"I don't know... I don't know what's going to happen to me..."
Hyun Jin whispered to himself, his eyes fixed on the carriage ceiling that was vibrating violently. His fingers gripped into a tight fist. Even though he tried to calm his breathing, a storm of anxiety was raging in his chest.
Kreek... krak...
The sound of metal scraping echoed from the roof—heavy and slow, as if something massive was walking up there.
Suddenly—CRASH!!!
A powerful blow crushed the roof of the carriage. Metal shards flew into the air, raining down onto the floor along with sparks. Thin smoke filled the space, carrying a suffocating, burnt smell.
From within the smoke, a hulking, pitch-black figure emerged. Its face was hidden in the shadows, but its razor-sharp teeth bared a terrifying grin, glinting in the darkness.
Hyun Jin gasped. He fell to his knees, his legs shaking uncontrollably. In a state of total panic, he began to crawl backward, trying to reach the next carriage.
Just as he was about to reach the door...
Crap!
A massive hand lunged from the shadows and gripped his leg tightly. Hyun Jin's body was violently dragged back toward the center.
"NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, but only his echo answered.
ARRHHH!!!
The monster crushed Hyun Jin's leg with overwhelming strength. He could feel his bones on the verge of shattering. An agonizing pain surged through his entire body, and his voice nearly broke from the sheer suffering.
With a cruel toss, the creature slammed his body against the iron door of the carriage.
BAM!
Hyun Jin's world spun. His breath hitched in his throat from the heavy impact on his chest. He tried to get up, but his body was useless. He could only lie on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
"AGHH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS...!"
His right hand clutched the leg that had been crushed, while his back felt like it had been sliced open. Tears mixed with sweat drenched his face. He was completely paralyzed by fear.
The monster didn't care. It stepped slowly toward Hyun Jin. Every footstep echoed through the carriage like the tolling of death.
Once it was close enough, the creature's massive hand reached for Hyun Jin's neck. In an instant, he was choked and lifted high off the floor. The oxygen was stolen from his lungs.
Hyun Jin's head was forced out through the hole in the shattered roof. The wind roared, slapping his face as the train sped through the endless dark tunnel.
"AAAAAA! AAAAAA!!!!!!!!"
His screams echoed throughout the tunnel. His neck felt like it was about to snap. The veins on his forehead bulged, struggling against the extreme pressure of the grip.
Hyun Jin began to cough violently, his vision turning blurry. The world around him started to go dark. Yet, the monster remained silent. Its hand didn't loosen even for a second, as if it was simply waiting for the moment Hyun Jin's life finally flickered out.
Hyun Jin felt his head growing heavier. His consciousness began to slip away. Maybe I'll die here, he thought. His body had given up. The world around him became darker, hotter, and increasingly suffocating.
But suddenly, a blinding light appeared. The blue screen from before glowed intensely, piercing through the darkness of the tunnel. The light seemed to whisper: there was still hope.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
HP IS TOO LOW. CRITICAL WARNING.
[EMERGENCY QUEST: STRATEGIC ASSISTANCE REQUEST]
YOU MAY REQUEST A 'HINT' TO DEFEAT THE MONSTER.
ACCEPT? [Y / N]
Hint rewards are only available 3 times. Usage: 0/3.
Hyun Jin lifted his half-closed eyes. Even though his vision was blurry, he could still see the monster choking him.
Not... it's not over yet.
"Y... Yes..." Hyun Jin muttered with the last of his strength.
[HINT ACQUIRED] USAGE: 1/3.
[STRATEGY: TARGET THE MONSTER'S EYES WITH A DIRECT HAND ATTACK.]
[SYSTEM QUESTION: DO YOU REQUIRE FURTHER INFORMATION?]
"Is this... for real?" Hyun Jin asked softly. His voice was almost swallowed by the roar of the train.
[SYSTEM: AFFIRMATIVE.]
Zapp!
Suddenly, the burning pain in his body vanished. His entire frame went numb for a moment. His weak knees, his fractured leg, even his crushed neck—it was as if his brain no longer received any signals of pain.
His breathing was still heavy, but his despair was replaced by a sharp focus. Hyun Jin's eyes lit up, staring directly into the monster's right eye. He was looking for an opening.
"Oi..." Hyun Jin called out. His voice was raspy, but it sounded incredibly bold.
The monster flinched. It turned, shocked to see its prey hadn't collapsed despite being choked with overwhelming force. It squeezed Hyun Jin's neck harder, trying to crush his throat once and for all.
However, Hyun Jin remained calm amidst the chaos. He waited for the perfect moment.
Suddenly, Hyun Jin burst out laughing. His voice echoed throughout the carriage.
