The cleaver cut into the wall and the chains jangled noisily. Before the pig-faced monster arrived, Han Fei had already moved several metres away. The pressure the monster brought upon Han Fei was indescribable, he had not come across an enemy as harrowing as this in a normal horror game. It was too real. That oppressive suffocating pressive, the stinging scent of blood and decomposition, the monster instilled in Han Fei’s mind that resistance would be futile.
“Meat! Meat! Meat!” The monster grunted something that sounded like meat repeatedly. Han Fei could no longer tell if this was a man who had been morphed into an animal or it was an animal who was wearing a human skin. Han Fei was already quite drained considering he had travelled from Happiness Neighbourhood and had just finished a fight with the hairdresser. However, no matter how tired he was, he did not dare to stop.
‘That might not be the only monster at Cattle Alley, before it attracts the attention of more monsters, I need to find a place to hide.’ Fatigue slowed Han Fei’s movements but his mind was always clear. ‘The only saving grace is that I can quit the game anytime, that works in my favor.’ Because of that, Han Fei had the confidence that at least he would survive this night.
Unable to shake his pursuer loose, Han Fei had to figure out a different way to solve this quandary. Fighting it head on was suicide. ‘The mission does not provide me with a time limit or completion method. Only by escaping Cattle Alley alive that I’ll complete the mission? Or is there a hidden meaning to the simple order of survive? Is it for me to understand the meaning of life and death, existence and its transience?’
The book Cattle Alley, written by Spider, appeared in Han Fei’s mind. To get into character, Han Fei had read all of Spider’s books several times. He could access their contents whenever he wanted. ‘The world in Spider’s eyes is different from how a normal person would see it. It is a place detached from reality. In this world, every human’s internal desire and thought will be manifested in actuality. When the desire crosses a threshold, they will no longer be seen as humans but monsters in human skin.
‘These monsters will only bring tragedy with them. Therefore the Spider chose to seclude himself, he trapped all of his personas inside the House of the Butcher. When seen from that perspective, there is at least a location at Cattle Alley which will be free of monsters and that is the House of the Butcher where the Spider will be. Perhaps I might even run into the real Spider there!’ To escape from the monster, either Han Fei had to leave Cattle Alley or he had to search for the House of the Butcher, currently Han Fei only had these 2 choices.
Bang! The horrible smell carried on the wind came from behind him. Han Fei who was deep in his thought stepped subconsciously to the side without even turning his head back. The cleaver the monster yielded flew past his left shoulder and pinned into the wall before Han Fei. A deep crack appeared on the wall covered in blood and moss. If the cleaver had cut into Han Fei, god knows what would have happened. The footsteps were still several metres away. The heavy cleaver eventually got pulled down by its own weight. It landed heavily on the ground. The first thing that crossed Han Fei’s mind was to pick up the cleaver. He would take it with him or store it in his inventory, there was no way he would leave it for the monster. However, just as his fingers touched the hilt, a wail exploded in his mind!
The wail then gushed all through his body like waves. It gave Han Fei not even a chance to breathe.
“Notification for Player 0000! You’ve found a Grade G Cursed Object—Cleaver!
“Cleaver (Grade G Cursed Object): There are all sorts of cold steel hidden at Cattle Alley, each blade possesses their unique lingering curse and resentment!
“Notification for Player 0000! Each Midnight Butcher has their own specialized blade, perhaps you’ll be able to find one suitable for you here!”
The robotic voice pulled Han Fei’s rationality back. The inventory would only accept cursed objects that had approved of Han Fei. In that case, Han Fei would have to carry the cleaver with him. But then the cleaver would slow him down with its weight and Han Fei would have to suffer its curse as well. Han Fei now understood why the monster was audacious enough to throw its weapon at Han Fei, it was because the monster knew Han Fei would not be able to use it against it!
‘It might look like an animal but its brain is still incredibly bright!’ Stopping to examine the cleaver meant that the distance between Han Fei and the monster closed even further. ‘I still can’t log off now! If I do, I’ll still log back into the chase. I have to find a safe environment for myself first!’ Gritting his teeth until they bled, Han Fei raced for his life but his speed conspicuously slowed down. Fatigue was catching up with him, as did the monster.
“Meat! Meat! Meat!” The pig-faced monster was inspired by the close proximity to its prey. The eyes underneath the mask were red with bloodlust. It waved the cleaver wildly as if aiming for another throw.
‘Why would such a monster exist in this place?!’ Running for his life through the complicated maze, Han Fei inadvertently lost his way. He couldn’t remember how many forks he had passed, much less pinpoint his exact location. He only knew that the stench was getting more palpable and the dead carcasses on the ground grew more numerous. He’d trip if he was not careful.
