The Anonymous Community

Yu-ah’s shoulders gradually stopped trembling. I patted my sister’s back lightly before carefully pulling away.

"Just stay inside for now. I’ll clear things up outside and be back in a flash."

"Wait...? B-but..."

"It’s okay. Just lock the door for a moment, I’ll be back soon."

Yu-ah hesitated, then nodded. Only after she stepped inside did I let out the breath I’d been holding. "Whew..."

Two corpses were still sprawled in the hallway. The floor was soaked in blood. The real problem was the thick, nauseating stench of it.

'If I leave them like this, the monsters will smell it and come crawling up.'

There was no time to be sentimental. I roughly flipped over Park Cheol-gu’s body. I didn't know if there would be anything useful. I shoved my hand into his jacket pocket. The first thing I grabbed was a lighter. Then, two crumpled energy bars. I tucked those into my own pocket and was about to search his pants when—

Suddenly, a faint light leaked from Park Cheol-gu’s pocket. I felt something foreign against my fingertips. It was three old copper coins and a small shard of crystal.

'...Is this how it works?' I narrowed my eyes. It was different from when I killed the Orcs. With humans, I had to manually search their pockets to acquire wealth. And... 'Copper coins?' It was a type of currency I’d never seen before. I would surely have plenty of use for these in the future.

I immediately shoved my hand into the pockets of Kim Tae-man, who was sprawled nearby.

System currency and physical items popped out together. It never hurts to have more supplies. I gathered all the loot and stood up.

"Let’s see..." Now, the only thing left was disposing of the bodies. I grabbed Park Cheol-gu and Kim Tae-man by their legs and headed toward the large window at the end of the hallway. As I threw it open, the cold night air rushed in. I looked down. The red heads of Orcs were wandering about.

Without hesitation, I hoisted the bodies onto the windowsill. "Goodbye." I tossed them out one by one.

Thud! Crack!

The bodies falling from the third floor made a dull, sickening sound. The smell of blood burst forth instantly.

"Kreeeeeee!!" "Krugh! Kraaaa!"

The Orcs began to swarm, shrieking. The monsters that had been trying to enter the building had their attention drawn back outside. Crunch, crunch. The sound of them greedily chewing on bone and flesh echoed. At the very least, I had reduced the smell of blood inside. I watched the scene for a moment, then closed the window without a second thought. Click. It was time to go back home.

Click.

I locked the front door and turned around. The familiar shoe rack, the old wallpaper. The electricity must have been cut, as it was pitch black. Still, this was definitely our home. "Oppa..."

Yu-ah’s trembling voice came from the darkness. My sister’s gaze was fixed on me. My uniform was a mess, covered in blood and gore. It wouldn't have been strange for an ordinary high school girl to scream at such a sight.

"I’m sorry for scaring you. But it’s not my blood, so don't worry too mu—"

Before I could finish, Yu-ah suddenly scurried away. She was heading toward the bathroom. She returned immediately, holding a wet towel in her hands. Her hands were shaking. "Ugh..." She stepped up to me and stood on her tiptoes. Swish, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swish. The cold, wet towel began to wipe away the bloodstains on my cheeks and neck.

"Are you... not scared?"

At my question, Yu-ah bit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her lower lip hard. "I am. I’m terrified... but Oppa must have been even more scared."

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the dagger in my hand. The screams I’d heard in the hallway. The two silhouettes that had been lying there when the door opened. There was no way Yu-ah didn't know the situation. She knew what I had done to protect her. Yet, my sister remained the same. Instead, she gripped my blood-stained hand tightly with her own two small ones.

"Thank you for coming back alive, Oppa."

That one short sentence dissolved the guilt that had been crushing my chest. 'Yeah, this is enough.' The only person who had ever cared for me was dead. Now, there were only two of us left in this world. As long as this kid was safe, what more could I ask for? I set the dagger down on the floor.

"Listen to me carefully, Yu-ah."

We sat facing each other on the living room floor. I caught my breath and explained as clearly as possible what was happening outside and what I had experienced. "The world has ended. Those red monsters wandering outside really are the Orcs from novels. The army or police aren't coming, so for the time being, we have to survive on our own."

Yu-ah focused on my words with wide eyes. "Th-then what do we do now? We only have enough food to last a few days..."

"Don't worry. I’ve gained a special ability. I hunted those monsters earlier, too."

I briefly mentioned the existence of my ability to reassure her. A faint sense of relief flickered in my sister’s eyes. She believed in me immediately, without a hint of doubt.

That was when—

Ding!

A cheerful sound broke the silence. It was a system notification.

"Uh...?"