"WERE YOU WAITING FOR ME TO DIE, YOU BASTARD?!"
PUP!
In an instant, Hyun Jin's fingers drove straight into the monster's right eye.
GROOAAAAAARRRR!!!
The monster let out a horrific scream. Its grip released immediately. Hyun Jin's body crashed onto the floor of the carriage.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Hyun Jin coughed violently, greedily sucking in the oxygen that had finally returned. His face was drenched in sweat and blood. In front of him, the monster was thrashing and raging in agony.
Hyun Jin forced himself up.
Eh? The pain in my body has lessened! his heart whispered. He felt a sudden surge of new energy.
Without wasting a second, Hyun Jin sprinted toward the distracted monster. As soon as he reached his opponent, he swung his first punch.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
A barrage of left and right hooks landed on the monster's hulking body. Every impact produced a heavy thud, forcing the creature to stagger backward.
Hyun Jin stumbled, his body swaying. His legs were still in pain, but his resolve didn't waver. With a burning rage, he continued to rain brutal punches down on the monster.
RRRARRGHHH!!!!!
The creature roared. Black blood spurted violently from its ruined eye. The scream was so powerful that it created a shockwave, shattering every remaining window pane in the carriage. Hyun Jin poured all his weight forward, gritting his teeth to stay upright.
The monster tried to swing at him again, but Hyun Jin was faster. He raised his left leg as high as he could and delivered a powerful kick straight into the creature's face.
"SHUT UP!"
BAM!
The impact forced the monster to slam onto the floor. It lay there, disoriented and severely wounded, unable to get back up immediately. Hyun Jin didn't waste a single second.
Without mercy, he pinned the creature down and began punching its face repeatedly. The sickening sound of breaking bones and crushing flesh echoed through the silent carriage.
Finally, he drove both hands into the monster's eyes. Blood sprayed wildly, drenching Hyun Jin's clothes and face.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!!!" Hyun Jin screamed at the top of his lungs. Every ounce of his resentment, fear, and despair was unleashed in every strike.
A few seconds later, the monster went stiff. Its final breath escaped.
Hyun Jin stopped. His shoulders heaved as he struggled for air. His hands and face were covered in thick, dark blood. He began to sob—not out of pain, but from sheer, overwhelming relief.
"I... I'm alive... I did it..."
A blue screen reappeared in front of him, cutting through the darkness.
[SYSTEM] MONSTERS KILLED: 1/6.
[LEVEL UP!] CURRENT LEVEL: 10
Strength and Vitality have increased.
"Huff... huff..." Hyun Jin stared at the screen with a hollow gaze. "Five more left..."
He scanned the carriage. No sound of footsteps. No signs of nearby enemies.
"Maybe they're in the other carriages," he whispered.
Hyun Jin stood up slowly. His shirt was soaked with the foul-smelling blood of the monster. Despite his exhaustion, he started walking toward the door of the next carriage. On the side of the door, a small number was visible, Carriage 8.
His destination was now Carriage 9.
Suddenly, the blue screen in front of him changed again.
[LOOT ACQUIRED: 'WHITE FANG']
Item has been moved to Inventory.
Rarity: Common
Dropped by: Black Monster
Drop Rate: 100%
Hyun Jin stopped in his tracks.
"Inventory?"
[SYSTEM EXPLANATION]
All enemy entities have a chance to drop raw materials after being defeated.
Hyun Jin fell silent for a moment. The blood on his shirt began to dry, leaving dark stains. Slowly, he began to understand the strange rules of this world. This wasn't just a nightmare—this was a real game of life and death.
"So... every time I kill a creature like that, I get something?"
Hyun Jin slowly clenched his left hand. He stared at his fingers, which were still coated in dried blood. His breath was heavy, his gaze hollow as he stared at his own palm.
"This game seems to be more than just about survival. But this isn't a normal game... I'm still bleeding. I can still feel this pain."
The blue screen flickered slowly.
[SYSTEM QUERY]
DO YOU REQUIRE FURTHER INFORMATION?
Hyun Jin swallowed hard before speaking firmly.
"Show me the inventory you mentioned earlier. I want to see it for myself."
The blue screen vibrated slightly. A blue light began to spread into the air. In an instant, Hyun Jin's vision blurred. When he opened his eyes, his surroundings had completely changed.
He was now in a space of absolute darkness. It was so thick that he couldn't even see his own feet touching the floor.
"Huh?" Hyun Jin was stunned. "Where... where am I?"
Zzz... zzz...
The sound of static echoed, followed by flickering sparks of blue light. A giant screen appeared in front of him, glowing so brightly it was blinding.
