«Chu! Taru-ui, wake up~chu!»
«……»
Zarichu starts to make noise and I open my eyes.
I’ve been asleep for about four hours, and the number of players left is 72…… or now 71.
The curse concentration is usually 9 -14 around me- and I am doing much better.
The boundary of the non-survival area is getting much closer, and the next round looks okay, but the contraction of the one after that is going to be tough.
However, I don’t think Zarichu will wake me up due to that.
«Taruu~chu!»
«You were right to wake me up, Zarichu.»
So I immediately checked my surroundings.
And what I found was a huge shadow slowly descending from the…… golden moon in the sky toward the qualifying map.
«That thing is in another dimension of being trouble…….»
The corner of my mouth twitched as I put the Zarichu back over my eyes.
The shadow was…… a jellyfish-shaped creature over 100 meters in size.
The place where it landed is at least a kilometer away from where I am, so I don’t know the details of its appearance.
I don’t know, but I am made aware of the fact that I must not look directly at it up close.
It is definitely the same kind of existence as something lurking in the basement of «Damavand,» something that belongs to the side of the Curse of Limitlessness.
≪Surprise! A giant creature has appeared! If the number of players falls below a certain number or inflicts more than a certain amount of damage, the giant creature will return.»
A notification was made to the entire qualifying map.
Apparently, that was the true nature of the surprise.
But still, damage over a certain amount…… that’s a little unreasonable.
«I’m going to run away now.»
«Of course~chu.»
Let’s be frank.
There were already many victims.
I jumped down from the tower and started running in the direction of escaping from the Kaiju1, but in the meantime, there were already less than 50 survivors.
The number of survivors was decreasing so fast that it could not be contained by the fact that they were caught up by the Kaiju when it landed or that the Kaiju did something to them.
Perhaps there is a trap in place that will wipe them out just by appraising the monster.
«Something was thrown at me……»
«Curse……curse is coming~chu……..»
Something small was released from the Kaiju and scattered in all directions.
Naturally, several of them are coming towards me.
At the same time, Zarichu is muttering «Curse» as if frightened.
I was surprised to hear him muttering «Curse»……»Curse»…… «Curse»?
If it really is a monster of the Curse of Limitlessness…… I don’t think so, but I wonder if it’s actually a curse itself with substance and will due to its multiple layers.
Yeah, I think it’s impossible to deal with it after all.
«Uwah…….»
The thing released from the giant jellyfish-shaped creature soon appears in my field of vision in a size that I can clearly recognize.
Compared to the gigantic jellyfish-shaped creature, it is a small one.
However, from the top of the umbrella to the tip of the tentacles, it is three meters in length, and from the human eye, it is a huge jellyfish.
The umbrella’s edge has countless human eyes, its tentacles look like human arms strung together, and inside the umbrella, there is a slight resemblance to human teeth.
«Run, run faster! Run faster~chu!»
«Even if you tell me……»
The Kaiju’s speed of movement was faster than I expected.
I am running as fast as I can, but even so, the distance is gradually closing.
«Player! Here it is-«
«I suggest you run!»
But still, I managed to get into the dimly lit forest.
Here, if I could find that thing, there was a chance that I could get past the Kaiju.
As I entered the forest, I passed a player, but I ignored him and went further into the forest.
«Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!»
«I knew! That’s what happens when you do that!»
«I don’t want to be like that, Zarichu!»
Immediately after.
I heard the player’s scream behind me.
At the same time, there was something like a chewing sound.
It was probably that thing.
When the player was caught by that Kaiyuki, he was lifted up by its tentacles and chewed by its teeth inside the umbrella.
The head.
Bits and pieces.
Regardless of helmet, flesh, bone, or brain.
Gobble, gobble, gobble.
Yeah, I know how Zarichu feels, and I definitely don’t want to be a part of that.
«I found it!»
I spot it on the back side the moment I pass by the giant tree, and I quickly leap and run into it…… into the cave.
I then press my ghillie suit against the entrance of the cave and, incidentally, use the mossy tendrils of the hanging flesh flower fern to completely block the entrance to the cave.
«……»
«……»
After that, Zarichu and I both remained silent, trying not to make any sounds.
The cave is extremely small.
If it finds me, it will chew me up without time to resist.
«kyzk……kyzk……»
Sounds that I thought were the voice of the Kaiju can be heard from time to time.
The number of survivors dwindles.
≪The surprise is over! The giant creature is returning.»
«<zdfj……<zdfj……»
When the remaining number of survivors reaches 10, the message plays and I regain consciousness.
I also heard the sound of the jellyfish-shaped creature returning to the sky.
Apparently, I had managed to survive.
«Haah…… that was a hell of a surprise……. I wonder what kind of things the Saint is dreaming about…»
«Chua….»
Both Zarichu and I let out an involuntary sigh.
The Kaiju was summoned by the Management in terms of the game, but in terms of the worldview, this place is in the nightmare of the Saint.
If we think according to the worldview, we can say that this is the very threat the Saint is thinking of.
«Hmm?»
There I had a nasty idea.
No, well, if that thing is a figment of the Saint’s imagination, I will doubt her sanity, but it’s still better.
But is that the only possibility?
No, there are other possibilities.
«Taru-ui~chu?»
It is possible that this thing exists somewhere in the world of «CNP», and that the Saint has recognized it.
In that case, I will probably have to fight against it at some point.
With that monster, which is probably a living curse itself.
Since there are examples of something underground in Damavand, it wouldn’t be strange for it to exist somewhere.
«I’m thinking about a slightly bad situation…..»
What’s worse, the thing could be showing up as a result of interference in the Saint’s nightmare.
In that case,…… the time it takes to start encountering that thing may be shorter than I think.
If that’s the case, I wonder if the only thing I can do is to run away with the Saint.
‘Well, well, it’s only a possibility, so let’s not worry about it now.»
«Chuaa?»
Hmmm, maybe I should go to town at least once after the event and try to make contact with the Saint.
The hurdles seem pretty high, like the curse concentration, and my appearance, but there might be some flags to raise or break.
≪Surprise #2! You will know the general direction and distance where the surviving players are!≫
«Gee…… no, well, I’ll need it ……»
Nine arrows of varying lengths appear around me in various directions.
Apparently, given the size of the qualifying map, the number of people remaining, and the concentration of curses, a second surprise occurred.
I moved from the spot a little to investigate, and it seemed that the closer I was to my opponent, the shorter the arrows became, and the longer the distance, the longer the arrows became.
I have nine arrows all around me, so I don’t have to worry about a surprise attack, but now that this has happened, I can’t continue to hide and lurk.
I’m sure that if I fulfill the conditions, the jellyfish-shaped creature earlier will come again and again….. so in that sense, let’s hurry up.»
At any rate, I moved to the top of the trees.
I moved to jump from treetop to treetop and started moving in the direction of the player who would be the closest distance.
- Japanese word meaning «giant beast» or «strange beast». (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiju) ↩︎
MtlEnjoyer 