The second night came quietly.
Too quietly.
The survivors had begun to sleep in turns — if sleep could even be called that. The air inside the shelter was damp and heavy. Shadows from the dim lamp clung to the walls like stains that refused to leave.
Raon lay awake near the corner, his mind replaying the train, the screams, the broken city.
His eyes refused to close.
Then — a sound.
Thump.
Followed by another.
Thump… thump…
It came from the tunnel outside the steel door — slow, uneven, growing louder with every heartbeat.
Someone whispered, "What was that?"
A child whimpered. The woman beside him pulled the boy close, her eyes darting to the door.
Then came the growl — deep, wet, animalistic.
Every head turned toward the sound.
The first person screamed. "They've found us!"
Instant panic. People stumbled to their feet, some grabbing pipes, knives, or rusted metal rods. The more desperate ones tried to push furniture against the door.
"Cover the children!"
"Get back! Stay quiet!"
The old man near the entrance clenched his jaw and whispered, "It was only a matter of time…"
Raon stood, his pulse pounding in his ears. The air itself seemed to freeze.
The door began to bend inward —
a dent forming, then another.
And then it broke.
---
The steel door burst open as a massive shadow lunged through.
The creature's shape was canine, but its body was twisted — ribs exposed, jaws splitting too wide. Eyes glowed faintly red under the flickering light.
Screams filled the air.
The first man who swung his weapon was torn apart in seconds. Blood splattered the wall.
Raon moved without thinking. Someone shoved something into his hands —
a sword. Rusted but sharp enough.
"Take this!" a voice yelled — a man with a shaved head, holding a broken pipe. "We have to fight!"
Raon gripped the sword tightly, his mind empty of thought.
He swung — the blade cut through the first creature's neck halfway before snapping into pieces.
The broken hilt fell from his hands.
The monster roared and lunged.
He raised his arm in a desperate attempt to block—
And then — shards of ice burst from the air, piercing through the monster's body and pinning it to the wall.
Raon blinked. The air turned cold around him.
He looked to the side — and saw him.
A young man, barely in his twenties, standing amid the chaos. His right hand was glowing with frost, his expression hard and focused.
Raon recognized that face instantly.
"…You—"
He was one of the survivors from the train.
The young man's hand lowered as steam rose from the icy remains of the monster.
But before Raon could speak, another System window flickered before his eyes.
> [Skill Copy Completed — "Ice Bullet" Acquired.]
Due to insufficient synchronization, skill rank has been lowered to F-.
Raon froze.
"What—" he began, but another monster leapt toward him.
Without thinking, he raised his hand.
A surge of cold ran down his arm.
A sharp spike of ice erupted from his palm and shot straight through the creature's skull.
The monster fell, twitching.
The young man stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief.
"…I didn't know you had the same skill as me."
Raon looked at his trembling hand, the frost still fading from his skin.
"I… didn't know either."