[SYSTEM]
PLAYER, THIS IS YOUR 'EXCHANGE DOMAIN.'
INVENTORY ACCESS GRANTED.
"Domain? Woah... that's a cool name," Hyun Jin said with a small smile. A mix of awe and excitement began to stir within him.
The screen shifted its display. In the center was a gray bag icon with storage slots beside it. One of the slots caught Hyun Jin's eye—inside was a small icon resembling a white fang.
"Eh? That's... the White Fang I just got!"
He stepped closer to the screen. "What does this thing actually do? What can I do with this fang?"
[SYSTEM EXPLANATION]
ALL MATERIALS ACQUIRED ARE USEFUL.
SPECIFIC USE: CRAFTING.
Suddenly, a second screen appeared on the left.
[CRAFTING WEAPON]
ITEM: [WHITE FANG KNIFE]
REQUIREMENTS: 6x WHITE FANG & 600 GOLD.
On the screen, an image of a small knife appeared. It had a sharp white blade resembling a fang, with a handle as black as coal. Hyun Jin's eyes sharpened with focus.
"Six fangs and six hundred gold? Looks like I only have one right now," he muttered. "How much Gold do I have?"
[SYSTEM] CURRENT GOLD BALANCE: 100.
"100 gold... and one fang." He took a deep breath.
Hyun Jin fell silent for a moment. If this really was a game system, there had to be information about the enemies.
"Can you show me the enemy info...?"
Zzzzt! A third screen appeared on the right.
[NEW ENEMY PROFILE]
NAME: BLACK MONSTER
RANK: VERY WEAK
LOOT: WHITE FANG (100%)
REWARD: 100 GOLD PER UNIT
KNOWN VARIANTS:
Dark forms with exposed white fangs.
Crawling bodies with long tongues.
Hulking physiques with two separate heads.
Hyun Jin read every line carefully. "So, if I kill five more, I won't just have enough fangs, I'll also have 500 gold..."
He gave a thin smile. "Heh... it's like this system is literally forcing me to keep killing."
Not long after, the dark space of the domain began to vibrate violently. The blue light from the screen flickered before dimming completely.
"Eh… what's happening?"
Before Hyun Jin could finish his sentence, the entire space suffered a severe glitch. Blue and dark shadows blurred together as if the reality of the domain was being forcibly torn apart.
"Why is this place shaking?!" Hyun Jin felt a knot in his stomach. His breathing grew heavy, his eyes scanning wildly for an exit.
Fwusshhh…!
Thick purple smoke suddenly engulfed the area. In an instant, everything vanished.
Hyun Jin was back in the silent train carriage. His breath was still rapid, his chest heaving. He gripped his shirt, which was now soaked with dried blood.
Suddenly, the carriage lights turned a deep red. They flickered inconsistently, creating an eerie atmosphere.
WEEEOO!! WEEEOOO!!
A siren wailed loudly, shattering the silence of the tunnel. Hyun Jin was forced to cover his ears with both hands.
"Arghhh! Now what?!"
In front of him, the blue screen had turned a fiery red. Large warning text appeared along with a rapid beeping sound.
[ATTENTION!]
TIME REMAINING: 15 MINUTES.
ELIMINATE THE 5 REMAINING BLACK MONSTERS.
FAILURE BEFORE TIME EXPIRES WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE ELIMINATION.
Hyun Jin's face froze. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Fifteen minutes? Five more of those things...?"
He bit his lip. The look in his eyes slowly shifted—from fear to a sharp, cold determination. He began to walk toward the door of Carriage 9, but suddenly he stopped in his tracks.
"Wait... the system said my level rose to 10, right?"
He stared at both of his hands. The veins on his blood-stained arms tightened. "If I leveled up… something must have changed. My strength, or—"
SHHLP!
A powerful force suddenly snatched his wrist!
"What?! Arghhh!!"
Hyun Jin's right arm was wrapped by something long, wet, and strong—like a writhing muscle. It pulled him with incredible force.
"A tongue?! This thing has a tongue!"
Hyun Jin tried to brace himself against the metal floor, but his injured leg failed to hold against the pull. His body was dragged across the floor. Screeechhh! The sound of his shoes scraping against the floor echoed before he was pulled toward the window.
"ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!"
In a split second, half of Hyun Jin's body was dragged out through the left window of the train. The rushing wind slammed into his face, making it hard to keep his eyes open.
Out there, in the darkness of the tunnel, a black creature was crawling on the side of the carriage. Its long tongue was wrapped tightly around Hyun Jin's arm. From its wide-open mouth, a horrifying hiss emerged.
