I heard the message just as my desperation peaked, searching for the lifeline that was Song of Nightmares. It was unexpected, like a whisper cutting through the suffocating silence.
[You have been bestowed a shard of divinity by the «Root».]
[You have awakened as a Storywalker.]
[You can use the system interface to check your information.]
The words burned themselves into my mind, as if the universe had decided to throw me a thread of hope.
I blinked once.
And then the realization crept in slowly.
"Ah!"
Why was I surprised? This much was inevitable. The known world had crumbled, replaced by the World of Nightmares. Of course, supernatural powers—Attributes and Gifts—would be granted to the survivors.
I smiled. It seems my luck wasn't as rotten as I expected.
"Status interface."
I muttered out the command and my information slowly entered my mind.
+
[ « Soul Information » ]
Name: Kim Jakga
Age: 25
Main Attributes: ■■
Personal Skills:
| Drafting |
| Black Box |
Divine Authorities:
| None |
Overall Stats:
Physique Lv. 1, Strength Lv. 1, Agility Lv. 1, Magic Power Lv. 10
+
So this was my status window.
The world had shifted into one that resembled a video game. If the world was now in a state of destruction, then every player would have attributes and skills cards.
I examined each detail carefully. First was the attributes. These were unique classes assigned to each character, essentially reflecting a player's personality or traits.
For example, if I had been a gamer before the Main Stories, I would have the "Gamer" attribute, which boosts adaptability in games. It was a solid attribute, though not as strong as the "Pro Gamer" attribute.
There was another attribute hidden from view, and I suspected I knew why. It was likely tied to my status as the reader of The World of Nightmares.
My reasoning was confirmed when I checked my skill cards.
+
Skill Cards:
|| Drafting ||
Rank: ???
Effects: ???
...
|| Black Box ||
Rank: ???
Effect: ???
+
I was stunned.
'What's going on? Why is my information blocked?'
'Am I seeing this correctly? My skills don't even have descriptions. How is that possible?'
'Is there an error with the system? No, that doesn't make sense.'
'Fuck. Why do I have to be different from others? Does the universe hates me or something'
Questions flooded my mind, but no answers came. For some unexplainable reason, I couldn't view the details or ranks of my skill cards.
It was absurd and nonsensical. How was I supposed to survive without knowing the full extent of my own skills?
Knowing yourself and your enemy was the key to invincibility. But how could I defeat an enemy when I didn't even know my own capabilities? This was exactly that kind of situation.
For all I knew, I might have a broken ability—or worse, a completely useless one. It was like pulling 5-star cards in a gacha game, only to find out they were worthless later.
'More importantly, why hasn't that stupid fairy noticed yet?'
My frown only deepened.
Despite being a cheeky brat, she was far too meticulous to miss something like this. Besides, the system was absolute, so an error shouldn't have been possible in the first place.
Ignoring that matter, I decided to analyse my stats one by one.
I frowned. "This is bullshit."
Weak. My stats were pathetic. How could they be this low?
The average human had stats between Lv. 3 and Lv. 5, and a trained soldier's stats were typically around Lv. 8 to Lv. 10. Yet here I was, stuck at Lv. 1 across the board.
Wouldn't a child be stronger than me?
Laughter bubbled up. Not only were my stats pathetic, but I couldn't even view my skill details. What luck!
Thank you, Goddess of Misfortune. You're truly the best.
"Murder! That man is a murderer!!" someone screamed.
In the midst of my despair, my focus snapped back to the chaos. I remembered a few lines from Song of Nightmares.
「 He killed the woman in front of him. No guilt lingered. The blood of his first victim dripped from the Swiss knife.
He had always craved the world's destruction, and when the chance arrived, he took it without hesitation.
As people trembled at the brutal violence, his smile only grew.
Everything was fleeting.
He saw them as prey. Moments later, the knife struck again, and blood flew.
An eerie silence fell over the hospital, as still as a graveyard.
