Chapter 4

Faced with the city burning in a fiery red, I stood there in a daze.

(…Right! I’m such an idiot!)

When my brain finally grasped what was happening before my eyes, the first thing that came to my mind was regret.

I had mistakenly assumed that since the protagonist of this world wasn’t a "city boy who dreams of being an adventurer," the event of the city of Earth being attacked wouldn’t occur. However, even if I had chosen a different background, the city of Earth would still have been attacked and destroyed by monsters. In other words, even if the protagonist hadn’t unsealed the trial cave, the attack on the city of Earth would still have taken place.

It was likely that the unsealing of the trial cave was just a trigger, or perhaps the timing of the monster attack coincidentally overlapped, and there was no significant connection.

(If I had just thought a little more, I could have predicted this!)

I clenched my teeth in frustration at my own carelessness. At that moment, a gust of wind blew away the smoke rising from the city for a brief moment, followed by a burning heat and the nauseating smell of something burning.

“Terrible…”

I heard someone mutter behind me, and I completely agreed. The city, which was supposed to be fortified with high walls, was being attacked from the air. Countless gargoyles and flying devils covered the sky above the city, and normal monsters were being dropped by the gargoyles.

“Paratroopers…!”

Each of those gargoyles was as strong as a mid-game monster, meaning they had the abilities of a seasoned adventurer. It was clear, not just logically but instinctively, that this was something that couldn’t be withstood.

The scene was nauseating, but that wasn’t all that caught my eye.

“There, there! Someone…!”

“Huh!”

I quickly lowered my gaze and saw a figure being attacked by a gargoyle. When I saw the gargoyle’s attack being absorbed into the figure’s chest, my blood boiled.

“Damn!!”

“Mr. Rex!?”

Leaving behind someone’s surprised voice, I had already rushed forward.

(Why! Why is this event happening here… Ah, screw it, I’ll think about it later!)

I forced my confused thoughts to the side and channeled magic power into my sword.

“…<Gale Sword>!”

I traced an infinity symbol with my sword, activating the skill that increases movement speed. Instantly, a terrifying acceleration kicked in. The wind resistance surged, and I approached the destination at a speed that made my feet tangle.

(Ah, come on, really!)

I had just died helping someone, and here I was, not learning from my mistakes. But…

“Gargoyles, nothing more than that!”

The gargoyle, focused on attacking, had its back exposed. I delivered a powerful blow to its back.

(<Shadow Concentrated Thrust>!)

A thrust that felt like unscrewing a screw, executed in one fluid motion.

“GAAAAAAH!”

Gargoyles are not usually the kind of enemies that the initial Rex could defeat with one hit. But the gargoyle let out a shrill scream and disappeared.

(Speed correction and back vulnerability are still in effect. No, that’s not the point right now!)

I turned my gaze from the disappearing gargoyle and rushed to the person who had been attacked.

“Are you okay!?”

The person being attacked by the gargoyle was a girl with bright blue hair. The injured girl, upon seeing me, smiled in relief.

“I’m… glad. Rex… nii… san…”

“Huh…?”

I froze for a moment at the unexpected words.

“The city… is under attack… Run…”

After saying that, she closed her eyes as if she had run out of strength.

(That’s right, this is…)

In the game, after defeating the sealed demon and exiting the cave, the city was under attack by monsters. The girl lying in front of the city was this girl. According to the dialogue, she was Rex’s sister who lived in the city of Earth, and her name was… Recilia, I believe.

Recilia, who had come to find Rex, informed him of the city’s destruction and told him to run, then died.

It was supposed to be an event that heightened the tension and despair at the beginning of the game.

(Who cares about that now!)

I focused my consciousness on my left hand and accessed the inventory, a feature everyone had in the game. I took out a healing potion from the inventory and applied it to the girl’s wounds.

“…!”

The unconscious girl groaned softly, but her painful wounds quickly closed. By the time I used up all my healing potions, her wounds were completely gone, and her complexion had improved.

(This should be enough, right?)

In the game, when the protagonists exited the cave, there were no monsters near Recilia, and she was already on the verge of death. Probably because we didn’t fight the sealed demon, the encounter with her happened a little earlier than in the game.

Perhaps my actions had slightly altered the event.

“Hey, old man! It’s bad!”

However, I wasn’t given time to think. When I looked up at Rad’s words, I saw a group of gargoyles on the city wall noticing us and starting to stir.

“…We’re running.”

I readjusted the unconscious girl in my arms and immediately turned away from the city.

“But the city…!”

“It’s impossible.”

The gate was firmly closed from the inside, and the city was filled with a horde of monsters that even Rex couldn’t defeat. Going to help was not an option…

“But that’s Mana’s hometown! Her family and friends are probably…!”

However, Rad’s cry shattered my cold calculations. I turned to Mana in surprise.

She lowered her head for a moment but then spoke clearly.

“…Let’s run.”

“Sorry.”

I felt guilty, but going to help would only result in a futile death. We had to get away as quickly as possible…

“But! Which way do we run?”

But the next words from Mana reminded me of the harsh reality.

Right.

I remember.

I remember clearly now.

If the protagonist starts as a "city boy who dreams of being an adventurer," the initial party members are determined by a choice. And that choice is here.

There are two towns we can go to from here. The small fishing village, "Umina," to the north of the next fork, and the town "Rikxia," to the east, which is reached by retracing the path to the trial cave and then heading east.

—This choice of destination will determine our fate.

If we head east to Rikxia, we’ll be ambushed by gargoyles just before reaching the town. I… Rex will fight desperately, but we won’t be able to protect the party from the overwhelming number of gargoyles, and all the new adventurers except the protagonist will be killed.

If we head north to Umina, a level 60 monster, Doom Demon, will appear as a pursuer, and Rex will take the brunt of the attack. The new adventurers, including the protagonist, will manage to reach Umina, but Rex will be killed despite his efforts.

East or north, the ultimate choice.

If we choose east, three young lives will be lost. If we choose north, I will die.

No matter which we choose, there will be sacrifices, and we will never see the abandoned comrades again.

“Don’t joke. This isn’t a joke.”

Sweat poured out of me.

What is this?

Wait.

Please, just wait…

I’m just a salaryman.

I lived a comfortable life surrounded by modern conveniences in Japan.

How can I suddenly be faced with a choice between life and death?

“Old man! They’re…!”

Looking up, I saw the gargoyles on the city wall about to take off towards us. We had no time left.

I clenched my teeth.

I cursed the game writer who came up with this scenario in my heart.

(What should I do? What should I do?)

But staying here would only result in a pointless death. The gazes were on me.

I, the one who chose—

I don’t have that much stock, but since it’s New Year’s, I want to do something festive.

Anyway, the next one will be around evening!