Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes again, I was greeted by the pale elevator lights overhead and the cold, metallic luster of the walls.

I froze in place. My wrist was perfectly intact; that agonizing pain felt like nothing more than a hallucination.

Beside me, the figure in the raincoat had also clearly stiffened. His knuckles tightened around the handle of his hammer, and the brim of his hat shifted slightly as if he were silently surveying his surroundings.

Before my eyes, twisted handwriting surged forth frantically once more:

[Holy crap… that Number 1 is way too overpowered! A double kill just like that? He insta-killed the female supporting character and the Killer?!]

[Wait, isn’t the male lead’s halo supposed to be the strongest? Why is Gu Cheng following him like a terrified little boy-toy? (Laugh-cry emoji)]

[What’s going on? Did the save file reload? Can the plot actually backtrack?]

[…Is the person above new here? Don’t you know the rules? If the Killer’s mission isn’t complete, he can’t go offline early. He has to clear out the other things in this building first.]

[Got it, forced plot lock. So this is… the second playthrough? Thrilling!]

The elevator doors were slowly closing.

Without a moment’s hesitation, at the very last second before they shut, I reached out and slammed my hand against the door to stop it.

The metal doors gave a soft hum and opened again.

I strode quickly toward the main entrance.

You’ve got to be kidding me. If this is going to cost me my life, I’m out of here.

So what if I supported a kept man for five years? Thinking about it now, I wasn’t even that angry anymore.

There was no reason to fight to the death with these lunatics.

Reaching the main entrance, I pushed hard against the door.

It didn’t budge. The door remained motionless.

How could this be?

[What’s wrong with the female supporting character? Why isn’t she going to settle scores with the male lead?]

[She seems to remember what happened in the first playthrough.]

[Poor girl. The plot has already started. Unless the story arc ends, the door won’t open.]

Ending the story arc?

The words “Killer’s mission” flashed through the Barrage.

Does that mean… if his mission is completed, I can leave this place?

I turned my head blankly toward the elevator.

I realized the elevator doors were still open.

The Raincoat Man had one hand casually blocking the doors, silently watching me.

Just as I was hesitating whether to go back, a dragging sound of footsteps and a raspy, aged voice came from behind me.

“Move aside, girl.”

I whipped my head around.

A hunched Old Woman was hobbling toward me from the direction of the main entrance, leaning on a cane.

She wore an old, floral-patterned padded jacket. Her silver hair was thin, and every step she took was slow and labored, as if she might fall apart at any moment.

However, the moment she appeared, the Barrage flickered before my eyes again:

[Whoa! Here comes the good stuff! It’s the Collector Old Lady!]

[She loves collecting tall, strong men the most! She has several locked in her basement just so she can drink… (Content hidden due to violation)]

[The person above, explain! You’re killing me! Drink what?!]

[Don’t ask. If you must know, it’s a ‘great tonic’… (Manual mosaic)]

[This old lady looks like she’d crumble if you poked her. Won’t the Killer take her out with one swing of his hammer?]

[Don’t underestimate her! She’s fierce. She carries poison on her at all times.]

Loves… tall, strong men?

Almost instinctively, I stepped aside to clear the path. Then, I silently followed behind the Old Woman and stepped back into the elevator with her.

The elevator doors slowly slid shut.

From the moment she entered the elevator, the Old Woman’s cloudy eyes were glued to the Raincoat Man’s tall, upright frame.

Her gaze was murky, yet it held a greasy, unsettling greed.

I clearly saw the Raincoat Man’s fingers tighten one by one around the hammer’s handle, the veins on the back of his hand bulging menacingly.

Just as the head of the hammer was about to be raised,

I acted as if by accident and leaned half a step toward him. My arm lightly brushed against his, pressing down on the forearm he had just begun to lift.

With that slight touch from me, the hammer was silently pressed back down.

“Did you know?” I suddenly turned my head and nudged the Raincoat Man beside me with my elbow. “In 802, there are two exceptionally handsome men.”

“Especially the tall one. He has a great physique, just like a model.”