"What?!" Jihan groaned, slumping into his chair. "Of course I die right when I look away. Thanks a lot, chat!"
The clock in the corner of his monitor read 11:59 PM.
He sighed, reaching for his water when the ground beneath him began to tremble. His shelves rattled, books tumbled, and his glass tipped over, shattering on the floor.
"An earthquake?" he muttered, running to the door. But as he reached for the handle, the shaking stopped.
He opened the door cautiously and froze.
The city was in chaos. Flames engulfed buildings, screams echoed in the distance, and cars swerved wildly. Far off, a massive explosion lit up the night sky, shaking the ground anew.
"What the hell is going on? Is this a terrorist attack?" Jihan muttered, pulling out his phone. The screen displayed No Signal.
Heart pounding, Jihan stepped back into his apartment and leaned against the door, trying to steady his breath. As he glanced around, his eyes landed on the empty kitchen shelf. His heart sank further.
"Oh, shit," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Today was shopping day. I was gonna order groceries. Fuck, how unlucky can I get?"
His gaze shifted to the umbrella stand near the door, where a sturdy black umbrella leaned. It wasn't much, but it was better than going out unarmed. He grabbed it, clutching it tightly in his hands.
Jihan headed toward the convenience store down the block,"Why does this feel like a scene straight out of a horror game?" he muttered, gripping the umbrella tighter.
The store was a wreck. Broken glass littered the floor, shelves were overturned, and smoke wafted from a nearby building. Jihan worked quickly, grabbing food, water, batteries, a flashlight, and a power bank. "If I take this, is it stealing? Screw it. I'll deal with it later."
Back at his apartment complex, he spotted a figure in the shadows. Squinting, he realized it was a teenager. "Hey, kid!" he called, setting his supplies down. "It's dangerous out here. Where are your parents?"
Something about the kid felt...wrong. Maintaining a safe distance, Jihan shouted again. "Hey! Can you hear me?"
The figure suddenly dropped to all fours and began sprinting toward him with unnatural speed.
"Oh, hell no!" Jihan screamed, spinning on his heels. He tripped, his umbrella clattering to the ground. As the creature lunged at him, Jihan grabbed the umbrella and thrust it forward with all his might.
The point of the umbrella pierced the creature's throat.
Panting, Jihan opened his eyes to see the lifeless body hanging off the end of the umbrella. "Oh shit," he whispered, dropping it. "I killed someone. I killed a person. What do I do?!"
Before he could think, a floating screen appeared in front of him, glowing faintly:
🎉 Congratulations, player! You hunted your first prey! 🎉
Another screen followed:
You killed a Slinkrat. You leveled up. You are now Level 1.
Jihan stared, "What...what is this?"
Grabbing his supplies, he bolted back to his apartment, locking the door behind him.
Slumping to the floor, he tried to catch his breath, but his stomach churned, and he threw up in the corner. His trembling hands reached out to steady himself as he stared at the floating screens in disbelief.