Ren winced as a headache throbbed behind his temples. "Wait, wait. Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" he asked, feeling weak all of a sudden. If someone suddenly informed you that the world was crumbling, you'd likely feel a profound sense of weakness and powerlessness, especially if they weren't joking about it.

The evidence lay right before Ren's eyes. He would be a fool or delusional not to believe Angelica and Joker at this point.

It wasn't that Ren wholeheartedly believed their words, but the undeniable sign of his own evolving abilities, coupled with the inexplicable occurrences unfolding in the world around him, made it increasingly difficult to dismiss their claims outright.

The truth, as unsettling as it was, stared him squarely in the face.

"Because if we had revealed the truth earlier, you wouldn't have believed us," Joker responded, his tone tinged with a hint of exasperation. "We would have merely wasted our breath."

Ren grudgingly acknowledged the validity of Joker's reasoning. If Angelica and Joker had approached him with such outlandish claims before he began experiencing the evolution firsthand, he would have dismissed them as delusional and likely sought to have them institutionalized.

However, now that Ren found himself grappling with the tangible effects of the evolution itself, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, however reluctantly.

"COVENANT is merely a tool to expedite the evolution of humanity," Angelica interjected, her tone solemn. "Its creator must also be an evolved individual who traveled back in time to ensure the survival of as many humans as possible."

"Such endeavors are futile. It would take a miracle if it did work." Joker scoffed bitterly, though there was no humor in his laughter. "Though I must admit, it seems to have worked in your favor," he added, casting a speculative glance in Ren's direction.

Ren's head was spinning with all the new things that he heard. "So why reveal all of this to me now?" he asked. "Surely you didn't just decide to share this important knowledge out of the goodness of your hearts."

To that, both Angelica and Joker grinned knowingly.

Angelica's response was swift and unequivocal. "As we mentioned before, we seek mutual cooperation. As evolved humans, cooperating together increases our chances of survival in the face of impending catastrophe."

Ren pondered Angelica's logic, but a gnawing concern tugged at his conscience. "What about the ones who couldn't evolve?" he voiced, his thoughts drifting to Evie, Leonel, Ragnar, and the others. "What about them?"

Joker's response was swift and fierce. "They're dead weight," he declared bluntly.

Angelica nodded in solemn agreement. "It's fine if you want to bring along one or two, but Ren . . . you can't protect them all."

Ren bristled at the notion. "So, you're saying you don't want me as long as I bring them along, is that right?"

Angelica sighed in resignation, while Joker slumped back in his seat with an air of indifference. "I told you he wouldn't let go of his human attachments," Joker remarked, as though he had anticipated Ren's reaction. "First-time evolves are like that. And then they die together with those they wanted to save."

Ren's glare bore into Joker, but the latter merely smirked mockingly in response. "I'm only stating the truth here," Joker asserted. "Don't assume you're the MVP of a game, it would be the same in real life. There are no respawns or revives once you're dead."

"I'd rather die than leave them," Ren said, breaking no arguments. Angelica continued to plead with Ren. "Listen, Ren, I know it's difficult, but once you witness what will happen to the world . . . you might just abandon your humanity to save yourself."

Ren remained silent, his expression a mask of stoic determination. Angelica and Joker recognized the futility of further persuasion. They observed the tight press of Ren's lips and the resolve etched upon his countenance. It was evident that he wouldn't easily change his mind.

"I guess that concludes our discussion," Joker stated, rising to his feet with an air of finality. Leaving Ren with one last piece of advice, Joker leaned in slightly. "By the way, if you're contemplating fortifying a single location and stockpiling supplies, I advise against it. Just gather enough provisions for travel — maybe a month's worth. You won't need to worry about shelter since you'll mostly be on the move. Trust me on this."

Ren remained silent, absorbing Joker's words without comment.

With a wink, he bid his farewell. "See you later, Ren. We won't be meeting each other in the game often since I'll be busy in the remaining few days."

"Ren," Angelica chimed in, her voice tinged with a hint of urgency. "If you ever have a change of mind, you know where to find us. But please, reconsider bringing too many humans with you. We won't be able to guarantee their safety. When the time comes, it's every humans for themselves." Her words hung in the air, a somber reminder of the harsh reality they would face. Ren nodded once and didn't offer to say anything more. Angelica offered a small smile before she too departed, leaving Ren to ponder the weight of their discussion.

This wasn't the conclusion Ren had envisioned for their conversation. Who knew that evolution came with such a price?

Initially, Ren had found it thrilling to discover his enhanced abilities and newfound skills, such as gaining blueprints and crafting with the right tools and materials. But now, faced with the reality of the impending catastrophe, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

Opening his status bar once again, Ren stared dazedly at his screen. REN

● Crafter, Technomancer

● O Credit Points

● 1st Stage, Apex Evolution

E N D

Ren possessed a plethora of passive skills and one active skill, but the main skills that would undoubtedly save his life when the time came were [Generate Blueprint] and [Beginner Crafter]. These abilities allowed him to generate blueprints of simple objects and create them with the right tools and materials.

However, right now, his current dilemma was whether he should tell the others about this or not.