SURVIVAL 22: PRIMARY ENCOUNTER

"You're cold. How about stopping by at that convenience store? Warm yourself with thick clothes," First proposed a solution.

We found a convenience store, ‘Midnight Store’ is its name. I went in there and saw a man who looked like in his late 20s at the cashier asleep while sitting at the counter. He was startled and woke up when I entered the store.

"Good evening," he greeted me with a smile. I smiled back.

I wandered around and grabbed food and drinks. I also got a black and thick jacket, a white t-shirt, gray gloves, a gray bonnet, and a black scarf. Interestingly, I can also feel tired, cold, and hungry in this virtual game just like a real person in the real world.

"2,230, Ma'am." He had just finished scanning all my purchases.

"W-What?”

I only noticed I don’t even have cash with me after he scanned the items.

"Check your pocket," I almost yelped because First startled me.

I reached into my pocket again and found a piece of paper. I am holding 2 one-thousandths, 1 two hundred, 1 twenty, and 1 ten coin. Exactly 2,230!

"I bought some cash from the inventory.”

This virtual game is really something and there is an inventory. After First said that he turned off the communication to save time because our communication is limited. I sat in a vacant seat and ate. After eating, I put on the clothes I just bought. People must be asleep and early sleepers in this setting. First suggested for me to take a good rest to adapt my body to this temperature and surroundings. And because I got bored and I was the only customer here, I talked to the cashier.

"Have you been here a long time?"

He cleans tables and chairs.

"Ah, not too long. I'm a college student and this is my part-time job," he smiled shyly.

"I see. Why are you the only one watching over here?" I notice that he’s the only staff member .

"The others slept first, dog tired.”

"You too"

"It's natural for me to be sleepy. My co-workers often get angry with me because I always sleep while on duty, so I put up with it first."

I looked outside. It's still the same except there are no more people walking outside. The parked cars are gone. Some of the streetlights are flickering. The wind is getting stronger, so the trees are dancing. The snow became heavy. I can’t go out yet because the weather is not good, especially, I don’t know where to go after.

"Why do people sleep here so early?”

"That's really how people here. Sleep early and confine themselves."

"Does that mean there are only a few customers in this store during this time?”

"Yeah." He went back to the counter and seemed to check the money.

"If you work here, you must be living near here?" I hope I don’t irritate him, but this one is a vital question.

"Yes, why?”

"I just want to ask if,” I paused. “Do you know the serial killer named Zarod? Or have you heard something about him?"

Maybe the information I will gather would help First and me to locate him. If Zarod is a famous serial killer, they must have heard of him.

He looked at me seriously. He smiled. I took a deep breath because I thought there was something wrong with what I asked.

"No. I don't know him." He replied.

He turned his gaze to what he was doing. He recounts the money in the cash register. I frowned and stared at my reflection on the glass wall.

"Because I know him very well."

I looked back at him and was surprised. The man was at the cashier earlier was already in front of me. And his face was close to mine, like ten inches away.

“I-Is there something wrong?” I am puzzled.

"Don't trust him." First’s voice.

I frowned for a moment as I stared into the eyes of the cashier man in front of me.

"Please listen to me.”

I can hear First’s voice, but this man's deep stare prevailed. Gradually, his eyes turned dark red.

"Second, get out of that store, now.”

H-huh? I blinked for a moment.

"Do you need anything?" I asked the cashier man. I could not take my eyes off his.

The man in front of me grinned. I was surprised when he touched my chin with his left hand and then he smirked. Now that we’re this close, I recognize his good-looking facial attributes.

"Listen to me, Second. That guy is dangerous! Now, get out of there!”

Did I hear that right? First shouted at me?

"Don't listen to him, listen to me, is that clear?” said the cashier in a voice that seemed captivating.

He brought his face even closer to mine. He smells good, and I could feel the warmth of his breath. When I blinked, I was surprised when I slapped him without realizing it. I know I didn’t do that willingly. What does that mean? Is First already controlling me? However, if there is only an enemy attack that First will be able to control me. The cashier's eyes widened after what I did to him. I was about to apologize when...

"Second, run! That guy is Zarod!" First warned me.

When I heard what First said... I came back to my senses.

Z-Zarod? Whaaa!

Our faces parted as he rubbed his left cheek that I had slapped. He grinned for a moment and laughed demonically. I need to get out of here! I got up from sitting and started running. I pulled the handle of the glass door but... it is locked!

"You can't get out of here. You might die from freezing outside. Why not stay here for the night?" the cashier suggested mischievously.

"Get me out of here!" I tried to pull the door one more time.

He slowly approached me, so I backed away. A I got cornered. He wrapped me in his arms and brought his face close to mine again.

I-I'm scared. First, where are you? This can be considered as an enemy attack, so First could have controlled me.

"You're Heavien, right?" I avoided his scrutinizing gaze. "Haha, your partner isn’t answering you?” I clenched my fist. “Pathetic”

He knows who I am, and he also knows about the game. I just noticed, since my memories came back, I feel like I'm getting weak. Is this because this is the real me in the real world? I shouldn’t have fully relied on First, but to be left behind by your partner is a bad feeling.

