"Thank God you've awakened," she exclaimed, embracing me with visible relief.

"What happened to me?" I asked, still grappling with confusion about the events that had happened.

"You saved me," she replied earnestly.

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything," I protested, my memory still hazy.

"I'll explain everything at the lab. Right now, focus on getting dressed," she urged, moving toward the door.

"Dressed?" I glanced down and realized I was naked and was only covered with a blanket. "You undressed me?"

"I needed to ensure you didn't have any injuries," she explained as he exited the room. "I'm sorry, okay? Just get dressed and meet me at the lab."

With my embarrassment mounting, I quickly scanned the room for clothing. My attire was neatly folded on a nearby table. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to put it on. Once dressed, I left the room in search of the lab, only to find myself in a hallway with a series of unmarked doors.

"What the hell is this place?" I muttered while wandering for what felt like half an hour, encountering only locked doors. "How does she expect me to find her? This place is like a maze."

I continued to explore the labyrinth like hallway, searching for the elusive lab. After another ten minutes of fruitless efforts, frustration began to creep in.

"Does she want to lose me in here?" I muttered, approaching yet another door. "Oh, look, another door. Let's hope this one opens," I quipped.

To my astonishment, the door swung open as if beckoning me inside. I took a step back in surprise before cautiously entering the dimly lit room. As I located the light switch and turned it on, I was greeted by a startling sight.

"Whoa."

The room was an armory, filled with an array of weapons. Most of them appeared to be prototypes, though a few finished swords, staffs, and guns were scattered among them. However, what drew my attention the most was a box that seemed to exude an inexplicable allure, as if it were begging to be opened.

Approaching it slowly, I reached out to the locker. "Why do I feel like I have to open this?"

The box's lock was straightforward, designed to be opened from the outside. I hesitated for a moment, contemplating my actions, before finally deciding to unlock it. As I swung the door open, a peculiar yet welcoming aura emanated from the box. Though there was no visible light, the aura itself was enough to make me close my eyes. When I felt the aura subside, I opened my eyes to behold its contents.

"A stick? No, it's a pipe? What is this?" I muttered, puzzled by the object within the locker. Unbeknownst to me, Ms. Mei had silently approached from behind.

"There you are. What are you doing in the armory?" she asked, peering over my shoulder to catch sight of the sword in my hand and the open locker. "How did you...?"

"What, this?" I pointed to the sword. "It felt like the box was calling me."

"You don't feel disturbed or repelled by Apocalypse?" she inquired, genuine concern etched across her face.

"Apocalypse? Is that what this thing is called?" I asked while still examining it "that's a weird name".

"Yes, it just appeared here with a note saying it's called Apocalypse. But aside from that, how can you hold it so calmly? I've offered it to multiple people, and they all said it felt wrong and awful to hold, including myself."

"Ha! Maybe I'm the chosen one or something," I said jokingly, but Ms. Mei seemed lost in thought.

"Perhaps it has something to do with the power that saved me," she mused.

"Power?" I questioned, intrigued by the mysteries unfolding before me.

"I'll explain later, just follow me for now," Mei said as she headed out of the armory.

As I prepared to follow her, I remembered I was still holding Apocalypse. "Ms. Mei, what should I do with this?" I asked, showing her the mysterious item.

"Bring it with you, I guess?" he replied uncertainly. "Also... Mei is fine."

We walked through the familiar hallway, and it appeared unchanged. Mei halted in front of a set of double doors, unlike the others. "We're here," she announced, pushing the doors open and leading me inside.

The room resembled an ordinary living space, but one half was set up like a school lab. "Sit wherever you like," she suggested, taking a seat on one of the sofas.

I chose the sofa across from her. "Okay, now would you mind telling me about what happened?" I inquired.

"But for the story to make sense, I have to explain things from the beginning," she replied, eyeing me for my response.

"It's fine; I don't mind a long story," I assured her.

"In this world, there are creatures called 'spirits', They are counterparts of various animal species, including humans, but they are more connected to the Earth, often possessing supernatural powers. They live deep within the forest, away from human settlements, and not many people know about their existence. However, some of them venture into the human world and are known as 'Wanderers.'

About 200 years ago, due to a single Wanderer, humans discovered their existence and launched an attack because they feared the spirits' powers. Nearly all of the spirits perished in that massacre. But 50 years ago, a group of criminals became infamous for their supernatural abilities, and they were the seven spirits who survived the massacre. They called themselves 'The Seven Saviors.' Strangely, about three years ago, their activities abruptly ceased, as if they had vanished. After that, rogue spirits began attacking humanity. I've been protecting this city from them, but yesterday, a spirit was powerful enough to curse me with its energy. I truly believed I would die, but you came and saved me. Now, neither of us really knows how you saved me," he concluded.

As Mei finished her narrative, I was left dumbfounded. The information was overwhelming, and my head throbbed as if something within it was struggling to emerge.

Seeing me clutch my head, Mei immediately looked concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked, approaching me.

"It's nothing," I replied, releasing my head. "It's just... your story is quite unbelievable, you know? Do you really expect me to believe all of this?"

"Do you have any better explanation for what happened?" she countered, her gaze unwavering.

At a loss for words, I fell silent, contemplating the fantastical tale.

Suddenly, a deafening boom echoed from above us. "What was that?" I asked.

"Shit, it's here," Mei exclaimed, looking both surprised and alarmed.

"What is it?" I pressed.

"The spirit that attacked me last night," she replied, her expression tense with fear.