"Hey... Are you okay?"
I asked, but he just stood there.
Then, I noticed something from the door frame.
Shit shit shit, what the hell is happening?!
A strange creature, like a slime but pitch black, dripped down from the frame.
This doesn't look good at all!
Before I could even scream a warning, it dropped straight onto the back of Tyler's neck.
His body twitched slightly.
I tensed up, watching. But it didn't fall to the ground. That damn thing absorbed right into his skin and vanished.
A chill ran down my spine.
"Tyler… something just fell onto your neck!" I blurted out.
Tyler didn't react immediately. He just stood there, frozen like a statue.
Then, very slowly, he turned his head to look at me.
I froze.
His eyes were empty. No emotion. No anger. No pain. Just a hollow gaze piercing straight through me.
BANG!
That was all I heard.
Then a searing pain tore through my shoulder.
"A—!!"
I stumbled, blood spraying from the wound.
Tyler had just pulled out his revolver and shot me.
He… shot me.
No warning. No hesitation.
Just raised the gun and pulled the trigger.
Holy fuck, I'm screwed.
Tyler raised his gun again, his finger resting lightly on the trigger.
I knew that if I didn't act now, the next bullet wouldn't just hit my shoulder.
Without thinking, I bent down and scooped up a handful of dirt from the small garden in front of his house.
WHAP!
I threw it straight into Tyler's face.
Dust exploded in the air, clinging to his eyes. Instinctively, Tyler squeezed them shut, and at that exact moment—
BANG!
The second bullet missed, slamming into the brick wall behind me, shattering a large chunk.
I didn't hesitate for a second—I turned and ran.
Fuck! That damn slime is definitely controlling him!
I gritted my teeth, clutching my bleeding shoulder. I didn't dare look back. I just ran, as fast as I could—
Because if I slowed down even for a second, who knew where the next bullet would hit?
As I sprinted, a familiar sign caught my eye.
Weapon shop.
I froze.
…No other choice!
Running? No way. Tyler had a gun. If I kept running, I'd be shot down sooner or later.
That left me with only one option: fight to the end.
BANG!
The sign in front of the weapon shop exploded, as if urging me to move faster.
I dashed inside. Tyler approached slowly, his lifeless eyes scanning the area like a predator.
And the moment he opened the door—
WHOOSH!
An axe flew straight at his head.
Tyler tilted his head at the last second, barely dodging it, then swung his revolver, shooting the axe out of the air.
In the darkness, I stepped back, trying to hide. But Tyler didn't hesitate—he raised his gun and fired twice where I had just been standing.
BANG! BANG!
Two flashes lit up the room for a brief moment.
And in that instant—
A dagger shot toward him.
Tyler swiftly dodged to the side, the third bullet still unfired.
Looks like Kai's training paid off.
Tyler had no time to aim again. Before he could react—
WHAM!
Two kicks slammed into his stomach, sending him staggering back.
The perfect dropkick I always wanted to try!
I lunged, yanking the gun from his grip and pointing it straight at his head.
"You! Get the fuck out of his body!" I shouted, my finger tightening on the trigger.
"Get out of Tyler right now, or I'll shoot! I swear to God, one shot and your slimy ass is done for!"
Tyler was silent.
"Don't play dumb! I'll do it! You think I won't?!" I yelled.
"One shot, and that's it for you, you piece of shit!"
"…"
Dude, I think that's not working...
Tyler looked at the gun in my hand.
Then he did something I didn't expect.
He lunged—and headbutted me.
A wave of dizziness crashed over me. I staggered but held onto the gun.
Tyler grabbed my wrist, twisted it—forcing the gun toward my own head.
NONONO!
I gritted my teeth and yanked myself backward.
BANG!
The bullet grazed my cheek, burning hot.
Pain flared, fueling my anger. I shoved Tyler to the ground and bolted.
Fighting him head-on was suicide!
But as I ran, a thought struck me.
Tyler was strong, but something… was off.
He wasn't using any skills, even though I had no idea what his abilities were.
Maybe the slime didn't know how to use his body properly.
That was enough.
Even so, he still stronger than me.
I hid behind a house, heart pounding. Tyler stepped out of the weapon shop, twin swords in his hands.
I gritted my teeth and fired several shots.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
I froze.
Tyler sliced through every bullet in midair.
"…What the heck?"
I pulled the trigger again—
Click.
Out of ammo.
Shit.
I tossed the gun aside.
Now what?
I glanced around, searching for anything I could use as a weapon.
And then I saw it.
Something small and gleaming on the ground.
…What the hell is this?
I bent down and picked it up—a snake-shaped earring.
The moment I held it in my hand, Tyler—the predator slowly approaching me—suddenly changed.
He lunged.
BOOM!
His sudden burst of speed startled me. I barely had time to step back. The blade slashed through the air right in front of my face, missing by mere inches.
I hadn't even caught my breath before he swung again. I immediately dove to the ground, dodging just in time as his sword embedded itself into the nearby wall.
"Stuck!"
The sword was jammed.
I didn't waste the opportunity—I shot up and delivered a kick straight to his chin.
Tyler flinched slightly but didn't fall.
I backed away, gripping the earring tightly.
What the hell is this? Why did that monster suddenly get desperate? Does it have something to do with this?
No time to think. I turned to run.
But Tyler reacted instantly.
He yanked out his remaining sword—and threw it straight at me.
I tried to dodge.
Too late.
THUNK!
The blade drove straight into my calf.
Pain flared instantly.
"…Great," I gritted my teeth, staggering as I collapsed to the ground.
I struggled to stand, but the moment I looked up—
Tyler was already behind me.
He stared down at me, lifeless eyes betraying a flicker of something… almost like panic.
I sighed.
Goddamn it, I hate bad luck.
I looked at the earring in my hand, and a stupid idea popped into my head.
If that slime wanted this, that meant it was trying to protect it…
Which meant there was some kind of power in it, right?
This might be my only chance.
And if I was going to die anyway, why not piss that bastard off one last time?
A smirk curled onto my lips.
Tyler saw me lift the earring, and immediately, he ripped the sword from my leg, preparing for a fatal strike.
I flipped him off.
"FUCK YOU!"
And I put the earring on.