Evening was approaching when Ilyas, Khai, and Luna arrived at a hall, accompanied by Agus, Raden, and Raka.
They scanned the area around the hall to ensure there were no Demigons or Crawlers lurking nearby. Once they confirmed the place was safe, they decided to rest there for a day.
Ilyas set up a tent as a sleeping place for Luna, while Khai and Agus were assigned to check every room inside the hall to see if there were any useful items they could gather.
Meanwhile, Raden and Raka were tasked with unpacking all the cooking equipment they had gathered during their journey.
After finishing setting up the tent for Luna, Ilyas gently placed the already-sleeping Luna into a crib.
Raden and Raka had already prepared all the necessary tools for Ilyas to cook.
Khai and Agus, who had finished inspecting every room in the hall, informed Ilyas that there wasn't a single useful item to be found.
The four of them were asked to wait for a moment while Ilyas prepared a meal for them.
After a few minutes, Ilyas served them spicy red-cooked chicken.
They savored every bite of the spicy, flavorful dish, their faces filled with satisfaction—as if tasting a deliciousness that words could hardly describe.
Each piece of the fiery red chicken was tender and juicy, coated in perfectly blended spices, making them want to keep eating without stopping.
Before they realized it, they had finished every bit of the spicy red-cooked chicken Ilyas had prepared.
After finishing their meal, they chatted a little about themselves.
"Oh yeah, I just realized—I don't even know the names of you three," Khai said.
"My name's Agus, I'm 20 years old. I used to work at a few food stalls back in Indonesia, and now I run my own," he replied.
"I'm Raden, a childhood friend of Agus and Raka. I used to work at a phone shop. I came to work in Malaysia because of my brother's advice," said Raden.
"This is Raka. He's been quiet since he was a kid. Now he works as a security officer at AON Rawang," Agus added.
"Oh. I'm Khai, a Form 5 student."
"Ilyas," he said simply.
After letting the delicious food settle in their stomachs, Ilyas instructed Khai to resume training with the Evo-Virus.
With fiery determination, Khai focused on enhancing his hearing, trying to sharpen it to a higher level.
Agus, Raden, and Raka, who knew nothing about the Evo-Virus, asked Ilyas.
"Ilyas, why is Khai just sitting there quietly?"
"He's focusing on controlling the Evo-Virus."
"Evo-Virus?"
Ilyas then explained to Agus, Raden, and Raka what the Evo-Virus was—how humans who could master it could gain powers beyond normal understanding.
"Oh, I see. Ilyas, do you think you could teach the three of us how to control this Evo-Virus?" Raden asked.
"Are you guys really sure about what you're saying?" Ilyas replied.
"We don't want to just be a burden to you all. We want to be useful too…"
"…And one more thing—after we reach Sungkai, we'll be parting ways. I want to be strong enough to protect myself and others," Agus explained.
Hearing those words, Ilyas was struck with a bit of nostalgia, memories from his past surfacing.
"You three… still so innocent."
"Alright. Tomorrow morning, wake up at 4 a.m.—no later than 5. I'll give you the training you'll start with," Ilyas answered.
"Thank you, Ilyas."
Agus, Raden, and Raka were thrilled that Ilyas had agreed to train them.
But they had no idea that this training would turn their lives around—completely, 180 degrees.
The next morning, the four of them were asked to gather outside the hall.
"Alright. Khai, welcome your juniors," Ilyas said.
"Huh? These three are going to train to control the Evo-Virus too?" Khai asked, surprised.
"Yes. Today is their first day, so if I'm not around, you three can ask Khai for help," Ilyas explained.
"Got it."
As Ilyas walked off to grab something, Khai turned to Agus.
"Gus, are you sure you want to train the Evo-Virus?"
"Why? The three of us are determined to become strong—even if it means going through hell," Agus replied firmly.
"Oh…"
Khai placed his hand on Agus's shoulder and looked at him with a sympathetic expression.
"Nice knowing you three."
Then he walked off without another word.
Agus, Raden, and Raka were left puzzled by Khai's strange behavior toward them.
Ilyas soon returned, carrying a set of weights.
"These…"
"Are the same wristbands Khai wears," Raden finished, noticing the familiar look.
