A Morning Stained with Blood

The morning was stained with blood. I opened my eyes quietly. I could feel Yu-ah’s steady, rhythmic breathing against my chest. I carefully slipped out of her embrace. At that moment.

My eyes narrowed as I read the notification. Coins dropping from monsters starting on the second day. To put it another way...

"Does that mean... on the first day, the only way to get them was by killing people?"

It was a twisted system. The game was designed from the start to incite murder. The pockets of those hiding would be empty, but there was no telling how much a maniac obsessed with killing might have accumulated. Especially if it wasn't just some random person.

"...Choi Kang-min."

If it were a regressor, or someone of that ilk. I bit my lip. Even though he had broadcasted his location, my gut told me that everyone there was likely dead.

"Hoo..." I let out a long breath and muttered, "Shop."

As I whispered the word, a translucent catalog appeared before me.

From consumables to basic weapons, the variety was decent, but the prices were painful. The district chat window was already in chaos.

Most survivors wouldn't have had a reason to kill anyone. Even though the world had changed, it had only been a single day. It was natural that they had no coins. I checked the number next to the shop window.

"...Should I call this fortunate?"

Ultimately, it was a gain for me. I began shopping without delay. First, three bottles of water and three rations. The items materialized from a cluster of light in the air and dropped to the floor. A total expenditure of 9 coins.

"Next..."

I skipped the armor and weapon categories. They weren't for me. I needed something my sister could handle. I switched to the [Self-Defense] category, and new items appeared—dozens of scrolls, starting with crystal balls. Among them, the only one I could afford was:

This was it. It looked similar to the item the possessor had used yesterday. It blocked up to three physical attacks of F-Grade or lower. Since the bone dagger was F-Grade, if I assumed it could block that much... "Not bad."

Besides, this was the price of my sister's life. There was no need to be stingy. I purchased the scroll, leaving me with 31 coins.

Just then, with a rustling sound, Yu-ah rubbed her eyes. "Oppa... is it morning?"

"Yeah. Wash up a bit and eat this. I'm going to head outside for a while."

At my words, Yu-ah's sleepy eyes widened. "Huh? Again? Alone? Why?"

The urgent questions tumbled out. I handed her the rations and water and replied calmly, "I have to protect you. I'm too weak right now. And I need to gather some information on how the outside has changed overnight."

"...It's dangerous."

"But I have to go."

At my firm tone, Yu-ah bit her lip. I had to move for us to survive. Her gaze fell on the unfamiliar food. "Where did you get this...?"

"The ability I told you about yesterday. I bought it from the shop with that. And take this, too." I pressed the parchment scroll firmly into her hand. "If it gets dangerous, tear it in half. A shield will appear for one minute to protect you. If the door breaks or a monster appears while I'm gone, don't think about anything else—just hide. And if you're really in danger, tear this. Got it?"

Yu-ah looked back and forth between the scroll in her hand and my face. Her pupils trembled slightly. ...Do you think I don't know your heart?

I didn't need to pull up the spoiler window. She had always hated being a burden to others, especially to me. She was probably suffering right now because of her own helplessness. I ruffled her hair, pretending to be indifferent. Eventually, Yu-ah nodded reluctantly. "...Okay. I got it. But you have to be really careful. Don't get hurt."

"Of course."

I stood up. The minimum safety measure for my sister. The preparations were complete. I stepped toward the balcony window without hesitation, gripping the handle of the Shadow Fang at my waist. A higher level. And information for survival. It was time to head out again.

The sky was different from usual. A blood-red sun. A crimson light that exposed the streets in their raw state. "What a mess."

The streets were the same. Wrecked vehicles scattered everywhere. The remains of torn corpses between them. The stench of blood was much thicker than it had been at night. I pressed my body against the alley wall and scanned the surroundings.

It wasn't just people lying on the ground. Occasionally, the carcasses of monsters were visible. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. Choi Kang-min. If that bastard is alive, how much would he have leveled up by now?

No matter how I thought about it, it felt unsettling. The 15-person massacre plan I saw in the supermarket basement yesterday. 15-to-1—it was an absurd number, but I didn't think he would have failed. Assuming he succeeded, he would have spent the entire first night sweeping up opportunities and experience points.

And. There might be clumsy ones like the possessor, but there are definitely real monsters out there who adapted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠quickly to this insane situation and are slaughtering monsters.

The tutorial. This wasn't a cooperative game where everyone survived together. It was a death game to see who could reach the top first. My current level was 5. It wasn't low, but it certainly wasn't high. "First, let's check what I've gained."

I gripped the Shadow Fang. Increased stats and a new weapon. How strong was I now?

Grrr...

No sooner had the thought finished than the rough breathing of a beast echoed from the corner of the alley. I peeked over the wall. Three monsters were prowling in front of a ruined convenience store.

Wolves?

They weren't ordinary wolves. They were the size of calves. The fur on their bodies stood up like stiff steel. Between their wide-open maws, saw-like teeth were visible. Did new ones appear because it's the second day? They didn't have the heavy, lumbering feel of the Orcs.

