The air was freezing.
It wasn't just cold, it was literally frozen… well, almost.
It was like someone turned the thermostat below zero, and left everyone without saying a word.
Nero spoke with his naturally laid-back voice.
But even so, everyone nearby heard him CLEARLY.
He said words, and it shocked everyone.
But it wasn't just the words, but how he said them.
Bro literally told a guy twice his size to "fuck off".
And he said that CALMLY as if just saying hello to your neighborhood.
It was like Marcus, the big guy, was someone not worth putting your attention to.
Yui covered her mouth. Well, the timid girl was clearly damn shocked.
She'd never heard the normally chill Nero sound like that before.
She didn't even know he could.
Kaito and Haru looked at each other. Their eyes clearly speaking, "Who tf is this alpha dude? What happened to our friend?"
The Nero they knew was chill, sarcastic, and made fun of himself.
This Nero looked like he was figuring out how to chop Marcus into pieces.
But Marcus didn't seem scared.
Instead, he smiled bigger, showing his teeth.
"Oh, look at this," Marcus said, laughing. The laugh was very much mocking.
"The little loser with the ugly face thinks he's tough."
Nero didn't even react.
He knew he wasn't the best-looking guy, and never did he give a fuck about that.
What pissed him off was the fact that Marcus's polluted mouth wouldn't stop.
Bro still hadn't taken the hint.
He still thinks this was some sort of game he could win through intimidation.
"You know what, kid?" Marcus continued, apparently mistaking Nero's silence for weakness, "I think you need to learn some respect… especially from those stronger than you!"
But that's when the situation went from bad to very ultra bad.
*Bloooom…*
Marcus's right arm glowed with a swirling orange-red aura.
The muscles in his forearm exaggeratedly swelled. His veins popped out like they were on steroids.
It's some kind of strength enhancement ability.
Probably the same one Robert had mentioned earlier.
The man wanted to punish Nero.
He planned to beat him up in public to show he was in charge.
He wanted to show Aurelia who was the boss.
It's literally a caveman logic that Nero have read in many of the trashy novels.
And to be honest?
In this post-apocalyptic world when many experts say that depending on teamwork and mutual respect is the key to establishing the world again?
It was borderline bullshit in his opinion.
Marcus drew his arm back, the glowing aura intensifying.
His fist cocked like a loaded weapon.
The attack came faster than anything Nero had ever seen a human produce.
A straight right that whistled through the air. It has enough force to shatter concrete.
*BAAAAA!!!!*
There's no way to avoid it.
The space was too tight.
The distance is too close.
The speed was too overwhelming.
But these weren't normal circumstances.
Although Nero just fought a close battle against that B-tier earthworm, he can still dodge and anticipate attacks.
Especially so, for a direct attack like this.
The muscle man didn't even bother hiding his intent to attack, that's why it's easy to predict.
Nero's enhanced Greater Instinct skill kicked into overdrive, analyzing the trajectory of the incoming fist.
It's his first time knowing how significant the increase in level up is.
Perfect timing that there's a dummy in front of him waiting to be a test substitute.
'The speed seems normal at this level, huh.'
The giant fist that would look like a superhuman speed to the past Nero was now just a normal-looking punch approaching him.
It would've still been disastrous for Nero if he was hit, though.
Especially if he doesn't have the skills to dodge it despite the attack being slowed down to normal speed.
And that's why his basic Valkyria Swordsmanship provided the muscle memory for evasive footwork.
His enhanced Dexterity stat gave him just enough speed to make the impossible possible.
*Whishh!*
He twisted his body to the left.
Not far.
Just enough.
Marcus's fist flew by, close enough to make his hair move.
*Whoosh!*
The powerful punch hit nothing, making Marcus stumble forward.
"...!"
For a moment, the man looked shocked.
He was sure his super strength would win. He thought the skinny kid couldn't dodge him.
But instead of being scared, Marcus smiled even bigger.
"Wow, you're fast, this could be fun."
Marcus licked his lips as if he found a new punching bag he won't be bored with once in a while.
