Don't Pick Up the Male Lead in the Apocalypse - Chapter 11
“It’s really just nothing but snow.”
After driving in one direction for quite a while, just as the man had said, all that could be seen outside the car window was snow.
Occasionally, houses that seemed inhabitable came into view, but they all appeared abandoned, with no sign of people.
“Where were you and what were you doing before you ended up here?”
“I was volunteering for the Salvation Army.”
“Volunteering for the Salvation Army?”
“Yeah, you know, the charity pots. Ringing bells and collecting donations in red pots during the holiday season.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
Well, you wouldn’t, would you, fictional human?
We are people from different worlds who happened to meet.
“You said it’s the end of the world, so what was the name of the country you lived in before the apocalypse?”
“Ervan Duchy. You don’t look like you’re from the continent.”
“I’m from South Korea.”
“I’ve never heard that before, Let’s get one thing straight.”
“What?”
“For the time being, we’ll move together, but it’s only temporary. Once you’re capable of surviving on your own or find a group to join, we’ll part ways.”
“I agree. But, just to be clear, you’re not going to abandon me with just anyone you come across on the road, right? At least drop me off with sane people. Or else I won’t let you off the hook.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Alright, then.”
He nodded lightly at my straightforward response and gently turned the steering wheel.
“But South Korea… I heard that if you go down south on the continent, you can meet primitive tribal groups like Muhimba. Is it something like that?”
Primitive tribes.
“Should I stick a harpoon in your waist?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“What… a primitive tribe…….”
That’s more like the female lead of this novel, not me.
In this apocalyptic world that faced an ice age for some unknown reason, the novel’s plot introduction and reviews which I had read and paid for 50 episodes, started with:
「The female lead wakes up in the Muhimba primitive tribal area in the southern part of the continent」
That was it.
The female lead wasn’t originally from a primitive tribe, but having lived with the tribespeople since she was young, she possessed remarkable survival skills, even if she couldn’t speak the common language of the continent.
But that wasn’t the problem now.
The ending of this novel was a mass extinction where everyone freezes to death.
“……”
I remembered the spoilers I had read in the novel reviews. Most of them were rants about the author being a bit of a pervert.
After the male and female leads froze to death in each other’s arms, it was revealed that the ‘Last Paradise’ they desperately sought did indeed exist.
That’s why readers were even more infuriated at the author. They could’ve easily set it up for a happy ending, saving the characters, but why choose such a grim conclusion?
‘The Last Paradise.’
A place equipped with everything needed for survival. It exists, but…
How could I find a place even the main characters died trying to find?
How long did the main characters survive? Was it three months? They only lived for three months, and their journey was incredibly tumultuous and dramatic. That’s what made the story interesting.
‘Wait?’
Lost in thought, I was jolted back to reality as the car jerked. The noise coming from the engine was strange.
Checking the dashboard and gears, I noticed the gear shift was incorrect.
“Want to try pressing the clutch?”
After fixing the manual gear properly, he glanced at me while shifting gears.
“This isn’t my car. It belonged to those guys.”
“Yeah. You’re a terrible driver in anything but your own car.”
“Do you know how to drive?”
“I’m amazing.”
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, a sign of satisfaction as he assessed my capabilities.
“Seems you’re not entirely useless.”
“I can show you my driving skills right now, just say the word.”
“No need, I’ll drive.”
What the hell, really.
Feeling somewhat deflated, I turned my gaze out of the car window, then remembered a question I hadn’t gotten around to asking.
“By the way, where are we headed?”
“……”
Our destination is the Last Paradise. We’ll get you there safely.
It would be nice if he could say that
But he didn’t.
“Your relationship with those men didn’t seem like typical comrades. Are we heading back to your group? I heard them call you a ‘rookie’… Despite being new, you turned against them. Will there be no consequences for returning?”
I didn’t voice these thoughts, but they followed in my head: ‘Are you okay?’ and ‘Thank you for saving me despite everything.’
His expression remained impassive as he replied to my serious question.
“We’re not going there. And they’re not my comrades.”
No further explanation followed.
It seemed he too had words he held back, but I didn’t ask. There was no guarantee he’d answer, and asking wouldn’t change the grim reality.
“I see.”
I concluded our brief conversation and leaned against the car window, catching my reflection in the side mirror.
