Yoo Byeol opened her eyes and saw that she was sitting on a train next to a brown-haired woman. She also noticed that she's clutching a teddy bear tightly. Yoo Byeol looked around and noticed a ginger-haired woman talking to a black-haired man.
Then she spotted a kid holding an insect cage across them and was instantly terrified. She hated bugs...Byeol also took note of a white-haired teen wearing a teal(?) jacket and the name tag had 'Kim Namwoon' on it.
Byeol took notes on how intently the black-haired man was staring at his phone screen, and at some point turned to respond back to the ginger-haired woman then deftly turned his head back to his screen.
Byeol tried to remember what she was doing before and how she ended up here but all she was met with was a blank space. She closed her eyes and began to think hard.
"Byeol.."
Byeol's eyes snapped open as she thought about it but couldn't find any clues seeing as she had no memory. She did see something but it was only a glimpse.
At that moment, the train seemed to crash onto something and Byeol immediately panicked as she held onto someone. People started screaming and panicking.
Byeol then heard what sounded like an announcement, "Ladies and gentlemen..your attention please. P-please evacuate...evacuate!" the voice sounded panicked as if in trouble.
Byeol gently patted the woman next to her and asked, "Unnie, what's going on?" The woman turned to her and replied "I don't know dear. Perhaps we should stick together."
Byeol nodded. "Okay. That seems to be the best option." The woman patted her shoulder and smiled at her. Byeol smiled back.
Just then she saw red sparks suddenly appear in the cabin and clutched her teddy bear unconsciously.
Then, a crackle sounded. "The free service of the 8612th planetary system has come to an end. The main scenario will now begin." Byeol thought she knew it somewhere since it sounds familiar.
In place of the red sparks, appeared a white-furred creature with yellow horns wearing a rag. Like it was a peasant (it is).
People started to murmur about what it is. The creature hovered around as it smiled. As soon as the creature opened its mouth, strange sounds began to emerge from it.
What was it saying?? Byeol doesn't speak alien. She rugged the woman's shirt and opened her mouth to speak. "Excuse me, Unnie, do you know what it's saying?" To which the woman replied with a curt "No."
People started saying things like "What's that thing?" Or "ew! It's so ugly!" Or "is this augmented reality or something?" And others.
"Testing. Testing. Can everyone hear me?" Byeol was surprised to hear the creature speaking seeing as it looked like an animal with the fur. Nevertheless, it can speak.
"Gosh, the language patch was malfunctioning for a bit." The creature sighed as if annoyed. "Well, can everyone hear me now?" The creature questions to which he doesn't get an answer.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" A black-haired guy wearing a beige shirt and carrying a grey bag spoke up. "Pardon?" The white-furred creature replied, confused.
"Are you filming a movie? I have to go to my audition." The guy sounded annoyed, which of course, he was.
"Oh, an audition at this hour? Haha!" The creature laughed. "They told me i would get the most customers if I put up the paywall around 7 pm." To which the guy replied with a "what on earth are you talking about?"
"Okay everyone. Please calm down. Why don't you take a seat and listen?" The creature said and people began protesting immediately. Such as saying things like, "You can't do this without our consent!" Or "how are you going to compensate for this?!"
Byeol heard the creature laugh and she saw the black-haired man tugging the ginger-haired woman closer to him. "It sure is noisy here, isn't it?" The creature spoke.
"I...told you to be quiet!" Just then Byeol saw a man's head explode and in a matter of seconds, the cabin floor was stained with the man's blood.
"we're not filming a movie." The more the creature spoke, the more people are dying. "This isn't a dream or a novel and it certainly isn't the reality that you all are familiar with, understand!?" The creature yelled. (Hate to break it to you but it IS a novel..)
"All of you have had quite the cushy life until now, haven't you?" The creature said. "You were able to breathe, eat, exercise and reproduce without paying the costs!" The creature then threw his hands up in the air like some kind of villain pose.
Byeol thought he straight up looked like a madman. "You've all been enjoying privileged lives!" Byeol desperately wanted to tell the creature about its clothing almost slipping off.
"But it's all over now! nothing is free in life, isn't that right?!" The creature said like it just came out directly from a mental asylum.
Many people were terrified, some gripping the handles of their seats. Until a black-haired man wearing a striped suit walked to the furred creature and held out a white envelope.
"Is it money you want?" The man spoke, holding it out as if it were a holy item. Byeol overheard the black-haired man from earlier whispering to his co-worker.
"If it's money you after, I'll give you as much as you want. And please note that this is what I do." The man said, and Byeol thinks she could hear people cheering him on. What are they doing that for? It's not like he's their saviour.
"How much do you need? A million? Or two million, perhaps?" The man in the suit said and Byeol knows he thinks he's rich but money won't get him anywhere in this era.
"Hmm. So you're offering me your money?" The creature spoke as if it were thinking but Byeol knew it was just gonna burn it away. The man rummaged through his bag and said, "I'll give you as much as you want if you let me out of here."
