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1153 Words
The plump rabbit covered its mouth with a paw, trying to suppress its excitement. “Let’s watch your ships take off.”
As soon as the rabbit finished speaking, the dome was raised again. This time, the scene outside the transparent glass was no longer a black void.
Behind the glass wall was a vast storage compartment, as massive as the hall itself—so large that those standing nearest the window couldn’t see the end of it. Inside the compartment, the players who’d escaped the hall were now trying to board the ships. But there were no ladders, and the ships were so large that there was simply no way to climb aboard.
While people were feeling desperate, the dome of the hall was lifted again, and light from the hall shone out into the endless darkness.
The people in the compartment looked back at the faces of those inside the hall—faces full of horror. They weren’t afraid of being trapped; they were terrified of something else.
Those wide eyes stared, hands pressed over mouths, all gazing at something beyond.
A bitter cold wind blew, and suddenly a sharp, excruciating pain struck everyone’s minds.
Their hands and feet froze all at once.
As they realized their bodies could no longer move, their faces turned white. “No…”
Endless black shadows wrapped around their bodies, tightening on their outstretched limbs. Their faces froze, but they could still feel everything—their eyes wide in agonizing pain.
Front and back were slashed open, their chests ripped apart, internal organs splattering everywhere. The sound of bones being crunched echoed. Everyone behind the glass watched.
A huge blade cut them all into three pieces.
The knife came down again and again. They were like fish on a cutting board, endlessly chopped to bits. Blood poured from bellies and bones, hands and feet became caked with gore, and hundreds of heads rolled on the ground like balls.
The horrifying sight caused those still in the hall to vomit. Some were so shocked they collapsed where they stood, hearts stopping from fear.
The plump white rabbit grinned, its laughter echoing, the b****y scene behind the glass making everyone shiver with cold. It smiled wickedly: “Anyone else want to try going out?”
No one spoke.
Everyone was so frightened that there wasn’t a drop of blood in their faces.
The rabbit’s laughter finally died down. It contentedly looked over the crowd below: “This gentle representative will now speak once more, so there is no misunderstanding!”
The fat rabbit said, “Failing does not mean death! If you fail, you’ll be exiled. Hell’s Mountain burns day and night, lava flowing in endless cycles, never escaping punishment. If you successfully pass seven rounds of baptism, you will receive the reward—the grace of the High Judge!”
Everyone’s faces turned white.
To burn forever in flames, day and night, is a thousand times more painful than simply dying and vanishing.
The more terrible the punishment, the more it makes people wish for death.
“Now, the game will begin in one minute!”
On the giant screen above, a sixty-second countdown began.
Phedra Henry immediately took advantage of the remaining time to check his individual stereoscopic screen.
The b****y red text disappeared, replaced by his own information board. Next to the circular icon was a round zero, along with background details: age, date of birth, nationality.
Phedra Henry tapped the bag icon in the right corner.
A new window popped up, showing the number of items: zero.
He tapped the white rabbit icon, wondering to himself, “Does this have something to do with the evil rabbit?”
As soon as he pressed it, a small white rabbit appeared, about the size of his hand, in three-dimensional form with its head bowed. “Dear Phedra, do you have any questions you’d like me to answer?”
Phedra Henry thought it was just his imagination, but when the little rabbit appeared, he noticed the fat rabbit floating in the sky glance his way.
He reflexively looked up, just in time to see the fat rabbit’s back.
He figured he was just being paranoid, then pointed to the follower count and asked the little white rabbit, “What’s this?”
The little white rabbit replied enthusiastically, “Since you’re still an unknown new player, your follower count is zero. If you can pass the first round and show excellence, I’m sure you’ll have ‘fans’ soon! Points can be used—ten points equals one credit. You can save credits to buy items in the system store. After the first round, you’ll move into the dormitory. If you have lots of points, you can upgrade to a single room, instead of squeezing in with thirty people in a group room.”
Phedra Henry frowned. Fans?
He asked, “Is this game being broadcast live? Is there an audience? Who’s watching? Is it the people who created the game?”
The little white rabbit didn’t answer his question.
It stayed silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled with its eyes.
Its fluffy paw almost covered its whole face as it hummed softly: “Where the deep voice trembles for the reason you brought him. It was because you awakened the spirits, and they all will speak to you: ‘You are as weak as we are! You are like us!’”
Phedra Henry’s arms were covered in goosebumps. In the blink of an eye, he seemed to understand the song, but he never truly did.
What did they mean by “like us”? Who were “we”? Who was speaking? Who were the “spirits”? Who was “it”?
Phedra Henry suddenly had a bold thought, swallowing hard as he asked, “Are the spirits… fans?”
The little white rabbit’s eyes blinked.
The fat rabbit floating high above glanced at him. Then, in less than a second, it swooped down and landed right in front of him. “So this is why No. 1 called you the Anger candidate.”
Phedra Henry didn’t even see it move and asked in surprise, “Candidate?”
The rabbit burst out laughing.
Phedra Henry didn’t want to look into its round eyes for long, so he lowered his head, quickly checked the remaining icons, closed the screen, and looked up just as the countdown was ending.
Amaya Yuki was standing with her back to him. She had just finished checking her information panel and was nervously leaning against him.
Phedra Henry nodded reassuringly.
[Countdown ended.]
The hall slowly sank into darkness.
Before the last of the light faded, he glanced one last time at the fat rabbit.
Its smile didn’t change, as if it were a statue.
Phedra Henry looked away.
[Starting transfer in 3, 2, 1…]
[GAME STARTS!]
…
- Writer
