novelraw Chapter 2 : Chapter 2
Chapter 2 : Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Intrusion (1)
The city had become a complete mess.
Something that could not have existed and could not have been imagined just one minute ago had ‘already happened’.
Only the result had ‘popped.’ out, with no process whatsoever.
First, the world began to be dyed black.
The glittering buildings and streetlights flickered sporadically, then went out one by one.
‘Watchmen. They’ve come.’
Watchmen are servants of the scenario, their bodies composed of shadow.
They inflated their bodies, which were ‘shadows’, and covered the entire city.
The city's light pollution, which had hidden the starlight, began to disappear.
They dyed the splendid colors of civilization into a primitive night.
Only the moon was faintly white.
‘Right, this is the original color of night.’
As the stars in the sky began to cast their light, screams started to be heard, as if the curtain had risen.
Using that dark embrace as camouflage.
Monsters were running rampant.
Suddenly, Shadow Wolves killed people on the streets, tearing their corpses apart.
Goblins dismembered those corpses and dragged them around.
A garbage dump of corpses, more gruesome than a slaughterhouse.
In a world turned pale black-and-white, only the crimson blood was enchantingly deep.
Like a child’s innocent scribble, it was chaotically vivid.
If not for the high-rise buildings visible beyond, who would think this was the 21st century?
Like a scene from a perplexing piece of modern art, all sense of reality vanished.
The chaos intensified.
“Eu…… Euaaa!”
“Kyaaaak!”
“Call the police! The police!”
“Open the door! There are people outside!”
The people on the streets also ran wild, screaming.
They ran to the nearest buildings or subway stations, anywhere surrounded by walls.
It seemed humans thought, even in a moment when reason was paralyzed, that the walls they had built would hide their bodies.
“Mom! Mom! Mom!”
“Fuck, someone make that brat shut up!”
“How can you talk to a kid like that?”
“The monster is looking this way! I said make him shut up.”
People fought with each other.
“Department Head, I have to go.”
“What? No, Team Leader Lee! Where are you going in this situation?”
“My family is at home.”
“Stop talking nonsense and close the door! Block it!”
“What do you think you’re doing? My wife and kid are waiting at home.”
“Get the situation straight. If you open it now, we’re all- dead!”
“Hey, you crazy bastard! I said my family is waiting!”
“C-Calm down!”
Peok!
People each insisted on their own valid reasons, but no one understood anyone else.
“I’ll just go get our kid from the academy.”
“Honey, you have to come back.”
“Okay. Lock the door tight! Don’t open it for anyone but me!”
“Got it. Honey. And… secure food and water. Right?”
“Right! Don’t worry! I’ll be right back.”
Even firm promises only returned as greater sorrow.
Vroooom-
A car was rushing down the road, its driver frantic.
Flash.
In the darkness, a light flashed from the opposite direction.
Kwaang!
In an instant, it collided with the oncoming car.
Guung-
Gigigigik.
The car, flipping as it flew, scraped the ground.
“Kkeuk, Eueuk……. Ah.”
The driver crawled out, bleeding.
What he met was a black wolf, baring its fangs.
“Euaaaaak!”
This was not something that happened in just one place.
It was an event that occurred simultaneously wherever people had gathered.
Would it have been better if they at least had the expectation that the nation's defense system would activate?
“We’re all going to die……. We’re all going to dieee!”
The corpses on the street were mostly wearing police or military uniforms.
“Euheuk.”
“Heoeong. Mommmy…….”
Eventually, they were forced to realize.
That the force meant to protect the people had been the first to fall, that the salvation they waited for had already vanished.
In that city, on that street.
Basasak.
‘I wanted to eat comfortably for at least five minutes.’
The man moved his feet.
Even in the midst of this, the modern taste was good.
It was good to be able to melt into the 21st-century atmosphere, even for a moment.
‘I brought out the whole plate, but I probably don’t need to return it.’
He strolled through the hellish landscape as if taking a walk.
His comfortable footsteps trod on the cracked asphalt.
Even the blood spreading across the dim scenery was just familiar.
