Chapter 2,
Handcuffs
Eljeric Reizin's POV
As some doors came opening in the white wall, a few people with their face all black like it was smashed but their body is perfectly fine came and gave everyone who passed a door they're near on some kind of key.
As I walk past through the door, a man with no face also gave me one and it has a number. Seeing it, I already knew what it is. It's just the key to the room I'm staying.
The hallway was long for my room number is 746. Entering the room, I didn't realized that it was humongous. It was more likely to be as big as my old bedroom when I was still a young, stubborn kid.
A voice suddenly popped out of nowhere after I scanned the whole room, "Dear players, now that everyone is at their respective private room, you can sleep or do whatever you want, but coming out is an exception to the rule. An alarm will automatically wake those who are sleeping or not to indicate that three hours had passed." The cute little girl disappeared and the screen of the tv closed.
For the time being, I decided to sleep for an hour, but before that, I want to explore the place to know it more.
I opened the fridge and it's inside was filled with food more likely to be just filled by now. Then, I checked the bed, but it only seemed ordinary and plain. It was not as soft as my old one. The bathroom is also as small and I didn't knew it could fit inside this place. It just had a shower and something that looked like a phone in the wall. About the kitchen, there were only a stove fit for two with one gas tank and beside it was already the sink making the one who lived inside the room extremely poor than the Bimbogami.
Bimbogami is known to be a Yokai who brings misfortune(poverty to be exact) to those he lives with.
Realizing that there was a phone beside the only goodlooking lampshade beside my bed, I took a peek inside to check whoever owns it.
Opening it, he saw one message displayed on the phone: "Hello, Mr. Eljeric Reizin!" Tapping it, the message disappeared and displayed another one. "Everything you need to know is inside. Have a nice day, may luck be with you!"
He tapped the screen once more, then it displayed the home screen this time. No apps was there except for some few. He tapped the 'FAQ' which stands for 'Frequently Asked Questions' and scrolled through the endless-looking set of questions.
He read the screen saying that points can be seen on the phone and the data is saved every one second and much, much more that cought his attention. He opened another app that's named "Player's Information". It displayed all the information he had.
Player: Eljeric Reizin Feiguil
Race: Human
XP: 5,856
Magical Powers: Unknown
Strength(by estimation): Lvl. 13
(MORE CAN BE DISPLAYED AFTER THE PLAYER ACCESSED MORE PRIVILEGE)
Seeing the information, I was down. Looking at those low numbers compared to my family, I only see myself just as a weakling.
Feeling down, I just explored the whole place filled with zero motivation and energy. As I awaits the arrival of the right time for me to sleep, I just kept on opening different functions on the phone, checked the things in the house, and even cooked food.
Half an hour before I go to his slumber, I tried sleeping after having nothing else to do as I'm completely swallowed by boredom.
Lying on the bed, I tried to sleep and realized one thing, my vision is starting to get hazy and the surroundings are getting sluggish.
***
Waking up, it was still ten minutes before three hours to pass. Realizing that, I cleaned the bed, cooked some food to replenish my energy and to have some before the next stage starts. I also took a bath and realized that the phone-like device stuck on the wall wasn't a phone, it was a mere device that lets you pick what shampoo and what temperature of the water is your preference.
After doing what I should, a strong sound came that it felt like my head would hurt if it continues. Luckily, it stopped after a while and the doors opened by themselves.
Seeing more of the faceless mans, I followed them along with the other players that I've never seen before. Everyone's attention was mostly to be in me seeing my form of a little kid. No one would think that a kid would survive this place, especially the test, that's why no one came closer and kept their distance with me. No one would know who the hell am I.
Reaching the place once again, there were only a few of us there. As far as my estimation, there are only half of the survivors and even Rinel and the others was nowhere to be found.
Being with no one, I felt the place scary along with the different races. Indeed, we decreased by half but the place has still 250 players and it's enough to kill me.
Third Person's POV
"Mic test, mic test." the cute girl scoffing, "Before the second game starts, I want every players to know my name. I'm Gella-san, everyone! An application is already installed there if you want to ask something and me or those who work under me," she added.
"Now, let the Second game begin! Gella will be explaining to you briefly." Every single player is silenced along with Eljeric who patiently waits for her to speak.
"Room 2. Handcuffs. Either chose a partner or not, you still have to use handcuffs and couples are strictly required. Remember: two heads are better than one!" Gella spoke loudly overflowing with excitement.
