A meteor shower painted streaks of fire across the crimson sky. In the old world, someone might have snapped a picture and shared it online with a clever caption. Perhaps it would have gone viral and become a fleeting spectacle turned into a moment of humor. But now, there was nothing funny about it.
This meteor shower wasn't a mere celestial event; it was a harbinger. A cannon event etched in the narrative, marking the definitive end of the old world.
Seoul would be the first to fall, its major areas reduced to ruin one by one, just as outlined in the story. The city's fate was already sealed. But to think only of Seoul's destruction would be far too naive.
The end wasn't confined to one city. This was the prologue to a chain reaction that would consume the world.
[The constellations wants you to act.]
There was no point dwelling on it now. Whether this world was doomed or not didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was my survival.
I started my descent down the stairs of the eight-story building. The zombie horde had already done the hard work, breaking through the barricaded entrances, so getting out was the least of my worries.
Stepping outside, I was greeted by the sight of a ruined road. Fortunately, no monsters lingered in the immediate area—at least, not yet.
What should I do now? No, the real question was, where should I go? There were no safe zones nearby—except for one.
At the beginning of the Second Main Story, multiple safe zones had been established across Seoul.
Much like in a video game, the safe zones provided protection from the monsters. As long as you could find one and get inside, surviving the second scenario was possible.
Even as someone familiar with the narrative, it was hard to recall all the safe zones in Hongdae. However, there was one I distinctly remembered.
A safe zone was located at the center of Hongdae's sector. I had been heading there with the others before we got separated. Speaking of my party, they might have already made it there.
Kyahh—!
As I made my way to the safe zone, a bloodcurdling scream tore through the air. A monstrous shadow loomed closer, accompanied by a sharp, grating sound.
"Shit!"
Without a second thought, I ducked into a nearby store, pressing myself against the wall as I held my breath.
Thud— Thud—
The sound of heavy footsteps drew closer. Were they even footsteps?
Each movement reverberated through the air, the ground trembling as if something sharp was gouging into it with every step.
And then, I heard it—a sound that wasn't quite a growl or a roar but a hideous voice. The piercing, guttural noise stabbed into my eardrums like a thousand needles, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Where is... everyone?"
"Why did everyone... leave me..."
"So... lonely..."
"Someone... give me a hug."
"Mommmy..."
The creature's voice was hauntingly peculiar, an unsettling chorus of multiple tones layered together—a man, a woman, a child, and an elderly grandmother. It mimicked the sound of human speech, yet it wasn't truly human. It was a twisted amalgamation of countless souls, with their fragmented voices bound together in a grotesque symphony.
The monster lumbered past the store where I was hiding, one of its tendrils brushing against the building with a sickening scrape.
A shiver ran down my spine as goosebumps prickled my skin. The mere thought of being caught and assimilated into that grotesque abomination filled me with an overwhelming, primal dread. Thankfully, it continued moving, oblivious to my presence.
I wasn't caught. A sigh of relief escaped me as tension eased from my body.
I waited until the creature's lumbering presence disappeared before cautiously stepping out of the shattered store and resuming my journey.
The Plant Nightmare's sudden interference had forced me off the main route, leaving me no choice but to find an alternative path to the sector center. If I maintained my current pace, I could reach the safe zone in under ten minutes.
But there was a problem...
Crunch— Munch—
Monsters were blocking the path ahead. Thankfully, their numbers were small, and they didn't pose much of a threat.
They were minor creatures, scavengers feeding on the lifeless bodies of the fallen. Since they weren't worth the effort or risk, I chose to ignore them and moved swiftly, keeping my focus on reaching the safe zone.
There was no time to waste, and I needed supplies urgently. A quick supply run was necessary.
First on my list were new clothes. It couldn't be avoided. The hospital gown I had been wearing was torn to shreds by the zombies that had feasted on me, so replacing it was a necessity.
I ducked into a ruined clothing store and quickly grabbed a few fitted outfits. Afterwards, I made my way to a nearby fast food restaurant, scavenging for anything edible.
"Ha! Isn't this interesting?"
All the food stands were empty. It seemed that someone—or rather, a whole group of people—had thoroughly looted the place before I arrived. They were likely survivors from the safe zone.
While staying in the safe zone kept survivors safe from monsters, it offered no protection from hunger or thirst. As a result, forming food scout groups and scouring for supplies had become their top priority.
Considering the current situation, it was safe to assume that all the food stores and fast food restaurants had already been looted. But no, I couldn't jump to that conclusion just yet.
It would be impossible for every food and convenience store to be completely cleared out. There had to be at least one place that was untouched. The real challenge was finding it, especially in a place crawling with monsters.
There were only two choices.
