You don't even want to call me godfather

Generally speaking, this independent lounge is not used on weekdays. People who go out to explore and search for resources will basically stay with their families after returning to the camp.

So this also became Azazel's lounge.

There was an iron bed covered with dusty sheets. Raphael lifted the sheets and shook them, and the dust scattered in the air.

"Come, lie down, I'll get you some food."

After gently placing Azazel on the bed, Raphael ran out.

Really, I don’t even know how to find something to cushion his head.

Feeling the cold bed, Azazel was thinking about many things.

How much time has passed since that incident?

The loud noise of the explosion still seems to echo in my ears, and the black muzzle of the gun is still vivid in my mind. When I look up, I can remember the ceiling I was looking at before falling asleep.

But he never thought that it would be the last good sleep he had.

"Asa! Here is the food and water."

Raphael walked in quickly with a few bread bags and a bottle of water.

She put the bread and water on the bedside and hurried to leave.

"Wait a minute, Raphael."

Azazel noticed Raphael's hurry and stopped her immediately. Then, under Raphael's evasive gaze, he checked the production date on the package.

"Is this just expired..." He finished reading it and handed it back to Raphael, "Put these back in the food storage room. I only need to eat the ones that have gone bad."

"Azazel... I know that you have been sorting the food by date and leaving the newest ones for the children. You do the most dangerous work but eat the worst food." Raphael was a little unhappy after hearing what Azazel said. He advised, "But you have to look at your current physical condition, Azazel. I have watched you get to where you are now step by step. If you continue like this, your body will not be able to take it!"

"I'm fine, Raphael," Asa shook his head, showing no intention of changing his mind, "Take these away, and don't worry about me."

"But……"

Raphael was a little anxious. Before Haisi appeared, Raphael had always been Azazel's teammate in the notary office. She certainly knew what kind of person he was, but because of this, she was also very worried about his health.

"I say, Asa," at this time, a female voice came into the ears of the two people in the lounge. Kuler stood outside the door, leaning against the wall, looking at the two people, "Sometimes, you should also consider the feelings of others. If you are the only one suffering, it is not true gentleness."

"Kule..."

Kuler shrugged and said, "You two are really too noisy. I think the whole camp knows about your situation now."

"Is that so... I'm sorry for disturbing everyone's rest. I have to apologize to them later."

Azazel sat up and tried to get out of bed.

"Forget about the apology. Everyone knows what kind of person you are. It would be better for you to listen to Raphael and eat the food."

"...Then, put the other food back, Raphael. I can't eat that much. One portion is enough," Azazel made a final concession and said, "If you move the food resources privately, it will disrupt the original distribution plan."

Raphael stared into Azazel's eyes, knowing that he would not back down, so he agreed, picked up the remaining food, and was about to leave.

"By the way, Raphael," Azazel called her before she left the lounge, "Regarding the resource allocation plan, it's still the same as before. I'll leave it all to you."

"Asa doesn't know how to deal with these things anyway, so who else can he give it to if not me?"

Raphael snorted as if in anger, and left the lounge cursing.

As she walked out the door, she and Kuler exchanged glances.

"Kule," Azazel said to Kule outside the door, "The recent situation is a bit serious, and resources are becoming increasingly scarce. Are you still the same as before-"

"Got it. I'll keep an eye on those kids and prevent them from getting implicated." Kule waved his hand to show that he understood. "Why are you so worried lately? Can't you just worry about them openly? Don't you know how many people in the camp are afraid of you?"

"Don't worry about this kind of thing," Azazel looked at the bread package in his hand, and after a moment, asked, "By the way, how is Ou Ya doing?"

"He is leading a team to try to investigate Syracuse," Kuler said absentmindedly, without looking at Azazel. "You know, we all believe that man is still alive."

"Ah, yes..." Hearing this, Azazel's expression also showed some worry, "As long as that man is still alive, with his management ability, perhaps we can still take back the city of Lateran from those scattered sea heirs. As long as he is still alive..."

"Don't think too much about it. In this situation, we can't get in touch with Ou Ya and the others. If they can succeed, that would be the best," Kuler shrugged and reminded, "but if they fail, maybe you have to prepare for the worst."

"If Ou Ya..." Azazel was silent for a long time. He looked helpless and seemed to have thought about this happening. "If we lose Ou Ya, then we may have to make a choice."

"What choice?"

"Should we continue to stay in Lateran as we are now, or should we make one last effort and let the remaining forces of ours go and look for Koshei?"

Extra IF: The Storm (Part 3)

“Cascade.”

