I lowered the katana down, studying it for a moment before realizing that it didn't come with a sheath.
"Ah, this katana has no sheath, so I'll have to carry it around with my hand," I muttered to myself, feeling a little uneasy about the idea of carrying around a sharp weapon without any protective covering.
I decided to try accessing my inventory and status to see if there was anything that could help me since it's a game, but my attempts to use the game's menu through hand gestures were futile.
"Inventory."
"Open inventory."
"Status."
"Open status."
"Skill."
"Access inventory."
"Acess status."
"Menu."
"Open menu."
I called out as I tried waving my arm and tapping the air with my finger a few times, but nothing happened.
"Well, that didn't work," I sighed, realizing that I was wasting precious time trying to figure out something that I could probably learn later.
I walked towards the door back and grabbed the handle, which was covered in a strange red liquid. It felt weird, but it didn't stick to my hand, so I twisted it and pushed the door open.
On the other side, I saw another door, slightly spaced apart from mine. I stepped out into the hallway, taking a moment to look around. It was small and narrow, with doors lining up every five meters. Each door was identical to mine, at the outside, there isn't any doorknob or handle to open it.
I decided to start exploring. I walked to the right of the hall, keeping my guard up as I moved cautiously down the dimly lit passageway.
It was all silent, with only the dim light of the torches illuminating the hallway. But then, a sudden creaking sound pierced through the stillness. I turned my head towards the direction of the noise, only to see a door slowly opening in front of me.
As the door opened fully, a figure emerged from within. He muttered something under his breath, clearly unhappy with his situation. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, not paying any attention to his surroundings.
"What a stroke of luck," he grumbled to himself as he stepped outside. "Can't believe I got caught..."
His figure was quite intimidating, with wide shoulders and well-developed muscles. It was clear that he was no high schooler like me, but rather someone who was used to facing physical challenges.
He began walking to the right, his heavy footsteps echoing loudly in the small hallway. I stood frozen, not daring to move a muscle and risk alerting him to my presence. I waited for what felt like a few minutes, watching as he gradually disappeared from view and his footsteps faded away into the distance.
As I stood there, frozen in place, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. My heart was beating so fast, I could feel it pounding in my chest. Sweat dripped down my forehead and down my neck, leaving my shirt damp and clingy against my skin.
Was this really just a game?
I couldn't deny the reality of the situation any longer. The sensation of my body, the weight of the katana in my hand, the sound of my footsteps echoing down the hall - it was all too real. This should be just a game...
right?
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. There was no point in panicking. I needed to stay focused if I was going to survive. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how unprepared I was for this. I didn't even know where I was or what I was supposed to do.
"..shit."
I continued walking, and within just three minutes, another sound could be heard. The eerie quiet was interrupted by a voice that echoed through the empty hallway. It sounded too close for comfort.
"Ah, lucky me!"
I turned back to see half of a head leaning out of a partially open door. Before I could react, the door was slammed open, and a man holding an axe charged at me.
My heart sank, and I felt a wave of fear and panic rush over me. The man was coming towards me with a weapon, and I had no choice but to defend myself.
I quickly took up a defensive stance, my mind racing as I tried to remember the kenjutsu I had learned since I was a child. The man swung his axe down, and I managed to deflect it with the tsuba of my katana. I then lowered the blade, causing the axe to follow suit and hit the ground.
The sound of the clash was deafening, and I could feel the vibrations in my bones.
But the fight was not over yet. The man was still coming at me, his other hand reaching out to grab me. I quickly crouched down, let go of the axe, and swung my katana upwards, slicing through his stomach.
"I-I did it!" I breathed, the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
The man fell, not long after.
The fight had lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. But my victory was short-lived. As I stood there, panting and triumphant, I took in the horrifying sight before me.
The man's stomach had been sliced open by my katana, and a warm rush of dark red blood gushed out, pooling on the ground as if it was desperately trying to escape from the macabre scene.
The man let out a guttural groan, his eyes rolling up in pain and shock as he clutched his wounded abdomen with shaking hands.
The sound of the axe hitting the floor added another layer of metallic clang to the already gruesome soundscape. The cold metal echoed through the hallway, a stark contrast to the sticky warmth of blood and guts.
The sharp tang of iron mixed with the acrid smell of sweat and fear, making my nostrils flare in disgust.
"F-Fuck..I thought t-this is a..game?"
I couldn't believe what had just happened. I had thought it was all a game or...I was trying to?
But this was all too real, and I had just taken a man's life.
"Shit, shit shit!"
I stepped back, my mind reeling. This was not what I had signed up for, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread and guilt wash over me.
I turned back and started running, still holding my katana. I wasn't dumb enough to let go of my sword just because I was feeling guilty. I didn't run at full speed, though. I wanted to conserve some energy in case I ran into another enemy.
I took a deep breath as I ran, but the place was getting darker for some reason. Was I having a panic attack or something? My body was shivering, even though it should've been hot because of the fire and my running.
My heart was still racing even though I wasn't in danger anymore.
"That was self-defense, right? Just self-defense," I muttered to myself as I continued down the hallway.