Chapter 2 - FIRST BLOOD

I wandered aimlessly through the eerie, seemingly abandoned town, where every trace of its former beauty had vanished.

"Ha, hahaha"

My laughter, wild and unsettling, echoed through the deserted street—a discordant symphony amidst the surrounding silence. When I glanced backward, a shiver crept down my spine as I beheld the ominous path of blood I had unwittingly left in my wake.

Trembling, I stared at my trembling hand, fingers stained with the life essence of another—a player's blood, a chilling testament to the brutality that had taken place.

--Earlier

"Hey, you mutt! I want to sell this broken table. Hand me the money!"

Eidos, once robust but now haggard, faced the player's feeble attempt to sell an item. Grief weighed him down, a constant reminder of his sister's brutal loss just two days prior.

Though desolate, Eidos's eyes still held a glimmer of life—a testament to his resilience.

"HEY! ARE YOU LISTENING?! Hurry up and open your inventory and take out the money."

Growing impatient, the player shoved Eidos, who staggered under the unexpected force. Eidos, distracted, stared at his trembling hand, whispering the word "inventory."

A translucent window materialized before him, displaying text only. He fixed his gaze upon it with a conflicted expression.

"....."

I knew it..... It's not just my imagination running wild. Something has unmistakably changed within my inventory. It used to be a mundane list of items, my name, and my meager stash of coin, even more, I don't feel any invisible walls around the players. Maybe I can....

Eidos exclaimed with growing hope in his heart.

[

Name: Eidos

LVL: #@$^%

gold: 180

HP: 1000/1000

MP: 1000/1000

[STATUS] tap to view

[inventory- ITEM TO SELL]

Weapon

Beginner's sword = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's axe = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's spear = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's shield = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's dagger = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's bow = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's staff = price:50 silver[equippable]

Armors

Beginner's headgear = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's gloves = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's footgear = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's body armor = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's Trunks = price:50 silver[equippable]

Beginner's ring = price:50 silver[equippable]

]

"I don't quite grasp some of the words here. What exactly do HP and MP stand for?" Eidos questioned, a sense of confusion clouding his understanding.

As he continued to inspect his inventory, bewilderment washed over him. Not only were strange numerical values now apparent, but even the contents of his inventory seemed to have transformed. The presence of "[equippable]" beside all the items added another layer of intrigue to the enigma that had suddenly engulfed him.

*gulp*

With a cautious and deliberate motion, I extended my hand toward my inventory.

My movements were deliberate and stealthy, as I were attempting to avoid drawing the player's attention. A quick glance in the player's direction revealed a rather unflattering sight—fingers thrust carelessly into his nose, occupied by some peculiar endeavor. I couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety mixed with disgust at the player's obliviousness. As I resumed my covert mission, I swallowed hard, each gulp echoing in the deafening silence of the moment. My heart, now pounding like a relentless drum, threatened to betray my presence as my hand inched ever closer to my inventory, the intensity of the situation weighing heavily on my every breath.

I just need to equip any of these weapons, and then I can...

The atmosphere crackled with a bone-chilling tension, a weighty silence that pressed upon me. I was on the verge of committing an act so alien, so abhorrent to my very nature, that the enormity of it hung like a sinister cloud over my conscience. I was about to step into the abyss of "killing," a path I had never ventured down before, and the gravity of that decision weighed heavily upon my soul.

[kill]

Should I do it? Should I really do it?

Should I kill this player. am I allowed to?

Meanwhile, rivulets of sweat coursed down the side of my face, a tangible manifestation of the agonizing turmoil that gripped my very being.

"Why are you so quiet? Are you still thinking about your stupid sister getting killed two days ago?"

My eyes twitched involuntarily as my sister's name was desecrated by this loathsome human. The intensity of my anger surged, a tempest of emotions churning within me, as I confronted the audacity of someone so callous.

"Man, I can't still believe it. You actually fell for AlbaLos' little trick. Now you and your sister are the laughingstock of the entire player community—two dimwitted siblings, what a sight! I must admit, watching your sheer idiocy unfold was nothing short of hilarious. It's a shame, though, that I missed my chance to savor your sister's company before her untimely demise. RIGHT??"

[equipped successful!]

*slash*

Puzzlement washed over the face of the player, his eyes widening in disbelief. In an instant, a razor-sharp sword materialized out of thin air, its blade a hair's breadth away from severing his head. It was a deadly game of inches, and had he been just a fraction slower, his head would have flown into the air.

In a burst of determination, I planted my foot on the ground and launched myself into action, my assault swift and unrelenting. However, my lack of combat experience played to the player's advantage, allowing him to narrowly evade my blade, escaping a fatal strike by a hair's breadth.

*drips*

the player felt his blood flow down from his neck towards his body.

"It hurts....."

"What the..."

'"IT HURRTTSSS!!! WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?? WHY DOES IT HURT?"

The player's anguished cry rent the air, his voice laced with madness as he grappled with the searing pain that surged through his body. It was an agony he had never fathomed, a torment beyond comprehension. Desperate, he pressed his trembling palm to his neck, attempting to stanch the relentless flow of blood, but the pain persisted, unrelenting.

Conversely, Eidos' entire being ignited in an otherworldly radiance as each piece of armor in his inventory seamlessly melded with his form. He now stood garbed in a complete set of beginner's gear, crafted from the skins of vanquished monsters, his grip firmly wrapped around an iron sword. The blade shimmered menacingly, a macabre canvas collecting the rivulets of the players' blood that flowed down its edge.