SURVIVAL 32: LEVEL 3 – KILL OR BE KILLED

It's 5:00 PM. We had just finished eating our early dinner and everyone was resting in the living room.

First’s past disheartened me. It turns out that his younger brother, Eleventh is also involved in this game.

First went to his room for a while. Trake approached me.

"Hey," he leaned over to my side, on the sofa where I was sitting.

"Oh, all right. Trake...”

"Mm?”

"I already know you. I already remember who you are and how we met."

He was silent for a moment. "Hahaha! Really? I thought your memory would never come back. Since level 2 stage 2, I already remember you a bit, but you still haven't." He grinned.

Trake was my classmate in elementary school when we were only 12 years old. We parted ways when we went to different schools during high school. He always teases and makes fun of me. I was shocked that he was here in the game with me. We see each other again after 4 years in a mini-reunion of two mutual friends.

"May I know the answer to my question before?" he changed the story, so I was stunned.

"I don't know..." I scratched my forehead and sweated a little.

"It's okay, Cy. I'll wait in case you change your mind. You will certainly fall into my trap.” He smirked.

I felt my cheeks getting warm.

“Just kidding! You looked scared haha! It’s not like I’ll force myself into you, but it’ll be a bonus if you do like me as a human being, at least.” I don’t know what to say anymore. I’m out of words. "Just let me know if you've fallen for me, hahaha!"

In the end, up until now, I never gave him an answer. I heard from other people that he had a girlfriend months after he confessed to me. Of all the people I met, he was the only one who called me 'Cy', so when someone called me that, I knew it was him.

***

I struggle to remember what I wrote in my comics. If I’m right, this is the hardest game at all levels and stages—the bloodiest.

*bell rings*

"Good evening, battle 7! Tonight, the time level will begin. This will be your last game, so it was made extra special. The mechanics are simple...”

Something appeared in front of us from the floor, and it rose. Wait... k-knives?

"There are seven kitchen knives on the table. You will have each of them. That will be your weapon for killing each other-”

"What? We're going to kill each other?" Rochevel asked worriedly. Her voice is shaky.

"Exactly. Your markings on your chest will be your new way of naming each other. In order to kill, target the new mark embedded on your flesh...”

I looked at my left chest and there was something colored tattooed on it. I tore my collar and saw the new marking. It is a circle that mixes brown and yellow. Something is written below the circle... Venus?

"One of those knives contains poison. A lethal poison that when the blade penetrates any part of the flesh, even with the slightest millimeter, it will cause instant death. There is no time limit. The moment that I detected only one beating pulse among the seven of you, the game is over. And the one who last stands wins.”

The simplest games among them are all but the bloodiest. We have no ally now but ourselves. We should consider each other to be rivals. And all six should die.

"What if they just run away?" Jecko questioned.

THIRZEN'S / JECKO NOMAN'S POV

"If someone dared to escape the game, then I won't hesitate to free his or her soul.”

Whoa, really?

"The winner will claim his or her tri-victory. And remember, you can evade it, but you cannot stop it.”

Tsk. I looked at the said marking on the chest. 'Uranus'. Uranus my ass!

"After 30 seconds, choose your knife and the game will start... now!”

Oh, sh*t! I should get ahead. Can’t afford to lose the knife I’ve been eyeing for!

I ran closer to the table and examined the glistening knives. Hmm... They are different in sizes, length, width, and handle, but the material all looked the same. From the right is the largest, and to the left is the smallest.

Where is the poison-containing knife here? I immediately seized the biggest knife from the four eyes’ hands. Hehe! He glared at the knife I’m holding. He tried to push me away, but they stopped him and let what I did pass. Hahaha! I know that guy is mad at me. He has it coming!

There’s the other guy who pulled my collar. I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but he’s enraged. Looking at this guy resembled the dude they called Eleventh that I was with before.

After the commotion this guy did earlier, he knocked on my door. I opened the door and saw him again.

“What do you want?”

“I wasn’t done with you. How did he die?” he’s still referring to that Eleventh, dude, huh.

“That sloppy dude’s death has nothing to do with me.”

I attempted to close my door, but he pulled it. “It would’ve made more sense if both of you died. You didn’t even save him.”

Okay, then. I’ll give him the answer he wants.

“Why?” I gave him a scornful look. “Would it matter if I was the reason he died? Nobody witnessed what I did. And none of it matters now because y’all will be next.” Serves this cocky guy right.

“So, you killed him?”

“I pushed him to the giant dog to buy time, and I ran away!” He pushed the door and took a step into my room. “Too bad he was too slow, haha-” He punched me.

“Who’s the coward now, huh?! Tell me!” he yelled while grabbing my collar.

“Call me whatever you want. The fact that I remained alive until now proves I wasn’t coward enough unlike that sloppy coward dude.” I sneered. “But I’ll tell you one more thing.” I licked the side of my mouth that bled. “The giant dog didn’t kill him. He got too scared. He ran and slipped. I saw from afar that he wasn’t moving.”

He removed his hands from my collar. He took a step backward and exited my room. “It’s not yet time, but you’ll be getting what you deserve.”

Looks like I have the talent to make someone’s blood boil. This would stir their hate toward me, which means more motivation to kill each other.

Now I have the biggest knife.

"3, 2, 1, go!”

Here we go!

I always secretly watch them play. I didn’t bother to show myself until this level. This was a trick I obtained, and only I should benefit from it. I risked my life from that giant dog, so this is the equivalent payment for it.

If I managed to get myself into a private high school while living in slums to scam students and teachers there. Since I am 3 years older than these brats for being a deadbeat high school repeater, I already know how to cheat the way of life. My disadvantage has become my advantage.

"You naughty child, ha!”

"S-Stop it, please," I pleaded.

Tsk. Why do I remember that?

I was abandoned and stayed at an orphanage for 5 years, when I was adopted by a stranger couple who acted as my father and mother. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental abuse; name it, they’ve done it. They got separated. The eldest and the second lived with their father. The third and the youngest went with my mother. And because I was the second child, I went to my father.

Father has gambling habits that have led our lives to be drowned in debt. “D*mn it! My skin can’t tolerate it!' That was the first thing that came to my mind when I scratched my left wrist once. I declined to kill myself.

I had buddies who were gamblers. Those I treated as friends were traitors. For stealing all my money. Since then, I haven't been very friendly.

My classmates are also avoiding me because someone has spread rumors about my father's illegal activities. He sold me to work in a factory to pay off his debts. Our small house was raided, and my father was arrested for his illegal trading and gambling.

My mother also abandoned us because she had a new family. Recently, my older brother had a live-in partner. I became alone again.

I learned to steal and was involved in some illegal acts.

I was always wondering why mother and father would adopt the three of us from the orphanage despite being poor. Both are involved in trafficking. When I reach an older age, they’ll use me for their illegal trading. My older brother, being the eldest, is an accomplice because he’s the only real son among us.

My foster parents used me, my older brother lied to me, my friends betrayed me, and my real parents abandoned me.

Do y’know what’s worse than being an orphan? It’s having both real and foster parents, but they are the ones causing you trauma and hatred.

In the world of reality, killing is taboo. Yet I remembered, we're in a fantasy world where killing is a necessary thing to do. This will be the beginning of my life and the end of theirs.