28 - Swarm of Smaller Sujins

I immediately go the small corridor on the left, just further into that hallway and vanish completely from Rean's sight. I bet he must be pissed because I suddenly disappear like that. But I have my reason.

"That is to take my points!" I ball my fist excitedly, fire blazing in my eyes.

Now that the supposed threat in this floor, the hammer man, was already beaten by Rean, I can just take them easily. Though I still look around just to make sure that it's really safe. The plot differs only in that one factor, so I hope nothing suddenly comes up so suddenly. I haven't got the chance to figure out why exactly though, so I'll just be careful and adapt to the new little change.

"Ah, I got too excited." I shrug. Then I stroll happily to the first door in that corridor, just past the fallen plant pot.

But then I look around, again, just to make sure.

After I'm certain that the big guy isn't going to come, I sigh. "Relax. That fatty is unconscious. He won't get here."

Then I open the door. But it's stuck. 'Oh right. It's also locked in the canon.'

So I let go of the handle and knock. "Excuse me. I'm Ro—Terrence. I'm with the Terrace! Is there anyone in this room?"

My heart beats fast. I almost gave out my real name.

There is no response from inside, which I guess is fair because they must be very scared. It's not odd for an office to be locked, but I can see that the light's on from underneath the door, so it should've been used. It doesn't take the game plot for me to notice this small detail.

I knock again. "Hello? Is anyone there? The Terrace is evacuating the workers. If you are there, please come with me."

Again, no answer.

I decided to make an act.

"Ah!! Senior Jake! Hang in there! Ah? Yes? Hello, Headmaster? We're in floor… I don't know! But there are so many birds here and my seniors are fighting them! What? Leave immediately?! But we haven't found any survivors!! What?! Understood! We will leave immediately!"

I run away from the door and stop near the end of the corridor. Then I look over my shoulder and just wait.

The door handle rattles and a man comes out of the door instantly. "Wait!!"

I flinch when I saw him come out, as he came out very fast. I'm even surprised that I can be surprised after anticipating it.

"H-Help us! H-Help me and my co-worker!" The man begs.

My lips curl upwards. "Please follow me!"

Soon, two points are added to my existing ones.

"A-Are you really going to leave us just now, Terrence…?" The female worker asked. She was hiding with the man in that room.

"Hm? Yes." I nod, making both of them flinch. "I don't know you're both inside since it's closed." I lied innocently.

"Well, we didn't hear you knock the other room's door, so we were doubting you real for a moment there…" The man scratches the back of his head.

"The other room has its door open. I saw there's no one inside, so I moved to your door. Thankfully I checked!" I grin cutely at them.

Faint pink hue color their cheeks.

Now this is a normal reaction for those who sees Terrence's face!

Terrence's face is leaning to the cuter side rather than handsome. Especially with this golden hair of his, round face, slightly long eyelashes, and thin lips, he's quite cute. Moreover, with his only slightly higher than average height of 165cm, and lean body-build, it's not hard to attract people to think that he's a harmless teenage boy.

Well, I hardly work on his face at all. I only work on his body. He was around 160cm when I first possessed his body, but with hard work and my diligent schedule to strengthen his muscles, I can get all those fats burnt. That's why I was a bit disappointed when I saw how low his Strength Point in the System's menu. That was also when I finally understood that he's basically just a weak NPC with good looks.

But it's fine. I've made this body just a little stronger, and, with the System's help, I'm sure that Strength Points is not going to be an issue someday.

"Kid!" The female worker that I've saved in 12th floor looks at my approaching figure with smiles. "You're okay!"

I give her thumb up. "Of course! Ah, why are you so deep in the hallway? Where's Rean?"

"More birds suddenly come from outside. He's helping your seniors." She points to the office area, where, surely like she said, is swarming with Sujins.

The two workers look horrified at the scene and steps back.

"There are even more than before!" The female worker I just saved looks at the scene with a terrified expression.

She's acting like this is already mortifying. Compared to this, I'm more scared if the plot goes the way it is. What I meant was if the hammer guy is here too. Back then when I fought him in this floor, and the Sujins attacked in two waves, my Rean hardly survive.

