A Survival Guide for a Counselor in the Apocalypse Chapter 32

Chapter 32

 

Father… if you and Mother completely disappear from this world…

Then.

Me.

What about me?

Don’t die, leaving me behind.

Not in front of me.

Don’t get killed by… ‘Mother.’

“Seonah– Seonah… why, why are you so angry…?”

She’s not angry at you. Mother…

She’s not ‘Mother’ anymore. You need to run. I have to say that. I have to scream it.

But vocal cords melted by stomach acid couldn’t produce a single sound.

At the very last moment, it felt like our eyes met.

Father was looking at me, Mother’s claws embedded in his neck… smiling, as if trying to reassure me.

“Hoin… my son. Dad always believes in you. You’re kind… and righteous, aren’t you? Right?”

Not in front of me.

Don’t die.

“You know, right? Yeah? But my son, you’re an adult now…”

Blood splattered across the camera lens.

I could no longer see beyond it.

“So now, listen to what Dad sa–”

Everything went silent.

Only a horrifying stillness remained.

Love, never fully completed, spilled out and faded away.

Lee Hoin, his eyes turning pitch-black and lifeless, slammed his head against the wall and poured something out for a long, long time.

Whether it was tears, marrow leaking out from things engraved into his bones, or love that had never been fulfilled…

He didn’t know.

But one thing was certain.

This moment would become a nightmare he would never forget for the rest of his life.

The phone in his hand melted.

 

***

 

…Damn it.

I slowly forced down every emotion rising within me.

 

— 

[Ah… now I understand. Why that character in the original clung so obsessively to “justice”! It was his last word. But… was that really all there was?]

 

[The client’s trauma has been recorded.]

[The unlock condition for ‘Skill: ???’ has been met.]

[‘Skill: ???’ unlock condition: Trauma Record (1/2)]

— 

 

A skill.

Probably something related to trauma. I do need to obtain it… but for now–

I slowly steadied my breathing and pressed firmly on Lee Hoin’s shoulder.

It wasn’t to intimidate him or force him down.

It was to give him a sense of stability.

To anchor him as he struggled with his trauma.

“…Lee Hoin.”

If there’s one thing I can promise…

“I’ve never once acted with the intention of dying. Everyone’s the same. I’ll always find the best possible answer.”

And you too.

“If you follow me… you’ll probably doubt me, and you still won’t fully trust what I say. But if you still follow me–”

Hoin’s head remained lowered, still drowning in trauma.

I didn’t shake him or try to force him out of it.

He was listening.

“I’ll show you the best path I can find.”

The best path, in every moment.

“Of course, you might get hurt. It might be dangerous. I can’t promise you won’t get injured. If it’s between losing your neck or your arm, I’ll choose the arm. If it’s between your breath stopping or a hole in your stomach, I’ll choose the hole.”

But…

“Later, we’ll reattach the arm. We’ll patch up the hole in your stomach. Somehow.”

No matter how miserable it looks, I promised survival.

 

— 

[I am the commentator who records and narrates your apocalypse.]

— 

 

An apocalypse.

This is an apocalypse.

But an apocalypse is not a chronicle of death.

It is merely a prophecy that speaks of an end.

 

— 

[I cheer for your brilliant life.]

[And at the same time, I wish for a magnificent annihilation.]

— 

 

A phrase I’d seen somewhere appeared before my eyes.

I ignored it.

“I’ll live. Every path I choose is a path to survival.”

 

— 

[May you fall in the most glorious longing, and perish at the highest peak.]

— 

 

I felt Hoin’s gaze.

He heard my promise.

 

***

 

“What was that?”

Cha Hyeongseo tilted her head.

“What did you just do? You went quiet for a second.”

I didn’t answer her. I looked into the air.

 

— 

[Counseling completed. Client Lee Hoin’s mental strength has changed.]

[Mental Strength 2 → 3]

— 

 

3?

I frowned and looked at Hoin.

“Hey, Lee Hoin.”

After a moment of silence, he answered.

“…What?”

“…Do you feel like slitting my throat right now? Or suddenly running outside?”

