"Run, run, I need to run," Jim repeated. His vision was blurring. He could barely catch his breath, but he had to keep moving.
He turned sharply into an alley, pushing his body further despite knowing he was close to his limit.
He had to survive. He couldn't slow down. He couldn't die.
Around him, alarms blared, people screamed, and gunfire echoed in the distance. The sound of battle filled the air as people fought against the monstrous beasts that had invaded the city.
These creatures came in all forms—large, small, powerful, weak.
They were unpredictable, and humanity was both outnumbered and overpowered. They had appeared without warning, storming into the city without a single alert.
Only the wealthy, those who could afford teleporters, escaped. The rest, people like Jim, were left behind.
Jim cursed the indifference of the rich to the less privileged. They hadn't even offered to share their teleporters with the less fortunate.
Some desperate citizens stormed mansions and managed to escape. Jim would have tried the same, but he lived on the very edge of the city, near the east gate, far from the point of invasion.
His neighbourhood was filled with lower-middle-class families who could barely afford basic necessities. Naturally, there were no high-grade teleporters in this area.
The only available option was public teleporters, which could only move someone a few blocks. In the current situation, they felt utterly useless.
Who would dare teleport such a short distance when they might emerge right in front of another monster?
Jim, however, used them readily. He had no abilities—no way to defend himself. If he stopped and happened to draw the attention of even one creature, he could be dead in seconds.
He chose to try his luck instead of sitting around and waiting for death.
He imagined himself crouched up in some alley, shaking with fear and always looking over his shoulder, praying for some ability to find him before the monster does.
He shook his head, trying to get rid of the picture. It could never be him.
He picked up speed, vowing to use every last drop of his energy to escape.
He found himself at the city gate.
No monster was in sight, so he took a moment to rest, greedily gasping for air until his chest ached. Slowly, his vision cleared.
Then he saw it.
Frozen in absolute terror, he stared at the largest beast he'd ever seen. Towering as high as a two-story building, its black mane nearly blended into the night. It made it almost impossible to spot at a glance.
Its silver eyes were locked on him.
The beast was a wolf-type—the most feared classification. This was due to their ruthless nature as well as their habit of moving in packs.
It was marked with shimmering silver patterns that shifted continuously across its body. Jim had never seen anything like it.
He swallowed hard. This beast had to be above intermediate class; low and black-class beasts had already been documented in the public database.
He cursed his luck. There was no way out of this.
The creature moved toward him slowly, its gaze fixed on him like a predator eyeing prey. Jim wanted to run, but his body wouldn't respond. He was no longer in control.
His heart pounded so rapidly it felt like it might break free from his chest. The beast stopped just inches from him, lowering its head to meet his eyes. It studied him, as if measuring how best to devour him.
Jim felt faint from sheer fear.
Suddenly, a ding rang in his head, causing him to flinch.
[Warning: Your health is at 1%], a mechanical voice announced.
Jim was stunned.
Whose health? Who was speaking?
His eyes began to blur again. He desperately tried to stay conscious, but he couldn't even clench his fists.
The last thing he saw was the face of the terrifying beast before everything went dark.
The creature watched as the small human collapsed to the ground. Curious, it tilted its head.
"Did it die?" it wondered.
Listening closely, it detected a faint heartbeat. Realising Jim was still alive, it opened its large jaws, gently bit the back of his shirt, and dragged him away.
"How weak," it muttered as it disappeared into the shadows.
...