An unsettling aura pervaded everything.
Erik's reservoir of defiant strength lay dormant, her muscles aching from relentless tension.
Outside, the dragging noises receded into the distance. Resolute, she decided to venture forth and gather clues.
Stealthily slipping from behind the cashier's counter, Erik tread carefully over shards of glass and scattered refuse. Crouching behind a wall, she edged forward, breath held tight.
What she beheld defied description: two humanoid figures twisted and contorted, their limbs no longer true hands or feet, but seaweed-like undulating forms that writhingly traced surreal shapes and lines. She stared twice, struggling to discern the figures as "human."
But how could a person move in such a grotesque manner?
Tracking their drifting forms, a heavy weight settled upon her heart—this dungeon had once again shattered her understanding of the infinite escape game.
Reluctant to return to the storefront—the whisper that had brushed her ear earlier left her trembling—yet wary of the street's unknown dangers and other stores' mysteries, she chose prudence, retreating behind the cashier once more.
The voice had not harmed her, so endurance was possible.
Erik resolved to wait here until dawn.
Minutes later, the voice returned.
"Are you hungry?"
Unlike her initial shock, this time Erik steadied herself, glancing aside instantly, yet remained unable to detect the source.
As dawn neared, the voice spoke once more: "Are you tired?"
Fatigue dulled her attention; she nearly answered, that near-mistake abruptly banishing her drowsiness.
A faint realization dawned—this unseen, intangible entity seemed harmless yet sought to lure her into response with everyday phrases.
If she answered, would the benign voice morph instantaneously into one bearing fangs?
The eastern sky brightened, pale light creeping across the horizon. Erik still refrained from venturing out, awaiting any street changes in daylight.
Change arrived swiftly.
Soon after sunrise, the clamor of opening windows and doors shattered the night's silence.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Windows flung open with sudden force, as if the street sought to violently expel the suffocating dread of the long, silent night.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The noise swelled to a crescendo, sounding as if the homes themselves might be torn asunder.
"Hurry, don't dawdle!"
"Brother, get up! We're leaving!"
"Who stole my clothes? You're dead meat!"
Voices mingled—a cacophonous symphony both boisterous and melodic.
Life surged back into the street; the vibrant hustle eased Erik's unease. Watching closely, she glimpsed figures emerging.
Their gait was unmistakably human.
They moved with urgency—not simply walking but almost running, as if racing against time.
Observing the bags, baskets, and packs they carried, Erik's curiosity deepened. She stepped out, trailing them forward.
Buildings lining the street, once somber by night, now spilled open doors and windows.
Erik noted residents extending garments and linens from windows, vigorously smacking them with hangers. Dust danced in shafts of sunlight as below, voices erupted in curses.
"That dust's in my face! We agreed to dry clothes in order—are you doing this on purpose?"
From another window, a woman grumbled, "I told you to hurry! If you're late, the best stuff will be gone!"
Children spilled out from stairwells, each clutching a basket. They romped and laughed, firing words as rapidly as a machine gun, as though eager to unload heaps of chatter before time slipped away.
"Make way! Clear the path, hey!"
A cyclist thundered from behind at a breakneck speed. Erik instinctively sidestepped, overhearing irate voices curse the reckless rider: "Riding like you're rushing to be reborn!"
Erik watched the throng swell as more and more people streamed onto the street, until the thoroughfare was nearly impassable—shoulder to shoulder, friction inevitable, and cacophonous noise engulfing her ears.
This dungeon truly was peculiar. Observing the NPCs, Erik discerned beneath their animated expressions and lively chatter a deep-seated exhaustion and palpable anxiety.
She dared not inquire further, sensing an invisible taut string restraining their spirits—one wrong breeze, one slight disturbance might unravel them utterly.
"Excuse me, where are you all headed? Did you hear any strange noises last night?"
A female voice suddenly rang from behind.
The jubilant scene froze instantly; all NPCs fell silent. Erik witnessed with chilling clarity a nearby child's laughter halted mid-smile—the mouth remained open in frozen mirth, yet emitted no sound. The child's eyes rolled back as if seeking the source of the query—
Every pair of eyes shifted in unison.
Erik's skin crawled.
"Wh-what's wrong?" The questioning player, shaken by a night fraught with fear and finally having found rest, awoke to the bustling street. Her heart eased, and she hurriedly sought intelligence from the NPCs, only to find them falling utterly silent at her mere questions. Terror gripped her; she retreated a step.
