Maya Blake was looking around her, seeing people slaughter one another in madness and desperation. She wanted to stop it, but it wasn't possible unless she wanted to kill herself.
A person crept from behind and held her wrist; it was me.
He turned to me and looked at me with a strange gaze. "Don't worry; I'm not going to kill you." I told her.
"I have a plan if you help me with it. We can save as many as people we can."
As kind-hearted as she was, this was one factor that had killed her several times, or perhaps I killed her. I didn't care what regression part this was; what mattered was ending this game as quickly as possible.
She gave a curt nod, and I took her away. Hiding behind a van, I peered out to look for something or perhaps someone. I noticed a little girl hugging her teddy bear. Her eyes were teary as she glanced around her.
Found her.
"Follow me," I told Maya.
We strode towards her without being noticed.
[Watcher 'Golden Moon Light' is curious about your action.]
As I walked up to the little girl, her eyes looked up at my face. For a second, she must have thought I would kill her. A child who was seeing people killing each other might have such a thought.
"What are you going to do with her?" Maya asked.
Maya was anxious; she must have misunderstood that I would kill this child. However, I never had such intention.
I patted the little girl named Amani Bewinch on the head. Her brown hair was tied into two ponytails.
"We wouldn't hurt you; you're safe."
Well. I mean, I didn't know what exactly to say to her. Writing dialogues in the novel always seemed easier than speaking in real life.
I shifted my eyes from her to the small hellstrip. This was what I was looking for. In the soft soil, various flowers and different plants germinated.
I abruptly stamped on them like a madman. Maya and Amani looked at me with confusion, mildly surprised. I stamped on the flowers and leaves.
[Watcher 'Selfish Pig' is baffled by your action.]
[Watcher 'Kind Devil' is wondering if you have gone mad?]
[Watcher 'The Entity of Arcane' is observing your actions with intriguing look.]
Yeah, whatever. Now is not the time to worry about what they say or think.
When I was done destroying everything within that hellstrip. I glanced up at the numbers.
[3,540/9,200]
That was fast; I didn't expect it to go up that quickly.
No need to wonder; it was obvious what I was doing. If you look at the information, it never said kill humans; it only said kill. Meaning it can be any living thing.
Using the grave situation where people were panicking, Hell-fair took the opportunity and said it repeatedly to kill people. Obviously, people listened to the being that killed a man with a snap of his finger. A panel with information had too little value.
Just then a Jin came running at me. He had a rod in his hand, ready to smash my head. But before he could do so, a strange black liquid emerged from the ground and stood between us like a wall.
I glanced at Maya, it was her ability related to water. The water wall then fell onto the man, trapping him underneath. I swiftly stamped the other hellstrip. Increasing the number to eight thousand. This time, the second one had small insects as well.
Only six minutes have passed.
Before I could do the same with the third, a man came up to me.
"Let me help you."
He had broad shoulders, brownish eyes and a diamond face with little strips of hair on his chin. What a lucky day it should be for me. Then suddenly, a panel appeared before me again.
[Character information.]
[Name: Joki Joseph
Age: 28
Title: None
Points: 0
Guardian: Golden Crown Prince
Abilities: Imaginary Crafter
Weapon: None]
What? I can do that? I didn't know this. I actually never gave anybody this ability to view other people's information. That's cool, albeit I'll never be in need of this.
I gave the man a nod, and then with a single stamp of his foot. The number reached nine thousand one hundred and ninety-nine.
"It worked..." Joseph murmured to himself.
And then there was the last one.
The light turned green as people hurried towards the two bridges. It was long and there were too many people; they weren't people from our vicinity but from other parts of the city as well.
Just as Zaradus, who was quietly observing the humans, spoke.
[From here you must go to Brusalus.]
The other side of the bridge was forest, and after the forest came the city. The barrier was lifted and people traversed. Without letting Zaradus finish.
The little Crospeya giggled to himself, aware of what awaits these humans.
"We should hurry as well. Time is running out." Maya said.
"Wait!" I told them.
As I stopped them and motioned towards the water under the bridge. The three of them turned pale as there was something giant moving in the water.
