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Chapter 32 - Home

Arlan and Kaylynn walked through the shattered doors of the bunker to find even more destruction. The inside looked like a dump with so much scrap metal from what had once been important parts of the facility.

"What's all this?" asked Kaylynn at the sight of so much metal.

Arlan didn't know much about technology and even less about the structure and materials a bunker was made of, so he didn't know how to answer.

But Arlan didn't pay much attention to Kaylynn's words either.

'What the hell?'

The red emergency lights flickered periodically, illuminating the walls full of claw marks that stretched across the room.

'Definitely not the rhino...'

Not only was the Brethel a quadruped monster, but it didn't have claws, let alone the height to reach the walls more than 4 meters above where the marks were.

But it wasn't all bad news. If the Deus bunker was structurally at all similar to the Beta bunker, it meant that the corridors were no more than 2 meters high. Enough for humans to walk quietly, but too small for a monster over 3 meters tall.

The wide areas of the Deus bunker were limited to its entrance and no more, which meant that the monster was not present... to the good fortune of both of them.

'Finally, something that goes fine...'

Arlan glanced at Kaylynn, noticing that she was also looking at the marks on the walls.

"Any idea what could have done this?"

Kaylynn snapped out of the trance she was in and looked back at him.

"…No"

She said it in a soft, uncertain tone, but Arlan didn't want to probe any further either. Sometimes it was better to know little and just enough.

While they were silent, Arlan noticed that there was no body in the room. Everything was strangely clean, not counting the garbage.

There were no bodies in the parking lot either, and judging by the condition of the vehicles, it was hard to believe that the workers and military personnel in the Deus bunker had managed to evacuate in time.

Where would they evacuate to anyway?

Arlan didn't know if anyone had tried to leave the island when it all started, but the only way out was by air or water.

But remembering the accident he had suffered when entering the island, it was possible that the same thing could happen to the planes that tried to flee.

The only way left was by water, but finding an intact and functioning ship would be even more difficult than surviving.

Returning to his original idea, it was possible that there were still survivors in the bunker. With that thought in mind, Arlan began to walk, dodging the pieces of junk on the ground.

Kaylynn followed him silently as they went deeper into the bunker.

With each passing minute, Arlan realized that his hunch was proving to be true...but not entirely correct.

It was true that the monster had not managed to enter through the small corridors of the bunker, because the destruction was much less. But that was the other problem, there were still destroyed things and junk around the corridors, so even if the big monster hadn't made it in, other monsters definitely had.

"...Awful" Kaylynn whispered, making Arlan stop and look at her.

"Is something wrong?"

The young woman shook her head slightly and continued walking in silence.

"Nothing"

It was clear that the young woman was hiding something or just getting used to the strange place.

Arlan didn't know the layout of the Deus bunker, so he just walked aimlessly, following the trail of junk, hoping to find someone or something that could lead him to signs of life.

The corridors seemed endless, and many of the rooms they passed through were either completely empty or blocked by some obstacle, so they hadn't found anything important yet.

But at some point, when they opened a door and walked through it slowly and very carefully so as not to make any noise, they found a large communal cafeteria that was completely dark, except for the few security lights that continued to work, illuminating the place, and giving the surroundings a red color befitting the situation they were in.

'Perfect... I guess'

The cafeteria was also empty, free of people or danger. Arlan entered the kitchen and found that all the food was gone.

Either those who lived in the bunker had managed to secure it or the monsters had consumed it first, but judging by how clean the kitchen was, it was safer to assume that the first option was the correct one.

'Where is everyone?'

Kaylynn also entered the kitchen and looked around. Suddenly, Arlan remembered something Tristan and Laurel had told him weeks ago when he woke up in the bunker.

"Hey, about monsters, do you know of any that are invisible?"

Kaylynn, who had been sitting at a table while waiting for Arlan, put her hand over her mouth and began to think.

"Hmmm, there are a few...they are usually good hunters during the day thanks to their stealth abilities, but at night they usually hide to avoid their predators"

Arlan continued to open the closed shelves and asked again.

"Do the monsters get along with each other?"

The minimum number of monster types on the island was just under four, the Knosprin, the Brethel, the one that had destroyed the wagons and the bunker entrance, and finally the invisible ones.

Although he had never seen the last two, everything indicated that they existed.

"They shouldn't, all monsters are very territorial. They don't like to share their... wait. What time is it?"

Arlan didn't understand why Kaylynn had stopped her explanation to ask for the time. Likewise, Arlan looked at the watch on his wrist, which he still kept after all that had happened, and gave her the time.

"It's 6:30, it should be dark by now"

Arlan clearly saw that Kaylynn's face was quickly turning pale.

"...Usually, invisible monsters prefer dark and isolated places to build their nest"

Arlan paused and looked seriously at the young woman.

"And it is already getting dark... the time when they return to their nests..." Arlan finished.

At that moment, an unpleasant metallic sound came from the corridors leading to the cafeteria. Scrap metal scraped against the floor, which meant that something was approaching not caring about making a lot of noise... like someone walking around his house.

Something big and dangerous was about to enter the cafeteria...and eventually return home.