“Gaaahk—!!”‘Huh, well now.’It really did seem to understand what I’d said.Even so, when I turned the controls to follow it, all I could see ahead were ruins.‘Still, if it’s flying in a straight line like that, there’s got to be something there.’But what exactly could cause an encounter here?There was no easy way to guess. There were simply too many possibilities.And besides, this was a rather unusual type of encounter.Encounters came in many forms, but this was the first one caused by an animal.Yet the closer I drew to the apparent destination——I began to vaguely understand why this encounter had occurred.“That place is…”A strange-looking building.Not tall, but enormous in scale—and within it, countless oval-shaped capsules packed tightly together.The entire area was strewn with trash and discarded debris.I recognized it immediately.A district for those who couldn’t afford the absurd housing prices,who instead chose to live inside capsule homes called Eggs.‘A residential zone…’Yes, it was the Egg Housing Complex.A place that most clearly embodied the dystopian reality of this world—and in another sense, a mental hellscape that drove players to despair.Those who lived here were mockingly called “Eggers.”And the complex itself had an even crueler nickname—the Chicken Coop. (TL note: what are these nicknames bruh)The memory left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.A queasy, twisting discomfort.And then I realized why the crow had led me here.If an encounter had occurred in this place, that could only mean one thing—‘There’s a survivor.’Someone is still alive.Maybe the crow’s owner—or someone connected to them.My thoughts grew complicated.If there really was a survivor…“…Haa.”Even if I rescued them, what then?I’d at least need to escort them somewhere safe.But doing so would cost precious time.Cold as it was to calculate the profit and loss of another person’s life,it was a necessary calculation now.Because I no longer had the luxury of thinking only about myself.‘Still, I can’t just ignore it.’After coming this far, turning away wasn’t an option.I hadn’t lost that much of my humanity yet.So I decided to land on a rooftop.It would be tricky—I’d have to minimize Black Wing’s engine noise during descent.‘There’s no way this place is uninhabited.’Experience told me that much.To the creatures roaming the world, this place would be a perfect feeding ground.Even without that logic, the stench told me everything.Not the smell of corpses—something fouler, heavier.This wasn’t exactly a hotspot for mutants,so I could’ve cleared them out and moved on —but falling into that habit usually leads to costly mistakes down the line.Caution never hurts.Come to think of it, the crow had gone silent.It must have known that mutants here were sensitive to sound.Maybe all that loud cawing earlier was meant to warn me before we arrived.The crow beside me stared up with clear, intelligent eyes.“Your owner’s here, isn’t he?”Rather than answer, the bird flapped its wings and flew ahead—which was answer enough.I followed, hand tightening around my sword’s hilt.A flick—and the blade of Zero slid free from its cloth wrapping,my senses sharpening instantly.[‘Hyper Sense’ Activated]My perception widened in an instant, lighting up the surroundings.And then I froze.Something unexpected.‘What the—?’Inside the Egg Housing Complex——there were more survivors than I’d imagined.Had some kind of group taken up residence here?Unlikely.This place had no steady access to supplies,nor was it defensible against mutant attacks.Then why?No clue yet—only the faint sensation of eyes watching from the shadows.They weren’t filled with hostility or fear.I could tell from their breathing.‘This feeling…’Closer to curiosity.But I couldn’t be sure.Premature judgment would be dangerous.Still, if I wasn’t sure—I couldn’t just let them keep hiding, either.Moving swiftly and silently,I closed the distance in a blur.“Hu—huh!?”I seized a wrist before any counterattack could come—and immediately realized something was off.‘Thin.’Too slender to belong to an adult.I loosened my grip, and whoever it was tried to yank free and scramble away.“Wait—”“Ah!”A small child. Maybe nine or ten.Frozen stiff with terror.“Damn…”I held out a hand to help them up—but that only made things worse.“Kyaah!”The child threw both arms up, trembling violently.I felt a wave of guilt hit me.“S-sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”Honestly, I was just as startled.Luckily, my [Actor] trait made even my awkward smile look genuine.And before long, others began to rush out of hiding.They’d jumped out to save their friend—brave, but trembling.