"Money is good. It signifies a mutual agreement between humans." Byeol just wanted the creature to shut the fuck up. The man was probably thinking, 'Yes! Money solves everything!' which it does not. It is irrelevant now.
Now, the creature looks annoyed so with a flick of it's fingers—paws?— the envelope containing the money was gone in a burst of flames.
"But it's only valid within the confines of your space-time." Aha! Called it. Byeol smiled to herself in victory. "That paper has no value in the macroscopic dimension. This is a warning, if you pull a stunt like this again I'll blow your head off."
"Psst!"
Byeol turned her head around and saw her brother, Yoo Haewol. "Oppa? You're here too." Byeol said, tilting her head. Haewol nods enthusiastically, smiling brightly at her.
"Did you miss me, Byeol-ah? I was only gone for a while!" Haewol grins, emitting a light that could literally rival the sun. Byeol squints her eyes and decides it's not the time.
"Do you have memories of before?" Byeol asks, to which her brother responded with a shake of his head.
"...—hre's no time for chitchat. Your debt is piling up as we speak."
Both Haewol and byeol turned to look at the creature. "...Byeol-ah, what is that?" Haewol cringed at its appearance.
Byeol shrugs. "I won't bother explaining it to you. It'll be faster if you try to earn it yourselves." The creature spoke in an annoyed tone, putting its hand—paw??— on its forehead.
The creature's horns suddenly grew longer and it flew to the center of the cabin. Then a crackle was heard, followed by a... notification?
[Channel #BI7623 has opened.]
[The constellations are now making an entrance.]
Ding!
A game-like screen popped up infront of everyone in the cabin, Byeol saw that the white-haired teenager was smiling.
The screen showed the words: The Main Scenario Has Arrived. Byeol had this weird sense of deja vu, like she had done it before.
[MAIN SCENARIO #1 — PROOF OF WORTH]
Kill one or more living organisms.
Category: Main
Difficulty: F
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: 300 Coins
Penalty for failure: Death.
"Well, good luck everyone. I expect an interesting story." The white-furred creature grins and promptly disappears in a puff of smoke.
Byeol saw that the ginger haired woman from earlier, is now panicking and trying to call the police. But obviously, they aren't picking up.
— FIRST PERSON, KIM DOKJA —
Sangah-ssi was obviously nervous, seeing as she bit her nails in a fit of panic. "The police aren't picking up! What do we do?" I saw worry in her eyes.
"Sangah-ssi, stay calm." I say, trying to reassure her. She looked up at me with a confused but hopeful look, as if asking if i has a plan.
I looked her straight in the eye. "Sangah-ssi, you've played the game that our development team is working on, right?" I asked, mind racing towards the infinite possibilities.
"What's that got to do with anything?" She bit her nails again, seriously, what is this woman's habits? Anyways, I smiled and replied to her with a calm tone. "Think of it this way,"
"We're part of that game now."
I say, placing a hand on her shoulders. Sangah looked back at the screen and sweated. "A game..?"
"It's simple. Every game has its rules. We follow those rules and we get to survive."
Sangah looked at me, and mumbled. "Rules? What are you—" sangah was cut off before she could say anything.
"We just have to figure out what those rules are." I smiled confidently, looking at her seriously.
I turned my head around.
「"A dokkaebi with antennae."」
「"a litter of dead bodies in the subway cabin."」
「"Trembling office workers covered in blood."」
「"an old lady praying fervently in her seat."」
I couldn't believe it. This scene is strangely all the similar to Three Ways To Survive In A Ruined World.
This was really happening? Has TWSA come to life?
I really couldn't believe my eyes. It is the same as TWSA described. I can't deny it any longer, TWSA has become reality.
The novel which I've spent 10 dedicated years of my life reading it, is really..really coming to life before my eyes.
'think.' I sighed softly, closed my eyes and promptly opened them back after a few seconds.
'what do I need to do...to survive?' I thought to myself.
— THIRD PERSON, YOO BYEOL —
Byeol tugged at the woman's sleeve next to her.
She had short blonde hair that went down up until her shoulders, with brown streaks coming down and highlights in the middle.
Her eyes were a captivating orange color, it was a colorful orange mixed with other colors as well. how could one ever rival hers? It was like Byeol was staring directly at the sunset.
Although her face was V-shaped, the woman's jawline was flawless. Her eyes were upturned and you could clearly see her long eyelashes.
The woman looked down at her and gave byeol a soft smile. How could she stay calm in a situation like this? "Yes?" Her voice was really nice, byeol thought.
"Unnie..you should stick with me and oppa." Byeol suggests. Well it was more like a statement but whatever. Behind her, Haewol nodded.
The short-haired woman chuckled and nodded. "Alright then." In response, Byeol smiled. "What's your name, Unnie?"
"Jung Yiseol. Don't forget it." Yiseol answered, Byeol mentally carved the name into her mind since she is a forgettable kid.
"I'm Yoo Haewol and she's Yoo Byeol!" Haewol said, smiling as he did. His hair was neat, like it was combed recently.