The Author of the Apocalypse

Seoul, March 2nd, 2025, 00:15

The rain continued unabated, transforming the streets into black mirrors reflecting the flashes of lightning and the distant glow of fires. Yun Ha-jin sat on his sagging couch, staring at his phone. The screen pulsed with an eerie light, the words etched upon it seeming to emanate from the darkness itself:

✦ Level Up: 1 → 2 ✦

✦ New Skill Unlocked: "Reality Rewrite" (Level 1) ✦

✦ Description: Alter reality within a 5-meter radius. Requires the energy of fear or pain from victims. ✦

✦ Total Coins: 170 ✦

He ran a finger across the screen, as if testing whether it was a hallucination. But the text remained. It pulsed, throbbed, almost breathing in time with his thoughts. Ha-jin leaned back, rubbing his temples. His heart hammered—not with fear, but with anticipation. Reality Rewrite. It sounded like the beginning of one of his stories. No, it was his story.

—"Who are you?" he murmured, staring at the ceiling. —"And how the hell did you find my drafts?"

There was no answer, only another vibration from his phone. A new message materialized:

✦ Scenario #2: Territory Clear ✦

✦ Objective: Destroy the Shadow Hound nest in the Gangnam district. ✦

✦ Reward: 300 coins, random item. ✦

✦ Penalty: Destruction of the district in 24 hours. ✦

✦ Time remaining: 23:59:12 ✦

Ha-jin's eyes narrowed. Gangnam—the affluent district, full of skyscrapers, designer boutiques, and the kind of people he despised with every fiber of his being. If the System wanted him to burn it to the ground, he wouldn't object. But a nest? That was interesting. In his drafts, nests were the source of monsters—nodes from which creatures poured forth in an endless stream. Shutting one down could stop the chaos. Or… amplify it.

He stood, shoving the phone into the pocket of his worn trench coat. The knife lay on the table, still sticky with Hound blood. Ha-jin picked it up, running a thoughtful finger along the blade. Time to test my limits.

00:30

The streets of Gangnam had become a battlefield. Neon signs flickered erratically, illuminating bodies scattered among the debris. Shadow Hounds prowled everywhere, their howls mingling with the wail of sirens. Ha-jin moved slowly, keeping to the shadows. He'd noticed the monsters left him alone if he remained calm. Silence. His knowledge was working.

Ahead, near the Sinsa Station entrance, a group of people—twenty or more—were huddled together. They yelled, brandishing flashlights and metal rods, trying to fend off three Hounds. Among them, a young man in a leather jacket, wielding a short sword, stood out. He moved with speed and precision, cutting down one of the creatures in a matter of seconds.

✦ Participant Kim Min-su has slain a Shadow Hound. ✦

✦ Constellation "Blade of Dawn" approves of his style. ✦

Ha-jin paused, observing. Kim Min-su, then. Another player in the System. Judging by the sword and the Constellation's reaction, he had a combat class. A hero, Ha-jin thought with disdain. The type who always rushes in, rallies the crowd, and dies first.

—"Stay together!" Kim Min-su shouted, slashing at another Hound. —"We can do this!"

The crowd roared their encouragement. Ha-jin rolled his eyes. Sure you can. Until I interfere. He noticed the Hounds were gravitating towards the subway entrance—where the darkness was deepest. The nest was likely down there.

He skirted the crowd, descending a side staircase. A stench hit him—a mixture of decay and damp earth. Below, among the tracks, a black mass pulsed, like a clot of shadows. New Hounds crawled out of it, their bodies coalescing from the gloom.

—"There you are," Ha-jin whispered, tightening his grip on the knife.

He stepped closer, and a message flashed in his mind:

✦ You have entered the Shadow Hound Nest Zone. ✦

✦ Destroy the source within 23:45:03. ✦

The source. Ha-jin peered into the darkness. At the center of the mass, a fist-sized crystal pulsed with crimson light. Destroy it, and the nest would collapse. Simple, but boring. He paused, a new idea taking root. What if… I used this power?

00:45

Ha-jin reached out towards the crystal, feeling the air thicken around him. A strange, almost painful warmth bloomed in his chest. He focused, recalling the description of his ability. Reality Rewrite. The energy of fear or pain. Above, the screams continued. There was plenty of fear to draw upon.

—"Let's try this," he muttered, closing his eyes.

Something clicked inside him. He visualized the crystal not shattering, but growing, consuming the subway, unleashing more Hounds. Reality shuddered. The ground beneath his feet trembled, and the black mass began to expand, spewing forth new shadows.

✦ "Reality Rewrite" activated. ✦

✦ Fear energy collected: 50 units. ✦

✦ Nest amplified. Scenario progress altered. ✦

✦ Midnight Flame is delighted by your choice. ✦

✦ Dancing in the Shadows offers 100 coins for continuing the chaos. ✦

Ha-jin opened his eyes. The subway was now swarming with Hounds—dozens of them, clawing their way upwards. The screams above intensified, laced with desperation. He felt a surge of power, as if their fear was feeding him directly.

—"This is my world," he said, staring at the crystal. —"And I write the rules."

01:00

Above ground, all hell had broken loose. Kim Min-su and his group were retreating, losing members with every passing moment. Hounds swarmed them, claws ripping flesh, teeth tearing into bone. Ha-jin watched from afar, perched on the roof of an overturned car.

—"Help!" a woman shrieked, but her voice was cut short as a Hound leaped onto her back.

Kim Min-su slashed and parried, but even he was beginning to tire. His sword flashed, but the Hounds kept coming.

✦ Blade of Dawn demands heroism from Kim Min-su. ✦

✦ Midnight Flame laughs at his weakness. ✦

Ha-jin smirked. The Constellations were an audience, hungry for drama. And he was going to give them a show. He focused again, drawing on the terror of the dying. Reality obeyed: the asphalt near the subway entrance cracked, and a spike of shadows erupted from the earth, impaling two Hounds—and one of Kim Min-su's companions.

✦ "Reality Rewrite": Shadow Spike created. ✦

✦ Fear energy: +30 units. ✦

✦ Total coins: 270. ✦

—"A plot twist," Ha-jin murmured, pleased with himself.

Kim Min-su spotted him. Their eyes met across the smoke and blood.

—"You!" he roared. —"This is your doing?!"

—"What do you think?" Ha-jin hopped down from the car, a grin spreading across his face. —"Run, hero. Or die. I don't care."

Min-su lunged towards him, but a Hound intercepted him. Ha-jin turned and melted back into the shadows, leaving the carnage behind.

01:30

Ha-jin sat on the roof of a derelict cafe, watching the shadows of the nest continue to grow. His phone vibrated:

✦ Scenario #2 modified: "Chaos Control." ✦

✦ Objective: Stop the nest's growth or subdue it. ✦

✦ Reward: 500 coins, unique item. ✦

✦ Penalty: Destruction of Gangnam in 23:15:44. ✦

✦ Dancing in the Shadows applauds your madness. ✦

✦ Midnight Flame awaits the finale. ✦

Smoke billowed over Gangnam, mingling with the rain. Somewhere in the distance, a low growl echoed—not the sound of a Hound, but something else entirely. Ha-jin shoved his hands into his pockets and stared silently into the night.