The supermarket, once a place of mundane Saturday chores, had become their sanctuary. The group sat in the corners of the aisles, the floor cold beneath them as they ate in weary, flickering silence.
"We have nineteen hours left," Liyana said, her blue system panel casting a ghostly glow over her tired face. She stared at the ticking clock as if she could slow it down with her gaze alone.
"Gather as much as you can," Jeesuk instructed, his voice regaining its steady, leader-like quality. "Food, medicine—everyone needs a backpack. We don't know when we'll see a store again."
"Carry flashlights, lighters, and daggers too," Yoorie added, looking up from her water bottle. Her eyes were sharp, thinking two steps ahead. "What if the System glitches? What if we find ourselves in a situation where our skills don't work? We need to be able to survive even if the blue screens disappear."
Kyna smiled, leaning over to pat Yoorie's shoulder. "Don't worry, Yoorie. We're here. We'll protect you."
Yoorie returned the smile, though a small pang of guilt twisted in her chest. She was grateful for them—precious friends who, even in the middle of an apocalypse, were worried about her safety. They saw a Level 1 Mage who had just started walking; they didn't see the Level 999 powerhouse hiding in plain sight.
"I'm still thinking about those people from the other school," Joel said, rolling his eyes as he stuffed a bag of jerky into his pack. "How could they pick a fight at a time like this? I'm just glad they're gone."
"This all feels like a dream," Minnie whispered. She wasn't eating. A single tear tracked through the dust on her cheek. "Where are our parents? I'm so worried..."
She began to cry silently, her shoulders shaking. The reality of the empty, crimson streets was finally sinking in.
"Hey," Joel called out, his tone softening. "Don't cry, silly. They're grown-ups, Minnie. They're probably hunkered down somewhere safe. Just think of this as a video game—we just have to fight to survive the level, and then we'll find them."
Joel's natural cheerfulness acted like a hearth in the cold room, bringing a flicker of warmth to their spirits.
"He's right," Yoorie said, standing up. Her legs felt stronger with every passing hour. "I think we should eat and rest for a few hours. Then, we pack everything and head for the Science Lab. We have to make those nineteen hours count."
Everyone nodded, but the world outside wouldn't let them rest for long. Through the glass doors, Minnie pointed out the shadows moving in the dark. "There are small monsters everywhere. They're scattered like crows."
Suddenly, Jeesuk stood up, his hand on his hilt. Outside, a girl in a tattered uniform—not from their school—was stumbling across the asphalt. She was clutching her side, her face pale as a twisted creature closed in on her.
Jeesuk and Joel moved in sync, dashing out into the crimson twilight. With a swift flash of steel and a blunt strike from Joel's weapon, the monster was cut down.
"Minnie, help me!" Yoorie called out.
Together, they guided the injured girl into the supermarket. While Minnie focused her healing light, Yoorie knelt beside the stranger, offering water. "Drink slowly. You're safe now."
The girl's breathing finally slowed as her wounds knit back together. She looked up, her eyes hollow. "Why did you save me? My own team... they just left me."
"Left you?" Liyana asked, her brow furrowing.
The girl nodded miserably. "I was part of a group from the Vocational school. They were... the bullies of our grade. They thought they'd be the strongest because they got Fighter classes. But when the monsters came, I couldn't keep up. They told me I was dead weight. A Level 1 Mage is useless, they said."
"Oh, those brats we met earlier?" Joel said, his eyes widening. "So you were in their group."
Yoorie felt a sharp spark of irritation. She didn't realize she had scoffed until the sound echoed in the aisle.
"Mages are not weak," Yoorie said, her voice firmer than usual. The ruby wand at her side seemed to pulse in agreement. "In fact, mages are often the fastest to level up during a fight. They were fools to leave you."
The girl looked at Yoorie with hope. "Are you a Mage too? What level are you?"
Yoorie looked at her friends, then back at the girl. "I started as a Level 1," she lied smoothly. "But I just leveled up to Level 2 after the battle in our classroom. See? It doesn't take long. Don't worry—you'll get stronger too."
The lie worked. The girl's shoulders relaxed.
"What's your name?" Kyna asked.
"Minji," she replied.
"Minji," Liyana leaned in, "where did your system tell you to go for the next level?"
"The Science Lab," Minji said. "At Model High School."
The group went still. Yoorie's eyes widened. "So everyone got our school as the next level arena."
"It means every student from every school is being funneled to our campus," Jeesuk clarified, his voice dropping into a serious, analytical tone.
"Ugh, so annoying," Joel groaned. "That means we have to deal with those bullies, plus hundreds of other students? It's going to be a disaster."
"Rest while you can," Yoorie said, her voice quiet but determined. "If the whole city is coming to our school, we need to be the ones who control the ground. It's our home, after all."
Jeesuk looked at her, a small, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "She's right. Let's get some sleep. We move at dawn."