"Why the fuck is this written in first person?!" I screamed.
"Huh?" Bomi murmured, waking up—only to collapse back onto the bed, unconscious again.
She really is a sleepyhead, just like at the park.
Anyway, this Singularity... [Faithless Reader]. This is the first time I've seen such a Singularity. Unlike [Traits], which two or more people can acquire given similarities in personality, character, or other personal factors, [Singularities] are moves only a specific person can use. But both [Traits] and [Singularities] exist in Shadows Over Olympus and Requiem of the World in Ruins.
"It's too early to have a [Singularity]," I muttered, rubbing my scalp. "Although it could be an advantage… this is too risky. And the description is written in first person, plus the introduction of 'equivalent exchange' is way too early."
I sighed.
But the more pressing issue was [Faithless Reader] itself.
As I'd said, Requiem of the World in Ruins had devils who made contracts with mere transmission hosts—us humans—granting us powers and stuff. [Faithless Reader] is one of the original devils. As in D.E.V.I.L.—Disparate Existences Violating Infinite Laws. But it was never stated to have found a Transmission host.
"Argh! This is too much," I muttered, rubbing my temples.
I hadn't even seen an original character from either novel yet.
I leaned back on my chair and stared at the ceiling.
'He' hasn't come yet. We should have at least one day—at most—before the timeline officially begins.
Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door.
Ah, right. Suk Jung was supposed to come over.
"Come in," I said, straightening up quickly.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing Suk Jung.
"Hello, Sung-ssi," she greeted.
"Welcome," I said, gesturing to the bed near Bomi.
She walked in calmly and sat down on the wide edge of my bed.
"You have a nice room," she said, glancing around.
"Oh… thank you," I replied modestly.
"About what I wanted to discuss," she began. "As you know, the world has fallen into chaos. There's no signal, so electronic devices are useless. Although everything has settled down for now, things could escalate quickly."
She took a deep breath.
"There's a blue... thingy in front of me. I'm sure you can't see mine, but I've gone around asking the other tenants about their experiences. They all talked about the window."
As expected of the most serious office worker, I thought to myself.
"This seems to be a game-like reference," she continued. "Which implies there's likely going to be an event soon."
Damn. She figured all that out from just a window and a few deaths?
"Let's form a team," she said.
"What?" I blurted out, shocked.
"Yes, you heard me right. A team," she repeated.
I didn't really want a team. That meant restrictions. I wouldn't be able to do things as I pleased. I brought Bomi with me because of our similarities—and because she didn't question me. But most importantly, she is "THE BOMI" from Shadows Over Olympus.
I was a bit slow to catch on, but now I was 100% sure. She is that Bomi. With her by my side, my chances of survival when he comes are much higher.
"Sung Young," a voice called out to me.
"Yes?" I answered.
"What do you think?" Suk Jung asked.
"Um… I don't really know how to work well in groups, so…" Damn it. It was so hard to come up with an excuse.
[Cerebrum Drive Lv. 1 activated]
My thoughts sped up, and time slowed from my perspective.
Let's brainstorm. I need a variable to obstruct this offer… make it seem like the wrong choice. But that's not really viable. Although… if I bring Bomi into the equation. Still, she's useless for now. Think, damn it—think.
Then it hit me. The army was headed this way, and in a few hours, monsters from the other side would breach. That would trigger his arrival.
I can use this to my advantage.
"Yes, let's be teammates," I said with a smile, extending my hand.
She hesitated slightly, even though she'd proposed it. Then she shook my hand.
God, I hope my hand wasn't sweaty.
"So, you play games, Jung-ssi?" I asked casually after letting go.
"What?" she said, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
Shit, I almost died from her beauty. I'm so weird. I'm creeping myself out.
"So what are your traits?" I asked, trying to recover.
"Oh, I have a trait called [Mind over Mortality]," she replied.
I immediately stood up.
"What happened?" she asked, concerned.
"Oh, nothing," I replied awkwardly, sitting back down.
[Mind over Mortality]—that's quite a high-tier trait for the beginning. The wielder's willpower defies pain, fear, and even death… temporarily.
"This will be useful," I said. "Is that all?"
"Yeah," she replied.
"Hey, Bomi," I called.
"Wha?" she responded groggily, slowly sitting up.
She was warming up to me. Back at the park, she would've shielded herself by now. But she's doing well.
"What's your trait?" I asked.
"I don't have one," she said.
"You don't?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah," she replied, lying back down.
Then—SCREAM!
A loud scream came from below.
Suk Jung rushed out immediately.
I followed her—but damn, she was fast.
We jumped several steps down the staircase and finally reached the ground floor. Blood greeted us.
A woman had been smashed in front of us.
Half the tenants downstairs were screaming and running.
The source of the chaos? A massive, red, human-like monster holding a giant club.
Shit.
That was all I could think.
Suk Jung darted toward some of the other residents to help.
I looked back and saw Bomi coming down the stairs, rubbing her eyes.
"What's going on?" she asked sleepily.
"RUN BACK UP—NOW!" I shouted.
Suddenly, something slammed into me. A body.
The monster locked eyes with me.
If I ran up now, it would see Bomi. I had to stay down here.
Then—SMASH!
A bottle flew at the monster's head.
It came from a middle-aged man, who immediately took off running.
Chaos. Screams. Blood.
My breath grew heavier as the massacre unfolded before my eyes.
I didn't have any combat traits. And this monster didn't look like it wanted to negotiate.
"Hey!" a loud voice rang out.
It was Suk Jung.
She sprinted straight at the monster with two knives in her hands.
At first, it looked like a fair matchup.
Wham!
The monster swung its club and slammed her across the lobby.
But she stood up—and charged again.
Over and over, she got hit, and yet she kept going.
Eventually, it started taking damage.
Wait. How is she still getting up?
Then it clicked—[Mind over Mortality].
She was using her trait to the fullest. Smart.
After a while, the monster started to wear down. But Suk Jung…
She was already dead.
[Mind over Mortality] was her only trump card.
Some others tried to help—but they were instantly decimated.
All I could do was watch.
Then—"Don't hurt her!!!"
Bomi.
She ran at the monster, screaming.
"NO!!" I shouted.
The monster swung its club.
Bomi was flung to the other end of the lobby—lifeless.
Shit…
Then I remembered the beginning of Requiem of the World in Ruins.
After the tentacles appeared… that meant it had already started.
The entrance test.
"How could I forget?" I muttered.
I couldn't move. Frozen in fear.
"Windows," I said.
The blue screen popped up:
"Requiem of the World over Olympus"
Status Window
[Name: Sung Young]
[Race: X]
[Traits: Manipulation Lv. 1, Photographic Memory Lv. 1, Cerebrum Drive Lv. 1]
[Divinity: None]
[Malgrant: None]
[Singularity: Faithless Reader (Incomplete) Lv. 1]
[Blings: 0]
Only one thing could help me now.
[Faithless Reader (Incomplete) Lv. 1 activated]
My vision turned black.
As it began to clear, I found myself in a dark space.
The ground felt like water, yet solid.
Shattered mirrors floated through the air—harmless.
Above, the sky looked like a vast cosmos, patterned with stars.
"Wow," I whispered, overwhelmed by the beauty.
I turned around—
Two massive, menacing blue eyes were staring straight at me.
[Faithless Reader has noticed a presence]