[You've leveled up! Current level: 6]
[HP has increased by 200 points. Current HP: 2800]
[Total Exp: 60/700]
Zaen panted as the last ghoul fell. His entire body was covered in bite marks, and his clothes were in tatters.
No heals this time, huh?
The set of notifications cleared some things for Zaen. First was the fact that he only gained 200 HP for leveling up this time, unlike the 500 HP before. It was likely that a boost was received for every five levels he climbed.
Similarly, this time, his wounds, HP, and sanity, none of them were restored. Perhaps it was another boon reserved for leveling in multiples of five.
[Congratulations, Player!]
[You're the first to survive the Ghoul Parade!]
[You have gained 1 spin point(s)!]
Ignoring the notification, he looked over his shoulder. The doors to the storehouse were still open, but no one had as much as peeked out of there. Worried they might have lost their sanity, Zaen rushed over only to come across a strange sight.
Shyra, Hina, and Rouland were all tied together using the rope of Rouland's throwing hook. Even their mouths have been stuffed using pieces of their shirts.
"Rouland…?"
The guy was unconscious, and the ground under him was wet with blood… the blood flowing out from his severed arm!
The arm he saw before wasn't Harris's; it just had his watch!
"Where's Harris—?"
The words had barely left his mouth when Shyra desperately looked upwards.
"Ah!"
Harris fell from the top, something shining in his hands.
"Damn it!"
Zaen jumped back, narrowly avoiding the blade, the same one he had given to Harris before leaving. As he landed on his knees, he felt a sting on his left cheek.
"Blood," Zaen mumbled, checking his newly acquired wound.
Fighting the ghouls for an extended period had piled on some fatigue. It was a strike he should have easily avoided, but his reaction speed was slow.
Meanwhile, Harris stood between Zaen and the others. Clearly, he had no interest in letting him get anywhere close to them.
"What are you doing?" Zaen asked, bringing out two throwing knives.
"Getting out of here," Harris replied without a hint of regret. "As long as all of you die, I can leave this place…"
Although the words came out of Harris's mouth, they sounded off. The voice was hoarse, as if he had screamed too much. Moreover, his eyes were completely bloodshot.
He must have lost his mind.
Harris stood there, staring at the dead ghouls, and clicked his tongue.
"They didn't even soften you," he grumbled, tilting his head. "I wonder what kind of gift you received?"
Zaen, believing that Harris had lost his mind after seeing the ghouls, still tried to talk things through. As long as he could touch him, Harris's sanity should get restored.
However, it didn't seem like getting close would be that easy.
Without waiting for Zaen's answer, Harris lunged at him.
Zaen side-stepped, letting the other go tumbling away. Harris looked shocked that his attack didn't hit. But it wasn't surprising.
After fighting the ghouls, Zaen's stats had gone up once again. Most of his stats were twice the amount of an average human. That, coupled with the fact that he had received military training and Harris hadn't, made it a one-sided fight.
If it hadn't been for the element of surprise, Harris couldn't even have left the mark on Zaen's cheek. However, in his madness, he didn't care about it and lunged at him again.
This time, Zaen didn't dodge. Much like he had dealt with the first ghoul, he tossed Harris over his shoulder and slammed him on the ground. Before he could recover, Zaen kicked him over, twisting Harris's arm till he dropped the knife before restraining him.
"Calm down and let me heal you," Zaen said before holding Harris's hand.
However, unlike before, Harris's sanity didn't get restored. Confused, Zaen tried and tried, but the result remained unchanged.
"What's going on?"
Just then, there was a flash of light, and Beep-Boop appeared next to them.
⟨Player's friendly abilities do not work on players on the other side, Beep-Boop!⟩
"Other side?"
⟨Other side refers to the anomalies, Beep-Boop!⟩
⟨The player under you has accepted a quest from the scenario's anomaly and can no longer be considered human, Beep-Boop!⟩
Zaen frowned. Beep-Boop's words weren't making sense. Although Harris was struggling, he still looked human, nothing like those ghouls he had killed moments ago.
"Those ghouls from before… were they…?"
Zaen's voice trailed off, but Beep-Boop understood what he meant and confirmed his fears.
⟨Yes! They were former players who lost their sanity and joined the other side, Beep-Boop!⟩
⟨The same fate awaits Player Harris if they fail their quest, Beep-Boop!⟩
Harris snarled, trying to bite Zaen's arm, only to get smacked by him.
Zaen was still having a hard time believing someone like Harris accepted the other quest. That quest was why he wanted to kill them.
As for why he didn't kill Shyra and the rest, the answer was pretty simple. He used them to lure the ghouls, then severed Rouland's arms to make it seem they were under attack.
Perhaps he had hoped Zaen would charge into the ghoul parade and get killed, or weakened enough for him to finish the job. Unfortunately, leveling up healed him, both physically and mentally.
Harris's plan failed, and in desperation, he attacked Zaen. But that too resulted in failure.
No wonder he's acting more and more like a ghoul as time passes.
Zaen shook his head and turned to Beep-Boop.
"Is there a way to heal him?"
⟨Not in this scenario, Beep-Boop! You have exhausted your question reserves for this scenario. Beep-Boop will no longer answer your queries.⟩
With a flash, the spark disappeared, and with it the hope of curing Harris.
Just then, Zaen remembered the spinning point he got earlier. He wondered if he should gamble it away. He was saving it for later, but maybe he could get a cure from the Fortune Wheel?
While he was making up his mind, Harris's mouth opened wider than any human's ever could. The fibers in his cheeks tore apart as he let out a bloodcurdling scream. The same one Zaen had heard before.
"Argh!"