[1 Status Point has been granted!]

  “Huh…?”

  The voice that rang in his ears drowned out the pounding of Adam’s heart and the sharp rhythm of his breath.

  Any thoughts or memories that had been racing through his mind went silent.

  For the first time, he was hearing something other than his own voice.

  It felt... nice.

  And just like that, the crushing weight of guilt in his chest was gone.

  Will I hear the voice again if I kill more people?

  Adam gasped, startled by his own thoughts.

  The idea had surfaced so naturally, so easily—like a whisper slipping through a crack in his mind. He shook it off, forcing it away before it could take root.

  But before another thought could repce it, glowing words flickered into existence before him.

  The main reason this nightmare was called the Game.

  [Name: N/A | Pnet: SS4E | Strength: 1 Agility: 1 Endurance: 1 Perception: 1]

  Adam stared at the screen, his mind sluggishly processing the information.

  Based on Adam’s limited knowledge of the Game, creeps had to kill a lot of people before the Administrator rewarded them with a single Status Point.

  So why had he earned one?

  Was it because Donald and Joseph were veterans—fighters already on their way to becoming Heroes?

  There were other ways to gain Status Points, but ultimately, it was up to the Administrator’s whims what they were. Perhaps… there was no point in thinking about this now.

  Adam tilted his head, slowly raising his hand toward the glowing words. The moment his fingers hovered over the screen, the voice returned.

  [Please allocate your points. Choose wisely, your fate and the fate of your world depends on it.]

  “The fate of the world?” Adam whispered to himself, “I don’t care about the world. I just… don’t want to get hurt anymore.”

  All he wanted was to run.

  To escape.

  To never look back.

  His finger hovered over Agility, hesitating for only a moment before something caught his eye.

  Grace. Samantha. The two of them, locked in a trembling embrace, sobbing quietly in each other's arms.

  A ripple ran through his mind, a loud drop in a still pond. Something shifted.

  Something changed.

  You don’t know these people, Adam! We run, that’s what we do! We run!

  "No..."

  Adam exhaled, his breath steadying.

  "Maybe ter. But for now—"

  His finger slowly moved up, and it pressed down on Strength.

  And almost instantly, a searing heat burned through his fingertip. The glowing screen suddenly wrapped around his hand, stretching and twisting until it enveloped his entire body in its translucent, blue glow.

  "Urgh—!"

  Adam gritted his teeth as the sensation spread.

  He could feel it. His flesh shifting, reshaping.

  His veins, pulsing against his skin, etched out like a glowing web.

  And then—just as suddenly as it had started—it was over.

  And in its pce was relief. For the first time in his life, Adam felt… light.

  Like the weight that had been dragging him down for years had finally lifted.

  "This..." His voice cracked as he exhaled, his breath ragged. He looked down at his hands, curling his fingers into fists.

  If only I knew...

  If only he had known the Game could make him feel like this, he would have wanted to be summoned earlier.

  He was ready to test his strength—

  But a small whimper shattered his thoughts.

  He turned.

  Grace and Samantha were still there, still clinging to each other.

  Still afraid.

  “Grace,” Adam whispered, crawling toward them. His eyes, filled with worry. “Are you—”

  “Stay away from us!”

  Grace flinched, pulling Samantha closer. Her voice trembled, but her eyes—her fearful eyes—pained Adam even more than everything he had endured so far.

  He froze.

  His hand, the one reaching toward them, slowly curled into a fist. Then, his gaze drifted to the side—to the metal counter beside him.

  And what reflected back at him was a man drenched in blood.

  A quiet gasp slipped from his lips, his breath unsteady. His fingers twitched as he struggled to form words.

  “But… but I’m a good person?” He asked. Perhaps himself? Perhaps Grace?

  You see, Adam? You see how people are? You had one friend. You abandoned her. And you ran away.

  This is what they are. This is what you are.

  Run. Let’s just run.

  You think being good means you’ll be rewarded?

  Our friend was good. Look at what she got in return.