"Ssshhhkkhhh... hhhrrhh..."
The creature's eyes glowed red in the dark, staring hungrily at its prey. It was about seven meters away, but its tongue pulled Hyun Jin as if they were inches apart.
"Arghhh! It's too strong!"
Hyun Jin screamed as his left hand gripped the slippery, bloody window frame. His grip was beginning to loosen. The skin on his palm tore as it scraped against the sharp metal.
The Black Monster continued to crawl rapidly along the side of the speeding train. It tightened its tongue, ready to pull Hyun Jin completely out of the carriage.
Hyun Jin's breath grew shallower. Panic and rage began to collide.
"I JUST WANTED TO GO HOME AFTER GOING TO THE TOILET, YOU BASTARD!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. His voice was swallowed by the roar of the wind.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, BUT I'M GOING HOME! EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR ME!"
In his exploding rage, Hyun Jin remembered something. The previous monster had roared so loud it shattered all the glass windows in Carriage 8.
He looked at his left hand, which was still gripping the window frame filled with shards of sharp glass. Blood flowed between his fingers, glass piercing his skin, but his eyes were now burning with a new light.
A crazy idea flashed through his mind.
Hyun Jin turned his gaze toward his right arm, which was still tightly bound by the black tongue. He stared at the disgusting muscle, then looked at the window frame lined with jagged glass shards.
He was gasping for air.
"If I can't beat you with strength..." Hyun Jin clenched his jaw hard. "...I'll beat you with brains!"
The creature lunged hungrily, nearly snapping at his body. But before it could touch him, Hyun Jin swung his right arm—the one still wrapped in the tongue—directly against the sharp glass shards on the window frame!
SREEEEETTT!
The sound of flesh grating against sharp glass echoed loudly.
"GHRRRRRAAAHHH!!!"
A horrific roar shattered the silence of the carriage. The creature's long tongue was sliced bit by bit. Thick, black blood sprayed wildly, drenching Hyun Jin's face. It stung, but he didn't stop swinging until the creature's grip finally broke.
The monster's body was flung backward, swept away by the heavy wind outside the carriage. But before Hyun Jin could breathe a sigh of relief—the tongue tightened again!
The monster was using the remainder of its tongue like a grappling hook.
"NNNNOOOOO!!!"
In the blink of an eye, Hyun Jin was yanked out of the window and slammed onto the roof of the speeding train. The sound of metal vibrating violently echoed beneath him. Around him was nothing but the darkness of the tunnel and the deafening roar of the wind.
BOOM!
Something hit the roof hard. The tongued Black Monster was already in front of him! It crawled rapidly with a savage expression and immediately pinned Hyun Jin down.
The creature tried to bite his neck, but Hyun Jin managed to hold its sharp jaws back with both hands.
"STOP IT!!!" Hyun Jin screamed. His hands trembled violently against the creature's overwhelming strength. From the monster's fingertips, long claws began to sprout, ready to tear through his chest.
There must be a way... there has to be!
"BLUE SCREEN!!" Hyun Jin screamed in his heart.
Beep!
[STATUS]
Skill Unlocked: Crash Head
Level Requirement: 5 | Current Level: 10
[ACTIVATION INSTRUCTIONS]
"Crash... Head..."
Hyun Jin's voice was low, but his eyes began to glow brightly. Without waiting—BAM! His right foot kicked the monster's chest with all his might, sending it tumbling backward.
Hyun Jin tried to stand up slowly, balancing himself against the fierce wind. In front of him, the Black Monster crawled back toward him, its claws scratching the iron surface of the roof.
Zzzhhhhhkkk!
Sparks erupted from the overhead electric cables, reflecting off Hyun Jin's face, which was now soaked in blood and sweat. He took his stance. Left foot forward, a perfect fighting position.
Hyun Jin spat to the side, but the strong wind blew it right back onto the monster's face.
The creature paused for a second before roaring in pure rage.
"You just can't stay quiet, can you?" Hyun Jin smirked. He lowered his center of gravity. Ready.
The wind howled around them. Electrical sparks danced in the air.
ZUP!
Both of them lunged at each other on the vibrating roof. The monster jumped with its sharp claws out, while Hyun Jin ducked and dodged with lightning speed.
End of Chapter 4.
Author's Note:
My man Hyun Jin just wanted to go to the toilet🗿🗿, but now he's fighting for his life on the roof of a train. And he's literally bleeding everywhere. Will he survive, hm?.
But What do you think about the White Fang Knife? Should he craft it immediately or wait?🤔.
Alright, See you in the next Chapter. The Next chapter is going to be wild, btw! 😌✌️. Bye.