Chapter 8 - Tutorial (Survivor) - 8
Vesper quickly realizes that the sound threatens to reveal his location. With the stake and gold rune tightly gripped in his hands, he rushes out of the washroom, the golden glow of the rune guiding his path as he dashes toward the unexplored territory of the garage.
Inside the garage, a dilapidated pickup truck stands out amidst the shadows, its presence eerie against the dim light. The driver's seat harbors the decomposed remains of an adult man, his body infested with maggots and worms that squirm from his gaping mouth, eyes, and nostrils, while flies and insects swarm around him.
Ignoring the unsettling sight, Vesper focuses on reaching the garage's front door, where he hopes to find an exit. However, his efforts are thwarted when the switch proves unyielding, refusing to budge no matter how hard he hits it.
With a surge of urgency, Vesper rushes to the wall, where the light switch resides. But to his dismay, he finds it stuck as well, a frustrating obstacle in his path to escape.
'Damn it! The hunting phase!'
Vesper inwardly curses as the old man ghost materializes through the wall and enters the garage, its malevolent presence looming ominously.
With the golden rune casting a conspicuous glow, Vesper becomes an easy target for the ghost's wrath. Roaring with rage, the ghost charges towards him, brandishing a hatchet with deadly intent.
Thinking quickly, Vesper executes a swift maneuver, utilizing a gamer tactic by darting around the truck in an attempt to evade the ghost's pursuit. But his efforts prove futile as the ghost effortlessly phases through the truck, closing in on Vesper with chilling speed.
With no time to spare, Vesper finds himself cornered as the ghost materializes before him, its hatchet poised to strike. In a desperate bid for survival, Vesper reacts instinctively, evading the ghost's initial blow with a nimble dodge.
As the ghost advances, Vesper regains his footing, his resolve unbroken as he brandishes the stake in defense. But before the confrontation can escalate further, the tranquility of the moment is shattered by a deafening crash.
BOOM-BOOM
The garage's shutter door buckles under the force of a heavy impact, accompanied by the sinister laughter of a woman—a new threat looming on the horizon.
"KIHIHIHIHIHIHI!"
The spider lady lurks outside the garage, poised to breach its defenses.
Caught between the relentless advance of the ghost and the impending threat of the spider lady, Vesper grumbles inwardly, his gaze flickering to the golden rune clutched tightly in his hand. It would be a grave waste to perish and lose such a valuable artifact. With resolve hardening in his heart, Vesper makes a split-second decision to consume the rune, commanding it with a single word.
'Consume!'
Despite the dire circumstances, Vesper weighs his options carefully. Dismissing the second choice due to its unknown utility in the real world, he narrows his decision down to the first and third options. While increasing all attributes seems like a prudent choice, the rarity of acquiring a new skill sways Vesper's decision in favor of the third option.
As the golden bead vanishes from his grasp, leaving behind only a residue of grime on his palm, the source of illumination fades into darkness.
The skill is useless… for now.
Before darkness consumes him entirely, Vesper launches himself at the ghost, driving the stake towards its spectral visage with determined force.
The silent ghost recoils, its ethereal form wavering as Vesper withdraws the stake and delivers another decisive blow, aiming for its chest.
As the ghost dissolves into smoke, leaving behind no trace of its existence, Vesper's victory is short-lived. The holy stake, engulfed in flames, sears his hand with intense heat, forcing him to discard it.
In a matter of moments, the once-mighty holy stake is reduced to ash, leaving Vesper with a sense of regret at the loss of his only unique item.
'I suppose it had a limited use after all,' Vesper ponders, acknowledging the grim reality of his situation.
BOOM!
The resounding BOOM-BOOM from the shutter serves as a stark reminder that the ordeal is far from over. With no time to spare, Vesper abandons the runes in the garage and swiftly retreats into the house through the garage door, just as the shutter erupts into chaos behind him.
"KIHIHIHIHIHIHI!"
Judging from the laughter echoing through the garage, it's evident that the spider lady has already infiltrated the space.
Vesper holds his breaths as he cautiously retraces his steps back to the washroom. With a calculated risk, he flicks on the light switch, revealing the shattered remains of the mirror he had struck earlier, glass shards scattered across the floor.
Quickly improvising, Vesper grabs the largest glass shard and his previously discarded leather coat. Wrapping the sharp glass in the coat, he arms himself a makeshift knife for self-defense. After securing a white rune from the basin, he notices a bloody doodle on the wall—a pentagram diagram with a keyhole larger than his finger, reminiscent of the gemstone key he found earlier.
Making a mental note to return later, Vesper leaves the light on and proceeds to the main area of the house. However, the dripping sound draws his attention to his still-bleeding hand, a consequence of punching the mirror earlier. Grimacing, he hastily wipes his wounded fingers on his leather coat and presses forward.
Meanwhile, in the garage, chaos ensues as the spider lady wreaks havoc, the sounds of her rampage reverberating through the metal frame. Another growling noise, unfamiliar to Vesper, adds to the cacophony, hinting at the presence of a new entity either spawned within the garage or from the surrounding darkness.
Acting on instinct, Vesper hurries into the main house area and firmly shuts the door behind him, seeking another layer of protection from the unfolding chaos. With a tense demeanor, he surveys his surroundings, standing resolute in the center of the house.
Mindful of his previous mistake, Vesper cautiously scans the ceiling as he advances further. Moving stealthily, he enters the kitchen area without alerting any potential threats.
However, as he enters the kitchen, his movements come to an abrupt halt as he locks eyes with another spider-like entity hanging from the ceiling. Unlike the spider lady outside, this creature possesses four arms, four legs, and unnaturally long hair, but it seems unaware of his presence.
Silently retreating into the dining area, Vesper ensures to check the table, seizing a basketball-sized rune along the way.
But a subtle yet unsettling sound—the crystal ball scraping against the marble table—pierces the silence, drawing unwanted attention. Vesper clenches his teeth, berating himself for his carelessness.
The eight-legged spider entity twitches and extends her hair towards the dining table, though she remains stationary, adding an air of eerie anticipation to the already tense atmosphere.