The creature attacked once more, Kazu made a desperate move, attempting to parry with his prosthetic arm. However, the creature’s razor-sharp claws sliced through the metal, shattering any hope of defense.
Kazu used that chance to fire his final bullet towards its neck but it had no effect against the creature’s impenetrable hide.
With his ammo exhausted, he found himself with only one option left: the grenade he had concealed as a failsafe. Gritting his teeth, he reached into his pocket, his fingers finding the grenade, its smooth surface cold against his touch.
Kazu retrieved it, his fingers quivering as he held it tightly. As the creature lunged towards him again, he pulled the pin. Kazu flung the grenade at the creature, his arm trembling with the force of the throw. He watched as the explosive soared through the air.
A sudden burst of light and sound engulfed Kazu as the grenade detonated. The shockwave sent him flying backward, his body flung against the cold, snowy ground. A small explosion rocked the area, producing a loud deafening sound and a blinding flash of light rattling Kazu’s senses and obscuring his vision temporarily.
The creature, caught in the blast, stumbled back, momentarily disoriented by the force of the explosion. His vision cleared to reveal that the creature remained standing, seemingly unscathed despite the violent explosion. A small wound marred its left arm, oozing just a few drops of blood.
Disappointment washed over him, yet there was a glimmer of satisfaction in the fact that he had inflicted some amount of damage, even if it seemed insignificant.
The adrenaline that had fuelled him moments ago slowly ebbed away. Though he had failed to vanquish the creature, he knew it was now only a matter of time before he would succumb to his own injuries. His arm now lay useless, and his body weakened from his wounds.
“I guess this is it,” he thought.
The creature approached Kazu, towering over him with an ominous presence. Its gaze locked onto his face, seemingly scrutinizing his every feature. He could feel its rancid breath upon his face as it inspected him, as if to confirm that he was no longer a threat to it.
He braced himself, knowing that his end would be far from merciful.
———————————————————
The doppelganger stared down at the lifeless body of a human (Kazu), it’s corpse lay sprawled across the snow-covered ground. The head, once attached to the torso, now rested several feet away. The eyes stared blankly up at nothingness, their pupils dilated in shock. Its severed neck stump oozing a trail of dark crimson blood onto the frozen earth.
The skull itself was crushed beyond recognition, with fragments of bone scattered about like shattered pottery. Brain matter had been splattered across the surrounding snowdrifts, forming an eerie pattern of grayish-white globs that seemed to pulse. To one side of the body lay what remained of its legs and right arm – detached limbs that ended abruptly at their joints, as if they’d been hacked off by some deranged butcher’s knife. The stumps were slick with blood and frostbite-rimmed flesh.
The torso itself was torn open, exposing internal organs to the biting cold. Intestines spilled out like twisted ribbons of flesh-colored silk, tangled around shattered bones and pulpy tissue. The ribcage of the human was cracked and splintered like a broken eggshell.
A sense of failure and disappointment coursing through the doppelganger’s being. It reflected on its mission, a mission it had been created for, but had ultimately failed. It had been instructed to spy on the humans, to keep an eye on them but had been discovered. In its failure to accomplish its task, it had resorted to violence, eliminating the humans in a desperate attempt to make up for its shortcomings but even then one of the human’s had escaped. A utter failure.
The doppelganger pondered what its fate would be, because he had failed his first and only mission he wanted his creator to kill him as punishment.
The doppelganger pondered what its fate would be, because he had failed his first and only mission he wanted his creator to kill him as punishment. There was a mental link between the doppelganger and its master and it worked as a sort of homing beacon. The creature had an innate sense of where its creator was located, and it could sense its master’s presence from a great distance. It was as if there was an invisible cord connecting the two and vice versa so Hayate could also sense the doppelganger’s location.
In Hollow, the link between the a creation and its creator manifested as a visualization on the mini-map within the game interface. The creator was able to see the live location of their creation in real-time, allowing them to track its movements and interact with it accordingly.
