"Alice… you…" Adrian was almost at a loss for words. "You just cheated on me right before my eyes. Are you even aware of that?!"
"I did it on purpose, and I don't regret a thing, got it?" she said dismissively. "Did you really think all the money you've given me was enough to satisfy my needs? Pfft, so naive—you can't even buy me an old Gucci bag. So, don't expect to ever win my heart completely!"
Her words struck Adrian directly into his mind.
"You…"
"ENOUGH!" Carl shouted, his voice booming. "Adrian! If you don't get the hell out of here right now, I swear I'll fire you on the spot!"
Adrian's gaze shifted to Carl.
"No need," he said firmly. "I'm quitting this damn job."
With that, Adrian stepped forward and threw a punch, connecting with his ex-boss's face.
THUD!
The punch wasn't overly powerful, but it was decisive and stung. Carl crumpled to the floor, blood pouring from his nose.
Alice screamed in fear as she rushed to Carl, panic etched on her face. She shot Adrian a glare filled with hatred.
"You're in real trouble, Adrian," she hissed. "Do you have any idea how much wealth and power Carl has? He can do anything he wants to you. You've pushed him this far; your life will never be the same again. You're finished."
Adrian erupted into a loud, demonic laugh, embodying the true antagonist of this story.
"Everyone's lost their damn minds! INSANE!" he yelled, his voice dripping with frustration. "I can't take this anymore! It all has to end now!"
Throwing his lanyard in any direction, Adrian walked out of the room as he heard Carl roaring uncontrollably.
"Let me go, Alice! I'll smash that bastard's face with my own hands!" Carl roared, trying to break free from Alice's grip.
Adrian realized that Carl, along with several security guards, was quickly heading toward him with murderous intent.
At this point, Adrian couldn't care less about whether he lived or died. His life had been shattered beyond repair. This young man felt utterly indifferent to his fate; everything around him seemed meaningless.
I will put up one last fight before surrendering my life to this cursed universe…
…yes, everything is cursed for me. Well done, Lord.
At this very low point, Adrian didn't even expect God to save him.
[Main Aspect Installation Progress: 80%]
SWUNG!
Just as the baton was about to strike his head, Adrian caught something out of the corner of his eye—a shadow moving quickly, like a black flash charging toward him ferociously.
Without thinking, his body reacted.
SLASH!
With a trained reflex, he threw himself to the side. A loud thud sounded as the baton hit the empty air, but what made Adrian's heart race was the creature that had nearly ambushed him.
At that moment, he clearly saw long, thin fingers, their tips adorned with sharp, black claws that shimmered.
Thick, foul-smelling slime dripped from them, sliding just millimeters from his ear. A sharp, metallic scent pierced his nose, making Adrian nearly lose his balance as he rolled away, gasping for breath and cold sweat soaking his temples.
Something far more dangerous than Carl had just nearly touched him, and he knew that one small mistake could end in disaster.
As Adrian rolled on the corridor floor, his gaze locked onto the shadowy figure standing before Carl and the security guards. They all seemed frozen, their faces pale and hands trembling like dry leaves in the wind.
The creature—almost touching the ceiling, its body emaciated with burnt-looking skin—radiated a chilling aura.
Its eyes, empty and pitch black, locked directly onto Carl.
The security guards now looked small and powerless. They had seen horrifying things in movies, but this was real. Much worse.
SWUNG!
A brutal swing cut through the air.
The claws flashed like lightning, and in an instant, Carl's body was split in two.
SPLASH!
"FUUUCCK!"
A muffled scream was heard before blood gushed forth, showering the floor and walls like a raging fountain.
The severed parts of Carl's body thudded to the floor with a horrifying noise, splattering dark red blood onto the faces and clothes of the security guards who remained frozen in place.
The creature screamed in a raspy, deep voice before its black claws shredded the stunned security guards to pieces.
"Holy shit!" Adrian's lips trembled violently as he cursed. He had no idea what was actually happening, but he knew that escaping was his top priority now.
[Main Aspect Installation Progress: 90%]
As he quietly crawled toward the stairs, a cold feeling pierced his back. He turned around, realizing that the horrific creature was staring at him intently with a wide grin.
"F*CK!"
Adrian shot up and ran as fast as he could down the stairs while the creature also moved to chase him.
God, I was just joking, I still want to live!
P-Please.... give me one more chance! Show me your miracle!
CRACK! CRUNCH!
No matter how fast Adrian ran, the creature was always faster. Somehow, the creature had the ability to crawl and grip the walls. Adrian's small steps couldn't avoid it.
Adrian slipped on a puddle of blood on the stairs before falling and rolling down the stairway. He only stopped after crashing hard into the wall.
When Adrian opened his eyes, he saw the creature's feet, like bird claws, standing right in front of him. He knew his life was over here.
Adrian closed his eyes, resigning his soul to face death.
[Main Aspect Installation Progress: 100%]
[Adrian Yorke, unlucky janitor, you've been picked as the main character for this apocalypse!]
[Main Aspect Granted: Mirror Duplicate]
[Any attack against you can be copied and amplified. Don't disappoint the Director!]
What the hell is this damned system panel...
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A series of gunshots forced Adrian to open his eyes again. He found hope. From the end of the staircase above him, he saw several soldiers shooting at the creature.
"Quick, get to the rooftop!" one of the soldiers shouted to Adrian while his comrades continued firing. "A helicopter will evacuate you soon! We can only hold off this damn beast for a moment!"
As the creature finally fell and groaned, Adrian forced his body to rise and run toward the soldiers.
"What's going on?!" Adrian asked frantically.
"Get to the f*cking rooftop, NOW!" A soldier shoved him firmly before firing another shot toward the stairs—apparently, another creature was trying to breach the security barricade.
Adrian didn't argue anymore. With the last of his strength, the young man ran toward the rooftop. He knew the soldiers would be dead in a matter of moments. He didn't want to go down with them.