In the air before my eyes, a translucent blue window spread out. It was an interface that looked just like a global chat window in a game. I instinctively looked at Yu-ah. "Yu-ah, can you see this?"

"Huh? See what?"

Watching me wave my hands in the air, Yu-ah tilted her head. She didn't seem to see anything. '..Is it only visible to those who have awakened?' "No, it’s nothing. Just wait a second."

I focused on the chat window that had appeared before me. As soon as it opened, messages began to scroll up at a frantic speed.

Death throes stained with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠despair and panic. The terror poured out by thousands, tens of thousands of survivors, was filling the text window. After reading the situations of so many people, the gravity of the situation truly hit home.

'Having an information network like this isn't bad.'

I could grasp the general situation—where it was dangerous, what the monsters' movements were like. Among the messages, some particularly eye-catching ones began to appear.

Messages like lifelines. In fact, as soon as those posts went up, desperate replies asking how to get there followed in a chain. 'So there are still people with good intentions left.' The events I’d just experienced flashed through my mind. Two people who represented the absolute bottom of humanity. Still, there were good people...

That was when—

Static.

Above the chat window, my Spoiler trait reacted. Red text was overlaid onto the sentences. As if distorted by noise, the letters twisted, and the hidden truth filled my vision.

"...Crazy."

A curse slipped out automatically. Spoiler. The scope of the ability was beyond my imagination. It didn't just apply to people I faced in person, but even to anonymous chat windows. I rubbed my goosebump-covered arms and checked the next post.

The chat window wasn't a place filled with goodwill. It was a world where law and morality had vanished. It was like a fishing ground set up by trash who had gained power. If I fell for those sweet words, I didn't know what kind of fate would befall me.

'...This is a truly insane ability.'

My heart began to race. I could even know their hidden intentions? Even if it was an anonymous community, everyone would have no choice but to use it.

"Oppa, what's wrong? Why is your expression like that?"

Yu-ah asked, grabbing my sleeve with concern. I forced down the corners of my mouth and stroked my sister’s hair. "It’s nothing. Just... I’ve gained the certainty that we can survive."

Absolute superiority in information. This went beyond just saving our lives. As I watched the chat window, another interesting text caught my eye.

It was a normal warning post. But the true inner thoughts revealed by Spoiler were different.

"Hmm..."

I rested my chin on my hand and stared intently at the guy's post. A Possessor. "Wow..." I let out a hollow laugh without realizing it. A regressor, and now a possessor. What on earth is this world made of? 'Seongsu Station Exit 3, huh...' Either way, just holding out inside the house was a bad ending. Food would run out, and I didn't know what might happen. Especially if I had an ability others didn't.

'...It’s a loss to just sit still.'

I had to steal what they were hiding. Only by rising up could I fully protect my sister. It was a bit of a distance, but it was a location I could visit and return from within tonight.

"Yu-ah."

"Yes?"

"Oppa has somewhere to go tonight."

On the first night, while they were off guard, I had to move quickly. "Where are you going? You said the outside... the outside is crawling with monsters!" Yu-ah gripped my collar tightly. Fear surfaced on her face, which she had been trying to keep calm. It was a natural reaction. There was no way she could be fine after seeing blood-stained corpses. I gripped both of my sister’s shoulders firmly and met her eyes.

"Yu-ah. We only have a few days' worth of food in this house. We don't know when the tap water will stop running, either."

"But..."

"If we just hide, we'll eventually starve to death, or die to the monsters that break down the door. To survive, I have to become stronger than those monsters, and stronger than the trash outside."

At my firm voice, Yu-ah’s eyes wavered. The time limit for this tutorial was 14 days. I didn't know how things would change as time passed. Right now, while others were trembling in fear, I had to utilize the ability I possessed to the fullest. It would be insane to waste this golden first day stuck in a corner of my room.

"You trust me, right?"

A short question. Yu-ah slowly released the lip she had been biting hard. Then, she loosened her grip on my collar and gave a small nod. "Yes. I trust you, Oppa. But... you have to come back alive. If you die and leave me alone, I’ll really hate you forever."

"Of course."

I stood up without delay. I dragged the heaviest dresser and the dining table from inside the house to barricade the front door. "No matter who breaks the door from the outside, or mimics my voice, never make a sound. Got it?"

"Got it..."

With my sister’s suppressed answer, I turned away without regret. I opened the balcony window and landed on the first floor via the drainage pipe.

[Destination: Seongsu Station Exit 3]

'A C-Grade Weapon Box, huh.' It would definitely be a step up from the dagger in my hand. For some reason, my footsteps felt light.