Liam sliced another piece of the steak, savoring the burst of flavor as he chewed slowly. The meat was tender and juicy, the glaze tastes faintly sweet with a touch of heat at the end. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to simply enjoy it.

The restaurant wasn't particularly high-end. It was small and modest. It was the kind of place locals recommended to each other rather than posted about online.

He had come here because of the reviews, curious about what an "alternate Earth" served as comfort food. And now, sitting here under the soft amber lights, surrounded by the chatter of people who had survived the end of the world, he was glad he came.

It's good, he thought, cutting another piece.

There was something grounding about it—eating among ordinary people, hearing laughter, seeing life carry on despite everything.

The walls outside might be ten stories high, the gates might still spawn monsters, and the world might never return to what it once was—but here, inside this little restaurant, humanity felt alive.

He leaned back in his chair, fork resting idly on the plate, and looked around. The other diners were a mix of people—Hunters and civilians chatting quietly over steaming bowls of soup. Some carried small scars that trailed up their necks or disappeared beneath their sleeves. It wasn't unusual. In this world, scars were as common as smiles.

Fifteen years had passed since the Great Awakening—the day the first gates tore open across the sky. Out of those shimmering rifts came creatures that no science could classify, things that walked, crawled, or flew with a hunger that could devour cities.

He had read the reports Lucy gathered, but seeing the aftermath with his own eyes made the words real.

People lived differently here. Every building was reinforced. Every street had emergency sirens. Even restaurants had emergency exits built with links to escape tunnels leading toward shelters underground. Humanity had survived—but it was always braced for the next disaster.

He glanced out the window. In the distance, faint against the skyline, rose the massive barrier walls—the sentinels that now defined civilization. The nearest one stood nearly two hundred meters high. Floodlights ran along its crest, illuminating the perimeter like a second horizon.

It serves as both protection and prison.

Inside the walls: order, safety, light.

Outside: chaos, blood, and monsters.

Liam finished the last of his meal and set his utensils down. The waitress, a young woman with short black hair and tired eyes, approached quietly.

"Everything alright, sir?" she asked.

"Perfect. Compliments to the chef," Liam gave a small smile.

"Thank you," She smiled and nodded, as if she didn't quite believe him but appreciated it anyway.

Liam paid the bill, left a generous tip, and stepped outside.

The night air was cool and soothing. A faint wind brushed against his face as he walked to the car.

The streets were still lively, though more subdued than they would have been before the Awakening.

Few people stayed out too late; curfews weren't enforced, but caution had become habit.

Liam got into the Alfa Romeo and started the engine. He sat there for a moment, watching as pedestrians hurried home under the glow of street lamps.

He thought of this world. According to Lucy's data, the first few years after the Great Awakening had been absolute chaos.

Governments collapsed, cities fell, and militaries were forced to retreat behind hastily erected barricades.

The survivors built new cities behind colossal walls, protected by the newly awakened Hunters.

It worked, to a degree. Humanity endured. But even now, vast stretches of land remained uninhabitable. The gates hadn't stopped appearing. Some opened in the middle of nowhere, others deep in the forests or deserts or places too remote to reach before a Gate Outbreak occurred.

That was the term they used here: Gate Outbreak. When a gate overflowed, monsters poured out in waves, devouring and laying devastation to everything in their path.

It was how most of the world had been lost.

Mid-Atlantic region is the safest place in the world, thanks to the presence of the strongest Hunter in the world. It's the first place where walls was built and the wall surrounds the whole region. But even the strongest couldn't be everywhere.

New York, according to Lucy's report, was still lost. The entire state had fallen fifteen years ago and had never been reclaimed. The roads leading in are blocked by military checkpoints, but even the soldiers stationed there never ventured far beyond the perimeter.

They built their peace on the edge of fear, Liam thought.

He shifted the gear and began to drive, the car gliding smoothly through the streets.

Everything about this world fascinated him. The economy thrived on monster materials and gate exploration, yet trade routes were limited by geography and danger. It was a delicate balance of survival and ambition.

But the gates that terrified this world, Liam saw as an opportunity. He saw them as things to explore.

The world beyond the walls is lawless. Only strength rules. For the people here, it was a death sentence. But for him, it was freedom.

He smiled at the thought. A lawless wilderness filled with creatures strong enough to destroy cities—it sounded like a perfect training ground. A place to test his strength and to sharpen his instincts.

The Alfa Romeo turned into the main avenue leading toward Dragon Cave Estate. The drive back had been peaceful.

When he finally pulled into the garage, he checked the time on his phone. Less than an hour had passed on Earth—though he had spent at least five hours here.

"Perfect. More time for me," he smiled in satisfaction.

With the time difference being like this, he would have more time to explore this world. And unlike the cultivation world where the beasts in the Thousand Mist Forest are part of the world's ecosystem, the monsters in this world aren't. At least, not in the same way.

Liam stepped out of the car, closing the door softly. He took a moment to gaze up at the stars.

"It's beautiful," he muttered.

Then, without hesitation, he stepped off the ground, his body rising effortlessly into the sky.

He flew higher until he could see most of the city from the sky. He admired the beautiful view for a moment before flying towards the wall.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.