The subway station was eerily silent.

  Once a pce filled with the noise of rushing commuters, the hum of trains, and the occasional announcement over the speakers, it was now abandoned—just another grave of the old world. The tracks were cracked, the ptforms littered with debris, and the tunnels stretched into pitch-bck nothingness.

  Lisa had found a small alcove near a colpsed tunnel and used debris to block off most of the entrance. It wasn’t a Safe Zone, but it was hidden—enough to keep monsters from easily getting in.

  For now, it was home.

  A small fire flickered between them, casting dancing shadows on the tiled walls. They sat on opposite sides, eating chunks of Ravager meat cooked over the fmes.

  Lisa took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “You know… this actually tastes normal.”

  Ethan looked up from his own portion, raising an eyebrow.

  “I thought it’d be, like, disgusting. You know, rotten or bitter or… alien.” She swallowed, then took another bite. “But it’s just meat. Weirdly soft, though.”

  Ethan shrugged. “Food is food.”

  Silence settled between them as they ate, each lost in their own thoughts.

  [The Second Integration begins.]

  [New monsters will emerge. The existing ones will grow stronger.]

  [The System Shop is now open.]

  [Minor gods have turned their gaze toward Earth.]

  Lisa froze, her piece of meat halfway to her mouth.

  “W…what??” Her voice came out in a whisper.

  She slowly lowered her food, her fingers trembling slightly. “New monsters? Stronger ones? And… minor gods?” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. “We are so screwed.”

  Ethan remained still, his expression unreadable. But inside, his mind was racing.

  Minor gods?

  That meant this wasn’t just some random event. Earth wasn’t just going through a mindless apocalypse—it had become part of something bigger. Some kind of cosmic system, where even gods were watching.

  Lisa exhaled sharply, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “And what the hell is this ‘System Shop’ thing?”

  She lifted her hand and suddenly gasped. Her fingers moved rapidly in the air, as if scrolling through something invisible.

  Ethan watched her for a moment before turning his own attention inward.

  [Current Coins: 300]

  It took him a second to figure it out, but when he focused on the System Shop, a translucent interface appeared in front of him.

  His eyes widened slightly.

  There were hundreds of items—armor, weapons, potions, abilities. Most of them were grayed out, way beyond his price range. Some cost thousands, even millions of coins.

  “Found anything useful?” Ethan asked, his eyes flicking through the options.

  Lisa didn’t respond immediately, too focused on her own search.

  Ethan continued scrolling, scanning past daggers, axes, bows, and artifacts until one item caught his attention.

  [Sword of the First Warrior]

  Rank: F++ (Minor Replica)

  A replica of the legendary sword wielded by the First Warrior of the Essence Cosmos. Though this is only a fraction of the original, it still carries echoes of its history.

  Price: 250 Coins

  Ethan’s eyes locked onto the description.

  His pipe was nearly at its limit. One more fight, and it would probably break. And with stronger monsters on the way, he needed something reliable—something he could count on.

  His fingers twitched.

  Before he could overthink it, he clicked confirm.

  The moment the purchase went through, a weight appeared on his hip.

  His hand immediately went down to grip it, feeling the smooth texture of the sheath. It was bck, sleek, and minimalist, with no unnecessary designs. The hilt of the sword was wrapped in dark leather, with faint white lines running through it like veins of light.

  Ethan slowly drew the bde.

  A whisper of steel filled the air as the sword was revealed—a sleek bck bde with faint white engravings, pulsing with a soft glow. It felt perfectly banced in his hand, an extension of himself.

  “Beautiful.” The word slipped out before he could stop it.

  He gnced up—and found Lisa staring at the sword.

  His grip tightened slightly. “What?”

  Lisa smirked, putting on a fake pout. “Nothing~ I was just admiring it.”

  Ethan snorted. “It’s mine.”

  “Yes, yes.” Lisa waved a hand dismissively. “No need to be so possessive.” She rested her chin on her palm, giving him a zy grin. “Didn’t know you were the type to get jealous.”

  Ethan rolled his eyes and slid the sword back into its sheath. “What about you? What did you buy?”

  Lisa’s smirk widened. “An ability.”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow. “And?”

  “Oh, and a magical bow,” she added, her voice filled with clear pride. “Doesn’t need arrows, either. It generates them on its own.”

  She lifted her hand, and in an instant, a sleek bck bow appeared. The design was elegant and modern, with faint golden runes glowing along its surface.

  She pulled back an invisible string, and with a soft hum, a shimmering blue energy arrow formed between her fingers.

  Ethan let out a low whistle. “Not bad.”

  Lisa grinned and dismissed the bow, making it vanish into thin air. “Yup. Now I can shoot things from a safe distance while you go in and get mauled.”

  Ethan sighed. “Great teamwork.”

  Lisa winked. “That’s what I’m here for.”

  The brief moment of amusement faded as they both remembered the announcement.

  The Second Integration had begun.

  New monsters would appear. The old ones would get stronger. And somewhere, unseen gods were now watching them.

  Ethan’s fingers unconsciously brushed against the hilt of his new sword.

  They needed to be ready.