There were people who spotted him and shouted, but he didn't react.
Right now, he wanted to focus on the small happiness on his plate.
Just one piece, one piece.
He only felt regret for the disappearing chicken.
If a monster approached, he kicked it away.
Peok.
‘Things like Goblins, or Shadow Wolves.’
Doing such a thing would normally get your ankle severed, but for the man, it was nothing.
He was just disappointed that the first scenario hadn't started yet, so killing them wouldn't yield any ‘coin’.
‘Everyone’s working hard.’
The Goblins, wiggling as they carried corpses, were almost cute.
They were tearing up corpses and smearing blood everywhere to incite fear.
‘Well then. Where should I start this life.’
While wandering the streets, recalling the various futures he had experienced.
‘A drink…….’
A familiar café came into view.
It was a café he often visited.
Always around this time.
A finished strawberry latte would be placed out in front of the café.
He didn't know who had ordered it.
There was no need to know.
It was enough to know it was ownerless.
Tuuk.
Walking by, he picked it up.
He saw a terrified employee inside, but he didn't pay any mind.
A life that couldn't be picked up.
A small human hand becomes full just by picking up a single drink.
Jjoreuk.
‘……Sweet.’
He also grabbed a handful of cookies left on the counter.
Wasak.
After some thought, he made a decision.
Because if he was going to end the regression with this life, there was someone he wanted to meet.
‘It’s a bit far.’
He scanned the nearby sidewalk.
A pair of jeans came into view.
It was the lower half of some woman, but he didn't know where the upper half was.
He only knew that the key in the back pocket was the key to the sports car next to it.
Cheolkeok.
He stuck the key in and turned it.
As time passed, the marvels of civilization would stop functioning.
It would start with buildings, and after a while, cars would stop working too.
‘Even so, it’s enough to get to the destination.’
He stomped on the accelerator.
Living up to its luxury name, the sports car sped coolly down the street.
‘Left. Left. It was right.’
There was a car cutting in from the darkness; he turned the wheel.
Without turning his head, he just drove as his muscles had memorized.
It was a reaction faster than conscious thought.
……And so, the place he aimed for.
The side of a certain bus.
Kwang!
He rammed straight into it.
Of course, screams and a roaring crash burst out.
There were people on the bus who saw him and spat curses.
Kwajijik.
By the time he tore the closed door open with his bare hands, the cursing died down.
“…….”
The man looked inside the bus.
He saw a woman, holding a pole and trembling.
‘Kang Yuha…….’
I know she's here even without looking.
I just want to see her one more time.
……She was special.
A person.
‘First, I’ve secured the person.’
The man pushed the unconscious driver out of the seat and sat down.
‘Next is…….’
Before driving the bus.
‘First, I’ll clean up.’
He stood up again and smacked a young man’s head, sending it flying.
Ttuduk.
“Keok?”
Perhaps the scream was broken by his grotesquely twisted neck; the young man's scream ended in an instant.
His bloodshot eyes turned to the air, then lost focus and scattered.
‘This isn't the route where I take you along.’
He’s the one who’ll be the loudest if I leave him.
His heart might be righteous, but his clumsy heroism will only interfere with the driving and put everyone in danger.
“Everyone, be quiet.”
After saying that one line.
Kwak.
He stomped on the accelerator.
It was heavier than the sports car from before, but this kind of weight was good for heading to the destination.
‘The next place to go is…….’
He crushed the accelerator.
This heavy weight would open up the complicated roads.
***
Gently.
On the river that crossed the capital, a cruise ship was moving about.
Its movements were leisurely.
Because a certain romance blooms at night.
There might be guests who, avoiding the busy day, had no choice but to enjoy the night.
But an important reason was also that the secrecy of the night was a garment that suited romance well.
The cruise ship carrying such customers had a special purpose.
Rather than responding to the desire to travel far, its purpose was to guide them into the secret embrace of the night.
There was no need to hurry.
Just, slowly.
Leisurely drifting.
