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SRW | Chapter 22
by camiI have to go.
Where?
I have to find someone.
Who?
He felt like he’d forgotten something crucial. Something very important…
He walked forward, bathed in the bright red moonlight.
[System]
Kim Jaeyoung
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Occupation: High School Student
Alignment: Evil
Title: [Arrogant King]
Skills: [Mind Control Lv.1]
Special Trait: Aroganchia’s Power 5%…
*
“Huh? Why…why’s it so bright outside…?”
While haphazardly stuffing medicine into my bag, Hyunwoo muttered blankly while staring out the pharmacy’s glass window. The outside was illuminated as bright as daytime. Being closest to the exit, I leaned out through the broken window and looked up.
An enormous red moon filled the sky.
My spine tingled.
‘Ah, we’re screwed.’
Hyunwoo and Seo Yul followed my gaze and gasped. I dragged them deeper into the pharmacy’s back room.
“What the hell is that? Is it going to crash into Earth?”
“Last time it was a yellow moon that grew slightly larger…”
“Those monsters…they must be from another planet. Look how grotesque they are. Probably aliens.”
Hyunwoo and Seo Yul whispered theories while I struggled with how to explain this. Telling the full truth would make them suspicious, but staying silent would put them in danger. I pulled out children’s vitamins from my bundle and shoved one into each of their mouths. The sudden sweetness made their tense expressions soften as they chewed obediently.
“Listen carefully.”
“Yeah.”
“Mhm.”
“…I don’t think we can go back.”
Seo Yul’s mouth fell open in shock. I could see the mashed-up vitamin inside, so I gently lifted her chin to close her mouth. Surprisingly, Hyunwoo remained calm. He simply asked me why, his expression composed.
I hesitated for a moment before answering.
“That thing looks like a seriously bad omen. My gut says we shouldn’t move.”
“What are you talking about? If we’re late, what happens to Yesul?”
“Shh, just shut up and trust me for once, okay?”
Seo Yul resisted fiercely. It was understandable given her dying friend. Hyunwoo simply nodded, then unexpectedly backed me up:
“…Sun Eunsoo-sunbaenim’s instincts are usually right.”
Good kid. I roughly ruffled his hair. Though he swatted my hand away irritably, he quieted when I gave him another vitamin.
“The moon wasn’t this big when we came. Since it changed recently, we should observe the situation before moving.”
“Ugh, fine.”
Seo Yul finally nodded after hearing LeeHyunwoo’s logical explanation. Huh, maybe I’m just bad at persuading people.
The three of us crouched under the pharmacy’s counter, peeking out to observe the situation outside. The silence was suffocating. Nothing moved.
“…Nothing’s happening—”
—SCREEEECH!
—GRROOOOAAAR!
—KYAAAAAK!
—KRAAAAH!
Hyunwoo’s words were drowned out by monstrous shrieks echoing like a chorus. Not from one or two, but hundreds screaming simultaneously. Our bodies froze. Goosebumps erupted from head to toe.
“W-what the…”
Seo Yul clapped a hand over her mouth, horrified she’d spoken aloud. We crouched behind the counter, not even daring to breathe.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
The building trembled as if the earth itself shook. Swoosh. Thud! Something massive fell from the sky. I risked a glance outside.
Three humanoid monsters stood before the pharmacy over 2.5m tall, wearing half-masks covering their eyes, with liquid-like wings shimmering on their backs. Their bodies shimmered like they were made of liquid, including the wings.
‘Are they…supposed to appear now?’
Among Earth’s monsters, flying insects and land-based horrors, these humanoids were fewer but deadlier. Highly intelligent, immune to physical attacks except for their spears and masks. Without special skills, it took 8-10 Awakened to take down one. And three stood outside our window.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. The building shook increasingly. The glass windows shattered and medicine bottles stored on the walls fell to the floor. As the intense vibrations continued, numerous monsters appeared, shrieking and charging at the new humanoid monsters. But the humanoids, immune to physical attacks, dodged everything and swung their long spears.
‘Why are monsters fighting each other?’
The humanoid’s spear strike destroyed part of the building. Are we going to get crushed to death? If this 7-story building collapses, no one will survive. The monster fight outside grew more intense, and cement dust fell from the ceiling.
“Shouldn’t we run?! The building’s collapsing!”
“…Can’t. The exit’s blocked.”
“Wait a bit longer.”
While calming Hyunwoo and Seo Yul, I watched for an opening. The existing monsters frantically attacked the humanoids until one finally dissipated. The remaining two, seemingly realizing they couldn’t handle so many monsters, spread their wings and flew in opposite directions. The existing monsters roared in unison again and ran toward something. Thud. Thud. Thud… Even after the monsters left, the ceiling kept shaking and cement dust fell. Soon, the walls began cracking with eerie sounds. I grabbed the bundle and pulled Hyunwoo and Seo Yul up.
“Get out now!”
BOOM!
A deafening crash rang out from above. Seo Yul, carrying a backpack, and Hyunwoo and I, clutching our makeshift bundle of medicine, bolted outside. Being awakened, we were faster than normal humans and managed to escape just in time.
“Hah… hah… we… made it.”
Catching our breath at a broken traffic light, we watched the pharmacy collapse with thunderous noise. Damn, a little later and we’d have been crushed. Feeling dazed, my brows furrowed involuntarily.
“Hey, guys. I think we have bigger problems.”
Seo Yul pointed at the sky. More precisely, at a utility pole. Following her finger, we saw one humanoid monster we thought had left, standing atop the pole. We thought we were lucky since the street monsters had gone somewhere, but apparently, worse luck was waiting for us.
“Damn it…”
None of us three could fight that monster. Me and Seo Yul only had physical attacks, and Hyunwoo still didn’t know his ability… In my dreams, I never encountered that monster near our school. I must have assumed we were safe because of that.
“Hah… hahaha. Should we leave last words?”
“Sunbaenim, you’re saying that now?”
“Instead of talking, think of a solution, Eunsoo.”
My mistake was not anticipating this wave. When the red moon approaches like this, monsters grow stronger, and gates open to unleash new monsters. The kids guessing about alien planets and aliens was somewhat accurate. The monsters do come from that red moon.
And the small “goldfish poop” yellow moon beside it? It wasn’t actually yellow. It was white. Right now, it looked yellow because it was behind the red moon, but as it drew closer, it would appear white. Cha Yuhyeok and his team speculated the white moon gives humans power to fight monsters.
This is all I know. Why those moons appeared was never discovered.
“That thing’s spear kills three or four of those other monsters with a single swing.”
“How about this? We split three ways. But whoever gets chased…”
“…let’s pray for their soul.”
“Less talking, more running, you idiots!”
As the humanoid monster spread its wings wide, we split in three directions. Seo Yul went toward school, Hyunwoo left, me right. Please don’t chase me! I dodged attacks from emerging monsters while running.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The loud noises grew closer.
Damn it, no way… me?!
“Ah, why me?!”
I hit the 33.333…% probability. And this is despite my +30 luck for being the First Awakener! I feel scammed. By trying to change the future, I might die even sooner than my original death date, damn it!