The trio sat in silence for hours. Each passing moment the screams and shouts from the train and the city seemed to die down.
"Hey, Joon-ho. What was that back there? That fireball." Min Jae asked.
"That. I was looking and studying my system when I saw the fireball skill on the list so I just decided to use it. Too bad it's on a cool down right now." He replied.
"Cool down? So it doesn't use mana?"
"Yes. In fact I don't see any mention of mana on my interface how about you?"
"Nope. Just the same as yours I guess." Min Jae said lying through his teeth.
Joon-ho looked outside the window, "It's gone quiet for a while now. Is everyone.." he didn't finish and trailed off. He didn't want that unoptimistic mindset right now. "Let's head out."
Min Jae felt a little pinch. He didn't like the nerdy guy acting all cool especially in front Soo-min. But he didn't have a choice, Joon-ho was the only key to survival right now. Soo-min was silent, a little traumatized by everything that's happened thus far.
"Is that really a good idea? They could be thousands of people who also had their systems corrupted and turned into monsters." Soo-min inquired.
"Hehe, you are right. But we can't stay here forever besides everything has gone quiet anyway it may or may not be safe but either way sitting here won't help us. In any case I'll protect you." Joon-ho said raising a thumbs up.
Min Jae so wished right now his system was working.
The train doors hissed open, revealing a city in ruin. Broken glass glittered like cruel confetti along the streets, and the air was thick with smoke and dust. Twisted metal and shattered cars littered the avenues. Min Jae's stomach churned at the sight of bodies strewn across the pavement, some slumped unnaturally, others contorted in ways that made his skin crawl.
Soo-min clutched his arm tightly, her face pale, this of course made Min Jae blush.
A few survivors emerged from other train cars, faces streaked with blood, dirt, and tears. Some stumbled, dazed, muttering incoherently, while others simply froze, staring blankly at the carnage around them.
A small group had gathered near the train's exit, recounting their experiences in hushed, broken voices. "They… they came out of nowhere," one man whispered, hands shaking. "My whole family…" His voice cracked.
Min Jae and Joon-ho moved among them, listening, taking it all in. Then the whispers turned to astonished murmurs: the monsters, the twisted humans—the things that had hunted them—they had vanished. Gone. Vanished into thin air.
Joon-ho's eyes met Min Jae's. No words were exchanged, but the understanding passed silently between them, temporary relief.
They wandered deeper into the city, past collapsed buildings and overturned buses. Shops were ransacked, windows gaping like toothless mouths. People wandered aimlessly, some holding injuries, others crying, all trying to piece together what had just happened. Every street corner whispered of death, chaos, and the inexplicable vanishing of terror.
Then the screens flickered to life. Billboards, TVs, and digital signs across the square all synchronized to broadcast a single message. The Prime Minister appeared, face grave and tight-lipped, addressing the nation.
"At 7 a.m. today," his voice resonated, shaky but deliberate, "individuals nationwide awakened to a system, some successfully, others… with errors. Certain systems malfunctioned, causing their hosts to mutate into dangerous forms. By 11 a.m., these… entities disappeared entirely. At this moment, everyone alive and present has successfully awakened. Further information is being gathered. Survival camps are being established for those displaced or injured."
The crowd erupted in cautious relief. Soo-min's lips curved into a tentative smile, and soon she was laughing softly, tears of relief streaking her face. Strangers high-fived, embraced, and celebrated survival. For the first time in hours, hope flickered.
But Min Jae's eyes flicked to Joon-ho's. No smile. No relief. Just the cold, steady certainty that this was far from over. The city might have paused its terror for now, but something deeper, something unstoppable, was only just beginning.