The card, a lifeline in the storm of chaos, trembled in Rose's grasp. Her fingers, white-knuckled, clung to it, a desperate prayer etched into her touch. The moment her skin met its surface, the world around her imploded.
The apartment building, groaned and buckled. Cracks snaked across its facade, spewing an inky mist that choked the air. From these fissures, a horde emerged. Leech Crawlers, hundreds of them, their bulbous heads glistening with venom, a thousand needle-like teeth bared in silent, predatory smiles. A swarm of grotesque limbs, an unrelenting mass of segmented bodies, surged across the floor, a horrifying symphony of skittering claws.
Rose, a lone figure against this monstrous tide, found herself paralyzed by terror. Each snap of their jaws, each chilling click of their teeth, sent a jolt of icy fear through her. Then, a flicker of clarity. A primal scream echoed within her, a desperate mantra: Fight. Survive.
The vision shattered, leaving her gasping for breath, her heart hammering against her ribs like a caged bird. Guided by a primal instinct, Rose reached for the glowing card. Hesitation was a luxury she couldn't afford. As her fingers closed around it, a jolt of raw power surged through her, electrifying every nerve. The card's energy, a torrent of raw force, seeped into her soul.
[Stamina: 97]
Rose glanced at the status screen. "Three percent of my stamina was consumed by the vision. That's a significant drain," she thought, a flicker of concern crossing her face.
The building groaned again, a low, guttural moan that shook the very foundations of her reality. Distant screams pierced the air, growing louder, more frantic with each passing second. Then, the unmistakable sound of skittering, a soft, insidious scratching that grew closer, closer…
The ceiling above her buckled, a grotesque parody of an earthquake. Chunks of plaster rained down as a Leech Crawler erupted from the breach, its bulbous head twisting and turning, locking onto her with chilling focus. Venom dripped from its needle-like teeth, a viscous, glistening promise of a swift, agonizing death.
Rose's grip tightened around the hammer she had grabbed earlier, the cold metal a stark contrast to the surging heat in her veins. The creature lunged, a blur of motion, its slimy body stretching impossibly fast. But this time, Rose was ready.
With a roar that surprised even herself, she swung the hammer. The blow landed with a sickening thud, severing the creature in two. Its writhing segments thrashed violently, a grotesque parody of life, before finally succumbing to the blow. The glow of its existence, a malevolent inner light, flickered and died.
As the creature collapsed, the glowing card in her hand vanished, its vibrant pulse fading into the air like a dying ember. She was left with the aftershock, the raw power that had surged through her, a potent reminder of the card's fleeting gift.
There was no time for celebration. Another skittering sound, closer this time, more urgent. Another Leech Crawler, its legs twitching, preparing to strike.
Rose's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape, for any advantage. The card was gone, but the power it had unleashed still thrummed within her, a primal energy guiding her every move. Adrenaline surged through her veins, sharpening her senses, fueling her resolve.
"This is what you showed me," she whispered, her voice a low growl, a challenge to the encroaching darkness.
The creature lunged. Rose ducked, a practiced move, and swung the hammer in a wide arc. A blur of motion – a brutal blow – sent the crawler flying against the wall, its slimy body splattering against the plaster.
The hallway beyond her door was a battlefield. Lifeless neighbors lay twisted and contorted, a macabre tableau of death. The Leech Crawlers had claimed them, their blood staining the tiles, a grim reminder of the horrors that had unfolded. The sight was horrifying, suffocating, but Rose couldn't afford to dwell on it. Survival was her only priority.
With a renewed ferocity, she swung the hammer, a blur of motion. The first crawler to reach her met the full force of her blow, its body crumpling under the impact. It thrashed violently for a moment, a grotesque parody of life, before finally succumbing to the blow.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, but Rose refused to yield. She glanced at the status screen, a desperate question forming in her mind.
"Status screen," she demanded, her voice hoarse, "Tell me what I need to know."
The screen flickered, the words appearing with chilling efficiency:
[Leech Crawler]
[Type: E-rank Monster]
"E-rank...meaning there are likely higher-ranked, more dangerous creatures," she muttered, the realization chilling.
Rose snarled, "You bunch of ugly, low-rank monsters—die!"
Rose burst from her room, a whirlwind of adrenaline and terror. She was a lone wolf in a den of monsters, every muscle screaming in protest, every sense overloaded. Pain gnawed at her, but there was no time to diagnose the source.
Hundreds of Leech Crawlers, a tide of writhing, segmented bodies, surged towards her, their venomous jaws snapping.
Desperate, she spotted a row of alcohol bottles lining the corridor. Seeing those alcohol bottles, a chilling realization dawned upon her: these people, in their desperation, had intended to set a fire as a last resort, a desperate gamble for survival. They had hoped to use the flames to deter the onslaught of the creatures, to buy themselves precious time. But they were killed before they could carry out their plan, their desperate hope extinguished before it could even flicker.
'Life may be called a gift, but it's a gamble where the odds are never in your favor. To survive, you must wager everything, even when the deck is stacked against you.'
Rose smirked despite herself, thinking,"Thank you for taking that gamble.It saved me."
A horrifying idea sparked in her mind. Ignoring the tremor in her hands, she smashed each bottle against the wall, the pungent aroma of spirits filling the air.
She fumbled in her pocket, her fingers desperately searching for the small gas lighter. Finally, she found it, her heart pounding like a war drum. But the lighter wouldn't ignite. Her hands, trembling with fear and exertion, refused to steady.
A shadow fell over her. A Leech Crawler, its jaws agape, lunged. Just as its venomous fangs were about to sink into her flesh, a figure materialized beside her. A swift, brutal blow sent the creature sprawling.
Rose barely registered the intervention. Her attention was fixed on the shattered bottles and the gas lighter. With a desperate heave, she managed to ignite the flame. Holding her breath, she crouched down, carefully guiding the flame towards the pool of spilled alcohol.
The fire erupted with a roar, engulfing the corridor in a searing inferno. Rose and her unknown savior stumbled back, coughing as the flames licked at their heels. They didn't look back as they fled down the burning hallway, the screams of those creature echoing in their ears, a chilling testament to the horrors unfolding within the building.