POV: Haru Murata
The sound of screaming filled the air. People ran in every direction, pushing past each other like a panicked herd. Some tripped. Others cried. Mothers clung to their children. It was madness.
And among the crowd, I spotted him.
Takeshi Kuroda—Mr. Untouchable, Mr. Golden Boy—running like a terrified child, his designer jacket flapping behind him. Two of his friends were stumbling right behind him, their faces pale.
"Dude, what the hell is this?! THIS ISN'T A PRANK RIGHT?!"
"Shut up and keep running! I don't want to die out here!!" another screamed.
I almost laughed, but it caught in my throat. That fear I saw in his eyes? It wasn't satisfying. It was terrifying.
Because if he was scared—we were all screwed.
A hail of bullets echoed near the black dungeon doors. Police officers and soldiers were shouting commands, some firing wildly.
"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!"
"They're coming out of the dungeon—small green ones—GOBLINS! THEY'RE FAST!"
And they were.
Short, ugly, and screeching with crude clubs and jagged knives. Level 1 Goblins, just like I designed them—but real. One leapt onto a soldier, biting into his neck like an animal. Another bashed a police officer in the knee.
And then I saw her.
The policewoman. That same serious, sharp-eyed woman who had been barking orders earlier. She stood in front of the Lesser Darkness Wolfman, emptying her entire magazine into its chest.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Click.
Nothing.
It didn't even flinch. Its yellow eyes glowed with cruel intelligence, and it raised its rusted axe again.
"Dammit!" she cursed, tossing her empty gun. "Why won't it die?! It's just a monster—!"
No.
Not just a monster. A magical one. Born of a system that runs on rules this world doesn't understand.
Our bullets won't work. We don't have mana. We don't have enchanted gear. That thing's only Level 2, but it might as well be a damn boss right now.
My heart was pounding so loud it drowned out the screams. I wanted to run. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to get the hell out of there.
But I didn't move.
"…This is my world."
This is the game I made. The system I designed. The monsters I placed. And now people are dying because of it.
I clenched my fists.
"I have to take responsibility."
I looked around frantically. I needed something—anything—to stay hidden and buy time. Then I saw it:
An abandoned police car, smoke rising from the engine. A SWAT-grade smoke grenade on the passenger seat, the pin still intact.
"Perfect."
I darted over, ducking low. My hands trembled as I grabbed the canister, fingers slipping from sweat.
"Okay… okay… time to be a little sneaky."
I pulled the pin, rolled it toward the monster and the cluster of officers. Thick smoke poured out, creating a cloud between them and the goblins.
Then I took a deep breath and stood up behind the car, yelling with all the authority I could fake:
"ORDERS FROM OFFICER JINNO! ALL POLICE UNITS FALL BACK TO MILITARY LINES AND REGROUP! COVER RETREAT IMMEDIATELY!"
For a second, no one responded.
Then someone shouted, "You heard her! Pull back—GET BACK BEHIND THE BARRIERS!"
It worked.
Holy crap—it actually worked.
But the Wolfman wasn't distracted for long. It howled, slashing at the smoke as it advanced.
I opened my status window. It responded to my mental command.
A glowing message appeared before me:
[Choose Your Class – Secondary Branch Selection]
• Warrior
• Mage
• Archer
• Rogue
"Warrior," I whispered. It was obvious. I designed them to be frontliners, survivable, strong, adaptable.
Next:
[Select Your Starting Weapon]
• Axe – High damage, slower swing speed
• Sword – Balanced speed and control
"Sword. Please… give me the sword."
A flash of light. Suddenly, there it was in my hand—a solid iron longsword. Basic, but real.
I gripped the hilt tightly, my arms trembling.
"God, I'm freaking out—this is insane—I've never even held a real weapon before."
But I looked up. The Wolfman was advancing through the smoke.
And behind it… was her.
Officer Jinno.
I took a shaky step forward. Then another.
"Okay, Haru. This is it. You want to be a hero? A creator? A goddamn game master?"
"Then act like one."
To Be Continued…