Misunderstanding, My Ass

After stepping into the dark alleyway, the first thing I did was rummage through my pants pocket. My smartphone, its screen half-shattered, sat in my palm. With trembling fingers, I turned it on and pressed down on speed-dial number one. Please, please pick up.

What I heard wasn't a dial tone. "Damn it." The signal bars at the top of the screen were completely dead. No data, no calls. It was just more proof that the world had truly ended. Being unable to even make contact—a suffocating anxiety rose to my throat. I didn't have time to waste. Please... please be safe... I stroked the ring on my finger and quickened my pace. First, I grabbed a crowbar lying nearby. The weight of it in my hand brought a sliver of relief. "..Having something is better than nothing."

I moved forward, scanning my surroundings. I never knew when or where something might appear. That was how I reached the road, about two blocks from the supermarket.

—Grrr...

At the corner of the alley, a red-skinned monster suddenly lunged from behind a parked truck. A bright red Orc. It looked identical to the ones I’d seen inside the supermarket.

The Orc’s bloodshot eyes locked onto me. It let out a characteristic screech and charged. A massive axe came hurtling toward my head. Damn it! I rolled instinctively. —CRASH! The axe shattered the asphalt, sending debris flying. I stood up immediately and swung the crowbar with everything I had at the creature's waist. —CLANG!

"Argh...!" The recoil felt like it would tear my hands apart. Even though I’d hit it dead-on, the monster didn't even flinch. If anything, my hands went numb, and I nearly dropped my weapon. Level 1, Strength 9. It meant a counterattack was impossible with just this.

"Kwoooar!" The Orc roared and raised its axe again. In that moment, the blue text changed.

New information. But I had no time to think. Two seconds. One, two. —WHOOSH! Just as predicted, the beast brought the axe down hard. This time was different. Knowing the trajectory wasn't the end of it. I took a half-step back and let the attack slide past me. —CRASH! The axe embedded itself in the ground, and the monster’s balance lurched forward. And then, the Spoiler’s prediction became reality. Its right neck and eye were exposed, defenseless before me. I had exactly 1.5 seconds.

...Don't hesitate.

I drove the hooked end of the crowbar into its right eyeball with all my might. —SQUELCH! —KRAAAAAAAAGH!!! The crowbar pierced the eyeball and dug deep. The horrific sensation of it penetrating the skull. With my trembling fist clenched tight, I drove the crowbar deeper and twisted it. —Grrrrrr... The Orc’s massive body convulsed, and then—THUD! It collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Its life was snuffed out completely. At the same time, a clear chime rang in my ears.

"Haa, haa..." Gasping for air, I pulled the crowbar out of its head. Dark red blood gushed out. My heart was pounding like crazy. "I... leveled up." It was just as I’d expected. You kill monsters, you level up. A simple rule, the kind you’d find in a game. But that wasn't the end of it.

"An item...?" I gripped the dagger with my blood-soaked hand. It was exactly as described—a crude design. But the grip felt perfect in my hand. "Not bad." I checked the Spoiler window floating in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the air again. It indicated that there were no more monsters within a 10-meter radius. I hurried on. Level 2. And my first weapon. The villa where my sister was staying was three subway stations away. Please, let nothing happen... Under normal circumstances, it would be a short trip that wouldn't even take 15 minutes at a jog. But in this world, every single minute and second was a struggle.

[Blood Orc / In 3 seconds, it will lower its head to eat the corpse on the right.]

As the blue text floated in the air, I slipped silently behind the creature. I poured all 3 points gained from leveling up into Agility. Added to the ring's magic and the bone dagger's bonus, my body felt incredibly light. —STAB! "Kugh...!" The dagger sliced through the Orc's neck like butter. It collapsed with a thud. [Experience gained.] It seemed only experience points increased this time. I’d have to kill a few more to reach level 3. After taking down two more Orcs, the familiar red brick building finally came into view. It was the old villa where Yu-ah and I lived.

"Haa..." I caught my breath and entered the communal entrance. The hallway, with its electricity cut, was pitch black. A thick, metallic scent of blood stung my nose. Fortunately, there were no signs of Orcs on the first or second floors. I was climbing the stairs to the third floor, dagger clenched tight, when—BANG! BANG! BANG! "Damn it, open up! Your brother is probably dead anyway, so just open the door while I'm asking nicely!"

Dull thuds and vulgar curses echoed through the hallway. My footsteps stopped dead. It was in front of our door, Room 302. I pressed my body against the corner of the stairwell and held my breath. Two silhouettes were kicking the door. They were the local thugs who used to hang around the neighborhood convenience store, always causing trouble. They held a fire extinguisher and a crowbar in their hands.

The blue text floated above their heads. I knew exactly what they were after just by looking at their status. Greed, lust, complicity. My gaze turned icy. Dirty bastards... How long had it been since the world ended? Scum were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠always the quickest to act at times like this. If I hadn't come back... I didn't even want to imagine the horrific outcome. If I hadn't gained this ability. If I had been beaten to death by Orcs back there. This was different from the tension I’d felt earlier. Facing humans. The emotion settling in me now was pure disgust, and the intent to kill.

