The Day the World Changed [3]

"What... is this?"

Angelica muttered beside me. Her shoulders were shaking, horrified by the scene unfolding before her. The monsters were slaughtering the citizens without a hint of mercy.

The police arrived, desperately trying to hold their ground, but it was pointless. Their bullets were useless against the beasts, and soon enough, they met the same fate as the civilians. It was nothing but a senseless massacre.

Yet strangely, I felt… calm.

I expected to be just as horrified as Angelica, but I wasn't. Instead, I was disturbingly serene. That terrified me more than the monsters did.

Was I viewing this as some kind of surreal fiction? Maybe. Now that reality had collided with fiction, everything felt strangely hollow.

'I hope the viewers are enjoying this scene.'

I clicked my tongue. If this world was truly a stage, there had to be an audience somewhere. An audience watching from the black clouds, relishing in the unfolding destruction.

They just haven't revealed their presence yet.

"Jakga, what's going on? Do you have any idea?"

"Sort of. Ever played Dark Souls?"

She blinked, caught off guard. "No, but I've heard about it. What does that have to do with… this?"

"Everything," I replied. "Because right now, it feels like we're in a world just like that."

I closed my eyes, recalling the first scenes of Song of Nightmares. Each nightmare was seared into my memory:

A rampaging Fairy in Hongdae

The Infection of monsters

The lifeless bodies scattered like discarded dolls

The military's panicked retreat

Everything was unfolding exactly as It written. There was no doubt now. This was the story I knew.

"Come on. We're getting out of here."

"Wait! Where are we going?!"

Ignoring her protests, I dragged Angelica into the stairwell, joining a flood of people scrambling toward the ground floor. There was only one goal: the exit.

I could feel the desperation all around me. Everyone shared the same thought: get out, and fast. Because...

If the monsters manages to invade the hospital by accident, everything will go to Hell.

Every last person here would be slaughtered if such a possibility occurred.

We pushed through the crowd and descended the stairs, reaching the ground floor. It was chaotic.

People were already piling chairs, vending machines, and anything heavy in front of the entrance, frantically trying to barricade it.

But not everyone was thinking rationally. Some were still trying to leave the hospital, hoping to make it outside despite the danger.

When it's the end of the world, rational thought often goes out the window.

"What's the matter with you? Do you want to die?!"

"I should be asking you the same!"

"The city's being attacked by demons, and you still want to go outside?!"

"Like staying here will do us any good! What if the monsters get in? How are we going to escape?"

"Damn it, why is my phone not working?"

As expected, a commotion had broken out on the ground floor. Some wanted to leave the hospital, while others wanted to stay inside.

Two choices. Each of them has their disadvantages.

I looked at the entrance. It was currently blocked. It had been sealed with numerous heavy items such as chairs and vending machines. It was a wonder how they could act so quickly.

Just like it was written in the novel.

I frowned.

The barrage won't last for long. But It's not like they could go outside. There are monsters outside the hospital. So the safest option would be to stay inside.

The world was currently filled with grade 9 Nightmares. They were the weakest among the bunch, but that didn't mean they should be underestimated.

Monsters of this grade weren't individually strong, but in packs, they were relentless. Sooner or later, they would break through.

Yet, leaving was no better. The streets outside were crawling with them; stepping outside would be like throwing ourselves to the wolves. For now, staying seemed like the only viable option.

At least, for now. There will be a time when we will be able to go outside. But now was not the time.

What should I do now?

I was torn between two choices. Should I stay inside the hospital and hope for the best, or should I try my luck by running outside? But if I run outside, where will I go? That was another problem.

The most favorable choice became more and more apparent as time slowly ticked by. As I thought, staying inside was the better choice.

"Everybody, listen here!"

A voice cut through the panic. A man dressed in a white doctor coat and glasses. It was Doctor Kwangsun, looking exhausted but trying to maintain order.

When everyone turned to him, he continued, "As you know, the country is in a state of emergency. The safest thing we can do now is stay here and wait for the military to secure the area."

His words offered a sliver of comfort to some, but I knew better. The military wouldn't be coming. They were too busy fending off monsters in the streets to stage a rescue operation for us.

The sooner they realized that cruel truth, the better their chances of survival would be.

Someone shouted."Someone, turn on the TV! I heard the prime minister is addressing the nation."

"The p-prime minister?!"

