Strongest Boyfriend In The Apocalypse: Every Girl Depends On Me!-Chapter 36: Threat

Ethan went to bed that night with his mind completely unrelaxed. He didn’t know if the rest of the group had known that Karen and his friends were here, but he wished they hadn’t known, at least for now.

He was mainly troubled by the fact that this guys might eventually cause a stir here, and that was what Ethan didn’t want.

This wouldn’t only make things worse, it would reduce their possible if getting away from here.

Plus, the incident that had happened in New Land University could be a top topic here if any of them tries to play games.

Now that Ethan was already a suspected figure in the refuge, having Karen say any word would be enough to make the Commander believe every point of chaos that he had caused.

And even though Karen was one of the main foes that had caused these chaos, the fact that they weren’t seen with any significant weapon would make the Special Force suspect them less.

At this point, Ethan wasn’t at the best state of mood, and while Jasper and John were trying to get along with their new housemate, Ethan was all alone...

He needed to be.

******

Ethan woke up before dawn, not because of any sound or disturbance around him, but because of the familiar, uncomfortable sensation that always came before the system revealed itself.

His eyes opened slowly, staring at the dim metal ceiling of the small steel house assigned to him, while his mind was still hovering somewhere between sleep and awareness, until the cold mechanical pulse settled firmly into his consciousness, dragging him fully awake whether he wanted it or not.

The faint blue light flickered before his eyes.

[Daily Intelligence Alert!]

Ethan exhaled quietly, rubbing his face with one hand as he pushed himself up slightly on the narrow bed.

Even after all this time, the feeling never became normal. It always felt like reality was being peeled open in front of him, exposing things he was never supposed to know.

[Day 0010:

The words hung there for a moment, heavy and undeniable, before the first alert unfolded.

— By 9 AM, a couple of Special Force officers from Refuge Nine would visit the refuge and notify the Commander that they were in search of three figures. Two ladies and a man, stating that they had committed several acts of murder.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed instantly, the sleepiness vanishing as his mind began to work.

Refuge Nine. Murder accusations. Two ladies and a man.

He did not need to think hard to understand how dangerous that information was, or how easily such a search could spiral out of control if even a single name or description aligned too closely with people he knew. His fingers tightened slightly against the edge of the bed, his jaw clenching as he memorized every word.

The system did not give him time to linger.

— By 1:34 PM, a herd of zombies with ranges from Level 1 to Level 3 would attack the refuge wall from the west side.

That one came with no surprise, only confirmation. Attacks had become routine, almost expected, but the timing and location mattered. Ethan mentally marked the west wall, already imagining the chaos that would follow once the alarm sounded and the Special Force shifted their attention outward.

Then came the third alert.

— By 4 PM, a lady with pale skin and a quite curvy physique would approach you.

Ethan blinked once, confused despite himself. That was... vague.

Too vague.

The system usually had a reason for everything it revealed, and the lack of context made him uneasy rather than curious.

And then the final alert appeared.

— By 9 PM, Anna would get horny for the third time since the apocalypse.

Ethan froze.

For a long moment, he simply stared at the words, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief, embarrassment, and pure mental shutdown.

Of all the things he had learned through the Daily Intelligence, this was by far the most awkward. His mind struggled to process it in a serious way, especially with everything else already looming over the day.

Before he could even properly react, the missions followed.

[Normal Mission 10: Counter the small group of zombies that would attack the Commander’s office while the whole Special Force officers were busy at the west wall.]

[Reward: +500 Boyfriend Credits. +3 Intelligence.]

That one made sense. Strategic diversion. Chaos elsewhere while defenses were focused in one direction.

Then came the next.

[Normal Mission 11: You know what to do to Anna.]

[Reward: +1000 Boyfriend Credits. +5 Charm.]

Ethan leaned back against the wall slowly, dragging a hand down his face as a quiet, incredulous laugh escaped him. "You’ve got to be kidding me," he muttered under his breath, though the system, as always, offered no clarification.

