Surviving Every Worldview

Chapter 13: Unwritten Rules (2)

I rushed to get in touch with Do-Yeon.

It’s unlikely that she’s suddenly in danger but there’s always a ‘what if.’

“Seon-woo, Seon-woo, are you busy?”

Her first words made me realize something.

Even if I were to die and come back to life, she doesn’t seem like she would be in a dangerous situation.

I must have gotten carried away.

“I’m busy, but I can talk. Why?”

“Well… I just took a peek outside my window.”

Seol Do-yeon paused, then continued.

“There’s a big zombie right under my house right now.”

“Big? How big?”

“Well… it’s several times bigger than the undead around here by itself. It’s two or three stories high……?”

I got the idea from the description.

No puzzle elements, no strategy, just powerful, treasure-bearing enemies.

In some ways, this simplicity can be the easiest, but it can also be the trickiest if done wrong.

I wish they would just appear in front of me but the difficulty isn’t the point right now.

It’s the fact that it showed up on her doorstep, like a special surprise.

“So, I’m wondering if they’re going to destroy the house…I didn’t know what to do in such a case, so I called …….”

“Hey, Do-yeon.”

“Uh, huh?”

“I need you to grab that before someone else gets here.”

“What?”

Do-yeon asked back.

“How? You think I’m like you!”

“Well, you’re well known, and even without the trait, you can probably do better than me.”

“You think too highly of me! There are days when you expect so much from someone and then you’re so disappointed!”

Seol Do-yeon protested on the phone, huffing and puffing.

However, there was only one piece of advice I could give her when the target of her hunt was right in front of her.

“He’s not going to destroy the building if you don’t stick your face out the window, so just relax and do something before someone else comes, okay?”

“…I’m going to do it? Really? I trust you?”

“Yeah, I’m busy, we can talk about what happened later.”

I quickly hung up the phone before it got any longer.

I know she’s desperate for advice but what the hell, I don’t have time for that.

After all, she knows her situation and her story best, so I can only wish her well.

……Coming to think of it, I wonder if everyone else is okay.

It’s right around the time when everyone else would have been at work or school.

I told them to take the day off as much as possible, but I don’t know if any of them actually took the day off after seeing the countdown.

-Yoo Seon-woo: Are you okay?

I sent a message to sister Seorin.

If I can reach her, I’ll know the status of my entire college network.

…But after waiting for a while, she hasn’t even read the message.

Maybe she’s unavailable.

She’s not in immediate danger since she awakened the story, but there aren’t many awakened people in the downtown area…….

Still, I can’t do anything about it right now.

I’d rather wait for them to contact me.

I turned off my phone’s screen and went deeper into my thoughts.

* * *

“Haa…….”

After ending the call, Seol Do-yeon glanced out the window once again.

As soon as the countdown ended, it broke through the asphalt pavement, and people fled, leaving no one behind.

The neighborhood, which had been a normal place just minutes before, had turned into a scene from a zombie apocalypse.

‘What should I do?’

She doesn’t know what Yoo Seon-woo is thinking.

Let’s say she’s awakened to the story and can overcome her physical weakness.

‘But even so, how am I supposed to approach and fight that scary-looking monster?’

As the communities and comments criticizing the fast pace of recent works have said a thousand times.

The average person can’t just get a little bit of power and start being proactive overnight.

Unlike Yoo Seon-woo, who seemed to know so much already.

“Or…….”

At that moment, a thought flashed through Seol Do-yeon’s mind.

In all the works with ‘regressors’ in them, has anything bad ever happened after listening to the regressors?

Of course not.

The Regressors don’t make suggestions like that.

Even if the suggestions are absurd and unbelievable, they’re all thought out.

‘I wonder if he asked me to do it because he believes in something.’

As she thought about it, she felt her nervousness weaken and her confidence grow.

‘Would he have told me to do something impossible?’

She wondered.

It’s episode one, so no matter how strong the enemy is, they might not be able to overcome a certain level, so she might have a chance.

Maybe Yoo Seon-woo gave me a difficult but surmountable challenge to practice.

No, maybe.

Maybe being asked to play the lead role by Yoo Seon-woo, who may have regressed, actually means that I have a tremendous talent that will blossom in the future-

“…That’s too far.”

Seol Do-yeon stopped her delusions.

She alternated between looking at the status window and out the window, thinking about what she could do.

If what Yoo Seon-woo, who might be a ‘regressor’, was suggesting was something she could do, it must mean that it was a trial with a reward.

Just like that, the ‘Unwritten Rules’ had an effect on her without her realizing it.

* * *

Turbuck, turbuck.

As I explored the alleyway, I heard footsteps nearby.

There were several footsteps, overlapping, sounding like they were walking rather than running.

They must have come this far in search of an anomaly, just like me.

“Finally, I found it.”

It’s not strange to have someone ahead of me.

There are a lot of traits like [hidden piece detection], so if you run without it, you’re bound to fall behind.

My purpose was to chase the people who were ahead of me and find the noise.

“Get the fuck out of here!”

I heard a man’s voice shouting as I passed through an alleyway.

I turned to the source and saw an old medieval building that didn’t fit in with its surroundings.

What I’d just heard was four people arguing in front of the entrance.

A blonde woman and two black-haired men, who appeared to be a group, were unilaterally pressuring a male student.

“Don’t hang around, just go quietly.”

“Isn’t it up to me to watch what you’re doing or follow you in?”

“……Yes, that’s your choice.”

The larger man in the group stood in front of the student and pushed him around.

The student, who was trying to fight back, panicked and stumbled backwards and hit the wall.

At that moment, the man’s large hand slammed down hard on the student’s head.

“Ugh……!!”

It wasn’t just a punch.

