[09:09 PM | Seoul Metro Line 2 | Subway Car 4]
Kang Jae-hwan leaned against the wall, chest heaving. Blood pulsed in his ears like war drums. The Predator paced across the broken train car with deliberate steps, its clawed feet echoing across the metal floor. Steam hissed from broken pipes. Sparks jumped from a cracked light.
And corpses lay scattered across the aisle.
Too many.
His hand clenched around the bent metal pole, slick with blood—some of it his, most of it not. The stench of scorched rubber and wet iron filled his lungs.
[22:57 Remaining.]
He could barely think through the noise, not just around him—but inside him. That woman's face still haunted his vision.
[Title: "First Death Flag"]
[Curse Active: The first ten deaths will remain in your memory forever.]
The system hadn't lied. Every time he blinked, he saw her face. Her last expression. The way her body had hit the floor.
He had tried to stop it.
But trying wasn't enough.
"Hey! What now?! What do we do?!"
The suit man had gone from trembling to yelling. His voice was brittle, like dry glass.
"It just killed three more people! We can't just sit here!"
Jae-hwan didn't answer immediately. He was watching the Predator. It was licking its claws—if that grotesque motion could be called licking—as if savoring the last victim.
[HP: 188/200]
[Regeneration active.]
No use. Every scratch he made healed.
He needed an edge.
And then the system window shimmered in front of him.
[Beginner Support System Activated.] [Access to the Beginner's Shop has been granted.]
A soft ping echoed like a chime.
[Would you like to open the Beginner's Shop now?]
Jae-hwan froze.
This was it.
In the novel, this moment had come after five scenario deaths. It had been a grace mechanic—the system recognizing how outmatched participants were.
But in the book, it came after.
Here, it came early.
"...Yes."
[Opening Beginner's Shop...]
The train vanished.
At least, visually. It was still there, but overlaid by a translucent, glowing interface that spanned from floor to ceiling like an old video game menu. Rows of weapons, skill cards, potions, and system fragments floated in digital containers.
[Coins: 50]
Pathetic.
[Items Available:]
Broken Iron Dagger (20 coins)
Low-Grade Healing Salve (10 coins)
Flash Spark (Single-Use Stun Grenade, 30 coins)
Skill Fragment: Basic Reflex Boost (50 coins)
Jae-hwan bit his lip.
He couldn't afford multiple things.
He needed to think logically. Not like a gamer. Like a survivor.
The dagger wouldn't kill the Predator. The salve would buy him a few minutes of mobility, but if he got hit again like last time, no bandage in the world would save him.
The grenade could stun.
He hovered over the Flash Spark.
"What are you looking at?!" the man in the suit screamed.
Jae-hwan ignored him.
[Confirm purchase: Flash Spark?]
[Cost: 30 coins. Remaining: 20 coins.]
"Confirm."
[Purchase complete. Item delivered to inventory.]
With a shimmer of light, the grenade materialized in his hand. Small, round, dull silver. Cold.
Just like in the book.
But he hadn't been the one to use it there.
[Reader's Insight activated.]
[Item: Flash Spark]
Grade: F
Type: Utility (Consumable)
Effect: Emits a high-frequency flash and sound pulse. Stuns enemies under E-grade for 3 seconds. One use only.
He turned toward the Predator.
Still circling.
He exhaled once.
"Hey! Ugly."
It snapped toward him.
He hurled the grenade.
BOOM.
A pulse of light and sound blasted through the car. Everyone screamed and ducked.
The Predator let out a mechanical shriek, its limbs spasming mid-motion.
[Stun successful. Duration: 3.0 seconds.]
Jae-hwan ran.
He didn't run away.
He ran toward the monster.
The system didn't reward hesitation.
He gripped the metal pole, leapt over a row of chairs, and drove the makeshift spear straight into the wound he had made earlier.
[Critical Hit!]
[Damage: 40]
The Predator shuddered violently.
But it didn't die.
[HP: 148/200]
The timer ticked.
[21:38 Remaining.]
It was going to be a long scenario.
And Kang Jae-hwan was out of items.
But for the first time in his life—
He wasn't just reading the story.
He was writing it.
To be continue...