They hadn't even walked three blocks in silence before the world stopped again.
The sky flickered like a glitching screen, colors bleeding unnaturally across the clouds. A low hum, almost like a choir of static, echoed through the air. Hyun-woo's breath hitched. He'd read this scene before.
This was it.
The first official Scenario.
Then it happened.
A ding echoed directly into their minds—clear, chilling, and far too cheerful for what followed.
📜 [SYSTEM SCENARIO - INITIATED]
First Scenario: "The Culling Begins"
Welcome, Survivors!
The world is reborn, and not everyone will live to see the next chapter.
📌 Objective: Eliminate 1 hostile entity within the next 30 minutes.
⚠️ Failure to complete this task will result in immediate termination.
A gift has been provided. Good luck, and may your story continue.
Time Remaining: 30:00 ⏳
A violent pulse of energy spread out like a ripple, and a box appeared midair in front of each of them—glowing, humming, daring them to open it.
Hyun-woo reached for his first.
Inside was a rusted dagger, barely better than a kitchen knife. Ji-ah had already opened hers and silently examined the contents—whatever she got, she didn't look impressed.
Then came the worst part.
The screams.
From nearby buildings, from around corners, from across the silent city—shrieks of panic and terror as other "players" were hit with the same scenario. The system hadn't specified what counted as a "hostile entity."
But Hyun-woo knew.
Anything that can kill you, he thought, clenching the dagger with shaking hands, counts as hostile.
"Don't just stand there," Ji-ah snapped, her own blade already drawn. "You heard the system. Kill or be killed."
"But we don't even know where—"
"Then figure it out."
She took off again, steps faster now, more focused. Hyun-woo forced his legs to move.
This was only the first scenario. In the novel, barely 40% of the survivors had made it through.
And most of the ones who didn't... never even saw what hit them.
Hyun-woo chased after Ji-ah, rusted dagger in hand, heart thudding like a war drum in his chest. The thirty-minute countdown hovered in the corner of his vision, ticking down second by second—a digital reminder that his life was now on a deadline.
They turned a corner, and Ji-ah suddenly raised her hand to stop him.
"Shh," she hissed, crouching behind an overturned car. Her eyes were sharp, scanning the street ahead.
Hyun-woo ducked beside her, his breathing ragged. "Did you see something?"
She didn't answer at first. Then she pointed.
Across the road, staggering out of what used to be a convenience store, was a man—barefoot, bleeding from the shoulder, his eyes wide with panic.
Ji-ah narrowed her gaze. "He's panicking. Could be hostile."
Hyun-woo's stomach twisted. "You don't know that. He might be like us—another survivor."
Ji-ah looked at him, expression cold. "And if he's not? Are you willing to bet your life on that?"
Before he could answer, the man let out a strangled yell and bolted toward them.
Ji-ah stood up, her blade gleaming. Hyun-woo's instincts screamed at him to stop her.
"Wait!" he barked, grabbing her wrist just before she could lunge. "Look at his neck!"
There, glowing faintly beneath the blood and dirt, was the same blue system mark they both had.
Ji-ah hesitated. The man stumbled to a stop, hands raised.
"I'm not—I'm not here to fight!" he gasped. "I didn't kill anyone—I couldn't! Please, don't kill me!"
The tension in Ji-ah's shoulders eased just a fraction. She lowered her sword but didn't sheathe it. "Then hide. And stay out of our way."
The man nodded frantically and ducked into the alley.
Hyun-woo exhaled. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath.
"You'd hesitate and die," Ji-ah muttered, resuming her pace. "That's what you are."
Hyun-woo frowned, following after her. "I'd rather hesitate than kill someone who doesn't deserve it."
"Then don't get in my way," she snapped, eyes burning.
They moved in silence for a few more blocks. The city had become a twisted maze of chaos—abandoned vehicles, shattered glass, and scorched air. Somewhere in the distance, a building collapsed with a sound like thunder.
Then they found it.
At the entrance of an underground shopping mall, something was moving—jerky, unnatural. A figure stood hunched beneath a flickering streetlight, its limbs twitching as though being controlled by invisible strings.
A system message flashed before Hyun-woo's eyes.
📜 [Target Identified: Hostile Entity – Aberrant Human]
📌 Description: A failed adaptation. No longer rational. Considered a threat to all survivors.
⚠️ Eliminate before time expires. Reward: Increased stats + System Credit.
Ji-ah raised her sword again. This time, there was no hesitation in her movements.
"You wanted to save someone. Now it's time to kill," she said.
Hyun-woo gripped the dagger tighter. The entity turned its head, its eyes gleaming with inhuman light. It charged.
And the countdown kept ticking.
Time Remaining: 14:56