Escape - Chapter 14.2
Chapter 14.2
12 waited. But the man could no longer speak. Placed on the ground, lacking limbs, he merely rolled a few times. He gasped and wept.
“Tell me more.”
Finally, a low voice rumbled from 12. It was a pleasant tone, but the flatness of it was unsettling. Silence fell over the hall.
“Hngh, wh-what?”
“Tell me more.”
12 repeated the same words without inflection. The man finally looked at 12 with terrified eyes, his reason, clouded by pain, seemingly returning.
Could it be…? But were there humanoid monsters? Was a monster this human-like even possible? He looked up at 12, who sat languidly amidst the carnage.
District 10, the first frontier of <Escape>. There had been controversy about the dwarf fairies who inhabited it, how human-like they were. Enslaved, palm-sized, they reacted just like tiny humans.
But a monster this human? If this was real, the programmers were insane.
12 was identical to a human, except for his lack of expression. Handsome features, a tall physique, golden eyes—the only thing that distinguished him from a human was his complete lack of reaction, even in the presence of the Serpiente.
The man gulped. He suddenly remembered the quest notification he’d seen just before being captured.
‘The master of District 12 has awakened. The hungry master begins hunting humans.’
“Are, are you the Serpent’s master?”
There was no other explanation. It explained why the serpents had brought him here, why the man before him was so relaxed.
“Yes. What are you?”
“…I’m a player in this game.”
The man’s raspy voice came out in broken fragments. 12 tilted his head.
“What’s that?”
“The ones who hunt you. Soon, other players will arrive here too.”
12’s lips curled into a smile. The ones who hunt you. He liked those words. 12 slowly rose to his feet.
Thud. Thud. He walked towards the man and bent down. As their eyes met, the man squeezed his eyes shut. ‘Let it be over quickly,’ he thought. It was frustrating that he couldn’t lose consciousness, even in this excruciating pain.
Unfortunately, 12 had no intention of letting him go. He grabbed the man by the neck, lifting what was left of his torso, and placed him on a chair at a nearby table—if that action could be called ‘placing,’ considering the man’s state.
“Tell me more.”
12 repeated the same words. The man was now petrified. This monster was strange. He’d never encountered this kind of interaction with a monster before. He considered biting his tongue to commit suicide, an act strictly forbidden in the game due to the possibility of it happening in real life as well. But he couldn’t bear the pain any longer.
Then it happened.
Screech! Hiss!
With a sharp shriek, a slightly larger Serpiente slithered rapidly out of the darkness.
12 turned his head and listened to the Serpiente’s urgent report.
‘Massacre in front of District 12.’
A report of a disruption in his orders. The serpents hadn’t even managed to exit their dens, let alone reach District 11.
12’s eyes gleamed with interest. The man’s words had been true. The hunters had arrived. The ones who hunt you.
After a moment’s thought, 12 turned.
“You can eat him.”
That was all.
The man left behind closed his eyes as Serpientes crawled towards him from all directions. Their scale-covered faces eerily resembled human ones.
***
“I think we should have brought Luce,” Woo Yune murmured, staring blankly at the scene unfolding before her.
The number of viewers in her broadcast had already surpassed two million. They must all be coming because of the rumors. Woo Yune glanced at Adeline beside her with awe.
Adeline stood before District 12, incinerating every serpent that attempted to exit the den. Every single one. Woo Yune had suspected Adeline was confident, but she hadn’t imagined this level of power.
“Who is she?”
But perhaps the truly bewildered one was Adeline. She was moving her body more to organize her thoughts than anything else.
It felt like a dream. Her body moved with incredible lightness, and she couldn’t explain how she was capable of such feats. It truly felt like a game, though she hated to admit it.
Serpiente 100/100
The quest objective displayed in the corner of her vision had long been fulfilled. Rewards and notifications poured in as she completed the quest. The feeling of being inside a game filled her with unease.
She had played games as a child, though not ones like this where she directly controlled her movements. Her character on the screen had wielded magic without weapons. It felt like she had become that character. Of course, now she held a flamethrower, not magic, but it amounted to the same thing, considering she was crushing the Serpientes, the perpetrators of the massacre, like ants. The dream she had pursued her entire life felt absurdly small. Monsters that had devoured countless humans were crumbling effortlessly under the guise of a game.
Even the flamethrower wasn’t originally hers. It had simply appeared in her hand when the enemies appeared, just like the gun she now held.
“Woo Yune, get back!”
Bang!
Hiss!
Adeline yelled as she shot a Serpiente that had suddenly sprung out, aiming to attack Woo Yune.
