Leo stood there in silence, staring at the massive corpse before him.
The creature's body sprawled across the cracked street, half-crushed beneath the collapsed structure. Blood seeped into the broken ground, dark and thick, carrying a faint metallic smell into the air.
"…How did I even kill this thing…?"
His voice came out low. Uncertain. Almost disbelieving.
A Level 2 Boss Monster.
A Rat Queen.
Something far beyond what a normal person—especially someone unawakened—should ever face.
Let alone kill.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the collapsed building beside it. Chunks of concrete and steel pinned the monster's torso, its limbs twisted unnaturally beneath the weight.
"…If the building didn't fall…" he muttered. "…if it wasn't pinned…"
He clenched his jaw.
"…there's no way I could've killed it."
A breath escaped his lips.
Slow. Heavy.
"…I only survived because of timing… luck… and desperation."
That was the truth.
No skill. No strength. No grand ability.
Just a series of desperate choices that somehow… worked.
Leo looked down at himself.
His clothes were torn apart. His shirt was ripped open at the side, stained with blood and dust. His pants were scratched and burned in places, fabric hanging loose like it barely held together.
His hands trembled slightly.
"…I look like hell."
For a moment, he let out a quiet, tired laugh.
But it didn't last.
His eyes returned to the monster.
Something faint caught his attention.
A glow.
Dim—but unmistakable.
He stepped closer, carefully navigating the rubble. The air still felt heavy, like the battle hadn't fully ended.
Kneeling beside the corpse, he reached in—
And pulled it out.
A mana core.
Dense.
Dark.
And saturated with energy.
"…This can pay for medicine…"
His voice softened.
Without another word, he turned and began to leave.
A few minutes later—
Leo slowed down.
The street ahead was silent.
Too silent.
No movement. No voices.
Just… stillness.
Then he saw them.
Bodies.
Scattered across the ground.
Lifeless.
Some lay near broken walls. Others were collapsed in the middle of the street, as if they had been trying to run.
His chest tightened.
"…Damn…"
His steps slowed.
Each one heavier than the last.
He walked past them carefully.
Avoiding their faces.
Avoiding their eyes.
But one—
Caught his attention.
A man in his mid-thirties.
Lying on his back.
Eyes still open.
Staring at nothing.
Leo quickly looked away.
"…I was too late…"
The words came out barely above a whisper.
Too late to help.
Too late to stop it.
Too late to change anything.
Then his thoughts shifted.
The mother.
The child.
The ones he saw earlier.
His fists clenched.
"…I hope they made it."
He didn't know.
And that uncertainty—
Stayed with him.
His expression hardened.
"…Why were the Awakeners so late…?"
A Rat Queen.
Inside the city.
That wasn't something small.
That wasn't something that should be ignored.
If it had been left alone—
If it had more time—
It could've evolved.
Grown stronger.
Become something far worse.
Leo exhaled.
Slowly.
Then turned away.
He didn't stay any longer.
About twenty minutes later—
A group arrived.
Black uniforms.
Clean.
Organized.
Each step precise.
Government insignia marked their shoulders.
At the front—
A man in a black coat and hat.
A badge rested on his chest.
Rank B.
"…The signal was clear," he said calmly.
"A Rat Queen was forming here."
One of the officers nodded.
"If it was left alone… it could've evolved further."
The man stepped forward—
Then suddenly stopped.
"…What is that…?"
His gaze locked onto the rubble.
The corpse.
Massive.
Crushed.
"…Impossible."
He walked closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"A Rat Queen…"
Dead.
Already dead.
Silence spread across the group.
Even the air felt heavier.
"…Who did this…?" one of the officers muttered.
The man didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he crouched down.
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
Carefully.
Broken ground.
Scattered debris.
Impact marks.
Blood trails.
Signs of struggle.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…The kill is messy…" he muttered.
"Shabby. There are traces everywhere."
The officers exchanged glances.
Confused.
Uncertain.
"…But…"
His gaze shifted toward the collapsed structure.
The angle of the fall.
The damage pattern.
The positioning of the Rat Queen.
Silence.
"…The plan was perfect."
He stood up slowly.
Dust falling from his gloves.
"…This wasn't brute force."
Another officer stepped forward.
"So… a team?"
The man shook his head.
"…No."
His gaze returned to the monster's head.
The repeated puncture wounds.
Uneven.
Desperate.
But effective.
"…One person."
The officers stiffened.
"…That's impossible…"
"…They left traces," the man continued.
"Footprints. Drag marks. Signs of struggle."
A pause.
"…But not enough to track."
He straightened his coat.
Eyes calm.
Sharp.
"…Whoever did this…"
His voice lowered.
"…is inexperienced."
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"…Interesting."