Shortest Time
“ID?”
The man asked with a flustered expression.
“What for?”
“Just to check it out. Seeing a name or address makes it easier to trust you.”
“Ah, got it.”
The man pulled his ID from his pocket and handed it to Go Cheon-su.
“Take a look. I'm definitely from around here.”
“Yeah, sure enough.”
The name was Yoo Young-jae. Age thirty-two. Go Cheon-su skimmed the details and handed the ID back.
“If I find any keys while searching, I'll help you out.”
“Really? Thanks. Might be at that Heo Young-woong guy's spot.”
“Heo Young-woong?”
“The last cop left here.”
Go Cheon-su headed back to the desk area. Searching the computer files under Yoo Young-jae's name turned up a record right away.
He'd gotten what he could from the computer, so it was time to rummage through the drawers again. He'd checked every visible spot, but no real finds. The only keyring was in the drawer belonging to that cop, Heo Young-woong.
“Hey! Found it?!”
A shout came from the holding cell. He'd clearly told the guy not to yell, but this was pissing him off enough to reveal the personality type.
The keyring had a key kindly labeled for the holding cell. He pulled that one out, pocketed it separately, and headed back with the rest.
“Whoa! Hey! You got it?”
“Yeah. There's a holding cell marker, so one of these has to open it.”
“Gimme!”
Yoo Young-jae thrust his hand through the bars, trying to snatch the keys.
“But here's the thing.”
Go Cheon-su kept them out of reach.
“Shouldn't I be careful handing these over? I'm not a cop.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Yoo Young-jae flailed his hand in disbelief.
“Those guys all went somewhere else. Said there's a rally point and ditched me.”
“Rally point?”
“Y-yeah. Myeongseo Elementary School or something. They went there.”
He knew way too much for someone supposedly clueless about the chaos outside.
“Alright, anyway, I'll circle back and help. Stay quiet.”
“H-hey!”
“No quiet, no help.”
After the warning, Go Cheon-su headed to the armory. Tried the keys—no luck.
“Figures it wouldn't be that easy.”
Like the holding cell, the armory was barred. A picture too good to be true.
Solid advice he couldn't ignore. Go Cheon-su crouched and started crawling. In games, field of view decided win or lose.
“Bingo.”
It worked here too. Lowering his gaze revealed blind spots, and a hole in the nearby wall.
He gauged the size with his hand and squeezed in. A few crawls later, he saw it connected to the armory.
“Yes!”
Cheers turned to despair fast. The hole was barely big enough for an arm.
Thud! Thud!
Punching didn't help. Go Cheon-su shook out his stinging hand.
“Whew. Came all this way for nothing...”
He hadn't come just for guns, but still disappointing. Peering through, he thrust his arm in.
Clink.
Something snagged.
“C'mon... out!”
Clink. Rattle.
It was a baton.
“Sheesh...”
Lame find, but better than nothing. Using its reach, he hooked a fallen stab vest too.
Not sure it'd help against monsters, but defense was defense.
“Good enough.”
Stuff scattered on the armory floor spelled trouble. Something had gone down here.
Back at the holding cell in vest and baton, Yoo Young-jae made a fuss again.
“Hey! Time to let me out?”
“Shouldn't you be catching on by now?”
In emergencies, minor offenders get released. Gamers aside, streamers shared this trivia everywhere. Go Cheon-su had clocked Yoo Young-jae as no ordinary crook early.
“Record says attempted murder. Speak up if it's bullshit.”
Yoo Young-jae averted his eyes, then gripped the bars, breathing ragged.
“N-no! Just meant to scare him!”
“Scare?”
“He was cutting business ties, so I just grabbed a knife to spook him!”
“Why take the knife then.”
He'd have spilled sooner if innocent. Go Cheon-su sighed and walked off.
Yoo Young-jae's yells trailed like an alarm drawing monsters.
Roooar!
Speak of the devil—a zombie charged straight at him.
1 - 09:59
Blindsided, Go Cheon-su got shoved back into the holding cell bars.
