The Pace of the Story

I climbed the stairs and stepped out onto the surface. The first things to greet me were the stench of blood and the screams of the people.

“Aaaargh!”

“Save me!! Please, someone, please help me!!”

“What is all this?!”

It was absolute chaos. The main street was truly a scene of carnage, incomparable to yesterday. People who had been forcibly driven out were running for their lives, wailing in terror. Behind them, a horde of Orcs and newly appeared Goblins gave chase.

The numbers were staggering. It felt as if there were as many monsters as there were people, if not more. I took a shallow breath and drew my Shadow Fang. At the same time, a translucent Spoiler window flickered into view.

‘Shall we begin?’

I kicked off the ground and surged forward. A man in a suit had collapsed, his legs turned to jelly. Just as a Goblin’s club was about to descend on his head—

Slash!

A black line was drawn through the air before the club could land. The Goblin’s head was cleanly severed, and black blood geysered into the air. I twisted my body and landed lightly.

“U-uh, uh...” The man, his face splattered with blood, looked up at me, completely dazed. He seemed unable to comprehend how the monster that had been seconds away from killing him had been decapitated in an instant.

“E-excuse me...” The man reached out with trembling hands. I ignored him and spoke coldly.

“You don’t have time for that right now.”

My dry tone made him flinch. “If you want to live, run away immediately. If you stay here, you’ll just get attacked by another Goblin.”

“Ah, aah! Th-thank... really, thank you...!” The man scrambled to his feet, babbling incoherently. He bowed his head quickly and then scurried off into the opposite alleyway.

I turned my gaze away. There were still many people to save. ‘Where is the most efficient place to go?’

My eyes settled on one spot. The place where the monsters were swarming the most: the entrance to the alley. Any survivor trying to reach the main road had to pass through here.

‘Perfect.’

Thump! I kicked off the ground and took my position.

“Kreeee!”

“Kwoooaaar!”

Catching the scent of the fleeing survivors, the monsters rushed in. I blocked the entrance and swung my short sword.

Crunch!

Slash!

The hunting proceeded efficiently. I could see every trajectory through the Spoiler trait anyway. Dodge, stab, slash. There was no wasted effort.

“Huff, huff! Save me... Aaaargh!”

“Get past! Hurry, get past!!”

“W-who...!! Thank you!!!”

Survivors screamed as they ran past behind me. They were desperate. Some tried to grab my clothes; others hid behind me, trembling.

“Move, you’re in the way,” I said, shoving a group of college students aside.

“Aargh!! Why, why are you doing this?!”

“If I saved you, just go quietly. If you loiter here, I’ll kill you before the monsters do.”

“F-fuck... what a lunatic...!!”

They scrambled toward the main road in terror. I turned my head again. My goal was to save them, not to babysit them.

“Kwoooaaargh!!!”

“Grrrr...!!!”

The rest was a repetition of the same actions. Kill monsters, increase the count, collect coins and EXP. All the while, the Spoiler window constantly updated with the survivors’ inner thoughts.

Each had different emotions. Some cursed, but most were grateful. For a moment, old memories flashed through my mind.

[Hey, you idiot, can’t you even do this one thing right?]

[Where am I supposed to use this? You said you came to earn part-time money. Are you going to leave without making any?]

[Why would I teach you my skills, you pathetic piece of trash?]

The construction sites I worked at for living expenses when I was young. Even after rolling in dust from dawn, all I got back was contempt. The gazes that looked at me like a bug for the slightest mistake.

‘Ha...’ A hollow laugh escaped me. It’s ironic that my evaluation changed just because the world ended.

‘To think this is actually better... I’m speechless.’

Monsters appeared, and people were dying. Yet, my evaluation actually went up. Because I gained good abilities and became strong.

Thrust!

Crunch!

Monster corpses piled up like a mountain at the alley entrance. I had already acquired over 100 Copper Coins. And finally—

“Kwoooaaargh!”

I drove my short sword into the solar plexus of the last charging Orc and shoved it upward.

Squelch!

“Thank you!! Thank you!!” A woman rushed past me.

It was the notification I had been waiting for. ‘It’s definitely getting harder to level up as I go higher.’

I was only level 10. It felt like I had killed twice as many monsters as before. ‘I gained 3 bonus points.’

I invested all 3 points into Agility without hesitation. With this, my Agility was the first stat to cross 20. I kept 6 points in reserve, just in case. Then, a series of holographic windows filled the air.

