1. The Apocalypse (3)

“…What? Apocalypse?”

The middle-aged officer paused while dialing his phone and stared at me. Suspicion was written all over his face.

“Sir, do you know something?”

It wasn’t a question.

His expression said he’d sensed something.

This guy knows something.

I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water.

What should I say?

That I saw it in a message window?

Just as we were locked in a staring contest, a loud crash came from inside the station.

The officer whipped his head around and rushed inside.

“What! What’s happening!”

I followed him in.

I don’t know why.

If anyone asked me about my mental state right now, I might punch them.

I don’t even know what I’m doing or what I should be doing!

Why isn’t the message window showing up now?!

After appearing before me my whole life to warn me about everything!

Why is it gone now?!

Fuck!

“Haa, haa.”

Inside, two officers were grabbing each other’s collars, wrestling.

“You fucking bastard, how could you just leave Yeongmi there! Huh! Why didn’t you radio in! Why!”

“Fuck, I wasn’t in any state to! With that fucking riot, cars smashing everywhere, you think I had time to play with the radio!”

The middle-aged officer threw himself between them.

“Stop it! Both of you! You want disciplinary action?! Huh?!”

I saw it.

As they tussled, grabbing collars. As their sleeves rode up and down.

I saw it.

I took a step back.

“You…you’re…”

Scary.

Terrifying.

“…You were bitten.”

The officer trying to break them apart, the one being held, Officer Park-they all froze.

The middle-aged officers lifted Officer Park’s arm.

Blood was streaming down his forearm.

The wound looked unmistakably like teeth marks. Unless someone had pressed an oval-shaped spoon into his flesh.

The officer holding the collar spoke.

“You…what is this. Really bitten? So Yeongmi was really bitten by a person?”

Guess he hadn’t believed it earlier.

Officer Park clutched his arm and twisted away. The hand gripping his collar snapped open.

“What’s the big deal about one bite?”

Officer Park glared at his seniors and me, then turned to yank open a locker.

Is…is he okay…?

Does one bite not turn you into those beasts…?

The thought calmed me slightly.

A locker.

Must have weapons inside.

“Do you really have a gun?”

If there’s a gun.

Definitely better with a gun…

The peacemaking officer glanced at me.

“Just tasers and batons. A small station like this wouldn’t issue guns. Think about it.”

Look at this fucker’s tone.

I’m not a cop, how would I know that?

Might file a complaint later.

Wait.

So Officer Park was searching for a gun that doesn’t exist? Must’ve been really panicked.

The locker opened.

Officer Park grabbed a taser and baton, then exhaled deeply.

“…Fuck, how are these supposed to… Did HQ get contacted?”

The peacemaker pointed at the computer monitor.

“Reports have been flooding in since earlier. By now, even the president knows. It’ll be on the evening news.”

“Might already be on the news.”

The officers armed themselves with batons and tasers.

Fuck, at least they have something. That’s slightly reassuring.

Then-

“Guh!”

Officer Park gripped the locker and arched his back.

Both officers shouted:

“Officer Park! What’s wrong!”

“What now! This isn’t the time to hurt! Let’s go! To Yeongmi!”

Officer Park convulsed violently.

Veins bulged in his neck.

He was in excruciating pain.

“Guh, guuuuh! Aaaargh!”

“O-Officer Park!”

He collapsed.

The two officers bent over him.

Then-

One screamed.

“Kyaaaah! Aaaah!”

Squelch, squish!

Something splattered as flesh was torn.

Blood.

“Officer Park! Hey! You bastard!”

The officer tried to pull them apart. Then he screamed too.

“Guh! Gak!”

Crunch! Crack!

The sound of chewing flesh and breaking bones.

“Grrruh!”

Neck…

Neck bitten.

I thought it was like a movie effect.

Blood spraying like a fountain.

Not an effect.

Blood really sprays like that.

Reaches the ceiling.

Move.

Move…

Need…need to run.

Move…!

Before me, officers collapsed, spraying blood, writhing and screaming.

A nightmare unfolding inches away.

My legs…

Won’t move.