A bright orange glow got stronger.
Both of his huge hands were now strongly glowing.
The air was so thick with tension, you almost could feel it in your skin.
Nero reached for his sword, Dawnbreaker.
The shortsword made a sharp sound as it started to come out of its sheath.
His friends had never seen him draw a weapon with genuine killing intent before.
… At least, not when dealing with a human before.
The difference was terrifying.
This wasn't the careful, controlled movements he'd practiced during training.
This was the fluid, predatory motion of someone who'd decided that talking time was over.
Jin started to walk towards them, maybe to stop the fight.
Sarah looked like she was getting ready to cast her magic, ready to disperse the situation.
Robert, Lisa, and Yui hid behind the nearby obstacles to protect themselves.
Haru and Kaito were also ready to jump in to intervene.
And Marcus...
Marcus was throwing another punch.
This one was clearly aimed at Nero's ribs.
If it hit, it would probably pulverize his whole bones.
But the punch,
*BANG!*
Never landed.
The sound was like a small explosion in the street.
Dust and rocks flew up between Nero and Marcus.
Like a smokescreen, no one could see anything from the amount of dust.
People were yelling and coughing.
You could hear feet moving around.
Then, slowly, the dust went away.
And just when everyone thought that shit finally hit the fan.
A deafening silence enveloped the area.
Because when it finally cleared…
"..."
Everyone saw why it suddenly went quiet.
The fight stopped before it even started.
Aurelia was standing between Nero and Marcus.
She had her sword out.
The sword's sharp edge rested against Marcus's throat with surgical precision.
She didn't cut him.
… At least, not yet.
But there was a thin line of red fluid trickling down his neck.
The tip of the blade was kissing his neck's skin.
A few micrometers closer, and his throat can french kiss the cold blade.
Her golden eyes were locked onto his with an intensity that made absolute zero look tropical.
The look on her face wasn't anger.
Anger was too hot, too passionate.
This was something colder.
More decisive.
The expression of someone who was deciding whether or not to end a life.
And surprisingly, finding that decision is easy for her hand to make.
"..."
Marcus's enhanced strength meant jackshit when a divine blade was pressed against his carotid artery.
His glowing aura flickered and died as the reality of his situation sank in.
One wrong move.
One word out of context.
One breath taken too deeply.
And his life would hit zero faster than the speed of light.
The silence stretched on for what felt like hours.
No one moved.
No one said a word.
Even the city, which was destroyed, was quiet.
Finally, Marcus laughed, though clearly it was a forceful one.
"Hey, hey, it was just a joke! I was just teasing the new guy!"
'Yeah right, who would believe him?' Even Kaito felt ashamed by the forceful excuses just because the big guy was cornered.
Marcus tried backing away, but Aurelia's blade followed him.
A drop of blood appeared on his neck.
"You know how it is," he kept spouting his excuses, "Guys joke around. No big deal, right?"
He looked at Jin and Sarah, hoping they'd help him.
But they stared at him like they didn't know him.
They were not impressed or proud with what happened today.
"Marcus," Jin said softly, sounding sad. "What's wrong with you?"
"We're supposed to help people," Sarah added, no longer scared. She was disgusted. "Not... this."
Marcus's face turned red.
Either he was embarrassed or red with anger.
"It was a joke! Can't anyone take a joke anymore?" He tried forcing his way through.
But,
"...!!!"
His confidence hit an all time low when the blade was pressed harder against his skin.
And of course, another drop of blood appeared.
"Alright, alright! I'm sorry… We're cool, right? Everybody's cool?"
Marcus had to raise both of his hands in resignation.
"... Jeez, can't even make a joke now these days."
He mumbled to himself.
Aurelia paused for a moment.
Then, her sword went back into its holder as smoothly as it came out.
Marcus was relieved. He touched his throat to check for a wound.
The cut was shallow, but the point was made.
One wrong move, and he can say bye-bye to planet Earth.
"Right," he said, stepping back quickly. "Well, this was... interesting. I should go back to my work. Important stuff."
