The moment they realized I wasn't going down, the crowd surged all at once.
Their target wasn't me. It was Shia.
I stepped forward and blocked the narrow space between the seats, forcing myself into the only path they could take. Shia's presence disappeared behind my back, reduced to nothing more than a shadow I had to protect.
At first, they didn't take me seriously.
To them, I was just another ordinary guy they needed to kill to reach their target. Someone who looked like he would collapse after a few hits.
But that assumption of theirs didn't last long.
Fists and kicks came from all directions, crashing into my body. The impact should have hurt. It should have forced me back, but it didn't.
Instead, the opposite happened.
The crowd's attacks stopped midway, as if they had struck something solid. I could feel the force, but it didn't penetrate. It bounced off me, sending the shock back into their own limbs.
A man punched my shoulder and immediately staggered back, clutching his hand as if he had hit rock.
Another tried to kick my side with all his force, and it connected as well. But nothing happened to me.
Rather, his own legs twisted at a weird angle, and he started screaming.
For a brief moment, confusion spread through the crowd. They were still judging me by the old rules. And those rules no longer applied.
My body had changed after applying the stats. It had become dense like a brick of iron that simply wouldn't break.
For the next minute…
I was immovable.
"Move aside! Let me kill her!"
"Why are you protecting her? You're a hunter too!"
"Please! Just one kill is all I need!"
Their voices overlapped, desperation bleeding into every word. Some tried to push past me, others reached around, hoping to grab Shia from behind.
None of it worked. I didn't move, not even an inch.
Then I raised my arm and swung it once. It wasn't a precise attack, and I didn't aim for anything in particular.
I just pushed my hand outward, but the effect was immediate.
The people in front of me were thrown back as if they had been hit by something far heavier than a human arm. People collided with each other, and the small space became a mess of falling figures.
Physique didn't directly translate into raw strength. But when combined with the temporary boost…
Even a simple movement carried weight.
My gaze then shifted to Charles.
His security uniform was soaked in red, the colour no longer distinguishable from the pool of blood around him. He stood a short distance away, watching everything unfold with a faint smile.
There was no panic on his face. A look was enough for me to tell he had already completed the scenario.
This bastard must have waited for the chance and stolen the last hit from the people. And because he said he was from a military background, people didn't say anything to him.
In their mind, he was some trained soldier who was not worth making an enemy of.
If I had to guess…
He had killed far more than required.
0:24
The timer hovered at the edge of my vision.
I still had time. Right now, with the temporary boost, my stats were higher than his. He probably hadn't figured out yet how to use his coins.
If I moved now, I could kill him. The thought came naturally, but... I didn't act.
Killing him here would change things. Even though villainous, he was useful. And I needed him to clear "that" scenario later.
Killing him right now would be simple. But simplicity wasn't always the correct answer. If my memories were accurate, then he had a lot of uses.
So I let him live for now.
My gaze shifted away from him, returning to the people in front of me. The timer kept ticking down.
0:19
Desperation had reached its peak now.
Those who hadn't completed their quota no longer hesitated. They weren't thinking about strategy or consequences anymore. They simply charged forward, their eyes fixed on anything that could be counted as a "living being."
"Move! Get out of the way!"
"Just one kill! I just need one!"
"Don't block me, you bastard!"
Their voices were filled with panic.
Some tried to rush past me again, others turned on each other, grabbing collars, throwing punches, and dragging down anyone who looked weaker.
A man who had just secured a kill was immediately attacked from behind, his body collapsing under a flurry of blows before he could even stand back up.
The carriage descended into madness. The hunters were trying to kill each other, which technically would count.
I stood still and watched. Similar scenes had appeared in my dreams countless times. But while watching those dreams, I thought they were just dreams.
But now, knowing it had turned real somehow, the scene hit even harder.
0:10
The numbers fell rapidly as some people screamed, others begged.
Some laughed as if they had lost their minds.
A man near the door started hitting his own head against the pole, muttering something incoherent. Another crawled on the ground, grabbing at anything he could find, as if a living being might suddenly appear out of thin air.
Behind me, I could feel Shia trembling. I didn't turn around. There was no need to.
0:05
The final seconds arrived.
A few people made their last attempts, rushing forward blindly. One of them reached out toward me, his hand shaking as if he was about to grab my throat.
He didn't make it.
[The given time has expired.]
For a brief moment, everything froze.
Then — Boom!
A head exploded.
It happened so suddenly that no one had time to react. Blood splattered across the ceiling and walls, the sound echoing through the carriage like a gunshot.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One after another, more sounds rang out. The ones who failed to meet the condition had their heads burst open without exception.
Some collapsed instantly. Others remained standing for a fraction of a second before their bodies gave out. The smell of blood thickened, mixing with the heavy silence that followed.
No one screamed this time.
They couldn't.
The survivors stood frozen, their expressions blank as if their minds had yet to catch up with what had just happened.
[Scenario has ended.]
[Calculating results.]
The messages appeared calmly, as if nothing unusual had occurred. I exhaled slowly. It was over for now.
The train, which had been still this entire time, suddenly jerked forward. A low rumble spread beneath my feet as it began moving again.
Light slowly seeped through the windows. Someone let out a shaky breath, and another person laughed weakly.
Relief.
That was the first emotion that surfaced. But it didn't last long.
As the train emerged from the tunnel, the outside world revealed itself, and everything changed.
The city was gone.
A massive dome surrounded the whole city of Washington, D.C., separating it from the rest of the world.
Smoke rose from collapsed buildings, covering the sky. The familiar skyline had disappeared, replaced by ruins and fire.
Bridges had fallen, and roads were torn apart. In the distance, something massive moved between the wreckage, its form too large to be human.
Everyone understood this wasn't a localized incident. It wasn't limited to this train. The world they knew of… had already ended.
[Main Scenario #1 has been cleared.]
[Basic reward has been granted.]
[300 coins have been awarded.]
The world I had seen in my dreams… had finally become reality.