"Now, Start the couple'd game!" A door opened from somewhere and players began to come inside, some with partners and done with not.
After wearing the handcuffs, Eljeric came towards the door with no partner with him, all alone. After entering the door, he was shocked seeing the whole place.
The place was like a huge plain field filled with only green gasses and a few flowers. At far away, he can see some trees whick looks like a small forest at North and at East, he saw a waterfall, water falling upsidedown. At West, a few pieces of land is crumbling and gets pulled by something that looks like a core-like sphere-shaped ball and lastly, at south. There's nothing there, just plain green. It was so empty, yet the greenness of the Land and the blueness of the sky makes a pretty emptiness.
One thing was odd, everyone was separately transported in different places and imagining this huge place with no place to hide exempting the three other places, anyone will die out of the blue.
Eljeric scratched his head out of confusion, then his face brightened, "Rather run in the empty space than inside the hiding spot!" he repeats a saying from someone dear being thankful for his words for it helped him a ton.
Realizing it, he tried running towards the wide green, he stopped and started shivering after seeing who's in front. It was a huge reptile, one of the Race defined as 'Zards'. The giant crocodile with a enormous sword and one swing could kill this small child.
It didn't utter a single world nor a vowel, but one thing is certain, and it is that it's eyes conveys an intent to take a life or more when it brushes past a foe or an innocent. Well, no one's innocent to begin with, they just doesn't get things right.
As it attacks with it's fearsome aura, Eljeric dodges the attack. That happening, the reptile became and looked furious and an intense malice covered the area. It's not something unusual for the races of Zards, especially, crocodiles. Zards like crocodiles have a high pride that's even higher than the praise of their great god, "Lizardo."
Furiously, it attacked once again, but Eljeric doged it for the second time, and one fact is revealed because of the crocodile's actions. It was this: the more furious the reptile is, the more stronger it gets. This is indeed, a great weapon, but it has a hole in it and Eljeric knows what it is.
The stronger he gets, the more energy gets consumed. It might drain his energy overtime. Secondly, the strength is outrageous, but will there be enough time to change the direction when you're hitting someone? And lastly, aside from the extraordinary sword and strength, if you don't have it, are you able to fight?
Considering more and more possible weakness, Eljeric saw a plan with a hole, but it's hole is not wide enough to be seen. Eljeric charged forward and the reptile tried swinging its sword towards him but he immediately doged and the weapon was sucked on the ground. Without the reptile realizing, Eljeric was already gone. This is what you expect from someone who denies killing beings like a ASA ANA SAE A. ASA ANA SAE A is what they call the combination of all of all races on earth. Many people complained about it being so long so it was called ANES, instead.
"Oh," Gella cleared her throat after appearing in a hologram big enough to be seen from below, "I would wish for the players to pause for a while. Before you start, I want you to know that there is no time limit in this game. If 50 players are already killed, you may proceed to the next one. Just to remind you, you are not the only ones who's killing," she winked then the hologram disappeared like a tv turned off.
Without Eljeric realizing a thing, he was shot from a distance, but luckily, it was only his left leg.
"Shiima here," the guy who shot spoke talking to someone in the phone, "he probably can't move now, now's you chance."
"Vin here," he kept his voice down for a while, "Hanny, Let's attack!"
"Wait!" Hanny stopped them, "a guy from north. Light blue haired with a highlight on his hair. About 6 foot tall and his hair is a bit longer then average but not enough to be a girl. Another one, a crocodile with the sword of a hundredfold with him and lastly, two humans who seemed lost are also coming to his direction. One holding a knife and the other wears a vest with no weapon."
"Thanks." Vin sighed in relief.
"He's also being hunted, we could use the others to weaken him and we'll be the ones finishing it off to get the rewards. This kid is lucky enough to get here, but his unlucky he's our prey," Shiima smiled wickedly.
As the couples came, they saw the kid there. Eljeric is crying in pain and blood kept on bleeding but only slowly enough to give him a change to be saved.
"Are you okay?!" the girl tried to approach the kid but he was pulled by the handcuffs by the boy.
"Lyka, no. This might be a trap." silence covered the place.
Lyka looked at his boyfriend, Tj, who doubts the kid, "No," she glared with full confidence.
She came forward and surprisingly,she was a healer so she healed Eljeric. As his breathing calmed down after being healed, the blue-haired guy came. He has nothing with him and his face was blank as an empty sheet of paper.
