Governments were struggling all over the world. That was one thing.
But what about the outsider group?
The ones who had been the target of the nuclear bomb — the spark that pushed this chaos into full blaze. What happened to them?
Actually, only a few of them died.
They emerged nearly unscathed.
Individuals at the sixth stage were apparently so strong that, even under the blast of a nuclear bomb, they could not only protect themselves, but also shield those around them.
The explosion that was meant to erase them barely did any effect.
Now, North Korea was completely under their control.
And the war they had launched against South Korea and Japan was still raging, with no sign of slowing.
That entire region had become the eye of the storm, a churning chaos that showed no intention of calming down.
It didn’t have any negative impact on Christian.
If anything, the chaos had turned into an unexpected boon.
He was reaping one essence technique after another, acquiring new kinds of knowledge by the day.
Zero, who had previously operated with just seven fighting androids, now had another ten under his command. Christian had sent them right after the first sign happened.
So Christian wasn’t just gathering knowledge.
Rare natural treasures, precious items, and other valuable things — everything seemed to be flowing his way.
There were too many opportunities to chase.
So many, in fact, that he started sending Nina and Sophia out to handle some of them.
And even then, it wasn’t enough.
The list of people he needed to deal with?
That was why he had raised his standards.
Those he targeted now, were the worst of the worst.
Beasts who hadn’t left any crime untouched — murder, rape, scams, and countless other vile acts.
Or they were the kinds of people who possessed treasures too tempting to ignore.
His situation was fantastic.
Because the United States was one of the few countries where only a handful of fights were happening.
And no, it wasn’t thanks to a competent government.
It was entirely due to the deterrent of the Academy.
They hadn’t participated in any of the ongoing disputes, after all.
And aside from preventing strong groups from extending their hands into the United States, they had also suppressed some of the smaller factions that tried to stir up trouble.
And then, there was him.
With his habit of killing off all the shit stirrers and criminals, the place had become far more stable than most others.
So, his situation was fantastic.
That was what he thought.
But with his aggressive approach, mistakes were bound to happen eventually.
And Zero, unfortunately, had slipped up and made one.
That was why he was currently in California now.
In one of the cities that hadn’t crumbled completely during the earthquakes — bruised, but still standing, and barely functioning properly.
Or that was what he’d thought before he arrived.
It turned out, just because the ground hadn’t split open didn’t mean the city was unscathed.
The damage wasn’t just physical. It was deeper.
The city he was walking through now stood as the perfect example.
It wasn’t collapsing from destruction.
It was crumbling under the weight.
The weight of all those who had fled into it.
Night had just arrived.
But instead of true darkness, the city glowed — from the pale buzz of street lamps, from light spilling out of shop windows, and from the occasional headlights sweeping through.
It should’ve looked alive. Vibrant. But it didn’t.
The lights flickered more than they shone, some warm, others sharp and sterile.
They came and went across different corners of the street, painting the scene not with energy, but with bleakness.
Tents stretched across sidewalks and parking lots.
Silent figures curled beneath the open sky.
Every empty patch of pavement had turned into a place to sleep.
Some lay wrapped in worn blankets. Others had nothing at all.
Storefronts stood quiet, most of them dark.
A few had cracked windows, others were boarded up or tagged with hastily scribbled signs.
Smoke drifted lazily from a barrel fire wedged between two parked cars, where children huddled beside parents who didn’t even blink.
Some stared at the ground. Others watched everything — silently, sharply.
Christian, while walking, took it all in. Quietly.
He didn’t stare. He didn’t slow down.
He kept moving, trying to appear neutral — not sympathetic, not condescending.
He wasn’t here to hand out pity. And he wasn’t here to play the savior.
But he had no intention of stirring up resentment either.
He didn’t need to say a word. But his expensive coat did it for him.
The women behind him — two beautiful figures in maid uniforms, not the soft kind, but tailored for movement, reinforced for battle — did it too.
They looked out of place.
Too clean. Too untouched.
And that alone was enough.
The tension in the air was quiet, but sharp.
Not directed. Not spoken. Just a low-burning hostility.
At their own ruined luck.
At the unfairness of it all.
At him, for walking through it like none of it could ever touch him.
Like he had come sightseeing at the edge of their suffering.
Christian didn’t comment on their reactions.
They were just ordinary people, after all. Not the kind he came for.
Still, he could feel their resentment, silent but bitter, brushing against his presence like a cold wind.
It didn’t change anything. But he was aware of it.
And because of that, he was quietly relieved.
Relieved that neither his sister nor Eva had come with him.
Luckily, they were both too busy with their own scheme to join him today.
And honestly, it was better that way.
There was no need for them to be met with those stares.
With those thoughts drifting through his mind, Christian, along with the silent Nina and Alpha, finally arrived at a high-end building — probably one of the best still standing in the city.
Instead of heading through the front entrance, he moved around the side until he reached one of the smaller access doors, a service entrance tucked out of sight.
It was clearly empty.
But he didn’t go in right away.
Christian suddenly stopped, then turned his gaze toward Nina.
"You feel the gaze that’s been on us since we came near this building, right?"
His voice was low, but certain.
"Go. Dispose of him."
Nina nodded without a word and slipped into motion, her steps silent as shadow.