[Here is the surprise event that everyone has been waiting for.]
[The SURVIVAL TRIAL.]
[Our little bunnies must defeat their once-beloved friend to survive. Time limit: 5 hours. Once the time is up, our little bunnies' hearts will automatically stop beating.]
"What! Defeat that giant worm in 5 hours? That's crazy." I gasped, heart dropping into my stomach.
Rona screamed. "Fight our friend?! No!"
"Did none of you see the heart automatically stop beating part?" Isaac facepalmed.
Rona and I stared blankly at him. "Oui…"
"I'm with a bunch of idiots. What sin did I commit in my past lives?" Isaac muttered.
[I would appreciate it if you little bunnies stopped interrupting me.]
"Oh… Sorry." Rona bowed her head instantly.
I stomped my foot. "Can't we chat a bit more before we become Looney and Mona Jr.'s food?!"
"Here I thought I might be able to open a flower shop before I die," Isaac said gloomily, his gaze distant. "It was my mother's dream."
I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. There's us too, you know. With the three of us, there's nothing we can't handle."
"Even though you guys are the reason Looney and Mona Jr. are berserk?" he said calmly. I ignored it.
Rona grinned and held out a weird-looking fruit—green with a sickly purple hue. "Don't worry! Here!"
"Rona shares her food too! So cheer up, Isaac!"
I stared at it. Is that consumable…?
Isaac gave a half-hearted smile and accepted it. "Thanks, Rona." Then he leaned toward me and whispered, "She just gave me a poison fruit."
I whispered back, "At least she gave you something she thought was edible, so stop complaining."
[Are you done yet? We don't have all day. Or should I just take care of you three little bunnies myself?]
Isaac and I immediately shook our heads.
Unexpectedly, Rona stepped forward. "Mr. James, you should try comforting Isaac, too. He's feeling really down right now."
Our jaws dropped.
Isaac's eyes widened. "I'm all better now. So let's just continue on, shall we?"
He rushed to her side and hissed, "Please, Rona, stop it now. I'm serious."
Rona ignored him. "Well, Mr. James? Aren't you going to—"
We tackled her and clamped her mouth shut.
"Please continue," I said quickly. "Just ignore what Rona said. She wasn't serious."
[I suppose I'll ignore it… or else the game will never end.]
[So there you have it. Your final trial.]
[I do hope our three little bunnies pass, or I'll be absolutely disappointed.]
[Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Say no more. Your time starts now, little bunnies. Hop along! Or meet your maker, so they say.]
Mr. James gave a nasty laugh and vanished, leaving behind a cold, glowing countdown.
3
2
1
0...
As the number vanished, time snapped forward like a whip—and the worm roared.
SCREEEEECHHHHHH!!
The force of its scream slammed into us like a freight train. Trees were ripped from the ground and flung through the air. We were thrown like ragdolls.
"He's mad, alright!" I sobbed, rolling across the dirt.
We hit the ground hard. My bones groaned from the impact. "I don't know how many times I've been slammed to the ground in this game…" I muttered, trying to stand. "I hope my bones didn't crack."
The worm's massive mouth opened again and dove straight toward us.
"RUN!!!"
No time to think. No time to plan. Just pure, primal instinct.
Run, or die.
"This must be revenge for all those times my Ma ate fried worms!" I screamed. "Oh, Ma! Why!"
Bang!
We dodged. Barely. The worm struck the ground behind us with a crash so powerful it split the earth open. Shards of stone and dirt exploded upward.
"Wooww!" We screamed, again flung into the air before slamming down like sacks of rice. No time to groan. No time to complain. We scrambled to our feet and ran again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The beast kept diving after us, relentless.
Then the earth cracked beneath our feet.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of smaller worms erupted from the soil.
Kashaahh!!
Kuwahhh!!
Slimy, squirming, and shrieking, they surged forward, crushing each other in their frenzy. They were smaller than the dungeon worms, but vicious and fast.
"Are they newborns?" Isaac grimaced.
"Babies! They're so cute!" Rona cried, running toward them.
Isaac yanked her back just in time.
I gagged. The writhing mass overwhelmed my senses. "Oh my god. I feel like puking." I clutched my mouth.
