I am Kim Seojin, a first-year high school student with a red mark around my neck, currently doused in a classmate's blood while his head rests on my shoulder.
If you ask why I am in this predicament—even I don't know. But to understand how I got here, let's start somewhere appropriate.
It was a regular sunny morning when I had to abandon the comfort of my bed and attend school. And today of all days, I peacefully slept through my alarm—how wonderful. I woke up with only ten minutes to spare. Somehow, I still made it in time. How? I don't know. I was happy because I wouldn't be lectured by my gym teacher about punctuality, but my stomach was not.
As usual, I went through my classes while waiting for lunch break. But make no mistake—I didn't study like guys at the front, spent most of my time fantasizing about the manhwa I read last night. I guess that's why I woke up late. Whatever.
You might be wondering,
"Seojin, why aren't you studying?"
Well, yours truly believes he has excellent time management. Why study all year when you can binge the book the night before the exam and regret your life choices? And surprisingly, it hasn't failed me. At least yet.
Finally the long awaited bell rings, my beloved lunch-break has arrived. My stomach cheered in excitement—but that joy wouldn't last long.
Among the chatter of classmates, I noticed a white doll-like creature with two goat horns floating where the teacher usually stands. Then it started speaking.
"#@#&#_#_--#_&#"
What it was saying wasn't understandable
When I wanted to go closer to inspect something feels off in my gut. But at the time I brushed it off as my hunger.
It appeared as though its looking at blank air while pretending to be clicking
" AHM. hello mongrels, can you understand me now?"
What this? is it a gilgamesh copy from wish?
The people around me were startled by the sudden voice that seemed to echo directly inside our heads.
"I assume you mongrels can."
"lets start again. Hello, mongrels. Rowdy. I see. Be honored—your measurable lives will have more to offer than just sleeping, eating and breeding."
Voices erupted around me.
" whats this? "
"Is this a show by the cinema club?"
"Isn't that goat plushie cute?"
Some were interested, others couldn't care less. While some wear irritated from what I could understand from their faces.
Then someone said,
"We don't have time for this nonsense—let's go."
Suddenly someone shouted,
" Why isn't the door opening?"
It was Jeon.He is known for being a hot headed guy. He points his finger at the floating plushy.
"Is this your doing? I get that you're trying something, but I am not interested. Open it."
"First, I am not a plushie. I am a Dokkaebi. Second, I'm afraid I can't—"
"Zip it. Open the damn door, you goat looking plushie bastard."
The Dokkaebi tiltes its head.
"Well, I guess I can let you go. Does anyone else also want to be let go off?I if so raise your hands"
As much as I was interested at whats this was about. My stomach which had been fasting for a whole 16 hours could not take it.
As I was about to raise my hands, I don't know why, but a chill ran down my spine.
Following my gut I don't do so.
Very soon I get why. And I am glad I listened to my hungry gut.
Almost a third of the class had raised their hands.
The Dokkaebi smiled.something about it felt off. Disturbingly off.
"As you wish."
Then, He snapped his clawed fingers.
In an instant, heads of those who had raised there hands, explodes.
It was like a bloody firework show, painting the classroom in red. Flesh. Bone. Blood. We were drenched in it.
I was too shocked to scream.The classroom was fillled with smell of blood. I could almost taste iron.
A chilling silence fills the room as nobody moves in terror.
"As I was stating before be.." the dokkaebi could not finish when some start screaming.
The scream were cut short as there head also explode with the dokkaebi screaming "QUIET!"
The Dokkaebi continues
"Now that its peace and quite, I can proceed. You have been chosen to entertain higher beings. Now prove your worth."
A blue interface appeared before me.
[You have been contacted for a Main Scenario]
[Prove Your Value]
KILL ONE OR MORE LIVES
CATEGORY: MAIN
DIFFICULTY: F
TIME LIMIT: 30 MINUTES
REWARD: 300 COINS
FAILURE: DEATH
I always fantasized about this. Maybe I'd be isekai'd. Maybe I'd awaken a system. Maybe a hidden magic society like in Fate.Or maybe a apocalypse.
Like every other teenager, I imagined bloody wars and doing lasers slashes like Saber's excalibre in a fantasy sword fight.
But THIS—The smell of real blood, the disturbing site of scattered bodies, weight of crushed silence— was beyond imagination.