The doppelganger began to sprint back towards its creator’s location.
———————————————————
Hayate, after concluding the interrogation with Hiroshi, teleported back to his old abandoned house in tokyo, as promised after he was done interrogating him he has indeed teleported Hiroshi near neo-tokyo so he could go back.
Taking a seat on the edge of his bed, he stared into nothingness, allowing his thoughts to wander.
Hayate let out a heavy sigh, Though the interrogation had provided him with answers to some of his questions, he still harboured doubts and uncertainties. There were still many unanswered questions that lingered in his mind.
Hayate rose from the bed, a small cloud of dust rising alongside him and then settling down as quickly as it was raised up. He couldn’t help but ponder over the whereabouts of the doppelganger he had sent earlier. It had been tasked with keeping an eye on them to see if any of them remembered what had happened in this house but there had been no reports from it as of yet.
Anxiety gnawed at him as he wondered if everything was going according to plan. After all, if the mercenaries’s memories were still intact it would be bad for him.
Hayate could still sense the mental link between himself and the doppelganger, which was a relief as it indicated that everything was alright with it. It seemed to be operating just fine and he was certain that it could handle any situation that might arise. After all, He was certain that none of them were beyond level five. He had concluded that the mercenaries’ levels were likely to be lower than five. While it was difficult to ascertain their exact level without the concept of “levels” existing in this world, he had approximated it to be in the range of level 1-2. Hayate reasoned that if Hiroshi’s level was 1-2 which he had made an educated guess of, then the other people’s and those mercenaries’ levels were likely to be similar, as the concept of training and physical activity did not significantly influence their abilities.
Having a doppelganger around level 20 would make it effortlessly stronger than anything below level 10 due to the immense gap in power.
Hayate considered other factors that might have impacted their levels. He speculated that soldiers, due to their intensive training and experience in combat, could potentially have higher levels than the average individual. Similarly, athletes, who were well-versed in physical activity and possessed strong physiques, may have also had slightly elevated levels.
He sighted, the events of the last 20 minutes that had kept his thoughts consumed playing in his mind due to which he hadn't done what he wanted to do so now that he was alone for now, he realized this would be the perfect opportunity to explore his home.
This not only allowed him to gather information about his family, but it also provided a much-needed respite for his weary mind.
Hayate emerged from his room and surveyed the hallway, his eyes taking in the current state of the space. It had been decades since anyone had inhabited the house, and time had taken its toll on the surroundings. Dust and cobwebs covered every surface, indicating that nobody had dared to disturb the stillness of the abandoned home. The house had a lingering musty scent. To his left, he saw a door leading to a second bathroom, directly across was a guest room, and at the very end was a large storage room. A small empty room was located to his right.
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Hayate, after giving a brief glance to the rooms on the second floor, decided to descend to the ground floor. He made his way towards the staircase located at the end of the hallway and then treaded carefully down the stairs as they creaked beneath his weight. he couldn’t help but notice the distinct creaking sound that emanated from the old wooden steps.
He reached the ground and look around, everything was like how it had been.
Hayate turned left and walked into the living room, which had accumulated a significant amount of dust and debris. The once well-decorated space now looked drab and neglected.
Despite the clutter, the furniture was surprisingly intact, albeit covered in dust and cobwebs except for a broken mirror hanging on the wall. Hayate moved around the area, his gaze flickering over the various items scattered around the living room.
Hayate was caught off guard when he felt something under his foot. Looking down, he discovered a torn apart picture of his family. In the middle was himself, surrounded by his mother and father.
He stared at the photo for a while, lost in thought. Hayate wished he could go back to that moment, to see his family alive and well once more. Hayate knelt down, carefully picking up and salvaging as much as he could. He looked at the faces of his loved ones once again. Despite the passage of time, the image brought back memories and emotions that he thought he had left behind. He was transported back to those happy moments he had shared with his family, and for a brief moment, it felt like they were right there with him.
