BOOM!
A building suddenly collapsed, sending a tremor cascading through the surroundings.
Inside that structure, along a long corridor lined with rooms where faint white light trickled through the air, a group of people were sliding across the hallway to escape a horde of human imitating monsters.
The gray haired youth clung tightly to Corin's back, sprinting alongside the group and Promet toward a wide open window.
"Smoke screen!"
Immediately following Promet's command, a dense veil of fog materialized from nowhere, engulfing both the group and the monstrous entities giving chase behind them.
Opening his eyes, the gray haired youth found himself completely surrounded by thick, suffocating layers of fog.
Without a second thought, he ran deeper into the heavy mist.
In just a few seconds, he broke through the fog screen and reunited with the rest of the group.
As if by magic, what greeted the gray haired youth was neither the horde of monsters nor the collapsing building, but rather a high rooftop shared with the other survivors.
"Promet, oh Promet, your Gift truly is incredible, especially for my back."
A man in the group let out a laugh, patting his own lower back while gazing into the distance toward the building they had just escaped, now crumbling to pieces and burying those unable to break free in time.
"Still better off than us, having a Gift yet not knowing how to use it."
Observing the interaction, the gray haired youth looked around at everyone. It appeared that almost no one here had awakened a Gift before the mystical incident occurred. Once the supernatural arrived, they remained utterly clueless on how to wield it.
"Yet what good is having a Gift without the support of others? At most, it merely buys you a bit of desperate struggling."
Promet smiled, pulling a tiny container resembling a ring box from his pocket. Opening it, he emptied a wide array of food items onto the ground.
Gourmet treats spilled onto the dusty stone floor, appearing thoroughly filthy, yet hardly anyone cared. If they truly wished to, they could cleanse the entire building in a heartbeat, let alone a few pieces of food.
Moreover, the items he produced were energy dense options such as chocolate bars, sugar coated bread, roasted meat thighs, and baked pastries topped with rich sauces—solid foods ideal for maintaining focus and stamina.
Together, they shared breakfast behind a protective barrier that concealed their presence from nearby enemies.
The group of roughly ten people gathered together on the ground to share the meal, save for a single individual.
That was the gray haired youth, who appeared unable to stomach any food over the past day, sitting with his arms wrapped around his stomach, sipping water instead of eating.
For reasons unknown, he merely observed everyone with an eerie composure, leaving the food untouched while silently staring at the sky and the ground below.
Even Corin refrained from pressing the issue, offering only gentle encouragement.
"I have just received a message from the shelter."
Promet addressed the group following their meal. The gray haired youth listened in silence without offering any commentary.
Whatever Promet said, the youth did not hear clearly, but the essence was that the people back at the police shelter had located a few more survivors outside.
The situation there was quite chaotic, as several individuals had turned to cannibalism—or rather, succumbed to madness and preyed on human flesh—leaving vulnerable groups like the elderly and young children at a severe disadvantage.
Old woman Lily was currently managing the division of groups to keep the situation under control.
Meanwhile, their scouting team needed to reach the nearest private hospital to gather medical supplies for the wounded before making a swift return.