"Huh?! Level 1?!...I mean, I expected that, but still–!" He complained, though the system didn't seem to pay any mind to his words.
[To Manifest Class Abilities, Call out: "Equip."]
"Beginner Assassin"? Huh? What?" He asked in confusion as numbers and interface sliders went across his vision.
Before he could process any information, he looked down from the balcony to see only one person remaining from the bloodbath of the snow-white, murderous entity.
"Hey…" He attempted to yell out, but his voice came out quietly.
He didn't want to yell.
Though he didn't want to watch the silver-haired, glasses-wearing man die–even more, he didn't want the creature down there to find him.
As the tall, lanky creature with bladed-limbs reared one of its weaponized arms back, the unmoving, silver-haired man spoke:
"Equip."
Just then, a brief flash emitted, replacing the man's business attire with a pearly-white coat and black, leather armor beneath as in his hand, a gargantuan greatsword was in his grip.
"Huh…? What's that–?" He muttered in awe, watching from afar.
[Question Recognized.]
[Processing…]
["Equip": the primary function given to all players of "Armageddon Game". It grants the user the authority of the [Angels], though only a portion of their true power it augments the following stats: [Strength],[ Intellect], [Constitution], and [Dexterity].]
[In addition, players using [Equip] are granted access to their [Spirit Arm] [Skills] and [Spells]. All of these benefits scale with the player's level.]
"It's a complete all-around buff…?!" He let out, "Still…is that enough? Is he going to be alright?"
[Question Recognized.]
[Processing…]
[Player Check…]
[Dae-Seong. Level: 10. Class: Luminate Swordsman.]
"...Level 10?! Is that even fair…?" He watched in surprise.
The bladed-armed being approached the silver-haired, stoic-faced man who seemed unphased at its presence, rearing his sword back as he took a stance.
Huh? He already seems proficient with his sword…? He thought.
Just as the snow-skinned colossus whipped its arm back for a strike after lunging towards the man, the silver-haired human reared his wing-designed greatsword back before disappearing from his sight.
"He's fast…!"
It took him a moment after moving his gaze around to realize the one named Dae-Seong had reappeared behind the creature, following up with a slash that sent a gust of wind propelling through the street.
"And strong–! This is actually happening?!" He continued to utter in perplexion.
After a single slash from the silver-haired businessman's blade, the creature was cut in half by just the wind pressure of the sword alone, spewing out a heaping amount of crimson blood onto the pavement.
He wanted to go over and say something to the man, but he was still left frozen by all of the events.
How is that guy so calm? He's not trembling, or even breaking a sweat. Is he even human…? He questioned.
Watching the man as he seemed to speak to his own system, a light lifted from the bisected corpse of the Defect, coalescing at the silver-haired man's position.
"What's that?" He asked.
[Question Recognized.]
[After defeating an enemy, players can absorb the essence of their fallen foe to transfer into [Skill Points] [EXP] and [Materials]. On rare occasions, [Items] can drop.]
"So this really is like a MMORPG, huh? But…this is real life," he mumbled.
It all felt like a surreal dream to him, but the stench of overwhelming death from the parking lot massacre couldn't be fabricated.
He brought his gaze back up again towards the sky filled with solemn clouds, watching as more Defects descended from the heavens.
Sirens went off within the city, car alarms sounded off, yells from between the streets of the suburbs filled the city. From what he could see of the city, it was filling with smoke as Defects continued to crash down.
This is bad. Really bad, he thought.
As he brought his gaze back down, the silver-haired man was already gone.
"...I wanted to talk to him," he mumbled.
But before such lamentation could settle in, a thunderous crash shook the entirety of the apartment complex vigorously, causing him to curl up into a ball out of primal fear.
What the hell? What the hell? What the hell–?! It never stops! The game just started–what the hell is this?! He thought.
"Why is this happening…?!"
[Question Recognized.]
[Processing…]
[Answer: Currently, the phase of the [Armageddon Game] is in the event deemed the [Grand Culling]. It is expected that [50]% of the human population will be extinguished in this event.]
"Fifty percent?" He muttered in disbelief.
For a moment, he had forgotten about the thunderous impact that landed directly by the complex, but was reminded as a peculiar, buzzing noise met his ears.
[Notification: Hostile entity nearby. Identification: Defect, Class D, level 1: "Flattener".]
"Flattener…?"
Most of the words spoken to him by the monotone, feminine voice of the system were gibberish to his panicking self as his blood ran cold with his heart thumping wildly.
Without any further warning, he witnessed the entity leap up, landing on the balcony as it stared him down with its eyeless, smooth, white face.
It seemed to be shorter than the previous entity he saw, still standing head-and-shoulders above him, but its arms ended in large, blunt appendages that resembled the back of a hammer.
"Stay back…!"
Of course, the white, heaven-fallen monster didn't heed his words as it began to step towards him with steps that sent small tremors through the concrete flooring of the balcony.
In his mind, the words of the System hardly registered as panic and adrenaline set in at the highest degree; to him, it all felt like a nightmare he wished to wake from.
In an attempt to halt its pursuit, he picked up whatever he could find near him–throwing potted plants and stray pebbles, though nothing seemed to phase the white-and-gold entity.
"Shit…!"
Tears of sheer fear left his eyes as he crawled backward, looking up in fright as the Flattener raised one of its blunt limbs.
I'm really going to die like this–? He thought.
–At the last moment, he stepped back, tripping on a jutted-out piece of concrete and falling back out of harm's way just as the bludgeoning fist of the Flattener came down, cracking the concrete as the entirety of the complex trembled.
I should be dead. I should be dead—! My head would be red paste if that had hit me! He thought.
Picking himself up with the sparse time he bought himself, he scurried down the stairs, finding himself in the parking lot.
His attempt to flee was halted as the Defect simply leapt from the balcony, cutting him off as it landed in front of him.
You're kidding, he thought to himself in disbelief.
The buzzing sound continued to fall from the mouth of the Defect, which was held in a constant smile as it looked down at him.
Though his first instinct was to freeze or run, he found both to be simply a quick, surefire way to death.
…Fuck it! If I'm going to die…If I'm going to die, I'll go out like a man! He told himself with tears building up around his eyes.
Supporting his resolve was a tire iron that was laid on the parking lot concrete, picking it up as he held it in front of him with his trembling grip.
In front of his eyes, strands of his curly, red hair obscured his vision slightly as he bolstered himself with what little confidence existed in his skinny, muscleless body.
"Raaaagh–!"
He roared out, though his battle cry sounded more like an actual cry as he swung the stick of iron wildly and weakly at the Defect's body.
In spite of his thrashing, uncoordinated effort, the tall, all-white entity didn't so much as budge or accumulate any sort of damage.
"Huh…?" He muttered out, dropping the tire iron as he tried to slowly back away.
[Notice: Conventional attacks are ineffective against [Defects]. Any creations of [Humankind] will be insufficient in harming [Defects]. If you wish to combat [Defects], refer to using [Equip], Player Jeong-Hui.]