All Chapters of Reborn in the Apocalypse: My Level-Up System : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Ara froze, staring at the empty space where the second compartment used to be. The image wouldn’t leave her—all those people, screaming, gone into the clouds in seconds, the sound of it still ringing somewhere behind her eyes.“Hey! Don’t freeze up now! Let us out!” someone shouted from the third compartment, hands slamming against the glass below.That snapped her out of it. She moved fast, grabbing the hinges on the third cell, her chest still tight from what she’d just watched happen. She pulled, forcing everything she had left into it, racing whatever automated system was going to try and drop this floor too.In the first compartment, Silas and Ronan were pulling players out through the broken frame as fast as they could, trying to keep it from turning into a stampede. Nobody was listening to them, everyone just wanted out before the floor gave way like the last one had, and every few seconds someone shoved past someone else, too scared to wait their turn.Maksim, finally recovere

The countdown sat fixed in the corner of Ara’s vision, steady and merciless, refusing to slow down for anyone.**APOCALYPSE COUNTDOWN:** **[ 06:25:59 ]**She smoothed the thin motel mattress, trying to keep her hands busy while her mind stayed somewhere else entirely. She was supposed to be sharing the room with Milana and two of the women they’d pulled off the airship, but she wasn’t really there. She was still out on the Blackwater sea with Silas, Ronan, and Daniel.She couldn’t stop picturing their boat cutting through the waves, heading for the line that separated Telenburgh from everywhere else.“Ara, stop pacing,” Milana said, not for the first time, sitting on the edge of the other bed with her arms crossed. Her voice had lost its usual edge. “I’ve told you three times already that they’re going to be fine. Those three are stubborn enough to survive anything. You know that better than anyone.”Ara stopped at the window, staring out at the hazy orange lights lining the docks.

Ronan stood near the marble entrance of City Hall, eyes tracking the crowd as he kept the line of incoming civilians moving. He was hungry and running on fumes after hours of nonstop work, but years of military discipline kept him upright and steady. Nothing showed on his face.A few yards off, Freddy—the only teenager among the rescued players—kept watching him, wide-eyed, until Ronan caught it and gave him a quick wink.That was enough to get the kid walking over.“What’s your name, kid?” Ronan asked, voice low.“Freddy,” he said, adjusting his oversized jacket. “Freddy Clifford.”Ronan’s eyebrows went up. He knew that name. The Cliffords were one of the wealthiest, most connected families in the country, with fingers deep in both corporate and military circles. He’d actually crossed paths with the patriarch, Denzel, once, during a joint security briefing years ago.“Denzel’s family?” Ronan asked, studying the boy. “I’ve met him. As far as I knew, he only had three kids.”Freddy let

Daniel walked over to Ronan, who sat hunched at the corner of the desk, jaw resting on his locked hands, face tight with worry.“Ronan,” Daniel said gently, pulling up a chair. “This Kayla—does she mean something to you?”Ronan sat up slowly, dragging a hand down his face. “She wasn’t just squad, Daniel. She was one of my closest friends. When she disappeared during my last deployment—the one that supposedly took my whole squad—I thought she was dead. I carried that for months. Then she just shows up during our first raid on this place, and now she’s standing next to Vaeden.”Ara watched from across the room, chest aching at the strain in his voice. He was rattled, and she understood why—but with the VBNI already moving on them, they didn’t have room for that right now.She turned to the group. “Everyone, listen. We need to be armed and ready right now. We can’t lean on the automated system alone.”Silas raised an eyebrow from his seat by the console. “In fairness, we haven’t eve

Ara's heart pounded as she stared at the feed of the top-floor corridor. Ronan was locked in it with Kayla, but he wasn't really fighting back—just blocking, deflecting, absorbing hit after hit. It was brutal to watch. Kayla had player speed and precision on her side. Ronan had nothing but training, instinct, and stubbornness. Every block cost him something, and he still wouldn't draw his gun on her.She was so locked onto that feed she almost missed what Silas found on the second monitor."Ara, look!" he said, pointing. "The other four didn't stay with Kayla. They went around Ronan while she kept him busy—they're heading down the residential hall!"Her eyes snapped to the feed. Four armed VBNI operatives, moving fast, heading straight for the suite where most of the civilians were holed up.She opened the comms. "Daniel! Dain! Four agents just cleared the stairwell—they're coming right for you!"Inside the suite, the room went cold. Daniel didn't hesitate. He moved the families back