Clang.
Keys hit the floor in front.
“You bastard...!”
He grappled the zombie, rolling around. Aggro boosted him slightly, but no time to check stats.
Meanwhile, Yoo Young-jae snaked a hand through, dragging the keys inside.
“Holding cell...! Open up!”
Go Cheon-su yelled for cover, but Yoo Young-jae smirked with twisted glee.
“Why should I?”
“You fucker...!”
Go Cheon-su booted the zombie into a planter. As it thrashed, he rushed the cell.
Yoo Young-jae backed from the door, grinning.
“Open it!”
He was savoring every shout.
“Go on, open it. Do it.”
His taunts peaked as Go Cheon-su paled, clinging to the door. The zombie rose and charged.
Go Cheon-su screamed, gripping tight—then clunk. He flung it open.
“Wha...?”
Yoo Young-jae's face changed as the door swung. But worse followed.
Roooar!
“Gaaah!”
The zombie barreled straight into the cell.
“Agh! Gaaah!”
Yoo Young-jae got grabbed and slammed against the wall.
Go Cheon-su slammed the door shut and locked it.
“Phew. Opened it. See?”
“You fuck!”
Yoo Young-jae shrieked, cornered.
“How'd you do that, you son of a bitch!”
He'd unlocked it earlier with the stashed key. Just played along.
“S-save me! My bad! Save me!”
“Nah.”
Go Cheon-su replied flatly and headed out.
The screams didn't slow him a step.
Rustle.
But a sound outside made Go Cheon-su whip around, startled.
Scanning quick, he spotted someone in a blue uniform.
“...A cop?”
Round glasses, baby-faced, looked like he'd been left behind solo.
“Hey...”
Calling out spooked him into fleeing.
“What the.”
A cop running from a civilian? Hilarious. Probably the Heo Young-woong Yoo mentioned, but no confirming now.
Looking around, a bike by the station. Tempting, but likely the scared cop's—conscience wouldn't let him take it.
Back inside, he scribbled a Post-it: 'Handled it for you. Head to safety.' Stuck it on the bike.
No ankle-biter holding him back now.
1 - Ended
Skill test done. Felt the power drain, leaving a trace.
“Feels sticky.”
His clothes were still damp despite wringing. Handy clothing store nearby—time to shop.
No time to browse; swapped into the manneqin's outdoor gear. Over the stab vest, baton in hand, he hit the streets.
Weirdly, no cars moving. Everyone who'd go had gone.
'One'd be nice.'
Checked phone for parents again. No dice, as expected.
“Hm?”
Pocketing it, he spotted a glowing green line horizontal on the ground ahead.
“What the hell.”
Glowing like radiation. No clue if safe to cross.
Hesitating drew impatient chat.
Answers clear. Gulped and stepped over.
Exiting Tutorial Section.
'Tutorial Section?'
Go Cheon-su glanced back in shock.
'Tutorial?'
You can now use the information window to boost survival odds. Good luck to the last one standing.
The text vanished. Go Cheon-su stood dazed.
'We're fucked.'
Not sure exactly, but this screamed extreme survival game. Not one-off missions—endure every stage to the end.
'What the hell.'
Test: “Information window.”
A new panel appeared, unlike the skill one.
Protect police chief at Myeongseo Elementary School.
Death in tonight's crisis → City security plummets.
“Ha...”
Couldn't ignore it. Backlash would hit hard.
'Info 1' suggested more simultaneous infos later.
“Out of tutorial now.”
He'd guessed this world was a game. But passing tutorial? Shocking.
Thud thud.
Shock aside, he bolted. Post-tutorial meant harder trials ahead. No dawdling.
Viewers obsessed with records laughed, hyped for more feats.
“Whew. Bros.”
Unfair? Familiar as family. Can't dodge? Enjoy like a no-hope NEET.
Resolved, Go Cheon-su wiped his nose with his wrist.
“One favor from now on.”
Bottom-barrel streamer Go Cheon-su. Now truly on air.