Entering Apocalypse in Easy-Mode

Clyde reflexively held his breath when he saw Mina’s eyes open. For a moment, he did not know what would happen next.

Would she start screaming again? Would the memories return and drag her back into the terrible experiences she had endured during the Selection Stage?

Clyde was not sure if he could bear watching Mina fall apart like that.

Mina looked frantic at first. Her eyes moved rapidly from one side of the room to another.

She looked confused, almost as if she were searching for something. Her breathing became uneven, and Clyde could see the panic beginning to return to her expression.

Then her eyes found him. Everything changed at that point. The panic in her face gradually faded.

Mina released a weak breath, and something that looked like relief appeared in her eyes.

"You... you’re here." A small smile appeared on her face.

"I’m here," Clyde answered shortly. He stepped closer to her bed and looked down at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible."

Clyde immediately regretted asking. Of course she felt terrible. What kind of question was that?

Mina looked away. "If you’re here..." Her voice became quieter. "Then that means everything really happened."

Clyde remained silent for a moment. Then he nodded. "Yes."

He saw no reason to lie to her. Perhaps accepting reality quickly would be better for her.

Or perhaps the truth would only cause her to crumble beneath the weight of everything she had experienced.

But Clyde still believed honesty was better.

Mina swallowed. Her throat moved heavily. Then she closed her eyes.

Tears slowly flowed down her cheeks. She immediately wiped them away with her hand.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked.

"A few weeks."

Mina opened her eyes again. "You woke up before all of us?"

Clyde nodded.

"I knew it," Mina said. A faint smile appeared on her face.

Then her expression changed. Her eyes became sharp. Her jaw clenched.

"Help me get stronger," Mina said.

Clyde stared at her. There was fire in her eyes now. Anger, hatred, the desire for revenge.

When Clyde looked into those eyes, he felt as though he was staring at his own reflection.

"Of course," Clyde said.

He already understood what she meant. He knew what she wanted.

"But before that, you need to focus on recovering," Clyde added.

Mina remained silent.

"When the doctors and nurses decide you’re healthy enough to leave, come find me. Until then, don’t do anything reckless. If you push yourself too far now, you’ll only destroy your own body."

Mina gritted her teeth. Then she nodded firmly. "It won’t take long."

Clyde nodded. He reached down and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Then he turned and walked out of the infirmary.

He believed her. Determination and hatred could become incredible sources of strength.

Especially for someone who wanted revenge against the Higher Beings.

—

Clyde went to find Hammer shortly afterward.

He told the craftsman that Mina was his friend and that she would soon need proper equipment.

Hammer immediately became interested.

"Your friend?" he asked.

Clyde nodded.

"Then I’ll make her something good."

Hammer did not intend to make ordinary equipment for someone connected to Clyde. He immediately began thinking about the best materials and designs he could use.

—

While Mina continued recovering, Clyde kept taking missions.

For the next several days, he accompanied Samuel, Leyan, and the rest of their team on several relatively safe missions.

They entered Ruins, completed their objectives, and returned to Sivagadh Fortress without encountering anything particularly dangerous like Robert.

Then one night, after another exhausting mission, Clyde returned to his living quarters.

He walked through the corridor and stopped. Mina was standing beside his door.

Clyde stared at her and Mina stared back. The moment their eyes met, Clyde understood that she was ready.

Only a few days had passed since she had awakened, yet Mina already looked far healthier than before. The color had returned to her face, and she no longer looked weak to collapse at any moment.

Clyde had expected her recovery to take much longer. Apparently, Mina had recovered faster than he expected.

"Come in," Clyde said.

Mina nodded.

They entered the room together and Clyde closed the door behind them.

Mina walked toward one of the chairs and sat down. Clyde took the chair opposite her.

"I’m ready to fight again." Mina went directly to the point.

Clyde looked at her silently. There was no hesitation in her voice. The frightened girl who had awakened screaming inside the infirmary was gone.

What sat before him now was someone who had made a decision. Someone who wanted strength.

Clyde leaned back in his chair and studied Mina for a moment.

"I need to explain first what this place is," Clyde said.

Mina nodded and listened.

"This place is a refuge for the races that became victims of the Selection Stage. Survivors were gathered from different worlds and brought here. The Sivagadh Fortress protects them from the Ruins and gives them a place to recover."

Mina’s eyes widened slightly. She had expected perhaps another temporary shelter, not an entire civilization built around survivors from countless worlds.

"There is also a Council," Clyde continued. "They govern the fortress and decide how its resources are used. Then there are fighter groups like Samuel’s team where I belong now. They take missions into the Ruins, gather resources, rescue survivors, and deal with threats that could endanger this place."

He continued explaining the fortress. He told her about the different facilities, the mission system, and the training dimensions where fighters could improve their abilities without constantly risking their lives in actual Ruins.

Mina remained silent throughout the explanation. The more she heard, the more surprised she became.

"I didn’t think a place like this existed," she finally said.

"Neither did I at first." Clyde paused before continuing. "If you want to become stronger, you’ll need to join one of the fighter groups eventually. Training alone won’t be enough. You need actual experience."

"I see." Mina nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe I should go to the training dimension first. I need to get myself into shape."

"Don’t push yourself too hard."

"I’ll try." Mina lowered her gaze for a moment. Then her expression hardened. "But I’m not sure I can control my anger."

Clyde’s eyes narrowed.

"I’m serious, Mina. You can train hard, but you can’t destroy yourself doing it. We will kill them. We will destroy the Higher Beings responsible for this. But we can’t act recklessly."

Mina stared at him. Something about Clyde’s words made her realize that he had been walking this path for a long time. His anger was not the wild rage of someone who had just lost everything. It had become something colder and more controlled.

She decided to listen.

"All right," Mina said. "I’ll go now. Let’s meet again soon."

She stood and left Clyde’s quarters, heading toward the living quarters that had been prepared for her.

Clyde watched the door close behind her.

His jaw tightened. This time, he would not allow the same fate to happen again. He would make sure she survived.

—

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