“Do you think those hordes of Defects are still around?” Kamou looked up at him with her question.

“Well, I don’t imagine some shining hero came and wiped them all out…so, I’d go with yeah,” he nodded a bit, adjusting his glasses, “it’s not really worth the risk anyway.”

“Agreed. You’re pretty sharp, Jeong-Hui. Though it wouldn’t make sense if you weren’t,” Myung-Hee slapped him on the back with a smile.

He looked back at her with a disheveled look after being slapped on the back with her stinging brawn, adjusting his glasses again, “What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve got glasses! So, it’d be weird if you weren’t smart!” The short-haired woman laughed.

“Oh…er, that’s not how it works, but I guess…” He replied quietly.

“I’m fine with going around,” Kamou smiled, “It might sound weird, but…I kind of want to see more of the city, or…how it’s turned out.”

He looked at her for a moment, seeing the melancholic glint in her azure eyes before wearing a smile of his own, “Yeah.”

Moving on, it was distinctly more quiet through the plaza, cutting through one of the large-scale, now abandoned malls.

While they were walking, he used the skill points he accrued from his level up, finding a new [Passive Ability] that stuck out to him in the newly opened paths of his sub-class: “[Natural Martial Arts]”. He put both points into it, deciding that a passive was likely worth it either way.

“It’s surprisingly not as ransacked as I imagined it’d be,” he commented while strolling through the plaza.

It had obviously been run through, but most of the merchandise was still left within the stores. A few bodies occupied the large establishment here and there, but it seemed mostly untouched.

“Most people were wiped out the first day, so…it’s not that surprising,” Kamou said meekly.

“That’s true,” he said, looking around, “It looks like some people tried to use it as a base, though.”_.

There were obvious signs of campsites within the mall: tattered, abandoned tents and leftover, discarded cups of noodles and other canned foods were tossed about.

“Doesn’t look like it worked out too well,” Myung-Hee muttered uncaringly, kicking one of the cans as it echoed through the vast, empty establishment.

“Myung-Hee!” Kamou hissed quietly.

The muscular woman nodded, “My bad…”

Looking around a bit, it seemed the important items, such as non perishable food items, bedding, and clothes. Surprisingly, there were marks of battle left in the plaza–certain walls were caved in as if on the receiving end of a powerful impact, chunks were carved from the ground, and burn marks were left on certain surfaces.

“Looks like spells were used,” he said, knelt down and investigating one of the burned spots of the ground, “…at least, that’s my best guess.”

[Question Recognized.]

[Processing…]

He didn’t recall asking a question, but the strong, inquisitive intent he held in his mind must’ve prompted the system as the monotone, feminine voice resounded in his head with prompt appearing.

[Answer: Player spells have been cast in this area recently.]

“Looks like there were people here recently,” he told the other two, standing back up as he looked around.

There was an entirely separate floor, housing more of the hole-in-the-wall stores that tended to sell electronics, makeup, and other such products.

“Recently, or still here?” Myung-Hee asked.

“That’s the question, I suppose,” he rubbed his head, “Unfortunately, the system doesn’t really give you the information you really need, does it?”

“Other people…” Kamou said quietly, holding her hands together worriedly.

It was a scary thought, as he could guess what the average person still trying to survive in the falling world likely has resorted to, but he tried to reassure the silver-haired, bright-uniformed girl with a pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, “I mean, I was a random player, right? Maybe if we run into anybody, they’ll be nice.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t bet on that. You’re sort of an anomaly, kid,” Myung-Hee sighed out.

“Why’s that?”

After asking that question, he looked at the two women, who instead of giving him an answer, only stared at him for a moment before looking between one another and laughing a bit.

“…Yeah, that totally doesn’t make me self-conscious or anything,” he mumbled with his hands on the sides of his black-and-silver coat.

Kamou laughed a bit harder, covering her mouth, but quickly shaking her head to dissuade any notions of insult, “No, that’s not what we mean…”

“Then what do you mean?” He crossed his arms over his chest with a raise of one of his red eyebrows.

“Well…you’re unnaturally kind, Jeong-Hui,” Kamou smiled, “that’s a good thing–well, I think it is, anyway.”