"Now's not the time to puke. RUN, YOU MORON!" Isaac bolted.
Rona hoisted me up like a sack of potatoes and followed. I bounced on her shoulder like a beanbag, my pride long gone.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
We dashed through the dense woods. Behind us, trees were flattened by the stampede of worms. They didn't stop. They never stopped.
"Thank goodness Mama Worm isn't after us," I muttered, laughing nervously.
Isaac didn't reply. "We need to split up. Take out these smaller ones. I'll send coordinates once I'm done so we can regroup."
Rona and I nodded.
"We'll split at that big tree ahead." He pointed.
The moment we reached it, we split—Isaac straight ahead, Rona right, and I to the left.
Of course… most of the worms followed me.
I looked back and screamed, "Don't you all know what even distribution is?!"
KISHAAA!!!
"Yeah, like I know what that means." I gritted my teeth and charged into an open plain.
Within seconds, they swarmed me.
A sea of writhing bodies. Sharp, glistening fangs. Gaping mouths twisting unnaturally as soulless eyes locked onto mine. Their sheer numbers alone could swallow a fortress whole.
Shaa… Shaa…
The sound—wet, slithering, maddening—scraped against my ears like rusty blades. It wasn't just noise. It was a signal.
A hunger-fueled chorus of death.
I gritted my teeth, scythe in hand. The pulse in my neck thundered, but my grip never faltered.
"You know," I muttered, stepping forward as the worms closed in, "I'd categorize you all as vicious noise pollution monsters in the catalog."
They hissed louder. One lunged.
My scythe twirled once—a silver blur in my hands.
"Let's fix that."
SWOOSH.
Wind howled as the blade cut through the air.
In a single arc, the front line of worms exploded into a shower of blood and torn flesh.
SPLAT.
Half a dozen bodies dropped instantly, sliced clean through from jaw to tail. The grass beneath my boots was stained crimson.
But there was no time to revel in it.
WAAAGHH!!
They came from all sides.
Claws. Teeth. Screams.
I spun, my body moving faster than thought.
The dagger hidden in my scythe's shaft flicked into my left hand. My movements flowed—sharp, fluid, merciless.
One step back—stab.
Another worm down.
Slide left—slash.
Two more torn open.
They writhed and shrieked as I danced through them, cutting a path through chaos. The wind roared with every swing. Blood sprayed across my face. My scythe was no longer a weapon—it was an extension of my will.
One worm lunged high—
I crouched low, pivoted on my heel, and sliced upward. The creature split in half mid-air.
Another tried to coil around my leg—
I plunged the dagger into its skull, yanked it free, and spun to sever the rest.
I was surrounded, yes. Outnumbered.
But not overwhelmed.
This… was familiar.
This feeling—of being the eye of a storm. The calm within chaos. Every motion burned into my body through blood, sweat, and fear.
With each kill, my breath grew heavier. My arms trembled slightly. Not from exhaustion—
From the weight of what I was doing.
From the guilt.
The battlefield quieted. One by one, they fell. Their screams turned to wet gurgles, then silence.
No more hissing. No more movement.
Just corpses.
And me—
Standing alone, blood dripping from my scythe.
Whoosh.
The wind returned, gentle and cool, brushing against my sweat-drenched skin.
I exhaled.
The carnage around me was overwhelming. Mounds of lifeless bodies. A battlefield painted red.
And still…
My hands didn't stop shaking.
I covered my nose. The stench was unbearable.
But even so—
I stayed.
I dug.
With trembling fingers, I buried them.
Not all. I didn't have time. But I did what I could.
Simple mounds. Roughly carved markers.
One word etched into each:
"Worms."
I stood back and bowed my head.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, voice hoarse. "You didn't ask for this."
I clenched my fists.
They were warm. Sticky. Red.
This isn't just a game.
Ping.
[You got a new message.]
Isaac's coordinates blinked on my screen.
"…That was fast." I tapped it. A map opened.
My eyes glazed over.
"Err… how do you read a map?" I mumbled. "Oh well. Instinct it is."
I looked back at the graves one last time and bowed again. A moment of silence.
Then, with steel in my chest and scythe in hand, I turned toward the forest—and walked forward.
Let the next hunt begin.