Chapter 3 – Tutorial (Survivor) - 3
*SNIFF*
The entity snorts and turns around. She sniffs the floor like a dog and licks the dirty footsteps that Vesper left behind.
'CRAP!'
Vesper sees the footsteps and widens his eyes in shock. He curses himself and his fate for leaving behind a trail.
"Krrrrrrr."
The woman gargles in displeasure. She sniffs the ground and follows the footsteps, crawling into the kitchen area.
Vesper slowly backs away and hides behind the island counter. While creeping away from the spider, he looks around to find anything useful. His eyes adjust to the dark room, allowing him to see silhouettes of culinary tools, dishes, and cups on the counter.
Inspired, Vesper picks up a plastic cup from the table. Then, he throws it toward the entrance.
KONG
The cup hits the wooden floor and rolls, causing a faint sound.
"KIHIHIHIHIHIHI!"
The monster turns around and sprints toward the source of the noise. She enters the living room, scanning the area. Unable to find Vesper, she looks at the door and exits the house, searching for him outside.
Vesper deeply exhales and trembles in fear.
Games and reality are different. In games, players can always revive. They never feel the pain or suffer a real consequence of their action. However, facing a monster in reality, Vesper can barely keep his sanity.
The smell, the sense of touch, the adrenaline, and the chilling air made this experience worse. Vesper realizes he can't use a crazy maneuver in-game with his real body.
He gulps and sits on the ground, catching his breath. While resting, he scans the kitchen to search for usable objects and other runes. Unfortunately, nothing is out of the ordinary here.
While searching, Vesper notices a refrigerator from the corner of his eyes. As soon as he sees it, his stomach reminds him of his physical need.
GROWL
Vesper is starving. The tips of his fingers go numb, and his knees begin to shake.
Driven by his hunger, Vesper quietly opens the fridge. For the first time in a year, Vesper finds a refrigerator full of fresh food. Vegetables, bottles of ketchup, packages of raw beef, cheese, and a box of leftover pizza are inside.
'Wow.'
Vesper picks up the pizza box and opens it. There are three pieces of cheese pizza in there, but Vesper doesn't mind. He shoves a piece in his mouth in a hurry and puts the entire box back in the fridge. After swallowing a cold piece of pizza bread, his stomach stops protesting.
Relieved, Vesper picks up a sealed package of meat. He has an idea.
Standing up, Vesper selects a cleaver knife from the kitchen rack and wields it as a weapon. He looks outside the front door, making sure that the spider lady isn't there anymore.
"KIHIHIHIHI."
CLANK
Out of nowhere, the laughing noise of the spider lady emanates from the kitchen window behind Vesper. She smacks the glass window, causing the shards to fly and cut into his naked back. A few pieces stab his arms and legs, reminding him of his naivety.
"!!!"
Vesper turns around and finds the smiling face of the lady. Her jaw and cheeks detach from her face, revealing her inner cheeks and four long fangs.
No thought is necessary. Vesper sprints toward the living room. As for the spider, she smashes through the window and creeps inside. Some shards cut her skin, causing her to bleed blue blood.
Vesper reaches the outside first. He runs toward the altar and searches for a method to end this round. As he can't find any hint, Vesper screams.
"How do I end this round!? I want out!"
DING
"…"
Suddenly, Vesper hesitates. He knows he can survive this whole thing by saying yes, but his gamer's side gives him an intrusive thought.
'What if I kill the monster?'
Vesper looks at the cleaver knife and the package of meat in his other hand.
"KIHIHIHIHI!"
The white-dressed spider lady crawls on all fours and chases after Vesper outside.
Vesper looks up and pants. He doesn't know if it's his gamer instinct, fear, or adrenaline, but he is confident in his victory. He walks away from the altar and throws the package of meat at the lady.
The lady jumps and bites the meat package. She grabs it and tears the plastic seal instantly.
While the lady is distracted, Vesper's weary hands clench the cleaver and hack the top of the lady's head.
THUD!
The sound of a cleaver chopping a human skull is as dull as a farmer hacking a coconut with a large blade.
The cleaver gets stuck in her head. Surprised by the sudden counterattack, the woman screeches and throws the meat package away. She looks up and reaches out to grab Vesper.
Vesper leaps like a panicking frog and lands on her back, though it is technically her front. The woman twists her head and looks at her prey. Because of the new head angle, the cleaver's shaft points toward Vesper.
Noticing the opportunity, Vesper grabs the hilt.
The lady rotates her elbows 180 degrees and grabs Vesper's shoulders. Her long black nails stab into his skin.
Despite the pain, Vesper pulls the cleaver with all his might. Unfortunately, it doesn't budge.
The woman leans toward Vesper and opens her mouth to bite his neck. Vesper leans back and grabs her neck with his left hand, pushing her away. As for the other hand, he shakes the cleaver's hilt, prying it off her head.
The monster overpowers Vesper and presses further. Her hands seize his shoulders tight and pull him toward her mouth.
Mustering all his last effort, Vesper straightens his left elbow to resist her brute force.
CRACK
It was a futile attempt. The monster exerts more strength and pulls his shoulders, causing Vesper's left elbow to dislocate and rotate outward. Without a perfect joint, the spider lady drags Vesper toward her mouth and bites his neck.
Her four 3-inch fangs pierce through Vesper's skin and find his arteries!
Vesper flinches because of the cold fangs inside him. The excruciating pain from his left elbow also warns him of the impending doom.
However, Vesper's right hand clings to the cleaver. Exerting the last bit of his strength, he tilts and shakes the cleaver back and forth to pull it out.
Unbeknownst to Vesper, his action widens the monster's wound and damages her brain. The intense pain causes her to release her fangs. However, by removing the plugs from Vesper's neck, blood from the major arteries gushes out like a leaking water pipe.
Instantly, dizziness overwhelms Vesper, yet his instinct drives him to press forward. His thin right hand clenches the cleaver's hilt while his arm swings down.
CHOP!
The cleaver blade accidentally cuts the woman's neck and fragile bones, causing the blade to slice through the flesh.
Blue blood bursts like a fountain and splatters on Vesper's face and body. She loses her strength and collapses to the ground.
Vesper also falls to the ground and lies on top of her. Blood continues to leak from his neck.
Suddenly, the monster's body dissipates into dust, leaving only a blue crystal. It rolls on the ground and stops in front of Vesper's face.
Vesper feels light-headed. He orders his body to move, but he can no longer lift a finger. Helplessly, he stares at the blue crystal.
Desperate, he racks his brain, thinking of a way to survive in this situation.
Past memories flash before his eyes. Among them, the tutorial rules earlier appear before his mind like a vivid dream. One of the rules clearly stated – "Runes are consumable items. You are free to consume them instead of offering them to the Altar of Sacrifice."
'Consume…'