[Warning: Gory scenes ahead. You’ll be warned before the scene begins.]
Emyln stood before the mirror again in a daze. He blankly placed his hand on his chest, and feeling the beat of his heart, he gasped in relief—it was there… it was there!
“Was I given a second chance…?” Dina wondered out loud with a conflicted look before her darting eyes noticed the glowing Roman numeral representing the number three on Emyln’s forehead.
On touching the faint glowing mark on his forehead, a numeral suddenly faded, with the remaining numerals now representing the number two, and just then, Dina blanked out as a bunch of memories invaded her mind.
Emyln’s eyes widened in surprise as he dazedly touched his forehead, “Am… a witch?”
Not only was Emyln a witch, but he was also the last one, tasked with unsealing the sealed magician in order to have him prevent the end of the world. And surprisingly, the sealed magician was the target!
Another piece of information Dina got was about the witches’ taboo. Due to an ancient curse, the witches were to never mention their true identity to other creatures or their existence, and every trace of it would vanish. They would exist, but only in the memories and visions of the other witches, whereas other creatures would become oblivious to their existence.
Dina also found out from the memories that there was an artifact ingrained within Emyln that not only gave him the ability to enter the painting but also gave him three life chances to succeed in the task. However, Dina could instinctively tell that Emyln had failed even with those three chances.
Dina finally understood why Emyln was so resistant to socialization. He had watched as the sorcerers killed all his kinsmen, with him as the only surviving witch, and having also been tasked with such an important task, of course, he wouldn’t have time to keep mingling with kids!
Casting all of that aside, did she just lose her first life out of carelessness? Damn!
Just before she could continue criticizing herself, a loud bang brought her back to reality. It was the same as before, with the voice screaming for help before being ripped apart, blood flowing through the crack of the door along with the decapitated finger that peeked through the gap. Everything happened exactly as in her first life.
However, this time Dina was calm. She told Zero to hand over her bow and arrow as she readied herself. If that thing broke through the door, she’d shoot it dead! After all, there was no one around to see, and she’d rather OOC than lose another life!
Emyln stood silently without making a single sound. He suppressed his breathing and maintained stillness like a mountain. While being as still as possible, he also made sure to tighten his grip on the bow and arrow, ready to strike if need be.
Fortunately, being silent seemed to work, as soon the distant gnarls of the monster were heard as it trailed away from the door. After maintaining the same position for a while to confirm that the creature had truly left, Emyln took a harsh breath in relief—it seemed these monsters were sensitive to sound.
“Good riddance. At least I escaped that one,” Emyln said with a gasp as he threw his head back, dramatically sighing with his hand on his chest.
According to the information, the Game of Seals would soon begin. Apparently, it was named that because the sorcerers would use the game to unseal despair and doom to the world or something like that, not that Dina cared. For now, she decided to plan her next actions before the game began.
To survive this game, she’d have to use everything in her arsenal. Of course, that’s also in consideration of the recent OOC rule, which was very fucking annoying by the way, but she was sure to get around it somehow.
Firstly, she needed weapons. Although she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to use them, she still had to at least try something.
A bow and arrow would be too flashy and would count as OOC. In fact, any weapon that couldn’t be used secretly was a problem for Dina because although Emyln was trained in weaponry, this was not known by others, so it may be counted as OOC if he was suddenly so good with weapons. Additionally, attracting the sorcerers’ attention was a recipe for disaster and something she’d very much not want, so she needed a more discreet weapon.
Luckily, her skills were not only limited to archery. She had that veggie-killing skill—Knife Play, was it? It covered throwing, slicing, and slashing skills, and if she used the right knives, she could perfectly hide them in Emyln’s clothing without arousing suspicion.
{T/N: I noticed I called it a college; it’s actually a high school.}
Kryptonuim High School had dress codes for both boys and girls. They did not allow casual wear, but instead, the students had to wear uniforms to school.