  “I…”

  Adam whispered, his limbs retreating as his eyes dropped to the floor. He tried to drown out the voice in his head, but it was too loud.

  It was all he could hear.

  Slowly, he stood up, his movements hollow. Without looking back, he turned to walk away.

  One step.

  Then another—

  And then, something clung to his leg.

  Adam looked down.

  And there was Samantha, hugging him tightly, her small body trembling.

  “You’re… you’re okay, m-mister?” she sobbed. “They were… they were hurting you.”

  Adam stiffened. He reached down, gently trying to pry her away—but she wouldn’t let go.

  He could force her away, but he didn’t want to hurt her, no. She was the st person Adam wanted to get hurt. And so—

  He just let her cry.

  Children are the only innocent ones in this world, Adam. Don’t let this cloud your—

  His thoughts stopped the moment he felt something else.

  A thud against his back. Arms wrapping around him.

  “I’m so sorry, Nathan. I’m so sorry.”

  Grace—her grip on his jacket was tight, her body shaking against him as she sobbed into his back.

  “I just… I didn’t mean that, okay? I was just… I was shocked.”

  Her fingers dug into the fabric.

  “You’re not a bad person, okay? You’re not a bad person.”

  Don’t believe her, Adam. She’s just using you. Don’t be a fool. Do you really think she’ll save you when the time comes?

  Adam’s breath paused as he looked away.

  But then—

  A thought surfaced.

  You say that… but hasn’t she already saved me twice?

  The voice inside his head fell silent. For the first time, it had nothing to say.

  He stood there, unmoving, as Samantha’s muffled sobs and Grace’s whispers seeped through the fabric of his clothes. And for the first time in a long time—

  Adam didn’t feel so alone.

  "You're not a bad person," Grace repeated, shaking her head as she tightened her grip on Adam. "Never... never think you're a bad person for trying to save my daughter. Please... you can't leave this room believing that, okay? You're not a bad person. Thank you. Thank you for saving my daughter."

  "Mister's not a bad person!" Samantha cried out, her small voice desperate.

  Adam closed his eyes, inhaling the deepest breath he could. When he exhaled, it came out slow, steady.

  "I'm... not a bad person."

  He nodded to himself, then finally turned to face Grace.

  She was close—so close he could feel the warmth of her breath mixing with his. Her eyes, no longer filled with fear, reflected his own. She smiled softly, wiping her tears and shaking her head.

  "I'm sorry. I... didn't mean to say that."

  "No, I understand."

  Adam gnced down at his hand, still coated in blood. Then, without a word, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it gently over Grace’s shoulders, covering what Donald had torn away.

  "I... hope you don't mind the blood."

  "N-no. Not at all."

  She shook her head quickly, slipping her arms into the sleeves without hesitation. Then she crouched, pulling Samantha close and checking her for any wounds.

  Meanwhile, Adam scanned the kitchen before making his way to the sink.

  You're going to regret this, Adam. There's a reason you avoided people for so long.

  It doesn’t matter. I… want to do this now.

  His thoughts churned as he scrubbed his hands, pressing the soap dispenser over and over, thering and rubbing until his skin burned. It was probably useless. The blood would return.

  But he needed to feel clean.

  As he washed, one of the people who had been hiding in the kitchen cautiously stepped forward.

  "You... you were a Hero?"

  Adam gnced at the woman, then shook his head. "No."

  "Stop... stop lying!" She raised her voice, her hands trembling as she waved them. "What else could you be but a Hero!? Why... why didn’t you step in earlier!? That veteran wouldn’t have died for nothing!"

  Her words sent a ripple through the others.

  "That's right! You could have saved him!"

  I told you, Adam. This is who they are. They have a point—but so what? Those two Heroes from earlier were right. You have no obligation to help any of them.

  Grace started to move, ready to step between Adam and the growing voices. But before she could, Adam simply turned off the faucet and faced the others himself… and they immediately shrank back.

  Gulps and sharp breaths filled the silence as they met his gaze. Their earlier anger flickered into something else. Something colder—Fear.

  What the hell were they thinking?