It isolated them from the busy city, moved away like a spectator, and made their daily lives look different from a new angle.
The night view created by overtime work is, in itself, a splendid piece of modern art, and an abstraction of fatigue.
A tragedy when seen up close.
A comedy when seen from afar…….
That exact beauty was present in the city's night view.
On that day, the stars shone particularly bright, so those who sought romance raised their heads to the sky.
Ttuduk-
One by one.
As the city’s lights went out.
Ttuuk.
The starlight became even clearer.
They were jewels studded densely in the sky.
Tuk.
Finally, even the cruise ship's lights faded.
A little…….
Until they realized something was strange.
[PM 8:05]
About 5 minutes had passed.
Ungseong-ungseong.
“What is this? Turn on the lights!”
The inside of the ship became completely dark, creating a small confusion.
Those on the deck looking at the sky let out gasps of admiration, not even knowing it had newlines.
The crew was also flustered by the sudden blackout.
“Hey, tell the guy driving the ship to come out! Is this normal right now?”
“Sir, I apologize. Our technician is currently checking…….”
“Is just trying enough? There must be emergency lights or something! This is extremely dangerous right now!”
“I’m sorry. It’s dangerous, so in your cabins…….”
“I’m telling you to do something because it’s dangerous!”
Something had to be done, but.
The technician was helpless, and even the cell phones were dead.
Just, hopelessly.
With each attempt, they only confirmed the disappearance of one more possibility.
In the midst of that.
In the distance, a bridge was approaching.
An unusual commotion was happening on the road above it.
Enough to be recognizable even from afar.
Kkiiik- Kwaang!
Unidentifiable rupturing sounds and screams echoed out.
“Kyaaaaak!”
Something fell with a splash, splash.
It was too dark to see what it was, but it was easy to tell it wasn't some random trash.
Pungdeong!
The noise was loud.
It was easy to tell that something quite heavy had fallen into the river.
Chaos and fear were slowly invading from the city onto the ship.
“Wh-What is it?”
“What keeps falling right now?”
“Uh……. Do you see it?”
“Th-That’s not, by any chance, a person… is it?”
The screams were hint enough, but the situation was so bizarre that their brains couldn't accept it.
“Did a war break out?”
“Talk sense. If it did, the sirens would have gone off.”
“Then what is that?”
“Filming a movie?”
In the midst of that.
Hwareureuk.
A single burning car plummeted down.
Drawing a red line against the dark background.
Puhwaak-
It burst through the water.
It was a momentary flame, but what had fallen was engraved on their retinas, leaving an indelible afterimage.
They finally understood.
The worst of the passengers' predictions had become reality.
They had confirmed with their own two eyes the possibility they had been unable to deny.
“Kyaaaaak!”
“Th-The police……. No, call 119!”
“Eok! Uh oh? Th-This phone is dead?”
“Wait, wait. Mine’s not working either! What is this!”
Those who had been appreciating the romance, clinging to the railing, retreated in a rush.
But their steps could not escape to anywhere.
By the time they hurriedly tried to go inside the ship.
The people inside were also rushing out.
“What are you doing? Move.”
“No. O-Outside, people are fall……”
“I don't know what you're talking about, just move. It’s dangerous inside because of the blackout.”
The people who only just came out would only find out a little later.
The darkening background.
The red lines being drawn within it.
And the various screams that helped them understand.
Some quick-witted people even thought they were safe, isolated on the ship, but that feeling didn't last long.
A powerful warning appeared before them.
A ‘screen’ had appeared without any physical basis.
Like a mirage.
A rectangular screen, one that could be seen but not touched, was floating.
[Scenario (1)]
[Struggle of the Mythological Age]
[There is no boundary dividing humans and monsters. Which side are you on?]
[Monsters are impure beings. You can earn the qualification of a monster by murdering a human.]
[Life is a struggle. You can earn the qualification of a human by slaying a monster.]
[Success Reward: 10coin. Status Window User Manual]
[Failure Penalty: Death]
Afterward.
In the sky, a woman with the moonlight at her back was stepping on the air and descending.