The sound of the shield cracking reverberated through the entire place, a harrowing symphony of despair for those sheltered inside. Anxiety clung to the air, heavy and suffocating. Outside, the purgers raised their weapons, their excitement palpable as they anticipated the shield's inevitable collapse. "The top of the shield is now exposed! Some purgers are jumping down from it! Let's escape to the west! Strazz! Howl! Start letting out the poison!" Rowan barked orders while rushing down the building, Minka at his side. Together, they slid down a tube-like path, an intricate network of passages they had crafted for swift movement within their stronghold. Axel, Andy, and the remaining eleven members of their group hurriedly took the lead, exiting the building through the underground tunnel they had painstakingly carved out over the course of several weeks. "We released the poison from Pole A; hurry before the poison spreads!" Howl's voice crackled over the radio as he and Strazz follo
The purger, adorned with crimson shoes, savored the macabre spectacle before him. Slowly clapping his hands, he gripped a pistol in the other, his eyes scanning the lifeless forms strewn around him. Howl's lifeless body lay nearby, surrounded by others who had fallen to the purger's merciless rampage. "I've reached my quota, and what a thrilling drama I've witnessed! This hunt is truly ingenious!" he proclaimed, arms outstretched, and body contorted in exuberance. Rage and disgust flickered across the faces of those in the room, not only due to the purger's lunatic behavior but also because of the lives he had taken. The captives, including Gaige, Rowan, Minka, Strazz, and two unknown returnees, had been shackled and forced to bear witness. Gaige remained unconscious, and when he finally regained awareness, he witnessed the two aliens being shot in the head. Desperate to escape his restraints, Gaige attempted to harness his aura but to no avail. "Gaige," Rowan rasped, drawing Gaige
"Why am I still alive?" Gaige mused, utterly bewildered by his inexplicable survival. Bound in chains, he gazed upon the crimson river coursing along the concrete floor, an unsettling blend of blood and gunpowder assaulting his senses. His emotionless eyes briefly locked onto Minka's lifeless form before shifting to the others who had once seemed destined to endure this harrowing hunt together. A dry, humorless laugh escaped him as he compared his life in this savage world to his previous existence on Earth. He muttered, "Nothing has changed. I'm still in hell." He sighed, only to flinch at the sudden intrusion of a notification ringing in his head. It had been years since he interacted with Earth's technology, but familiarity returned quickly, allowing him to identify and comprehend the sound. Ding! Shaking his head, he attempted to dismiss the sound, yet it persisted, drawing his attention to a flashing screen before him. He observed it in puzzlement, reminiscing about how Rowan
Emotions are perceived as a blemish in an angel's character. Despite possessing the capacity to experience emotions, angels typically opt for a life devoid of such sentiments. In reality, they are bereft of free will, dutifully executing the directives of their superiors. But what if an angel were to act in accordance with their emotions? This is the catalyst for the emergence of a purger. Purgers, in essence, are fallen angels. They represent ethereal beings who faced divine retribution, leading to their transformation into entities akin to humans in appearance but fundamentally distinct in mentality. Rather than seeking repentance, they nurture a deep-seated thirst for vengeance, a consequence of their expulsion from the ranks of celestial beings. Their actions on Earth escalate into chaos, prompting the establishment of a system and hierarchy designed to control and pacify them. Within this system, exceptional performers earn ranks and rewards, with the promise of regaining th
Gaige carefully draped dirty cloths over the lifeless bodies of his friends, Minka, Rowan, Howl, Strazz, and the two aliens. He gathered them together in one spot, deliberately ignoring the other corpses scattered around him. Sitting beside their lifeless forms, he returned his focus to the system, his heart heavy with grief. His trembling fingers tapped on the first item that caught his attention: [System Status] [Kills] Multiple-lifer: 100,115 Single-lifer: 290 Spirit: 89 Dragon: 1 Gaige couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Is this a combination of the red-shoe purger and my own kills?" As he mulled over the numbers, he muttered, "There's no way there's a dragon here on Earth." Eventually, he concluded that the tally did indeed represent a combination of their kills. After all, he was the only one among them who had slain a dragon and had confronted various spirits since his transmigration. With a sense of grim determination, Gaige turned his attention to the reward lists, eage
As Gaige continued to grapple with the bewildering changes in his life, he felt slightly apprecciation of the support from Adal. Her role as a guide to the mysterious system had begun to take shape, and Gaige felt a glimmer of trust in her capabilities, despite their rocky start. Gaige turned to Adal for answers, determined to unravel the enigma that had become his existence. "Can you tell me how many purgers there are on Earth?" he inquired, his curiosity burning. “Purger's population: 548,” Adal responded, her robotic voice punctuating the stark reality. "548? But I am ranked 548. Am I at the bottom?" Gaige's voice carried a hint of disappointment, as if he had hoped for a different outcome. “Yes,” Adal confirmed, casting Gaige into the depths of the purger hierarchy. Gaige's thoughts drifted back to Ideya, the red-shoe purger, and a flood of questions surfaced in his mind. "Then what was the red-shoe purger's rank before?" Gaige probed further. “Deceased Purger, Ideya Rank was
Hours dragged on relentlessly, and Gaige remained confined within the same blood-soaked building. While the violent retching had ceased, his energy had dwindled to nothing. All he could do was lie there, his weakened form nestled among the lifeless bodies of Minka and the others. Despite his burning desire to locate Axel and Andy, Gaige harbored no illusions about his current state; venturing out now would be nothing short of suicidal. "Adal, when will the hunt end?" Gaige's voice, though weary, held a glimmer of hope. [Cannot access data: Purger Gaige didn't join the mission], Adal's response was a stark reminder of his isolation. Gaige furrowed his brow, contemplating his next move. "Do I have to join to find out?" he inquired. [Yes] [Will you accept the mission?] [Yes] [No] "Tell me the details of the mission first," Gaige requested, seeking a clearer picture of the path ahead. [Mission: Cleansing the Earth] [Mission statement: Purge as much as possible. Purger points earn
A middle-aged man, his face bloodied and one eye swollen shut, panted heavily as he approached a peculiar building amidst the chaos of psychotic purgers. He had miraculously evaded more than five pursuers who were chasing him relentlessly. However, the moment he entered the front door of the distinctive building, his pursuers inexplicably halted their pursuit. Although the five purgers had witnessed him enter the building, they hesitated to follow him inside. Despite the possibility that the building might belong to another purger, the middle-aged man sought refuge within and opted not to explore this unfamiliar structure. "Sir, are you a returnee as well?" inquired a teenager. The middle-aged man started at the sudden voice, his muscles tensing as he prepared to flee. However, a teenage girl raised her hands in a placating manner as she approached him. "Sir, I'm not a purger. Are you hiding from the purgers too?" she asked persistently. The middle-aged man gradually relaxed upon