For the boys: a white button-down shirt that could change to long sleeves or short sleeves based on the weather, navy blue trousers/khaki shorts with the latter having to pair with the short-sleeved shirt and the former with the long-sleeved shirt.
Knee-high socks/ankle-length socks that were navy blue with white stripes at the edge and a pair of black leather shoes. A navy blue short tie with white stripes, a black belt, and lastly, a navy blue blazer.
For the girls: the same pair of shirts, socks, shoes, and blazers. But, unlike the boys, they wore pleated skirts that were mandated by the school to always be at knee length.
Apart from their strict dress code that was never to be altered, everything else was pretty much okay, including piercings, tattoos, dyed hair, and contacts. It was mainly a school for rich kids, so it was understandable the kids were given that amount of freedom.
Since it was summer, Emyln had worn a pair of shorts, a short-sleeve shirt, ankle-length socks, a black belt, and a pair of black leather shoes. He was jested and mocked for it because all the boys at school refused to put on that combination due to it closely resembling a middle schooler’s outfit, which made them feel ‘less manly.’
Thinking about it, Dina understood why Emyln never bothered with his mates; compared to him, they really were just a bunch of brats.
She decided to purchase a bunch of small knives, which she hid inside Emyln’s shoes, tie, and shirt. Confident in her throwing skills, she also purchased a bunch of needles, which she hid in Emyln’s hair and chest pocket, and finally, all preparations were complete!
Just as Emyln was busy smoothing out the creases on his clothes, he was teleported away from the bathroom.
****
‘I’m still not sure who the seer is, but witches are known to be drawn to magical creatures. With that trait and the omniscient guide, I should find them, and hopefully before the sorcerers do.’
Snapping out of his thoughts, Emyln looked around his surroundings. They had been transported to the school hallway, where assemblies and other school activities were usually held.
Some students were covered with blood and were either retching, quivering, or sobbing miserably. It didn’t take a whistleblower for one to know they had just killed their zombie friends to survive.
A different group was still panicked and rattled about like a tambourine, turning left and right to ensure there were no more zombies pursuing them, while another set had collapsed on the ground, too exhausted and drained to show any reaction other than silence.
And lastly, there was the group of students with a red light in their eyes; one could see the rage under their fiery gaze. It was obvious that this group was not ready to give in to their fear.
But no matter what reaction they showed, something was predominant in it—terror. After all, just minutes ago, classes were going on like normal when teachers suddenly began leaping through the window and plummeting to their death, and when the students rushed up to stop them, they turned to zombies, and from there everything went downhill.
The students who turned began attacking the others, throwing the school into a state of utter chaos, with the unturned struggling for their survival by either running, hiding, or fighting back. However, by the end of the day, more than half of the population had turned to zombies.
With such an insane situation, which only happened in fiction, manifesting in reality out of nowhere, of course, the normal reaction would be shock and terror! Some students had even directly passed out from shock!
Dina sighed in pity for these children. Her habits from world two had kicked in, and before she knew it, she had completed her observation. Sure enough, they were teens and young adults at most. Her guess was that there was no one even older than the fake age Emyln had used before—19 years; yet they were facing such a horrific event… how unlucky.
No seer was sensed, probably due to the huge oppressive magic the sorcerers had draped over the whole school. The only way Emyln could sense the seer with this insane magical coverage was if they were closer to them.
‘Gosh, I really hope they don’t die before I find them,’ Dina thought depressingly; this situation was looking very bleak.
Just then, a loud androgynous voice boomed through the hallways, startling everyone and capturing their attention. It reverberated throughout the surrounding, as if coming from speakers placed strategically around the hallway. It was clear, concise, and seemed to ring in everyone’s head, yet its words were like a sharp dagger twisting into the hearts of many.
“Children! I congratulate you on your strength! I cannot believe for the life…,” It paused, “Or... death of me that so many of you would survive the starting event. Let me see, hm, oh! 300 out of 712 survived?! That’s impressive, considering how contagious those damn things are….” The voice said leisurely like a chatty individual talking about the random relatable things that happened in their lives rather than the deaths of over 500 people.
