Cold metal pressed against Min-joon's cheek. Rhythmic vibrations rattled through his skull, a dull, mechanical clack-clack, clack-clack that tasted of rust and stale air. High-pitched laughter cut through the hum of the train, sharp and grating. It wasn't the sound of a human child, but something far more mischievous, far more sinister. Gasping for breath, Min-joon bolted upright, his hands flying to his chest. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. Fluorescent tubes overhead flickered violently, casting erratic, sickly yellow shadows across the metal floor. This wasn't his cramped studio apartment. Terror, cold and sharp, seized his chest as he took in his surroundings. He was sitting on a hard subway seat, surrounded by people in business suits and school uniforms. Screaming erupted from the far end of the carriage. People were scrambling over each other, their faces pale, eyes wide with incomprehensible dread. Dust motes danced in the unsteady light. Outside the windows, there was nothing but an oppressive, pitch-black void. "What is going on?" a man in a rumpled grey suit demanded, shaking a younger woman by the shoulder. "Why did the train stop? Hey, conductor!" Nobody answered him. Everyone was too busy staring at the darkness outside, or looking at their phones, which had completely lost their signals. Suddenly, a high-pitched chime resonated directly inside Min-joon's head, bypassing his ears entirely. *Beep-beep-beep.* Glowing blue letters materialized in the air before his eyes, sharp and luminous against the dim subway carriage. [Welcome to the Multiverse Gacha System.] [Scanning Host identity...] [Warning: System synchronization incomplete. Host is not recognized in the primary database.] Min-joon blinked, his throat dry as sandpaper. His fingers twitched against his knees. "A gacha... system?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper amidst the rising panic of the carriage. Years of reading web novels on his daily commute flashed through his mind. He knew this setting. He recognized the train carriage, the dimming lights, the sense of impending doom. This was Carriage 3807. This was the start of the apocalypse from 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint'. For an ordinary guy who had spent his entire life feeling invisible, this was the ultimate nightmare. He had always been the spectator, the one who watched others succeed from the sidelines, hiding behind a screen. Now, he was thrust into the very center of a slaughterhouse. Below the main text of the glowing screen, a single option pulsed with a soft, golden light. [You have received (1) Free Starter Pull. Would you like to use it?] Desperation drove his hand forward. He didn't know if this was a dream or a psychotic break, but the absolute reality of the cold air and the smell of sweat told him he couldn't afford to hesitate. With a silent prayer, he swiped his finger across the hovering button. Light exploded in front of his chest, a bright, swirling vortex of blue and silver that only he seemed to see. A metallic clang echoed in his mind, followed by a disappointing gray card that flipped over to reveal a jagged piece of iron. [Item Acquired: Broken Sword of the Apprentice (F-grade)] [Description: A rusted, chipped iron sword discarded by a novice blacksmith. It is barely better than a kitchen knife, but it might cut a thread if you try hard enough.] Heavy, rusted, and barely a foot long, the broken hilt materialized directly into his right hand. The weight of it pulled his arm down, the cold iron biting into his palm. "Are you kidding me?" Min-joon hissed, his knuckles turning white. "A broken sword? Against what's coming?" His mind raced, analyzing the pathetic weapon. He had hoped for a legendary artifact, a cheat skill from a top-tier anime, or even a magic spell. Instead, he got trash. Before he could curse his abysmal luck any further, the air in the center of the carriage warped. Pop. Out of nowhere, a small, white, furry creature materialized, floating lazily in the air. It looked like a bizarre, oversized plush toy, but its eyes burned with a cruel, ancient intelligence. Floating in the middle of the carriage, the creature stretched its tiny arms and yawned, revealing rows of razor-sharp, needle-like teeth. "Ah, ah. Is this thing working? One, two, three." Blood drained from Min-joon's face. The creature's voice was childish, yet it carried an unnatural weight that pressed down on everyone's chests. It was a dokkaebi. Specifically, it was Bihyung, the low-grade streamer of the Star Stream. "Now then, let's begin the broadcast," the creature said, its wide mouth curling into a sinister grin. "Your free trial of life has officially concluded." Whispers broke out among the passengers. Some stared in utter disbelief, while others shrank back against the doors. Some people laughed, thinking it was a hidden camera prank or a marketing stunt for a new movie. Min-joon knew better. He knew exactly what happened to those who treated this as a joke. His knuckles turned white around the grip of his useless, rusted sword. He was just an average guy. He had no special combat training, no physical gifts, and his only cheat was a broken piece of iron. "My name is Bihyung," the creature announced, floating higher. "And from this moment on, your lives will be evaluated by the great beings of the universe." Snapping its fingers, the dokkaebi unleashed a shockwave that rattled the glass panes of the subway doors. Instantly, the