But it was just a picture in his hand...not their flesh and blood. It was their memories, their faces forever frozen in time.
Hayate opened his inventory, reaching into it be pulled out a seemingly mundane small leather pouch that appeared innocuous, yet held immense value — the ‘Pouch of Hoarding’ was an impressive ‘Very Rare’ ranked item. This pouch allowed him to store items under 100kg, and up to 500kg worth of items overall. Hayate swiftly picked up the photo frame from the ground and carefully placed the pieces inside it before storing both in his pouch.
Once done, he put the pouch back in his inventory, knowing that the precious photo would be safely stored. After putting away the picture, Hayate took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the next room. “Living Room done..now for my parent’s room..” he muttered to himself.
Hayate walked over to the rightmost side of the living room and stood in front of his parents room’s door. He reached for the door handle, but the door wouldn’t budge – it must have been locked.
Frustrated, he shook the handle a few times, but it didn’t budge. With a sigh, he muttered to himself, “Locked..it would be too easy otherwise, wouldn’t it?” He stepped back and examined the door. Maybe he could pick the lock? Or he could just kick the door down. But as he pondered his options, he decided against damaging the door. This house is his childhood home, memories and emotions tied to it, he couldn’t just damage it.
Hayate let out a deep sigh, his hand still resting on the door handle. He took a step back and surveyed his options. He could either pick the lock or try to find the key, but he had no idea where to start with that. As he continued mulling this over, he suddenly had an idea.
Hayate remembered he had an item in his possession called “Arthur’s key,” a “very-rare” artifact type item that functioned like a special key. It was a item that appeared deceptively ordinary, looking like a brass key but held surprisingly powerful magical properties. What made it special was its limited daily usage. Five times a day, he could cast either [Arcane Lock], a 4th tier spell used by thief classes to protect things, of [Arcane Unlock], its twin like spell to release something that was locked by Arcane Lock. If the daily usage limit was exceeded, the key would be destroyed. This would only work on a non-enchanted/non-magical lock.
Hayate had received “Arthur’s key” from a friend, Mitsui mochizuki, who went by the in-game name xiaosha. As far as he could remember she was half Chinese and half Japanese in real life. He vaguely remembered her mentioning that she grew up in Shanghai, China, but moved to Tokyo when she was just 8 years old. He also knew that she played as a thief class in Hollow, but the exact name of the class eluded him.
Hayate reminiscenced about a session he had shared with Mitsui, as it was a late night and they had been playing together as a duo. At the time, he was level 80 and focused on grinding to reach level 100. Meanwhile, Mitsui, who was also playing with him, mentioned that she had upcoming exams and wouldn’t be able to play much for a while. As a “thief” class, she was crucial for the party, as she could unlock doors and other locked areas effectively. Before logging out, Mitsui gave Hayate her “Arthur’s key”, an item that allowed her to unlock doors but she didn’t need it as her skills could do it for her. Although Hayate didn’t require it then, a matter had come up which made him lose interest in playing at that time. And in the process, he had stored the key in his inventory, forgetting about it.
Hayate took out the key from his inventory. As he clutched the key, he noticed his hands trembling ever so slightly. Hayate inserted the key into the lock, casting the [arcane unlock] spell. The lock clicked, opening the door to his parent’s bedroom. He pushed the door open and entered his parent’s bedroom, shrouded in darkness. He couldn’t see a thing. After putting away Arthur’s key, He casted [mini-sun],” a tier 2 spell that created a floating mini-sun that illuminated the space. It conjured a tiny orb of light in the middle of the room. As the miniature sun lit up the space, Hayate could see more clearly now, the familiar surroundings illuminated in a bright yellow glow.
He took a moment to survey the room, taking in the sight of his parents’ room after so many years had passed while for him, he has just seen it yesterday.
