“UFO?”

It had a sleek, elegant curve. A thick, glossy white disc was topped with a dome-shaped body. Strange lights glimmered from the headlights.

What had broken through the ceiling could only be described as a UFO.

Moreover, the UFO was clearly floating in mid-air.

‘What is this?’

Young-sik’s eyes trembled slightly.

Was this a world where something like that could exist?

No matter how advanced the shelter was, it lacked the ability to create such an alien craft. The same went for the Awakened Ones.

Young-sik quickly turned his head to look around, but there was nothing unusual.

‘Did it just fall from the sky?’

At that moment,

[You have been chosen as a temporary caretaker.]

“…What?”

Young-sik’s mouth fell open at the sudden voice ringing in his head.

***

A woman with a cold expression and short hair hurriedly walked with a long spear on her back. A man followed closely beside her.

“It seems there was a disturbance in Sector D.”  
“A disturbance? Did zombies attack?”  

The woman’s face slightly hardened at the mention of Sector D. Noticing her discomfort, the man quickly added, “It doesn’t appear to be an attack by zombies. However… the location of the disturbance…”

“Enough. Let’s go check it out ourselves.”

Sector D referred to the impoverished residential area outside the shelter. It was also where his former colleague stayed.

‘That foolish guy….’

Yoon Seung-ah shook her head, recalling the naive fool.

“I told him time and again to get his act together.”

As she walked, someone appeared before her.

“Oh, isn’t that Seung-ah? You seem busy?”  
“Baek Seul-ki….”

Kim Young-sik’s ex-girlfriend, Baek Seul-ki, was rumored to be involved with the leader of the shelter.

The woman in her twenties wore just the right amount of makeup that highlighted her youthful, yet strangely alluring features. Dressed in a one-shoulder knit and jeans, Seung-ah frowned at her appearance.

‘Even in a world like this, she’s dressed like that and wearing makeup.’

It was a mindset she simply could not comprehend. Water and food were always scarce, and several combatants were dying every day.

Sure, she could understand someone wanting to look presentable, but—

Yoon Seung-ah, a combat officer actively engaged on the front lines, had little interest in her own appearance. Yet she understood that some might long for nostalgia or attempt to cheer up those around them with a bright demeanor.

However, the thought of how much water was consumed for such an outfit and makeup made her unable to view Seul-ki positively.

“Hmm. So there’s been an issue in Sector D?”  
“You wouldn’t know, would you?”  

Seung-ah tried to pass by Seul-ki, but Seul-ki didn’t let her.

“Why wouldn’t I care? Isn’t that where Young-sik oppa is?”  

Yoon Seung-ah shot a contemptuous glance at Baek Seul-ki. In return, Seul-ki smirked, knowing everyone was aware that she was the one who had exploited and discarded Kim Young-sik.

“…”  
“Right. The vice-captain of the guard is surely busy, so you need to run over there yourself. What if something happens to the brother you’re so protective of?”  

Her words dripped with mockery and disdain, as if to say, ‘The man you care about is the one I tossed aside.’

In truth, Seung-ah’s feelings for Kim Young-sik were closer to respect than love.

“Sure, at least he’ll be more important than someone like you who just wags their tail without helping the shelter at all.”  
“Haha. What a hurtful thing to say. If someone hears that, they’ll think I’m just lounging around.”  
“Isn’t that the case? You’ve never taken down a single zombie, and you’re not responsible for internal affairs either. Ah, but you’re certainly active as the flower of the shelter.”  
“…What would a cold-hearted rock like you know? I don’t understand why you have any interest in that idiot, but good luck regardless.”  

With that, Seul-ki sauntered away, reeking of nostalgia.

“Hmph.”

Yoon Seung-ah hurried her steps to save time after having encountered Seul-ki. She felt an ominous premonition about the disturbance that had occurred in Sector D. If anything happened to Kim Young-sik, who was already under the current leader Yoo Byeong-tae’s scrutiny, it could escalate into a major issue.

‘Surely, that can’t be the case.’

Even though it was the external Sector D, considering the shelter’s size, it could never be insignificant. So it couldn’t possibly be directly related to Young-sik…

“Kim Young-sik! Come out at once and explain what’s happened!”  
“Should we consider the building’s collapse as an attack on our shelter?”  
“Are you collaborating with Slayers to carry out a terrorist attack?”  

When she arrived, the Awakened Ones had already surrounded Young-sik’s dwelling.

Creeeak—

What kind of trouble had that fool gotten himself into?

The building, which was being surrounded by the Awakened Ones, looked as if it had been bombed, with its roof and second floor crumbling down.

“Kim Young-sik! We know you have ill will toward our leader, so come out!”  
“If you refuse, you have no room to complain if we take a tough approach!”  

In truth, the Awakened Ones had no reason to be wary of Kim Young-sik, who possessed no abilities. However, their exaggerated shouting was easily understood as a means to find grounds to expel him.

She hardened her expression and moved closer to the scene.

