Chapter 44: Trying To Get Them Out

[Congratulations, you have temporarily been freed from the Boyfriend Responsibility. The death of any lady in your Girlfriend Counts would not affect you in any aspect.]

Ethan frowned slightly.

[Don’t worry host, you aren’t also losing your d*ck.]

His eyes snapped open, and then, unexpectedly, he laughed quietly, a small smile spreading across his face as relief washed over him.

“So that’s over,” he muttered. “I mean, I’m already getting used to it.”

Even though the message confused him, he didn’t dwell on it for too long. Whatever the system was doing, it had its reasons, and at that moment, all Ethan wanted was rest.

He fell asleep with a strange sense of optimism, believing that maybe, just maybe, things were finally starting to settle.

That illusion shattered the moment he woke up.

The Daily Intelligence Alert appeared the instant his eyes opened, its cold blue text hovering in his vision, and before he could even fully focus, his heart dropped.

[Day 0011:

— By 11:21 AM, Anna Voss would die.

— By 11:22 AM, Gracie Evans would die.

— By 11:23 AM, Miss Audrey Paul would die.

— By 11:24 AM, Teresa would die.]

Ethan stopped breathing.

His body reacted before his mind could, and he was already sitting up, his hands shaking as his eyes scanned the information again, hoping it was some kind of mistake, some kind of error.

There was none.

He didn’t finish reading. He couldn’t.

The moment the realization hit him fully, Ethan shot out of bed, his heart pounding so violently that it hurt, his thoughts racing faster than he could control.

Just last night, the system had freed him from penalties, and now every single one of them was marked for death, lined up minute by minute like a countdown designed to break him.

“No,” he muttered, already moving. “No way.”

He didn’t stop to think. He didn’t stop to plan. He didn’t even stop to question why.

He charged straight out of the room, fear burning through his chest like fire, one thought repeating endlessly in his mind.

Even if the system said he wouldn’t be punished.

Even if it said he wouldn’t lose anything.

There was no way he was letting them die.

******

Ethan did not slow down even for a second as he made his way through the narrow paths between the buildings, his breath coming faster with every step, his heart pounding so loudly in his ears that it drowned out most of the noise around him, because at that moment, nothing else mattered except reaching them in time.

The images from the Daily Intelligence Alert were still burning in his mind, replaying over and over again, the cold timestamps attached to each name making it feel less like a warning and more like a countdown that had already begun, and the thought alone was enough to make his hands tremble as he pushed open the door to the building where Anna was staying.

Anna was there, just as he expected, sitting with a few of the others, her posture relaxed, her expression calm, completely unaware that her name had already been written in death by the system. The moment she saw Ethan, she smiled slightly, clearly surprised to see him so early and in such a state, and before he could even say anything, she stood up and walked toward him.

“Ethan?” she asked softly. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer immediately. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, almost desperately, checking for any sign that something had already gone wrong, and when he found nothing, he let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.

“I’m fine,” Anna said quickly, misunderstanding his silence. “We’re actually about to be taken out soon.”

Ethan’s eyes sharpened instantly. “Taken where?”

Anna hesitated for a moment, then shrugged lightly. “They said it’s our first Female Raid Group Training. They told us not to worry, that it would be easier and more friendly than the normal ones, and that we wouldn’t go far during raids anyway. They said it’s mostly for coordination and movement.”

She spoke calmly, almost casually, as if it was nothing more than a routine announcement, but with every word she said, Ethan’s chest grew tighter, his instincts screaming at him that this was exactly where things would go wrong.

He didn’t wait for her to finish.

Ethan stepped forward, grabbed her wrist firmly but not painfully, and pulled her toward the door.

“We’re leaving,” he said sharply.

Anna gasped softly in surprise, stumbling slightly before regaining her balance. “Ethan, wait, what are you talking about?”

“There’s no time,” he replied, already guiding her outside. “We’re leaving now.”

Anna looked completely shocked, her eyes wide as she tried to process what was happening. “But Ethan, they already told us to get ready. We were just starting to settle in. This place isn’t that bad.”

