Bad Luck's Onslaught
I froze for a moment upon seeing the Bad Luck penalty. 'Get it together and prepare first.'
I'd already leveled up while taking out those zombies earlier. Starting with base stats of 10 gave me some leeway, and I'd been holding onto the points until now.
But things were different this time. With a reluctant sigh, I allocated the points.
As I clenched my fist, a pressure surged through my fingertips unlike before. Just gripping it sent a sensation of bones and muscles locking tightly, power condensing within.
"...For now, this'll do."
A moment later, something felt off—like I'd overlooked it. What flashed through my mind was—
[Take Responsibility.] Rescue the person trapped in the convenience store.
I'd forgotten. The quest not being cleared meant I hadn't rescued Yoon Seoyeon yet.
My face hardened as I paled. Yoon Seoyeon approached with a worried look.
"Hey... you okay?"
I turned to her, about to say I was fine, when a UI window appeared in the air.
Bad Luck has activated.
At that instant, a red light flickered from the darkness beyond the convenience store's back door.
-Beep! Beep! Beep!
The piercing fire alarm blared. Yoon Seoyeon flinched at the grating sound slicing through the darkness, like it was crushing her heart.
I whipped my gaze to the front door. Out on the road through the glass, there was another red glow.
But it wasn't firelight.
It was the eyes of beasts locking onto prey. Dozens of monsters' eyes flashed in unison, hungering for blood as they glared at me.
Beyond the glass, in the shadows, countless pairs of red pupils gleamed. Each stare tightened around my neck.
I glanced down at the spanner in my right hand. Drenched in blood, it almost seemed like it had always been red. The dents and cracks everywhere screamed that it wouldn't hold much longer.
"...Please, just hold on."
I pushed up my sunglasses and gripped the spanner tight. Metal creaked under the pressure.
Outside, zombies surged like waves. The shattered glass door couldn't withstand the onslaught and exploded into shards.
-Crash!
-Shatter!
Glass fragments scattered as a cold, horrific wind rushed in. Yoon Seoyeon collapsed in terror.
I gritted my teeth and smashed the spanner into the heads of the charging horde.
Thud! Thud!
Heads burst like watermelons, the sound filling my ears. Luckily—or unluckily—nighttime made them sensitive to noise, so the alarm had drawn some away. It was barely manageable for now.
Then.
Bad Luck has activated.
Suddenly, my vision stuttered to a crawl. The world turned viscous, everything in slow motion.
I was mid-swing, spanner arcing right to left.
But—
-Crack!
The spanner snapped in two mid-swing. A metal shard grazed my ear.
My momentum pitched me forward; my feet wouldn't move. My left hand flailed for balance.
And my right hand—the one that should have swung—plunged straight into the zombie's maw.
...Ah, so this is how I die?
Was this the near-death life flash? Why else would time slow? A random thought before death, but if you're giving traits, make 'em useful. Mythic grade means nothing without combat skills—just personal gravity? Ridiculous.
Thinking of the gravity trait recalled slamming into the floor earlier.
Gasping, I shouted.
"Gravity, 2x!"
Gravity: 2x
-Boom!
An invisible force pinned me like a vice. My forward lunge twisted forcibly into an unexpected arc.
I used it against itself, headbutting full force.
-Crash!
Headbutt. No time for screams—the zombie's skull shattered, brains and blood spraying.
"...Huff."
I released the gravity immediately. Time snapped back from its sluggish flow.
The zombie corpse slumped forward limply.
I'd survived. Just a few seconds—but death had been inches away.
But as I looked up, my sunglasses were smashed from the headbutt. Shards that had shielded my eyes now sliced coldly across my face.
"Sigh, fucking mountains beyond mountains."
The floor was a blood sea from countless fights. Streetlight reflected off the pooled gore, my face rippling red.
No sunglasses meant I couldn't kill freely now—time for Plan B.
I smashed approaching zombies' arms, legs, and jaws barehanded. Jaws first to stop bites, then limbs to cripple mobility.
No kills, no Stigma.
Thud! Snap!
Grrraaah!
But theory only went so far. No blade, bare fists couldn't perfectly subdue.
And—the system exploited every gap, toying with my limbs.
Bad Luck has activated.
The alert rang, and blood on the floor turned to a slippery mire, swallowing my foot.
I staggered, balance lost—
Just hearing the system froze my body first. Like neurosis, my ears rang painfully.
I desperately regained my footing, grabbed a charging zombie's head, and drove my knee up.
-Boom!
Screeching stagger, jawbone shattering. The zombie's head snapped sideways, spit and blood erupting.
Without killing, just immobilizing, the floor piled with twitching torsos, shattered heads and limbs still writhing. Blind spots widened.
And again—
Bad Luck has activated.
Blood sprayed like fireworks, blinding me. Nothing visible, ears filled with zombie howls.
One lunged in the gap.
Is this it...?
Breath choking—then Yoon Seoyeon's voice cut through, though I couldn't see.
"Hey..! Kim Geon, watch out!"
Her trembling but clear scream pierced for me.
"This... how do I use the skill?!"
My heart sank.
"Whisper of Misfortune!!"
I wiped blood from my eyes in the moment. The zombie charging me suddenly convulsed madly.
It bit into its own arm charging at me.
Chomp! Thud! Splatter!
Blood and flesh flew; its eyes rolled back.
I turned to see Yoon Seoyeon behind me. Terrified, but her trembling fingertips stretched toward me, face disbelieving.
I wanted to say thanks, but my lips were dry, throat parched with dry coughs—words wouldn't come.
Instead, fist clenched, I raised just my thumb in gratitude.
*
I slumped to the floor. Legs shaking uncontrollably, I couldn't even stand.
Outside, glass shattered as zombies poured in; the floor slick with blood and guts.
From my mouth leaked...
"...Ah, aaaaaah..."
Just terror and fear. Mind blank, no thoughts.
Then Kim Geon blocked my front. His spanner dripped blood—red metal or bloodied tool? Indistinguishable.
And—
-Boom!
The weapon broke. Breath caught.
It's over. Now we die.
Yet Kim Geon didn't give up. He hurled himself, headbutting skulls to protect me.
Even after dodging death, he fought before me.
Heart pounded. Fear? Or gratitude for his protection?
Body trembled, tears welling from overwhelming thanks.
But guilt choked me—I sat useless, a burden. If this continued, he'd be in danger too.
I'm... no help. Just dead weight. He'll get hurt because of me.
Regret surged, suffocating. Self-loathing swallowed fear.
Then—my status window surfaced. And the trait given to me.
With trembling voice, I yelled.
"Hey..! Kim Geon, watch out..! How do I use this skill?!"
His reply was short.
"Whisper of Misfortune!"
I gritted my teeth and shouted.
"Whisper of Misfortune——!!"
Whisper of Misfortune
Air hummed. The charging zombie twisted.
Then... gnawed its own arm furiously.
Blood sprayed, bone exposed.
I... I stopped it.
Gasping, I looked at Kim Geon. Blood smeared around his eyes, he paused, turned to me—
And grinned.
Casually, he raised a thumbs-up with his fisted hand.
My heart thudded.
Different from before. Not fear's pound.
A strange, fluttering thrill.
Tears unwiped, I stared at his smile.