My body landed on hard ground.
"NGH!"
I groaned loudly, squirming in a sudden bout of pain that traveled down from my head to the back. I cupped the back of my hard head, trying to ease the pain by rubbing it continuously. I opened my eyes and scanned the surroundings while still lying flat on the ground.
"F*ck!"
The very thing that welcomed my comeback was a snail nudging its slippery head, trying its might to walk faster to reach my cheeks. I'm not afraid of snails; I'm a brave man! I was so taken aback by the warm welcome that I almost jumped to the heavens after seeing the mighty snail.
I looked around. No wonder I was greeted by a snail – the place where the system dumped me just like a piece of unrecyclable garbage, was in the middle of the field, and I was lucky enough to land on the narrow solid path between the fields rather than the muddy area where crops are planted. But still, I could feel my clothes got dirty from my landing.
I patted my butt while scanning the surrounding area. I could tell that I was in the countryside. From a far distance, I saw the dark clouds gathering in a certain place. That place is where the door appeared. And surprisingly enough, the monsters that existed with the door didn't seem to invade the countryside.
"Did those goddamn monsters only attack the cities?" I murmured to myself.
But my languid walking was halted when a roar erupted from the distance. I nervously looked up and prayed to all the heavens that my ears were just playing with me, yet my prayers were immediately denied when a monster with huge transparent wings, bent antennae and shiny black body landed on a tree several meters away from me.
In my head, I already recited every prayer I could remember.
It was a six-legged monster resembling a carpenter ant, only with a very hideous feature. The monster chirped and rubbed its abdomen, and the dark clouds that I saw shifted its direction and headed toward the fields. It wasn't just dark clouds; it was a bunch of flying monsters!
And the one on the tree was calling them! Dammit! I just escaped from ghosts, have mercy!
I sprinted out of the fields, my mind thinking of any possible way to escape again. I was waiting for the red screen to appear, but the heaps of monsters already reached the fields and I was still running for my life!
I dashed inside the nearest barn and hid myself in the stack of hays inside.
I panted heavily. My resolve to never go back in that escape room again was waning. What do a few punches to my mental state matter rather than getting turned to food by those monsters? Will one choose their sanity over their lives?
I answered myself, "Fuck, yes! I'd rather die than lose my shits and stroll naked in the streets!"
I swallowed my fear and scanned the place for any weapon I could use. I found a rake leaning on the corner by the door and immediately grabbed it. Though I wasn't sure at all how that thing could help me, it was better to hold onto something than fight barehanded. How I wished the rake could fly if I rode it.
The vicinity where I landed wasn't crowded with people. I only saw some small wooden houses with thatched roofs from afar. And I couldn't tell if that town was lucky because the monsters that invaded the area didn't look like aggressive ones.
"NOOO!"
A shrill voice reverberated outside the barn.
I quickly peeked through the holes of the old barn and saw a mother wailing on the ground, a monster was flying away from her, bearing a figure of a small child by its four legs. The child was unconscious and the mother's wails garnered the attention of the ant-like monsters.
I was terrified, but I found myself running faster than a horse, chasing the flying monster carrying the child.
You're not a hero, Atlas! Don't be conceited!
The flight wasn't high and I planned to throw the rake. I positioned myself like an athlete doing a javelin throw, putting all my strength and power on my shoulders, before throwing the metal farming equipment with all my might.
The head of the rake hit the monster's wings, and it screeched when the claws of the rake pierced its vertebrae. It let go of the unconscious child and I wasted no time, I dashed and slid myself to catch the kid with my body while muttering a curse.
Fortunately, I was on time, but my back tingled in pain and my head became dizzy for a while.
However, there was no time for dilly-dallying on the muddy plane. I quickly stood on my feet, the child dangling in my arms, and ran towards the mother who gaped in shock and relief after seeing her child once again. Her mouth opened, ready to shout the name of her kid dramatically, but I was faster. I clamped my free hand to her mouth, shutting any noises that may come out.
The child's mother stared at me in surprise mixed with confusion. Even when the mother's snot and tears flowed down my palms, I endured the gross feeling and just charged it to experience.
I bent down and whispered, "Don't make noise. These monsters looked like ants, and ants are blind, they can only hear us so we won't be detected if you stay quiet."