More students broke down crying while others stayed completely vigilant, wondering just where the voice was coming from. However, the voice seemed oblivious to their hatred and despair or even possibly overjoyed by it as it got more jovial.
“Oh! I see so many weeping for the friends they killed! You don’t really need to, you see, you saved your friends from eternal suffering. Zombies are undead after all; they’re like ghosts who died horribly and are forever tormented. Your undead friends are in a constant state of pain, alive and well in a rotting, ever-hungry body as they live in despair and entrapment forever and ever…. Comrades, I tell ya! I feel deep comradeship with them… oh… fine, I’ll go straight to the point,” the voice seemed to reply to an unknown being in a coy tone, like a child pouting after being scolded by their favorite parent.
The students’ reactions became more amplified. Many cried with anger and sadness, while others threw caution to the wind, screaming and cursing out the unknown voice. Some were more stoic, while others were openly having a mental breakdown. A bunch tried to cover their ears to stop hearing those cruel words, but they seemed to echo through their minds with no obstruction, making them buckle in frustration.
The voice giggled in pure glee, it was obviously enjoying their despair very much. After all, that was the whole aim of everything.
“Alright, alright, enough joking around! Anyone else who makes a fuss from now on dies,” its jovial tone dropped to a cold tone as it threatened.
Instantly everyone quieted down. No matter how broken they were, they still wanted to survive. And if the ‘voice’ truly was the perpetrator of the recent incident, then it was probably wise not to mess with it. Everyone was smart enough to understand this…. At least most of them were.
^^^^^^^ [GORY SCENE BELOW]^^^^^^^
“WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN TO YOU…YOU MURDERER?! Do you think you’ll go free with this?! Using us for science experiments… the law will never let you go! My mothe—AHH!!!!” before the audacious female could complete her complaint, her whole body became as malleable as rubber, and before the very eyes of everyone, a gory scene was enacted.
The girl felt an agonizing pull, her limbs began to twist unnaturally, drawn inward towards her torso. Her head followed, neck bending at a sickeningly abnormal angle forcing her face into her own chest. A horrific ripping sound filled the air as her hands, which were now inside her body, ripped apart her stomach, blood and viscera spluttered out; her intestines and organs spilling out as her head pushed through the gaping wound.
Her eyes bulged in horror, staring out from within her own body. Her agape mouth was filled with her insides and hair, and from its quivering, it could be seen that somehow, she was still very much alive. Her hands and feet, which had turned grotesquely inward, revealing their muscular structure, forced themselves through the tear of her stomach, followed by her arms and legs, contorted and broken.
With a final, bone-chilling cackle, her entire body inverted. Skin, muscles, and bones twisted and folded upon themselves until the inside of her body was exposed to the outside. Her insides, now her outsides, were a horrible tangle of intestines and organs, spilling and sloshing with every abnormal movement. Blood poured in torrents, mixing with bile, viscera, and other bodily fluids, creating a disgusting pool beneath her. Her body, which had now become a sick parody of its former self, like a horrific picture depicted by AI brought to life, tumbled to the ground, quivering incessantly.
Yet she did not die. Absurdly, tears fell from her bloody eyes onto her inverted face, which was now on the wrong side of her body, showing that her light had not yet been extinguished. Her eyes seemed to plea for anyone to end her suffering, yet no one stepped forward; instead, they were all vomiting from the horrific sight.
^^^^^^^^^^^[Scene End]^^^^^^^^^^^
Emyln felt his head spin; he had been watching throughout the duration of the whole thing. The sorcerers had forced not only him but others to watch the entire ‘transformation’. They had also kept them from fainting even now, considering the number of people smashing their heads to the floor in a bid to pass out.
No matter how the ‘girl,’ who was now pretty much a mash of flesh, blood, and bones, pleaded, no one approached her. They were too scared, too shaken, and downright repulsed to even look at her, let alone approach her.
