Pit of Doom
It was yet another brutal scenario in [WOMD]. The subway had ten carriages, and only five of them would survive.
When the doors finally slid open, we stepped onto the platform along with everyone else.
What had been suffocatingly quiet just moments ago quickly filled with noise as survivors from other carriages poured out at the same time.
Each carriage carried a different number of survivors. Ours was carriage [8], with eleven people. The one beside us had fifteen.
At a glance, it didn't seem important. But in this place, numbers weren't just numbers. They were at an advantage.
I let my gaze drift forward.
At the far end of the station, near the exit, a massive barrier stood in place, sealing the path completely. It wasn't something that could be broken through or bypassed with brute force. The message was simple enough.
Running was not an option. There was only one way forward – Clear the condition.
Hunt three baby Titanoboas.
I scanned the crowd, searching for her out of habit, but she was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't surprising. With her height, getting swallowed by a crowd like this was almost inevitable.
Before I could think further, the ground beneath us began to tremble.
They were here.
HISS!
HISS!
Sharp hiss sounds cut through the noise. The sound spread across the station, and for a brief moment, the entire crowd fell into an uneasy silence.
The act was not coordinated, it was human instinct acting on its own. Everyone had sensed it at the same time.
The next moment, Titanoboas burst out from the holes, forcing their massive bodies through the fractured ground with disturbing ease.
Their scales scraped against the surface as they rose, producing a heavy, grating sound that made it impossible to ignore what was happening.
I raised my hand slightly, signaling my group to stay close as I kept my eyes on the creatures ahead.
['Dream Boundary' has reduced your stress. You can think more clearly now.]
The pressure in my chest eased a little for my thoughts to settle. The fear didn't disappear, but it stopped interfering, and that was all I needed.
We need to end this quickly. The longer this drags on, the worse our chances become.
I studied the Titanoboas again.
Calling them "babies" felt like a joke.
Each one was at least eight to ten meters long with thick bodies covered in overlapping scales that looked closer to armor than flesh.
Their heads rose slowly as their jaws parted just enough to reveal rows of curved teeth.
"…We're supposed to kill those?"
"It's impossible…"
The panic spread among the people almost immediately.
"Follow me," I said.
My voice wasn't loud, but it didn't need to be. The people I needed to hear it were already focused on my words.
The Titanoboas began to move.
Their massive bodies slid forward with a speed that didn't match their size. They were fast. Far too fast for something that large.
Around us, the others reacted, but there was no structure to it.
Some ran without thinking, breaking away from their groups as if distance alone would save them. Others tried to fight, but hesitation slowed them down before they could even commit to an attack.
There was no coordination and no plan. Just pure chaos as people all around started getting trampled.
We on the other hand didn't move and held our position. Moving at the wrong time would get us killed faster than standing still.
That's when one of the Titanoboas lunged at us.
Its body tightened and shot forward in a single motion, closing the distance instantly. That single movement was enough to draw attention, and several more turned toward us as they began to approach too.
They react to movement… or proximity.
Either way, we've been marked.
I counted quickly. There were at least ten on the platform. The holes they emerged from still showed movement, which meant there were more below.
Right, this wasn't just a battlefield but also their nest.
"Everyone, do exactly what I told you,"
My group moved immediately.
They stepped into position with clean, deliberate movements, forming around me without hesitation. The difference between them and the others was impossible to miss.
The rest scattered like marbles spilled across the floor, rolling into each other without direction or control.
My group, on the other hand, moved like the legs of a spider with precise steps. Each position was connected to the next.
At the front stood Charles, exactly where I had placed him.
"…Boss, I don't wanna be here. Can't I stay at the back?"
I glanced at him briefly before returning my attention forward.
"That won't work."
I didn't explain. There wasn't time, and there didn't need to be.
Because the front…
was where I needed him most.
Charles didn't move, just like I expected. He understood what that position meant.
"Stay in formation,"
No one responded to my words, but I could feel it. Their focus had tightened. They were calm and listening to my orders very well.
That was enough.
I stepped forward.
It was a small movement, but it was deliberate, and the reaction was immediate.
One of the Titanoboas locked onto me, its head snapping in my direction as its tongue flicked faster. Its body coiled slightly, preparing to strike.
That was the moment I needed.
My gaze shifted, not to the creature, but to the ground ahead of me.
To a section of the platform that looked no different from the rest, unless you knew what to look for.
A faint fracture line ran through the tiles, partially hidden beneath dust and debris.
I had seen it before. It wasn't here but in my dreams.
[WOMD] didn't create spaces of 'scenarios' without purpose. Every structure, every flaw and every irregularity existed for a reason.
"Charles,"
"…Yeah?"
There was hesitation in his voice, but he answered.
"Don't move unless I tell you to."
"…That doesn't make me feel better."
"It's not supposed to."