His name was... 」
I recalled the memory and turned my gaze to the young man standing near the bleeding woman.
He had a lean build, black hair tied into a ponytail, and his eyes burned with an unsettling madness. He fit the description from the novel perfectly.
[Shin Jinhyuk has killed a living being.]
[Shin Jinhyuk has passed the conditions of the First Fable.]
As the Voice of the World shared an announcement, the boy grinned. If he had passed the Fable, that meant the woman was dead.
"Haha! I knew it. Just like a video game, you get coins for killing people," he said, as if casually remarking on a minor achievement.
His words, spoken so nonchalantly, made it clear he was utterly detached from the horror he had just caused. It was obvious he had something seriously wrong with him.
Normally, no one would dare commit such a blatant murder in public. At the very least, they'd choose a secluded spot, away from prying eyes. But with the police unresponsive and the doors barricaded, it was the perfect time to kill without fear of reprisal.
The crowd stood frozen in terror, too stunned to speak. They must have thought the boy had completely lost his mind. That seemed to be the unspoken consensus. But, amidst the stillness, the doctor's voice broke through.
"You... How could you? Don't you have respect for human life?"
Shin Jinhyuk answered with a a stern voice. "Who's this old bastard? Do you want to die?"
"...What?"
"You still don't understand the current situation?"
"What nonsense are you saying? You piece of shit!"
Shin Jinhyuk clicked his tongue, grinning as he pulled out a remote and switched on the TV above.
Moments later, the screen flickered to life, showing the chaos unfolding outside.
[Ahhhh! Somebody help!]
[Run away!]
[Damnit! Call for reinforcements!]
Monsters were slaughtering people, including the army. The devastation wasn't confined to Seoul; it was spreading across the entire country.
"See that?" Shin Jinhyuk smirked. "How can you expect the army to save us when they can't even save themselves? No one's coming to our rescue."
"W-What are you saying...?" Doctor Kwangsun stammered.
"Didn't you get the message? We've been ordered to survive by any means necessary. I'm sure you got it too."
Doctor Kwangsun remained silent, unable to respond. Shin Jinhyuk continued.
"I know what you're thinking. Survive at all costs and kill? How could we do that? Only the most despicable people would murder another. But our situation is different, isn't it? We're being forced into it by a greater power. We have no choice."
The crowd's anxiety grew with each passing second. I knew I had to act quickly to prevent complete panic.
"Listen up, everyone!" I called out, trying to steady my voice. "The situation is bad, but we can't lose our humanity. We need to stick together if we're going to make it through this."
"Stick together? Have you lost your mind?" Shin Jinhyuk scowled. "Didn't you hear what I just said?"
"I did," I replied calmly. "But that doesn't mean we turn on each other. The monsters out there are our enemies, not each other."
A heavy silence fell over the room as everyone turned their gaze toward me, confusion and uncertainty written on their faces.
Damn. I should work on my acting skills.
"He's right," Doctor Kwangsun said, breaking the tense silence. "We need to stay united. Can't you see? This is exactly what the demon wants – for us to turn on each other."
"What are you trying to say?" Shin Jinhyuk raised an eyebrow.
"We'll hunt the monsters. We have the numbers. We might not have firepower, but we can strategize, set traps, and strengthen our defenses. Then—"
"Are you serious?" Shin Jinhyuk scoffed. "This isn't some RNG game. You can't just make a strategy and expect to win. Surely, you must already know this, or are you still pretending to be delusional? Well, how about this?"
He flicked the remote and changed the channel. A new video filled the screen for everyone to see.
Bang, Bang, Bang—
"No way..."
"Is that the military?"
The crowd murmured anxiously as they watched the footage. The military was being overrun by a relentless horde of monsters. No weapons or tactics seemed to slow them down; the sheer numbers and savagery were overwhelming.