"Quick! Find the remote!"

After a few frantic moments, someone found the remote and turned on the TV. The screen lit up with the prime minister's face. I knew what was coming—yet it still made my skin prickle.

But spoilers were no fun.

"Greetings, my fellow citizens. Unidentified attackers are active in multiple major cities, including Seoul. But do not be afraid. Our military forces are mobilized, and they are working tirelessly to restore order. Until then, we urge you to remain indoors. We will not lose to such lowly terrorists!"

Terrorists? That was an odd term to use for monsters. It was almost as if the government was unaware that they were under attack by actual creatures.

"Wait, why is the prime minister giving a speech? Where is the president?"

"Don't tell me he got caught by the monsters?"

"No way! It's the president we're talking about here."

Murmurs naturally spread among the crowd. Most people didn't want to realize it, but the fact that the prime minister had to give a speech instead of the president could only mean one thing alone.

KABOOM!

An explosion suddenly cut the broadcast. The screen flickered to black. A collective gasp filled the air— the prime minister was obliterated without a trace on live television. There was no way he had survived that.

I exhaled slowly. This was really happening. This was reality.

"The prime minister is dead?!"

"That can't be, right?"

"Quick! Change the channel!"

Someone frantically flipped channels, but it was useless. Every station was the same—chaotic footage of monster attacks. The reality was beginning to settle in, thickening the air with dread.

Some people tried to call their families; others sobbed, clutching their phones uselessly. The towers were down.

"Everyone, calm down. Just because the connection is lost doesn't mean the prime minister is dead. And I don't think the president is dead either. The army is handling the situation as we speak. No one is allowed to go outside until they have restored order."

The doctor in the hospital lobby tried his best to calm the crowd. But they were forgetting something important— the Fable was underway.

And that bastard will act anytime soon.

The objective of the First Fable was to kill and become a murderer. But people would soon realize that the monsters were not the only enemy.

Puok!

"Ahhhhhhh!"

A scream rang out, followed by panic.

"Murder! He's... oh God, he killed her!"

Heads whipped around, and everyone caught sight of the scene. At the same time, they drew a breath.

A man stood over a woman's body, with a bloodied knife in his hand. Blood pooled on the floor around her, seeping through her clothes as the life drained from her eyes.

A deep wound slashed across her throat, and blood poured from it in a relentless stream. One look was enough to tell— there was no saving that woman.

The man smiled. It was a twisted and cruel smile of a demon that won't hesitate to spread misfortune without remorse. It was obvious he was a person that enjoying killing, and he seemed proud of it too.

A serial killer, exploiting the chaos to commit his crimes. This was far worse than any monster outside.

I clenched my jaw. Just as I feared— a character from the novel had appeared, but he wasn't a hero. He was a villain, a harbinger of death.

The monsters were terrifying, but in a world without order, humans could become far more dangerous.

And now, we were all at risk.

The serial killer was here. That meant everyone in this hospital was in danger. Staying here was suicide.

I needed to act quickly.

I pulled out my phone, my last hope. If I could access Song of Nightmares, the novel that chronicled the apocalypse, maybe I could find a way to survive. I had to. This was my only shot. However, the Goddess of Misfortune truly hated my guts.

But when I opened my library—

"??!"

...There was nothing.

The novel was gone.

I tried searching online, visiting the original site, looking through illegal archives— nothing. Every link, every page, was gone. As if the novel had been erased from existence.

It was pure nonsense. I was sure that I saved a copy of the novel file on my smartphone, but there was nothing in my saved files either.

I was dumbfounded.

"What the fuck! What kind of bullshit is this?!"

I muttered under my breath. The one thing that could save me was gone, ripped away without warning. It was as if the universe was playing a cruel joke on me. Without the novel, all I had were fragmented memories— hazy, disconnected pieces of a story that would never be enough to survive in this world.

Looking at things realistically, there was no way for someone like me to survive in such a scenario.

I was barely recovering from a six month coma, so my body was in no shape for physical violence. I bet even a high-schooler could defeat me at the moment.

But what about a grown-average man? A solder from the military? Or an experienced serial killer?

Everything felt hopeless.

My head dropped in frustration. Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! So fucking useless!!

Then, suddenly, a small flash appeared in my vision. A red window, hovering just at the edge of my sight.

[You have received the basic privilege as a player.]

[The status window can be activated.]