Mom Gacha Failed (4)

The curse: separated too far from protector... The status window blared horrific warnings.

Every time it triggered, I desperately fled in the opposite direction. A few seconds' delay before the pain hit—that infuriating grace period always gave me a shot at escape.

I'll never get used to this soul-shattering agony. It was worse than being dragged by a collar studded with thorns—far worse.

I wandered the forest depths for what felt like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ages. Each alert made my heart clench like a vise.

After a long stretch of silence from the status window, Mama Gail's voice echoed from afar.

"Dodo! Mama's not mad at all! Come on out!"

Bullshit no kid would buy. She'd gouged out my eye—how could she not be pissed? The second I showed myself, it'd be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a beatdown turning me into a human brick.

"Hoo..."

But you can't run forever. Dragging my battered body, I headed toward Mama Gail—pockets stuffed with rocks as ammo.

"Hohoho! Dodo, you must've been so scared? Mama was worried sick!"

"Wow... really?"

I force a smile, but rage seeps into my voice. She's definitely gripping a club behind her back.

I close the distance warily. At some point, I stop, and she speaks up impatiently.

"Dodo, Mama scared you, didn't she? Hohoho, shall we head back to the orphanage?"

"Oh, that doesn't sound half bad."

"Backing away like that hurts Mama's feelings, you know?"

"What was that earlier, then?"

"Dodo, you must've had a bad dream. Hohoho."

She plays innocent without missing a beat, but her left eye's bandaged shut. If only it had been a dream.

Waking up in a comfy bed with my smartphone, gaming all day, sumptuous feasts delivered on demand—a world I couldn't even dream of here. My shredded body and soul ached for it fiercely.

"Mama, how many is this for me?"

"What are you talking about, Dodo? Hoho."

"What's the point of becoming 'family'?"

"Hohoho..."

If I just close my eyes and give up, maybe I'd drop this life and go home.

"Next up was Roni, right? And there'll be more after."

"..."

"Mama Gail, you're a vile human scum and a grotesque heretic. Aware of that?"

"Dodo, I was gonna let you go easy, but you crossed the line! Hohoho!"

Striking her religious pride strips away the facade. She reveals her hidden club and charges to subdue me.

"A brat like you is too insolent to keep! Dodo, you're scrap here. Hoho!"

"Eat this!"

I keep distance, bolting toward her blinded left side. Then hurl a rock from my pocket.

"Aaaagh!"

Her forehead cracks, blood spraying. Each chunk of her life chipped away only makes Gail fiercer.

"Dodo! You dare! Ungrateful wretch!!"

My honed D- grade投石 skill boosts the throw. But mental attacks and curse aftereffects have left me wrecked.

I aimed to smash her skull—missed.

"You insolent runt!"

"Too slow. Should've dieted more."

"Dooooodooo!!!"

We're both injured. She swings her club but staggers.

I maintain untouchable range, pelting her with rocks nonstop. Torso, legs, torso again.

She guards her face with one arm, so I target the gaps.

"Guhk... urk!"

The rocks thud dully. A wet splat.

Her disgusting fat absorbs most of the impact—like chucking stones into mud. Armor forged from orphans' stolen blood.

Taking a one-sided beating, she resorts to something unnatural.

"Flesh incarnate! Descend upon me!"

She draws a blade from her bosom, slashing her palm.

"Grrk... grrrraaagh!"

Something writhes beneath her skin, bursting veins. Her flesh swells like dough, reeking of foul pus.

Thinned meat tears; spider-egg eyelids bloom open.

Ew... fucking gross.

"Feast your eyes on this, Dodo!"

She thrusts out her palm. I avert my gaze, but not before a glimpse.

Clustered eyeballs, like that human altar from the temple.

"Urp...!"

My stacked resistance dulls it, but nausea surges anyway.

She lumbers closer during my lapse.

"Die!"

I dodge her club by a hair.

"Getting uglier would be a problem, right? Fucking disgusting, pfft."

I smirk and taunt. Her mental attack bounced off me; she's livid head to toe.

"How in the hell!! You rat-brat!"

"Guess you're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not worthy? Hmm... maybe your god prefers me?"

"Aaaargh! Nooo!!"

Eyes locked on her feet, I keep backing away. Never stare at those eyeballs.

I won't go mad, but confusion in a standoff is deadly.

I act cool while inwardly panicking—still at a disadvantage. Can't throw rocks fixated on her feet.

