The roar still thundered in Zane's skull as the creature tore free from the earth's grip.
It erupted in a violent explosion of soil, dirt, and choking smoke; a grotesque titan of jagged limbs and a hulking, misshapen body that dwarfed its own nightmarish appendages. Glowing red runes pulsed across its hide like living veins, casting an eerie crimson glow that flickered in the dim light. Its mouth; the twitching maw of layered, needle-like fangs dripped with acidic drool that hissed and sizzled as it scorched the ground.
"Holy sh—" Zane's curse caught in his throat.
He stood frozen, eyes locked on the monster. Its guttural growl reverberated through the air, a deafening wave that shook the bones of every player in the clearing. Only a tangle of thick, rune-carved chains held the beast in place, straining against its relentless thrashing. The metal groaned, on the verge of snapping.
On Zane's HUD, a glowing alert flashed in the left corner of his vision:
{WARNING: Dangerous Entity Detected.
Chance of Survival: 30%.
Mission: Survive for 15 Minutes.
Time Remaining: 14:29}
This doesn't make sense,Zane thought, his mind racing. What kind of game throws a rookie into a death trap with no training?
Think. Think. Think.
He slapped his forehead, trying to jolt his brain into action. A hand grabbed his wrist, firm but not rough.
"Hey, Player One," a voice said, calm but urgent. Zane's eyes flicked to the speaker…a lean guy with sharp eyes and the name "Juno" glowing above his chest, his player number 5 etched in blue. "Zane, right?"
"Y-yeah," Zane stammered, his gaze darting across the chaotic scene. His breath came in short, ragged bursts, his heart pounding like a war drum.
"Everyone's scared out of their wits," Juno said, scanning the other players. Some were already sprinting toward the dense forest at the edge of the clearing, their silhouettes swallowed by the looming trees. "Let's work together."
Zane's eyes flicked back to the beast. The chains creaked ominously, metal links bending under its raw power. It wouldn't hold much longer. Around him, the other players were a mix of panic and paralysis. Some bolted, others hesitated, their faces pale with terror.
"What do we do?" a female player, Player 9, her name tag reading "Lila" screamed, her voice cracking.
"Are you dumb? Run! Follow the others!" Player 7, a broad-shouldered guy named Rex, barked as he retreated, his boots kicking up dirt. Most of the group followed, scattering like roaches under a spotlight.
But one player,Player 11, a lanky figure named (Eli)stood rooted to the spot, his eyes wide and unblinking. His pants darkened with a spreading stain, his body trembling as if his legs had forgotten how to move. The beast's roars seemed to pin him in place, its glowing runes reflecting in his glassy eyes.
"Hey, what are you doing, Player 11?" Juno shouted, already backing toward the forest where volcanic ash drifted in the air, mingling with the smoke.
Eli turned his head slowly, his lips moving in a faint, inaudible plea: "Help…"
No one stopped.
Before Eli could finish, the chains snapped with a deafening *crack*. The beast surged forward, its skeletal tail whipping through the air with unnatural speed. It pierced Eli's chest, hoisting him off the ground like a ragdoll. The creature pulled him close, its fanged maw inches from his face. Eli's scream tore through the air, only to be silenced by a sickening crunch of teeth. His body split in two, the lower half dropping to the ground in a lifeless heap, blood pooling in the dirt.
He didn't vanish. No pixelation, no graceful system fade-out. Just… death.
The beast let out a bone-rattling roar, its tail flicking as it scanned for its next target. Zane's HUD blazed with a harsh red message:
[PLAYER 11 – ELIMINATED]
Vitals: OFFLINE
{Time Remaining: 12:50}
This wasn't a game. It was a slaughter.
Zane's instincts screamed. He bolted, overtaking five players in a desperate sprint toward the forest. His lungs burned, his boots pounding the uneven ground.
"Come on, faster!" Juno called, a few feet ahead, his voice sharp with urgency.
For a fleeting moment, silence fell. The players who'd run out of breath ducked behind trees or scrambled up their gnarled branches, praying the beast wouldn't notice. Others crouched in the underbrush, eyes locked on the monster's direction, too terrified to blink. Zane's group, Juno, Mason (Player 4), and Player 12, a quiet girl named Sienna huddled behind the crumbling wall of an ancient ruin, their breaths shallow.