Blue text floated in a line above their heads. Steel-Mane Wolf. That seemed to be the monster's name. "Hoo..." I crouched down. Just as the spoiler window predicted, the moment the lead wolf turned its head—

Dash!

I kicked off the ground and lunged. "Krrgh!?"

The acceleration of 18 Agility. It was an explosive speed incomparable to before. I quickly closed the distance and dove into the flank of the first wolf.

Swoosh!

The short sword in my hand drew an arc and slashed the wolf's throat. It was smooth. A sensation different from before. "Yelp...!"

There was no resistance at all. At the same time:

Blood sprayed like a fountain from the gaping wound. The wolf's massive body collapsed to the floor without strength. Grrr-aaargh! The remaining two roared and rushed at me. A pincer attack from the left and right, leaving no gaps. But in my eyes, their trajectories were already visible.

There was no need to hesitate. "Too slow."

I lightly stepped back, letting the maw flying toward my neck pass by. I thrust the Shadow Fang under the jaw of the wolf that had bitten at empty air. Thud! The blade pierced straight through to its brain. As soon as I pulled the sword out, I rotated my body and kicked the face of the one lunging for my legs.

Crack! "Yelp!"

The wolf, hit squarely by the kick, tumbled backward. I followed up without delay and drove the dagger into its heart. "Kieee..." Its head went limp.

"Oh." A short gasp escaped my lips. A level-up faster than I expected. It seemed the experience from the mutant last night had been substantial. The time it took to kill the three wolves was barely 10 seconds. I looked down at the Shadow Fang and chuckled. To think it would be this much.

It was on a different level from the F-Grade bone dagger. It felt like everything I imagined was being executed. I read the enemy's moves with the spoiler, and executed them with speed and sharpness. Ordinary monsters didn't seem like much of a threat to me anymore. Of course, I should always be careful of variables like Choi Kang-min or mutants.

At least my anxiety had lightened considerably. I felt a bit more hopeful that I could protect my sister. Fwoosh. Just then, the wolves' carcasses turned into motes of light and scattered. At the same time, something dropped to the floor.

"They really do drop them." It was exactly as the system notification had stated. Just by catching monsters, Copper Coins were dropped. The fallen coins were automatically absorbed into my status window. With the additional 3 points, my spare stats were also plentiful. Combat capability confirmed. Changed system confirmed. "Now then."

I flicked the blood off the blade into the air. It was time to start growing my pile in earnest. "Shall we begin?"

From then on, I dove into full-scale hunting. My ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠goal was clear: level up and farm coins. To protect Yu-ah, I had to become as strong as possible.

Fwit! "Excessive Bleeding Applied." "Grrr..."

The neck of a Blood Orc hiding behind building debris snapped. The spoiler window showed the enemy's next move. Overwhelming Agility stat. And the lethal power of the Shadow Fang. As these three factors clicked perfectly into place, the streets became the perfect hunting ground for me.

About three hours later:

"Hoo..." I leaned my body against a wall, exhaling a long breath. Thanks to hunting monsters without rest, my level had risen once again. The Copper Coins I had collected were already well over 100. "Now, the remaining stats..."

I had a whopping 9 points accumulated. It did consume quite a bit of stamina and concentration. I distributed 6 points without delay. 3 points into Stamina to wash away the fatigue, and the remaining 3 into Strength to further boost my lethality.

Instantly, my stiff, cramped muscles loosened smoothly. My depleted stamina was replenished in a single breath. When I clenched my fist, my muscles felt much tauter than before. The sensation of becoming stronger filled my entire body with a thrill. "I'll leave 3 points for now."

I took out some water from my pack to wet my throat and looked around. "By the way... the streets are too quiet."

Midday on the second day of the tutorial. Despite hunting for three hours, all I had encountered were monsters. I hadn't seen a single shadow of a human. No matter how much the world had collapsed, it was still a city. It couldn't be this empty.

I frowned and looked up at the shops and villas. And soon, I realized the reason for that sense of déjà vu. ...They aren't gone.

Firmly locked iron doors. Windows blocked tight with furniture. Curtains swaying ever so slightly through the gaps. I could feel gazes peeking at me from behind the blinds. People hadn't disappeared. They were hiding.

Is that natural?

Countless people were torn to death on the streets last night. For an ordinary person, it was normal not to even think about coming out. Everyone would be locking their doors, waiting for the military or police. Even if electricity and water were paralyzed, leaving them without any news.

They won't be able to hide forever.

Their water and food would run out immediately. To use the shop, they would have to earn coins, whether by catching monsters or killing people. Eventually, the system would force people to move. The living hell was not far off.

"Sigh, is this the time to worry about others?"

I had something certain to protect. If anything, now was the opportunity. I finished the remaining water and tossed the empty bottle. Just as I was about to move to find my next prey—

Clang! Kaaang!

"Aaaargh! Save me! Please!"

Breaking the silence, the sharp sound of metal clashing and human screams erupted. The sound of weapons colliding. The clamor of many people. Who is it?

I needed to check how the situation was unfolding. Keeping my body low, I lunged in the direction of the screams.