A faint smile formed on my lips as I coughed up blood. This was the moment I had been waiting for.
Shia Karuna.
She was just a colleague. We had exchanged a few words at work, nothing more. But that was enough for me to understand what kind of person she was.
In our company, people called her the "goddess."
It wasn't simply because of her appearance. Anyone with eyes could tell she was attractive, but that wasn't what made people remember her.
It was her nature.
She was kind in a way that felt almost unreal.
Wherever she went, the atmosphere softened. The conversations became easier, and people lowered their guard without realizing it.
She listened when others spoke and helped without expecting anything in return. It was as if the world had never given her a reason to do otherwise.
People like her always existed.
The kind who chose to believe in others, even when there was no reason to.
If this world were a story, she would naturally take the role of the saintess. The one everyone trusted. The one who remained unchanged, no matter how cruel the narrative became.
And me…
I wasn't anything like that.
I didn't believe in people. I didn't expect kindness, and I had never experienced the kind of moment where someone reached out and changed everything.
If anything, I had always been closer to a reader, someone who observed from a distance, turning pages without ever stepping into the story.
So I learned to see things as they were. And that was why I knew.
Shia Karuna would never be able to kill someone.
Not even if her life depended on it.
And in a situation like this, that kind of person was easy to manipulate.
"Shia, will you trust me? Will you do what I say? If you do… we can both live without killing anyone."
Her trembling eyes met mine. There was fear in them.
Just as I expected, she nodded.
I reached out and took her hand, tightening my grip around her fingers.
2:49
"Arin… what are we doing?"
"Just don't let go. No matter what happens, don't leave my hand for the next thirty seconds."
I didn't give her an explanation. Giving her time to think would only create doubt.
THUP!
Just then, a heavy kick slammed into my back.
I raised my head slightly and saw the man who had attacked me earlier. His face was twisted with impatience and desperation.
Time was running out, and he still hadn't completed his quota.
I briefly scanned the surroundings. The other two who had been beating me were no longer there. They had either finished their kills or moved on to easier targets.
"Die, you filthy worm. Die, dammit!"
His kicks continued without pause, each one carrying enough force to break my bones. My body reacted to every impact, but I didn't resist.
When Shia tried to save me, I tightened my grip and stopped her.
"No. Stay."
There was no need to say more.
If she let go, everything would fall apart.
The man grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the steel floor repeatedly. My vision shook, and a dull ringing filled my ears, but I didn't struggle.
There was no reason to.
I only needed to endure a little longer.
Hidden conditions didn't appear without triggers, and in a scenario like this, the trigger was...
Contact between opposing roles' hands for thirty seconds straight.
And then, as expected, it appeared.
[Hidden Piece Unlocked!]
[100 coins have been awarded.]
[You have found a hidden piece of the scenario. You can switch roles with the person holding your hand.]
[Are you willing?]
"Yes."
There was no hesitation. This was the only outcome that made sense.
I lifted my gaze to Shia. She was already looking at me, her expression filled with confusion as she began to speak.
"But, Arin… then you'll have to—"
"Just believe in me."
I cut her off before she could finish. Letting her complete that sentence would only make her hesitate.
People like her didn't need logic. They needed certainty.
"Trust me. I'll be fine. Even if I become a hunter, I'll find a way to survive."
For a moment, she wavered. Then she nodded.
[Your partner has agreed to switch roles.]
[Your role has changed.]
[You are now a Hunter.]
A surge of strength spread through my body.
[Your strength has increased by fivefold for a limited time.]
[Kill three living beings within the remaining time.]
I grabbed the man in front of me and pushed him away before rising to my feet. Without wasting time, I reached under the seat and pulled out the bag I had hidden earlier.
I took out several boxes of fertilized eggs. My whole bag was essentially filled with them.
For ten years, I had seen fragments of this world in my dreams. I had tried to rationalize it, to dismiss it as a coincidence.
But I never completely abandoned the possibility that it might be real.
So I prepared in the simplest way possible.
When the first scenario began and everyone's attention shifted to survival, I hid this bag under the seat.
The condition of the first scenario was straightforward. Hunters had to kill living beings.
But it didn't specify humans. I knew for certain because of my dreams.
The only variable I needed to resolve was my role – Runner.
It wasn't ideal, but roles could change if the right condition was met. All I needed was someone who wouldn't resist that change.
Shia Karuna was the perfect choice. A hunter who couldn't kill was no different from a runner.
All I had to do was guide her into making the decision herself.
I looked down at the egg in my hand. The scenario didn't care about morality. It only cared about conditions being fulfilled.
I crushed it without hesitation.
[You have killed one living being.]
[100 coins have been rewarded.]
A faint smile appeared on my face as Shia stared at me in silence.
I picked up another egg and crushed it, then another, repeating the process until the box was empty.
[You have killed 117 living beings.]
[Due to them being partially alive, only half of the coins will be awarded.]
[5.850 coins have been rewarded.]
That was enough to clear the condition. But the scenario hadn't ended yet.
I still needed to survive and protect Shia for another minute. That was all that remained.
Which meant the hunters who hadn't completed their quota would become increasingly desperate and attack Shia.
I could already see them moving. Shia stepped back, pressing herself into the corner behind me.
I used some of the coins without hesitation.
[1,000 coins have been invested into 'Physique'.]
[Physique Lv.1 → Lv. 5]
[Your physique has increased dramatically.]
[Due to the 5x multiplier, your physique has temporarily increased even further.]
[Physique Lv.5 → Lv. 25]
[Your durability has reached a level beyond normal human limits.]