Chapter 27 - Tutorial (Hunter) - 13
DING
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Successful protection of the hidden rune = 100 Points
Total survivor elimination. = 80 Points.
Guardian incapacitating a survivor = 20 Points.
Spell casting = 4 Points
Value of remaining runes in the stage after the mission divided by 5 = 64.2 Points.
Total = 268.2 Points!
S RANK!
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DING
"…"
Another round has been completed. The cage vanishes, and Vesper strides towards Zillion's corpse. As he gazes at the lifeless body, Vesper feels nothing. He tilts his head, puzzled as to why he harbors no remorse or regret after taking these lives.
Could it be due to the fact that they could be revived afterward?
Could it be a result of his senses being dulled from playing so many games?
Or could it be inherent in his nature? That seems impossible, right?
Vesper doesn't recall committing such immoral acts in the real world. He even has a lovely daughter. The only downside is that he can't see her due to his unfaithful ex-wife.
As he thinks of his ex-wife, anger bubbles up within Vesper. He glances at the corpse and gives it a light kick, as if it were a soccer ball. The dead body turns to ash, leaving no trace behind.
'…I need some booze.'
Mentally drained from the speedrun, Vesper enters the kitchen and opens the refrigerator, grabbing four cans of beer. He also retrieves a pizza box for a quick meal and some rest.
Back in the living room, Vesper collapses onto the couch and reaches for the TV remote, switching it on with a press of the power button.
ZAAAAA
To his disappointment, no TV program is available in this world. Only a static channel flickers on the screen.
Vesper clicks his tongue but leaves the TV on, seeking the white noise to clear his mind of last year's incident.
As he relaxes on the couch, Vesper shuts his eyes after finishing a can of beer.
...
An hour passes, and Vesper wakes from his short nap. Rubbing his eyes, he notices the TV still playing. Groggily, he gets up, preparing to head to the bathroom.
Suddenly, the TV screen changes, flickering to display an eyeball image reminiscent of the one from the plaza.
The eyeball begins to move, fixating its gaze on Vesper.
"I see you're doing well, Tarnished," the TV speaks.
Vesper gulps, startled by the sudden appearance. He takes a deep breath, offers a slight bow, and adjusts his tone to avoid offending the mysterious entity.
'I'm still adjusting, sir.'
As usual, Vesper communicates by crafting sentences in his mind.
The eyeball entity seems to smile. "Did you have fun?"
Vesper dryly chuckles. "Fun" wasn't the right word; everything felt like a game to him when his life wasn't at risk. He knows it's wrong but can't deny the feeling.
'Fun...and disturbing, sir.'
"Things will get even more disturbing when survivors can no longer revive in the late stages."
Vesper braces himself for that possibility, wondering what kind of twisted games this monster has planned. After all, its existence mirrors that of a certain game's 'Entity,' craving violence and eternal agony.
"Dead by D*ylight?" The entity reads Vesper's thought.
Vesper bit his lower lip, feeling apologetic.
'I'm sorry for that thought, sir. I can't speak; I can only think. The game just flashed in my mind for a second.'
"No offense taken," the entity replies cheerfully. "Keep up the good work! And don't forget to enjoy it more. That way, life becomes more entertaining and meaningful!"
Confused, Vesper stares at the TV in a daze, but the eyeball image has vanished, replaced by the usual static scene.
Rubbing his eye and smacking his forehead, Vesper shakes off his bewilderment. He heads to the washroom to prepare for the final tutorial match.
…
Outside the house, Zillion and Noah's bodies reconstruct under mysterious 3D-printing lasers from the sky. They both regain consciousness simultaneously.
The death penalties manifest swiftly. Noah's hair vanishes, leaving him bald, while Zillion's left arm disappears.
"AAAAHHHHH!!"
Only Zillion cries a tear of pain and regret while Noah lets out a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, man and a woman emerge from the billboard nearby. The man wields a bloody crowbar and carries a backpack, while the woman grips a cleaver.
Noah is taken aback by the newcomers, while Zillion grumbles in frustration.
"Let's be happy that we're alive," remarks the brown muscular man, dressed in a white jacket, jeans, and leather boots, appearing to be in his 30s with a trim beard and perfect jawline.
"Tsk. We could have gotten a D Rank and escaped had we not been trapped by that hunter." Complains the woman with pale skin and tied-back blond hair, who wears a blood-stained t-shirt, hot pants, and flip-flop shoes. However, she lacks a nose and all finger nails.
When the newcomers notice Zillion and Noah's condition, they scoff.
"Are you newbies?" the brown man asks.
Zillion snorts, "I've gone through four games. How about you?"
The woman laughs, "You're a noob then. This is my 7th mission."
The male stranger remains expressionless, gesturing for the woman not to humiliate Zillion and Noah. He steps in front of the woman and introduces himself.
"My name is Brad, and this is Anna. This will be my 7th round. We all died twice, and we're in the same Terror Mode. Are you in the same difficulty as well?"
"Ah, yeah," Zillion admits reluctantly, nodding.
"How far have you gone?" Brad inquires.
Noah, lacking his earlier determination, lowers his head, becoming introverted. "I haven't cleared the first stage yet."
Zillion smacks his lips, "I made it to the 3rd stage, but I accidentally summoned a boss. You know what happened."
"I see," Brad nods in understanding, proceeding to narrate his and Anna's experiences.
They both died the first time at the third stage's boss. Later, they met and formed a party, only to be wiped out by a mysterious grim reaper at the third stage again.
"This is the first time we've met other survivors. Let's work together and end this nightmare," Brad invites Noah and Zillion to join their party.
Four are better than two, so Noah and Zillion readily accept. They shake hands with Brad, but Anna dismisses them.
"Cover your junks, noobs. I ain't shaking hands with you incels."
Both Zillion and Noah are offended, but they choose to ignore her and focus on the team's discussions about experiences and strategies, preparing to tackle the easiest stage in this suburb. They all gaze at the one-story house where Vesper is in charge.