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│ [BROADCAST DIMENSIONAL] │
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│ ► Detected Event: SURVIVAL
│ ► Threat Level: HIGH ⚠️
│ ► Reward: ???
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│ Current viewers: 15 ⬆⬆
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I stared fixedly at the message that appeared before my eyes.
"What the hell is this?!" I murmured, bewildered.
I tried to ignore the notifications, but it was impossible. Comments began to flow one after another:
‐[BloodyCrow: "WTF, this got serious fast! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻"
‐[Bella: "Are those real weapons? On a train?!"
‐[DarkPixel: "Don't move, bro… make a sound and they'll fry your head."
I swallowed, feeling sweat run down my neck. The sound of my breathing mixed with the screams of panic, the screech of guns being loaded, and the relentless barrage of comments about my view.
『SystemBot has donated 100 coins』
〔Recommendation: remain calm. Mortality risk: 67%.〕
At that moment, a donation alert appeared at the same time the men raised their weapons, pointing directly at the crowd.
For a moment, no one breathed. Including me…
Fear and despair filled the air. Some passengers threw themselves to the ground seeking cover; others even tried to run, only to stumble over each other. The entire carriage turned into complete chaos.
One of the assailants, the tallest, stepped forward. His deep, authoritative voice resonated through the place:
"Everybody stay still!"
Without waiting for a reaction, he advanced between the seats with terrifying precision until he reached where I was.
‐[BloodyCrow: "Someone close the stream, we're going to die live!"
But unlike what the chat expected, he passed by me, and his gaze locked onto the elderly woman.
‐[GhostBeta: "Boss, DO SOMETHING, quickly."
Before I could react, he grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her from her seat.
She let out a muffled scream, instinctively raising her hands to her chest. But the man was relentless: he pressed the cold barrel of his gun against her temple, bringing his covered face just inches from hers.
"Silence or I blow your head off!" he roared, with a force that made even the air tremble.
The poor woman froze, her face pale and hands trembling, while her lips whispered an inaudible prayer.
‐[XxHunterxX: "Shit, he took a hostage! (ﾟДﾟ;)"
Nearby passengers held their breath, petrified. No one dared to move; no one dared to make a sound.
The only noise was the electric hum of the stopped train and the elderly woman's muffled sobs. Her husband, terrified, remained motionless, his gaze lost, not daring to make the slightest movement. Slowly, he tried to approach the assailants, raising his hands in surrender, and began mumbling words in a desperate attempt to negotiate.
The man smiled with contempt, looked at the old man with disdain, and without a word, pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
A loud crash shook the carriage. In slow motion, I saw the fragile body of the elderly woman collapse to the floor, as if life had left her in that exact moment. The sound of the impact was muffled by the general murmur of the passengers, whose eyes reflected horror and shock.
The elderly woman fell to the floor of the carriage, surrounded by a slowly spreading pool of blood. Her lips trembled as she tried to articulate a last word, but with no one able to hear her, her wrinkled hand clutched her purse tightly, as if it contained an invaluable treasure.
The assailant leaned over the lifeless body with disdain and began to rummage through her belongings. Brutally, he snatched the purse from her arms and opened it. Inside, he found objects of no apparent value: a worn handkerchief, a few silver coins, and a photograph of a smiling young couple.
He frowned in disappointment at finding nothing and threw the items to the floor.
At that moment, like an animal blinded by rage, the old man lunged at him, teeth clenched, determined to kill him.
However, it was too much for his old bones. A punch knocked him down, then blow after blow struck his face until it was almost unrecognizable.
When it finally ended, the old man lay there, panting, unable to get up.
‐[DarkPixel: "Damn… this looks horrible… I can't watch!"
‐[LuzDeAlba: "Boss, do something before they kill him completely!"]
‐[DarkFlare: "OMG, this brutality… this isn't a game!"
The voices in the chat intertwined with the carriage's atmosphere, but the tension was so high that I didn't even look.
A smile appeared on the man's face as he pointed the gun at the old man, and in that instant, helplessness and fear mixed in his gaze.
"Sirius, stop!" one of the men accompanying him ordered. "Even if you hit him, you can't kill him. He will be merchandise that will make us a lot."
I felt so furious and helpless at the same time. However, it lasted only a few seconds before all attention focused on me. Sirius smiled with a smirk full of arrogance and desire, slowly advancing toward where I was.
"Shit… don't tell me," I complained internally.
Immediately, comments began to flow faster than before:
‐[SilentShadow: "OMG, this got way too intense… (ᶿ̷ധّᶿ̷)"
‐[LuzDeNeón: "Someone stop him now! This is a crime."
‐[RosaNeón: "Sirius seems to enjoy it too much… horrifying! _(꒪ཀ꒪」∠)"]
I followed each of his movements with determination. I didn't care about risking myself anymore; I couldn't allow him to get close. Even if I had to die trying, I wouldn't let him lay a hand on me.
But before I could act, a hand rested on his shoulder, stopping his movements.
"You can't…" his companion whispered, his voice full of warning. "If you take another step, you'll delay the entire operation."
Sirius frowned, leaning slightly toward him, eyes shining with defiance and a smile full of arrogance.
"Markus! Are you getting involved in this again?" he exclaimed, with a tone full of frustration and some fury. "I've seen you do crazy stuff before… do you want to stop me?"
"I'm not doing crazy stuff," Markus replied, teeth clenched and breathing rapidly. "Also, I heard something in the last carriage. We can't ignore it. Go check it."
"Why don't you go?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow and shaking his head mockingly.
"It doesn't matter who goes," Markus said, voice firm and cold. "The only thing that matters is whether you want the boss to lose his patience."
Sirius remained silent for a moment, assessing the threat, while the tension between them could be cut with a knife. Then, with a crooked smile, he turned on his heels and walked toward the other carriage, letting Markus contain a sigh of relief.
Immediately, the tension over me eased slightly, but I knew my options were running out. I had to act to avoid dying… or worse, being sold as a slave.
"This was such a cruel and merciless world. There was no time for fear, nor to cry for the elderly woman and her husband; every second counted."
.
.
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