It’s time!

…

He stopped?

Adrenaline rushed through Drew’s mind as he peered into the darkness cast by the setting sun. He could only discern the rough outline of a twisted figure draped in a black robe.

It was only a matter of time until night would descend onto this world, casting it in a perverted greenish hue. If he didn’t kill this abomination by then, their physical attributes would be amplified, severely slimming his chances at survival.

Even now, he hesitated to lunge forward. Did he even stand a chance?

As the tinnitus grew louder, memories of severe torture resurfaced in his mind. They sliced open his naval while chanting evocations, rummaged in his innards, injected vials of obscure fluids that slowly corroded his soul. And whilst he secretly hoped for it at times, his body endured all agony inflicted.

Now that there was a faint light on the horizon, he was glad it did. He yearned for the intimacy of his wife and son.

“C-Can you see it? The key?”

Although Drew’s ear was missing, the figure’s shrill voice still echoed through his head. Was it a psychological reaction? He pressed his hand against where his ear had been.

“I’m done with this! Y-You can have it!”

Drew stared at the hidden figure, his expression frozen in shock. This was all too sudden. Countless questions formed within his mind, What did he say, again? Have I misheard? Is he playing with me?

The figure fell onto their knees, their voice trembling as they muttered, “I-I don’t want to do this a-anymore!”

Slowly, all noises began coalescing into a single ugly cry.

While this scene instinctively struck him as authentic, his guard rose even so. His perception of this cult’s shared personality had been deeply imprinted within his very being, making him extremely wary.

As Drew furrowed his brows and weighed his options, an eerie silence hung in the air, interrupted by the occasional sobbing of the hidden figure. Meanwhile, his mind was on high alert. If they planned to launch a surprise attack, he would be prepared and swiftly launch counterattacks.

He took another deep breath and firmly responded, “Is that so?”

“Then convince me of your sincerity. Lay down, hands behind your back, and place the key in front of you.“

His lips curled slightly upwards as he thought, I’m not going to play your sick game. You expected me to throw the key, right?

But I’m not falling for this. A mere key isn’t sufficient to escape this place, it’s about the last person standing!

Now, what will you do?

“Alright,” said the hidden figure. They had stopped crying, sniffling loudly, and lowered themselves to their knees, putting down the key and laying onto the wooden floor littered with hay.

Drew’s pupils shrank slightly. Was this guy truly an idiot?! It seemed as if his experiences had inflated the image he held of his opponent.

He gulped indecisively. Time was running out, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to claim victory unharmed. Should he go for it? At the same time, wasn’t this his only choice?

Eleanor, will we finally be able to reunite? Arthur, have you enrolled in school? Have you found any friends?

He thought of their wedding night, the birth of his son, and his birth defect. Arthur slept the majority of the day, waking up only for a few minutes just to drift off again. These few minutes Arthur awoke each day, he missed the most.

Although Arthur was considered mentally underdeveloped and they were only able to communicate in the most primal ways, it enveloped his heart in bliss, only for it to be ripped away at the next moment.

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When none of the doctors were able to identify his condition, Drew turned towards alternate methods. At last, he found his son was inflicted with a grave curse. However, the major churches only alleviated the issue at most, whilst the upper echelon paid him no heed.

Finally, he got hold of the Proxy Marketplace. However, services offered required an equivalent exchange, and the price was simply too high even when taking out loans! He could only sacrifice himself.

Drew mustered his courage and set his eyes on the robed figure lying on the ground.

“Alright.”

He marched towards it, preparing to strike or evade any sudden movements. However, as he crossed the shadows, they didn’t budge.

Drew gritted his teeth, bending down while pretending to grab the key. In one swift movement, he dashed atop the figure, pinning them down with his knee.

There was some faint groaning, but they didn’t resist at all!

“Forgive me, but this is for the sake of my family!” he said, abruptly turning and putting the cloaked figure’s head in a tight chokehold. He sensed some jerky movements from below. But he wouldn’t commit the same mistake as before — this time, he’d continue until he was absolutely sure they were dead.

Thud!

A sharp pain emerged from the back of his head as something heavy collided with it. Immediately, his vision blurred. He was going to pass out.

A last figment of imagination manifested within his mind. It was a scene of himself and Eleanor, both sitting on the porch of a gothic-style suburban house. Wrinkles formed on Eleanor’s face, but her expression was full of contentment. Arthur stood in the front garden, a wife by his side, happily waving at them.

No! No, I can’t pass out!

Suddenly, he gained mental clarity, turning around and grabbing the man by his neck. With all remaining strength, he grappled them onto their back. Up close and unveiled, he clearly recognized their features.

It was a man only slightly younger than himself, with stubble and wavy hair drenched in sweat. They were pale, as if on their deathbed. He was shocked, he didn’t let his determination waver and for pity to take over. He continued, trying to choke the life out of him.

This continued for some time, until salvia leaked from his mouth. Just to be sure, he positioned his hand against the man’s neck artery to feel the pulse, but there was none.

He pulled the robe back down, covering his ghastly face. Gradually, his muscles relaxed and his lips formed a wide smile.

He triumphantly rose to his feet, declaring, “I wo–”

Splatter!

His vision grew red. He dropped to the ground.

…

Deus stared at the man. Despite his ear being ripped from his head, he faced the mother without any restraint. Although humans were inherently weak, they could grow into monsters with the right stimulus.

He knew he couldn't face the man head-on. Their gap in strength was simply too wide! He could only rely on devious methods to bridge it. And so, while he’d observed the environment, he concocted a plan. It was ridiculous, but any less would not suffice.

As he’d personally witnessed earlier, the details within these shadows were hardly discernible from the outside, leaving only a faint outline. Especially with the descent of the night, it would only darken further.

This was necessary, since in this space he’d be able to act more freely, less restrained by the nuances of his performed identity. Clearly, this was under the condition the robed man didn’t have any methods to bypass this, but he’d have to bet on that.

Next, when he arrived at the opposite end of the room, his robe completely covered the corpse below. If his robe had been only a little smaller, it wouldn’t have entirely covered them. However, he’d picked the oversized one while stripping the two cleaners.

But how was he going to lure the man into the shadows? Deus knew it was likely for the man to be highly suspicious of him when proposing the idea of handing him the keys — the cult had long imprinted their cruelty into the minds of the prisoners.

He planned personally suggesting laying down when the man would declare his hesitance, but he actually asked for it himself!

And now that all was set, all that was left to do was watch it happen and — while the man was busy choking the corpse — launch an attack with the brick left behind from their previous fight.

Initially, he planned using only the brick, but had altered his plan while considering the caution the man would likely display. He’d have to let down his guard, before he’d be able to do anything!

Deus hammered down onto the man’s head with the red brick, knocking him onto the ground. He lifted the brick once more, preparing to end his life once for all.

Blood trickled from the brick and dropped onto his face and in between his lips. A salty sensation spread within his mouth.

Unbound by the shackles of society, this was truly the way of life. The man lying beneath him was a murderer — he must’ve realized that as well. Strong people can persevere amidst hardships. Weak people can’t, they are at mercy of the strong. That’s all there is to it.

Thud!

Deus’s head collided with the wooden floor as a tight force wrapped around his neck. He grabbed at the man’s arm, struggling to loosen the chokehold, but it didn’t budge. Coupled with his severe injuries, the situation had turned around momentarily.

Deus tried to scream, but only a faint grunt escaped. His lungs screamed for air.

Am I dying? A last thought emerged before the oxygen supply hit zero.