The world seemed to freeze the moment the screen revealed its message. Almost no one dared to move. Some ignored it and fled for their lives, running wherever their feet could carry them, only to end up as nourishment for more trees.
Kim Ji-hoon stood still for a moment, contemplating the situation while his eyes constantly scanned the surroundings. The entire area was now filled with golden trees and vines that looked peaceful at first glance, but too many had already paid with their lives to prove that appearances could deceive.
He understood that he had to move fast, but carefully. The word Archer kept echoing in his mind, yet no matter how hard he tried to imagine a bow in his hands, nothing helped the magical ability manifest. It left him feeling helpless. Real life did not seem like a webtoon after all.
"Just what exactly does it mean to survive the night? I hope the trees are the only surprise I'll get today..." He could not help but let out a self-mocking laugh.
The ground and sky rumbled once more, almost knocking him off balance. Kim Ji-hoon had only one goal in mind—to meet up with Sunny. In a world that had gone mad, he needed someone he could trust.
He found himself running in the same direction as several other people. They looked just as ordinary as he did, with no sign of magic anywhere, which made him let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least he was not the only one struggling to understand how this new world worked.
A small group of strangers became aware of one another, but no one spoke a word. Desperation burned in all of their eyes, impossible to hide.
"Watch out!" a broad-shouldered man shouted at the top of his lungs, barely dodging a crimson flash of light. One woman was not as lucky. Something crimson pierced straight through the center of her chest.
At that same moment, a black screen appeared before everyone trapped within the area.
[Challenge Initiated.]
[Selected Players have been drafted into a survival trial.]
[Objective: Survive the monster onslaught for 2 minutes.]
[Reward: 10 Experience Points.]
[Mandatory Condition: Activate your system class before the trial begins.]
[Failure to comply will result in immediate disqualification.]
[Time Remaining: 01:00.]
Crimson spread like wildfire, wrapping a total of twelve people inside a circle as wide as a basketball court. The walls looked almost spectral, as if one could simply step through them. But only a fool would try.
A large golden tree pulsed like a beating heart, its gold bark slowly turning crimson as a crack split down the center. It stood at the heart of the barrier.
Kim Ji-hoon quickly noticed that any building touched by the light was incinerated, reduced to nothing but air. He gulped at the thought of what would happen if that crimson light touched his skin.
"This is bad! I can't activate anything at all! At least give me some damned instructions!" a young man, no older than twenty, screamed at the top of his lungs. His whole body was visibly shaking. From the side, it looked as if he were trying to cast every spell he had ever seen in a movie.
"Calm down! Let's talk about this. Does anybody know what's going on or how we're supposed to activate whatever this system class is?" A striking woman in her thirties raised her voice over the others. Her eyes scanned everyone, searching for the calmest among them. "You, there, you know something, don't you?" She pointed at a boy still dressed in his high school uniform. His eyes shifted to the side, as if he were hiding something.
"Look at this fucker! He knows something!" The man who had been panicking the most suddenly turned aggressive in the face of death. He charged at the boy and seized him by the collar. "Spit it out! Spit it out, or I'll kill you before the time runs out!"
The boy trembled in fear, his lip quivering and his face draining of color.
"Get away from him!" Kim Ji-hoon lunged forward and drove his fist into the man's face with all his strength. Pain exploded through his knuckles, warm blood spilling across his skin, but he did not care. Forcing an answer out of someone when they had all already been promised death would only drag them deeper into hell together.
"Are you out of your mind? Picking on a kid at a time like this? If you're that scared of dying, then figure it out yourself, you piece of shit." The words came out like venom.
No one moved. Time was running out fast, but in that moment, Ji-hoon suddenly looked like the most reliable person in the group.
"I'll kill you!" the young man roared. He shoved himself off the ground and charged at Ji-hoon with a jagged piece of concrete in his hand, aiming straight for his temple.
Then a green light flashed.
It was so bright that everyone was forced to shield their eyes. Even Ji-hoon threw up an arm to block the glare. When he looked again, the man stood frozen in place.
His head was gone.
All eyes snapped toward the boy, who now held a large green saber in his hand, its blade almost spectral. His breaths came out raggedly, but a faint smile still tugged at the corners of his lips.
[Time Remaining: 0:20]
A loud robotic voice rang in everyone's ears, making their faces turn even paler than they had at the sight of a man losing his head.
"Older brother, thank you for standing up for me. I'll quickly teach you how to use the system inside you." The boy spoke with urgency, looking only at Ji-hoon, his eyes shining with a strange mix of gratitude and excitement. Never in his life had anyone stood up for him.
Ji-hoon did not know whether to laugh or cry. The kid had just taken a life and looked perfectly fine afterward. He could already tell the youngster was likely mentally broken, so he decided to play it safe and simply nodded.
"Thank you. You're a lifesaver." The others stepped closer with caution, unsure whether they were included in the lesson that would decide life or death for them all. But the boy spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, clearly unbothered by the rest and caring only about Ji-hoon.
The crimson tree pulsed once more. A deep crack ran through its trunk, and something inside let out a low, hungry growl.
"Listen carefully. This is what you must do..."
[Time Remaining: 0:10]