I bet she'll faint if the plot really goes like canon. 100% Sure she'll be more of a damsel in distress.

Putting that aside… This second wave of Sujin also happens in the canon and the last hurdle in this floor. The players can choose to fight them for extra EXP, or just escape from each battle and go upstairs with the workers.

"Ah, boy! Where's your friend?" The man suddenly asked.

"Hm? My friend is right there." I point to Rean who's handling himself just fine in the middle aisle. Although he has smaller Sujins pecking his back in turns.

"No, he meant the girl with short hair!" The second female worker said. "She baited the monsters away so that we can hide!"

My mind instantly remembered the cadet I saved in that room a few steps back. "Oh, she's in that room. She doesn't look okay, but the only one holding potion here is my senior."

"Eh?! She's hurt?! I'll go and accompany her!" The second female worker said. "Will you come with me? I'm too scared to go back to that hallway alone." She asked the other female worker.

"Of course. It's better than staying near here. Hey, kid, the hallway's clear, right?" The first female worker asked me.

"Yeah."

"Okay. We'll stay with your friend until you clear that out. Be careful!" She said before running with the second female worker and disappear into the room where I left the cadet before.

'Well, I can't really do anything to her anyway. And it's much better if the workers stay out of this unless they want to get hurt.' I thought.

"Is that your senior who holds the potion?" The man points to Patrick.

'What? Why is he still here?' I frown at him. "No… I can't see him anywhere, but he was here, also fighting."

I'm not lying. Rean and Patrick are here fighting the swarm of birds. But I can't see Jake. Although I can see a flock of birds near the other end of the hallway, the way we came from.

"Then he must be hiding in the cubicles. We'll help him and we get him to your wounded friend." The man told me.

My frown deepens. 'Just who does he think he is? Deciding on what I should do?'

"Wait, wait. There are so many birds. Why are you insisting—"

"That girl protected us from terrorists. She even baited the bird monsters by herself to give us chance to hide! She was already tired from fighting the terrorist, I'm sure she's exhausted and injured. She needs that potion!"

My bewildered face changes into horrified. 'A-Aren't you just an NPC though…? I don't remember you having this kind of dialogue in the game!'

Again, something changes. This time it's this man's code. It's weird for me to witness a character behaving out of their NPC codes like this. His acting feels too real for an NPC, and I feel uncomfortable with how realistic this character is right now.

I narrow my eyes slightly at him.

"You're the citizen I just rescued. I can't risk your life. I'll handle this. You stay with those girls back there and just wait."

Then I walk away from him, missing his astonished face. I was too disgusted by that man's sense of justice that I can't stand seeing his face again. I hear footsteps running behind me, getting further, but I ignore it.

I observe the office area and think about what I should do. I only have two options here, but before I decide, I ask the System.

'Ozzie. How much EXP can I earn through monsters?'

I asked this because I might need to use my gun in this strategy. And if I really have to, I would save it if I earn less.

[It depends on the monsters and your level. If the monster has higher level than you, you will get many EXP points. If the monster is—]

'I see. Thank you, Ozzie.' I don't need to hear the rest. But the System continues.

[You will also get 1 Ability Points with each monster you defeat.]

I blink, taken aback by that revelation. 'Why didn't you tell me sooner?'

[You have not asked.]

My right brow twitches. 'So it's my fault for not asking.'

[Yes.]

I ball my fist. 'This System is annoying.'

But now that I know that, it's really tempting to beat all these birds for extra Ability Points. I shouldn't have asked.

All I have are an iron bat and a gun. I can miss using iron bat, but I also don't want to waste my bullets I painstakingly saved just for the boss.

Then I remember something.

I pull my bag off, but I realize my bag isn't where it's supposed to be. Then I remember I left it in that room with the injured cadet.

I instantly run back into the room.

"Eh? That was fast." The man said by the door.

"I left my things." I push him and enter the room, and my eyes widen when I see what the injured cadet is doing. She's sipping a juice box and eating a cookie, with a small cookie bag open on her lap.

MY juice, and MY cookie.

"Ah! Kid! Here, it's your gun isn't—" the female worker I saved from 12th floor said, but I cut her immediately as rage fills my inside.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I yell at the female cadet.