"Just… shut up," I said nervously. I still can't look at him directly, but I know he's staring at me.

"Why won’t my charm work on you?” He seems irritated. “Tch, what a nuisance," his tone is now twisted.

I looked into his deep, bright red eyes which were fascinating. I have never seen eyes like that until now.

"Why are your eyes like that?” I immediately averted my eyes.

“What do you want?" I found a slight courage to compose myself up.

"First, where are you?" I secretly called the other line with a soft whisper in the air, but I heard nothing. I'm just entertaining this cashier, Zarod, to buy some time.

He glared at me. "When I stare at someone, after seeing my deadly eyes, they are supposed to die.”

"H-Huh?" I was about to stare at him, but what he just said stupefied me. "What do you want from me?!"

He's really frustrating but First is even more frustrating! Is this not yet a sign of an enemy attack? If First communicates with me, why can’t he control me as the character in-game?

"Y-You're going to die before you do that to me. Since you’re already here, I'll finish you to finish this game," I stated boldly.

If this guy really is Zarod as First claimed earlier, then he is a murderer. I need to protect myself or else…

"You're challenging me, huh? All right, I'll give it to you," He smirked. He removed my confinement in his arms and closed his eyes for a moment.

I was surprised and confused at the same time when the cashier got a little smaller. He became only five inches taller than me, because a while ago he was about fifteen inches taller than me. His appearance and physique changed. From a mature face and body, he became younger. His eyes became even redder staring at me. He completely turned into someone else!

"How-”

"The one you talked to earlier, I killed him. He's the real staff here. I have the ability to imitate the look of someone I killed. And you’re next," he smirked with a murderous look in his eyes.

The real cashier man he imitated his face and body looked like he was in his late 20s and his real appearance looked like he was just my age.

The road is quiet, so there are no people and cars on the street because they knew and felt Zarod’s presence was just near the place. That's why he said he works alone, not because his co-workers were asleep but he may have killed them as well. He really challenges me. It was a miracle that I was not killed by his eyes.

I pulled him away from me and ran towards the exit door. I forced the door to open. I was startled by his quick movement, and he was right in front of me. My eyes widened as he touched my neck with his left hand. I was even more nervous when I saw his long nails. He pressed his grip on my neck and forcefully pierced his sharp nails into my neck. I can feel the gradual tearing of the skin on my neck.

"Ah!" I twitched in pain. “H-Help!”

"How miserable," he murmured with no expression on his face.

I punched his left arm with my right hand and kicked him to release me from the stranglehold. When he released me, I immediately ran because I was looking for something.

"You’re not getting away.”

I let him chase me until he accidentally broke the fire extinguisher’s glass panel. I picked it up and pressed something. I faced the fire extinguisher on his face. While he was busy, I smashed the glass door with a chair. The glass on the door is thick so I hit it more and with all my might until it finally broke some fragments. Even though the hole I made wasn’t that big, I am able to fit it.

I threw the chair over Zarod’s head when he grabbed my hair. I gave him a punch in the face. I came out using the hole in the glass I made. I suffered from scratches and small wounds because of the sharp glass.

I accidentally stumbled while running. I forgot it was snowing here. I immediately got up and ran again. I stopped at an abandoned house and hid on the side. I sat down and rubbed my bleeding neck and right knee. I hugged my knees. I feel the pain as tears dripped from it. The cold temperature helped to numb my body somehow, but it didn’t numb my emotional pain.

Why did First leave me? I don’t know if I was crying because of the pain in my knee and neck or because of First.

I resumed walking. I looked at the Big Ben. It is 2:35 am. I hung out at that convenience store for two hours. I guess I have been walking for hours.

"Second! Where are you? Are you alright? Did that Zarod hurt you?!"

My tears flowed again when I heard the voice of the one I’d been waiting for.

I did not speak. "Hey, answer me. Are you okay? Please, Second answer me."

But maybe, this is the consequence of earlier. I didn't immediately listen to him when he revealed that the cashier man Zarod. I was allured by Zarod’s eyes that it took me a moment before breaking into his eyes.

"Please answer me. I don't know what I'll do if you get hurt. I want to hear your voice…"

Didn't he hear me speaking a while ago during the attack? Can’t he see me? Didn’t he see that Zarod was about to kill me?

"Second?!”

"I'm fine. I'm far from the convenience store. I’ve walked for more than an hour, but I don’t know where I am. I can still see the Big Ben, there are small houses—”

"Damn, I'm so worried. Are you hurt?" There was another hint of concern in his voice.

I sighed. "Yes. The truth is, I got cornered by Zarod, but I was lucky enough to escape.”

"I'm sorry.”

We both fell silent for a moment.

"Did something happen? You didn't control me."

"Actually... yes. I did something to the system to prevent you from dying and the result is that we lost our communication, and I couldn’t control you while you were engaging with the enemy. As of now, I cannot see you here on the screens for the next five hours. It also has to do with the system that prevented you from dying while having eye contact with that monster.”

I gasped. I was supposed to be a corpse a moment ago. Then it will be game over for both of us.