***

“Uh… spaceship? What the hell should I do? Those guys are just waiting for a chance to kick me out…”

[Please refer to me as Master.]

“Uh, what…!”

In disbelief, Young-sik gripped the doorknob, struggling to open the door.

Creeeak—

“Ugh!”

Of all things, the ceiling collapsed, and the steel door at the entrance was twisted, making it impossible to open with his strength.

Was it too much to handle? Outside, the Awakened Ones who usually looked down on him were making noise and causing a ruckus.

“Hey! Kim Young-sik, you haven’t forgotten that you’re under probation, have you?”  
“This is clearly our shelter’s residence area.”  
“Haha. Aren’t you just trembling inside?”  
“That might be the case.”  
“We need to address the fact that you caused this terror while on probation.”  

Eventually, Young-sik couldn’t go out until the Awakened Ones decided to enter.

“Secure him!”  
“Be gentle. He’s non-awakened.”  
“Haha. Usually, even the most useless abilities awaken; this guy hasn’t awakened at all, right?”  
“Yeah, looks like he’s just the same as before.”  

“Ugh.”

Young-sik couldn’t resist the excessive suppression from the Awakened Ones. Though he admitted the truth under their questioning, he still faced ridicule.

“What do you mean? There’s nothing here.”  
“Are you seeing things? You’re completely insane.”  
“Is this some kind of joke? He talks about a spaceship, saying nonsense.”  
“…”  

Young-sik realized that the spaceship, which was clearly visible to him, was completely invisible to others.

“You should be quietly enjoying your drinking.”  
“By the way, how did you destroy all of this?”  
“Did you somehow sneak in a grenade? There’s no sign of that.”  
“What does it matter? We’ve caught you in the act.”  

After that, things proceeded exactly as he expected.

“Are you defying the leader’s order?”  
“It’s only fair to treat you as an early member for a while.”  
“You’ve survived thanks to the leader, after all.”  
“If you’re useless, you should just live quietly.”  
“Even Seung-ah tried to help that idiot somehow, but gave up because he was hopeless.”  
“Tsk tsk.”  

In this shelter, Yoo Byeong-tae, the ability user who established and managed it, was like a ‘god,’ while Kim Young-sik, who was disliked by him, was treated like a nobody.

Of course, some members who knew about Young-sik’s contributions kept silent, but it was also true that they found it hard to step up, considering Yoo Byeong-tae’s standing. And now that the shelter had stabilized to a certain extent, Young-sik was no longer needed.

“Expulsion? What’s the difference between expelling a non-awakened person and telling them to just die?”  
“…”  
“Seung-ah, you should stay out of it if you don’t know.”  
“Why? Everyone knows Young-sik has contributed a lot to this shelter!”  
“Still, the fact that he’s useless doesn’t change.”  
“…”  

They avoided her gaze and didn’t respond properly.

“Seung-ah. You know that statement is dangerous, right? The leader is looking kindly at you, so it’s only natural that he lets this slide. Just behave.”  

Ultimately, Seung-ah couldn’t stop Young-sik’s expulsion order by herself.

“I’m sorry. I remember just yesterday when you saved me… Why did it have to come to this…?”

Seung-ah couldn’t bring herself to say he was ‘foolish’ in front of Young-sik. After all, she had been saved because of his

 foolishness.

“No, Seung-ah. Don’t get involved in defending me. Just go back inside.”  

Young-sik forced a bitter smile. In fact, even though she had awakened, her ability wasn’t particularly outstanding, so her influence within the shelter was weak. She wasn’t good at political maneuvering either. If she attracted attention, she wouldn’t come out unscathed. Especially given her status as a protector of the shelter.

---

At the shelter’s entrance.

In front of a barricade made of cars and barbed wire, only Young-sik and Seung-ah stood. A short distance away, an Awakened One stood with crossed arms, keeping a sharp eye on them.

“Haha…”

Young-sik took in the sight of the shelter wrapped in a long wall.

Through all the chaos of the world’s destruction, it was Seung-ah who sent him off after he had gathered his comrades to operate the shelter and overcome numerous crises.

Seung-ah sighed and handed him a small leather pouch.

“Take this with you. It’s better than going out empty-handed.”  
“This… I can’t use it anyway.”  

When Young-sik looked inside the leather pouch, he found a collection of ominous red gems.

“They say it’s used to enhance the abilities of the Awakened, but it can also be used as currency outside.”  
“Seung-ah, you….”  

At first, Young-sik intended to refuse, but after a moment of hesitation, he accepted it.

“I’ll make good use of it.”  
“Just be sure to be safe… No, just go well.”  
“…Alright.”  

Young-sik took a last look at the shelter he had nurtured over the past few years and turned away. Seung-ah also went inside the shelter after being unable to stand his fervor.

“…”

Young-sik raised his head. He could still see the spacecraft floating above him.

[If you willingly hand over what you are holding, there will be no bloodshed.]

Young-sik felt like he was losing his mind.