It was a sea monster.
People hadn't noticed it until they had reached the middle of the bridge. The giant monster emerged from the water. It was a Sythsaurs, with long claws at the end of its front and rear feet with a long maw.
Shrieks of the people were heard, but it was too late. The giant sea monster opened its maw and devoured a portion of the bridge along with the humans.
Those who survived rushed back towards the city.
At the entrance of the bridge, there was a yellowish light, and suddenly I told the three. "Now move towards the bridge."
I dashed first so they couldn't ask questions. Who would bother explaining if the time of bridge closing is less than 10 seconds?
As we entered, the bridge was engulfed in another protective barrier, and the damaged part of the bridge was magically fixed.
"We have only five minutes; run as fast as you can. Don't look back or to your sides."
It hadn't ended; rather, this was the first start.
[Watcher 'Golden Moon Light' is enjoying the sight.]
[Watcher 'Selfish Pig' wants to hear the screams of the dying humans.]
[Watcher 'Hero of the hundred worlds' is frowning at the monster.]
[Watcher 'Golden Crown Prince' urges his vessel to start moving forward.]
The entire crowd was stuck, as they couldn't move out of the bridge because of the barrier. Regardless, they were now safe, but only for five minutes.
Dammit, why did I have to make this novel so damn difficult?
We somehow squeezed our way out of the crowd and ran towards the other side of the bridge. And the crowd began to follow us.
"Keep running; don't look back or to your sides." I told them again; I had to.
Maya, as a leading star, was much faster than Joseph while Joseph was carrying Amani on his back.
The time was running low, and I was, in the group, the slowest. Dammit, I should have done some exercise.
Every regret was coming into my mind right now. It was a kind of laughable thing; if only I had speed like Maya Blake, maybe I --- and then a man came from behind.
"Get out of my way." The man shoved me to the side; I was closer to the edge of the bridge. Even the railing couldn't protect me from falling down.
It took me a second to realise that I was falling off the bridge. Was this it for me? For an unknown reason, I wanted to laugh so hard.
As I plunged into the water, I swam to the surface, popped my head out of the water, and gasped for air. The creature loomed over me, staring down at my small body.
I turned my head; I saw Sythsaurs staring at me with his hungry eyes.
[Watcher 'Selfish Pig' is getting excited.]
[Watcher 'Kind Devil' is hoping to find a new potential vessel after your death.]
To their dismay, the barrier was still active, meaning I wouldn't die very soon unless I failed to reach the ground.
I was kind of a good swimmer thanks to my friend, Clyseus White. That fool always made me swim, like hell my life depended on it. And now it actually did.
Only two minutes before time was up. I tried my best to reach the land area; there were walls as well.
One minute left. I was close. Too close.
Thirty-second.
Twenty seconds.
I wouldn't make it.
Ten seconds.
Five seconds.
The monster had lost its focus on everybody else and was moving towards me. He can find a tons of meat on the bridge, and yet he wants only a small, trivial piece of meat that wouldn't fill his stomach.
[Watcher 'Kind Devil' is cheering for you.]
[Watcher 'Selfish Pig' is cheering for your death.]
The barrier was gone, and the distance between me and the land wasn't that much.
The Sythsaurs rose from the water; his mouth was broad open. I wouldn't make it. I bit my lips and looked at the end of the bridge; two adults and one child were looking at me.
Now, now, do something! Just don't stare.
As the Sythsaurs was about to close its mouth, it was suddenly pulled back by something into the water. There was a roar of pain before another Sythsaurs emerged out of the water, biting the other Sythsaurs.
Yes!
The other Sythsaurs' eyes were red, meaning he was being controlled. A faint smile appeared on my face. I turned to the small group before swimming towards the land.
Finally, I stepped ashore onto the path paved with flat stones. It was a narrow walking path stretching from under the bridge and curving to the other end, which I didn't know where it was leading to.
Behind me were walls, which, strangely enough, were never seen before. I heave a sigh of relief while soaked. Small waves were produced in the water as the two monsters fought each other, and the colour of this colourless liquid was turning red.