Why won’t they move?

Scared…

Too scared…

Mo…move.

…Move!

My leg muscles screamed.

Like stepping on hot coals.

I’d run too far, too fast.

Managed one stumbling step back.

Thud.

Officer Park’s head snapped up.

His eyes…

Not even beast-like…

Face drenched in blood, those eyes…

Staring at…

Me…

“Graaah!”

He leapt onto the desk.

Co…coming!

Coming!

“Kyaaaah!”

He lunged at me.

Arms outstretched.

His blood-red face loomed closer.

Fuck…!

I’m dead…!

Need to get away…!

Fast…! Fast!

Faster!

My brain knew it was too late.

Yet my body twisted away.

A desperate struggle to live.

If this continued, his face would smash into mine.

His hands would grab my throat!

I crouched with all my strength.

Something whipped past my hair.

Then-Crash!-the station door shattered.

I looked up.

Officer Park had slammed into the glass door, waist caught on the handle.

“Huff, huff, huff!”

Insane.

Fucking insane!

My hands trembled violently.

[Tutorial: Chosen One’s Growth Path. Completed.]

What?!

[Growth path determined. New specialization, skills, and achievements granted.]

Specialization? Skills?!

[Say the keyword – ‘Status’ to check.]

[Say the keyword – ‘Achievements’ to check.]

What is this!

“Status?!”

A screen appeared instantly.

———-

Chosen One

[Specialization – Time Adjuster] [Level – 1]

[Title – Civilian]

Status

[HP – 3/6] [Senses – 2/2]

[Strength – 4/5] [Agility – 3/4]

[Mind – 7/7] [Intelligence – N/A]

[Allocation Points – 0]

Skills

[Active – Acceleration] (Auto-casting)

———-

What…what is this.

What is this!

What the fuck, why so complicated!

What does it all mean?!

“Graaah! Graaaah!”

While I was stunned by the status window, Officer Park, who’d crashed into the door, scrambled up frenziedly.

Crash! Shatter!

Glass fragments flew everywhere.

He glared at me.

“Crazy!”

“Graah!”

A beastly roar from his throat.

He lunged at me.

Dodge…!

Need to dodge!

Then, the status window vanished, replaced by a message.

[Auto-cast: Acceleration]

Officer Park froze mid-air.

“Graa—a—a—ah…”

What?!

How can he slow down like that in mid-air?!

Hands…!

Fucking hands!

Getting closer!

That bloodied mouth!

Red maw!

I ducked on instinct.

Officer Park drifted slowly past above me.

“…This real?”

He floated over my head.

Chest, stomach, then waist.

Waist!

Right before my eyes…

…A baton!

I grabbed it instinctively.

No time to think.

Yanked it from the loop and bolted for the door.

Suddenly, sound sped up.

“—ah—ah-ah! Graak!”

Crash!

Something collapsed behind me.

I shoved through the door and looked back.

Officer Park lay sprawled over a desk, neck twisted unnaturally.

But his limbs twitched, trying to rise.

I turned and fled the station.

Into the alley.

Backpack in one hand, baton in the other.

“Crazy! Fucking crazy! Huff, huff!”

My legs were dying!

Kept running, turned corners, kept running.

“Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!”

Fuck, how much farther?!

What the hell is this!

What’s happening!

My thighs burned.

Calves ached.

Whole body in agony.

“Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!”

Ran like mad, no idea where, just ran and ran.

No breath to speak, no energy to complain.

“Gasp! Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!”

No idea how many alleys I’d crossed.

No idea how long I’d been running.

My legs refused to run anymore.

Not walking, not running, I trudged between houses.

Quiet.

Was this neighborhood always this quiet?

No…

Can’t go on.

“Gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp.”

Dizzy.

Ran too much.

No idea if cops were chasing me.

Need to find safety.

But where the fuck is that.

Walked until I left the residential area.

A road ahead.

An underpass beside it.

Exhausted, half-conscious, I entered the nearest building.

No idea what it was.

No idea where I was.

Definitely not my neighborhood.

Just need stairs…

To sit and rest.

Just a little.