Eidos stood over the writhing player, his face contorted by a mixture of curiosity and anguish. He leaned down, his eyes locked onto the player's pained expression.
"What do you mean by 'this game'?" Eidos asked, his voice trembling with uncertainty. He needed answers, needed to understand the world that had become a living nightmare.
The player, despite the agony coursing through his body, managed to chuckle weakly. "You really have no clue, do you? You're just an ignorant fool in this world."
Eidos gritted his teeth, frustration and desperation gnawing at him. "Tell me! I need to know!"
The player's grin widened, a cruel glint in his eyes. "This is no ordinary world, It's a world where players like me hold all the power. We're not bound by the rules of your insignificant life. We can do whatever we want. We can hurt, kill, and dominate. And you... you're just a pawn in our sick game."
Eidos felt a chill run down his spine as he absorbed the player's words. This world was a playground for this sadistic players, and he was nothing more than a helpless victim.
Desperation turned to resignation, and Eidos knew he had no choice. His grip on the iron sword tightened, and without a hint of regret, he thrust it into the player's chest. The player's agonized scream echoed through the digital landscape. Eidos watched as the player's life faded his body, his conflicted emotions giving way to a grim determination. In this cruel world, survival meant becoming just as ruthless as the rest.
**
After I had killed the player, I found refuge in an abandoned house, the tension in the air almost palpable. I couldn't be certain if someone had witnessed the confrontation, so I knew it was crucial to leave as soon as possible.
"If leaving was even an option." The eerie memories of previous attempts to escape haunted me.
My friends and I had tried to flee this town multiple times, but every venture beyond the town's boundaries resulted in a sudden loss of consciousness. We'd wake up at home, as if the town itself refused to let us go. A shiver ran down my spine as these unsettling memories resurfaced. I shook my head, trying to dispel the thoughts, and focused on the message window before me.
A message had appeared after my fight with the player:
[Congratulations! You receive the title PLAYER KILLER]
-gives you a high chance of a critical strike against players. +30% CRIT [upgradeable]
[killed a level 13 player: you receive 4 status points]
Status points? I wondered where I could use them. I remembered seeing something about "status" in my inventory.
"Here it is."
I tapped on "Status."
Status points: 4
STR:30 [add]
INT:10 [add]
DEF:50 [add]
AGI:25 [add]
WIS:10 [add]
DEX:20 [add]
LUCK:50 [add]
I scratched my head, still baffled by the abbreviations, but there was an option to "add" next to each of them. I tentatively tapped "add" next to STR, and a message appeared: [confirmed?]. Y/N.
Choosing "yes" without fully comprehending these letters seemed risky, but with the chance for revenge now in my grasp, I couldn't afford to hesitate. I remembered the faces of the players who had tormented us, and it fueled my anger. Shaking off those thoughts, I focused on survival.
"to survive"
So, STR, what could it mean? ESTRI? No, I scanned the list again from top to bottom.
"hm?"
Then I spotted a familiar word: luck. It meant being lucky, right? Since this was my status, it had to mean I had 50 luck. Which meant I had 30 str...
Str...
Istri..?
Estre?
"ah"
It hit me like a lightning bolt: "IS IT STRENGTH!?"
Oh, that's it! These letters were just abbreviations. So,
STR = strength
INT = intelligence
DEF = defense
AGI = agility
WIS = wisdom?
DEX = Dexterity? Perhaps.
I was almost certain these were the right meanings, but just to be sure—
"Hm?" I heard a noise from outside. then I had a brilliant idea.
Why not ask someone to confirm my theory?
I stood, dusting myself off, and my eyes turned as black as the abyss itself. I was still conflicted about hurting someone, but I knew it was necessary. Two daggers materialized in my hands.
There was only one type of person who could confirm my theory.
"The players," I muttered, staring out of the house. "There he is."
A lone player was strolling casually, clad in beginner's gear like me.
For someone who had suffered for so long, the opportunity to change things was irresistible. I was a predator on the hunt.
[sneak]
Sneak was a skill usable with dagger weapons.
My presence nearly disappeared; I moved as silently as the wind itself. One could barely see me, and if they lost focus even for a moment, I would vanish completely.
*
In the shadowed alleyways of this abandoned town, Eidos crouched, his eyes locked onto his target: a lone player. The town's bustling streets faded into a distant hum as Eidos plotted his ambush. He had grown weary of being a pawn in this world, always at the mercy of the players.
As the player approached, Eidos readied himself to strike. He waited for the perfect moment, for that fraction of a second when the player's guard would slip. But little did he know the player was no novice; some player just want to equip weak gears when the truth is he had faced countless challenges in this world, and his instincts were razor-sharp.
As I gazed upon the player's face, it struck me like a bolt of lightning. He was one of the players who had tried to harm my sister. In that moment, my mind went blank, and my anger wasted no time in propelling my body into action.
"As I am now, I know I can do it!"
Eidos lunged from the shadows, dagger gleaming in the dim light, the player's instincts kicked in. With lightning reflexes, he sidestepped the attack, avoiding the blade by inches. Eidos landed off-balance, cursing his own overconfidence.
The player wasted no time. He countered with a swift strike of his sword, and Eidos felt the searing pain as the blade cut across his arm. Blood spattered the dusty ground as he stumbled back, his arrogance shattered.
"guh!"
[You received: 450 HP damage]
HP: 550/1000
Eidos realized his mistake too late; this player was no easy prey. The player's eyes bore into Eidos with a mixture of determination and annoyance. Eidos had underestimated his opponent's strength and paid the price in blood and bruises. He staggered backward, humbled by the reality of his weakness.
Eidos knew he had to change tactics quickly. He reached into his inventory, swapping his dagger for a bow and a quiver of arrows. Desperation fueled him as he fired arrows at the player, who deftly parried them with his sword. Eidos realized that he had to use his newly acquired skills to survive.
With a swift motion, Eidos switched to a staff and channeled his magic. He unleashed a torrent of flames towards the player who dodged and weaved through the fiery assault. Eidos again had underestimated the player's agility and resourcefulness.
[-350 MP]
MP 650/1000
As the battle raged on, Eidos cycled through different weapons and skills, trying to outmaneuver the player. He used a smoke bomb spell to obscure his vision, but the player's heightened senses allowed him to navigate the haze.
[-100 MP]
MP 550/1000
With a final burst of effort, he harnessed a wind-based skill to execute a graceful leap onto a rooftop, a desperate attempt to escape.
[-300 MP]
MP 250/1000
Gasping for breath and battered from the brutal exchange, Eidos perched on the rooftop, looking down at his relentless pursuer. The player shouts echoed through the abandoned town as he called for assistance from his fellow players.
Eidos knew he was far from safe. The chase had only just begun, and he had learned a harsh lesson about his own limitations. As he plotted his next move, he vowed to become stronger, smarter, and more humble as he fled through the abandoned town, with bunch of players hot on his heels.