A thunderous hoofbeat shattered the stillness. The beast launched into the air, its claws gleaming as it crashed down on Player 8, a wiry guy named Cole. His scream was cut short as his body crumpled, organs spilling across the dirt, splattering nearby players.
[PLAYER 8 – ELIMINATED]
"Ahhh!" Ray, Player 6, shrieked, his voice raw with terror.
The group scattered. Some fled toward a nearby stream, its waters glinting faintly under the ash-choked sky. Others dove into dark crevices or behind boulders, praying for cover. The beast's sense of smell was relentless. Its tail lashed out, piercing three playersRay, Player 10 (Mira), and Player 14 (Tomas) in one brutal strike. It shook them off like discarded toys, their bodies flying in different directions, lifeless before they hit the ground.
[PLAYER 6 – ELIMINATED]
[PLAYER 10 – ELIMINATED]
[PLAYER 14 – ELIMINATED]
Zane's group pressed themselves flatter against the ruin's wall, their breaths barely audible. The beast prowled, its 360-degree vision scanning the forest. Its tail swayed, ready to strike.
High above, Player 15, Dan, clung to a tree branch, a sharpened metal rod clutched in his trembling hands. Player 13, a woman named Kara, crouched behind him, her eyes wide with fear.
"Wait, don't do it," Kara whispered, her voice barely a breath. "Don't, Dan."
"We get favor if we kill it," Dan hissed, his eyes glinting with desperate resolve. "You forgot the rules?"
The metal rod gleamed as he leapt, landing on the beast's back with a thud. He drove the weapon into its eye with all his strength. The creature screeched, a sound that rattled Zane's teeth, as it staggered back, thrashing in pain. Dan raised the rod for another strike, but the beast's tail moved like a living whip, slicing through his throat in a single, precise motion.
Dan collapsed towards the ground, blood bubbling from his neck as he clutched it, life draining from his eyes.
[PLAYER 15 – ELIMINATED]
{Time Remaining: 10:32}
Kara's scream broke the silence, her hands flying to her mouth too late to stifle it. The beast, now half-blind and enraged, locked onto her. It seized her with its claw-like arms, dragging her down to its level. The players watched, helpless, as it studied her, its remaining eye glowing with malice.
"No, no, please!" Kara sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Let me live!"
The beast's claw raked her arm, carving a deep gash. Then, instead of killing her, it spat a glob of slimy, purple liquid onto her wound. The slime sizzled, and the creature roared once more before vanishing into the trees, as if satisfied.
Kara fell to her knees, trembling, her eyes darting around as if searching for answers. The other players emerged cautiously from their hiding spots, their faces a mix of relief and dread.
"She's gonna be okay, right?" Mason whispered, his voice shaky. His face was pale, his lips quivering as he crouched beside Zane. "She just has to survive the 15 minutes."
Zane didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on Kara's wound. The slime wasn't just residue—it was *alive*. Purple veins spread from the gash, faint at first but growing brighter, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"She's infected," Zane muttered, his voice barely audible.
{Infection Detected: Subject 009
Mutation Progress: 10%}
"Mutation?" Sienna whispered, her voice trembling from their hiding spot.
Kara's wound hissed, the flesh around it swelling unnaturally. Her breathing grew ragged, animalistic, as if something else was taking over. She clawed at the dirt, her body shuddering.
"Help… me…" she gasped, her voice barely human.
The other players stepped out, drawn by a mix of horror and curiosity. Kara's eyes rolled back, her body convulsing as the purple glow spread, veins snaking up her arm and across her chest.
Zane's heart hammered. He wanted to run to her, to do something, but her scream stopped him cold. It wasn't pain…it was something worse.
Her fingers snapped, bones twisting as her skin tore in jagged lines, like claws were bursting from within. Her head jerked sideways with a sickening crack, her neck bending at an impossible angle. She slammed her hands into the dirt, her body hunched like a predator ready to spring.
Zane's HUD flashed a new warning:
{WARNING: Subject 009 has triggered Protocol Override.
Infected rogues are to be eliminated immediately.
Designation: Rogue Mutant Class I}
"Shit," Zane breathed, his voice shaking.
The countdown ticked relentlessly:
{Time Remaining: 06:24}
Kara's eyes locked onto the group, no longer human. A low growl rumbled from her throat, and the air grew thick with dread. The beast was gone, but a new monster was born.
{Mutation Progress; 90%}