Chapter 1 Died At The Beginning?

[Three hours still remained until the bloodshed would commence.]

[All untouchables, please strive to survive and see the sun rise tomorrow.]

...

In the rundown classroom, an announcement over the intercom grabbed everyone's attention.

The elegantly dressed teacher at the front, upon hearing the announcement, calmly closed his books and declared, "Today's class is over, you may all head home..."

Before he could finish speaking, a female student sitting in the back row rushed towards the door.

However, just as she reached the door, a gunshot echoed from behind.

The female student crumpled to the ground, a bloody wound on her slender thigh.

She writhed in agony and let out a piercing scream.

At that moment, the male teacher approached the fallen student from behind, grabbed her tangled hair, and lifted her from the ground, wearing a cold smile. "Didn't I teach you to let the teacher leave first after class?" he sneered.

The male teacher also pressed his Desert Eagle against the bullet wound in the female student's thigh, causing more blood to flow.

But, in this agonizing moment, the female student didn't dare to scream, fearing that her cry might displease the male teacher, who could easily end her life with another shot. Through gritted teeth, she managed to utter a few words, "I'm sorry, Mr. Martin. I was wrong..."

"That's more like it," Mr. Martin smiled, satisfied, as the female student admitted her mistake. He then released her hair and let her fall to the ground like discarded refuse.

Soon after, Mr. Martin turned his attention to the classmates who were familiar with his cruelty, sneering at them. "You humble untouchables, remember this – never cross paths with the city dwellers, or next time, it won't just be your legs; it'll be your lives!"

With that, he stepped over the fallen female student, whistled, and left the classroom in a cheerful mood.

Once he was gone, the students in the class began to move.

However, they all ignored the unfortunate female classmate, hastily packed their bags, stepped over her body, and rushed toward their homes.

Gared Morgan was among them.

While packing his bag, he glanced at his unfortunate female classmate begging on the ground, trying to get his classmates, with whom he had spent countless days and nights, to help her.

This female classmate, whom we'll call Angelina, was usually a diligent student with exceptional academic performance. But perhaps hearing about the impending "Bloodshed" had caused her to act impulsively.

How could she leave the classroom before a teacher dispatched from the main city?

This was a mistake of her own making.

In this world, people were divided into three classes. The students in this classroom, including Gared himself, belonged to the untouchable class. In the eyes of the privileged city dwellers, untouchables were expendable targets.

Wang Teng hadn't shot Angelina outright, so she was fortunate. But a gunshot wound was no different from a death sentence during the impending Bloodshed.

Gared muttered to himself, "The Bloodshed... It's a phrase that terrifies everyone."

In the next three days, numerous monsters from beyond the gathering area would flood into the city through the teleportation array. They would slaughter anything in their path.

The only ones capable of fighting these monsters were the powerful extraordinary individuals, but they only protected the wealthy city residents. Untouchables like Gared always had to fend for themselves.

"Please, Gared...," Angelina begged.

Gared didn't know when Angelina had crawled beside him, clutching his thigh, her face pleading. In this dire situation, they were the only two left in the entire classroom.

If Gared left, Angelina might not survive the night, and she could die alone in the classroom from blood loss.

That would be the best-case scenario. If she encountered some wandering individuals, her fate could be far worse, with abuse and even cannibalism likely.

This possibility was very real, especially when night fell, as human beings became the most terrifying monsters, revealing their darkest nature.

Gared had witnessed such horrors countless times in recent years, and his once upright moral values had been eroded.

In the end, Gared had no intention of risking himself for Angelina just out of pity. Without hesitation, he shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, but you'd be a burden now. I can't help you."

Finished, he freed himself from Angelina's grasp and prepared to leave.

He had taken only a couple of steps when Angelina cried out, "I have money. I can give you money. My home is not far from the school. If you can get me back, I'll give you all the money I have."

Worried that Gared might not believe her, Angelina quickly produced a one-hundred-dollar bill from her pocket. It might seem like a small sum, but in the untouchable areas, ten dollars could buy you a killer.

This was a dangerous move, as there was no law to protect them in the untouchable areas. But Angelina felt she had no choice. If Gared left, she might die alone in the classroom.

When Gared saw the money, he stopped in his tracks. Money meant weapons and, ultimately, survival in the impending Bloodshed.

He hesitated briefly, torn between taking a life or saving one.

In the end, he forced a smile, squatted down, tore a piece of fabric from Angelina's skirt to stop the bleeding, and said, "If you had money, you should've mentioned it earlier. This hundred dollars is enough to stop the bleeding, but give me another fifty, and I'll take you home."

"You..." Angelina wanted to berate Gared for taking advantage of her. This money was what she had earned from doing things she'd rather forget, and it was meant for buying weapons to prepare for the Bloodshed.

But then she thought about the possibility of her dying. What good would her money do her then? Moreover, Gared could have easily robbed her but was still willing to help her. That, in itself, was a reason to agree to his terms.

With a nod, Angelina agreed, "As long as you can get me home safely, I agree to your terms."

"Deal," Gared replied, and extended his hand to help Angelina up.

Saving someone along the way wouldn't take much time, and he'd earn a substantial 150 dollars. It seemed like a profitable venture.

Just as they were about to leave the classroom, a figure appeared in the doorway.

Before either of them could see who it was, two gunshots rang out in the classroom.

Gared's vision darkened, and he fell to the ground, no longer in control of his body.

In his fading consciousness, he finally saw the face of his attacker.

To his disbelief, it was Mr. Martin, the teacher who should have left long ago.

In his dying moments, Gared couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Dying at the hands of someone like him is infuriating..."