CHAPTER 175: CH 175: INTENTIONAL DESTRUCTION (EDITED)

Back in the present, nearly an hour had passed since Dave and his two wives had departed from the merger’s base. The paws of the beasts they mounted echoed faintly against the cracked pavement as they made their way through a desolate street lined with broken lamp posts, faded walls and multiple corpses.

The wind rustled through the skeletal remains of once-thriving gardens, carrying with it the scent of scorched earth and something faintly metallic; like rust, or dried blood. This was the state of the place Eric had described to them.

He’d spoken with urgency, eyes flicking toward the horizon as he gave them the address and description of the place. His voice had held a quiet tremor when he mentioned it—his aunt and what little remained of his family might still be hiding there. Or maybe not. He didn’t know for sure. He only said he had to check.

Then he left them.

And now, as they walked, none of them spoke. Not because they had nothing to say, but because the weight of uncertainty hung too heavily between them. They didn’t know whether Eric had found his family, or if he was even still here. The only thing they could do was move forward, hoping they weren’t too late.

Their journey finally led them to the far end of the street, where a single building stood like the last survivor of a dying neighborhood.

It was a large apartment complex, or at least it had been once. Now, its walls bore deep scars, its windows had shattered, bricks had crumbled, a portion of the roof was sagging like a wounded beast. The iron gate that bordered the property had been torn from its hinges, and what had once been a carefully tended garden now lay in ruin. Shredded flower beds, uprooted trees, and ash-covered soil gave the place the eerie stillness of a battlefield long abandoned.

Dave stepped forward first, scanning the structure with cautious eyes. His wives followed closely behind, their hands unconsciously resting on their weapons.

Whatever waited for them inside, hope or heartbreak, they were ready to face it.

The building stood like a ruin dragged from a nightmare, its charred walls blackened with soot, its skeletal frame groaning beneath the weight of what remained. Parts of the exterior looked melted, as though kissed by flames that had long since died out.

Cracks veined through the concrete, and twisted metal jutted out like broken bones. Whether the destruction had been caused by a falling meteor or the rampage of the beasts, they couldn’t say for certain. But the devastation was unmistakable.

Smoke stains curled up the crumbling sides of the structure, and the faint scent of ash still clung to the air, stubborn and acrid.

Dave narrowed his eyes at the exposed rafters above. The entire roof had collapsed inward, leaving the upper floors gaping open like the broken hull of a shipwreck.

"There’s no way anyone could’ve stayed in there," he muttered under his breath. "This place isn’t a shelter, it’s a tomb."

Still, the possibility that Eric had taken refuge somewhere nearby kept their hope alive.

Dave turned to the two women by his side. "Let’s spread out," he said, his voice low but resolute. "Eric could be hiding anywhere around here. Look for any buildings that aren’t completely wrecked, anything that still looks intact, or at least livable."

Both women nodded, their expressions were grim but focused. Without another word, they separated, each of them slipping into the shadows of the ruined neighborhood, their eyes scanning for signs of life among the wreckage.

The search had begun. And with it, a silent prayer wishing that they weren’t already too late.

While the two women drifted silently toward the neighboring buildings, weaving through rubble and overgrown weeds, Dave turned his gaze back to the structure that had once been a proud apartment complex.

The destruction was undeniable, but there was something about it that pulled at him. Maybe it was instinct, maybe a hunch, but he felt drawn to look inside. If there was even the faintest clue as to where Eric had gone, it might be buried somewhere within those broken walls.

He approached the building cautiously, his boots crunching over shattered glass and scorched debris. The front door had been blown off its hinges, resting sideways against a cracked wall like a discarded shield. A faint breeze moved through the entranceway, carrying with it the bitter smell of old smoke and something else, faint, like dried blood.

Dave stepped inside, his senses sharpening.

