CHAPTER 541: DESPERATION

Clyde and Mina kept moving forward, slaying everything in their path.

Their movement was a blur of motion and blood. Clyde’s spear never slowed and Mina’s dagger never left her hand.

Corpses piled behind them, and the Exp kept coming. They experienced more level ups through more kills. And definitely more of the gore.

But something was off.

Clyde noticed it first.

They were leveling up but neither of them had gained a single new skill.

Just stat points and raw Exp points.

And that wasn’t normal.

They should’ve received something by now. Especially Mina. The system should’ve adapted to her faster and rewarded her with basic low ranked skills to balance the difficulty spike of the monsters that kept coming at her.

But it wasn’t.

Clyde gritted his teeth as his spear cracked through the skull of a charging monster with elongated limbs. Why did something like this happen?

He had plenty of skills already though most of their power still remained locked, requiring higher levels or conditions to activate. So it wasn’t a big deal for him.

But Mina? She was running dry. She had a single weapon but with no skill. She needed something to keep her alive and the system wasn’t giving it.

"Something’s wrong," Clyde thought. "This World Master..."

Maybe this was all just a game to him. A twisted experiment for his amusement. Maybe he wanted to see how long humans could survive on sheer will before giving them a chance to evolve. He was crazier than most World Masters he knew after all.

Or maybe there was something worse waiting at the end.

Clyde shoved the thought down. He couldn’t afford to get lost in it now. They were still in the middle of the battle.

He looked to Mina.

She was trembling. Her breaths were short and shallow. Her steps dragged slightly.

She hadn’t said anything but he could see it clearly that she was near her limit.

So the next moment they had a gap, Clyde moved without a word.

He grabbed her wrist and yanked her off the blood-slicked street, through the broken side of a crumbling building and into a shadowed corner behind a collapsed stairwell.

Mina stumbled and tried to pull free.

"I’m fine," she panted. "I can keep—"

"You’re not fine," Clyde said sharply. "You’re about to collapse. If you keep pushing your body like this, you’ll die."

Mina opened her mouth but nothing came out. Just a shallow exhale. She looked down at her hands. Blood. Gore. Bits of flesh still clung to her sleeves.

Her dagger trembled in her grip. Her muscles twitching from exhaustion.

He was right.

If he hadn’t pulled her aside just now, she would’ve kept going and probably dropped mid-fight to be pounced from all directions by the monsters.

She sank to the floor, breathing hard. Her body throbbed, her arms burned, and her legs felt so heavy.

"I... I didn’t realize..." she whispered.

"You never do until it’s too late," Clyde muttered. "This isn’t a game anymore. You have to manage your body like you manage your weapon."

Mina nodded slowly, her throat tight.

Then, her eyes grew distant.

She thought of her parents. Of their house.

She had no idea what had happened to them since this nightmare began. Were they still alive? Or had they been torn apart like the people in the streets?

That’s why they were headed there in the first place. She needed to know. She needed to see it with her own eyes and maybe save her parents if she really still had the time.

But there were no vehicles operating anymore. No buses or taxis. And driving anything would make them a target instantly. So they walked. Street by street. Through smoke and ruin and monsters.

Clyde hadn’t said anything about it, but she knew he understood. He knew she was scared.

He hadn’t tried to comfort her with lies either. And that, strangely, made her trust him more.

Because the truth was he probably thought they were dead.

And maybe... they were.

But he didn’t say that. He didn’t break her.

He just kept leading her forward.

Now, as Mina sat slumped against the cold wall, eyes half-lidded with fatigue, Clyde opened his system again.

There it was.

A glowing timer in the corner of his vision.

[Scenario 1 Remaining Time: 01:03:17]

One hour left until the first scenario ended.

He knew what came after that. Maybe a boss fight? Or just another scenario.

But his instincts told him things were about to get worse. Because he doesn’t know what that crazy World Master will do.

He needed to prepare for that.

Clyde turned to Mina, who was still on the ground, her back against the wall and eyes glazed with fatigue. He crouched beside her and spoke in a low voice.

"We might not be able to reach your house in time," he said. "The day’s starting to get dark. Traveling through the night with your condition is suicide."

Mina looked up at him, eyes wide and sad but not broken. Her lips trembled. Then she clenched her jaw and pushed herself upright, gripping her dagger tight.

"No," she said, her voice shaking but still firm. "We have to reach my house now. Before anything else happens. I need to see my parents."

Her hands trembled. Her legs weren’t steady. But her voice carried a determination that left no room for argument.

Clyde stared at her. He didn’t speak for a moment.

He knew what that look meant. That kind of fire didn’t come from stubbornness. It came from desperation.

If he said no, she would go anyway. And she would die.

So he sighed.

"Alright," he muttered. "We go now. I will lead and get you there in one piece."

Mina blinked, surprised at how quickly he agreed. Then her expression softened, and a flicker of gratitude passed through her tired features.

"Thank you, Jack."

He didn’t answer.

They stayed there in silence a little longer. Just enough time to catch their breath. Just enough time to push the burn in their muscles a little deeper, bottle it up, and carry it with them.

Then Clyde stood and checked the street again. It was clear for now.

He turned back to Mina and extended a hand.

"It’s time to move again."

She nodded, took his hand, and together they slipped back into the war-torn streets.

---