That movement seemed to flip a switch; suddenly, all NPCs turned their heads sharply toward her.
The spectacle was nightmarish—startled, the female player emitted a brief, frightened scream.
Reacting but a moment slower, Erik too pivoted alongside the street NPCs toward the woman's direction, though distant enough that her features remained hidden.
In her peripheral vision, she saw NPCs halting their tasks at nearby windows, collectively fixing their gaze upon the player.
"A monster!" a shrill voice declared judgment.
Simultaneously, the NPCs' expressions twisted into snarling hatred; weapons of all sorts were brandished as they lunged viciously at the terrified female player.
"Kill her! She's a monster!"
The NPCs surged like a tide, overwhelming the woman who broke into terrified flight.
Erik was swept along by the crowd, her eyes searching in vain for the fleeing player. From the frenzied pursuit, she inferred the woman was still escaping and silently prayed she would break free.
The female player desperately sought escape but found herself hemmed in by the mass. Struck down and soon bloodied and bruised, she refused to surrender. Using a medkit, she mended wounds only for fresh blows to rain down immediately.
Eventually, with all her points depleted, she could no longer keep her eyes open.
Erik pressed closer, overhearing NPC voices relieved to share:
"Luckily we discovered her early—no wonder it took so long to kill her, she really was a monster."
"Exactly! I aimed for her head all along—look at my axe—sawn and chipped!"
"Monsters deserve to perish!"
"Bah!"
Satisfied, the NPCs dispersed, resuming their journey.
At last, Erik glimpsed the female player—her clothes soaked crimson, original colors unrecognizable; her face a gruesome mosaic of flesh and blood. Judging by the voices earlier, she was of Erik's age.
Saddened yet cautious, Erik dared not reveal her sorrow nor claim the body; she cast a brief glance before feigning nonchalance and moving forward with the NPCs.
The group returned to their lively, cheerful conversations. One blood-specked NPC woman even kindly chided Erik, "Oh dear, child, why no bag? You won't carry many berries like that!"
Her concern was genuine, the blood on her face trembling with the muscles beneath as she spoke, dripping slowly.
"My family's bags are all used up," Erik replied with feigned sadness.
The NPC woman sympathized, "Well, you must find something to fashion a bag. Trust me, your jacket will do—just take it off and use it to carry your things. We rely on our food to survive these long dark nights!"
"Thank you, big sister, you're so kind," Erik offered her finest performance. Heeding the advice, she unzipped her tracksuit jacket and removed it. Under guidance, she tied the cuffs and zipped the jacket back up. The NPC handed her a cord: "Tie the hem now, and after you gather your things, tie the collar too—that makes quite a fine bag!"
"Thank you, big sister!" Erik expressed heartfelt gratitude, eliciting a beaming smile: "Call me big sister? I'm getting on in years…"
Lowering her eyes, Erik slowly sealed the jacket's collar with the bloodied cord—fresh crimson stains clung still. She envisioned the grim scene that had stained it—perhaps the cord had been used to strangle the fallen female player's neck...
A wave of nausea and anger welled within her, gripping the cord tightly.
"My dear, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm fine—just deeply touched by your kindness," Erik smiled as she lifted her gaze. "You clearly have much experience; I truly admire you. I'll stick close to you and learn everything I can."
"Glad to hear it. Follow me, and you'll get the best berries!"
The NPC's repeated emphasis on berries deepened Erik's unease.
Thus, Erik moved alongside the NPC masses, encountering other players readily discernible by their overt nervousness. All sought refuge in ceaseless chatter that sought to mask their fear, yet only spread it further. Inevitably, Erik felt the contagion, finding her own voice growing loquacious.
She avoided eye contact with fellow players; recognition was unspoken, exchanged only in subtle nods as each maintained their guise of local residents.
Their journey stretched nearly two hours.
"Too late, too late!"
"Let's hurry, today's too late already!"
"Make haste, don't risk getting stranded!"
Irritation flickered among the NPCs; even the ever-chatty woman accompanying Erik's smile faded as she quickened her pace to a run. Erik matched her stride, and after several minutes they reached their destination.
"Hurry, grab them quick! If you're late, there won't be any left!" The woman's eyes gleamed fiercely as she surged forward.