“Are you oka—ah… ah?”“Uh…”The moment their eyes met mine, they froze, too.Still, one of them—a slightly older kid—helped the fallen child up,brushing dust off their clothes.“You’re okay, right? Not hurt?”‘God… what do I even do here?’I had no idea how to handle this.So I did the only thing I could—dug through my bag and pulled out some food.“I’m really sorry I scared you. You must be hungry, right? Here—take this.”But the children quickly shook their heads, refusing.The crow beside me let out a low, exasperated caw.“Gaaahk… kaak—”I’ve never been good with kids.Not that I dislike them—I just… find them difficult.Maybe that’s why the ones before me felt so burdensome.“This…”One of them pointed at a bag of candy.“Ah, sure.”As the tension faded and they decided I wasn’t a bad person,the fear on their faces began to ease.Soon, curiosity took its place.And I couldn’t help wondering—how had these kids ended up here?How had they survived this long?The answers had to be nearby.Maybe they were tied to this encounter.Still, I couldn’t press too hard.Some memories are wounds best left untouched.“Want some more?”“Oh!”They didn’t talk much—no chatter, no laughter.Just soft murmurs, voices barely above a whisper.But they did eat well.That alone was a small comfort.Except for one child, who quietly stashed their food away instead of eating.I pretended not to notice.Once things calmed down, I stood to leave.The crow, who’d vanished for a while, came hopping back.“Kaak?”My bag was still overflowing with rations,so I set a few more down before standing up.‘Eli really did think of everything.’Maybe the bag’s weight reflected her worry.A trusted comrade’s concern isn’t something you take lightly—but right now, it felt okay to set it down.“Kids, I have to go now.”“Huh?”“You’re leaving, mister?”This must be one of the safer areas—that’s why these children could survive here.Still, I left them with a few words.“If you’re ever in danger, shout for help.I’ll come—no matter what.”Then the oldest-looking one stepped forward bravely.“I’ll guide you. Wherever you’re going.”“Hmm?”“They said it’s dangerous to go alone.”“Is that so?”“But in exchange, give us more food.”Heh.I could afford that.Maybe I just wanted to see this kid survive a little longer in this world.‘Maybe this is how you learn what it means to live.’“Alright, deal.”“Gaaahk! Kaak—!”No more time to waste.The crow was getting impatient.The interior was wider than expected.And soon, I understood how the children had survived.Every corridor was blocked off—the entire building turned into a makeshift fortress,each passage sealed with a barricade.They were crude, hastily built—but having them everywhere must’ve made survival easier.“Who set all these up?”“Some adults we didn’t know.”“Adults?”“They came once. Said they’d be back soon to rescue us…”The child's voice trailed off..and a sudden lightheadedness washed over her.“That’s dangerous.”“I-it’s fine.”Anemia? No—she just looked exhausted.“You should eat more. Here, have some.”“It’s okay.”“No need to be polite.”I rummaged in my bag again, but she shook her head firmly.“Really, I’m fine.”“When you’re little, you have to eat a lot to grow.”She finally accepted a biscuit, staring at it in silence for a long while.Our footsteps echoed softly as we walked.“Did you see it earlier?”“See what?”“…Never mind.”“Hmm.”“I used to be with my teacher.”“I see.”“She left to find food one day.”“And?”“She came back three nights later—with lots of food.”“…”Her tone was flat, but I couldn’t reply.Maybe because her voice was trembling.“I was so hungry, I ate too much.”I could already see where this was going.“That’s when the monsters came.”“That must’ve been terrifying.”“I tried to run, but my stomach hurt. I couldn’t move.”My chest tightened.A suffocating pressure welled up.“… my teacher died.”A tragedy that could only end that way.And hearing her tell it so calmly filled me with a strange, quiet guilt.“That’s why… I don’t «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» eat much anymore.”It was a story too heavy for any words of comfort.And at the end of that story—we arrived.“Cookie, you little rascal… where have you gone again?”Before us sat an old man, half-dead, coughing weakly.“Huh?”Someone still alive—trapped inside an Egg,just waiting for the next mutant attack to end him.“Cough, who’s there? You one of the kids from upstairs?”This place was a hell.A different kind of wasteland—one that broke the mind.

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