Kai clenched his fists, putting all his strength into each punch. Each blow landed heavily at the joint between its head and body, the sound of "crack" echoing as if something had broken. Suddenly, a surge of heat radiated from his chest, flowing down his arm. It was a sensation like nothing Kai had ever experienced as if an ancient power was awakening within him.
The first flame appeared, wrapping around Kai's fist like a living creature. In that moment, there was no fear, no hesitation only one thought filled his mind: to finish off the monster before him.
Kai put all his strength into each punch, and the small flame on his hand flared up, the heat immediately spreading through the cockroach's tough, steel like armor.
The sound of cracking filled the air as pieces of armor that seemed impenetrable fell away, as though they were molten steel after each of Kai's punches.
The cockroach screamed in panic, its massive body shaking violently, trying to shake Kai off.
But Kai remained undeterred, his legs tightly gripping the creature's body, keeping himself from being thrown off.
Kai continued to throw fiery punches, his eyes glowing with intense determination. The fire on his hands flared up stronger and stronger, the heat distorting the air around him.
Finally, a lethal blow struck. The fire exploded violently, engulfing the entire head of the cockroach. It let out a weak shriek one last time, its huge body staggered and then collapsed to the ground, no longer moving.
Kai breathed heavily, the flame on his hand slowly dying out, leaving a thin wisp of smoke rising from his clenched fist. His body trembled, unsure whether it was from exhaustion or the shock of the power that had just erupted. But no matter what, he knew he had killed the monster.
Less than two seconds after the cockroaches saw their leader fall, they quickly began to flee, retreating from the back of the house. Noah wasn't surprised, knowing that they could survive in such weather. If they could live in Antarctica, the cold here would mean nothing to them. But that wasn't what Noah cared about right now.
Noah stood frozen, watching this scene in fear. He was not just stunned by Kai's aggression; what amazed him most was seeing the fire on Kai's fists. Right now, their clothes were drenched, as the heat from before still lingered in the house.
"Maybe I was seeing things. Can a human have this kind of power?" Noah thought to himself.
Kai, exhausted, lay on top of the cockroach's body, breathing heavily, his other hand still clenched into a fist, smoking. Blood dripped from his arm onto the floor, a sight that made Noah flinch.
"Are you okay? Is it dead?" Noah quickly approached and whispered.
Kai turned his head away, his face, soaked with sweat and diluted blood, looked unusually dangerous. This was the first time Noah had seen his face directly, and this time, he couldn't praise it as handsome anymore.
"Give me the gun!" Kai's voice was hoarse.
Noah handed the gun to Kai, who used all his strength to flip the cockroach's body over and then shot continuously into it. The cockroach's six legs twitched for a moment before falling limp. The body exploded, blood splattering onto Kai, but he felt no discomfort.
Kai held the gun, sitting on the ground, silently staring at his hands.
"Your hand is badly injured. Get up so I can treat the wound." Noah said, approaching to help him up.
Kai stood up by himself and found the cleanest spot in the house to sit down.
Noah quickly rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a first aid kit. He hurried over to Kai, who was still sitting on the floor, his face smeared with sweat and blood. Looking at Kai's arm, Noah frowned. The wound was so deep that the flesh was exposed, and small pieces of the cockroach's armor were stuck to the edge of the wound like sharp metal fragments. Noah took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. This wasn't the first time he had seen such horrific injuries, but this time... it still felt unsettling, as though his hand had been slashed.
Carefully and slowly, Noah began to clean the bleeding wound. Water from the bottle mixed with the blood and the shards of armor, forming a dark liquid.
While working, Noah's mind drifted to memories before the world collapsed. He had once thought of himself as a strong person, brave enough to chase a thief through the streets, receiving the "exemplary citizen" award from the police. Back then, Noah was sure that danger would never truly touch him in everyday life. But now, in the apocalypse, he realized how weak he was. Not only could he not protect himself, but he had also caused someone else to sacrifice themselves to save him.
Without Kai, he would have died in his own home. He had never felt so clearly how fragile he truly was.
Noah looked up, his gaze filled with respect and gratitude for Kai. But just as he was about to speak, their eyes met. Kai looked at him coldly, while Noah fumbled, unable to hide his embarrassment.
"Thank you so much!" Noah lowered his head, trying to continue cleaning the wound to hide his awkwardness.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Are you a doctor?"
"Yes. Does it hurt when I clean the wound?" Noah smiled, trying to make a joke to ease the tension.
Kai smirked, his voice lazy yet still tinged with pain: "It didn't hurt as much when it hit me as it does when you clean it. Hurry up."
Noah focused more, carefully tending to each scratch. He muttered to himself, considering the risk of infection. Bacteria in the wound could quickly cause serious consequences, especially in such a dirty environment. "I can't let someone this handsome boy lose his arm."Noah thought silently, a small smile curving his lips for a moment.
Kai didn't pay attention to what Noah was doing. His gaze was focused on his fist. In Kai's mind, the image of the flames bursting on his hand earlier appeared clearly. It was not an illusion. That intense heat, that unprecedented power, it was all real.
When Noah finished bandaging, he looked up and realized that Kai's eyes were still fixed on his fist. The silence stretched on, prompting Noah to speak: "Earlier... did your fist catch fire?"
Kai was silent for a moment as if searching for an answer to himself. Then he nodded slightly.
Kai looked at his fist, where a magical flame had flared up. His eyes were full of astonishment and worry, his hand still feeling the warmth lingering.
"I'm not sure why that happened." Kai said, his voice low and slightly anxious. "Earlier, there was a source of heat from my chest running straight to my arm, and then the flames appeared."
He glanced at Noah standing beside him, still dazed by what had just happened.
"I want to try again. Step back." Kai bent down and picked up a small piece of wood from the floor.
Noah obeyed, immediately stepping back to maintain a safe distance of more than two meters. Then, he watched intently, his eyes not leaving Kai.