The mother looked at me dumbfoundedly and whispered back, "A-ants don't have ears…"
I blinked my eyes before shifting them to the child that starting to regain his consciousness, "They don't?"
"T-They listen by feeling vibrations and using their antennae…"
"Got it."
I slowly and lightly took a step, but when one ant-like monster abruptly spun its head toward our direction, my eyes widened and I couldn't help but shout, "FUCK! YOU LIED!"
I don't care if the ants felt or heard their movement, but because I shouted, they even became more certain of our location.
I quickly grabbed the woman up and we ran toward the barn. But the monsters have wings and they are quicker than our limbs.
At the corner of my eyes, I saw one ready to swoop and snatch the mother. I jumped the woman and ducked them on the ground, but the lower legs of the monster scraped my back before I could land. My oversized shirt ripped from behind, and I shuddered when I felt the cold gust of wind burning my open wounds.
"…ngh!"
I groaned as we toppled over the ground. I fell on top of the child's mother who screamed after witnessing the attack. The child struggled from my arms, calling the name of his mother, who, after being pinned down on the ground rashly, looked distraught and dizzy.
I tried to get up again, my eyes filled with determination as their distance from the barn was just a few meters away. It would have been quicker and easier if I wasn't carrying excess garbage. Yes, I'm a jerk for calling people trash.
Though I thought of the pair of mother and son like that, I still did not let go. Instead, I shoved the child wriggling on my side under my body, joining his mother who seemed to have lost her sanity already.
I felt warm liquids trickling down my back, and the stinging sensation brought tears to my eyes. A single movement would contract my torn skin making it more painful, and I had no other choice but to simply bite my lips to restrain my cry.
I'm near to losing my mind over this goddamn pain, but what were all those struggles for if I just gave up? I'm f*cking reclaiming my peaceful life back!
When the shadow of another monster loomed over the three layers of human meat prostrating to the ground, I anticipated the red screen to appear again. I don't like going back to that place, but my situation isn't any better, and escaping through the system is the only thing that can save me. Although I wondered what would happen to the other two if it did appear.
If they are left alone, they will surely die and become food for those monsters, and all my efforts to save the two will result in vain.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
I was startled after hearing that sound above the screeching cries of the monsters that were disrupted by the loud noise. I folded my arms over the two, covering them from the sudden flight of the monsters passing them by, and watched them fly in the same direction where the sound came from.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The loud noise coming from a gun erupted continuously. And with each sound, a monster fell from the sky. It continued until all flying ant-like monster was killed.
I squinted my eyes blurred from the tears accumulated on the edge, to see the person who pulled the trigger continually as if it didn't suffer from any recoil. One single blink would make my tears roll down my cheeks, and I didn't want to appear looking so pathetic to anyone.
The sounds of quick steps entered my ears. I waited until someone's hand had put something on my back. When the fabric was pressed against me, I groaned in pain, and the tears finally fell on my cheeks.
"Ah! I'm sorry…!"
A deep and baritone voice echoed. The man took my right arm after tying a cloth over my wounds. He then pulled the distressed woman covered in mud and tears with her son, then ordered them to take shelter in the barn. The mother, still trembling from witnessing all the events, carried her son and quickly ran inside.
I felt my body gently laid down on a soft surface. I knew that they were inside the barn, and there was no way that the flooring would be soft, or maybe there was a bed. I opened my eyes and found myself lying on my stomach over a sack covering a stack of hay.
I also felt large hands untying the strip of cloth crudely tied around me. My top was ripped completely, and the man lifted my body to take my torn shirt. I heard another ripping noise before I flinched from the cold water that touched my naked back. It seemed that the man was cleaning my wounds.
I muttered in my ragged voice, "…the…kid…the…mother?"
The man answered, "They're safe."
I, "…thanks, man…"
I tried my best to stay conscious but on top of losing blood, I was also sleep-deprived from trying to finish my commissions. I wondered if the gallery had been destroyed, if not, then the curator would surely demand me for my paintings.
Ting!
In my fading consciousness, a blue screen appeared.
[Congratulations! You have received the Caster's Eyes!]
[User will be able to see what role an individual is playing inside the story.]
[System User Ability>>>>
>>>Escape Route Lvl. 1
>> Default Route > Teleportation Lvl. 1
>>>Caster's Eyes Lvl. 1
>>Default Vision > Character's Role]
[The reward had been credited to the User's Profile]