‘I can’t do this anymore…’ His lungs were burning and his breaths were catching. Han Fei felt like his body was about to shatter. ‘I need to find a place to log off.’ Han Fei was coming up to another fork. He opened his menu and prepared to log off when he turned into the fork. But before he arrived, he saw something baffling. At the corner of the alley, there was a boy about 5 hiding underneath a dead body among the pile of trash!
The boy saw Han Fei at the same time. His bright eyes filled with anxiety and fear.
‘Why is there a child here?’ The role of livestock and humans was reversed at Cattle Alley. The boy was like a stray kitten who had lost its mother. He hid under his mother’s body and his body was frozen solid in fear. He felt only fear towards the world beyond his hiding place. Without his mother’s protection, it was certain that he would die.
Han Fei did not act out of place just in case the monster behind him discovered the boy. He continued to race ahead like how he had been doing. However fate played a joke on him. As he forced himself to pick up speed, the footsteps behind him slowed!
Han Fei turned back to look. The scary monster slowed down. Gripping the cleaver, it turned to the trash pile at the corner. The dead bodies were shaking unnaturally. It was because the boy who was hiding under his mother’s body was trembling too much out of fear. The gigantic hands grabbed at the carcass by its arm. The monster easily shoved the mother’s body to the side. Then its bloody eyes focused on the boy cowering underneath the pile of trash. Saliva dribbled down its chin, the cracked mask did nothing to hide its hideous face.
“Meat! Meat! Meat!” Hearing the grunts, Han Fei also stopped. He was conflicted. The monster was now distracted by the boy so it was the precious chance he needed to escape. But if he did, the boy would have a horrible death. His knuckles were white, Han Fei was no match for the pig-faced monster. Furthermore, he couldn’t be sure if the boy was a trap laid by the monster or not. Even if it was not a trap, the boy would already be dead to appear in this world. Helping him would get Han Fei nothing. To survive in the cryptic world, Han Fei had to see things from the worst possible perspective. After all, in this place where despair fermented, there was no place for light to shine.
The bloody hands clutched the cleaver. Rancid saliva dripped down the ugly face. The monster had abandoned Han Fei because he had found an easier prey. Squatting inside the trash pile, the boy was frozen in fear. His face was pale as he kept curling into the trash pile. His small hands grasped at his mother’s dead body. He couldn’t run and he had nowhere to hide. The ending was decided. It would only end in cruelty and gore. The cleaver was raised high. Just as the cleaver was about to fall, urgent footsteps came from the alley!
Han Fei who had escaped suddenly charged madly at the pig-faced man!
“Get over here!” Grabbing the black anaconda, the ghastly ghost face on Han Fei’s body laughed. Han Fei covered in Yin energy charged at the monster!
When the boy saw Han Fei return, his face was still colored in fear.
The pig-faced monster easily deflected Han Fei’s attack. It grabbed at Han Fei’s shoulder and with a squeeze, dislocated it. Han Fei stared fiendishly at the boy. “Run!”
Crawling out from the trash pile, the boy hurriedly ran down the other side of the alley. Han Fei’s arm was already twisted out of its socket. The immense pain fried his nerves. The pig-faced monster was consumed by gluttony. It bit Han Fei’s shoulder. Blood squirted. Han Fei knew it was pointless to evade so he allowed the monster to chomp at him. He could hear the sound of the teeth crushing the bones. Pain overwhelmed Han Fei’s senses, but he still did not exit the game. His eyes followed the escaping kid. He needed to buy time for the boy.
Blood soaked through his clothes. Han Fei used his working arm to chop the monster’s neck and then poked at the monster’s eyes. Even under duress, Han Fei managed to blind one of the monster’s eyes. The angered monster slammed Han Fei into the wall. His bones were crushed. After Han Fei slid to the ground, he quickly rolled to the side to avoid the incoming cleaver. His vision was blurred as blood muddled his vision. But Han Fei still had not exited the game.
He held his arm that had lost all senses and stood up in the middle of the alley. The battle was one-sided, it was visible from the size alone. This was a slaughter, not a battle. The pig mask was drenched by blood. It stared quietly at Han Fei as if wondering why the prey which had tried so hard to run earlier would now stubbornly stand in the middle of the road to block it from proceeding. It did not ponder this question for long because hunger eventually took over all thoughts. It needed to consume the prey before him.
“Meat! Meat!” The monster growled as it pounced at Han Fei! Han Fei adjusted for a counterattack. The slam into the wall injured his calf. He knew he couldn’t flee anymore.
Han Fei was tortured by the monster. The pig-faced monster acted like a predator messing around with the prey before delivering the fatal blow. Han Fei’s mind was blurring. His arm was incapacitated. Bone was peeking out from his shoulder.
As the monster took another bite at him, the pain jolted Han Fei’s bloody eyes open, he could no longer see the boy inside the alley.
‘I must have been mad to pick a choice like this.’ Coughing out a mouthful of blood, after having the black anaconda slither into hiding, Han Fei exited the game before his consciousness departed.