At my words, Hoin frowned.

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

Don’t you feel that way? You should have [Mental Collapse] in your traits right now.

“…”

I looked suspiciously at the window.

“…Do you have [Mental Collapse] in your traits right now?”

Hoin replied.

“No.”

No?

I frowned deeper.

‘Then that was wrong?’

Did they mess with the system window, too?

I retraced everything carefully. It couldn’t have been lies from start to finish.

Some parts were lies, others weren’t. That’s how perfect deception works, mixed with truth.

‘…Since when?’

Where?

I traced it back.

The subtle discomforts. The first counseling session. His mental strength was supposedly 5, but his reactions didn’t match.

The debuffs were clear… but the buffs?

At that moment, a flash of realization struck me.

Sa Jaeheon’s first line:

“I don’t believe anything.”

The following lines:

[Because he believed nothing, paradoxically, he saw the essence.]

[By treating everything as false, paradoxically, he saw only truth.]

[A doubter of the world. Arrogant and proud.]

[The sole watcher of the death realm.]

That was Sa Jaeheon’s burden.

The reason I never doubted the narrator.

From the very beginning, the story said Sa Jaeheon doubted everything.

Thus, the narrator always told the truth.

Because truth is the greatest mockery for one who doubts everything.

The narrator is not on our side.

In fact, he’s on no one’s side.

He’s just a perverse entity obsessed with beautiful stories.

If the story becomes beautiful, he’ll accept anything…

The death of a “third party,” rewinding the world…

Even his own death.

 

— 

[ 🙂 ? ]

— 

 

So I must doubt it.

Like Sa Jaeheon.

Then, paradoxically, it will reveal the truth.

 

— 

[ 🙂 ? ]

[〉 Believe.]

[〉 Doubt.]

—  

 

Two options appeared, as if mocking me.

I stared at them for a long time… then laughed.

I didn’t choose.

Choosing at all would mean I believed it.

After a brief staring match, the narrator raised a white flag.

 

— 

[You have obtained ‘Skill: Doubt’.]

[Doubt (-)]

You are doubting. You doubt everything.

The seed of doubt lies here.

※ Passive skill.

[Doubt is like glimpsing a fragment of truth. Doubt for your entire life. You were born alone and grew up alone… why would you need to trust anyone?]

— 

 

Say whatever you want.

I returned my gaze to reality.

Hoin, who seemed slightly better.

And Cha Hyeongseo is still confused.

Then I looked at the display board.

 

— 

[Waiting Room Population Status]

‘Cow Group’: 29

‘Eagle Group’: 28

‘Rabbit Group’: 20

‘Horse Group’: 15

— 

 

Only one day had passed.

And yet the “30 people” baseline had completely collapsed.

The Eagle group, which had over 40, was cut exactly in half.

Of course it was.

“Get some rest.”

Outside, the pounding noises continued, but soon faded into the distance.

At least for now, it was safe.

I set an alarm, opened my bag, distributed food, and went to a corner to close my eyes.

“Sleep while you can lie down.”

As if following my words, both of them lay down carefully.

Soon, steady breathing filled the room.

‘Is this some kind of retreat…’

I closed my eyes.

 

***

 

As soon as they woke up, I decided on our next destination.

The weapon supply area.

I showed them the “Stamp Ticket” the guidebook had spat out yesterday.

“We’re going to use this.”

The description said “a suitable place.”

I twisted that meaning. Since I’m the one holding it, they can’t read it anyway.

“They say you’re supposed to use it at the supply area, right?”

 

— 

[Fraud! A fraud!]

[The narrator doubts you.]

— 

 

Go ahead.

“Anyway, it’s better to head back to the supply area. Are you both recovered?”

They nodded awkwardly.

I stood up, realizing I had naturally become the leader.

‘…Isn’t the leader usually the weakest?’

Whatever.

I grabbed my weapon and stepped outside as soon as the ‘Home’ time ended.

“From now on, be careful.”

Who knows what those bastards who survived yesterday’s chaos will do?

The weather is fucking nice.