Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

In a situation as isolated as this, wasn't it only natural for those being rescued to come out immediately?

Justin, too, had similar doubts, but he could somewhat understand their hesitation.

"Honestly, they're probably just scared. There's no guarantee that we're normal people, and above all..." Justin paused, considering.

"Above all what?" Ethan asked, curiosity in his voice.

"...they're probably clinging to the hope that the military or rescue teams will come. After all, it's only been a short time since this calamity began," Justin replied, his voice calm yet contemplative.

If all their water and food ran out, they might make a different choice. But now, it had only been about a day. Unless they were seriously injured and in desperate need of help, it made sense that they would prefer to stay hidden. The fear of something going wrong while moving around was greater than the urge to act recklessly.

"The problem is that the system has no intention of letting things be so simple," Justin continued.

"Indeed," Ethan agreed, nodding. "It's Skeletons now, but who knows what kind of nightmare might appear next time."

The families of those holed up inside the building may not realize it, but being rescued by Justin and Ethan was, in reality, an immense stroke of luck. Had they stayed silent and done nothing, the next threat could have been far worse.

Justin stepped forward, raising his voice as he knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, is anyone there?" His voice echoed through the dim corridor.

Silence answered him.

"This is Unit 302, isn't it? Didn't you ask for help?" he called again.

Still, no response came. From the faint rustling sounds inside, Justin could tell that someone was definitely there, hiding.

He glanced at Ethan, and their eyes met, exchanging unspoken thoughts.

"What do we do?" Ethan asked, furrowing his brow.

"Let's try to persuade them, and if that doesn't work, we leave," Justin replied calmly.

"There's no point in dragging out someone who doesn't want to be rescued. They might even end up blaming us later."

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With a sigh, Justin took a deep breath and spoke through the door.

"Just to clarify, we're not doing this for free. The system gave us a quest—to bring anyone we rescue back to a safe zone. There's a reward for it."

Still no answer.

"If you don't come out, we'll just leave," he continued, his tone straightforward. "But I recommend coming with us to the safe zone. Didn't a Skeleton pop up in your home recently?"

The tension in the silence grew thicker.

Justin added, "In my opinion, those things will keep appearing. If we leave now, you might end up facing the next Skeleton alone. Are you really okay with that?"

For a moment, nothing but quiet. Justin shook his head, and Ethan sighed deeply.

"Let's just go. It doesn't look like they're willing to listen," Ethan muttered.

"Damn, they'll only realize the danger once they're all dead," Justin grumbled.

They were just about to head down the stairs when there was a sound—a click. The door opened, revealing a family of four staring at them.

"Are... are you really here to help us?" one of them asked hesitantly, their voices trembling.

Finally.

Justin exchanged a knowing look with Ethan, a bitter smile tugging at their lips.

Once the dam broke, persuading them became easier. They were clearly terrified, knowing full well that another Skeleton might appear at any time.

"So, you're saying those things can't get into the safe zone?" the father asked, still looking skeptical.

"Yes," Justin confirmed, nodding. "They don't even attempt to enter."

"But why...?" the mother inquired, her face a mixture of confusion and fear.

Justin shrugged, his expression calm. "We don't know either. It's called a safe zone, so we're just accepting it as it is."

Even though their doubts hadn't completely disappeared, Justin decided to drive the point home.

"We won't force you to come with us, but I assure you, you'll regret staying here."

"Regret? What do you mean?" the father's tone held a note of hesitation.

"These quests," Justin began, his voice unwavering, "they basically force people into the safe zones. If you refuse, the system keeps giving you penalties—penalties that could cost your life."

The family's expressions hardened at those words.

"More people have died than survived so far," Justin continued, his gaze sharp. "And they all stayed out of the safe zones. If you choose not to come with us, who knows what kind of horror will show up in your living room next?"

Those final words seemed to break the family's resistance, and they reluctantly decided to follow Justin and Ethan.

And once those four joined them, reaching a total of twenty people happened almost effortlessly. What had felt like a dubious duo wandering around earlier now resembled a genuine rescue team, with ordinary people among them.

The youngest son, who looked like a high school student, played an especially critical role.

"Is anyone here!? If there are survivors, come out! We're heading to the safe zone! These people are here to help us!" the boy shouted, his voice clear and full of determination.

It was one thing for two suspicious individuals to declare themselves a rescue team, but it was entirely different when an ordinary high school student vouched for them.

People began to emerge one by one, joining the group.

"Hey, there are people here! Someone, please help us!" a woman's voice called from a distance.

"Hold on! We're coming out to join you!" another person replied.

By the time they reached the safe zone, there were twenty-three people with them.

Though twenty-three was a lot for just the two of them to protect, it wasn't necessary to worry too much. Justin had already cleared out most of the Skeletons along the way.

The only thing he couldn't do anything about was the corpses.

"Huff! Th-there's a corpse!" someone shouted, their voice trembling.

"Ugh! Urk!" another gagged, the sight too much for them.

"Don't look! Cover your eyes!" a man tried to shield his children from the gruesome sight.

The reactions were all similar—whether it was shock, horror, or disgust, the intensity only varied slightly.

"Damn it..." Ethan muttered, looking visibly distressed. He turned to Justin, worry clear in his eyes.

Justin winked, signaling Ethan not to worry. Before anyone could say anything, he clicked his tongue deliberately, muttering aloud.

"If we had run just a bit faster, they might have made it. But unfortunately, they were caught by the Skeletons just before reaching safety... Poor souls."

"…!"

"And who will deal with the bodies of those who died at home? Probably all their family members are dead too."

Faces turned pale. The people realized that they and their families could have ended up like that—corpses left behind in their own homes.

The fact that they had survived the Skeleton attack in their house was a miracle, pure luck.

Ethan glanced at Justin, a small, appreciative smile forming as he subtly gave him a thumbs-up.

'Well done!'

'It's nothing,' Justin mouthed back.

The important part was making them realize that staying in their home was more dangerous than entering the safe zone. Once that idea took hold, no one would blame them, no matter how many corpses they saw. After all, Justin and Ethan were genuinely trying to take them somewhere safer.

After passing by the mutilated corpses, Justin pointed to the safe zone and shouted.

"There it is! That's the safe zone! No monsters can enter there!"

"The safe zone...!"

At Justin's words, people's eyes brightened, and they rushed toward the safe zone.

It might have looked eerie, like an abandoned medieval village, but it didn't matter. Once inside, no Skeletons could follow them.

Having just seen such horrifying corpses, not a single person hesitated as they ran inside.

When all twenty-three of them had entered the safe zone, a system message appeared before Justin.

"You have completed the main quest: 'Savior of Life'."

"As a quest reward, you receive the 'Warlock Beginner Equipment Set'."

"Additional items have been added to the inventory in the available space."

Yes, this is it.

Justin clenched his fist in triumph, immediately opening his inventory.