Chapter 2 - The End? (2)

Five minutes after Liam returned to his room.

Liam raised an eyebrow. "So you're telling me these things are coming from other dimensions to invade our planet...?"

[??? Confirmed]

"...But why? Why Earth?"

[...I'm not allowed to answer that.]

Liam stared out the window in disbelief. What the hell was going on?

After a moment of silence, he asked another question. "What are these windows that keep popping up?"

[...You can think of them as a game system. It's the most efficient way they found to introduce stars, heroes, and... well, powers.]

Liam paused, processing the explanation. "...'They'? Who are you talking about?"

[...I'm also not allowed to answer that.]

"Who's stopping you? Why can't you tell me? I thought you were—"

The door to his room opened, and the nurse walked in. The windows vanished.

"Sorry for the delay; they misplaced your phone, haha—" she froze mid-sentence, her eyes on Liam. "...Did something happen? You look upset."

Liam didn't respond immediately but calmed down after a few seconds. "It's nothing to worry about. I just started remembering what happened two days ago..."

"Ah... I see..." She fell silent, visibly unsettled by his words.

"Anyway, you said you found my phone, right? Can I have it?"

Her expression brightened. "Oh, of course. Here it is." She handed him the phone. "But like I mentioned earlier, I wouldn't count on a good connection with everything that's happening out there."

Liam nodded. "Thank you. It's hard to believe that even with all this chaos, you still managed to do so much for me despite being so busy. I hope I'm not holding you back from other patients."

Her eyes widened in realization.

"Uh, did something happen?" Liam asked.

"Oh crap! I totally forgot about the other patients!" She waved her hands in panic. "Sorry, Liam, I have to go! I'm already imagining the scolding I'll get...!" She dashed out of the room.

"...Bye to you too, I guess."

As soon as the door closed, Liam turned his attention to his phone. The screen was cracked, but it seemed to work fine.

He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst. The moment he powered it on, a flood of notifications poured in.

As he scrolled through them, a heavy mix of emotions settled in his chest. The messages ranged from emergency alerts to desperate pleas from friends and family.

At first, they were frequent, almost constant, but they gradually stopped. Liam couldn't tell if they'd lost hope or if the worst had happened. Either way, something began to burn within him—whoever caused this needed to pay, no matter how long it took.

Clenching his fists, Liam closed his messaging app and started looking for news about what had happened while he was "asleep." What he saw would be seared into his memory.

"Atlanta reduced to rubble; rescue teams deployed, but few survivors found. Government plans massive bombings in surrounding areas over the coming days."

"Washington D.C. finally free of monsters; president plans to return to the White House soon."

"Over 15 million casualties in the U.S. alone in just two days. The cause of this catastrophe remains under investigation."

"Hawaiian islands reclaimed after 24 hours of extensive bombings."

The international news wasn't any better—just more death and destruction. The only exception was Switzerland, which had somehow avoided invasion altogether since the crisis began. Still, things seemed to be calming down.

'So many dead... but why? What's the purpose of all this?'

Liam thought as he lay back on his bed, clearly shaken. At this point, he couldn't tell if he was lucky to be alive or unlucky for having to witness it all. For now, he was safe, but how long would that last? A day? A week? A month? His future was uncertain.

[??? is moved by your situation — he sponsored you with one Star Fragment.]

Liam stared at the window for a second, frustrated. "...The fuck is this? Star fragments? What is this supposed to be? Pieces of your body? Do you want me to build you like a LEGO set so you can join the monsters and finish destroying Earth?"

[??? is offended by your irrational accusation.]

"Then what is it supposed to be?"

[...Money.]

"What...?"

[The thing you use to buy stuff. You know perfectly well what I meant.]

"?????"

[If you don't want it, just give it back. This stuff isn't easy to get.]

"No way. You gave it to me, so it's mine now. Where do I spend it?"

[In the store.]

"What store? Where is it?"

[You don't have access to it. A star needs to give it to you.]

"Well, then why don't you give it to me?"

[...Aren't you being a little greedy for someone who just woke up from a 'coma' and basically lost their entire family? Where's the guy who almost died two days ago?]

"..." Liam went silent for a moment. "Did you really have to remind me of that?"

[Oops...]

He sighed and flopped onto his bed. His phone read 11 a.m.

"...Hey, do you know how this system works?"

[??? nodded.]

[??? is curious about what you're going to say next.]

"Can you teach me how to use it?"

[Of course.]

Liam jumped out of bed. "Okay, let's do this." The window appeared before him once again.

---

------------- | Stats Window | -------------

Username: Liam Edwards

Level: 1

Occupation: None

Balance: 2 Star Fragments

-------------------------------------------------------

Strength: 6

Agility: 5

Endurance: 5

Magic Power: 1

Talent: -

-------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, first of all, what are these numbers?"

A brief silence followed.

[...Are you stupid?]

Liam stared at the window. "What?"

