NOVEL WEB Chapter 9 : Tension in the Air
Outside the fracture, a few armed personnel were patrolling the area, ensuring the safety of the civilians. Fighter jets roared overhead, occasionally firing at the large red birds that soared ominously in the smoky sky. The situation felt tense, and the atmosphere was thick with unease.
Chief Police Officer Jang Min-Seok surveyed the scene, his sharp gaze catching every detail. He turned to a young corporal nearby, who appeared to be around 25 years old, lighting a cigar. The smoke curled around him as he took a deep drag.
“Will this be enough?” Jang Min-Seok asked, his voice steady but filled with concern.
The corporal exhaled slowly, his brows furrowing in contemplation. “I’m not sure. These monsters are in large numbers, and we didn’t prepare for such a threat beforehand.”
“You’re right,” Jang Min-Seok replied, his furrowed brows deepening. “They came out of nowhere from those cracks.”
The corporal nodded, his expression serious. After a moment of silence, he looked at Jang Min-Seok with a mix of disbelief and caution. “Are you really serious about someone going inside that… crack?”
“I have no reason to lie to you in this situation, Corporal,” Jang Min-Seok replied firmly.
“You’re right about that,” the corporal said, tossing the remnants of his cigar to the ground.
Just then, a sudden commotion erupted nearby. “Who are you?!” shouted a soldier close to the crack, the urgency in his voice drawing the attention of both men.
A figure emerged, unarmed but wearing a deer bone mask that obscured his face. “Sign~ I am finally out of this fracture!” Cale exclaimed, stretching his limbs carelessly despite the tension in the air.
“Stand right there!” the corporal shouted, his voice authoritative.
“Hmmm?” Cale responded, tilting his head slightly. Before the corporal could issue another command, Cale took off at an astonishing speed.
“STOP!” the corporal yelled again, anger bubbling beneath his calm exterior. “STOP HIM!” he shouted at the soldiers.
Before anyone could react, Cale had already sprinted away, disappearing into the distance.
“SHIT!” the corporal shouted, frustration evident in his tone.
“See? I wasn’t lying, was I?” Jang Min-Seok said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he observed the situation unfold.
The corporal shot him a glare filled with anger before quickly turning his attention back to the soldiers. “Let’s move the civilians to a safe spot!” he ordered urgently.
Meanwhile, Jang Min-Seok whispered to himself, “Maybe I will meet you again, Dark Scythe wielder,” as he looked up at the red sky swirling with smoke.
...
Cale continued to run, his heart pounding in his chest. “If my identity was exposed, I would be in serious trouble,” he thought, his mind racing. “I have to make sure Mom and my little brother are safe.” The urgency of his family’s safety pressed heavily on him, and he furrowed his brows in determination.
“System, open!” he thought, and a yellow and blue panel flickered into existence before him:
System: Reality Breaker System
Host Name: Cale Roth (???)
Age: 18 (Male)
Level: 15
Title: Courier (???)
Trait: Monarch’s Blood, ???
Stats:
Strength (STR): 15
Agility (AGI): 15
Intelligence (INT): 11
Endurance (END): 15
Perception (PER): 8
Vitality (VIT): 9
Luck (LCK): 8
Mana (MANA): 7
Charisma (CHA): 2
Wisdom (WIS): 9
???: ?
???: ?
Points Available: 0
Inventory: Click to see...
(New) Skills: Immunity to Madness (D-rank), ???
Upgrade the system and Synchronization further to unlock more features.
Cale felt a surge of urgency as he glanced at the panel. “I need to use the Potion of Haste here,” he thought, his left hand quickly retrieving a blue potion from his inventory.
He examined the potion as the System’s panel described it: [Haste Potion (lvl 1): Increases speed by 5%]. “Use or No?” the panel prompted.
With determination, Cale opened the potion while still running and drank it in one swift motion. [Haste Potion used: Speed increased by 5%]
Cale felt a rush of energy as he dashed off even faster, his legs pulsating with newfound vigor. “Just wait for me, Mom, Brother!” he thought, his heart racing with urgency.
As he navigated through the chaotic streets, the world around him became a blur. He dodged debris and avoided panicked civilians, his focus sharp and unwavering. The cracks in reality had unleashed chaos, and he needed to reach his family before it consumed them.
...
Back at the fracture, Jang Min-Seok and the corporal coordinated the evacuation of civilians. The sounds of fighter jets echoed above, their engines roaring as they engaged the monstrous flying creatures.
“Jang! We need to get these people to safety,” the corporal shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
“I know!” Jang Min-Seok replied, his tone filled with urgency. “We can’t let them be caught in the crossfire!”
The two men moved swiftly, directing civilians away from the cracks and toward makeshift shelters. Jang’s heart raced, just from the danger of the growing realization of what was happening.