Ethan sprinted down the stairwell, skipping steps, nearly slipping twice. His breath came in ragged gasps by the time he shoved open the building's front door and burst onto the street.
Night air slapped his face.
The streets were quiet—too quiet. Streetlights flickered. A stray cat darted across the road. But somewhere nearby…
A scream had echoed.
And the system didn't lie.
Ethan forced his shaking legs to move. "Two hundred meters south… that's—"
He checked his phone's map with trembling fingers.
"The alley behind the convenience store."
Of course it was an alley.
Where else would danger happen?
His shoes slapped against the pavement as he ran, the timer glowing faintly beneath his shirt.
24:57:02… 24:57:01…
Each second felt like a knife pressed lightly against his throat. A reminder.
Move or die.
He reached the alley entrance, chest heaving.
It was narrow. Damp. One flickering bulb cast weak light. Trash bags lined the walls. And deeper inside—
Shouting.
"…Let go of me! Stop—!"
A girl's voice. Terrified.
Ethan's stomach lurched.
He pressed himself against the wall and peeked around the corner.
Two men. One grabbing a girl by the wrist, the other blocking her escape. The bigger one laughed.
"Don't scream. No one's coming."
Ethan flinched.
The smaller man leaned close to the girl. "Just give us the bag and maybe we'll—"
"Hey!"
The shout escaped before Ethan could stop it.
The two men turned.
Ethan immediately regretted everything.
The bigger man's face twisted. "You talking to us, hero?"
Ethan's legs screamed for him to run.
But the system—
The timer—
He couldn't.
"I—I'm calling the police," he said, holding up his phone with a shaking hand.
The big guy snorted. "Then I'll take your phone too."
They stepped toward him.
Ethan's breath faltered.
Panic clawed at his chest. He had never been in a fight. He worked in an office. The most violent thing he'd ever done was kill a cockroach with a shoe.
And now he was facing criminals.
"System," he whispered desperately. "Do I have any… any skills? Weapons? Anything?!"
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
DING.
[BEGINNER SKILL UNLOCKED.]
[Adrenaline Rush Lv.1]
Temporarily boosts strength and speed for 10 seconds when in danger. Cooldown: 60 seconds.
Ethan's eyes widened.
"Oh thank god—!"
The big man lunged.
Ethan felt something ignite in his chest.
Heat surged through his veins.
The world sharpened.
Colors brightened.
Sound intensified.
His body moved on instinct as he ducked under the man's swing, adrenaline skyrocketing. He grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her behind him.
"Run toward the exit!" he hissed.
She stumbled backward, eyes wide with fear.
The smaller man tried to grab Ethan from behind—
Ethan spun and kicked.
His foot connected with the man's stomach.
Hard.
Way harder than Ethan ever could have normally managed.
The man flew backward, crashing into trash bags with a grunt.
Ethan stared at his own leg in disbelief.
"Holy—That actually worked?!"
The big man roared and charged.
Ethan dodged left, but not fast enough—an arm grazed his shoulder, spinning him. Pain flared down his side.
Before the man could grab him again, Ethan threw a desperate punch.
It hit the man's jaw.
The thug stumbled, shocked.
Ethan blinked at his fist.
"…That shouldn't have worked."
But he didn't wait.
He tackled the man, adrenaline lending him strength he didn't realize he had. They crashed to the ground, rolling. The man grabbed Ethan's collar, trying to choke him.
Ethan clawed at his arm, vision blurring.
The timer flickered under his shirt.
24:56:10… 24:56:09…
He wasn't just fighting criminals.
He was fighting the clock.
He grabbed a loose brick from the ground and swung it blindly.
The man collapsed, unconscious.
Ethan fell back, gasping for breath.
The other thug got up, groaning, ready to attack again—
But police sirens echoed down the street.
The thug froze.
He glared at Ethan, then turned and fled into the night.
Ethan didn't chase him.
He couldn't.
His arms were shaking, chest heaving. The adrenaline drained out of him like water.
The girl approached slowly, clutching her bag.
"A-Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
Ethan nodded weakly. "I… I think so. You?"
She swallowed hard. "Thanks to you."
Before Ethan could respond—
DING.
The mechanical voice chimed again inside his skull.
[MISSION COMPLETE.]
[REWARD: +3 HOURS.]
The timer on his chest flared—
27:56:32
Ethan stared.
Twenty-seven hours.
He had gained more time than he started with.
A shaky laugh escaped his throat. Relief flooded him so hard he almost collapsed.
But the system wasn't done.
[NEW MISSION UNLOCKED SOON.]
Ethan froze.
"No… no, please. Just give me a break…"
[PREPARING NEXT OBJECTIVE.]
He slumped against the wall.
His life was no longer his own.
Every second, every breath, every heartbeat—
Was borrowed time.
And the clock was still ticking.