Being told something like that with such a warm smile accompanying those words, it was too bright for him not to avert his gaze as he blushed just a tad, scratching his cheek bashfully, “Is that so?…”

“It’s a good thing, at times. I just think you can’t be nice like that to everybody ya’ meet, ya’ know?” Myung-Hee told him, “A lot of people will take advantage of ya’.”

“So…just be nice to you both, then?” He asked jokingly.

“Pretty much,” Myung-Hee slapped him on the shoulder.

Being hit on the shoulder, he squinted a bit before sighing out, “Back to the point…if we do run into anybody, let’s try not to start a fight, at least.”

Though he said it to both of them, Myung-Hee received the brunt of his words as she raised an eyebrow with her toned arms folded over her firm chest.

“Do ya’ think I’m just going to clobber any random person I meet?” She asked.

“–“

“Don’t look at me like that!” Myung-Hee huffed, playfully knocking her knuckles against the top of his head of curly, red hair.

“You’re not helping your case–!” He yelled back at her, holding his head.

They came to a quick, silent stop as a loud, clear noise echoed through the mall, bouncing wall from wall as the jarring sound captured their attention.

It sounded like something had crashed against the floor, but it was in a different section of the building as they couldn’t see anything that would merit such a booming sound.

“What was…–”

Before he could question what the sound was, another came, but this time–it was clear what it was.

“AAA–!”

A loud, feminine scream echoed throughout the mall, causing them all nearly to jump. It didn’t sound aimed at them, or malicious, but instead a scream made out of fear and distress.

“A scream…?” He muttered in confusion.

“The hell is that about?” Myung-Hee asked, looking around to see where it came from.

“It sounds like she’s in trouble…” Kamou said with a quiet worry, clutching her staff in her hands.

They stood there for a moment, debating on what to do without exchanging a word before–another scream came.

That second scream was all the motivation he needed to finally take a step forward, this time having a clear feeling of the direction it came from.

“Jeong-Hui!” Kamou called out, reaching towards him as he already broke off in a sprint.

He looked back, “We can’t waste any time if they’re in trouble!”

“Hold it! Don’t be so hasty!”

Myung-Hee grabbed his hood, causing him to stop as he looked back at the tall woman with anxious eyes.

“What’re you stopping me for?”

“This could be a trap, ya’ know?” Myung-Hee told him, “I don’t know about you, but we’ve experienced it a lot in this new world.”

“–“

Kamou was quiet while the short-haired woman spoke to him seriously, holding onto his azure hood still.

“People are ruthless out here, nowadays. If it means a lick of experience, they won’t hesitate to stick a blade in ya’. That’s the kind of messed up place this world has turned into,” Myung-Hee told him.

“And you want me to ignore the screams?” He asked, looking at the woman.

Myung-Hee stared at him silently and intently for a moment, “I want ya’ to think this over before charging into what could obviously be a trap.”

He snatched away from the grip she held on his hood, seeing that the silver-haired, youthful woman was watching silently with a conflicted look in her eyes the entire time.

“Sorry, but I’ll take that chance,” he looked at Myung-Hee and Kamou, “I’d rather help and regret it, than not help and regret it. I took that chance with the both of you, so I’d be a hypocrite not to do the same again.”

In truth, he didn’t want to do it. He knew it was the wrong move to make, if survival was his priority, that is. But, in the bowels of Armageddon, he wanted to spite what deemed him the “lowest of the low”–one who started out with nothing, recognized as nothing, and predicted to become nothing.

…I believe there is a logical benefit to this, as well. If I do find somebody who is alone and in need of help, then that’s another person we can add to our ranks–another hand on deck is infinitely better than one less. It’s a gamble, he thought.

“Jeong-Hui…” Kamou said quietly.

He smiled a bit, “But, I’m not going to ask you to follow along in my stupid ways, so–wait here for me!”

Breaking off before they could get another word in, he took off in a swift pursuit towards the source of the screams.

“Hey, kid!” Myung-Hee called out, trying to stop him.

It was too late; he was already set on the path he took, firmly following what he believed to be right.