windows of the train cracked, spiderwebbing with fractures. The heavy metal doors sealed shut with a deafening screech of bending steel. Screams of absolute panic filled the air. People began slamming their fists against the glass, begging to be let out. "Your scenario has arrived," Bihyung giggled, his eyes glowing with dark amusement. A massive holographic panel flared to life in the center of the carriage, glowing with a harsh, blood-red light. [Main Scenario #1 – Proof of Value] [Category: Main] [Difficulty: F] [Clear Conditions: Kill one or more living things within the time limit.] [Time Limit: 30 minutes] [Compensation: 300 coins] [Penalty for Failure: Death] Absolute silence fell over the carriage. The stark reality of the words seemed to freeze the very air. Then, the first head exploded. Warm, metallic fluid sprayed across the ceiling as an office worker near the back fell to the floor, his head reduced to red mist. Shouts of terror turned into primal, animalistic shrieks. The slaughter had begun. Min-joon's breath hitched. He felt a violent urge to vomit, his stomach churning at the iron stench of fresh blood. Eyes darting down, he stared at his broken, useless sword. How could he survive this? He wasn't Kim Dokja. He didn't have the 'Bookmark' skill, nor did he have the protagonist's cold, calculating mind. Sweat dripped from his brow, stinging his eyes as he looked around for anything he could kill. He scanned the floor. There were no insects here. No grasshoppers like the ones Kim Dokja's companion had. He was completely on his own, with nothing but violent, panicked humans around him. A burly man in a stained jacket noticed Min-joon's hesitation. The man's eyes were bloodshot, filled with a frantic, animalistic urge to survive. "You..." the man muttered, taking a step forward. "You have a knife? Give it to me!" Min-joon took a step back, his back hitting the cold glass of the subway door. He held the broken sword tight, his heart hammering against his ribs. "Stay back," Min-joon warned, his voice shaking despite his best efforts to sound commanding. Lunge. The heavy-set man threw his weight forward. Adrenaline surged through Min-joon's veins. He didn't think; he simply reacted, thrusting the broken piece of iron forward. Rusted iron scraped against the man's jacket, tearing the fabric but failing to pierce deep. A heavy fist caught Min-joon in the jaw, sending him crashing to the floor of the carriage. Pain flared through his head, and he tasted copper. Slipping from his fingers, the broken sword clattered across the metal floor. "Die! If you die, I live!" the man screamed, throwing himself on top of Min-joon, his hands reaching for Min-joon's throat. Suffocating pressure squeezed his windpipe. Min-joon thrashed, his fingers clawing at the man's arms, but his strength was failing. This was his absolute limit. He was going to die here, in the very first scenario, before he could even make a difference. Panic, absolute and consuming, turned his thoughts to ash. He was weak. He had always been weak. No. I won't die like this. With a desperate, final burst of strength, Min-joon kicked out, his foot catching the man in the groin. He scrambled on his hands and knees, his eyes frantically searching the floor for his weapon. There. The broken hilt was resting near a seat, glinting under the flickering lights. He grabbed it, his fingers wrapping around the cold iron, and spun around just as the man lunged at him again. With a desperate scream, Min-joon thrust the jagged point upward. Jagged metal tore through flesh. Freezing in place, the man's eyes widened in shock. Blood bubbled from his lips, staining Min-joon's hands warm and slick. With a heavy thud, the man collapsed sideways, his body twitching once before going entirely still. [You have killed a living thing.] [100 coins have been acquired as an achievement reward.] Min-joon stared at his blood-stained hands, his body trembling violently. He had actually killed someone. He had taken a human life. This brutal realization was a heavy, physical weight in his chest, making it hard to breathe. Around him, the carriage was a scene of utter carnage. People were screaming, fighting, tearing each other apart in a desperate bid for survival. Bihyung floated above the chaos, clapping his tiny hands in delight. "Yes, yes! Show me more! This is what the constellations want to see!" Min-joon wiped the blood from his cheek, his eyes darting to the holographic panel. The countdown was ticking away, remorselessly. Survival of the first threat was complete, but he knew this was only the beginning. The world was about to collapse entirely. He needed a better plan. He needed a stronger weapon, a real skill, something that could actually keep him alive in the trials to come. Eyes drifting to the corner of his vision, he focused on the gacha interface. If he could get more coins, he could pull again. He could get something that wasn't a broken piece of junk. But as he tried to open the system menu to check his status, the blue screen began to glitch. Lines of static cut across the holographic text, the bright blue light shifting to a deep, ominous crimson. Min-joon's heart sank. This wasn't part of the game. This wasn't supposed to happen. As the dokkaebi's smile widened, Min-joon's gacha system flickered, displaying a new, ominous notification he'd never seen in his extensive game knowledge: 'WARNING: Unauthorized System Access Detected. Host is not Kim Dokja.'

Chapter 1: Subway to Hell