The last chime of the System faded into silence.
Silence… except for the whimpers, the muffled sobs, and the muffled screams of those who didn't complete the Main Scenario in time. They screamed in pain before being stopped as their heads exploded. Leaving behind headless corpses.
Somewhere to his left, a woman screamed. It ended too abruptly, as though her throat had been cut mid-breath.
The metallic scent of blood mixed with the acrid tang of urine and smoke, hanging heavy in the air until every inhale felt contaminated.
Jinhyuk ignored it all.
His hands were steady. His breathing, even. His mind, clear.
He had written this scene a hundred times in his manuscript. Edited it. Perfected it.
He'd imagined every detail, all from the comfort of an author's desk.
He had never once thought he'd stand in the middle of it. Close enough to feel the heat of spilled blood against his skin.
Yet reality was following his plot. Word for word.
And Nocturne was watching him.
He stood at the center of the chaos, utterly unbothered by the carnage surrounding him.
His silver eyes locked onto Jinhyuk, sharp and unblinking, like a predator noticing prey that wasn't running away.
He tilted his head slightly, lips curling into something between amusement and curiosity.
"Well, well, well... That was fast."
His voice cut through the noise, smooth and deep yet carrying a weight that pressed on the eardrums.
"Most of you are still trying to remember how to breathe, yet you~"
He raised the tip of his ebony cane and pointed directly at Jinhyuk.
"are already done~?"
The crowd followed his gesture. Dozens of eyes turned toward Jinhyuk, and in them was something he knew all too well: resentment.
Resentment toward someone who had moved while they froze. Toward someone who had succeeded while they hesitated.
Jinhyuk's lips didn't twitch.
'Good. Let them glare. If they don't start thinking, they'll be corpses soon enough.'
He knew better than to talk back. Responding to a Cosmic Streamer too early in the scenario was a good way to get erased without explanation.
First, He had to prove his worth. Mot just to Nocturne, but to the Constellations watching from beyond the veil.
Nocturne took a single step forward. The air rippled faintly around him, distorting like heat haze.
The sound of his cane tapping against the ground was almost melodic. Like the ticking of a clock counting down to something inevitable.
"Interesting. Very interesting~ A man who doesn't hesitate to kill, yet doesn't reach for the easiest prey. another human. My Viewers~ My Dear Constellations are curious about you, stranger~"
Golden motes of light began to swirl lazily in the air around Nocturne, Each one represented a constellation, peering in from somewhere beyond the sky.
[Several Constellations are showing interest in you.]
[Warning: Several Constellations are showing intrest in you. This may lead to dangerous sponsorships. Please be advised to learn more about the Constellations that may offer to become your Sponsor.]
Jinhyuk kept his face neutral. Inside, he was already thinking three steps ahead.
'This is good. If I can bait the right Constellations now, I'll have leverage for later scenarios. But if the wrong ones latch on… I'll be dead before the 3rd day.'
Beside him, Jaehyun was trembling so violently that the terrarium in his hands rattled. The bugs inside skittered frantically, agitated by the vibrations.
"W- What's going to happen now?"
the boy whispered.
Jinhyuk didn't answer immediately. His gaze swept across the plaza, counting exits, noting clusters of survivors, and identifying potential choke points.
Two minutes before the System transitioned to the second phase.
"We're going to get you somewhere safe."
He said at last.
"I- I don't want to leave you…"
Jinhyuk knelt briefly, ruffling the boy's hair in a gesture that was more calculated than comforting.
"I'll be close. But if you see anything bigger than your hand and it's moving, run."
He didn't wait for the boy's reply. His eyes scanned again until he spotted an air vent at the base of a nearby building. narrow enough for a child to crawl into.
Scooping Jaehyun up, Jinhyuk sprinted toward it.
Some survivors watched him as he passed, their expressions tight with suspicion… or maybe desperation.
The vent cover was secured with screws, but they were cheap and rusted. One kick bent the frame enough for him to wrench it off. But before he could hide Jaehyun-
a sharp clap rang out, crisp and theatrical.
Nocturne had brought his gloved hands together once, as if cueing the start of a performance.
"The first curtain has fallen, darlings. Time for the second phase~!"
[Main Scenario 1 - Second Phase]
[Culling Festival]
Objective: Survive until the timer ends.
Time Limit: 10 minutes.
Condition: Hostile creatures will be released.
Penalty: Death.
Rewards: Will be Calculated by The System upon completion of the scenario.
The ground began to… move.
At first it looked like thin cracks forming across the plaza tiles. Just as he had written. The truth revealed itself:
The stone peeled back, as though it had always been a fragile shell over something alive.
From the gaps, things emerged.
Segmented bodies glistening with black chitin. Too many legs. Mouthparts that clicked wetly, releasing faint puffs of steam into the air.
The first scream came seconds later, and it was quickly joined by another.
Jinhyuk's stomach tightened.
'Holy shit- They're faster than I wrote them.'
A centipede-like monstrosity, at the length of a motorcycle, lunged forward towards a man holding nothing but a folding chair.
The man swung, hitting it square in the head. The chair bent.
The creature bit once, and half the man's torso vanished in a spray of flesh, blood, organs and bone.
Blood spattered across another survivor, who slipped and went down hard. The monster moved for her next.
Behind Jinhyuk, Jaehyun whimpered.
"I-It's huge-"
"Hold on tight."
Jinhyuk ordered sharply.
Jinhyuk grabbed Jaehyun and carried him away. Weaving between panicked survivors and skittering monsters.
The edge of the plaza loomed ahead. Beyond it, a narrow alley stretched into shadow.
Tight enough to force the creatures into single file.
Perfect.
He placed and shoved Jaehyun behind him and scanned for anything usable as a weapon.
His gaze caught on a length of rusted metal pipe amid the rubble of a shattered kiosk.
He picked it up, holding it low.
The first centipede slithered toward them, its many legs rasping against the stone. Its mandibles clicked faster now, eager.
"Come on, You ugly bastard... Let's dance~"
Jinhyuk muttered with a gun on his face. His face filled with determination.
The creature lunged.
Jinhyuk sidestepped, angling his body just so, and rammed the pipe into the narrow gap between its head and thorax.
The monster shrieked, a piercing, metallic sound, and black ichor sprayed across his shirt. It burned where it touched skin.
The centipede thrashed violently, legs tearing chunks from the wall, but within three seconds it went limp.
[You have slain a Lesser Void Centipede.]
[You have gained 300 coins.]
One down. Nine minutes to go.
High above, Nocturne leaned casually on his cane, silver eyes reflecting the chaos below. He smirked while staring at Jinhyuk.
"Oh... this will be fun~"