ushernet Chapter 22: 22: City of Death
Chapter 22: 22: City of Death
chapter 22: 22: city of death
kim seojin and lee taehyung passed through the threshold of the city, taking their first step inside.
the sight that greeted them on the other side was nothing short of astonishing. the city was filled with towering skyscrapers that looked straight out of a utopian novel.
the streets were filled with hover cars zooming past, holographic advertisements illuminating the skyline, and robots seamlessly assisting the citizens with their tasks.
'this is a backwater city for them?'
seojin found it hard to believe. everywhere he looked, he was more and more astonished. was this supposed to be the world after the apocalypse? why was it even more prosperous instead?
as they made their way through the bustling city, seojin couldn't help but notice the strange looks they were receiving from the people around them.
it was as if they were being closely observed, their every move scrutinised.
another strange thing he noticed was that the humans here looked a little strange.
they were all wearing clothes that protected them from sunlight. only their faces were revealed. the rest of their bodies were covered in multiple layers of clothes.
even their heads were protected from potential sunlight thanks to their hoods.
their faces looked completely pale, as if they lacked the blood. their eyes were also different. all of them had red eyes.
"if i don't know better, i would have thought that they are vampires. but that would be-"
"correct."
before seojin could even say the word 'absurd', lee taehyung confirmed it.
"the city is filled with vampires. that's why ordinary humans rarely come here."
kim seojin's mouth remained open for quite some time as he was at a loss of words.
they were in the city of vampires? at this point, he knew that nothing was impossible. even gods and talking hamsters were really, so what wrong could be with vampires? but still it was surprising.
"i assume our trial has something to do with these vampires? do we need to kill them?"
seojin observed the vampires as they walked inside the city.
"huh? why suddenly have a change of heart?"
"do you want to hear or not?"
"of course i want to know!"
"the answer is, that there isn't just one method to clear this stage. there are many methods. it depends on you, which method you want to take."
"the only criteria of success is to show them that you are worth their time."
"by them, you mean..."
"correct. the people that will be watching us the moment this stage officially starts after every player enters the city."
"if you can show them that you are worth it, you will clear the stage. you can use any method for that, as long as it entertains the judges."
"you can kill the vampires here, without reason or rhyme. you can destroy the buildings, or do anything you find fit. as long as they are satisfied and entertained, you will pass. and you will be scored accordingly."
"i see. so it's similar to an open world setting. there is more than one way to clear this place. as long as it is satisfying."
"which method do you want to use?"
"usually, i don't allow anyone to team up, so i will do a favour for you since you showed me something interesting. i will let you team up with me. we will go on a killing spree."
"so your method is killing the vampires."
"not just mine. the other players will also use the same method. the only difference is, how many can you kill, compared to them."
"i see. if everyone uses the same method, then the score should depend on the kill count."
kim seojin understood what lee taehyung was saying. it was indeed the safest way to maintain their ranks. even if they just killed the same number as the others, they would still maintain their ranks.
despite that, he felt emptiness in his heart. there was an unease deep within him, that was telling him that it wasn't the right way.
"i think i want to try doing something else."
that feeling kept getting stronger, until he finally decided against his own will.
his mind was telling him to go with taehyung, but his heart was telling him that he had something else to do. there was something he could not let go.