The moment he crossed the threshold, his entire body tensed. His eyes flicked toward every shadow, every corner. Though it seemed deserted, he knew better than to trust appearances. Beasts could hide behind burned furniture, or worse, people. Survivors, scavengers... or those who’d given in to madness. He kept one hand close to his weapon, just in case.

The interior was even more ruined than he’d expected.

It wasn’t just the roof that had been gutted by fire. The entire space had been devoured by flames, its walls had been scorched black, floorboards charred and splintered. A once-cozy sofa near the center of the room had been reduced to a smoldering frame of twisted springs and ash-covered fabric. Tables were blackened husks. Picture frames lay face-down, their glass shattered and their contents too scorched to recognize.

He took a slow step forward, his boots raising faint clouds of ash with every move. The silence was deafening, but it spoke volumes. Whatever had happened here, it hadn’t left room for survival.

Yet still, Dave’s eyes roamed, scanning the destruction for anything—anything—that might hint at where Eric had gone. A trail, a footprint, a forgotten object... even the smallest detail could make the difference.

And in a place this dead, even the faintest sign of life would shine like a beacon.

Just as Dave was about to move further in, something caught his eye, a glint of color in the sea of black and gray.

He stilled.

Amidst the charred remnants and swirling ash, there was a single object untouched by fire or time. It rested in the corner near a collapsed wall, half-buried under debris, but unmistakably whole. Unlike the scorched ruins around it, this item looked... fine. Preserved. Unscathed.

Dave stepped closer, his eyes narrowing.

And then he recognized it.

It was the expedition backpack, sleek, and dark green in color. The very same type of enchanted pack Dave heard that the executives received from the Mother Crystal before setting out. His fingers brushed off the thin layer of ash coating the surface, revealing its reinforced leather body and crystalline clasp, which are completely intact.

He remembered the briefing clearly.

That backpack was no ordinary gear. It was crafted from spatial-weave fabric, able to hold limitless non-living items, regardless of the size or weight. A portable void pocket, designed for efficient scavenging and supply gathering. They’d been instructed to use it to store foods and items for their expedition in the restaurant.

It is an invaluable item.

But still, Dave wasn’t overly impressed. As useful as the backpack was, he had something far superior; his personal void space, an ability that allowed him to store both inanimate objects and living beings. The backpack might have been a tool; but his void space was a weapon.

But this? This changed things.

The fact that the bag was here, undamaged and resting in the middle of this wreckage, told Dave two important things.

One: Eric had definitely come here. That bag was in his possession when he left to see his aunt.

Two: The bag’s pristine condition meant it hadn’t been caught in the fire, Eric must have arrived after the building had already been destroyed. Which means that there’s a possibility that he’s still alive.

But if he’d left the backpack behind... where had he gone? And why?

With his thoughts racing, Dave turned his gaze to the hallway ahead. Several doors lined the corridor, most of them hanging crookedly on damaged hinges. He walked to the nearest one, his hand curling around the scorched doorknob.

He didn’t bother being subtle.

With a swift movement, he flung the door open, and immediately as he did, he froze.

What greeted Dave on the other side of the door made his chest clench and his breath falter mid-draw.

The room was blackened from floor to ceiling, its walls stained with soot and smoke. In the center, strewn across the scorched floorboards, lay six charred bodies. Their limbs were curled in unnatural positions, frozen mid-escape or in final moments of agony. The air reeked of burnt flesh and old smoke, thick enough to sting his eyes.

He took a hesitant step forward.

Some of them were adults, one slumped near a blackened sofa, the ash-coated remains of what might have once been a woman shielding a much smaller figure beneath her. Children. His stomach turned. The sight of the small bodies made his hands curl into fists.

They hadn’t stood a chance.

From the way they were positioned, the burn patterns across the walls, and the fact that none had made it to the exit, it was clear, this wasn’t just a tragic accident or a beast’s attack. This fire was deliberate. Precision laced every angle of destruction. Whoever did this hadn’t come to raid or steal.

They had came to erase.