Terrestrial Savior Archetype - T.S.A Chapter 3 (part 2): Choice and Focus (1)

-Find a savior and help him or take the role and walk the path of salvation yourself.

It lingered in sight like a quest notification in a game, refusing to disappear.

Find and help the Savior… or take his role…

The meaning of taking his role was clear enough.

It meant to kill.

The problem was that no one, including the Team Leader, Jo Sun-woong, wanted to kill anyone.

Just a while ago, he was filled with determination.

It was a typical situation where the Division Chief started losing his temper.

Perhaps that was why he gave a terrible answer to the last question in the survey.

-Question 8: If you were destined to die in 24 hours, what would you do with the remaining time?

“…I want to kill Business Division Manager Choi Joo-yeol.”

Although that answer was sincere, his thoughts changed after receiving the role of “Predator.”

As soon as he stood in front of the Division Chief, his determination vanished like melting snow.

He still disliked the man, but he didn’t want to kill him personally.

Therefore, he could naturally anticipate that he wouldn’t be able to kill Assistant Manager Park for any reason.

He was far from being a merciless killer.

‘Could this person be the Savior?’

Team Leader Jo asked in his subconscious, just as he did when answering the survey.

However, no answer came back.

Meanwhile, Jeong-woo was looking at the employees lined up behind Team Leader Jo.

The atmosphere over there began to stir rapidly.

At first, a few people only glanced at their phones, but soon vibrations spread from all directions.

Messages about transfers, accidents, and more were flooding in.

“I received a call. It’s Kim Jong-tae.”

“Honey, what’s going on?”

“Father…?”

The moment they brought their phones to their faces with anxious expressions.

Bang!

A loud noise erupted from outside.

Was there a traffic accident?

Judging by the volume and vibration, it wasn’t too far away.

But some employees who were in the middle of a call didn’t even care about such things.

They were more frightened by the sounds coming through their phones.

Voices filled with fear from spouses, parents, children, and friends.

Meanwhile, some couldn’t even confirm the voice of the person who called. Only the sound of something breaking or glass shattering could be heard from their phones still in the “call in progress” state.

“Where are you now? Are you at home?”

“Honey! What’s going on? I can’t hear you well!”

“You, you… Who the hell is this?”

Fear spreads quickly.

As colleagues who received “urgent calls” rushed out with pale faces, the remaining people were also consumed by a sense of impending doom.

“What… What is happening…?”

‘It doesn’t feel like a time to be at work.’

It was still unsettling because their own phones hadn’t rung yet.

There could be a possibility that the other person was unable to make calls.

“…”

After a brief silence, everyone scattered in all directions as if they had made a tacit agreement.

They rushed to their seats, grabbed their belongings, and started making calls to their loved ones.

“What the hell! Why aren’t you picking up?”

“Honey, is everything okay there? What about the kids? Where are they now?”

Some were already sobbing, but they still managed to gather their belongings with both hands.

Those who were quick to act even grabbed a few office supplies and headed for the door.

Among those who were neither calling nor receiving calls were Team Leader Jo Sun-woong and Assistant Manager Park Jeong-woo.

And Kim Jae-hyung, the new employee in the Planning Department, who was standing near them, was in the middle of making a call, but…

“…Ah.”

The call didn’t connect.

In response to Jae-hyung’s deep sigh, Jeong-woo looked at him sympathetically.

Then Team Leader Jo asked Jeong-woo.

“Don’t you want to go check on your family, Assistant Manager?”

It was Team Leader Jo’s characteristic to address everyone with respect, regardless of their position.

And Jeong-woo was no different.

Since he was not good at putting his words nicely to others, he felt some kind of affinity with Team Leader Jo, who showed similar traits.

“I have to go. My father is at home.”

Team Leader Jo slightly raised his head at Jeong-woo’s answer.

‘If his father is at home, why didn’t he try calling?’

Anyway, in a situation where the world is falling apart, Team Leader Jo’s only concern was finding the Savior and his own survival.

He had already lost both of his parents and had been living alone all this time, so there was no one he could ask about their well-being.

His life was so lonely and suffocating, he thought.

“If it’s okay with you, I can give you a ride to your place. It would be difficult to take a bus or subway in this situation.”

Actually, Team Leader Jo didn’t know this fact beforehand.

That Jeong-woo didn’t have a car.

But even if he were to give a salary to an employee at the assistant manager level in this small company, how much could he give?

Just by looking at the scene of employees leaving work, he could tell how many people were driving their own cars.

“Um…”

Jeong-woo hesitated at the unexpected offer.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have any fondness for Team Leader Jo, who always showed him respect, but the conversation was different this time.

‘What does it mean to be a predator? Is it someone to be avoided or not?’

He liked the person, but the situation was frightening because of the role assigned to him.

Team Leader Jo still showed no expression on his face.

What was his intention for doing this? Did he really think this side was the Savior, or was he just curious about the strange signs?

Jeong-woo felt like he was standing at a branching point in a game scenario.

Of course, it was grateful that Team Leader Jo, who had ten essences, reached out first. However, increasing uncontrollable variables was a dangerous move.

Whether it was about Team Leader Jo and the ominous role of the predator or not, there was one significant variable that he had to face.

That is.. his father.

‘How would you answer the question? If your father… … ‘

The questions were so wicked that the expression ‘malicious’ naturally came to mind.

Jeong-woo couldn’t even imagine what role his father received as a result of the survey. He didn’t know about others, but he definitely wouldn’t be the Savior.

Kwoong!

Another loud noise came from outside the building.

It was much closer than the first sound.

Most of the employees had already left with their belongings.

Now, only the bewildered new employee Kim Jae-hyung and a few others who were still attempting to make phone calls remained.

“…”

As Jeong-woo looked towards the exit, Team Leader Jo followed his gaze and spoke.

“Let’s go, Jeong-woo. If we delay any longer, there might not be any cars left.”

Although Team Leader Jo was simply mentioning his concerns, those words became the decisive factor that moved Jeong-woo’s heart.

‘That’s right. If I hesitate, there’s a higher chance of being trapped here. I’d rather go to an area I’m familiar with. I don’t want to face the end of the world in the company.’

Jeong-woo recollected the information given by the Earth.

First, over the course of 42 days, the Earth would be closed off.

Second, entities not belonging to Earth would take away the essence.

Third, the essence was both a weapon and armor. When someone dies, it falls to the ground, and others can pick it up.

Fourth, to fully resolve this situation, he must find the Savior and help him.

Fifth, he himself was a Savior.