"Ah, it won't open, damn it. Hey, move aside. I'll just smash the handle with this." Park Cheol-gu raised the crowbar in irritation. I began to climb the stairs without a sound. My grip on the dagger tightened. "What are you doing in front of someone else's door?"

Park Cheol-gu and Kim Tae-man jumped and turned their heads. In the darkness, their eyes widened as they spotted me standing on the stairs, covered in blood. "Uh... Si-woo? Si-woo hyung?" Kim Tae-man stammered, taking a step back. Confusion flickered across their faces, which had been grinning just a moment ago. "You, you... you're not dead? What's with your look?" Park Cheol-gu lowered the crowbar slightly, checking my condition. It was obvious. He was checking to see if anyone else was with me. Relief washed over his face when he confirmed I was alone.

He tapped the crowbar against his shoulder and stood with his weight on one leg. His tone had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠changed completely. "No, Si-woo. The world just went to hell, right? Monsters are roaming outside. So we were just worried about our Yu-ah and knocked on the door. And that brother of hers was nowhere to be seen, dead or alive." "That's right, hyung. Don't misunderstand. We were just trying to save people..." Kim Tae-man chimed in, grinning. A sickening excuse. I watched them without a word. Disgusting. Haa... The feel of the dagger in my right hand was sharp. What would the old me have done? Would I have knelt and begged? Or would I have charged in recklessly and gotten beaten up? Either way, it would have been a miserable end. But now, it was different.

The Spoiler broadcasted his thoughts in real-time. I didn't know who gave me this ability, but I was truly grateful to them. If not for this, I would have continued to live the same life. "Misunderstand..." I slowly opened my mouth. And half a beat faster, I kicked off the floor and lunged. The effect of the Agility stat was immediate. The short distance between me and them closed in an instant. "Uh...?" Just as Park Cheol-gu panicked and tried to raise his crowbar, I slashed the bone dagger from top to bottom without mercy. —SLASH! "AAAAAAARGH!!" The artery in his right wrist was cleanly severed. —CLATTER! Blood erupted like a fountain. The crowbar clattered to the floor with a metallic ring. He collapsed, clutching his severed wrist and screaming. "Y-you crazy bastard!"

Meanwhile, Kim Tae-man’s face turned pale as he tried to pull the knife from his pocket. It was the exact timing the Spoiler had predicted. His hand hadn't even cleared his pocket yet. I spun my body and kicked him in the solar plexus. "Ugh!" Kim Tae-man gasped, hit the wall, and slumped over. I immediately stepped onto his chest. "H-hyung! Spare me, please spare m—!" The terror in his eyes pleaded with me. A momentary hesitation. In that instant—

The Spoiler window appeared again. I bit my lip hard. And I drove the dagger down into the vital point below his collarbone. —STAB! "Ugh, ugh... How..." Blood bubbled from his lips. Kim Tae-man’s eyes were fixed on me, as if he couldn't believe it. "Grrr... you, you bastard..." Park Cheol-gu, crawling on the floor, glared at me with bloodshot eyes. I walked slowly toward him with the dagger. Then, I grabbed his hair roughly. "Misunderstanding, my ass." —STAB! The dagger pierced his throat. A short convulsion, and then Park Cheol-gu’s body went limp. The hallway was swallowed by heavy silence once again. Blood flowing from the two corpses was staining the floor dark red. [Experience gained.]

"This gives experience too..." My hands were shaking. I had killed a person. Two, in one go. But my heart wasn't racing, and I didn't feel like throwing up. It was just an unfamiliar emotion regarding a first-time experience. "..Haa." I exhaled lightly and wiped the dagger clean. Then, I approached the steel door of Room 302. —Knock, knock, knock. I knocked on the door with a familiar rhythm. "Yu-ah." I squeezed out the most normal voice I could. "Open the door. It's Oppa." The small movement of someone crying silently on the other side of the steel door stopped. Soon, there was the sound of the lock being frantically undone. —CREAK. Through the cautiously opened gap, I saw Yu-ah’s pale, tear-streaked face. She hadn't even changed out of her school uniform. Her eyes widened as she confirmed it was me, and they trembled violently. "Op... pa?" "Yeah. Sorry I'm late."

Yu-ah threw herself into my arms. The suppressed sobbing burst out, and her small shoulders trembled. The girl’s fear was transmitted to me completely. "Sob, uwaaa... I was scared... I thought Oppa had died..." I hid the hand holding the dagger behind my back. Then, with my blood-free hand, I stroked Yu-ah’s hair. The warmth of my sister in my arms. Only then did it truly hit home. That I really had someone to protect. I can't save the world. I know it myself. I’m not a hero. If I were, I wouldn't be doing things like this in the first place. But... let me at least be someone who protects one person. But now, I had the strength. I had the ability. If so, couldn't I at least protect my sister? I hugged Yu-ah even tighter. In return, the heaving of my sister’s shoulders began to subside.