Shin Jinhyuk's voice cut through the silence. "Do you understand now?" he said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "Do you grasp the severity of our situation? How do you plan to fight something like that—an enemy even the military couldn't defeat?"
"T-That..."
"Face reality already. The world we knew is ending. That's the truth. Do you think you can survive by clinging to your fragile morals? I'm sure most of you have already realised the situation."
The people shoulders began to shake. Their morality was currently fighting against their survival instincts.
Suddenly, the system notification rang out loudly.
[Five minutes before the First End.]
The words sent a wave of dread through the crowd. The meaning behind them hit like a sledgehammer, leaving everyone frozen in place.
「 If there is no killing in five minutes, everyone will die. 」
Shin Jinhyuk's smirk widened. It was a look of satisfaction. It was as if this outcome was exactly what he'd expected. That bastard had never truly been in any real danger.
He had already cleared the Fable.
"So, what will you do now? Will you stand there and patiently wait for your death, or will you kill to survive like a good child? I don't know which choice you will choose, but you don't do something in five minutes, you're as good as dead."
That was the final blow. The people turned to each other with a newfound, unsettling look in their eyes. It was the predatory gaze of a cornered animal.
「 If I don't kill then I will die. 」
They were all thinking the same thing. The moment Shin Jinhyuk's words registered, the fragile thread of reasoning in their minds finally snapped.
And then, the chaos began.
"Get over here, you bastard!"
A burly man grabbed a stranger and threw the first punch, setting off the chain reaction.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer!"
"To hell with this! I don't care anymore—just die!"
It started with one, then two, then three. One by one, the crowd erupted into violence, each person attacking the other with only one goal in mind: survival at any cost.
"Die! Just die already!"
"Aaaah!"
Some fought with their fists, others grabbed whatever makeshift weapons they could find—bottles, chairs, anything within reach. A few ganged up on solitary targets, beating them into submission. It didn't matter how or why. It was pure, senseless violence.
Truly, humans are remarkably simple creatures. Push them to the brink, strip away their veneer of civility, and they'll revert to primal instincts—resorting to violence like cornered animals.
"Shit, that bastard."
"Shouldn't we stop this?"
Angelica, who was holding my sleeve, finally spoke. Her delicate hands were shaking uncontrollably. It seems it was about time to move.
"Angelica, find somewhere and hide. The situation has spiralled out of control."
"Wh-What? W-Where are you going?!"
"Just do as I say. Quick! Hide!"
After forcibly pushing Angelica and hid her behind the register, I turned around and took a deep breath.
I looked around the crowd and studied their faces one by one. There was someone I was looking for.
My target wasn't Shin Jinhyuk. If I fought him without a weapon then I was definitely going to die.
Found him!
Spotting my target amidst the chaos, I pushed off the ground in a swift leap forward.
Weaving through the brawling crowd with quick side-to-side movements, I closed the distance and slammed into someone's back with full force.
"What? What are you... Eeeeok!"
"I'm sorry."
The man crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. Without hesitation, I reached into his waistband, grabbed the hidden firearm, and swiftly backed away.
I weaved through the crowd again, concealing the weapon under my clothes. The last thing I needed was for anyone to notice what I had taken. If they did, this would turn into a bloodbath.
Sweeping my gaze around, I managed to locate Shin Jinhyuk.
He was grabbing and cutting the throats of any unfortunate women who crossed his path. Some tried to escape, but he effortlessly overpowered them, finishing them off with brutal precision.
Damnit. This bastard.
"Hey, squid face."
"Huh?"
Shin Jinhyuk turned his head at the sound of my voice. Then, I uttered words I never thought I would speak—words that felt foreign coming from my lips for the first time.
"I will kill you."
He glared at me. Those eyes were cold and filled with malice. It was the eyes of an unhinged murderer.
Even then, I met his gaze, unflinching.
No matter what, I couldn't let Shin Jinhyuk leave this place alive.
This hospital would be his resting place.