Chapter 12: Tragedy (2)

Kil walked to the window and opened it slightly, peering out to see if there were still goblins outside the classroom.

The sky was pitch black due to the clouds, but there was no rain, and the sunlight could still be seen behind them.

Three goblins stood in front of the classroom where Kil and his friends were hiding, while others continued searching for students.

Kil closed the window and looked at George with a serious expression. In Kil's eyes, there was a bloodthirsty hunger, as if he wanted to kill his friend George.

Kil walked calmly toward George's seat, his steps so quiet that they made no sound at all.

He sat down next to George, grabbed a bottle of water, and took a long drink. When he finished, he screwed the cap back on and placed the bottle between them. Kil leaned back, raised his right leg, and rested his right hand on his knee. He lifted his chin and took a deep breath.

George glanced at him with a mix of suspicion and uncertainty, wondering if Kil had discovered his secret.

"What are we going to do now, Kil?" George asked. "Should we go out and kill those monsters?"

Kil kept staring at George without answering. The intensity of Kil's gaze made George uncomfortable, and he broke eye contact. Kil frowned, sensing something was off with his friend. His eyes were filled with suspicion.

"Let's wait until noon. We have ten more minutes," Kil said, standing up. "We need to eat before we go out."

George sighed and stood up as well. "You have a point. But how are we going to find food?"

"Some students buy their lunch from the canteen, and others bring their lunch with them." Kil walked over to a bag, opened it, and checked inside with his right hand. He felt a plastic tupperware and pulled it out. "Like this."

George rummaged through the bags inside the classroom, and after a few moments, he found some food. He glanced at Kil, who was sitting in their usual spot, eating normally as if the bloodied and stinking corpses of the other students scattered around the room didn't bother him at all.

'Wow, it's like he doesn't even notice the bodies in front of him. How can he eat so casually? He's got a stomach of steel,' George thought to himself.

George walked over to Kil and sat down beside him. He opened the tupperware and began eating as well.

'Damn it, Kil, if only I could read your mind right now... but I can't, not yet. Any moment now, we should hear the siren. A loud siren that will be heard around the world," George thought.

Kil kept shoveling food into his mouth, and in a few seconds, it would be almost noon. He took another bite and glanced at the clock on the back wall of the classroom. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock as Kil chewed slowly, his eyes fixed on the time.

As the clock struck twelve, a deafening siren blared, loud enough to be heard across the world. The sound seemed to come from the sky.

Kil immediately stood up and grabbed a pipe next to him. George did the same. The siren continued its piercing wail for a full minute.

The two friends looked at each other and nodded before walking to the window to see what was happening outside. To their astonishment, everything outside was bathed in a red hue.

A voice echoed from the crimson sky.

"Attention to those who have survived," the voice sounded like a system announcement. "This is not a dream or a joke; everything happening right now is real. If you want to survive in this world, listen carefully to what I'm about to say. You need to kill the monsters attacking people and stay within your designated area. Wherever you were when the monsters first attacked, you must remain there until midnight. For now, the first wave of monster attacks is over. You have four hours before the next wave spawns."

Kil clenched his fist as he held the window. With such force, the glass shattered, and he smiled maniacally. His eyes turned a deep crimson, as if he were about to cry blood again.

"Are you serious? So, this isn't a coincidence? This was intentional? Those bastards," Kil muttered, looking up at the sky, which was slowly returning to its original color. "Whoever did this, I'll kill them all."

'The idiot's lost it,' George thought to himself. 'If he dies, I'll be rid of a thorn in my side, and I'll be the only one to survive this world.'

Kil observed the surroundings outside the classroom where they were hiding, noticing two goblins standing guard and searching for their next victim.

Kil frowned, his expression turning serious. He closed the window and turned towards their seats from earlier.

"Get ready, George. We're going to take out these monsters," Kil said, looking back at George. "And after that, we'll find out who's behind this."

George sighed deeply, meeting Kil's serious gaze. "Yes, we'll make whoever's responsible pay for Migs and Napoleon's deaths."

Kil picked up the empty bottle stained with blood and refilled it at the water dispenser. George did the same.

They approached the door, and Kil grabbed the doorknob. He exchanged a look with George, and they nodded to each other.

Slowly, they opened the door and quietly stepped outside, crouching low with their pipes in hand. They walked in silence, staying low until they reached a wall close to their hiding spot.

They leaned against the wall, with the two goblins just on the other side. Kil took a coin from his pocket and flicked it in front of the goblins.

The goblins noticed the coin and moved towards its source. When the two goblins reached the spot where the coin came from, they were immediately grabbed and mercilessly beaten on the head with pipes until they lost their lives.

They walked quietly toward the back of the school and were shocked to find that the school playground, surrounded by three buildings, was filled with goblins.

They leaned against the wall to hide and exchanged looks.

"Hey Kil, what's the plan? We can't take on that many," George whispered, grabbing Kil's arm. "The announcement earlier said more monsters would come later, so we still have time to kill these ones."

"We'll take them out one by one," Kil replied, peeking again at the swarm of goblins before looking back at George. "But we'll run out of time. Unless we find someone to help us fight these monsters."

"Miraculously, if only we had someone to join us," George responded.

Suddenly, goblins appeared at Kil and George's hiding spot, drooling as if eager to feast on humans.

"Grrrrrrrr... Hssssss... ScreeeeEEEeeech! Grrrrrrr... Hsss..."

