Fifteen years ago, our world was overrun by an unknown species—aliens unlike anything we had ever imagined. Their structures rose overnight, impossibly advanced, their technology far beyond our comprehension. We knew instantly:
humanity stood no chance.
They wiped out our governments, our industries, our armies… and eventually, our entire civilization.
The Resistance was formed, but it was hopeless. We lost a hundred humans just to kill five aliens. Our extinction felt inevitable—
until the world discovered the Apex Humans.
They were different.
Humans who had undergone continuous, rapid evolution.
Humans capable of superhuman strength, inhuman reflexes, and abilities that broke every natural law.
A single Apex could take on ten aliens and walk away victorious.
Of course, it didn't take long for the aliens to catch on.
They began hunting Apex Humans—mercilessly.
Children, mothers, fathers… it didn't matter.
To them, an Apex was the only true threat to their rule.
So they hunted us like prey.
I should also mention—there are two alien species.
The Takers
Machines in appearance. Violent by nature. They kill humans on sight.
The Verilians
They pretend to cooperate, offering deals that only benefit themselves. They avoid contact unless absolutely necessary, but don't be fooled—they're no less dangerous.
And me?
My name… is Number 153G, I'm an apex too and I'm going to save the world.
The narration fades, and it becomes clear that the voice belonged to a fifteen-year-old boy—white hair, bright blue eyes, and a dangerously cute face that didn't match his chaotic energy.
Number 153G.
Inside a broken-down house — just a messy, half-collapsed house—three surviving Apex teenagers hid from the outside world.
"So you still haven't given up on that weird goal of yours?"
Number 154G—black hair, cold eyes, cool face, gloomy attitude, and permanently lazy posture—glared at him with his usual deadpan expression. He was 153G's best friend… basically because their numbers were next to each other.
"Hell no!!! I'm not stopping until I kick all of their alien butts!" 153G shouted with explosive enthusiasm.
"Good luck with that," 154G muttered, throwing himself onto his ruined mattress like a corpse returning to its grave.
"The sun's coming up. We better get back on the road," 153G said.
154G groaned, waving his arms weakly.
"Do we really have to keep walking? I'm sooo tired. Let's just give up and die."
"That's NOT the attitude of someone who's going to save the world, 154G!!"
"I never said I was joining your stupid, unattainable, suicidal goal," 154G replied flatly. "My dream is to do nothing until I become nothing. That's my goal."
He even gave a lazy, comforting smile—one so forced you could physically feel how tired he was of existing.
"B-b-but we're best friends…" 153G whined like a child.
"I'm not your best friend. Now shut up and die," 154G said without a shred of emotion.
153G looked down, crushed for exactly three seconds… then a wicked grin spread across his face.
"I'll give you chocolate if you come with me."
154G teleported to the doorway.
"What the hell are we still doing here? Let's go."
Completely deceived by chocolate, the two boys headed out.
After a few steps, 153G stopped.
"…Wait. We're forgetting something, aren't we?"
They both stood there thinking.
Ten minutes passed.
Twenty.
Thirty.
They shrugged in perfect sync and continued walking.
A moment later, screaming erupted behind them—getting closer fast.
The boys turned.
Their souls left their bodies.
A pink-haired girl—124-sub D—was sprinting toward them with murder in her eyes.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU TWO! WHY DID YOU ABANDON MEEEEEEE!?" she shrieked.
Knowing full well the world of pain approaching, both boys screamed and tried to run.
They didn't make it three steps.
She caught them, tackled them, and knocked them both out cold.
The sun filtered through the cracked ceiling panels of the ruined hallway as the three trudged forward.
153g held his cheek with both hands.
"Ugh… I can't feel my face… I think she broke my smile muscles…"
154g glanced at him with a deadpan expression, one eye half-swollen shut.
"You don't need smile muscles. You smile too much. She did the world a favor."
124-sub D snorted, arms folded like a victorious general.
"That's what you two get for leaving me behind in the burning corridor while you ran like rabbits!"
153g blinked rapidly.
"We didn't run like rabbits! We ran like— like highly trained escape strategists!"
154g sighed deeply.
"You tripped over your shoelace and dragged me down with you. That was not a strategy."
153g pointed at him dramatically.
"HEY. It was tactical falling."
124-sub D flicked both their foreheads so fast they squeaked in unison.
"Tactical my butt. Next time you forget me again, I'll send both of you through a wall."
153g immediately straightened his back.
"Yes ma'am! Permission to breathe?"
"No."
154g stared ahead with his gloomy, lazy look.
"Why am I even still with you two…"
153g leaned against him with a grin despite the pain.
"Because you love us~"
"I don't," 154g muttered, cheeks heating the tiniest bit.
124-sub D raised a brow.
"Awwww, he's blushing again. Should I take a picture?"
"I'm not."
He turned away so fast it cricked his neck.
"Ugh… great. Now my neck hurts too."
153g patted his shoulder.
"I got you—"
"DON'T TOUCH ME."
They walked through the hallway filled with broken pipes and flickering lights, dust sprinkling from above as the building groaned under distant explosions.
153g peered around nervously.
"Do you think more takers are around?"
124-sub D shrugged.
"Probably. They're like cockroaches. Except they kill you instead of eating your cereal."
154g sighed again — but this time in a more serious tone.
"We're almost outside. Stay alert."
153g whispered dramatically,
"I was born alert."
124-sub D slapped him on the back of the head.
"No you weren't."
They moved into a wider hall… and suddenly 154g stopped.
153g bumped right into his back.
"Bro, why'd you stop—"
"Sh. Don't move," 154g whispered, eyes narrowing.
124-sub D immediately dropped into a crouch.
Her voice lowered.
"What did you sense?"
154g didn't answer. His gaze drifted toward the broken window up ahead… where something metallic glinted between the vines and debris.
153g squinted.
"Is that… a vending machine?"
124-sub D punched his arm.
"NO, YOU IDIOT—THAT'S A SCOUT!"
There, perched on a collapsed beam like a mechanical spider, was a Taker-class scout drone.
Silent.
Scanning.
Rotating its head with sharp metallic clicks.
Its three glowing lenses swept across the hall like a lighthouse.
The trio immediately ducked behind a shattered pillar.
153g whispered aggressively,
"Okay okay okay—plan—someone think of a plan—124 you're smart right??"
124-sub D rolled her eyes.
"I am, but I'm not suicidal! If I run at level two it'll hear the sonic pressure. If I go level three I'll blow the whole wall off!"
153g's face froze.
"Should we… pretend to be rocks?"
154g stared at him with dead, tired eyes.
"Yes. Let's evolve into minerals. Great plan."
153g puffed up.
"It worked for frogs!"
"What frogs?" 154g snapped quietly.
"…the frogs! Enough said."
124-sub D pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You two are going to be the death of me…"
153g curled beside them, whispering,
"Okay, okay. New plan: we wait for it to leave—"
But then—
The scout's metallic head jerked sharply.
The scanning lens stopped.
And turned directly toward their pillar.
The air froze.
Even 153g didn't breathe.
154g lowered his voice to an icy whisper.
"…It sensed movement."
124-sub D's pupils contracted.
153g clutched both of them.
"I DIDN'T MOVE—WHO MOVED—SOMEONE BREATHED—STOP BREATHING—"
The scout raised its rifle-arm.
A faint charging sound began to hum—