With that, he fell right into my trap. And it was all due to his cowardice for not being able to stand up for himself.
[2,000 coins have been invested into 'Speed']
[Speed Lv.1 → Lv. 7]
[Your speed has increased dramatically.]
The coins disappeared in an instant. A dull ache settled in my chest as I watched them go.
It wasn't a small amount, but this wasn't the time to hesitate.
Charles rushed at me with a distorted expression, his fist already swinging toward my face.
To him, it must have felt fast. But to me, it looked slow.
I tilted my head slightly and his punch cut through empty air, missing me by a narrow margin. Before he could react, I stepped in and drove my fist straight into his abdomen.
A sharp gasp escaped his mouth as his body folded. He stumbled back, struggling to breathe. His balance was completely broken.
I didn't stop there.
Closing the distance again, I grabbed his wrist before he could pull away and twisted it hard, forcing him down to his knees. I made sure not to touch his palm, else he would spread poison in me.
Charles' face twisted in pain. His earlier confidence was nowhere to be seen.
"See? This is what happens when a coward tries to act brave."
[The constellation 'Spokeswoman of Justice' likes your sense of justice.]
[100 coins have been sponsored.]
[The constellation 'Amused Prankster' wants to see the coward getting slapped.]
[A new sub-scenario has appeared.]
+
Scenario: Bully The Weak
Category: Sub
Clear condition: Slap Charles a hundred times.
Time limit: 3 minutes
Compensation: 200 coins
Failure: -
+
Free money? I wasn't in any position to refuse that.
I looked at Charles for a moment. The fear in his eyes was clear now, stripped of all the confidence he had been hiding behind earlier.
For a brief second, I almost felt pity for him… but it passed just as quickly as it came. He wouldn't die from a few hits.
It was for a greater cause.
Then I raised my hand and slapped him. The sound echoed across the carriage, and Charles' head snapped to the side.
His body trembled as he struggled to process what had just happened. I didn't stop there. My hand moved again, then again, each slap landing with the same steady force as if I was simply carrying out a task.
[Remaining slaps: 93]
With each strike, the marks on his face became more visible. His skin started swelling as his resistance slowly crumbled.
At first, a few people flinched at the sound, but no one stepped forward. Not a single person tried to stop me.
That alone said enough. Not long ago, they were defending him. Now, they just watched.
Charles tried to speak at one point, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something. Maybe it was to deny it again or beg for it to stop, but the words never came out properly.
Every attempt was cut short as another slap landed, breaking whatever he was trying to say.
[Remaining slaps: 61]
His body had stopped resisting by then. He didn't fight back, didn't struggle, didn't even try to escape. He just endured it, like someone who had already given up.
A coward could pretend for a while, but once they saw no way out. They gave up, not even trying to the end.
[Remaining slaps: 12]
By the time the count neared its end, his face was barely recognizable. It was swollen and discoloured, with his gaze unfocused.
Still, I didn't stop. Not until…
[Remaining slaps: 0]
[Sub-scenario 'Bully The Weak' has been cleared.]
[200 coins have been earned.]
My hand finally came to a halt. There was nothing more to gain from him now.
[The constellation 'Amused Prankster' is laughing while holding his stomach.]
[The constellation 'Forgotten Shore' is wondering why you didn't use 'force' from the start.]
Seeing my coins increase finally improved my mood a little. It wasn't much compared to what I had spent, but a gain was still a gain. More importantly, the timing lined up perfectly.
I brought everyone together, including the swollen Charles, and started explaining the plan to them. We needed to work together as a team if we wanted to live.
One slip and everyone here would be on their way to say 'hi' to the king of hell.
***
{Hmm? What happened to your face? I didn't know you ugly humans could look so attractive…}
For a second, Specter stared at Charles' face after arriving. It was as if he had fallen in love.
…So pigs had their own standards of beauty. That was new. I didn't even know this information when I saw [WOMD].
After appreciating the beauty in front of him for a minute, Spectre finally spoke.
{I hope you all are excited for the second scenario! It's very close to my heart. Try not to die.}
+
Main Scenario #2 – Pit of Doom
Difficulty: F
Clear Condition:
-Hunt three baby Titonobaes
-Escape the subway station
-Only the first 5 groups will survive
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: 300 coins
Failure: Death
+
The second scenario had revealed itself.
"Everyone, don't forget your roles and stick together!"
I encouraged everyone before turning towards Charles. "You are staying with me. Don't do anything foolish. And don't forget what I told you before.
If you see a child around the age of nine with white hair, run. Run in the opposite direction no matter what happens."