At 2:44 a.m., in North American, it was already the early hours of a workday. This meant that even the most chaotic, evil-aligned red-name players had no choice but to log off. Many of them were not full-time streamers making a living from games. Most were just young people or ordinary adults who still had work or school waiting for them in the morning.
Imagine if the members of Laughing Coffin were all people like that. Truly a case of "free America, gunfights every day."
Flames burned fiercely throughout the city of Chernobog. Police officers, eyes bloodshot with exhaustion, formed line after line of defenses, trying to block the advance of the Reunion Movement's Infected. Weapons were raised, and the two sides faced off in tense confrontation.
With the adventurers gone from Reunion's side, they temporarily lacked high-end combat power. Most of the Reunion members inside Chernobog were Infected who had only just donned their equipment. Whether in strength or in fighting skill, they were utterly outmatched by the well-trained police, little more than cannon fodder.
They just needed more numbers, the Infected sneered in the shadows.
Chernobog Fourth Secondary School had not yet been reached by Reunion. The campus had effectively become a small-scale shelter. Residents who were frightened and confused, unaware of what exactly was happening, were guided by the police to sit in designated areas, where water and simple rations were distributed.
A large portion of those sitting on the ground were students from nearby schools. Since their homes were close by, they had followed police instructions and arrived with their families, carrying only basic luggage.
Their successful escape was entirely thanks to those who had appeared out of nowhere, clad in uniforms reinforced with armor. They struck the Reunion Infected with lightning speed, crushing them before providing cover for the police to carry out evacuations.
Without their help, the police would not have been able to cope with such large numbers of Infected in such a short time, and the lives of these civilians would have been difficult to guarantee.
"I'm willing to bet they're from Tomorrow's Development. I've seen that uniform on the Pioneer before."
"Who's the Pioneer?"
"What, you didn't attend the last gathering? That Sankta who chatted and laughed with Rostova heiress. You seriously don't remember?"
Hearing the conversation of a few noble students not far away, Sonya let out an irritated sigh and burrowed deeper into her parents' arms. Her parents were already asleep. Hearing their steady snoring, Sonya moved a little closer to the bonfire, trying to warm her hands and feet.
These noble brats were the most carefree of all. Their families were still being surrounded by Reunion Infected, yet they laughed so happily. Perhaps they were even looking forward to the older generation dying off so they could inherit the family wealth. Truly filial, in the most twisted sense.
She herself had been lucky. She had just returned home from school when she heard cries and screams coming from nearby streets. Leaning out of the window, she saw several masked figures in white uniforms plunging daggers into passersby. This was no isolated incident. Before long, the police arrived and tried to fight the thugs, but against enemies who were willing to trade wounds for lives, the police were quickly overwhelmed.
If a large-built Feline had not suddenly appeared and smashed several attackers open with iron fists, Sonya felt that she and her family might well have fallen victim to the mob.
Tomorrow's Development… It probably was not an Ursus organization. At the very least, Sonya had never encountered that name in her history studies.
Just as she was wondering what exactly Tomorrow's Development was, she felt herself bumped by something.
"Ah, I'm sorry!"
Sonya noticed that the other person had short, lively blonde hair and bright orange eyes. She looked almost like a mascot, adorably cheerful. What surprised Sonya even more was that the girl had two frying pans strapped to her back.
"Those are… weapons?"
"Ah, they're for cooking, but in a situation like this, they should work as weapons too."
The girl smiled lightly as she spoke, then gestured toward the baseball bat Sonya was carrying.
"Isn't General Winter the same, carrying a weapon wherever she goes?"
Sonya scratched her cheek. She attended Peterheim Middle School, and because of her personality and experiences, she was something of a known figure there. Being recognized was hardly strange. Many people knew her, but she did not recognize this Ursus girl in front of her.
"You can call me Lada, General Winter."
Lada introduced herself, then lowered her head again apologetically.
"I got separated from my mom and dad, and I accidentally bumped into you. I'm really sorry!"
Sonya stood up, unbothered.
"Let's go. We'll look for them together. More people means more strength."
"Really?"
Lada's face lit up with a cute smile.
"Thank you, General Winter!"
"Just call me Sonya."
Sonya felt a flush of embarrassment at being constantly called the Winter General. A "general" who lacked the strength to fight those thugs hardly deserved the title. Compared to the Feline who had saved them earlier, she was far weaker. What right did she have to be called a general at all?
When she took in the streets around her, Sonya's expression shifted slightly with a trace of nostalgia. She had once lived here. It was only after her parents' work required them to move that she transferred to Peterheim Middle School.
She wondered how Anna was doing.
With that worry in her heart, Sonya and Lada headed toward the residential blocks nearby. Many people were still gathered there, wrapped in thick coats and shivering in the cold night. Exhausted police officers sat nearby, dozing off from sheer fatigue.
Beyond those seated on the ground, many others were searching anxiously for their relatives. Quite a few had been separated when the Reunion Movement's assault scattered the evacuation groups. Now they could only pray that their loved ones were safe.
Lada's gaze darted rapidly through the crowd. After walking some distance without success, she bit her lip and lowered her head. A few tears slipped from her orange eyes and fell to the ground.
Sonya clenched her teeth. She could not bear to see Lada so distressed. In their brief time together, Sonya had already come to regard Lada as a junior she needed to look after. Seeing her like this made her chest tighten.
At that moment, Sonya noticed two women pacing outside the residential building. Their attire was completely different from that of the surrounding police, yet identical to the uniforms worn by the Feline who had saved her earlier. She hurried over to them.
"I'd like to ask," Sonya said directly, "are there still more residents evacuating in this direction?"
