To Love at the End of the World

Chapter 1: The Forced Camp Out Jaredth’s father, Aldwin, returned home with disheveled clothes and abruptly invited his family to camp out. He was in such a hurry that the family scrambled to follow all his instructions. “Move and collect all the food, clothes, and batteries. Make sure to bring water with you!” he said frantically, while his panicked wife followed closely behind. Jaredth immediately called Janice. “Hurry up! My father’s home. We’ll pick you up!” “T-t-there's monsters everywhere, Jaredth! I can’t come out! What’s happening?!” she shrieked. “My father and mom... they’re dead. I’m hiding in my closet. They... they entered my room...” she whispered, eyeing her mother’s corpse staring blankly at her from the floor. “I’ll be there, Janice!” he shouted, picking up a samurai sword. He dashed out of the house as his father yelled after him. His mother cried out, begging him to come back. Monsters were emerging from wormholes all over the world. Amidst the chaos, human lives were being taken—often unintentionally. Police and military forces were still fighting back, but with little hope. Some of the monsters had intelligence, coordinating strikes and spreading confusion in military bases. The government had begun forcing all able-bodied civilians to fight. “There’s no way this ends well. I think the only way is to escape,” said a tactician, a young woman in glasses, during a meeting with world leaders. “How are we supposed to escape?” one leader asked. “Everyone! Go to the nearest dungeon! The first floor of a dungeon is manageable if handled properly. Everyone, head to the nearest one!” she urged. “What will happen to us?” another asked. “Let’s just hope Aldwin is right this time.” “Why are we risking the population on your explorer’s idea?” “Aldwin is the best explorer we’ve got. That ends this discussion. I’m done. As of now, I resign. Best of luck to you all.” She left, and the television in Janice’s room abruptly turned off. Jaredth carefully sneaked into her room, gripping the samurai sword tightly in both hands. He had no idea how to use it, but his body burned with urgency—he had to save the girl he loved. A monster was already in the room, gnawing on Janice's father. Her father, still barely alive, kept stabbing the creature’s metal helmet with a knife, but it did no damage. The monster ignored him. Half his lower body had been eaten, and blood gushed from his mouth as he gritted his teeth in rage. Jaredth puked behind the couch, trying to muffle the sound. But the monster heard. It kicked the couch, nearly crushing him against the wall. Furious, Jaredth stared at the creature. The monster tossed Janice’s father beside the closet, where he landed near his wife’s body. Gasping, he leaned toward her and kissed her lips. Surprisingly, she responded. “M-Mathilda...” he whispered. Mathilda smiled weakly. “Our daughter... she’s in the closet...” she whispered, her life fading. Ethan looked at his daughter’s eyes, steeled his resolve. “Muster your strength, honey. Jaredth's here. We can’t let that monster kill us all.” “W-what are you going to do?” she asked, her eyes wide as her will to live returned. “Throw me at the monster. Aim right. I’ll stab its eye—it’s unguarded. You’re an elite sniper, honey. It’s time.” She nodded, gathering all her strength. She grabbed him by the hair and hurled him toward the monster. Before it could react, he stabbed it in the eye. The monster dropped, crushing Jaredth beneath it. “U-uncle!” Jaredth shouted, catching his body before it hit the ground. “U-uncle… t-thank you…” “H-hurry... save my daughter.” “I-I can’t leave you—” Mathilda slapped him hard, snapping him out of his trance. “We’re leaving our daughter to you,” she said. Blood poured from the massive claw wound that stretched from her shoulder to her thigh. Jaredth knew she wouldn’t survive. Janice had passed out in the closet. Steeling his resolve, Jaredth carried her over his shoulder. Before leaving, he looked back to see Mathilda kneeling beside her husband’s body, crying and begging him to wake up. Jaredth managed to leave unnoticed and returned home. His father was already waiting in the car, ready to go. Jaredth slid into the back seat, where his mother, Theresa, was crying with relief. His little sister, Annie, hugged him tightly, then lay in his lap sobbing. Jaredth forced a smile and wiped her tears. “Superman is back, Annie. Stop crying. I’ll always save the day.” “You’re just like your father—always risking your life,” she sniffled. “I trust you, Son,” Aldwin said, barely holding back tears, trying to maintain his bravado. They drove for hours. Jaredth grew uneasy. “Dad, why are there no monsters around?” “Because I’m here. You should sleep.” “That doesn’t answer anything.” “Sleep, kiddo. You’ll need your strength tomorrow.” Strangely comforted, Jaredth dozed off. Jaredth woke up late. Sunlight poured through the tent, and he rubbed his eyes in confusion. “How did I get here?” he muttered. “Good morning, Superman,” Annie beamed, hugging him. She was blissfully unaware of what was happening beyond their small world. She tugged at his arm and pulled him outside the tent. Nearby, Selena was scolding Aldwin, who stood sheepishly while carrying a net full of dead blue slimes in one hand and brushing his sweaty hair back with the other. “Why didn’t you get enough water?!” she shouted. “There’s no water here, mother of two,” Aldwin replied, flashing a weak grin. “Don’t sweet-talk your way out of this! Our family needs to survive—or your ‘King of Exploration’ title means nothing! You’re never even home!” “I’ll be with you guys all the time now, I promise.” “You’d better! You owe me ten years!” “That’s why I’m here. Look—my exploration led us to the safest dungeon in the world!” “Really? This is the safest?” “Well... dungeons change constantly. We have to be ready for anything. Those monsters on Earth might eventually find this place too. They’re far too powerful for us, even here. That’s why staying on the easy floor is still risky—we have to keep moving forward,” he said with a smile. “You’re not making my son work, right?!” “Your son needs to step up. I need an extra hand to keep our family safe.” “No!” “Selena, are you sure you want this life? Annie needs to be safe. And Superman here needs to fight.” “But—” “Mom! I’m going to help,” Jaredth interrupted, still holding Annie in his arms. Janice, who was cooking nearby, glanced at him. She reached into the net of blue slimes and inspected one closely. “I think these are water slimes—or what we call moisture-absorbent slimes in science. They could be our main water source,” she explained. “Mom, I think we should stockpile these before moving deeper. Dungeons usually lack water. I read in The Explorer’s Guide that water is rare down here. I learned how to extract moisture from slimes during chemistry class. Let me take care of it.” Jaredth was awestruck. “Janice... you’re a genius! Do you want tea or cola for starters?” Aldwin joked, grinning. “Father, it’s nothing. I should be the one thanking you for saving my life. This is the least I can do.” Jaredth quickly handed Annie over to his father and rushed to help her. Annie pouted. “Janice, you don’t have to thank me. It’s only natural—for someone I love.” Janice shook her head gently. “I’m lucky to have you, Jareth. I’ll risk my life to protect you and your family.” “Don’t say that. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Janice smiled, though she knew the dungeon’s dangers far too well.