Survival
1624 Words
The hologram window didn’t disappear after the announcements and the lists are still on display. With it is the timer.
[00:19:32]
*huff huff
All worn out, a player had made an appearance after the announcement, he was coming from one of the cells, on the second floor.
“What is wrong with him?” Aaron asked after sensing a weird vibes on the man with heavy breathing. His body trembles as he watches them.
“Number 15.” Lucas said as he stared at the pictures on the window. Though the current man’s appearance is far from the clean shaved face in the picture.
“Number 2.” The man mumbled before he charged at Aaron’s.
“What the…” Aaron stepped back but he had already upped his weapon in case.
*BAM
The man collapsed even before he had his third step, behind him was another man with a wood plank stick. With several nails sticking out.
*Drip drip
The blood dripped like a partially closed faucet and little amount of flesh got stuck to the nails.
“W,why?” The bleeding man asked as his body convulsed.
“I, I’m sorry! *Bam*. I’m sorry! *Bam* I’m sorry!! *Bam* I’m sorry!”
“W,why?” Aaron looked confused while watching a player kill another player.
“Look here...” Lucas put his hands on his tensed shoulders and pointed at the hologram window.
Lucas’ ranking went up from 17th place to 16th place.
“What?” Aaron’s eyes widened as he understood what was happening.
While Aaron stares at it with a shocked expression, Lucas is staring at the man across from him.
Killing either undead or another human seems to get easier and easier for everyone.
‘Even if they were only together this round, isn’t it still too much to smile?’ He thought.
The player that just killed his companion went from ranking 16th to 15th. He looked over Lucas' direction and his smile had dropped.
*Growl
The three of them turned at the faint growling coming closer.
“We need to go.” Aaron said and Lucas agreed.
As if there is a silent agreement between Lucas and the other player, they went on different paths.
“You already know this will happen right? Since when?” Aaron asks while Lucas is checking on the cloth they place around the cell bars and wrapping it around their hands.
This is to stop any players or extremely dangerous undeads from opening their cell bars.
“From the start…” He honestly confessed.
“How can you?! Is that why you didn’t put an effort in killing undead? Is it really because in the end we will end up killing each other anyway?” Aaron was in disbelief as if he was betrayed.
“...”
“Haaa. I’m sorry, it wasn’t your fault. It’s the fault of this f*****g game!”
Aaron grinds his teeth as spews curses.
*Thud
An undead slams its body on the cell bar and Aaron apologizes for being loud.
“I didn’t have time to explain…” Lucas answered Aaron’s question instead of responding to his apologies.
“...I know things because I've experienced it all before.” He continued.
“What? You experienced playing a game like this?” Aaron sounded more confused.
Lucas, who is dumbfounded, chuckled. Aaron is sometimes sharp so it was unexpected to see him looking innocent with a big build like his.
“Did you just laugh at me?”
“I’m sorry… *chuckled”
“What the f**k man…”
Lucas smiled sadly after his contained laughs. He didn’t know when was the last time he had ever laughed or smiled. It is contradicting since he felt like he was dropped to hell after being transported outside the walls.
‘Have I ever smiled when I was inside the walls?’
There was only one image that came to his mind.
His only sister. Andrea Maximillian. The only family he had left.
Lucas pushed the undead away from the cell to open it.
“I mean, I experienced this kind of hell before.”
‘...and I intend to come out alive just like before.’
*Thwak
Lucas smashed the head of the undead.
There are other undead in the vicinity but they have no more time left to spare. Lucas led the way.
“That’s where the other player went.” Aaron whispered as they passed the body of the former 15th place player.
“That’s why we are going this way.” Lucas answered unfeelingly.
[00:15:57]
Lucas’ place moved once again. He is now in 14th place.
By now, Everyone already knows how to win this round. That is to make sure there are only 10 players left. It doesn’t matter how many undead you’ve killed, as long as there are ten players left, you’ll end up in a place anyway.
While the 11s and down are desperate to kill the ranking 10. The latter is desperate to defend it.
The former 16th place player recognizes Lucas, just like how he killed his companion he knows Lucas is one of his targets but there is no merit in killing lower ranking players yet… That’s why upon meeting the former 16th place now the 13th, he proposed an idea.
“That man beside you, is rank 2 right? Why don’t we kill him together and move our ranking up?” He said with a wicked expression.
“This s**t!” Aaron glared at him. The 13th is obviously scared of Aaron that’s why he kept his distance on them as he tries to coax Lucas into joining his cause.
“I agree.” Lucas then didn’t hold back on swinging his bat to Aaron who raised his hand to defend his head.
“YOU FUCKER!” Aaron roared and held Lucas by the neck.
“ARGHHHH!” Lucas struggled as he was lifted to the ground and made him choke more. His bat had rolled to the floor.
“YOU MEANT TO BETRAY ME FROM THE START!!” Aaron pushed Lucas to the railings and meant to push him to his death when 13th had slowly approached from the side and positioned himself but he didn’t swing his bat.
“You are right…” Aaron said as he turned and put Lucas back to the ground.
“Wha.. what?” 13th stuttered as he faced Aaron’s huge presence.
“H,Hey! Helped me take this man down.” Shivering, Aaron grabbed 13th’s hand to stop him from swinging his weapon.
Lucas' neck has reddened and tears have fallen to his cheek while he is coughing to the side.
His grip is getting tighter and tighter until 13th loses his grip on the weapon.
“H,help me…” 13th struggled as he was forced to kneel.
Done with coughing but still with a hoarse voice Lucas spoke as he picked up his weapon.
“I know your kind so well.”
Few minutes earlier…
“That’s where the other player went.” Aaron whispered as they passed the body of the former 15th place player.
“That’s why we are going this way.” Lucas answered unfeelingly.
“Hey! What are you going to do? Are you going to kill him?” Aaron grabbed Lucas' shoulder tightly.
“If we don’t we will be killed. The sooner only 10 remain, the sooner this war among players will end.”
Aaron looked at Lucas with a big frown and disappointment.
“Are you serious?”
Lucas wondered why a man who proudly said killed military officers before is being like this now.
“You planned on killing on your way up, that’s why you didn’t make an effort…”
“Not exactly… in a game like this there are positions that can be untouchables for a while, that is the first placer and last placer… since I can’t top this game, it’s better if I end up being the last placer, that way, the middle players are focused on each other… Me being in last place and you being second is the reason why the 15th player didn’t attack the first time. Because I hold no value to him yet and you… you have amazing results, meaning you can kill him in beat...”
“It still doesn’t justify you killing others.”
‘Isn’t that a little too late now?’ Lucas thought.
“I’ll show you how fickle a human can be.” Lucas said and started forecasting the events.
And just like how Lucas portrayed the events, the 13th placer moved according to his forecast.
‘...He will propose an alliance with me, and make you kill me then kill you after killing me…”
Now that 13th is placed on his knees, unable to make it where he did wrong.
Lucas walked from behind and raised his bat and descended it fast and hard on the man’s ankle.
“AHHHHHHHH!” He let out a painful scream.
The man’s ankle is broken. Aaron and Lucas left him.
“I thought you would want to kill him.” Aaron said as the leisurely walk away from the apologies and begging of the 13th.
“I, I , I am sorry!! P,please d,don’t leave me here!”
“Why waste time on that?”
“...!”
Soon the undead swarmed around the 13th.
“What are you thinking?” Aaron asked as they settled on one of the cells, letting the undead pass through there.
“If only he was a bit smarter, he would be able to survive. That’s what I am thinking.” Lucas let his inner thoughts.
“... You sometimes scare the hell out of me.”
- Writer
