"Wha—"
In the living room, where we opted to arrange the items we had brought back from our trip, our provisions were haphazardly strewn about. The space was cluttered with discarded food containers and scattered rations. Empty water bottles further contributed to the disarray, turning the area into a mess of debris.
Everything that is food has been reduced to that state which, by just one look, would no longer be eaten.
Even I was confused.
'That food would've been able to sustain us for at least three days. Now, I don't know anymore.'
"Twins…"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"What do you need, ma'am!"
Upon Ariana's summons, both Alex and Alice offered salutes, noticing the troubled expression on her face. Surveying her team, Ariana then issued instructions to the two.
"Tell Oliver that our supply has been… damaged. And ask him to come here to explain what happened here…"
"On it!"
The twins saluted once again before embarking on their mission to locate Oliver within the confines of the three towers.
"What the hell is happening? If a Horror came here, why target the food instead of us? And even if a Horror did come here, I'm sure he would inform us…"
Mandy, who had been attentively listening from the sidelines, stepped forward. "We should double-check in case Horror did manage to infiltrate. As we do so, let's also scout for any additional food supplies we can salvage here. No one should go alone."
That should be the next good move.
Subsequently, Mandy took a seat beside Ariana, whose complexion was steadily growing paler with each passing minute. With only four people remaining in the squad, Ned and Adrian silently agreed to pair up, forming an unspoken alliance.
And I was left alone with the reliable Freda.
…
"Isn't there just so much going on?" Freda's voice emerged seemingly out of nowhere as we wandered through the tower in search of provisions.
Without responding, I entered the adjacent room and began my search. After a few minutes, I let out a sigh of defeat, shaking my head.
Then we proceed to walk once more.
This repetitive process has consumed hours of our time, leaving us disoriented and unaware of the exact hour.
'Freda...'
Her earlier assertiveness in speaking suggested a dislike for the ominous silence we had maintained, fearing it might attract nearby Horrors. Yet...
'I'm certain she reached the conclusion that no Horrors have infiltrated this place. Ariana may not be having her best day today, but Oliver is not one to falter like that.'
There was a certainty that something had occurred—this was evident in her thoughts. However, she couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what it was.
"Newbie, just what are we doing here?"
"…"
"I've undertaken numerous missions throughout my life, been transferred to various bases, and faced catastrophic events alone, but this is the first time I've encountered something shit like this. It just feels... hopeless."
Coming to a sudden halt, I turned to gaze silently at Freda. I kept staring at her quietly until she returned my look with curious eyes and opened her mouth to speak.
"At least say something when you do that!"
"I have one question."
"What?"
Deliberating on my choice of words, I stated calmly, "Given your extensive experience and encounters with various challenges, have you ever come across a situation where... Horrors and humans are in cahoots with each other?"
"…"
Freda made an unbelievable expression as if it was saying 'Are you becoming crazy' and shook her head.
"Why would you think that way? There's no report relating to that at all. In fact, dealing with Horrors is like dealing with death! You understand, death, do you?"
So that must be the case, huh?
Certainly, such collaboration might be apparent on the surface, but what about within? What if everything is being concealed by the higher-ups who control a wealth of information?
'Honestly, why am I thinking like this?'
Is it because I'm just hungry or something else?
"Let's continue searching for food, shall we?" Freda suggested, and she began walking forward. I couldn't help but agree, and we resumed our exploration.
My mind is filled with thoughts, and the only distraction I seek is the pursuit of food we can gather in this desolate place.
But before we went even further, I raised a matter to her.
"Right, Freda, there's something I wanted to try."
…
Exactly two and a half days.
If we can maintain our mental clarity, disregarding the relentless pangs of hunger, then my calculations should hold true.
It's been two and a half days since we've had neither food nor drink.
Oliver resorts to desperate measures to alleviate our hunger, like dispatching some of his men to hunt Horrors outside of this power supply area.
However, before they could lay a finger on a single monster, they were overwhelmed by a horde of Horrors, reducing Oliver's squad to just four members.
The other four, who were brave enough to try this idea, didn't come back alive, leaving us here desperate for at least water.
And for our food search? Well, guess what, nothing.
We're even ready to commit cannibal acts if we ever found a corpse just to sustain our needs yet nothing too.
'Well, it's just been two and a half days, we can still hold on for longer…'
Living in a harsh environment, my own experience mirrors that of my parents. If I reminisce about the past, I recall times when they were even hungrier than I am now.
This should be no different.
But that couldn't be said to other people.
"Ugh, fuck this shit! Why do I have to go through this shitty experience!"
There's been one consistently loud person. His demeanor loudly proclaims a higher status, and delving into his background only confirms those assertions, as he is indeed from the third division.
His name is Trex.
He wasn't like this for a few days but now, he seemed to become more arrogant and… healthier. Well, his complexion is different than the rest of us.
'Honestly, I'm ready to cut his throat if he continued blabbering things.'
The dagger concealed under my sleeves is poised for action in case he decides to badmouth me or my team. Oliver, too, is merely restraining himself, recognizing that any action at this point would be a futile expenditure of strength.
Looking at one particular person in Ariana's squad, I stood up from my seat and yawned.
"Since we all gave up on manning the towers and got nothing to do, only waiting for something to miraculously happen, how about we play a game?"
Everyone raised a brow at my suggestion.
I mean, playing in the middle of all this?
They might be thinking that we should be more considerate in our approach, carefully weighing our options. However, I couldn't care less about their opinions.
"Just one game, I'm asking that's all."
I just wanted to see something.
"A game? Is this truly the right moment for that?!" Trex exclaimed, rising from his seat and pointing his finger at me. "We're hungry, thirsty, and running out of patience, and you want to play a stupid game!?"
With a faint smile directed his way, I began to walk toward him in slow steps, eventually coming to a stop right in front of him.
I locked eyes with him and continued to stare until, eventually, I didn't.
"Perhaps we could just escape from this place and use you as bait. It sounds thrilling, especially when someone as loud as you is doing the talking. I'm sure the Horrors would love to take out the noisy one first," I retorted.
"You—!"
Swoosh—!
Swiftly moving my arm, I revealed the dagger concealed under my sleeves. I pointed its tip and pressed it against his neck, though not directly where I could cause harm to his throat.
"Or we can kill you and eat you. That would suffice our hunger."
While Oliver and the remainder of his squad were still grappling with the torment of their losses, Ariana and the others exhibited a look of madness in their eyes.
Desperation and willingness to survive.
My two suggestions don't seem far-fetched if we don't consider the possibility that the boat at the dock is intact or that we would escape unscathed if we resort to murder.
Even so, the reasoning seems out of this world since different kinds of emotions are mixing in one place.
The reason I could still think clearly was because I've encountered similar situations before, although I couldn't determine for how long.
"Gin, just… get on it with. It doesn't seem bad to play a little game... now."
Freda attempted to align herself with my plan, but her own desires were gaining the upper hand, causing her to come to a halt.
"I understand this might seem inappropriate given the circumstances, but believe me, we're doing this just to distract ourselves and find a bit of enjoyment," I reassured.
Enjoyment, my ass.
I get that this isn't a lighthearted situation or anything.
"What's the game all about?"
"Well, very simple. I'm sure everyone knew this game as well."
All eyes were on me, filled with anticipation, as I prepared to unveil the game to everyone else.
"Truth or Lie."