I didn't reply to Shia. By now, most people had already understood their roles.
The blue-marked passengers quietly gathered into one corner of the carriage. No one spoke, yet their movements were strangely coordinated.
It was as if they had reached an unspoken agreement without needing words.
The red-marked ones were different. Their fists tightened, their expressions twisted, and something raw began surfacing in their eyes. It was as if the thin layer of civility had been peeled away from them, revealing what had always been underneath.
The moment the time was reduced, I had already guessed what would follow.
If the host shortened the scenario, he would have to compensate to maintain balance. That meant only one thing.
The hunters had been strengthened.
"Arin… it says I'm five times stronger now."
Shia's voice came, which confirmed my thoughts. Like the others marked in red, she was a hunter. And I was a runner.
The carriage was divided into two groups now. Blue to the right. Red to the left.
No one needed instructions; it just happened. Shia and I stood in the center.
The whole situation felt absurd, like some poorly written script playing out in real life… and yet, no one laughed. Both sides stared at each other with tension that was about to break at any moment.
Then it broke.
The red side surged forward and the chaos erupted instantly. Screams filled the carriage as fists and bodies collided.
The hunters didn't hesitate. They struck with overwhelming force, their boosted strength felt like being hit by thick metal rods.
I was caught in the middle. A punch landed in my stomach, and another grazed my ribs. Pain flared sharply, but I endured it, forcing myself not to react.
Now wasn't the time. Not yet.
If I wanted to survive this… I had to wait. Just a little bit longer.
Till then, it was all about surviving.
A man beside me was dragged down before he could even react. Two hunters grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the metal pole, over and over again.
It was as if they were trying to break something more than just his bones. His cries didn't last long as death claimed him soon.
Not far from him, an elderly woman around seventy clung desperately to the edge of a seat. A red-marked boy, who couldn't have been older than twenty, kicked her fingers one by one until they all broke and her grip loosened.
The moment she fell, the others piled onto her without hesitation.
There was no coordination, no strategy. Just raw, unfiltered violence.
I took a step back, only to be shoved forward again as bodies collided around me. Someone's elbow struck my jaw, making my vision blur for a second.
Another hit landed on my back, forcing the air out of my lungs. I stumbled but didn't fall.
Falling meant death. So I endured.
It was strange. Watching all of this unfold, I didn't feel shocked anymore. Somewhere along the way, I had already accepted it.
Humans liked to pretend they were rational creatures who were civilized and had morals.
But all of that was nothing more than a thin layer. Something fragile that only existed when there were rules to enforce it.
Remove those rules… and this is what remained.
Not monsters.
Just humans, without restraints.
The hunters weren't hesitating because they didn't need to anymore. There were no consequences here, no laws, no punishment waiting for them afterwards.
Strength had been handed to them, and with it came permission.
Permission to hurt. Permission to kill. And they accepted it without question.
Another scream rang out, sharper this time, before abruptly cutting off. I didn't turn to look. I didn't need to.
I already knew what I would see.
My fists tightened slightly, though I made sure not to draw attention. Reacting now would only get me killed faster. This wasn't about fighting back. Not yet.
Survival came first.
Morality… came later, if it came at all.
A hunter rushed past me, chasing down a fleeing runner with a grin that didn't belong on a human face. For a brief second, our eyes met, and I saw it clearly.
Excitement.
That was when it truly sank in.
This wasn't just fear driving them. Some of them were enjoying it.
I exhaled slowly, steadying myself despite the chaos pressing in from all sides.
If this was the true nature of humans, then there was no point denying it.
The only thing that mattered right now… was whether I could stay alive long enough to see the end of it.
***
Five minutes had passed since the red-marked began beating the blue-marked. Now, less than three minutes remained.
The carriage no longer looked like a place meant for people. Bodies were scattered across the floor. Most were dead while some were barely clinging to life.
The screams of the people were heard from all around. A few hunters had already completed the scenario.
And I was currently laying on the ground.
Three men stood over me, taking turns stomping on my body as if I were nothing more than an object beneath their feet.
Each strike carried more force than the last. Their boosted strength turned simple kicks into professional kick-boxing kicks.
I knew I was dying.
And yet… I didn't feel any pain.
It wasn't endurance and willpower. If I had those, my life wouldn't have been so mediocre in the first place.
It was the absence of feeling of pain. As if the sensation itself had been cut off.
A translucent blue screen appeared before my eyes.
[You have obtained an exclusive skill "Dream Boundary"]
[Your exclusive skill is currently active. All excess pain is numbed.]
I stared at the message, my thoughts strangely clear despite everything.
In my dreams, or rather, in what I liked to call [WOMD], everyone could learn skills.
There were numerous ways to get one.
So this was mine.
Dream Boundary…
Even now, lying on the brink of death, it felt like I was watching a scene unfold rather than living through it.
Then, finally…
The moment I had been waiting for arrived.
One of the men standing over me was suddenly shoved aside. His balance broke, and he stumbled back with a curse.
The pressure on my body eased a bit. I slowly turned my head and Shia stood there.
Her body was trembling, her hands shaking as if she could barely control them. Her eyes wavered between fear and determination.
"Arin… I can't. I can't do this."