The unsettling truth about being a long-range fighter in a post-apocalyptic world was something I couldn't ignore. Sure, taking out enemies from a distance had its perks, but the downside was deadly.
Running out of ammo at the worst possible moment—like now.
My handgun clicked empty, and I cursed under my breath.
"Shit!"
Grrr—
A low growl sounded nearby, followed by heavy steps. Night crawlers were closing in, and I backed up slowly, only to realize there was nowhere left to go. I'd reached the edge of the building.
I glanced back and realised the situation.
Eight stories high. It was far to jump to the next rooftop.
Fear, buried deep until now, surged through me.
Eight stories up with no way to reach the next building. It was too far to jump.
I was trapped.
Facing the night crawlers head-on would mean getting overwhelmed and get torn apart by their sheer numbers. But leaping to the other side?
That was as good as suicide. Most likely, I would fall and get turned into porridge.
"Calm down now..."
I whispered to myself, forcing several deep breaths to steady my nerves. There were still ways to survive, even without ammo. It looked like I'd have to do things the old-fashioned way.
A group of night crawlers charged at me, and I quickly sidestepped.
The result?
The fallen night crawlers became paintings on the ground below with their crushed bodies.
Unsurprisingly, It was almost too easy to make them tumble off the edge. After all, they were creatures with barely any intelligence.
Kuweeok— Kyaaaack—
Each time a crawler lunged to catch me, I would sidestep and send them plummeting over the ledge. Their numbers dwindled steadily this way. Of course, I wasn't earning any coins since I wasn't killing them directly, but this was not the time for greed.
I glanced at the timer.
Only four minutes before the Fable ended. Could I really hold out that long?
Just then, as I was fending off another crawler, sharp claws flew from somewhere and sliced my shoulder. I swung my machete in reflex and gritted my teeth.
[Some constellations have taken notice of your adversity.]
[Some constellations are impressed by your will to survive.]
[500 coins has been donated into your coin balance.]
The constellations watching found my suffering to be amuzing. I felt like a clown performing for the audience. Indeed, I was a clown and the constellations were the audience.
[Ah! What's this? Isn't this very interesting?]
Aurora appeared and flapped her wings in the air. She was looking at me with a cocky smirk.
[Oh my, aren't you a very lucky bastard? It seems some Great Gods have taken interest in you.]
"... What?"
[You should be receiving an system message from the constellations. Yes? If you want to survive your current predicament, I suggest you pick a star constellation.]
Just as she finished speaking, I received a system message.
[Emergency Selection]
Select your guiding constellation from the list below. This constellation will become your greatest ally throughout the Stories. Choose carefully—once chosen, your star cannot be changed.
•Primordial Mother of Dragons
•Judge of War and Wisdom.
•Architect of Destruction
*??? ??? ???
Four choices were presented before me. There were some names I knew and there were one I didn't know. Even so, one fact remained the same.
They were all asking me to choose. To become an apostle or die.
Star Contract.
This was a contract made between constellations and players seeking to become their Incarnations. It allowed constellations to bestow their powers and divine protections upon chosen players, as well as support them through coin donations.
In essence, the constellation takes responsibility for the player; any actions made by the incarnation reflect upon their star constellation. It was the most important event for players since most constellations have high standards.
Knowing the true nature behind the star contract, I couldn't bring myself to choose a sponsor from this list. Even with big names like the 'Mother of Dragons' and the 'Judge of War and Wisdom' among them.
First was the Primordial Mother of Dragons.
This constellation's true name was Tiamat, the God of Creation and Destruction. She was rumored to possess one of the strongest attack skills, envied even by the Celestials and Narrative Gods. She was even the Star Constellation of Shin Jinhyuk in Song of Nightmares.
The second option was Judge of War and Wisdom.
Her real name was Athena, a constellation from Olympus. As the goddess of War and Wisdom, she had many blessings that can enhance one's physical abilities and mental fortitude.
Then, there was the Architect of Destruction
Strangely, I couldn't recall any specific memory about this constellation. Perhaps it was a passing mention I'd forgotten over the course of the story. Either way, choosing this constellation didn't feel like the right decision. Isn't that a name that a demon that would have?
Lastly, there was a constellation that remained nameless, having refused to reveal his identity. Even if I were inclined to choose a constellation, I couldn't bring myself to select one who would hide his name.
My mind began to work quickly.
On one hand, selecting any constellation from this list would ensure my survival. However, the moment I made that choice, I would forfeit my chance to reach the Final Story. On the other hand, if I chose not to select a constellation, I would be left to face the endless horde alone.
With the involvement of the constellation, the situation has become much more complicated than before.
[The constellation 'Primordial Mother of Dragons' is awaiting your choice.]
[The constellation 'Judge of War and Wisdom' is awaiting your choice.]
[The constellation 'Architect of Destruction' is awaiting your choice.]
[The constellation '??? ???' Is awaiting ypur choice.]
My mind was working quickly, trying to choose the best choice. In the end, a decision was made.
[You have chosen not to select a star constellation.]
This was the road that I've already decided to walk from the beginning.
[The constellation 'Primordial Mother of Dragons' is greatly displeased at your choice.]
[The constellation 'Jugde of War and Wisdom' is disappointed.]
[The constellation 'Architect of Destruction' is interested in your choice.]
[The constellation '??? ??? ???' Is interested in your choice.]
I wasn't surprised because it was an expected message. The constellations were people and they had different reactions. Some reacted negatively while others were interested in my choice.