In her eyes, both women were strikingly beautiful. One was a Sarkaz, the other a Kuranta. They carried themselves with mature composure and unmistakable strength. The Sarkaz had a longsword at her waist, while the Kuranta bore a lance on her back.
The Kuranta turned her gaze to Lada, who was already in tears. She pressed her lips together slightly. "There are four civilian groups that lost contact with the main force during evacuation. We've already confirmed their locations and are carrying out rescue operations."
Lada let out a breath of relief and wiped her eyes, which were still red.
She silently prayed that her parents were unharmed.
Sonya looked at the two women, hiding her envy deep in her heart. Just as she was about to return to the school grounds with Lada to rest, a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Miss Shining, Miss Nearl, please have some hot water…"
Sonya turned around and saw a long-unseen friend holding two cups of hot water and offering them to the women.
"Anna!"
"…Sonya?"
Anna rubbed her eyes, then broke into a gentle smile. She hurried over, only to be pulled into a tight hug by Sonya, who thumped her shoulder lightly.
"Thank goodness you're safe."
"Sonya… you're just the same as ever," Anna said softly.
After the girls shared a moment of laughter, Sonya introduced Lada to Anna. Seeing how tired Lada looked, Anna lowered her voice. "There are places upstairs to sleep. Why don't you stay the night here?"
Sonya glanced at Lada, who looked drained after crying, and nodded. "Is there enough space?"
"Mm… my room isn't occupied right now," Anna explained quietly. "There are too many people. The hallways are packed, and my living room is already full of people sleeping. Everyone's exhausted. Ah, except for the attic. The attic is currently a base for Tomorrow's Developments."
"Then I'll go get my parents," Lada said.
"We'll go together," Anna replied gently, taking Lada's hand.
Sonya showed her first smile of the day.
"Speaking of Tomorrow's Developments, Anna, how much do you know about them?" Sonya asked, voicing the question that had been on her mind. Anna seemed quite familiar with the two women from earlier.
"I don't know that much either… I found them in the attic after school today," Anna murmured softly. Thinking of Brother Felix, her cheeks flushed slightly again. Even so, she knew what mattered now. "I only know they're helping the people of Chernobog evacuate and fighting the infected. They should be good people, right?"
"They should be…" Sonya sighed.
She really wanted to properly thank that male Feline someday.
After returning to the school grounds, Sonya woke her parents. The two of them expressed both gratitude and apology to Anna. Soon after, the group began making their way back to their temporary lodgings.
The stairwell was indeed crowded with sleepers. Exhausted, they snored softly, sprawled across every step. As they went higher, the living room of Anna's home was no different, bodies lying in disarray wherever there was space. When the door to Anna's room finally opened, Lada could no longer hold on. She collapsed onto the soft blanket and fell asleep at once.
Sonya's parents soon found places to rest. Sonya herself was not very sleepy. She had only just woken from a nap and then been thrown into chaos, her nerves still taut. Anna was the same. She had dozed briefly near dusk, and after waking in the early hours she had been helping Tomorrow's Development however she could.
Sonya wanted to see Tomorrow's Development for herself. She climbed the stairs all the way up, and at the landing she saw a towering man in uniform and powered armor, his expression cold and unreadable. His gaze flicked over her for a brief moment. Sonya instantly felt as if she had been struck by three heavy blows at once, every hair on her body standing on end.
"Who goes there?"
Anna hurried a step forward, blinking innocently. "I wanted to ask Mr. Felix if there's anything else we can do to help Tomorrow's Development."
Hearing this, the man stepped aside without another word. As Sonya passed, he pointed at the baseball bat she was carrying. She calmly set it upright to one side, then followed Anna into the unknown area beyond.
Inside, everything was spotless. Several men and women in uniform sat together, chatting quietly to pass the time. Sonya immediately spotted the Feline man who had saved her group earlier. Their gazes met, and when they realized it was Anna, a Sarkaz woman rose to her feet.
"Is something urgent?"
"Ah… Miss Ines, it's like this," Anna said softly. "A friend of mine… her parents' group was attacked by the Infected, and we lost contact…"
She bit her lip. "So I wanted to ask if there's any new information."
Ines replied gently, "Our companions have already set out to rescue them. You don't need to worry too much."
"Thank you," Anna said earnestly.
Ines seemed to recall something. "By the way, Anna, you're a student at Chernobog Fourth Secondary School, right?"
Anna nodded. Ines pointed to another door, tightly shut. "You can go check on one of your classmates. She's running a very high fever. She's taken medicine, but she's still quite out of it."
Hearing this, Anna hurried toward the door. Ines then noticed Sonya still looking at Mountain and waved to him.
"What is it?" Mountain asked as he came over.
"I want to thank you," Sonya said before Ines could speak. Her tone was sincere. "You saved me and my family from the Infected. I owe you my life."
"It was nothing more than lending a hand," Mountain replied modestly, shaking his head. "We're all part of Tomorrow's Development. We were simply following the King's orders."
"The King?"
The word made Sonya start. Curiosity immediately lit up her eyes. "I want to know more about Tomorrow's Development. Could you tell me?"
Ines and Mountain exchanged a glance. They were on rotation anyway, and this girl was clearly interested. With a brief assessment, Ines noticed Sonya's physique showed signs of training. She did not look like an ordinary Ursus student.
Then again, Ursus did value martial strength as a whole. Looking at this girl, she seemed like someone with a solid foundation. Perhaps she was worth recruiting.
Ines's thoughts moved quickly. The King had never paid much attention to Ursus, largely because of the entrenched noble powers. But since they were already here, why not leave with a group of Ursus operators? The idea made Ines nod to herself. She had always been one to plan several steps ahead.
———
Inside the room, Anna looked at Natalya lying on the bed, eyes shut tight, face pale as paper. She let out a soft sigh.
In this calamity, even the nobility had not been spared.