room opposite the hallway.
His state appeared pitiable. His hands and legs were fractured to stop him from fleeing, and his mouth was sealed with duct tape he had stashed in his backpack for emergencies.
Although the man continued to shout curses at him from behind the tape, Rover remained unfazed by the insults and simply opened his mouth to share a few words.
"Hey, I can't spare any time for you." At this moment, you have just two options to decide. First, provide me with all the details about the group or organization you belong to, and then I'll allow you to leave. The other option is that you could die at this moment. "Well, what's your decision?" he asked, starting a countdown from 30.
This instantly caused the man to panic and begin silently cursing, evident from his expression as his mouth continued to move incessantly.
Seconds ticked by, and as his time dwindled, he quickly lifted his hands, fearful of the punch from Rover that was about to strike his face.
The rover took off the tape and allowed the man to speak freely. Eventually, Rover gathered details about the organization he was associated with.
The group was named Raid Doomed, formed one day post-apocalypse. It consisted of roughly 400 members and resided on the upper and middle levels of the hospital.
In addition, their leader Edgard possessed the power to freeze objects or individuals at his discretion. As a result, he frequently compelled victims to sleep with him, threatening them with freezing and death if they disobeyed. Approximately 10 women had already slept with him and been "played with," rendering him repulsive and unclean in appearance. Other than Edgard, who possessed ice manipulation powers, he wasn't aware of anyone else with abilities.
"Um, c-can I leave now?" "I've shared all the information I possess, haven't I?" he said with a hint of assurance since he had provided him with what he desired.
However, what he was unaware of was that Rover had never assured him of his release, and even if he had, he would likely betray that assurance.
Without awaiting the man's preparation, Rover swiftly seized his head, then strengthened his hold until it shattered, with blood and fragments of his brain oozing out.
[You have acquired the Soul Core of human, 'Karl Stover' Level 17]
[You have leveled up]
A message showed up in front of him, but he ignored it and grabbed the sword that belonged to the man called 'Karl'.
"Don't worry, I'll be make sure your leader accompanies you in hell."