Towards A Higher Level [Part 5]

"what book is that?" Maria asked, looking at a small book now in Joe Walker's hands.

"This is the book I found in the hands of the corpse we found earlier," Joe Walker replied.

"So, that's what you were doing. I thought you were up to something. Turns out you just took a small book. Why did it take you so long?" Alice said, still focused on driving.

"Well... I was scared. I thought a Monster would appear if I just took it just like that. Ahaha, haha...," Joe Walker answered Alice's question.

"Ahahaha, you have such strange fantasies. Ahahaha, Alice have told you before right? the only remaining race on Earth is humans. Ahaha, haha...," Maria laughed continuously.

Joe Walker looked at a strange, round, white creature currently being hugged by Maria.

"But it seems your guesses were wrong. That creature is not human, right?"

"Eh, what do you mean?" Maria looked confused by Joe Walker's words.

"What he means is the strange creature in your arms right now, Maria," Alice explained to Maria.

"Oh, so you mean Jimmy?" Maria lifted the strange creature and continued, "hmm, it's clear this is definitely not human! What kind of creature is this?"

"Jimmy? You've already given a name to that creature?" Alice asked.

"Yes, Jimmy! Cool name, right?"

Alice sighed and said, "It's up to you, as long as it doesn't get us to die. Even though life and death in this world are equally meaningless."

"Ugh, as always, your words are truly painful."

"You're right, you're right, fact is truly painful. That's why i hate reality. That's why I hate this world."

"No! Stop that! You're killing me with your words!"

"You're so exaggerating, humans don't die just because of someone's words."

"But you're killing my spirit!"

"Yes, yes, fine, it's up to you."

"As usual, Alice is so cold... Ihihi," Maria chuckled.

Alice became slightly annoyed by that. But she remembered Joe Walker, who was with them. She was puzzled as to why she hadn't heard Joe Walker's voice all this time.

Alice glanced slightly at Joe Walker and saw him smiling while looking at the small book he was holding. Feeling confused by the situation, Alice asked, "Joe, what are you doing?"

"Oh,... Um, I don't know?"

"Why are you asking back? I want to know why you're smiling."

"Aahhh, it's because of your conversation with maria. I feel like your conversation is so familiar, like a family."

"That's obvious, we are a real family after all."

"Y-you're right, you two are a family, ahahaha. What's wrong with me right now?"

Alice fell silent for a moment, observing Joe Walker, then refocused on driving and said, "if you don't understand yourself, how can Other people can understand you?"

"...," Joe Walker fell silent.

"So, aren't you going to tell us that story you wanted to share earlier?"

"Huh?"

"The story you wanted to tell us before! Why did you forget about it?"

"No! I just thought you were no longer interested in it. You were busy chatting earlier, right?"

"Why would you jump to that conclusion? Are you that stupid? Don't be like Maria!"

Maria nodded in agreement with Alice's words. However, she slowly understood all of Alice's words and began to stand up from her seat and shout, "hey! Are you saying not to be stupid like me?"

"Hee..," Alice smiled broadly, intending to tease Maria.

"You are really...! Ahhh.. Oh well, I'm too tired to be angry with you. Ahh, my body is a bit sore from lifting debris from the building a while ago. I'm so tired... Help... Me...," Maria lay back down.

Alice thought for a moment to make a decision. After reaching a conclusion, she said, "in that case, let's eat first."

"Wooo, yeayyyy!" Maria immediately became excited again, forgetting that she was feeling weak earlier.

"Huft, you are really... Well, it's okay, it's good for you to be excited because food. Because food is essential for humans to live."

"That's right! Life is food! Food is life!"

"No, it's not like that either!"

"But we can't live without food."

"Hmm, after thinking about it again, maybe you're right..."

"Ahaha, that means I'm smarter than you, Alice?"

"...," Alice felt annoyed and lightly hit Maria's head protector with her small hand.

"Ouch! You're so mean! What do you mean by doing that to me!?"

"Nothing, I'm just annoyed."

"You!"