They could bite me all they want, but I would never sign a star contract.
There were many ways to do so without becoming an alter ego of the constellations. I know all of them because I was the reader of the story.
[Haha! Are you sure? You might regret it later.]
Aurora had been wearing a mischievous smile the entire time, but I didn't have the luxury to focus on her.
I was too busy dodging the night crawlers lunging to sink their teeth into me.
Slash, Crack—
The machete severed a night crawler's arm and buried itself into the forehead of another.
They had gotten too close, so I cut them down immediately.
Night crawlers had a danger rating of grade 9, but they were viewed as a high-risk species. Their bodies were derived from human DNA, and if they were any other creature, I would have been dead by now.
I checked the time: three minutes. Only three minutes left.
Keok—
My right thigh was pierced by black fingers. I groaned as pain shot through my body.
The surface of my skin was turning black.
This was why night crawlers were so dangerous despite being low-ranking nightmares. If they bit or scratched you, you'd slowly become infected and corrupted, eventually turning into a night crawler yourself.
Dammit. If only I had one combat skill, this situation would be much more bearable.
Wait...
A sudden thought emerged. That was wrong. I remembered I had obtained an attack skill a few moments before I left the hospital.
I quickly activated it.
[The skill, 'Blood Demon Ki' has activated.]
[All your overall stats will increase depending on the skill proficiency.]
A crimson aura slowly rose from my shoulders, and my body was filled with newfound power. It was the same skill that the character Shin Jinhyuk had used to dominate the ruined world.
Kwang—
The ground scattered as I leapt toward the horde with all my might.
Slash— Crack—
The machete was swung, and blood flew in the air.
My vision was blurry. The machete was swung randomly and the night crawlers got crushed by the overwhelming physical violence.
At this moment, I had become the Mad Demon of the battlefield.
The machete pierced the skulls of the night crawlers one by one as time ticked by.
[02: 00]
The machete pierced into the skull of a lone night crawler.
[01: 40]
I kicked an approaching night crawler in the stomach and slashed at the next one.
[01:20]
"Argghh!"
I groaned as my back was slashed by a night crawler before swinging the machete backward.
[01: 00]
I slashed two night crawlers and slammed the handgun into the face of another.
[00: 50]
Suddenly, the number of the night crawlers increased by tenfold and I found myself being overwhelmed by their increasing numbers.
[00: 40]
After cutting down a night crawler, my shoulder was pierced. Then came my thighs, arms, chest, and back. I was being pierced from all directions.
[00: 30]
The night crawlers grabbed onto my body with their hands, one by one. Both my arms and legs were sealed, so I couldn't move and I couldn't run.
It was the worst possible outcome. However, the worst was yet to come.
[00: 25]
"Arrggghhhhh!!!"
I screamed.
Teeth and nails ripped through my flesh and bone. At this rate, I'd be eaten alive by these disgusting zombies before I even turned into a night crawler.
[Personal skill, 'Black Box' has activated.]
[Most of the pain has been nullified.]
Even though most of the pain had eased due to the skill, my situation was still the same.
[00: 20]
Dammit, why couldn't the timer count down faster!? Was I being cheated right now?
[Oh my, what is this? What did I say? You should have chosen a Patron Deity when you had the chance, and now look at you. How pitiful. You truly look pitiful right now. What a shame.]
Aurora looked down at me with a sly smirk. I glared at her.
I silently prayed that if I survived by some miracle, I would make sure to punish that stupid fairy.
[00:15]
She disappeared shortly after. She must've grown bored and thought my fate was sealed.
At that moment, the night crawlers continued tearing into my body, ripping out organs and feasting on them.
Dammit. The pain was unbearable, even with the skill Black Box nullifying most of it, and it was difficult to maintain my rationality much longer.
My vision blurred, the edges darkening as I felt my grip on consciousness slip away.
It was a bad sign. Blood poured from my wounds, and my body was growing weaker with each passing second.
There was no time left before I was going to die. Before I'd be dragged down to Hades and cast into the Underworld.
Damn it! That's not the way I'm going out! I'll be damned if I die like this.
I thought I could last longer. I thought I could survive, but here I was, nothing more than a pawn in the grand scheme of things. Just a fish caught in the current.
If things were going to end like this, I'd have to think of a way to make it work. Maybe I could convince Hades to build me a new body, have me join the Fables somehow.
But that would take time. A lot of time. Too much effort.
"Huh? What's that?"
Suddenly, at the corner of my vision, I noticed a strange phenomenon.
The surrounding space distorted, and there was a flash of light. It happened in an instant—truly, only an instant.
With a roar, something flew towards my direction with frightening speed.
"!?"
Maybe because my vision was blurry, it felt like a giant laser was being fired in a straight line.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Before the zombies even realized what was happening, the typhoon swept through, shredding them to bits along with the ground, as if they were caught in an industrial water jet cutter. It was just a slash of the sword. If I had been struck by it, I'd have ascended to the seven heavenly planes only to plummet straight into the depths of hell.
I heard a click, followed by the sound of footsteps. The person behind those terrifying slashes was approaching. Damn, what should I do? I wouldn't be able to resist anything in my current condition.
Desperate, I tried to activate a skill as a last resort, but it was futile.
[Personal skill, Black Box has failed to activate due to immerse exhaustion.]
[Your body is currently in a crucial condition.]
Dammit, I could feel my consciousness slipping away. Before I completely surrounded to the darkness, I heard a voice inside my head.
[You have passed the Second Fable.]