  This young man had just killed two veterans in front of them. He had torn out a man’s throat with his teeth. The person standing before them wasn’t a Hero.

  He was a monster.

  But contrary to their fears, Adam only sighed.

  He was about to speak—but instead, he exhaled again and shook his head. And without another word, he ignored them completely.

  He simply turned away, walking back to Grace and Samantha.

  "Ignore them, Nathan."

  Grace shot a gre at the others, and to Adam’s quiet amusement, even Samantha mimicked her.

  “Hmm. I’m good at that.”

  Adam exhaled softly before reaching toward Grace’s neck. She flinched at first, but then realized—he wasn’t touching her. His hand hovered close, his gaze fixed on the marks left behind.

  “I’m sorry that happened to you, Grace.”

  A shaky chuckle slipped from her lips. “You know…we sound like a broken record.”

  She was trembling, but instead of pulling away, she leaned into his palm, resting her cheek against the warmth of it.

  “How about... we stop saying sorry?”

  Adam closed his eyes and nodded. And after a few moments, he crouched down, turning his attention to Samantha, gently checking for any wounds.

  “Does anything hurt?”

  Samantha didn’t answer.

  Instead, she lunged into his arms, clutching his shirt as fresh sobs racked her small body.

  “It’s okay... It’s okay...”

  Adam gently patted her back, his touch careful, soothing. “Does it hurt here?”

  Samantha buried her face deeper into his chest and gave a small, fervent nod.

  Adam continued rubbing gentle circles along her spine, testing for any pain. But when she didn’t flinch or cry out, he leaned away slightly and gave her a soft smile.

  “You’ve been very brave. Y—”

  And before Adam could finish his words, Samantha flinched as a heavy knock thundered against the door, followed by loud voices seeping in from the gaps.

  “What’s going on in there!? We should go before the Administrator decides to burn us for doing nothing!”

  “Something’s not right. They’re not responding.”

  The sms came harder.

  The people outside were getting impatient.

  Panic spread through the kitchen. The very same people who had heckled Adam moments ago now scrambled for cover, curling into themselves like frightened animals… again.

  All except one.

  The woman who had been the first to sh out at him rushed toward Adam.

  “P-please, save us! I... I’ll do anything! You can do anything you want to me, just save—”

  “Please stop.” Adam’s voice was ft. Cold. Not even a trace of the gentleness from before remained, “I… don’t really like the noise that comes out of your mouth.”

  The woman stiffened, taken aback by his tone. “E-Excuse me?”

  Adam didn’t answer. He simply shoved her aside and walked past her without another word.

  He walked toward Donald’s corpse, where he knelt beside it in silence.

  For a few moments, he just stared at the dead man’s face, lips moving in a quiet whisper only he could hear.

  Then, with steady hands, he pushed the body aside and pulled out the back piece of Donald’s armor. He reassembled it with the front part, fitting it onto himself before picking up Donald’s sword.

  Adam remained silent as he stood up and walked away, it was only until he reached the door that he paused. His fingers curled around the knob, and only then did he gnce back at Grace and Samantha.

  “I’ll be back.” He said.

  “Huh?”

  Grace’s eyes widened. “Wait—don’t tell me you’re going out there!?”

  Adam didn’t respond.

  He only sighed. And then—he turned the knob.

  The moment the door creaked open, the creeps outside gasped.

  They stumbled back, eyes darting between the armor and his face. They were confused, right up until they saw the Red Halo above his head.

  And that was when the screaming started.

  Adam ignored them. He casually stepped out and calmly shut the door behind him—and the st thing that Grace saw was a bde being pushed through his stomach.

  A bde pierced through his stomach.

  And then, she heard the screams. The roars.

  Very much a brutal and chaotic repeat of what happened to Jake.

  And she didn’t know if she was just imagining it, but between the frenzied cries and the sounds of flesh being torn apart, she swore she heard Adam saying his favorite word: “I’m sorry.”

  She could just be imagining it.

  After all, she had just witnessed her kill two people in front of her.