After that Alice and Maria continued arguing as usual. And as usual, they argued but appeared familiar.

Alice started to get out of the driver's seat and headed towards the back where Joe Walker and Maria were. Although the space was quite narrow due to their belongings, it was still enough for four people. Three people inside did not cause any problems.

Alice began to search through the items to find the remaining food supplies. There were three large colorful boxes in the room, all filled with food. Additionally, there were two other special iron boxes containing bullets and some other firearms equipment. Not only that, there were ropes, lanterns, and other tools there.

Although all the items made the room cramped, they had no other choice, as it was all for their survival. Fortunately, they could sleep there if they temporarily removed all the items. No one could steal their belongings, as encountering other humans was rare.

In this world, humans no longer cared about cooperation. They had lost the will to continue the human civilization. They no longer cared about the meaning of their lives.

This realization made Joe Walker both happy and sad at the same time.

Suddenly, Alice said, "Joe, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be helping me now?"

"Eh?"

"Why are you confused? Didn't you say you would feel uncomfortable if you didn't do something? Come here, help me read all of this. Only you can read this ancient language."

"...," Joe Walker smiled again.

"And then you have to tell us what's in that small book."

"Sigh, alright, I did promise earlier. Sorry, I misunderstood before."

"No problem, it's just a trivial matter. For now, help me here."

"Alright."

Joe Walker then helped read the writings on the food wrappers there. After Alice tasted the flavors, she remembered the taste of the same type of food she had eaten before and matched it. After that, Alice and Maria discussed what flavor they should make the food now. The result of their discussion was a milk flavor.

They chose a wrapper similar to the type of wrapper of 5 chocolate bars they had eaten with Joe Walker. But this time, the wrapper was not brown, but white with strange writings on the front. Actually, it said "milk" there, but Maria and Alice couldn't read it. Not because they couldn't read, in fact, Alice could read, but for Maria, of course, she couldn't.

Alice has liked books since she was a child, she couldn't possibly not be able to read. However, the language written on the food wrapper was an ancient language. Or more precisely, the language of the civilization of the human race that created endless wars until the world seemed to have already ended.

A civilization without shame that triggered endless wars but ended up being the civilization that perished first.

War caused a decline in human resources, making everyone slowly forget the truly extraordinary human civilization. But they also slowly forgot that it was precisely that amazing civilization that triggered the endless wars they had been waging for thousands of years.

Endless wars full of lies involving all the human beings and sacrificing billions of other innocent human beings. Soldiers killing each other without knowing the purpose of their actions. There was only hatred, hatred, and more hatred. They didn't even care about the causes that led to the war. They all just wanted revenge because their friends and family became victims of the war.

The war continued until less than 1% of the human race remained. And now, what remained on Earth were innocent humans walking around the planet trying to survive without understanding the purpose of their lives and the meaning of their existence.

For them, existence is a journey, and death is the end of the journey. There is no other meaning to their lives than that.

Joe Walker knew all of this, he had even seen the history of the human race on this world when he was still in the 'cosmic'. He spent quite a long time just to see the history of the human race on that world out of curiosity. And ironically, that was one of the reasons that strengthened his intention to descend to this world to accompany Alice and Maria.

The reason Joe Walker chose these two little girls as travel companions was simple, because Alice and Maria were the last two children left in this world.

But this world has not completely ended yet, because time in this world is still moving forward. The 'observers' also stated that this world will continue to exist.

However, 'continuing to exist' and 'being saved' are two different things. That's why Joe Walker is currently in a state of confusion. And when he found a diary from a corpse, it only added to his thoughts.

Although this world is so cruel, there are some humans who have not fallen into the loneliness and misery of the world. And now, an example is right in front of Joe Walker.

Two little girls who never give up living their lives to the fullest. They can still smile in a world like this.

Nothing is impossible, and several endless possibilities await this world. That's why Joe Walker can still smile even though he was sent to this cruel world.

Moreover, his journey is accompanied by two little girls who make him not lose his purpose. Which is to protect these two little girls until their journey in this world ends.

But when will Joe Walker's journey end?