Episode 2 - Apocalyptic World (3)

"Jakga, this is strange. I can't see how this scenario is complicated"

"Don't pay attention to it for the moment and keep running"

"Okay!"

There was no doubt that Lee Seolhwa was indeed right in a way in pointing out the ease of this scenario, which was somewhat different from the first scenario where one had to kill other human beings to survive, but I was particularly nervous. From what I could make out through the ruins of the city, we were probably only a few minutes from the nearest subway station, so why were we given so much time? There was of course the fact that the word monsters were mentioned in this scenario that could somehow explain it, but it couldn't be only that

"Run as fast as you can!"

"Jakga !"

The group of the four people who had managed to survive the killing in the first scenario was now separated into three distinct groups that were easily understood. First, the first group of people were Seon Chungho and Alice were leading the way to Lee Seolhwa who was only a few meters behind them and finally, behind all of these individuals, there was me. I could easily be one of the people inside the second group, or even the first group, but I preferred to stay behind, so I could think and intervene in case something happened or anyone needed help to continue

A minute had passed since we had left the subway train, if I was to believe the watch on my wrist. However, as we went on, I began to doubt my own eyesight as what I was seeing seemed to be simply surreal. Usually no bigger than ten centimeters, putting aside some exceptions to nature, with an extremely powerful mandible and eight atrociously hairy legs, a big spider of several meters was a little further, on the path we were all running on

"Fucking hell... Everybody listens to me, let's keep running without stopping! We have to get to the nearest subway station at all costs, otherwise we're signing our death warrant"

No one said a word and continued to run, even speeding up, but it was undeniable that they were afraid and fearful of what we were about to do, but we had to do it if we wanted to continue living. Despite the fact that the spider was starting to move, Alice passed under it without much difficulty and was soon followed by Seon Chungho and even Lee Seolhwa was about to do so, without me understanding why though, she turned her head back and started to shout something that I understood instantly as I saw the spider's eyes landing and watching me

Without even taking a second to think about it, I stopped running and immediately jumped backwards, which allowed me to avoid being impaled by the hairy leg that the spider had tried to stick inside my body, and then I looked straight ahead to see the other survivors of the subway behind the eight-eyed arachnid that separated us. The situation I was in was probably one of the most horrific, and that was confirmed when I saw that their eyes were filled with fear, doubt, and incomprehension

"Everyone! Go to the subway station without me!"

"Huh? No, of course not ! Jakga ! Let me go, you ! He'll die if we don't do something to help him !"

Lee Seolhwa struggled as best she could, while Seon Chungho and Alice tried to hold her back as best they could to prevent her from rushing in my direction and being another target of the giant spider. Seeing all this, I started to take a deep breath while trying to survive the spider's incessant attacks before I started to scream in the most powerful voice I knew I could use at the moment

"Don't be an idiot, Lee Seolhwa ! You know as well as I do that this is the right thing to do, so leave ! All of you leave without looking back !"

"But..."

"Now !"

Since the giant spider seemed to be only interested in me, due to the fact that it only focused on me with its attacks, it meant that they could take advantage of this and go away by running back in the direction we originally came. In other words, I was about to sacrifice my own life so they could escape death. The other three survivors in the subway looked in my direction without saying anything, and then in a general rush, they finally turned their backs on me and started running back to the nearest subway station

"At least I would be the only person to die today..."

[Some constellations are happy about your situation]

[The constellations sponsored you with 200 coins]

There was no doubt that seeing someone like me about to die against a giant, scary insect must have pleased those famous, mysterious entities that were the constellations, the way a serial killer would take pleasure in watching his future victims try to survive. All this was really just an entertainment for them. I was about to insult these constellations who were taking pleasure in observing me by calling them names, but the arrival of a message in front of my eyes made me stop before I even started

[The constellation 'The Peaceful Dragon of Eternal Wisdom' is saddened by your situation]

[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is impressed by your sacrifice]

[You have been sponsored by 300 coins]

In an instant, the animosity I had against the constellations faded away as if it were nothing as I paid close attention to the messages I had just received. It was obvious that if there were constellations that were happy about my current situation, then there had to be constellations that liked me and didn't like seeing me in such a place and especially, facing such a terrible opponent. To my surprise, I smiled slightly as I stared at the spider not far from me before coming to play quickly with the knife in my hands. I was going to have to fight this monster long enough to create an opening for myself, and then join the others before the time limit of the current scenario ended

During the time I had to mentally prepare myself before I had to go and fight the spider-like monster, I remembered something that had happened inside the subway car, and more precisely after I decided not to have a sponsor constellation. I let go of the posture I had taken to stand perfectly straight, and looked straight ahead as if I were looking for a point in the distance. It was certainly a bit silly of me to rely on something I had never experienced before, however the situation specifically called for it

'The time has finally come to see what you can do. I'm counting on you, partner! Prove to me that I can rely on you by taking down my enemy!'

- Understand. Switching on automatic combat mode

In the space of only a few seconds, I felt the entirety of my mind detach itself from any connection it might have originally had with my body before suddenly fading into the background, as if to give way and control to a whole person who was not me. I felt a certain tension from what I had agreed to do earlier, basically I had let something I didn't know anything about take full possession

[1350 coins have been invested into agility]

[Agility Lv. 1 -> Agility Lv. 5]

[Your agility has been increased !]

The spider let out a hateful shriek to indicate its anger, and my entire body began to move forward. With an ease like I had never been able to do before, whoever possessed my body managed to maneuver it in a way that made me even doubt what I was capable of doing myself. Every attack of the spider seemed to be planned in advance, and the dodging maneuvers used worked perfectly, and some attacks attempted just after we got close to our common enemy managed to start spilling a few drops of blood from the giant arachnid

- Information. Due to your current mental strength, the current level of the skill and taking into account other parameters, the time remaining before the forced deactivation of the automatic combat mode is estimated at one minute

And so, my hopes of staying alive vanished far away...