He stopped for just a moment, turned to look at her, and his expression was so serious, so intense, that it made her fall silent immediately.

“This place is not safe for you,” he said slowly. “Not today.”

Something in his tone made her stop arguing. She didn’t understand, not fully, but she trusted him enough not to fight him outright. She nodded slowly, still confused, but she followed him as he moved quickly through the compound.

Ethan didn’t stop there.

One by one, he began pulling the others out as well.

Eva was the first to step out after Anna, her brows furrowed in confusion as she asked what was going on. Teresa followed next, clearly annoyed and already irritated by the sudden disruption. Gracie came after, her expression uncertain, while Mella stayed close behind her. Helen stepped out with a cautious look, already sensing that something serious was happening, and finally Miss Audrey emerged, her face pale with concern as she looked at Ethan.

Every single one of them.

He gathered them all together in one place, standing in front of them like a barrier, his body tense, his mind racing.

“What’s happening?” Eva asked. “Why are we all being pulled out like this?”

“We’re leaving,” Ethan said again. “All of us.”

Before anyone could question him further, two Special Force officers approached, their boots crunching against the gravel as they stopped a short distance away, their expressions hardening the moment they noticed the gathering.

“What’s going on here?” one of them asked, his hand already resting near his rifle. “Why are all these women outside their quarters?”

Ethan turned to face them without hesitation. “We’re leaving.”

The officer frowned. “That’s not possible.”

“It is,” Ethan replied calmly. “I’m taking my friends with me.”

The second officer shook his head. “You know the rules. Civilians don’t just walk out of the refuge like this, especially not during training schedules.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “I don’t care about the schedule.”

The tension rose quickly, thick and uncomfortable, as the officers exchanged glances.

“This can’t happen,” the first officer said again, his tone firmer now. “Step aside and let them return to their quarters.”

Ethan didn’t move.

“I said we’re leaving,” he repeated.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Both officers raised their rifles, pointing them directly at Ethan, their fingers resting dangerously close to the triggers, and several of the girls gasped, instinctively stepping back.

“Ethan,” Helen whispered urgently. “Stop.”

Before anything could escalate further, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“That’s enough.”

Mister Fred stepped forward from behind the officers, his expression serious but controlled as he positioned himself between them and Ethan.

“What’s going on here?” he asked calmly.

The officers lowered their rifles slightly but didn’t fully relax.

“He’s trying to leave the refuge with the girls,” one of them said. “Against the rules.”

Mister Fred turned to Ethan. “Is that true?”

Ethan didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“Why?” Mister Fred asked, studying his face carefully.

Ethan took a slow breath. “This place isn’t safe for them anymore. I have to get them somewhere safer.”

Mister Fred frowned. “This is the safest place left in the state.”

Ethan shook his head. “I don’t believe that.”

There was something unshakable in his voice, something that made Mister Fred pause.

Before he could respond, footsteps approached again, heavier this time, and the Commander appeared with two officers trailing behind him, his expression already dark as he took in the scene.

“What’s happening?” the Commander asked.

The situation was explained quickly, and when the Commander turned to Ethan, his gaze was sharp but not angry.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. “You’re a Raid Leader now. One of our strongest members.”

Ethan met his eyes. “I don’t trust leaving them here.”

The Commander narrowed his eyes slightly. “You don’t trust us?”

Ethan chose his words carefully. “I don’t trust the situation.”

There was a long silence.

The Commander studied him for several seconds, clearly weighing his options, and finally spoke again.

“You’re asking me to bend rules I don’t bend easily.”

“I know,” Ethan replied. “But if anything happens to them while I’m out on a raid, I won’t forgive myself.”

The Commander exhaled slowly. “We’ll move them closer to the executive compound. Near my office. Security is tighter there.”

Ethan felt the weight on his chest ease slightly.

That was when the system notification appeared.

[Normal Mission 11 completed.]

[Rewards: Boyfriend Credits +2000. Intelligence +5.]

Ethan trusted the system.

But even as relief settled in, one thought lingered in his mind, heavy and unsettling.

If the Commander wasn’t the danger, then someone else was.

And Ethan was going to find out who.

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