For a moment, my mind failed to register what I had just heard.
Fable? Fate?
These were words deeply rooted in fiction, concepts so far from reality—yet at the same time, they felt strangely familiar. Where had I heard them before?
"Did you hear that? I'm not the only one hearing voices in my head, right?" Angelica muttered beside me, but I barely listened. I was too busy frantically scrolling through my smartphone like I'd lost my mind.
Impossible. It couldn't be... it's simply impossible!
The terms ringing in my ears were ones I had only encountered in a novel. It had to be my imagination. But if I had paid attention to what Angelica said, I would have realized this wasn't just a figment of my mind.
My heart pounded as I opened a live feed of Hongdae and checked the current situation. Multiple voices poured into my ears.
"What's going on?"
"Did you hear that just now?"
"So I wasn't the only one who heard it."
"Is this a prank?"
It was December 31, 2023, the last day of the year. Hongdae was teeming with people celebrating the holiday. But there was another reason I was fixated on the live feed. In the novel Song of Nightmares, Hongdae was the center stage for the announcement.
If what was happening wasn't an illusion or a prank, then that person would be arriving soon.
Just as I feared, something blurred into view, as if the world itself were glitching. Hovering in the air was a tiny girl—no larger than a forearm. Four pairs of delicate wings fluttered behind her black dress, and her dark-pink hair floated gently around her.
It's exactly as written..
"What is that? A pixie?" Angelica was also glued to her phone. I barely noticed. My mind was racing, filled with uncontrollable thoughts.
Why? Why? Why is this happening?!
Reality and fiction were overlapping. This had to be a lie. A sick joke.
There was no way this could be real. The girl floating before the camera was undeniably a fairy—a being destined to bring the start of all stories and lead thousands to their deaths.
Maybe it was because I was the only reader of the novel, I already knew what will happen next.
[A#@!&... A#@!&]
The fairy's voice echoed, loud and clear, but the words were incomprehensible. Confusion spread like wildfire.
"What the hell is that?"
"Is this a prank from the government?"
Mutters spread around the crowd. The pixie's expression turned annoyed. She tried again, and this time, I heard the proper pronunciation of Korean.
[Finally, this is much better. Although there was a slight delay, It seems the world language has finally settled into this world.]
"Hey, what are you doing now?"
[Hmm?]
"What's going on? Are you filming? Is this some kind of prank? Whatever it is, you're interrupting the bell-ringing ceremony,"
A bold young man in the crowd called out. His face was hidden from the camera, but I knew exactly who he was.
He was going to be used to set an example.
[Filming? Prank? It's not either of those. Wait, don't tell me you guys don't know about the Fables?]
"Fables? What's that? You mean a short story?"
[Tch! Tch! This is such a hassle... Now I have to explain everything. Why didn't the administrators handle this? How irritating.]
"What the hell are you talking about?"
[Anyways, since it has come to this. Everyone gather around, I have something very important to say.]
"This brat, did you hear what I said? Go away!"
The bold actor approached the fairy and tried to grab her from the air.
It always starts with the young man who defies the will of a higher being.
[Tck.]
The pixie made an irritated sound.
It happened right then and there.
Splat!
Without warning, the young man's head exploded like a balloon. Blood and gore splattered across the crowd.
The people nearby screamed in terror.
Suddenly, the figure of the pixie gradually became blurry.
A moment later, a message rang out.
[Wolrd channel has been opened.]
[The constellations have entered the chatroom.]
[The spectating function has been enabled.]
[Sponsorship has been enabled.]
A transparent window flashed before everyone's eyes including me.
[The First Fable has been generated.]
+
[First Fable – Will of Survival]
Category: Main
Difficulty: F
Clear conditions: Survive by killing a living being.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Compensation: 500 coins
Failure: Death
+
[Good luck, everyone. Put up a good performance and try not to die miserably. The gods are watching.]
"Hey wait, what does this mean?!"
"Don't disappear now!"
The people became even more noisy that they did not notice the strange phenomena occurring before them.
'It's starting."
The moment that would plunge this world into nothing but tragedies.
Zzzzzt—!
A loud noise rang from the receiver.
It was so loud that I had to temporarily cover my ears. It was the same for Angelica and she screamed. But it would be worse for the people in Hongdae.
[The surroundings is being filled with dark ether.]
[The dead below will be influenced by the dark ether.]
[The dead below are being corrupted by the darkness.]
[The dead will rise and become demonic people.]
Kkk—gukuk—
Crack! Kkk—
The ground split apart, and never-seen-before creatures emerged from the depths. Hideous monsters with rotten flesh and a foul stench.
"Guuuuahhhh—!"
"Gyaaaa—"
The creatures started marching and the people were filled with panic.
"Monsters!"
"Zom-Zombies... it's fucking zombies!"
Creatures that could only be found in friction were chasing down the people and chased terror in Hongdae.
The zombies pounced on the fleeing citizens and ate at their flesh. Fathers, Mothers, Children. It was a indiscriminate slaughter. Suddenly, Hongdae became a bloodbath.
With a loud scream, the live feed came to an end. It looks like the cameraman was killed.
BOOOOM!
With a massive roar, the hospital building shook. That sound, it came outside the window.
Slowly, I walked towards the window and Angelica followed behind me. Once we reached the window, we could only watch the scene outside unfold.
The terror has reached even here. Screams, Cries, Death and Despair. As the last reader, this was a world only I knew. A world of pain and tragedies.