Chapter 62. Ep14. Player, Versus, Player. (5)
Aiden staggered back a step, struck by the arrow. It wasn't a serious wound. Since it had pierced through his leather protector, only a bit of blood would be trickling inside. Aiden snapped off the embedded arrow and activated Focus.
Tssst. Starting from the bloodstained arrow, the trajectory from which it had flown materialized as a line. At the end of it lurked the silhouette of a player crouched behind a rock.
107/128
In the chaotic melee where more than a dozen players had fallen, one had chosen stealth to survive.
'Hiding to avoid the fight, huh.'
Once he'd pinpointed the player's position, Aiden turned his head away, feigning ignorance of the direction. Fortunately, the player seemed to believe they were still undetected and made no further moves.
How should I handle this one?
'At this point, keeping up Fast Travel won't work anymore...'
Already targeted, dragging out a hidden player wouldn't be easy. Simple spells usable barehanded wouldn't reach that far. Charging blindly was an option, but no player was a pushover, even if underestimated.
Aiden bolted toward cover, away from the arrow's origin.
"...!"
Defying the player's expectations, the NPC darted into a blind spot beyond attack range. The player peeked from behind the rock and loosed an arrow at Aiden's head as he ran—but Aiden slid across the ground like a shadow, vanishing behind an obstacle.
Now safe from immediate arrows. Still, no clear way to counter.
Any other useful options?
'Damn. Looking back, all these systems are just convenient as hell.'
Expecting the System to have answers if he didn't, Aiden pulled up his UI to review abilities—only to hit a wall. Everything acquired so far was useful but not directly combat-oriented. Unlocked genres or systems might fit, but without effect details, solo unlocking was tough. Should've unlocked everything available.
'No choice.'
Even huddled behind the rock, arrows kept coming as probes—roughly one every five seconds. The player would peek, shoot, and duck back behind the tree.
Thuk.
Aiden lunged forward the instant an arrow thudded into the rock. His Stealth silenced footsteps and kicked up no sand. The player only noticed upon peeking again, too late to fully draw their bowstring before Aiden seized their throat.
"A bit risky... but with the only witness gone, I'm still in the clear."
The disarmed player flailed, punching Aiden's face—but strangely, it didn't hurt. Weak barehanded strikes? Or his system-enhanced body? Aiden decided to test by killing another player.
Crackle.
Blue electricity arced from his gripping hand, charring the player's shoulder black. Limp and lifeless, the body slumped when released—dead.
101/128
The eager UI confirmed it, and locked Fast Travel reactivated.
'Looks like they've all gathered in the clearing as time passed.'
No players remained in the village outskirts, separated from the clearing—dead, buried, or relocated. Judging nothing left here, Aiden turned toward the commotion.
Center of the clearing — to Hasselhoff's position.
* * *
Right after Aiden left the outskirts.
In the eerily quiet outskirts devoid of passersby, a female character peeked from inside a building.
Of course, the character's gender had nothing to do with reality.
'...No one's here. Right?'
The player who'd hidden from everything scurrying about, Star, glanced around before bolting.
Her goal: anywhere far from enemies, outside the village.
Initially rolling to dodge potential arrows, she confirmed safety and sprinted properly.
'What the hell is this? I logged in just for some chicken event...
That's all it was. If not for spotting a user event on a community she'd rarely visited, she wouldn't have returned. The event set theme and location, so she fired up her installed game and headed straight to the Abandoned Residence.
But what was this madness? Other players everywhere, a bizarre UI demanding kill-all-survive-alone. When players started hunting without hesitation, Star chose flight over fight.
Star Lv. 25
This game didn't support multiplayer. Star's level should've been higher—she'd cleared the ending. The system still saw combat active, blocking fast travel.
How does any of this work?
"...Hic."
A sob halted her. Star turned to see a nun NPC slumped in terror.
Strikingly non-extraneous, with veil-less silver hair cascading to her waist and sky-blue eyes glistening with tears. Staff in hand unlike typical nuns, but unremarkable.
"P-please, help me...!"
The nun spoke first as Star stared. Suspicious—an NPC in the Abandoned Residence—but amid the surreal chaos, it felt game-like. Star approached cautiously.
"You just came from there, right...? That place where everyone suddenly swarmed."
[Answer yes.]
[Deflect and say no.]
[0/75]
Familiar choices and mysterious number below. Seeing them eased her—this was game, despite anomalies.
"Yeah, I slipped out from there."
Selecting bumped the counter to 1. The nun replied.
"Haa... What the hell's going on? Excuse me, could you help me up? My leg won't support me..."
Her right leg, visible through hiked robes, was bloodied. Fled the clearing brawl, got injured, couldn't escape till meeting player—plausible setup. Star consented via choice, extending a hand. The nun brightened, grasping it.
"Thank you."
No weight in-game, easy to lift. She needed only support, clutching her staff dearly. As Star checked the map for destination—
"Thanks for falling for it so nicely."
Puuk!
Claire's cane sword stabbed Star's side. She stepped back to avoid blood.
Knew cowards would run, but helping without suspicion? Claire rang her bell to heal the deliberate wound, smirking.
"Why would a nun be hurt like this? She'd heal herself if needed."
No reply, of course. Old man said today's players could only speak to "NPC questions." Claire tripped the late-dagger-swinging player, repeating the process.
—Leave them underground, underground.
Silently sucked below. Not lonely—two others already trapped there.
'Runner didn't fight, so fits the criteria?'
It better.
* * *
The commotion in the clearing was winding down. Remaining: Hasselhoff, Sephirah, and six savvy survivors from the start.
No tanky boss meant quick resolutions—victors gaining EXP, growing stronger. Thus, only sharp, high-level pains left.
"...Tch."
The taciturn Hasselhoff rarely grumbled. Aiden vanished wordlessly after arriving. Claire and Loqi missing, yet players dwindled.
Hasselhoff survived thanks to their aid: Sephirah's noisy skill barrages from high ground, Loqi's trap spam.
Kwagak!!
Blades erupted from below, skewering a player targeting Hasselhoff's back. Turning late, he saw Loqi holding the trap switch amid the impaled corpse.
"...Thanks."
"Just hold out—your vision's narrow."
Rude words, but Hasselhoff accepted the help. Traps reliably felled one each; distracted players got backstabbed.
Fan-service childhood unused in story, but Loqi Mendacium's skills held true.
"Don't push further. Almost done."
"I can still fight post-traps."
"Not that. Go back."
"You barely talk usually."
Loqi retreated; survivors encircled Hasselhoff instead. He signaled Loqi no need—had anticipated and cleared path.
Of ~40, final five gathered.
"......"
Silent players, unspeaking. Survivors knew: real people drawn by the same message, skilled enough to reach endgame. Communication possible.
Whish, whish.
Second from left waved friendly, axe down. Others followed sequentially, including Hasselhoff and last. Ritual affirming humanity via gestures over words.
'...No fight?'
Hasselhoff regripped his rapier. Felt like reality suddenly. No reason to fight anyway—the kill-all message fake. Maybe not fully realized, but reluctant to end newfound camaraderie.
Bloodied weapons dropped; players struck game poses: endless waves, dancing, coin-tossing, spectators sitting.
Lame, but fight paused novelly.
"Crazy bastards?"
Only Loqi watched objectively.