He knew what it meant. Or at least, he knew what it was implying. The problem was that knowing and actually doing were two completely different things.

Anna wasn’t just some random girl. She was someone who trusted him, leaned on him, looked at him like he was her anchor in a world that had completely fallen apart. The idea of handling something like that wrong made his chest feel tight, even if part of him couldn’t deny the strange pull he felt whenever she was close.

By the time Ethan finished washing up and stepped outside, the refuge was already stirring. The air was cool, the sky still pale, and armed personnel were moving through the compound with quiet efficiency.

Everything looked calm on the surface, but after what the Daily Intelligence had shown him, he knew better.

Calm was only temporary.

At exactly 7 AM, long after the day had dragged itself forward under the weight of anticipation, Mister Fred appeared near their housing area, his posture straight and his expression neutral as always.

"It’s time," he announced, his voice carrying just enough authority to silence any murmurs. "First session of training."

Ethan followed along without comment, noting with no surprise that Karen was there too. Alongside Jasper and John, the four of them walked together behind Mister Fred toward the training field, the atmosphere thick with unspoken tension.

Jasper seemed relaxed, even familiar with the environment, greeting a few faces along the way. It was obvious he had been training here longer than the rest.

Once they arrived, introductions were made. Jasper took the lead, casually explaining who Ethan, John, and Karen were to the others already present, guys who looked hardened, lean, and accustomed to discipline.

The instructor wasted no time, immediately pushing them into drills that tested stamina, coordination, and basic combat movements.

As they trained, Ethan could feel Karen’s eyes on him more than once, sharp and unfriendly. The feeling was mutual. Still, Ethan kept his head down, focusing on the exercises, refusing to give Karen any reaction.

Confrontation would solve nothing right now. Worse, it could expose things that were better left buried, including Nina’s role in Lance’s death.

He stayed calm. Or at least, he tried to.

Eventually, the instructor ordered them to jog laps around the training field, pairing them up randomly. Fate, cruel and predictable, placed Ethan and Karen together.

They started running side by side, boots hitting the dirt in steady rhythm. At first, Karen said nothing, and neither did Ethan. The silence stretched, uncomfortable and charged, until Karen finally spoke.

"So," he said lightly, almost casually. "Funny how we ended up here, huh?"

"Jog," Ethan replied flatly without looking at him. "Asshole."

Karen chuckled, unbothered. "Still got that temper. You know, I’ve been thinking. What if I just told the Commander that some people here aren’t as clean as they look."

Ethan’s jaw tightened, his pace remaining steady even as his heart rate spiked.

"This wasn’t your destination, was it?" Karen continued, his voice low and poisonous. "You want to get back to Atlanta. To your mom. Your little sister."

Ethan stopped running.

Karen took two more steps before realizing Ethan wasn’t beside him anymore. When he turned, Ethan was already moving.

"Guess who’s going to be locked up for years," Karen said, a thin smile forming, "if the Special Force finds out he has blood on his hands?"

Ethan’s fist connected with Karen’s face before the sentence even finished.

The impact echoed across the field as Karen staggered backward, shock flashing across his expression before rage replaced it. Ethan didn’t stop.

He surged forward, grabbing Karen and driving him down, fists flying as months of suppressed anger and fear finally exploded.

"You son of a bitch!" Ethan shouted, each word punctuated with another blow. "Seems like I’m not done dealing with you!"

Shouts erupted around them as the instructor and several others rushed forward, struggling to pull Ethan off. Karen was bleeding, gasping, but laughing even as they were separated.

Before anyone could regain control of the situation, two Special Force officers arrived, their presence instantly commanding silence.

"The Commander demands their presence at once," one of them announced.

No explanations. No arguments.

Ethan and Karen were escorted away, the weight of what was coming settling heavily over both of them as the training field faded behind them.

And Ethan knew, deep down, that the tenth day of the apocalypse had only just begun.

.

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[A/N: Your humble supports are greatly needed. Let’s support with Golden Tickets and Gifts. Thanks.]