In the darkness, Koshe seemed to hear someone calling his name.

"Koshe Cascade!"

Suddenly, a force of gravity hit Koshei's waist, causing him to open his eyes suddenly.

"Well...if you don't wake up, maybe I'll have to let my companions bury you here."

The voice of the person in front of him sounded very familiar, but Koshe couldn't remember it for a moment.

He lowered his head, looked at his hands, and then looked at the body beside him that had been completely occupied by the Originium crystals.

"Hey, wake up, Cascade," the man leaned over, patted his face, and said, "Hurry up and get up, I need you now."

Koshe turned his gaze and raised his head to look at the tall man in front of him.

His blurry vision gradually became clear, and the man's appearance also brightened his eyes.

But then, it dimmed again.

"Kenai Mountain..." Koshe's voice was a little hoarse. He didn't seem to be surprised by the appearance of Kenai Mountain. He just asked calmly, "Why... are you here?"

"Syracuse is also my hometown. My hometown was ravaged by natural disasters, but even I still have the conscience to come back to take a look." Kenaishan noticed that Koshe's hand had been linked with the hand of the corpse beside him. Looking at the corpse's still intact face, he asked, "Is that New...Lappland's child?"

Koshe didn't respond. His hair, which had not been trimmed for a long time, hung down, hiding his expression, but his sadness was overflowing.

His attitude made Kenaishan, who was originally full of interest, pause for a moment.

Looking at this former enemy, who has now become such a decadent state, he could not feel the slightest bit of happiness.

“Can you tell me why you want to stay so close to a highly contagious source of Ore Disease?” Kenaishan didn’t seem to care about the risk of contracting Ore Disease by getting close to the corpse covered with Originium crystals. He looked at Koshe and asked, “Aren’t you worried about contracting Ore Disease in today’s doomsday environment?”

Koshe was silent. He felt an itch on the wrist of the hand that was holding Lappland's.

He turned over his arm and saw several Originium crystals on his wrist.

Undoubtedly, staying with the corpse of a severely infected person for a long time caused him to contract oripathy.

"It's already the end of the world. Does it still matter whether or not I get oripathy?"

Koshe said in self-abandonment.

"Everyone is thinking about how to live, but you are thinking about how to die?"

There was a hint of anger in Kenaishan's words. He naturally saw Koshe's wrist. It would be more accurate to say that Koshe's attitude towards his own life made him angry.

But Koshe remained silent. It was obvious that he did not want to answer the question, but he also acquiesced to the conjecture.

"Although I don't know what happened, your behavior is really stupid given the current situation," Kenaishan sighed helplessly. He sat down next to Koshei without any hesitation, leaning against the boulder like him, and advised, "There is still hope for mankind, and every capable person is an indispensable part of this hope."

"hope?"

Koshe turned his head and looked at him in disbelief.

At this moment, Koshe suddenly understood why Fred made that choice.

"I have witnessed the destruction of my homeland, Koshe," Kenaishan ignored Koshe's self-pity. He just raised his head, looked at the sky, and said to himself, "Those monsters took away the water source and the land, and made people's spirits collapse and their dreams shattered. I have witnessed the destruction with my own eyes, Koshe, so I long for a new life."

Koshe looked ahead and saw some people carrying luggage and weapons behind the original location of Mount Kenai.

There were not many people, only about a dozen or so, but to his surprise, there were even members of the Elafia tribe among them.

It was also at this time that Koshe noticed that several people were carrying luggage, while more people were holding weapons, and they all had some strange injuries on their bodies.

"You... took them to fight Haisi?"

Koshe realized something, looked at Mount Kenai in shock, and asked.

"They are just monsters, not human beings, and should not exist in this world." Upon hearing this question, the usually steady Kenaishan suddenly became a little excited. He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth in front of Koshe. "We must stop them at all costs, defeat them, and kill them all. To do this, I need you, Koshe, both your strength and your body."

"You've got the wrong person, Kenaishan," Koshei said. He remained calm, shook his head, and said, "I can't help you with your lofty ideals."

"No, your presence is crucial in this process," Kenaishan gradually calmed down and began to persuade him, "Koshei, your brain, your strategies, your fighting skills, and your tactical planning are all areas where I am ashamed of myself. That is why I need you and your help."

"But have you ever thought about this: if you find out that everything you have done is meaningless in the end, what is the point of doing all this?" Koshe didn't have the lofty ideal of saving the world like Kenaishan, so he still refused and tried to dampen Kenaishan's enthusiasm. "Everything you have now will become a regret in the future. Is all this really necessary?"