The room was still furnished with the same furniture he remembered. The bed was neatly made, with the blankets and pillows arranged tidily on top. The wardrobe in the corner still held the same clothes that his parents used to wear. The room felt almost frozen in time, as if his parents had merely stepped out for a brief moment and would be back any second.
Hayate spotted a few items he had made for them when he was younger, now collecting dust in the corner.
Dust covered everything.
Although the room was tidied, but there were a few items out of place. Hayate’s gaze fell upon a single framed picture of himself as a child. This image made him stop in his tracks. His eyes locked with those of his younger self.
He wasn’t even human anymore.
He was no longer human, not biologically.
Hayate felt like a stranger in his own home.
Hayate snapped out of his melancholic thoughts as he slapped himself, bringing himself back to reality. There was no time to wallow in self-pity. Though he knew his emotions would catch up him later. He started a meticulous search, examining every corner of the room. There had to be something left.
He started with the bedside table next to the bed. It was just as he remembered it, a simple wooden table with a drawer. He opened the drawer and found a few items: a small notebook, a pen, and a hairbrush. He picked up the notebook, flipping through the pages to see if there was anything interesting. Nothing stood out to him, so he put it back.
Next, Hayate turned his attention to the closet. It was a large, built-in wardrobe with two sliding doors. Hayate opened the closet, and to his surprise, the clothes were still hanging there. They had aged and were covered in dust, but they were still present. He saw a few dresses and suits. There wasn’t much to be found here. Hayate’s parents had apparently not been very materialistic.
Hayate rummaged through the pile of clothes on the lower shelf. Among them, he found an old diary. It was his old diary from high-school.
Hayate picked up the old diary and held it in his hands. The cover was worn and had a few minor tears. He opened it and flipped through the pages and then closed it and put it on his parents bed. He would read it in just a moment.
After leaving the diary on the bed, Hayate continued his search. He turned his attention to the dresser near the closet. He rummaged through it, but it was mostly empty except for a few items of jewellery, some old family photos. Hayate decided to take the old photos for safekeeping.
Hayate then searched through the rest of the room, going through the drawers, and under the bed. He found some interesting stuff. Like a small box with old, broken jewellery that had once belonged to his mom and dad, and several picture books. But nothing of real interest.
The last place he decided to check was under the mattress of the bed.
Hayate picked up the mattress of the double bed and found several objects hidden beneath it. Well more like several of one thing. Documents.
Hayate sifted through the multitude of folders beneath the bed. The paperwork was old, the edges frayed and some pages were yellowed with age. The documents ranged from old financial records to medical reports and his birth certificate, he picked it up.
As he held old faded document, he read his birth certificate. His full name — hayate sato, date of birth — 1/1/2004, hospital of birth, the names of his parents, and other details he already knew. He put it back. The rest of the documents were useless. They were all just records of bills and other transactions, none of them seemed to hold any importance.
After searching the rest of the documents he found something that caught his eye a “death certificate”
Hayate picked up the death certificate that had been hidden under the mattress. The document’s date read 4/12/2028. It was his mother’s date of death and the cause of death..hanging herself by a rope. Hayate threw the paper away from his hands.
Hayate’s heart sank as he looked at the death certificate again. His mother, the kind and loving woman who was always there for him, had taken her life on April 12th, 2028. Hayate’s has been transported to the future on November 20th, 2024. Then if he had disappeared it would have been...4 years since he disappeared.
Hayate felt a lump in his throat. His mother’s cause of death, the details on the death certificate were enough to prove how much emotional pain she must have been in.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to scream, to cry, but no sound escaped his lips. He felt the urge to break something, maybe the bed or just slam it with his fist. He took a deep breath to compose himself. Hayate knew that nothing would change the past, but why? Why had his mother done this? Was his disappearance the cause?
Hayate went to his parent’s bed and sat on the edge, staring blankly at the death certificate he was holding. This was all his fault. He had caused his parents to suffer for four years. It was his fault that his mother had taken her life.