"So, you three will be my prey. A group of weakling, is it not?" The guy chuckled.
"What's your business with us?" Tj asked as he points a knife on the guy after standing dragging along his girlfriend up and glared.
"Oh, how scary. HAHAHA!" He laughed really hard giving an insult to the three.
"Could you not laugh? It's a bit insulting, sir?" The couple got shocked realizing that Eljeric is already in front of the guy.
"Why do you ca—How the hell did you—?" Eljeric just replied with a kind smile.
"Ahhh!" Lyka screamed in pain.
She was shot near her heart shocking everyone. It wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't a vital part, but near the heart. It could only be one organ near it, the lungs.
"Lyka, get it together!" Tj calls her out, tears falling off his face.
"Can you heal yourself?!" Eljeric asked, slight panic in his voice.
"She can, but it won't be enough!" Tj cries.
"Lyka, please regenerate yourself. This time, it's all or nothing." Eljeric's face was overflowing with determination and belief that she will live and Lyka just nodded.
As Eljeric touched her, her bleeding became slow that it looked like blood was not flowing an inch. It surprised the blue haired boy but not the two. They already witnessed it for the first time.
Some big footsteps came closing into them and there came out a big crocodile. The three didn't payed too much attention to it and only diverted their attention to Lyka who's recovering slowly.
The big reptile tried swinging its sword towards Eljeric, but before it could approach the six foot distance of Eljeric and the Sword, it's motion became slow and the attack became slower. The blue haired boy realized something, he was looking for a time manipulator. Realizing, he held out his hand in the form of crushing someone and it's pointed into the direction of the crocodile. Water came enveloping the reptile and the water came crushing it till no life was felt in the reptiles body. It was dead and didn't even uttered a single word.
"Thank you!" Eljeric smiled at the blue guy brightly.
Realizing they were done, he scratched the back of his head blushing, "I don't mind anyways."
"I'm Eljeric Reizin, nice to mee—" he held out his hand smiling, but suddenly, he was shot in the head.
It was the Third shot and a second time to Eljeric. This is bad, Lyka doesn't have enough energy anymore. More of it, and she's dead.
Lyka, overlooking the fact that she might die, still tried healing Eljeric who saved her life, "stop, you'll die!" The stops her but she struggled.
It was indeed unacceptable. The blue-haired guy just saw a potential ally and now, he's dead. It's an unforgivable thing to do. He's sure to kill them himself.
A moment later, something that looked like a scroll came out of the backpack that Eljeric carries and the writing came out and glued one-by-one into Eljeric's body. He floated and the the three near him almost flew away if the are further more closer to him. Before he could meet a great fall on the ground that would extremely hurt, the blue boy catched him.
Eljeric opened his eyes and realized he was alive, "This is. . ." He always shocked himself.
"What the hell is that scroll?!" Tj asked surprised.
"It's a parting gift from a former group mate." Everyone was shocked.
Surprised, Eljeric suddenly stepped back avoiding attacked from two person attacking him with daggers at the same time. Its Vin and Hanny. A bang came next but it slowed down before reaching Eljeric and he was able to use his fingers to move them away.
After seeing them, he became furious. Filled with anger, he came forward with a speed out of the ordinary knocking the two down. After that, he looked at somewhere, it was Shiin's location. It was surprising knowing he was able to do that. He just threw an knife at him and after that, he came rolling down to their location. He was camouflaged all along.
After tying the three at the same spot, they woke them up, "Here, I'll be killing you all together," Eljeric gave a death glare.
"You aren't players. You are just monsters who used the bodies of these victims of yours and tried killing platers one-by-one." his glare became more scary that it's enough to kill a weakling.
Without uttering a word, the three was beheaded without a weapon being used. It was odd, indeed. Tj, not letting Lyka see it covered his eyes.
"Three more players to kill," The blue guy spoke.
"If us four came out, we the game shall end," Eljeric said, confidence overflowing in him.
"We have no option left. Let's just go with it," Lyka spoke as she was carried by The for she can't walk because of lack of energy.
Eljeric led the three to the plain grasses, "Why here?" Blue-haired guy asked filled with doubt.
"Rather run in the empty space than inside the hiding spot," Eljeric repeated an old saying.
"Who told you that?" Tj asked.
"My older brother." he kept quiet until they reached the point that nothing can be spotted than the greenness of the grasses.
"We're here," Eljeric said with a serious look and they suddenly teleported to another place.
***