He turned and left without another word.
He left his two teammates to deal with what happened.
Jin was the first to speak.
The mature woman looked embarrassed and very much sorry.
"... I'm so sorry," she said to both Nero and Aurelia. "That was wrong. Marcus is always... difficult, but this was too much."
Sarah agreed, looking nervous again.
"Not everyone at the Camp is like that, I promise. Most of us are good people just trying to live."
"It's okay," Nero said, joking a bit. "Jerks are everywhere, even in tough times."
He added, "Everyone knows a person who won't stop."
Jin shook her head.
"No, it's not okay. What he did was wrong. And how he was going to attack you..." She stopped, shaking her head.
"Thank you," she said to Aurelia. "For stopping things. I don't think that fight would have ended well."
Aurelia nodded slightly but didn't speak.
She was still watching Marcus, as if she was thinking if she should have let him go.
"Look," Jin continued, "I know this is a bad time to ask, but... our camp needs people like you. Not like Marcus, of course."
She added quickly. "We need skilled fighters. People who can handle themselves in a crisis. And after what you did to that Ravager..."
She gestured toward the monster's remains, which were still decorating the street.
"Our people are good at staying hidden, at rationing supplies, at basic survival. But when it comes to actual combat? We're barely hanging on. One major monster attack could wipe us out."
"Jin's right. We've got thirty people, including kids and elderly. Most of us never learned to fight before... all this happened. We're doing our best, but our best isn't enough."
Sarah stepped forward, her expression earnest.
"It's only been a week since this shitshow of an apocalypse started, after all." Nero understood what she's saying.
Now that he thinks about it…
The fact that he can dispatch a group of monsters on his own, and the fact he actually killed a B-tier monster after just a week is something that surprised Nero himself.
'Damn, am I really the MC?'
Nero pondered, but later shook his head.
'Nah, I still need to become more overpowered than I am now.'
Bro wants to one punch everything as his end goal.
While Nero was having an internal debate if he's the MC or not, Sarah looked directly at Nero.
"... You soloed a B-tier monster. That's the kind of skill that could make the difference between our camp surviving or becoming another tragedy."
"And," Jin added, glancing respectfully at Aurelia,
"Having someone with your companion's abilities would give our people something they haven't had these past few days."
"What's that?" Kaito asked.
Jin smiled for the first time since the confrontation began.
"Hope."
The word hung in the air like a challenge.
Nero looked at the trio, reading the looks in their faces.
All three of them were looking for their families, and they had their own goals.
And these people were asking for help.
With the addition of the hope that one of their family members would be in the camp, it definitely aligns with their goal.
'Besides, it's time to stop travelling like a headless chicken.'
The adventure can wait for now.
'Let's see this through.'
Nero made a decision to at least guide these trio of teenagers to look for their families.
Nero then shifted his attention to Jin and Sarah.
"..."
Well… despite Marcus's behavior, Jin and Sarah seemed genuine in their desire to protect their community.
They seem like good people… at least for now.
'Who knows what kind of plot twists will the author throw next?'
Nero chuckled to himself.
His gaze went to the other side.
Robert and Lisa were watching the conversation with obvious hope.
They were their people, their makeshift group in a world gone mad.
The decision would affect all of them.
Jin thought his silence meant he wasn't sure.
"I know this is a big request," she said. "And I know Marcus didn't make a good first impression. But would you think about it?"
She stopped, then asked the most important question.
"Would you visit our camp? Meet our people? You don't have to decide now, of course. Just please give us a chance."
The street was silent again.
But this time, it wasn't a scary silence.
It was a quiet moment that could change everything.
It was like a fork in the road, where their choice could have huge results.
Nero looked at Aurelia, but he couldn't tell what she was thinking.
Then Nero sighed,
"Why are you guys even looking at me as if all of your decisions will be based on MY DECISION?"
His words made everyone except Aurelia look at each other.
"... But oh well, fine, let's see it then."
Looks like he made his choice.
'For the sake of plot development that is.'
… Was that internal monologue really necessary?
***
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