[No, seriously. You've got a game window showing your stats with numbers next to them. Isn't it obvious what they mean? Have you never played a game in your life?]

"...Fair point. Anyway, you know what I mean. If these numbers represent my stats, how do I increase them?"

[Hunt.]

"...What do you mean by 'hunt'?"

[Go outside and kill everything that isn't from this world until you level up.]

Liam froze for a moment before finally coming to his senses. "...You're serious?"

[Yes.]

"...Don't you think you're being a little too blunt? How the hell am I supposed to kill those things? I'm not Van Helsing to start hunting monsters..."

[Who's that?]

"Never mind... Are you sure that's the only way?"

[For now.]

Liam sighed. How was he supposed to kill those things? Two days ago, he couldn't even lift a finger against them. He'd awakened, but as far as he knew, nothing had changed.

"I'm screwed... Is there anything else I should know?"

[...Nope. But you have a great opportunity in your hands. If you don't act soon, you might regret it.]

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

[You'll find out soon.]

"Bruh... Okay."

The door opened, and the doctor who had examined Liam earlier entered the room with two nurses.

Liam stood up. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing to worry about. We just need to run a few more tests to make sure you're okay—better safe than sorry."

"Ah, sure."

After a few minutes, the nurses finished collecting everything they needed and left the room, leaving Liam alone with the doctor.

The doctor approached. "Are you sure you're not feeling anything unusual?"

"Strangely enough, I'm not. Guess I wasn't as unlucky as I thought, haha..."

"That's good. If nothing abnormal shows up in your tests, you should be discharged within four days." The doctor paused before continuing. "...Do you have anywhere to go?"

"..." Liam didn't respond, but his expression said it all.

"...If you'd like, I can try to delay your discharge for a few more days until things settle down. If you leave now, there's no guarantee you'll make it out there—"

"Don't worry. I think I already have a good idea of what I'll do when I leave." Liam smiled.

"...Are you sure? I wouldn't forgive myself if I discharged you and something happened to you." The doctor seemed genuinely concerned.

"Yes, thank you."

Before leaving the room, the doctor gave Liam one last look—he was still smiling.

The door closed.

"Four days..."

[??? is interested in what you're planning.]

"Hey, are you sure I can do this?"

[That's a question you should ask yourself. Are you going to waste the chance to avenge your family?]

Liam smiled. "I'm no coward."

•

•

•

Four days had passed—the day Liam would finally leave the hospital had arrived.

"Are you sure you have to go...?" Lucy asked.

Liam smiled. "Like I said, you don't have to worry about me."

Liam had spent the last four days preparing for this moment, even if only mentally. He had also discovered that Lucy used to live in the same city as him before everything happened—perhaps the reason why she cared so much about him, though that no longer mattered now.

"I hope you're right..." Before Liam could leave, Lucy stepped forward and hugged him.

He was caught off guard but returned the embrace before leaving.

He didn't really have a place to stay, but even so, he had left the hospital behind.

"Well, it's all or nothing now..."

Over the last four days, the majority of the monsters (at least the ones easily spotted and/or traveling in hordes) had been eliminated by the armed forces. This didn't mean the nightmare was over, but it did signify that humanity had taken its first step toward reclaiming everything it had lost.

Liam was heading toward his old city. Even though he knew everything there was completely destroyed, he still held onto hope—maybe the house he grew up in was still intact, maybe someone he knew was still alive. Deep down, he knew he was going there just to put an end to everything he once loved. But he couldn't forgive himself if he left this chapter of his life unresolved.

Fifteen miles—that was the distance he'd have to walk on foot, alone, without a ride, just him.

[??? is eating popcorn while watching your journey.]

And, of course, that weirdo.

Liam smiled. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

[Well, it's the first interesting thing you've done in six days. I was almost getting bored.]

"I'd rather not ask what you did during the two days I was in a coma..."

[Please don't.]

[Now go and hunt some monsters!]

Liam stopped in the middle of the road. "Hmmm, not sure if you noticed, but there's absolutely nothing here but me, you—if I can even count you—and the road. Oh, and these trees around us." He kept walking, starting to regret not asking for anything back at the hospital.

[Heh, are you sure?]

"Hey, stop trying to scare me. It's not even been twenty minutes since we left the hospital."

Rustle, rustle.

One of the bushes by the roadside moved.

Liam's eyes widened, and he froze for a moment before taking a step back. "Oh, shit, you weren't kidding!" His breathing quickened.

And then, a white rabbit hopped out of the bush, crossing to the other side of the road.

"..."

[Lmao, you should have seen your face! Are you scared of a little bunny?]

"Shut up. You did that on purpose. I almost had a heart attack..." Liam sighed and resumed walking.

[Well, it's not over yet.]

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Rustle, rustle.

"Seriously?" Liam turned back to the bush again. "Are you trying to scare me with another rabb—A wolf?"

To be continued in the next chapter!