  She gnced at Donald and Joseph’s corpses, and her body flinched each time a brutal scream came from the outside.

  “Why can’t you kill him!? He’s just one creep!”

  “Why… why isn’t he dying!?”

  “Grah!”

  She could also hear Adam’s voice, screaming.

  Samantha’s small body trembled as she recognized it too. Without a word, she covered her ears and buried her face against her mother’s thigh.

  “Sweetie...” Grace bit her lip, stroking her daughter’s hair in a soothing rhythm. But the moment was shattered by a violent sm against the door.

  She tensed. For a second, she thought someone was about to break in—

  But the only thing that happened was the screams getting worse.

  “R... run!”

  “He’s a Hero! Everyone, run!”

  “But he has a halo!?”

  “Run!”

  And soon, she heard it.The ground shook beneath them, metal trays and utensils cttering in their pces as the kitchen trembled under the weight of hundreds of fleeing footsteps.

  The chaos stretched on—then slowly, it faded.

  Until all Grace could hear was a small groan.

  Adam?

  She rushed to the door, heart hammering in her chest as she slowly, carefully cracked the door open.

  And then—the sight she saw made her forget how to breathe.

  Adam also saw her peeking out. His single remaining eye widened, and with his severed arm still in his grasp, he lifted it toward her. His bones, protruding at her direction.

  “Wait!” He screamed, “Don’t... don’t let her see me like this.”

  Half of his face was shaved clean off, exposing muscle and bone. With an agonized grunt, he reached up and pulled a knife out of his cheek.

  Grace smmed the door shut.

  Leaning against it, she forced a smile at Samantha, who had already started inching forward.

  “Let’s... just give Mr. Nathan a minute, okay?”

  She slid to the floor, forcing herself to stay calm.

  One minute.

  Just one.

  She focused on her breathing—in, out, in, out—until the tremble in her limbs settled.

  She could hear Adam groan, trying his best not to scream in pain.

  And when she finally heard a sigh of relief, she opened the door again.

  Adam was sitting in a chair now, his body whole again. His limbs were intact, his wounds gone—

  As if the nightmare from moments ago had never happened.

  “Nathan!”

  Grace rushed forward, but the moment she stepped outside, she froze.

  She was standing in it—the carnage.

  Without thinking, she lifted Samantha into her arms, shielding her face from the horror.

  “Mommy? What—”

  “Shh. It’s okay, sweetie. Remember what Mommy said? Some things are only for adults to see.”

  She hadn’t noticed it before—hadn’t let herself notice because she was focused on Adam—but the entire restaurant was littered with corpses.

  Her stomach lurched. A sharp, burning sensation cwed at her throat… but she swallowed it down.

  She had to keep moving.

  She stepped carefully, trying to avoid the carnage. But it was impossible.

  Her foot slipped on something wet. A trail of intestines dangled from an overturned table. A man’s face y on the floor, bnk, lifeless.

  And then—

  Something worse.

  Right next to where Adam had stood earlier.

  A body.

  Its eyes had been stabbed through by a shattered bone.

  The corpse was actually cleaner than most of the others, but there was a thought that started to linger in Grace’s mind.

  Was that... Adam’s arm? And out of all of the limbs and mangled flesh scattered everywhere, how much was actually Adam’s?

  “Urgh—”

  She swallowed hard, the taste of bile lingering on her tongue.

  She couldn’t look at it anymore.

  She turned her focus back to Adam, lowering herself beside him. Her voice was soft, urgent.

  “Nathan... we should probably go.”

  Adam turned to her weakly, his breaths ragged, wheezing.

  And then—

  “Adam.” He whispered.

  Grace blinked. “Hmm?”

  He swallowed, struggling to speak.

  “My real name’s Adam.”

  For a moment, she just stared at him.

  At his tired, broken face.

  Then, finally—

  She let out a breath.

  A small, awkward smile found its way onto her lips as she looked around at the carnage surrounding them.

  “Well, uhm...” she muttered, awkwardly..

  “It’s... nice to meet you, Adam.”