“Got it.” An exclamation escaped me. The Spoiler trait was definitely broken. To think it would teach me how to obtain such a title. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠‘Sweet, status window.’

‘Both Stamina and Agility are over 20 now.’ Even a simple calculation showed it was more than double my initial stats. I smiled in satisfaction and sheathed my sword. It was a good result for a short time. ‘I should go see Yu-ah soon.’

There were still some people left, but I couldn’t save everyone anyway. Just as I turned to head toward the stairs—

Ding!

A blue notification window suddenly floated in the air. It was the Spoiler.

“...” I stopped in my tracks. ‘...Skilled Emergency Responder?’

The name of the title was mediocre, but the effect was certain. Adding one more to Stamina and Agility on top of the existing stats. It was a value that offered benefits greater than a level-up.

“Ha...” I stared at the notification window and shook my head, letting out a small, hollow laugh. “Spoiler, I love you.”

How could I not do this? It was my own exclusive privilege that others couldn’t obtain. I gripped the Shadow Fang once more.

Grrrr!

“Help me! Kyaaaargh!”

Far off, on the other side of the main road, the roars of monsters and the screams of people could be heard. ‘30 people.’

I cracked my neck and started moving. “Let’s finish this quickly.”

I lunged toward the monsters without hesitation. It might have been hell for some, but not for me right now. Agility 21. That number was more powerful than the figure suggested.

Swoosh!

“K-kuh...”

A black afterimage flashed through the air. Following its trajectory, the heads of three Orcs fell simultaneously. Before their bodies even hit the ground, I had already leaped toward the next enemy.

Thrust! Crunch!

I severed a Goblin’s spine and pierced its heart. Amidst the screams and roars, my task ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was clear. Rescue survivors, kill monsters.

Only that number existed in my mind. Every time the progress bar filled up, I felt a thrill.

“Huff, huff! Th-thank you! Really, thank you so much!” A middle-aged man who had survived a Goblin’s axe sobbed as he looked at me. His face was a mess of tears and snot.

“Run away quickly. If you don’t want to die,” I said, turning my head. The man hurried off toward the other side. Confirming the count had gone up, I threw myself into the fray again.

Slash! Crunch!

The short sword cutting through the air severed the life out of two Goblins in succession.

The count was already 49. Just one more. If I saved just one more person, that sweet title would be in my hands. I wiped the blood off and scanned the surroundings. ‘...I guess I really did kill a lot.’

The monsters’ momentum ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had slowed down for a moment. There weren’t many that caught my eye. ‘By the way.’

Finding a moment of respite, I opened the community window in the air to check the status of other sectors.

As expected, other places were just as hellish. Monsters all over the neighborhood were running wild. But among them, posts of a different nature caught my eye.

Reading the posts, I let out a short, hollow laugh. There were more positive evaluations than I thought. They say if three people gather, they can even create a tiger that doesn’t exist. People were even writing things I hadn’t said.

“Interesting, very interesting.” I closed the community window. Now, the real last one. I turned my gaze to scan the intersection. ‘Found you.’

Far off, in the debris of a collapsed convenience store. A male student in a school uniform was surrounded by five or six Goblins. He seemed to have lost the strength in his legs, sitting on the ground and only backing away.

“Help me! Aaaargh!”

‘This is the last one.’

I kicked off the ground and leaped without hesitation. About 20 meters away. A distance I could reach instantly. The very moment I drew my sword and stood in front of the student—

Zzzzzzt!!!

Suddenly, the blue Spoiler window began to glitch. The letters distorted, and my vision flickered blood-red. At the same time, the surrounding air was crushed by a heavy weight. An overwhelming pressure, as if something were strangling my throat, blanketed the street.

I quickly grabbed the student with one arm and escaped the area. Goosebumps broke out all over my body.

“Ugh... Aaaargh!!!” The boy screamed and ran away the moment I set him down. However, I couldn’t look away.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

System notification sounds rang out in succession. And in the air, completely crimson text appeared.

My brow furrowed deeply. ‘Someone? The story’s progression?’

It was full of incomprehensible words. “What on earth is this...”

Before I could finish my sentence—

Kwoooaaargh!!!

The building right behind me. The air at the wall of the collapsed convenience store rippled bizarrely. And then, a massive red magic circle opened. The sound of space tearing and a sticky, viscous energy poured out like a storm.

“...” I stared at the scene with my mouth shut. A sinister sensation I had never felt before.