"I want you to wear these bands on your wrists and ankles throughout the entire training…"
"…Don't take them off until I say you can," Ilyas instructed firmly.
As soon as they put them on, the three of them experienced exactly what Khai had gone through days before—
They could barely move, the weight dragging them down, their bodies struggling under the pressure from the bands.
They now understood what Khai meant earlier.
There was no turning back—they had made their request, and it was already too late to take it back.
The four of them were instructed to run ten laps around the hall area—no jogging allowed.
At first, it felt impossible.
But when they saw Khai, already accustomed to the weight of the bands, running with ease and no signs of struggle, they felt challenged—motivated.
With all their strength, they tried to move their right legs forward.
Watching them, Khai was reminded of his own first experience wearing the weighted bands.
After 30 minutes, Khai had already completed the training, while Agus and Raden had only managed to finish one lap.
What truly amazed them, though, was Raka—he had already completed five laps in just 30 minutes.
This was especially shocking considering that Khai had once needed 50 minutes just to finish three laps.
Ilyas wasn't surprised. He had expected Raka to adapt quickly to the weighted bands— because in his past life, Raka was the one who invented the weighted bands.
After several hours, Agus and Raden finally completed the first part of the training.
They were given a 30-minute break—because the next round of training would be far more brutal.
After enduring all the intense and grueling exercises, the three of them were instructed to meditate, just like Khai had done before.
Once they finished their meditation, Ilyas told them to remove the weighted bands. As soon as they took them off, they felt a strange sensation coursing through their bodies.
Ilyas explained that their Evo-Virus was now in a semi-active state, working to repair the internal damage caused by the training.
He added that if they continued to train with intensity, they would find it easier to activate their Evo-Virus.
The three of them felt a wave of relief and joy—though their progress was still small, their hard work was starting to bear fruit.
Ilyas instructed them to head back into the hall as the evening began to fall. They ate dinner together while talking about their lives before the Armageddon.
"Agus, why did you decide to work in Malaysia?" Khai asked.
"I came to Malaysia because the wages here are higher than in Indonesia. I'm an orphan with my younger siblings, since our parents passed away in an accident..."
"…On top of that, all my younger siblings are still in elementary school. So, as the eldest, I have to work hard to gather money for them..."
"…I used to work at various food stalls in Indonesia before I moved here. Before I left, I entrusted my siblings to my grandmother so I wouldn't worry..."
"…But now, I worry about their situation back there. I hope they're all safe."
"Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine there," Ilyas reassured him.
"Thank you, Ilyas," Agus said, his voice filled with gratitude.
Ilyas didn't say this just to comfort Agus. He spoke from knowing the truth—he knew Agus's younger siblings.
In his past life, Agus's siblings were infamous for their brutal, merciless killing of enemies. They were feared and respected, known as the Blood Families.
Ilyas only discovered that Agus was the older brother of the Poison Brothers after meeting him in his past life.
Ilyas instructed everyone to pack up the cooking equipment and head to bed. Once he made sure everyone was asleep, including Luna, Ilyas quietly left the hall and walked across the street to a nearby convenience store.
As he stepped inside, Ilyas's gaze swept across the scene. The store was filled with the lifeless bodies of humans and the carcasses of monsters, remnants of the chaos that had unfolded there.
Flesh and blood were scattered everywhere, making the atmosphere more chilling.
Ilyas ignored everything around him and searched for something.
Eventually, Ilyas found a radio.
He checked whether the radio used batteries or a power cord. After realizing that the radio required batteries, Ilyas used his power to charge it.
The radio finally worked after being charged for two minutes. Ilyas began scanning for any active channels.
After a few minutes, Ilyas finally received a broadcast announcing that there was a shelter in Sungkai. However, the voice speaking over the radio sounded as if it had been tortured.
The voice was shaky, with a heavy tone, as if the person was being forced to read what they were told.
Ilyas, already aware that this was a trap set by a group of gangsters, planned to go there and see if any changes had occurred after he brought Luna.
Based on his experiences in his past life, Ilyas knew that if he did something different from what was supposed to happen, something known as the butterfly effect would occur.
However, throughout his journey with Khai and Luna, he hadn't seen any events change from the previous life, except for the fact that a newborn baby had survived the Armageddon.
Ilyas left after gathering some food and medicine that were still in good condition and returned to the hall.