Although he looks drained and his body somewhat malnourished due to lack of sleep, in addition to combining school with work, his appearance could still be graded as above average.
It didn't stand up, but it also couldn't be easily neglected.
It's just unfortunate that life was really unfair; if he only had a good starting life, then his appearance would not be this weary...
Or to be at least, he would no longer need to work and study at the same time.
"How long had I been sleeping? I hope I didn't sleep for too long."
Remembering that he still needs to review for the finals, Clark hurriedly reaches for his old mobile phone.
Gazing at the faint cracks within its screen and the noticeable fading of the color of its cover, Clark couldn't help but release a faint sigh, vowing that there would be a time when he could afford to buy another phone case and screen protector for his old phone.
"In another month, it would be your 5th anniversary. I hope you can still last for another year."
Despite the fact that Clark could buy a new phone using the money that he had saved for a couple of months...
Just thinking of spending the hard-earned money that he allocated for his future expenses, Clark couldn't help but feel a deep ache in his heart.
Although his old phone often lagged and its internal space was extremely limited, to the point that the apps it could download were below 1.5 GB, its function was still usable; hence he was hesitant to buy a new phone.
[ 7:30 P.M.]
"Huff~ Good thing I only sleep for two hours."
Opening his phone and gazing at the empty message within his fishbook, Clark heaves a sigh of relief, exiting the app only to notice the inconspicuous app in the corner of the dim screen.
[ Descent of Malice! ]
Its dark, gloomy background with text written in crimson hue, almost akin to a vibrant blood, instantly caught his attention.
Even without opening it, he knew that its content wasn't for people with a weak heart.
"Is this a horror game? I really couldn't remember that I downloaded a game earlier."
Feeling curious, knowing that he wouldn't easily install an app on his old phone, afraid that it wouldn't be able to endure high MB games, causing it to crash completely...
Clark was about to click the app when suddenly, out of the blue, the sound of rumbling, both coming from the churning sky and his stomach, entered his ears, making him startle momentarily before releasing a hearty chuckle.
"Shoot, I forgot to cook rice!!"
Tossing the old phone back into the bed, Clark hurriedly went to the small kitchen next door, quickly starting to prepare for his dinner.
...
Burp~
Soon, after filling his stomach with rice and canned food, Clark immediately took a light bath, coming out from the bathroom shivering due to the coldness before slumping toward the bed with comfort...
Covering his body with the thick blanket, giving him the comfortable warmth.
"The rain still wasn't stopping."
Silently gazing at the mourning sky that often releases streaks of silver lightning, followed by the deafening sounds of thunder that sent shivers down one's soul, Clark silently opened his phone, gazing at the gloomy app in the corner of the screen that he had no recollection of before clicking it.
"With the perfect atmosphere and the combination of nighttime and the gloomy yet cold climate, isn't this the perfect time to play a horror game?'
[ Every being harbors malice deep within their soul.
[ Although they tried their best to hide the malice, it's undeniable that it exists. The more the life forms suppressed their malice, the more scarier the malice was when it was released...
[ As time passed by, although most life forms managed to suppress their malice, the malice within them, instead of decreasing, actually began to accumulate. Breaking through the critical point as they soon transformed into something; hence, an entity worse than the devil itself was born.]
[ ... ]
[ As a new Chaos Awakener, your sole duty was to eliminate "Malice". Preventing malice from accumulating energy and reaching the critical point, reasoning for a door to open between the two worlds.]
[ ... ]
[ Note: Upon accepting the task, you would no longer be able to escape your destiny. Please choose wisely! ]
"This horror game sure knows how to grab people's attention and curiosity."
Looking at the bloody accept button and the plain declined button on the screen with curiosity, clearly hooked up to the game's introduction filled with deep despair, giving him a faint illusion of the game's setting...
Clark, upon changing his lying posture to a comfortable one, immediately clicked the accept button, causing the black-and-white screen in front of him to release a flashing glow.
In an instant, the view within the screen of his old phone changes, unfolding a dark yet gloomy scene from a bird's point of view.
A howling sky, bringing forth immense rain and a soul-chilling blizzard, showed up on the screen, swaying forth the forest, which stretched until the end of his vision.
Below, a bleak and dilapidated mansion, encircled by a 1.5-meter-thick wall, covered in dark green moss and overgrown garden, met his eyes.
The bland purple curtains beyond the mansion's windows, which show various signs of aging, could be seen fluttering slowly, giving a deep impression that someone was hiding behind them—staring outside as if waiting for something.
Judging by the mansion's old foundation and the noticeable cracks within its thick wall, Clark could already assume that it's been a long time since a human visited the place.
"This scene was too realistic. Did the producer of the game take this video from a real abandoned mansion? I really applaud their dedication."
As Clark was having a good time admiring the realism of the game, the point of view within the screen suddenly changed, descending toward the ground at a slow speed before switching to the point of view of a normal person.
[ Chapter 0, page 289; The Silent Crawler... ]