For a moment—
no one moves.
The two halves of the creature lie on the floor, black fluid slowly spreading beneath them. The metallic smell mixes with something sharper. Heavier.
No one speaks.
They just stare.
At the body.
At the blood.
At him.
Then—
a soft chime.
Clear. Artificial.
Out of place.
Saigid's gaze shifts.
Light gathers in front of Yushai.
Small, glowing fragments—like bubbles—begin to fall from the corpse. Dozens of them. Maybe more.
They don't touch the ground.
They drift.
Then—snap.
All at once, they rush toward Yushai.
Straight into him.
One after another.
Absorbed.
A panel appears.
[One-hit Kill Reward]
[+55,500 EXP]
[+150,000 coins]
Silence breaks.
"…what?"
Someone takes a step forward.
"Did you see that?!"
"EXP… coins…?"
"It's real…?"
Voices rise again, but this time it's different.
Not just panic.
Something else.
Greed.
Saigid narrows his eyes.
So that's how it works.
Kill—
get stronger.
Simple.
Too simple.
Another panel flickers in his vision.
[Saigid: Level F]
No change.
No reward.
He didn't do anything.
Of course.
His gaze returns to Yushai.
No reaction.
No interest.
Like the numbers don't matter.
"…you've done this before," Saigid says quietly.
Yushai doesn't answer.
The silence is answer enough.
Around them, people start to move again.
Carefully.
Slowly.
Someone approaches the corpse.
"…is it really dead?"
Another person steps closer.
Then another.
Hesitation fades.
Replaced by curiosity.
A hand reaches out—
The body twitches.
A sharp, metallic sound tears through the air.
"IT'S STILL ALIVE—!"
The remains jerk violently.
A sudden snap—
Someone screams as a jagged limb lashes out.
Panic returns instantly.
People stumble back, falling over each other.
"Back! Get back!"
Saigid exhales sharply.
Not dead.
Or not completely.
His eyes flick to Yushai.
Still watching.
Still calm.
Like he expected that too.
"…so even that wasn't enough," Saigid mutters.
Another chime.
This time—
not from Yushai.
A faint glow appears around someone else.
A man. Shaking. Pale.
He's holding something.
A piece of metal.
Improvised.
The system reacts.
[Damage Dealt]
[+120 EXP]
The man freezes.
"…I got something."
His voice trembles.
"But… that's nothing compared to—"
His gaze shifts to Yushai.
Comparison.
It happens instantly.
Saigid notices it.
So this is how it spreads.
Not just fear.
Competition.
The rules are becoming clearer by the second.
Kill.
Earn.
Survive.
Or fall behind.
Another crack echoes from above.
Louder than before.
The ceiling bends inward again.
Not one point.
Several.
Saigid looks up.
"…we're not dealing with just one."
Around them, people start to realize it too.
Too late.
Yushai finally moves.
Not rushed.
Not tense.
Just… certain.
"We don't stay here," he says.
Simple.
Decisive.
Like the outcome is already decided.
Saigid watches him for a second—
then nods slightly.
"…yeah."
Another impact.
The metal gives way.
More limbs begin to break through.
This time—
not one.
Many.
The carriage won't hold.