Without needing to say more, I already knew their fate.
Is there something wrong with the road ahead?
At this moment, the importance of the boy behind them who kept chattering about various game settings became apparent.
Facing the giant rats closing in from all sides, I turned my head slightly and asked him, "Do you know where we should break through in this situation?"
"...The best...the best solution is now, in the direction the protagonist left in the past."
After a brief silence, a trembling voice rang out again: "According to the setting in [Tartaros], the direction everyone left in was because a small hole appeared in the middle of the railway, which caused the train to stop running. But after the giant rats appeared, that small hole will be transformed into a huge fault capable of directly destroying the entire elevated track as the giant rats keep emerging and gnawing at it."
"I originally planned to leave the railway before the fault line appeared and get into the safe zone of the nearby station, or turn back before the protagonist appeared, but now both of those paths are blocked."
"Are you afraid that bastard will kill you too?"
I asked, raised my hand and swung the crowbar, slapping a giant rat that tentatively pounced towards me directly down the nearby railing.
A soft, hesitant "hmm" came from behind.
"Although the protagonist acts crazy in the game, I still don't want to meet someone like that in real life."
I remained silent.
Although there may be people who worship the great power it possesses, resisting the existence of such people is indeed an instinct ingrained in people's subconscious.
So what kind of lousy design is this game? Why did they have to put such a madman at the beginning, who's so hard to kill?
"Fine. So now there's only one path left." I sighed. "Do you still have the strength to fight these giant rats? With this?"
"...If it's just for a little while, it should be okay, right?"
"Then take it first."
I shoved the crowbar into his hand, not even noticing his sudden slump, and gestured for us to move towards the nearest railing: "Could you tell me the key to completing this mission?"
You mean teaching tasks?
Perhaps noticing that the main attacker had been moved, the giant rats that had been hesitant after I had driven away three with my stick started to stir again, emitting sharp cries more frequently.
After switching positions, the boy standing in front, although he looked weak, managed to maintain a strong facade once the madman's figure was far away. He wielded the iron rod with a certain imposing presence, though his attack power was not much.
Fine beads of cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck, hidden by his short, blue hair, dampening his clothes and revealing his fatigue in no time: "Although the mission condition is to ensure my own survival, and the name is Survival and Defense, there is a hidden piece of information that is not written on the panel."
"Is it related to the safe zone you mentioned before?"
"Yes. Although there may not be a safe zone in the nearby rooms, it is certain that the two stations before and after this railway line are both safe zones. This is because the next mission takes place near each station, and the main storyline of the game mostly unfolds based on moving to the station ahead."
I see.
In that case, it might not be too much trouble.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, I braced myself against the half-meter-high railing behind me, and with a little effort, I jumped up. I nimbly crouched down to maintain my balance, and then focused a little magic power into my eyes, turning my head to look back.
Previously, through the train window, I could see countless building blocks that had been destroyed and were now crooked. In contrast, countless green plants had grown large and lush, with fine gray-black veins on their spreading leaves. When they came together, they looked like a vast, dark green ocean from above.
The trees seemed to be growing under the influence of some force. A few that were not shaded by the sun had grown much taller than the railing I was standing on, their dark bark wrinkled in one place, exuding an ominous aura.
I knew that ominous power was not magic, and so I frowned.
"Sir! What should we do now?"
The boy's anxious calls brought me back to reality. Giant rats had already gathered within a meter of us, thrashing and attacking us relentlessly. It was only thanks to the boy's occasional swings of his crowbar that we were gradually driven back; otherwise, with nearly thirty of them, they would have already rushed up and buried us all.
However, the boy could have actually escaped just now.
Before the giant rats could finish surrounding him, I handed him my only weapon, then he abandoned me, brandished his crowbar, and ran away quickly, hoping to find a way to survive for himself.
I had no intention of finding out why he didn't abandon me and run away. Instead, I turned my gaze to the bridge pier beneath my feet, as if I could see through its exterior and into its cracking interior.
“I do have a plan that can guarantee our survival,” I said calmly, observing the standoff between the boy and the giant rats. “However, I need to know if these trees that have grown up nearby are in danger.”
"Trees?"
The tired voice paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "No, not yet. These trees are just trees for now. They will only become trees after the monsters officially appear..."
"One last question."
I interrupted him, placing my hand on his shoulder: "Do you believe me?"
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