Kil and George stood up, slowly backing away while facing the goblins.

"We're in trouble," George blurted out. "If we don't stop the goblins in front of us, the ones in the playground will notice us and come after us."

Kil swallowed hard, staring at the goblins ready to devour them. "On my signal, we'll charge at the ones in front."

George nodded, waiting for Kil's signal. "Let's go," Kil shouted.

They ran forward to attack the goblins in front of them. The goblins immediately screamed, catching the attention of the ones in the playground.

'Tsk,' Kil clicked his tongue. 'Damn, those beasts noticed us,' he thought.

Kil struck the head of a goblin in front of him, sending it flying to the ground. He stomped on the fallen goblin's head and leaped forward.

Another goblin's claw was aimed at Kil's face, but with his lightning-fast reflexes, he quickly bent, trapping the goblin's arm between his legs. Kil twisted his body counterclockwise, breaking the goblin's arm.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Kil delivered a swift kick to the goblin's face, sending it flying again.

At that moment, the goblins from the playground were less than two meters away from them.

Kil clicked his tongue. "Hey George, let's get out of here for now. We can't fight this many."

"Alright, but where do we go?!" George shouted.

"Anywhere the wind takes us," Kil replied.

They immediately ran to the right and reached a sink, only to encounter five more goblins. They dashed forward, striking the goblins in front of them. 

Though the goblins were not severely injured, the attack created a path for Kil and George to escape. As they continued running, the goblins kept chasing them until they reached the school gymnasium.

They quickly entered and were horrified to find goblins feasting on the innards of their fellow students.

They swallowed hard, unable to meet each other's eyes. "How many do you think there are?" Kil asked.

"About fifteen, I think," George replied.

Kil quietly walked to the gymnasium window to check on the goblins chasing them. A large number of goblins were waiting outside.

One of the goblins inside the gymnasium caught an unusual scent and turned its gaze towards Kil and George.

"Ssccreeeee!"

The other goblins inside the gymnasium also turned to Kil and George, quickly charging at the two friends.

They exchanged a glance and ran in opposite directions, splitting the goblin group in two. Eight goblins chased Kil, and seven pursued George.

Kil ran up the stairs to the bleachers. He stopped and faced the goblins behind him, charging at the closest one. He swung his pipe at the goblin's head, sending it flying down below.

Another goblin prepared to slash Kil, but Kil somersaulted in the air, landing where the first goblin had fallen. He struck the goblin on the head until it was dead.

Kil continued running, heading upward again, only to encounter another goblin ready to attack. He leaped to dodge the goblin's strike and executed a spinning kick with his right foot. He landed behind the goblin, using its body as a shield against another goblin behind him.

The goblin was impaled through the stomach, and Kil struck its head to finish it off.

Kil continued running upward until he reached the topmost part of the gymnasium. He looked down at the goblins chasing him, panting heavily as they approached. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As the goblins neared, he greeted them with a powerful kick.

The goblins tumbled down, and Kil followed them, grabbing one by the throat as he ran to his right. He clutched the goblin's face and slammed its head against the stairs.

Dazed, the goblin was helpless as Kil continued bashing its head. Kil then readied his pipe and drove it into the goblin's eye with such force that it pierced through its head. He kicked the goblin's neck and pulled out his pipe.

Kil glanced at the remaining goblins advancing toward him, frowning. 'There are still five more,' he thought, panting heavily.

As the goblins approached him, Kil greeted the one in the lead with a kick to the stomach, knocking it and the two behind it to the ground. Another goblin swung its arm, ready to attack, but Kil kicked its head from above. He smashed the goblin's face into the ground, blocking another goblin's claw. He caught the goblin's hands, jumped, and struck its chin with his right knee. He then passed over the goblin's head and snapped its arms backward.

Landing on the ground, he kicked the goblin's side, sending it flying. Kil jumped again, swinging his pipe in mid-air. The goblin looked up at him, and he struck its head. He grabbed the goblin by the throat, lifted it, and threw it upwards. Gripping his pipe tightly, veins bulging in his hand, Kil smashed the goblin's head with immense force as it came down.

The goblin hit the ground, lifeless. When Kil looked back, the remaining goblins were ready to attack. He spun left to dodge a claw, but his arm was grazed. He swung his pipe, striking the goblin's neck, and then took off running again.

The goblin Kil struck in the neck was gasping for breath, clearly hit in a critical spot. Kil noticed that only three goblins were still chasing him. He stopped and faced them with unwavering determination.

Though he was panting heavily from the exhausting run, he grinned and charged at the three goblins. They were caught off guard when Kil leaped over their heads.

While airborne, Kil looked down at the goblins with a confident grin. The goblins followed his gaze upward, bewildered. Kil grabbed the face of the goblin at the back and slammed it into the cement.

Now crouched, he stared at the two remaining goblins, both ready to attack.

"Are you idiots? You're done for!" Kil shouted. He kicked the legs out from under the goblins, causing them to lose their balance.

Kil grabbed one goblin by the throat and repeatedly smashed its face and head until it died. The other goblin managed to stay on its feet, but Kil was too fast. He appeared behind the goblin and snapped its neck. Finally, he struck the last goblin on the head with such force that it died instantly.

"Not bad," Kil grinned. "You didn't stand a chance against me."

'How's George doing?' he wondered. He glanced over to see George mercilessly bashing the head of the last goblin that had chased him. 'Not bad at all.'