Option one: continue my search for food. Option two: abandon the search and head to the safe zone. Both choices had their own risks.
If I kept searching for food, there was a real chance I wouldn't find any, given that other survivors had likely already looted the area. Even if I did manage to find something, there was always the danger of being surrounded by monsters.
No matter how strong you are, being surrounded by monsters meant it was game over. Of course, there were exceptions—like the frontrunners with strong Star Contracts and Divine Authorities, who could likely survive such a situation.
The same couldn't be said for me. I didn't have a Star Contract, and I wasn't confident enough to take on an entire horde of monsters alone. I'd only survived before because I was prepared, and even then, I'd come close to dying.
If I chose to abandon the search and head to the safe zone, I might be able to exchange my coins for food. However, given the number of survivors already there, I doubted anyone would willingly share their limited supplies.
I was torn between two difficult choices: continue searching for food or go to the safe zone empty-handed. Neither option seemed ideal.
I sighed, weighing the consequences.
In the end, I made my decision.
"Let's continue."
I decided to continue my search for food despite the risk.
***
Time passed slowly.
Now, I was making my way toward the safe zone, three plastic bags of food in hand.
After about 20 minutes of searching, I finally found a conference store that hadn't been looted and quickly gathered some supplies.
"Is that the safe zone?"
In the distance, I spotted something.
I squinted, my gaze focusing. Hundreds of people were gathered inside a massive red dome.
It seemed I had finally reached my destination. With a deep breath, I took heavy steps toward the safe zone.
"L-Look! Over there!"
"A person?"
"Someone is coming this late?"
As I drew closer, the people inside the dome began to notice me.
Their faces lit up with surprise. It was understandable—those who hadn't made it into the safe zone on time had been consumed by monsters. It was unusual to see someone approaching the safe zone so late.
Because of this, I quickly became the center of attention. Eyes from all directions were fixed on me, and the weight of their stares was uncomfortable.
It happened when I got closer to the safe zone....
Rumble— Rumble—
The ground below began to shake as if something was moving. A few people noticed this change and shouted at me.
"Look out!"
"Quick! Run away!"
Multiple black silhouettes shot up from the ground at once. They were around five in number.
Black skin, sharp claws and the body the size of German shepherds. They were called Man-eating rats. Monsters with the danger rating of intermediate grade 9.
"Screek—!"
"Squeak—!"
They made strange noises and rushed toward me. Any normal person would have been terrified and tried to run, but I stood there, staring at the approaching creatures with a blank expression.
It felt strange. These creatures could easily tear a human apart, yet I wasn't afraid. The sensation was similar to when I killed Shin Jinhyuk.
A deep sense of indifference.
When did I become like this? Was it after the start of All Stories? No, that wasn't it. Looking back, I realized I had always been this way.
I heard the survivors shouting for me to run, but I ignored them. Running away would only lead to certain death.
Man-eating rats were unnaturally fast, so fleeing would be futile. Plus, there was no real need to run.
[The Skill 'Eagle Eye' has activated.]
[Your perception will temporarily increase.]
The man-eating rats, charging toward me, seemed to slow down drastically. It was as if each of their steps took an eternity.
With this skill activated, time around me slowed, and the affected creatures were trapped in its effect. I, however, was able to move at my usual speed.
To be more precise, my perception improved to the point that time seemed to slow down around me.
That was the effect of the Eagle Eye.
Calmly, I drew the Silver Magic Gun and pulled the trigger five times.
Bang— Bang— Bang—
Blue energy erupted from the barrel, and the heads of the man-eating rats exploded in unison.
Monsters, apart from night crawlers, had tough hides that normal bullets couldn't penetrate. Yet, the magic bullets easily pierced their skulls and shattered them.
The power of the magic bullets was truly impressive.
But that wasn't entirely accurate.
Magic bullets were a skill typically used by walkers with the mage attribute. However, walkers with the ranger attribute could also harness the skill through their ranged weapons.
The item I wielded was the Silver Magic Gun, a weapon that could compress the user's magic power and unleash it in devastating bursts. It also had the ability to charge attacks based on the amount of mana provided.
Overall, it was a very good weapon that suited me best.
Thud— Thud—
The bodies of the Man-eating rats powerlessly dropped and blood splattered on the ground.
At the same time, multiple notifications popped up.
[You have killed an intermediate grade 9 monster.]
[100 coins has been given as compensation.]
[You have killed an intermediate grade 9 monster.]
[100 coins has been given as compensation.]
[You have killed an intermediate grade 9 monster.]
[100 coins has been given as compensation.]
[You have killed an intermediate grade 9 monster.]
[100 coins has been given as compensation.]
[....]