[The allotted time has expired.]
[Payment of the agreement will begin.]
Arlene stared at those words.
She didn't understand them.
But something about them made her blood run cold, as if the system were demanding something it had not yet revealed. Something it had been waiting patiently for.
[You have killed 10 living beings.]
[Kill history: 10 goblins.]
Tears ran down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop them.
[1,000 coins acquired!]
[The coins used to increase stats have been automatically deducted.]
[Current balance: 500 coins.]
The notifications kept popping up one after another, indifferent to her condition.
Arlene looked up.
From the cruise ship, she gazed out at the river.
The current swept away the fallen monsters... or disappeared, devoured by something moving beneath the dark water.
Her reflection appeared in the glass of a nearby window.
Pale face. Reddened eyes. Cheeks wet with tears.
"Why did he have to die like this...?" she whispered.
The cruiser shook slightly.
Arlene raised her head.
And what she saw took her breath away.
The city was no longer New York.
Columns of smoke and dust rose between collapsed buildings. The bridges over the East River had collapsed, and the water was stained red, saturated with monstrous corpses.
Among the ruins of the city, a gigantic creature crushed a battle tank under its foot, as if it were a worthless toy.
[Tutorial scenario: Survival test has ended.]
Arlene barely blinked.
[300 coins have been acquired as a basic settlement reward.]
She felt no relief.
Only an overwhelming certainty.
All Arlene could see was...
A world that had been destroyed.
And another who had just been born.
On board the cruise ship, other survivors watched the city in silence.
Some were trembling. Others were crying. No one spoke.
Giant snakes emerged from the wreckage of destroyed military ships, devouring steel and flesh with equal ease.
"My God..."
"W-What the hell is this...?"
It wasn't just destruction.
It was a replacement.
Then, a golden light descended from the sky.
A floating figure appeared before them, moving with exaggerated joy.
[Woooooow! Amazing! You've made it through the tutorial! Congratulations!]
Behind the Stage Moderator, holographic fireworks exploded with celebratory messages.
[Survivors in the Lower Manhattan area: 100 people.]
[A surprisingly high number.]
The Moderator spun in the air, observing the sky where multiple stars shone brightly.
[Furthermore, several high-ranking constellations have shown interest in your channels.]
Arlene didn't understand a word that thing was saying.
[But before moving on... don't you think you should receive an appropriate reward?]
A window appeared in front of everyone.
[Sponsor selection.]
—Please select your sponsor.
—The sponsor you choose will be your main support and guide on your channel.
Fire Judge Dragon, Maid of Orleans, Wounded Sword Wanderer, Stealthy Conspirator.
Arlene recognized two names. Both had sent her messages while she was on the run.
But that didn't matter.
The only thing that mattered was—
"Where is Liam?"
The atmosphere froze.
The Moderator's expression distorted.
[Shut up! Don't interrupt me!]
An invisible pressure fell upon Arlene.
Her body shook violently, and the air caught in her chest.
"…!!"
She bit her lip hard, forcing herself to remain silent.
A man raised his hand.
"This... what does this mean about the channel?"
The Moderator looked at the man.
[Excellent question earlier, by the way.]
[Each of you possesses a channel. A space where the constellations can observe you.]
[Right now, you are incredibly weak. If you were thrown into the next stage without help, you would die even against a rank 1 creature.]
[But thanks to the sponsorship... they will be able to grow stronger.]
Arlene wasn't listening.
Her gaze was lost.
In the reflection of the water.
In the place where Liam had fallen.
And for the first time since it all began, he understood something with absolute clarity:
Survival had not come without a price.
...
[The channel name #EU-1977 has been changed to Blood Tearfall]
[100 coins have been automatically deducted for changing the channel name]
[Several constellations have joined your channel, Blood Tearfall]
[The constellation "Maid of Orleans" has sponsored you with 100 coins.]
[The constellation "Fire Thursday Dragon" has sponsored you with 100 coins for changing your channel name.]
"Thank you very much for your sponsorship."
Arlene thanked him for the coins and looked at the boy, Adam, with his dog.
'I wonder if the dog also chose a constellation as its sponsor.'
A small smile appeared on his lips, which lifted her spirits a little.
"Boy."
Adam slowly turned his head, and in his eyes she saw the fear of death.
Unavoidable instincts. This boy wasn't crying. He was afraid of his own death. It was natural. It was human.
Arlene understood, as she was experiencing it herself.
"Do you want to come with me?"
Adam's eyes trembled with anxiety. His body shook with an irresistible force. Then, little by little, his head moved.
"Then let's go together."
Adam moved slowly and pressed himself against Arlene's legs, using them as a shield.
"Woof! Woof!"
Arlene sighed, defeated.
"...All right. You can come with us, too."
The dog wags its tail happily as it licks its legs.
Some of the survivors watched the scene with complicated expressions, now believing that the world had gone to hell.
[Some constellations are impressed by your good deed.]
[The constellations have sponsored you with 200 coins.]
[The constellation "Canis Major" barks proudly at your action and sponsors you with 100 coins.]
[The constellation "Canis Minor" wags its tail enthusiastically and approves of your decision.]
"..."
Arlene stared at the last two notifications with a blank expression.
She looked at the dog.
Then at the child.
Then, again, at the floating windows.
"Seriously... now cosmic dogs are giving their opinions on my decisions too?"
The dog stared at her.
"Woof."
Arlene closed her eyes and sighed again.
"...Great. Perfect. Just what I needed today."
[The selection of sponsors has been finalized.]
The Stage Moderator took his eyes off the holographic phone, where the volume was too loud, and the screams of dying people could be heard.
Some survivors raised their voices, confused.
"W-wait! I didn't get to choose a sponsor!"
"Give us a few more minutes!"
The Moderator slowly turned in midair.
The exaggerated smile was gone.
[The selection period has ended.]
[Those who did not choose a sponsor will bear the consequences.]
[This world does not wait for the indecisive.]
He snapped his fingers emotionlessly.
The air trembled.
The floating windows in front of the survivors distorted, as if something were rewriting them.
A new notification appeared, larger than the previous ones.
+
[Main Stage #1: Subway Prison.]
Category: Main
Difficulty: E~D
Clear conditions: Cross the subway stations until you reach the main station, Grand Central Terminal, and destroy the Ghost Prison Core.
Time limit: 15 days.
Reward: 1,000 coins
Failure: ???
+
A murmur of panic rippled through the aisle.
Some clutched their heads.
Others recoiled as if the window might hurt them.
Arlene clenched her fists.
She looked at Adam, who was still clinging to her; then at the dog, who was wagging his tail, completely baffled.
And finally, the river... the very place where a monster had swallowed Liam.
If they stopped, they would die. If she moved forward... maybe she would too.
But she had no choice.
Arlene took a deep breath.
"All right," she murmured. "Then let's continue."
She didn't know if she would survive.