Chapter 19. Safe Zones pt2
Shin Takamura glanced at the Safe Zones marked on his system interface. The closest one was in Tokyo. By train, it would take him roughly two hours to get there. He had to make it—no matter what.
But staying alive until then was the real challenge. He still lacked combat skills, but thanks to his upgraded stats, his body felt sharper and stronger—like a blade finally honed.
He ran like the rest of the panicked crowd, fleeing—but he did it smart. With guns now in play, he zigzagged as he moved, anticipating stray bullets. He could've taken his own route and avoided the herd entirely, but he figured most of the people running had no real confidence in their abilities. Meaning they weren't strong. Not like the ones chasing them... the ones laughing as they hurled fireballs and gunshots.
Still, he kept his distance. Just a few meters between himself and the nearest runner—enough space to avoid sudden crossfire or an impulsive betrayal.
Then came the roar of an engine.
A truck barreled down the road behind them—no doubt packed with lunatics looking to rack up kills and earn coins to live in luxurious safe zones. Screams erupted as people scattered.
Shin bolted to the side, sprang onto a trash bin, and vaulted onto a low rooftop. His upgraded agility carried him across buildings with ease, leaping from one to the next like a shadow. It wasn't the safest move—he ended up separated from the group—but it was the only one that kept him alive.
Gunshots rang out behind him. Then came the screams.
Men. Women. Children.
Shin clenched his fists. If only he'd reached those women before they died... he could've absorbed their skills instead of them dying for nothing.
He didn't stop until the train station came into view. Ducking into a nearby building, he took a moment to scout the area. It was packed—people cramming in, desperate to board and escape. But where there were people, there was blood. And where there was blood... there was death.