AFFINITY: CHAOS

Chapter 1578  Do Not Open II

"The police aren't picking up, what do we do?" A worried man asked another after repeatedly trying to reach the police.

"I know the president, I will contact him right this minute." Another man picked up his phone.

Duke looked at the both of them. He knew the other that had offered to call the president. He didn't know him personally, but he knew him by name. And he was a soldier in the other story, and also one of the supporting characters. But he was almost certain this was not how the soldier was introduced in the story.

"There's no need for that. The president is live and making a speech!" A voice drew the attention of everyone in the cabin.

Immediately everyone brought out their phones and tuned to the right source to watch the president.

Duke, not having his phone quietly peeped at the nearest person to see for himself.

"Dear citizens, there have been reports of unidentified attacks, in our country as well as many others…"

Without finishing his sentence a sudden sound was heard making everyone almost jerk away from their phones. The president's head exploded.

"I already told you." The familiar looking creature that had left a while ago had found its way to the podium. "This is not some joke!"

It stopped fawning and turned back to the camera. "You think we are playing a game right? Fine. According to my research people from this world like games. Let's raise the difficulty, shall we?"

A ding sound was heard and everyone looked at the mini screen that was in front of them. The time had reduced drastically.

~You have four minutes left~

"If the first death doesn't occur within the next four minutes, evey living thing in the train will be dead." The creature said maliciously with a sick laugh.

The events were unfolding the exact same way in the beginning of the novel, but Duke couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right.

"Why hasn't he appeared yet?" Duke wondered.

If he remembered correctly, the main character of the story should be making an entrance any minute now. Every other thing seemed to be taking its course already.

There was a ding on the mini screen. Duke immediately checked what changed. Just as he thought, the survivors received an attribute… a skill to say.

Duke tapped on it but it didn't open. He frowned when this happened. If he doesn't access his attribute window, he won't be able to identify his skill or know if he possesses one.

"I wonder if this is happening in the cabin behind us." A man suddenly spoke out loud.

Duke quickly looked up to check the cabin numbers for anything that seemed similar.

'Bingo!' He found what was wrong.

He finally realized why the main character hadn't shown up yet. The reason the events around Duke were unfolding a tad differently from what he remembered, was because the main character of this world, was actually in the cabin behind him.

"Given the challenges we are facing, I think it's very clear what they want us to do and we better do it fast." A man suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention. He continued, "We best get rid of those that can't survive…" He slurred his words as he looked at someone in particular.

Duke remembered who he was, Jas Mintu.

It felt as if he was reading that part of the novel as he watched the scenario unfold.

The mother, realizing her daughter was the target, suddenly stands up with a death stare to protect her daughter.

But that didn't stop Jas as he pushed her away and made to grab the child. However, he was pushed back by others standing at the side.

"You can't do that to a child." A robust man rebuked

"You don't get it? Nobody is coming to save us! And someone has to die!" He explained, "We have to pick the ones who will die. It's kill or be killed. Who can blame us when our own lives are on the line?"

With that said he rushed to grab the child once again, but her mother stopped him by jumping on the way.

"Fine then, I'll just start with you." The woman's eyes widened in fear but she didn't move. What she didn't expect was the newly acquired instrument Jas held.

"Die!" Jas yelled as he raised it midair and hit her on the head with it.

Duke felt strange watching someone try to kill another in front of him. He remembered Jas as one of the earliest characters to accept the world before him. It was Jas Mintu who drove a wedge into the rupture and destroyed the sense of mortality that had been binding society together.

"Are you all going to sit? Do you all want to die?" Jas asked as he continues with the assault.

People started to gather and soon after they began to pounce on the woman alongside Jas.

The nameless mother became the first victim.

'If I carelessly meddle with the course of the story, there may be less of the original plot for me to work on.' Duke ponders as he was conflicted between watching the woman die or doing something. He still had to think of a way to survive.

But it wasn't fair at the same time to watch her die, he reasoned.

Duke's gaze slowly moves around the place.

'Where is it?' He wonders. After the futile attempt to find what he was looking for with his eyes, he slowly moves to where the little girl was seated, crying.

She looked at Duke with teary eyes as though he wanted to kill her too. A quick smile didn't seem to do the trick, but it resonated with hope, to her at least.

"I need that box you are holding. I know it's not your lunch." Duke whispered to the little girl.

Her eyes widened in surprise but she didn't hold back the box, she knew either gave it to him willingly or he might forcefully take it.

Duke opened the box hurriedly hoping the content is what he thinks it is, a sigh of relief left his mouth after seeing it. He took out one of the contents and placed it in the little girl's palm.

"Here, hold onto this and do whatever I say, okay?"

Duke pulled away from her without getting back a response to see to it that she understands. He stood in front of those assaulting the woman.

"Stop what you are doing! Killing that lady doesn't mean you're going to live!"

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to Duke.

"Let's say we kill her, what next?" He questioned the majority of those who had been pouncing on the poor woman.

"What next is that we go after her child, goddamnit!" Jas retorted.

"And then what next? We hopped onto one of us? Another person that is too weak to survive? Yes, we'd be able to buy some time if the woman dies because we killed something. But what will happen next? If what that creature said was in fact true, it means we have to kill at least one person each. So who will you kill next, will you kill the person beside you?" Duke tried to reason with the person aggravating the others.

"Isn't it obvious? We'll kill losers like you next" Jas replied. "Right guys?"

He questioned those that had joined in assaulting the lady but he didn't get the response he thought he would.

'Good, they are listening.'

"Why gamble our lives when there's a way to survive without becoming a murderer?" Duke asked.

And everyone started to murmur

"What?"

"Really?"

"How?"

Duke continued. "Have you forgotten? the scenario didn't say… we have to kill a human. It says we have to kill one or more living organisms."

Duke opened his hand and a roach came into view.

Before Duke got the chance to say more, they came rushing at him. The madness that had driven them to kill the woman, now pushed them straight at him.

'But why did he seem to like it?' Duke couldn't help but wonder. A smirk slowly crept on his face as an idea came to him.

Duke crushed the insect he held and swung the box midair making the insect creep out and start moving about.

-Your first kill mission has been accomplished.-

-You receive 100coins-

Duke smiled in relief while others were desperately looking to kill the insects that were moving too fast or flying midair.

Duke checked the remaining time and it was; one minute and some seconds left.

"Hey, you could have just handed the bugs over."

Duke turned just to see it was Jas.

"Just a few were in it. I didn't want to be partial."

Jas chuckles. "I like you, let's team up."

Immediately he said that. The mini screen in front of Duke dinged.

[Jas Bintu has expressed interest in you]

"Not interested."

If Duke hadn't read the novel he would have thought his survival would be guaranteed, but he did  that was why he declined. Duke was a reader who knows about Jas and his future, and after seeing him, he absolutely detests him.