I felt like vomiting but I couldn't even muster a retch. The classroom suddenly felt too big.
TOO BIG, TOO COLD, TOO EXPOSED.
I just wanted to be on my bed, wraped in my blanket, in the comfort of my home.
As Minutes passes, nobody moves. Nobody even breathed loudly as if trying to erase there existence.
The Dokkaebi again flashes back.
"What?! None of you have killed yet? This won't do. Let's add a little motivation."
TIME LIMIT: 10 MINUTES
"Now, if you want to survive, KILL."
Panic sets in as I see the timer drops from remaining 26 min to 10min.
I stared blankly at the screen on what to do. My limbs suddenly felt heavy at the thought of killing someone.
I see from the corner of my eyes a student I barely recognized rushing toward me.
I know I need to move. Yet my limbs didn't listen.
He slams into me, pushing toward my bench, causing me to fall on the ground and hit my head. He proceedes to climb on top of me and began choking me.
The construction around my neck instead of being discomforting strangely felt comfortable.
That didn't last long, as I felt my heart pounding. My lungs burning. My head starts feeling light as though I losing control of my body.
My body felt light. My head felt hazy.
I Struggle underhim,clawing at his hands. Struggling just to get a pinch of air.
Unable to get his hand off my neck, I scrabble my hand around me just to get a hold of something with which I can get him of me.
As I scrambled around my hand touches a pencil. I didn't think much. I grab the pencil with what ever strength I could muster and stab repeatedly at him not caring were it hit.
I stop as suddenly I felt something tickling down on my cheeks, no accurate would be pouring down.
As a look up I see that I had stab him around his neck. I see his red but unfocused eyes staring at me. I look at my hands As I see them covered in blood, HIS Blood.
I know I did the right thing, he tried to kill me so I killed him, yet could not but feel guilty. Again a thought occurs to that what if I am hallucinating and actually killed someone, imagining that he tried to kill me.
I couldn't spiral further down this thought as the blue interface lights up infront of my eyes
[THE TIME LIMIT HAS ENDED. SETTLEMENT WILL BEGIN.]
I watched familiar faces lose the privilege of being called living and become just a dead corpse.
And that's how I ended up here as described at the start.
Present Time
The Dokkaebi appeared again.
"Congratulations, mongrel. You're alive. Your worthless life will never be the same. Some constellations are interested at you and choose to sponsor you."
[SPONSOR SELECTION]
DEMON-LIKE JUDGE OF FIRE
THE SNAKE WHO SWALLOWED ITS OWN TAIL
THE ONE WHO LIKES GENDERBENDING
I ask, "What does a sponsor mean?"
"They help you grow stronger. They grant stigma—powers for better understanding."
"And how do—"
"They grant them if you amuse them or chooses so. Choose quickly."
"I see…"
I ask no further. From what I understand, they show our struggle for this so called constilation's amusement. I clench my hand as I Stare blankly at the screen as the time ticks by.
[SPONSOR SELECTION HAS ENDED]
"So you refuse the favor of the constellations? Interesting, not many are this stupid."
After saying that the Dokkaebi vanishes.
Why didn't I choose?
2 reasons
1 of them is because it felt like putting on a slave's collar.
Another is it felt disgusting to be under someone who thinks my life is just an entertainment.
The blue screen lights up again with messages
[THE SNAKE WHO SWALLOWED ITS OWN TAIL IS ANGRY]
[DEMON-LIKE JUDGE OF FIRE IS VERY SAD]
[THE ONE WHO LIKES GENDERBENDING FEELS IT MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY]
"…Missed opportunity?" for a second I couldn't understand what he means though looking at his Alias I understood.
I'm even more glad I refused.
Since this blue screen give quests, is it like does game like system in manhwas I read.
Lets try something
"Open status."
NAME: Kim Seojin
AGE: 15
CONSTELLATION SUPPORT: NONE
Exclusive Attributes:
[He Who Excels Under Stress]
[He Who Fantasizes]
[He Who Yearns for Magic]
[Chased by fortune]
Exclusive Skills:
[Phantasm Maker Lv.1]
[Instinct Lv1]
[Comprehension Lv.5]
Stats:
Physique Lv.3
Strength Lv.2
Agility Lv.5
Magic Power Lv.8
"So… not bad?"
I am surprised it actually worked. Then can I check there details too. Lets try Phantasm Maker.
"Let's see Phantasm Maker."