Chapter 2 - Devourers

A man wearing glasses stood up from his seat and shouted. "Calm down, everyone! We need to find the driver! I think we should get out of here and head to the tunnel at the end of the bridge!" 

"Who are you? Do you know what's happening?" The man in the business suit asked with his eyebrows furrowed. 

Everyone glanced at them. 

The smart-looking man adjusted his glasses before he responded. "I'm Jonathan Rigor. I'm a professor at the Minali University." Hearing this, he suddenly looked reliable in everyone's eyes. 

When the passengers heard that he was a professor, they felt that they could trust him. Even the man in a business suit didn't say anything after his introduction. 

Seeing that he had gathered everyone's attention, Jonathan continued. "I believe I'm not the only one who can see a screen. To tell you the truth, I'm also not sure what is going on. After all, this phenomenon is unheard of and I doubt if it could even be explained by scientists all over the globe since this technology is far ahead of our time. I will skip the technical parts to make it easier to understand for everyone…There are two possibilities at play here." He made a 'V' gesture with his hand.

"First, there is a more technologically advanced civilization hiding within our planet and we have become test subjects for their research." 

It sounded like some kind of nonsense. I thought.

"Second, there is a powerful entity manipulating everything, a god to be specific. This may sound crazy, but the proof is already in front of us. I don't think our world has the technology to create something like this." 

Everyone had different reactions to his words. Some were skeptical, while some looked convinced. However, the majority of the passengers displayed confusion. 

"Then what should we do, professor?" Someone asked.

Jonathan's face turned serious. "Look at the screen in front of you. It says that danger is coming... There is a small chance that this isn't true, but what if it is true? We have no clue about the level of danger since it wasn't specified. It could be a terrorist group, a kidnapping organization, or hired killers. If we stayed here while agonizing over the many possibilities, we might encounter one of the things I mentioned. So the best option for us is to follow what is indicated on the screen. We must find the driver and have him open the door so we can head to the tunnel!"

I was amazed by his logical reasoning, but I was also afraid that his words might come true. 

While I was hesitating on what to do, someone volunteered to find the driver. 

Everyone anxiously waited in the cabin. If it weren't for Jonathan's efforts to calm everyone, the entire cabin would have already descended into chaos. It was reassuring to have someone like him in this kind of situation. 

A few minutes later, the volunteer finally returned with the driver. However, there was one issue…

"Bring that bastard here! I'm still not done with him!" A man dressed in fashionable clothes shouted. Two men were restraining him so he couldn't do anything. He looked like he wanted to pounce at the driver and beat him up.

From the looks of it, he was another passenger who was furious about the situation. 

"Sir, you need to calm down. It's not the driver's fault that this is happening." A tall man wearing a police uniform sternly said. He might have been from the same cabin as the fashionably dressed man. 

The latter didn't seem to be afraid of the police officer. He sneered and shouted right at his face. "Even if it's not his fault, it is still the fault of his superiors! They should have regularly checked the railway to prevent accidents like this from happening!" 

"Sir, please stop being unreasonable. If you want to complain, you can file a formal report to our police station. I will gladly assist you." The police officer maintained his composure despite the man's lack of respect. 

"Shut your trap!"

While they were dealing with the furious passenger, Jonathan told the driver about his assumptions. 

"Is it really the right thing to do?" The driver was hesitant. If something went wrong with the passengers, it would spell the end of his career. 

Jonathan patted his shoulder. "Please trust me, sir." 

Seeing his serious face, the driver finally relented. "Alright, but you guys need to be careful out there. The wind might blow you away if you're not careful." He warned.

"I will relay your words to the passengers." Jonathan nodded. 

After their conversation, the driver headed to the crew compartment. 

On the other hand, Jonathan told the passengers to form a line to prevent disorder in the group.

A moment later, the doors finally opened. Jonathan was the first one to step out since he had to lead the group toward the tunnel. The police officer and a few others volunteered to maintain the order. I also volunteered to help maintain the order. It was for one simple reason… he could move freely. 

When I stepped out of the cabin, I felt the strong wind blowing over me. The driver was right. The wind could be dangerous if we weren't careful, especially for the children and the elderly. 

Jonathan had already taken this into consideration when he formed the line earlier. He made sure that every child and elderly had someone to assist them. 

While I was observing the group together with the other volunteers, I suddenly heard a weird animalistic sound on the opposite side of the bridge. It wasn't just me who heard this. Many people heard the strange sounds so we quickly looked over. 

To our horror, we saw a group of humanoid creatures coming toward us. 

They didn't look friendly based on the frenzied facial expressions they were making. 

"What are those creatures?!" 

"I think they are dangerous! Faster, everyone! Go!"

When the crowd discovered their presence, panic broke out. Some people pushed the ones in front of them, causing a stampede. 

Fear was contagious and the orderly march soon fell into disarray. 

Meanwhile, I just stood there in shock as I looked at the incoming creatures. I was unnerved by how familiar they looked to me. 'Reddish skin, sharp claws and teeth, and a pair of black eyes. No way!' 

When I first saw the holographic screen, I already had a few guesses. However, I was still unsure at that time.

Seeing those creatures confirmed my suspicions. 

Now, I'm certain… Those are Devourers! They are the zombie-like beasts that killed half of my hunting party in the first level of the game, 'The World of Chaos'! How did those creatures come into reality?

I prayed in my heart that this was merely a dream, but the extreme heat from the sun that pierced through my skin made me realize the cold truth.

Everything was real! 

'Shit! I need to get out of here!' 

In the game, the Devourers feasted on any kind of flesh, whether it was human flesh or animal meat. They were ferocious and unsympathetic creatures. 

"Everyone, run!" I screamed. 

The police officer and the volunteers reacted when they heard my voice. They turned around and ran as fast as they could. 

"Bloody hell! What are those damned things?!" Someone screamed.

In front of me, I saw a few people falling over because of the stampede. I wanted to help them, but I didn't want to endanger myself for the sake of some strangers. I know it was pathetic, but was it selfish of me to prioritize my own safety?

The police officer also saw this. He stopped running and went to help them. 

That guy was definitely brave. He didn't even hesitate to help those people. I felt ashamed of myself, but my life was more important. I don't want to die! 

Please forgive me…