Panting, she pursues; I'm busy retreating.

"I'll kill you! Mash you to bits! Devour you whole!! Kiiyaak!"

Eyes bloodshot, Mama Gail's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out of control. Those palm eyes are influencing her.

Please self-destruct...

Strategic retreat hits a snag.

"Oh shit...!"

A steep drop starts behind me. I barely avoid slipping, but now I'm cornered.

Big trouble.

"Dodo!!"

Damn, dead end.

Wait... steep slope. If I lure the blind-with-rage pig...

I halt, letting the charging matron close in.

Twenty steps.

Ten steps.

Five...

"Diiiie!!"

Her massive club swing glances off my back, jolting my spine. Lungs deflate; vision whites out.

"Ngh...!"

Agonizing pain, but I trip her ankle with all my might.

"Uh... wh-what?"

Her eyes bulge at the slope's edge, flailing.

Need a hand?

I shove that massive ass from behind.

"Eek... eeeeeek! Dooooodooo!!"

"Bye-bye!"

Snapping branches, crunching bones. Flesh ripping.

She tumbles down, finally smashing headfirst into a tree. Neck snaps with a crack. No death rattle—just twitching, then limp.

Mama Gail, orphanage director, was dead.

No time to relax—messages crash like a tsunami.

"Shit... fuck!"

I act fast, sliding down the slope without thinking.

But too far already.

"Gaa... graaaaaah!!!"

Unbearable agony hits. Sanity shatters; body locks up. Balance lost on the near-cliff incline.

I tumble from midway, rolling wildly.

It hurts like hell! Gonna go mad! Even as my mind flickers, I curl up, shielding my head instinctively.

Thank god her corpse cushions the landing.

"Hoo... huuuh..."

Only when plastered right against it does the gut-tearing pain subside.

Scrapes from the roll? Nothing compared to that.

Time passes.

As curse pain fades, my body's state registers. Torn and bruised everywhere—nothing didn't ache.

Pretty good for a cliff roll. That extreme orphanage diet paid off this once.

"Heh... hehehe..."

Life's unpredictable.

Her snapped neck bore the sin's weight.

I check the status window.

A new curse condition unlocked, countdown ticking.

For real... fuck off.

"Shit... shiiiit!! Why me?! Only me!!"

I scream against her corpse.

I didn't ask for much. Accepted the shitty start, scraped by desperately.

Result? This crap.

Survived on one meal a day. Kept pushing positively in this bullshit world.

And? Fought a psycho trying to brick me up. Barely survived, now the status window's desperate to kill me too.

God was screwing me over.

Did I beg to possess? Never badmouthed anyone, lived diligently!

"Then why!!! Whyyy!! Kehk... cough..."

Tumble-triggered curse boils blood in my guts. Burning innards.

Ironically, in this fucked world, it proved I was alive.

I didn't want to die.

"Help! Somebody...!!"

All I could do: beg for life till my throat tore.

"Save me!! Anyone!!!"

Twisting my creaky body, I inch from her corpse.

Alerts start under a meter away. Even in death, this toxic bond chokes me.

This bitch was rotting me from the grave.

"Aaaaaah!! Help meee!!!"

Miserable. Unjust. Tears streamed; body weighed tons.

My desperate cries echoed in the lifeless woods.

My throat's hoarse rasp now. Body's a wreck.

Forcing my parched throat worsens it—fainting and waking dozens of times.

"Anyone...!"

As the timer nears zero, hope fades.

Stubborn survival instinct. At death's door, it craves life.

Pointless pleas repeat. Deep down, I know: I'm dying soon.

Her corpse rots; bugs swarm it.

"Fuck off... shoo...!"

Filthy insects crawl on me too. Can't escape, but I swat endlessly.

Soon bug food. That inevitable end terrifies me.

"Mommy..."

No more tears—even they dried up.

...

"Child."

"Huh...?"

A voice jars me—familiar yet sudden.

Turning, I see a woman.

Long black hair, black robes, eyes gleaming fiercely.

Death incarnate, if it walked.

Her grim form makes me tremble.

"Will you follow?"

"Uh... eh?"

"I'm asking if you'll come with me."

Sudden. Terrifying. No choice.

I nod, entranced.

Messages scroll up in a rush.

Dazed in this dreamlike haze, my mouth hangs open.

The black-clad woman speaks flatly.

"I offer no affection."