Dina knew she had to do something, at least she had killed, but this very scene was too much even for her, and not only was her mentality shaken, Emyln’s body was totally rooted to the ground, highly unlikely to move.
Not only that, the horrid odor coming from the ‘girl’ was so terrible that even Dina subconsciously didn’t want to go. The ‘girl’ had long been isolated, with everyone huddling to one side of the hall, yet even with how big the hall was, her stench could still be perceived everywhere.
“Hmm? Is no one going to end her suffering? If you do not, she’ll just become like the undead, forever suffering and never dying. No one’s stepping forward? Really?”
Just as Dina was still struggling to move, a dark-haired boy with glasses finally approached the ‘girl’ with much difficulty, “D-does anyone have a knife?”
Everyone was too shaken to reply, Dina did all she could to control Emyln, but his body stubbornly refused and stood rooted where it was. Fortunately, with a burst of motivation, a blonde-haired girl slid a long kitchen knife she had taken from the school’s kitchen to the boy.
She nodded at him, which he responded to with a nod of his own, and holding his breath, he hurried quickly to the ‘girl’ and stabbed the knife into her. Blood flowed even more, but he wasn’t sure if he succeeded, so he stabbed again, and again, and again. Till his whole body was stained with blood, and the disgusting smell the ‘girl’ emitted invaded his nostrils, causing him to vomit all the contents in his stomach.
But he had succeeded, for the ‘girl’s’ eyes became dim, holding the blank gaze of a corpse. She had finally gotten her peace.
Watching as a pair of helpful hands carried the exhausted male away, Dina looked back at her quivering hands. Even after so much she had been through… why was she still such a coward!
“Wow, such chivalry~. Oh, what a brave young man. Now I like you,” the voice said, sending shivers down everyone’s spine.
They glanced at the boy with pity; it was unknown if being noticed and ‘liked’ was the best thing to happen to a person in this situation.
“Well, nice job killing that audacious little bitch. I personally would have preferred her eternal suffering… but this is enough to serve as a warning to you all. BE AT YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR.”
They didn’t need that reminder to do just that; no one wanted to die in such a horrible and painful manner. Besides, what if the next person isn’t even granted the privilege to be killed? It’s not like anyone would endanger themselves to spare another.
Satisfied with the bleak atmosphere, the voice continued with a creepily cheerful tone, “Very well then! Preparations have been done. The starting event is completed, and we will now introduce the main event. We are going to be playing a game; there are three trials in this game, and all you have to do is survive.”
It paused momentarily as if to let those words sink in, and it did sink in because everyone felt terrified at the thought of being in a game made by such a monster, especially if the zombies were just a ‘starting event’. In other words, a warm-up for the main thing? How terrible.
With a giggle in its voice, it continued, “In this game, you either die horribly or survive. There is no in-between, and there is no easy death, so do what you may to survive or give up all hope and die helplessly, and at the end of the game, I hope to be thoroughly satisfied by all of your deaths.”
And just like that, they got teleported away. The first trial had begun!!
---
[A/N] :
Long time no see guys! Sorry for the delay! I actually finished my exams since July, but I was so busy with other stuff I couldn’t start publishing at the beginning of August, not to mention the plotting of W3 that took a whole 2 weeks due to the constant writer’s block that besieged me (；・∀・). But finally, I’m ready to concentrate on WAST once more.
There’ll be more steady updates, and I’ll unfailingly release 4 chapters every week. The good thing, though, is that each chapter will be around 2000 words or more because I aim to finish this world in 27 chapters or less.
Also~. This world will probably be more interesting than the subsequent worlds, and I promise an enjoyable plot and lots of smut. Yes, there will be smut in this world, and it will definitely be spicy hehe. As for whether it’s a BE or HE, that’s a secret (｡•̀ᴗ-).
And lastly, to all my readers who didn’t quit WAST after this long break, I am very grateful and promise to show it with consistent uploads and an interesting story! Thank you for all your support!