Fists were thrown indiscriminately at the boy, punching him in the jaw or ear.

No one around him stopped the assault since they were all in cahoots.

“You go in first. I’ll be right behind you.”

“……Okay.”

The two nodded at the man’s words and walked into the building.

The blonde woman, who had been looking down on the boy with condescending eyes, followed without comment.

……I wonder if those three are not equal.

The man was being respectful, and somehow the blonde felt like she was being treated differently than the other two.

Anyway, after they entered, the beating continued relentlessly.

Still, the boy remained conscious and glared at the man.

“Do you like it when I punch you in the face?”

“…….”

“Did you find a weakness in those people? Those who came here because of their special traits seem like they’re only going to hit you in the back of the head……!!”

The man kicked the fallen student.

“What about the back of the head? Even if I hit the back of the head, I’ll only be the one who suffers.”

“Kolok, Kolok…….”

“You should’ve gotten on the line today, you know, just shut up and did what you were told.”

The boy stopped moving and gasped for air.

Deciding he’d had enough, the man left him alone and followed his group into the building, where-

[Your story begins].

I stood in his way.

Before he could react, I brought the baton down on his throat.

The man didn’t make a sound and collapsed on top of the student, stunned.

“Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”

“Oh, sorry.”

I moved the man who had crushed the student aside but the blow to his face had sapped his strength, and he couldn’t get back to his feet.

Still, I’ve subdued the man, so I don’t need to help him right now.

“Don’t wander around, go home. You’re not the only one who’s awakened, just take care of yourself.”

“Okay…thanks. For your help.”

The student was more articulate than I expected.

He didn’t sound or look bad, and he seemed genuinely grateful to me.

What was wrong with this kid earlier?

“If you’re going to do this, why were you arguing with that guy?”

“Oh, I turned on the trait and it guided me here…but there were people ahead of me.”

He’s using his traits to find a way out.

Considering his age and the fact that he’s just being beaten up, I don’t think he has a high awareness rating…….

So it’s a trait like [Quest Marker] or [Lucky you].

[You have revealed a trait your opponent possesses.]

[Your skill level has increased +5.0%]

—

[Quest Marker D]

When you receive information about something unusual happening nearby, you’ll be able to see a visual representation of its location.

However, the marker only provides an approximate location and will disappear when you approach it.

※ This trait originated from an internet community post created by Oh Se-hyeon.

—

—

[Lucky B]

A low probability event that increases the amount of rewards you receive or helps you grow.

“However, each time this trait appears, it tends to create resentment among certain individuals whose tastes don’t align with it.”

※ This trait originated from an internet community post created by Park Seung-woo.

—

As expected.

From the traits to the grades, the exact results that I expected appeared from the male student.

The problem was another trait description that appeared next to it.

This description appeared in front of a large man who had just fainted and collapsed.

I can’t believe such a high rating is following someone else.

What kind of story and what kind of rating did the blonde woman have that would allow her to do that?

I can make some guesses from the information I’ve gotten.

I’m so lucky.

“Anyway, if you can move, go back right away. Just because you’ve awakened doesn’t mean you can do anything.”

“…….”

The boy slowly got to his feet, still shaking and holding his head in shock.

Then he caught his breath and took off running, disappearing down the alley.

I’ve sent the student back and subdued one of the men.

Now, I just need to get inside the building, chase them out, and investigate.

It shouldn’t be difficult.

I think I have a pretty good idea why they’re traveling in groups.

[Your story begins.]

[Your story is reinforced when you put on the armor tagged ‘Disguise’.]

I turned the dial to adjust the size so the mask didn’t cover my eyes and put it on.

After noticing that my footsteps had diminished, I slipped quietly through the doorway.

“I thought I’d see the two right away…….”

Inside, it was like a small church that was falling apart.

Everything was in disrepair and had been left unattended for years, and other rooms were blocked off with nailed boards.

Only two rooms were not blocked but even in front of them, the boards that blocked the doors were strewn about.

Someone had ripped them off and gotten in.

It must have been the first two people to enter…….but not necessary.

Think of it like an escape room game.

There are clues within reach, but you don’t have to force your way through a blockage.

If you walk into a room and all the doors are blocked, you know that everything you need is in the lobby.

If it’s the same one that appeared in the first episode, it’s unlikely to be hiding anything complicated, so if it is…….

“Are you in? You’re not still out there, are you?”

I heard a man’s voice, annoyingly loud.

The same man who had come inside with the blonde woman.

He came out of the room he was investigating and approached the entrance of the building.

“What the hell, why aren’t you answering……?”

The man looked at the other door and thought for a moment, then poked his head out of the building in search of his group member.

What he sees is the student gone and the group member lying on the ground.

The man opens his mouth to scream, but it’s too late.

Fazizik-!!!

Before his voice could get out, I swung my baton and subdued the man.

The two men are lying on the ground, side by side and the only one left standing is the blonde woman.

If I could have just passed by quietly, I would have done so, but I couldn’t do that now.

“What the hell, you.”

The woman appeared from behind.

A woman with golden hair down to her waist, and a disdainful gaze that made me think of the word ‘lady’.

Her hair glistened even in the absence of light.

“Ha. I’ve spent three days straight saving people, and they’re useless.”

“Hi.”

“……You’re shameless. You seem like the kind of guy who can’t do anything if he gets caught, are you sure?”

She has a condescending, high-pressure attitude and walks slowly toward me, as if she didn’t even care about me.

‘Run away, stand on your own, do something while I’m approaching you.’

That’s what she seemed to be saying but I had no intention of stopping her.

As I subdued the two, I had already made a rough guess as to what her story was.

[NEW GAME is ready to hear your guess.]

I opened my mouth with conviction.

“You’re [possessed], right?”