"This is a sacrifice made to save the majority of people," Kenaishan said calmly without any anger at Koshe's attack. "Moreover, I prefer to believe in the possibilities contained in life. Even if it is blown away by the wind, it will eventually sprout again one day. Look at the people around me. Look at them. Isn't that slim hope still flying?"

Koshe hesitated for a long time. He weighed the importance of the matter in his mind and wondered whether it was worth it.

"I know why you don't want to contribute to this, Koshei, I understand." Seeing that Koshei stopped talking, Kenaishan knew that his words had worked, and he continued, "The people you love, your close ones, your friends, all died at the hands of those monsters, and you are left alone."

"...Angie, Destiny, Red, Loft, Jose, Ω, Luca Sheffield, Alfie Solomons, Anna Tabray, Sig Manchester, Providence, Fred, Ludwig, Rhodes, Syracuse..." Kenaishan's words touched Koshe's sore spot. He lowered his head, looked at the ground, and recited the names one by one, representing the lives that passed away before his eyes. He recited faster and faster, and his emotions became more and more excited. Finally, he paused suddenly, "...Lapland, these people are all here, they are all here at the last moment of their lives. Everyone I know is dead, my loved ones, why do you think that I, a person with nothing, will help you to save other lives?"

"They won't stay here, Koshei, because you won't stay either," Kenaishan looked at Koshei with some sympathy. He felt the same way. "As long as you keep moving forward, you will be taking them with you. Aren't we living people living to carry on the will of the dead?"

After saying this, Kenaishan extended his hand to Koshe who was sitting on the ground.

"...If one day, you fail," Koshe looked at the hand extended to him, still a little hesitant, and asked Kenaishan again, "What will be your last words when facing death?"

"Death is bound to come sooner or later. If I die fighting against powerful enemies to protect the remains of my ancestors and the temple of my faith, no other death can be so noble. For the mother who amuses her children, for the wife who feeds her baby, for the girl who continues her life, I will protect everyone from those enemies even if I die. This is my way of survival," Kenaishan said without hesitation, "I have no last words, only hopes."

Koshe was speechless. He looked at Mount Kenai and at the people behind him who were looking at him intentionally or unintentionally, those who believed in Mount Kenai and were willing to risk their lives for him. Koshe smiled.

He stretched out the hand without the Originium crystal and held Kenaisan's hand.

"Well, prove it to me, Mount Kenai."

Extra IF: The Storm (IV)

"Abe Khan, don't you really want to go and take a rest first?"

Boye asked Abraham who insisted on staying at the door of the temporary base.

"I will not relax for a moment until Koshei is found and rescued," Abraham replied, keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings. "I promised him a long time ago."

"But... you haven't rested for a long time, and the injuries you received in the battle have not been treated. If you continue like this..."

Bo Yi was halfway through his words when he saw Abraham's attitude and his tone gradually became weak.

Yes, considering Abrhan's loyalty to Koshei, there is no reason to dissuade him from fighting so hard for him.

only……

Isn't Abraham going a little too far?

"Don't worry about my condition, just protect your own safety," Abrhan said, "We just repelled three waves of Hai Si, but no one can say for sure if there will be another wave. Before the communication from Ou Ya arrives, it is more important to stay alert."

After removing the magazine, checking it, and then reloading it, Abel Khan said to Boye, "Guier's team and Hexi's team are very far away from us now. Don't think you can get support. Recheck the ammunition and equipment and prepare for the next attack. Those Haisi are not easy to deal with."

"Then I'll go in first. Call me if anything happens."

Bo Ye sighed and entered the stronghold.

People called those monsters that suddenly appeared Haisi.

They are very difficult to deal with, as if they have the same mindset as them, often catching them off guard.

In comparison, they are obviously much weaker as they are currently leaderless.

Just as he was thinking about it, Abrhan saw a Sakta who had left the team not far in front of him on the right. He was walking back and forth with a mobile phone in his hand and was about to walk out of the cordon.

"Hey!" Abraham stepped forward and grabbed him, asking, "What are you doing? It's already like this, and you're still distracted?"

"Ah... It's Abrakhan. I'm looking for a signal," the Sakta was An Shibai. He was startled by Abrakhan, but then he reacted and replied, "After the battle just now, the signal was almost lost. I can't receive any signal at all."

After Abraham pulled him back to a safe area, he took off the walkie-talkie from his body and motioned for him to take it.

"If you really have nothing to do, you can help me guard the intercom. That way I can spend more time on defense."

Abrhan suggested.