"It's done! I've done it," I heard Elena say excitedly to the executioners.
"Good," a deep voice complimented. "You've proven you belong in our group now. And in return, we'll have your back in this filthy world."
"Thank you! Now, can I have one of your guys accompany me to the mall to search for goods? Maybe we'll find some valuable food resources. And I really need to at least get some sexy lingerie for you tonight," she said, teasingly.
"Now that's what I'm talking about. Gerald!" the man commanded. "Accompany her!"
I was hiding behind the wall of their hideout, my fists clenched so tightly my nails pierced my palms, drawing blood. I bit my tongue, suppressing the urge to bolt out and kill all of them in cold blood.
Because that would've been suicide. I was still too weak. But that wasn't going to stop me from getting my revenge on Elena.
After everything I had done for her. After how much I had trusted her. She betrayed me. My heart throbbed with pain. Everything I had lived for was gone. I had no purpose left.
Except to kill her... and survive in this rotten world.
I snuck away as I heard them coming, climbing their steps quietly until I reached outside. The sun had just set, so the streets had gotten dark since streetlights now were a thing of the past. I waited in the shadows, gripping a dagger with trembling hands.
Like any normal person, I was afraid to cross the line. But this world had left me no choice but to become a monster.
So, just as Elena and her bodyguard stepped out, I exhaled deeply and lunged from my hiding spot, driving my dagger deep into the man's neck.
Warm blood gushed over my hands, squirting across my shirt and splattering everywhere. He tried to scream, but I yanked the blade out and stabbed him again. And again as he groaned in anguish. Then I dragged the dagger across his throat, slicing his esophagus in half. He collapsed in a pool of blood, lifeless.
[+45 EXP]
A notification popped up before my eyes. I ignored it and turned to Elena, who had begun crying out in fear.
I couldn't risk her making noise and alerting the others. I clamped my blood-soaked hand over her mouth and dragged her to the darker side of the street, shoving her into an empty room littered with shattered glass. I didn't care. I slammed her inside, my dagger in hand and locked a murderous glare onto her eyes.
"Make any noise, and I'll slice your head clean off."
She trembled, her tearful eyes staring at me. "Shin," she whispered. "H- how did you become like this? What happened?"
I let out a dry, bitter laugh. This bitch was really testing me.
"You happened to me, Elena. And now I'm going to level up, and get strong using your body."
Using my dagger, I tore the short dress she was wearing and shoved it away. Then l grabbed the elastic band of her panties and tore it apart.
But, well, before getting deep into that… I'll tell you how it all started.
February 13, 2025.
That's when the world began to rot.
It was a peaceful afternoon in Tokyo. I was celebrating my grandfather's birthday in our cozy, two-story house.
"So... sixty, huh?" I said, elbowing the old man with a grin.
He chuckled, the white streaks in his once-black hair glinting. "Sixty... and I still have more stamina than you, boy. Your grandmother knows it best," he said, patting his belly with a deep laugh.
"Ew... Grandpa." I grimaced as l watched my grandmother, Suzune giggling at the side, blushing like a schoolgirl as she lit the birthday candles.
"Don't act like you're not head over heels for that Elena girl," Grandpa teased. "Tell her how you feel, boy. Before someone like me swoops in."
"Stop feeding him your nonsense," Suzune said gently.
"I turned twenty, Granny. I can handle this," I mumbled, eyes on the table. "I'm asking her if she'd like to be my valentine tomorrow. It'll be 14 Feb after all."
"That's my boy." Grandpa smiled and reached to ruffle my hair. "You're walking the romantic path, just like me."
"Enough chit-chat. Blow the candles. We're starving." Grandma grumbled in.
We all laughed. Even though they were the only family I had left, it felt like enough. Just the three of us, a cheap chocolate cake, and some laughter—that was all I needed.
Grandpa leaned in to blow out the candles… but the lights flickered.
He paused, glancing up. "Is the power really going out on my birthday? What timing."
"It's probably the storm," Grandma replied.
"Duh. Come rain or thunder, I'm eating my cake!" he said with a laugh, blowing out the candles and starting to cut the cake.
Then, out of nowhere—
Ding.
I heard a sound. "The hell was that?" I looked around.
"What? I didn't hear anything," Grandpa shrugged.
Then suddenly, a blue screen appeared in front of me, words typing themselves out like a machine.
[System Initialization Complete.]
[Welcome, Players.]
[Global System Online.]
I blinked, stunned. I reached out to touch it, but my hand passed right through.
"Alright, alright, you got me," Grandpa said, and when I looked up, both he and Grandma had the same screen in front of them.
Grandpa pointed at me, laughing. "Is this some kinda AR prank? Like one of those deep-fake hentai RPGs you're always talking about?"
"What?! I never—wait, this isn't me!" I backed away. "I swear, I didn't do anything!"
Then new lines appeared:
[Reformatting World Settings...]
[Real-World Currency Disabled.]
[Physical Laws Adjusting to Game Protocols.]
[Initiating Player Culling Sequence...]
[All Players Age 60 and Above Will Now Be Eliminated.]
"What the fuck is this?" I muttered.
Grandpa looked at me, dead serious. "Boy… what kind of joke is this?"
"I—I don't know!" I panicked. "I told you, it's not—"
ARRRGHHHHH!!!!
Suzune let out a scream, pointing at Grandpa. I turned—and saw his legs fading, dissolving like pixels.
"What's—" his voice trembled as his hands vanished too. Within seconds, he was completely gone.
Just like that.
One moment he was laughing. The next… he was gone.
Suzune dropped to the floor, tapping the chair where grandpa had been sitting. She began crying, tears streaming down her face.
I couldn't comprehend what just happened. I ran a hand through my hair, hoping this was a dream. I slammed my head against the wall and felt pain. That's when l realized this wasn't a dream.
This was real.
My heart thundered in my chest as a new message appeared on the screen:
[Elimination Complete]
[1.1 Billion Players Eliminated]
[Analyzing Player Data...]
Name: Shin Takamura
Age: 20
Sex: Male
Level: 1
Title: Newborn Player
System Type: Filthbound
Unique Skill: Lewd Reap
Coins: 0
EXP: 0
Stat Points: 0
MP: 10
[Explanation = Your skill "Lewd Reap" allows you to steal one skill from other Players by getting intimate with them. Only a single skill can be stolen from one person. Target loses stolen skills permanently.]
I blinked, my stomach turning. What the hell was happening?
[Congratulations Player Shin]
[In this new Filthy world, you're the Filthbound]
[Players are now able to earn Coins by killing other Players.]
[Coins can be exchanged for food, shelter, weapons… and more.]
Congratulations. Really? My grandfather had just died in front of me, and that's what this screen had to say?
Then the message that twisted human nature appeared. The one that flipped the world upside down.
[Second Elimination Round in 360 hrs]
[All Level One Players Will Be Eliminated by the end of this period]
[Kill the others, and complete given quests to level up and survive!]
And just like that...
The world began to rot.