Chapter 2 - The Price of Power
The creatures froze.
Their once relentless movements faltered as they trembled before him.
Seojin barely understood why-until he saw his reflection in their glossy, insect-like eyes.
One of his eyes was glowing.
A deep, pulsating crimson.
Something inside him stirred-an instinct, a command. He didn't think. He moved.
His hand lashed out, cutting through the air with unnatural speed. The creature before him had no time to react.
CRACK!
Its head separated from its body, rolling onto the dirt with a sickening thud.
For a second, everything was silent.
Then-agony.
A sharp, unbearable pain ripped through his arm. His bones shattered on impact, the very force of his attack backfiring on his own body. Seojin staggered, clutching his broken limb as white-hot pain surged through his nerves.
"Ahhh-!"
His vision blurred. His legs buckled.
The world around him spun as a wave of dizziness swallowed him whole.
The remaining creatures moved in.
Seojin saw them through his fading vision-three of them, creeping closer, sensing his weakness.
But just as their claws reached for him
Shouts.
Flashes of steel.
Figures rushed in, cutting down the creatures with swift, practiced movements.
The last thing Seojin saw before the darkness took him was a girl's voice calling out-
"He's still alive!"
Night had fallen.
When Seojin opened his eyes, he was met with the warm glow of a bonfire. The scent of roasting chicken and rich stew drifted through the air, making his stomach growl in protest.
A soft chuckle broke the silence.
"Poor guy looks like he's really starving after that little monster hunt."
Seojin turned his head. Four strangers -two guys and two girls-sat around the fire. They were the ones who had saved him.
One of the men, Ji-ho, smirked as he tore off a portion of the roasted chicken, placing it in a wooden bowl.
He poured some stew from an old leather bottle, then turned to Seojin-only to pause.
His broken arm.
Ji-ho sighed, then glanced toward a shy-looking girl with long dark hair and soft brown eyes.
"Aera, can you help him?"
The girl hesitated for a moment before nodding. She took the bowl and carefully brought a spoonful of food to Seojin's lips.
He hesitated-but his hunger was stronger than his pride. He ate.
The first bite was heaven. Juicy, smoky chicken mixed with the deep, rich flavor of stew. He barely noticed that he was eating from someone else's hands-until he heard quiet laughter.
Aera's lips curled into a small smile. The others chuckled.
Ji-ho grinned. "Guess that means you're feeling better?"
Seojin swallowed, his throat dry. Better? His body still ached, his arm was completely useless, and his mind was a mess.
Before he could respond, Ji-ho's expression turned serious.
"What did you even do to attract the Scenario Cleaners?"
His voice was calm, but there was a tension behind it-curiosity, fear, and caution all mixed into one.
Seojin exhaled slowly, taking another spoonful of food before answering.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm just as confused as you. Yesterday, I was just an ordinary guy, then all of a sudden..."
He stopped.
Memories crashed into him all at once -the vampire, the suffocating power, the way his body was torn in half.
His hands trembled. His breath hitched.
The others noticed.
Aera reached out instinctively. "Hey... it's okay. Just breathe."
Ji-ho wordlessly handed him a bottle of water. Seojin took it, forcing himself to calm down.
Then-
A notification flickered before his eyes.
[Scenario Cleaners Defeated: 2]
[Reward: 200 Coins]
Seojin's fingers clenched around the bottle.
He wasn't dreaming.
This was real.
For a moment, despite the pain wracking his body, Seojin felt good.
The glowing text reminded him of the games he used to play-systems, rewards, level-ups. A part of him almost felt... excited.
But reality hit him hard when another sharp pain pulsed through his broken arm, making him grit his teeth.
If he didn't do something about this injury, he'd be completely useless in another fight.
With a deep breath, he focused on the idea of a shop. If this world followed game-like mechanics, there had to be some way to get healing items.
A faint chime echoed in his mind, and a new interface appeared.
[--SHOP--
- Skills
- Items
- Consumables
- Weaponry]
Seojin quickly opened the Consumables category, his heart racing with hope.
Potions, elixirs, herbal remedies-dozens of healing items filled the menu.
His relief was short-lived.
Every single item was ridiculously expensive. Even the cheapest minor healing potion cost 500 coins-more than double what he had.
His expression darkened. The others noticed immediately.
Chae-won, the other girl in the party, watched him carefully. Her sharp gaze flicked to his trembling hand and the way he struggled to even sit up.
Without a word, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a small glass bottle filled with red liquid.
She held it out to him.
"Here, drink this."
Seojin hesitated. He had no reason to trust her. But when he met Chae-won's eyes, there was only calm reassurance in them.
He grabbed the bottle and, with one last glance at her, downed the potion in a single gulp.
A warm sensation spread through his body. The pain in his arm faded instantly, and a dull tingling traveled down his bones.
Then-a snap.
His broken arm fully healed.
Seojin exhaled, his entire body relaxing as he let out a breathy, "Ohhh..."
Chae-won smirked. "Better?"
He nodded, still in slight disbelief. "Yeah... Thanks. I owe you one."
She simply shrugged. "Just rest. It'll help the healing settle in properly."
As the others ate around the fire, Seojin reopened the shop, curiosity taking over again.
This time, he checked the weaponry section. His mind flashed back to how he barely survived using just a wooden stick.
[Filter: Affordable Items
- Old Brass Sword (80 coins)
- New Iron Sword (170 coins) (+ Small Leg Pocket)
- Shining Steel Sword (300 coins) (+ Adventurer's Bag) ]
His eyes locked onto the second option.
The Old Brass Sword was cheaper, but... would it even hold up in a real fight?
The Shining Steel Sword was out of his budget entirely.
The New Iron Sword seemed like the best choice-sturdy, reliable, and even came with a small leg pocket for carrying essentials.
"Alright. This better be worth it."
He selected the item, and in an instant, a weight appeared in his lap.
A freshly crafted iron sword, its handle wrapped in worn leather. It was basic but reliable-a true beginner's weapon.
He gripped the hilt and felt its solid weight in his hands.
Now he wasn't defenseless.
The Calm Before the Storm
Aera, the shy girl from earlier, pulled out a light blanket and placed it near him.
"You should sleep," she said softly.
The others were already settling down for the night. Seojin nodded, pulling the blanket over himself as he leaned against the cave wall. His body was exhausted, but his mind kept racing. And questions filled his mind.
-What was this world?
-Why was the system trying to erase him?
-And what the hell was he supposed to do next?
Just as he closed his eyes-
A new notification popped up.
[SCENARIO CLEANERS DEPLOYED TO CLEAR THE ANOMALY] [NUMBER OF SCENARIO CLEANERS: 10]
His blood ran cold.
A low, guttural growl echoed from outside the cave.
The others snapped awake, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons.
Then-something moved.
A shadowy blur lunged from the darkness.
The first Scenario Cleaner jumped straight into the cave.
TO BE CONTINUED-