Fugi jolted up from his halfhearted slumber, finding himself on the floor in a cabin that sat out in the middle of nowhere. He was surrounded by forest, except for the patch of land protected by a transparent barrier.
His sweat soaked into the wooden floors beneath him as he tried to steady his heart.
There was a constant beeping on his neck, a device clamped around his throat with no latch or screws. Fugi tried removing it multiple times, but it's clear it's there to stay.
It's been months now! I'm almost out of rations, which means I'll have to go out there soon! But if I go out there…
He turned toward the forest; it was eerie. The only sound it carried was the sound of ominous winds. Leaves, dry and new, brushed against each other. There were times animals would go quiet throughout the day. Whether it be a predator or a player crossing past—who can really say?
The game had started months ago now; despite him hiding in his hole, it carried on.
I hope Mom and Mayumi are okay—though this is an isekai, right?! Sometimes time doesn't pass in the real world at all while you're here! So—maybe I can get back without missing too much! I won't be put further behind… But—what if I can't…
I'm already behind enough as it is… even in this game. Nothing's changed.
"You have a total of a year!"
The voice made its sudden appearance in his memory. He remembered being confused upon hearing it, having just woken up after God knows how long—but now it reared its head.
"In your cabins you have a total of a year's worth of food if you ration it."
"With that, you are also provided with a dome that stops danger from entering your cabin, be it player or monster."
"However, the minute you leave your protective barrier, it will collapse permanently, so be wise when you decide to venture out to the tower!"
"And if starvation isn't enough of an incentive to leave, once the year is up, and you have not reached the tower, the device on your neck will explode, just enough to give you a slow, painful death."
"I can't die like this!"
Fugi slammed his head into the wooden wall, his scalp slightly bruised from the impact. He was doomed from the start; there was no way someone like him could possibly compete. He had no powers, though he tried. He had no weapons to survive; he turned the place upside down looking!
Some isekai fantasy this turned out to be! The jester lied to me! I ask for powers, and the only thing I get is transported to another world and dreams about dying over and over without end to boot!
His hand shot up to his throat; he could still imagine the pain as though it really happened. Dying to someone that stood there, waiting outside his barrier for him to surface…
It makes me scared to go out there… Not that I have much choice—I only have five months left.
The boy's brow furrowed overhead.
How close even is the tower anyway? If it's something that I can get to that fast—assuming, under three months, I'll need to leave soon, but… I could already be too late.
The forest grew silent.
No—if there is someone out there, there's no way it's too late yet! I'm banking a lot on if someone's even actually there or not, but it's all I have. Surely someone like that actually has a planned path and is weeding out competition, right? Or they could be a genuine psychopath…
But why would they stay outside my circle specifically? If they really are just a death-loving maniac, they'd go for someone else by now—most likely someone who just got out, right? I've been hearing it nonstop, the sound of high-pitched beeps every so often. Most likely a dome being broken. So there's no way they don't know, right?
But it's not like I know where they are—or how long they'd be stalking me. Maybe they've been eyeing me from the start; maybe they'll just appear when I leave. Wouldn't I have heard the beeping of their collar? Or does it stop when I leave the barrier—which means if the dome is broken, it's possible to hide?
There was a soft vibration in his pants. His hand delved into his pockets, pulling out a flip cell.
"I still have this?" he muttered to himself. Even though he was transported to another world, he still wore his school uniform and deshelved tie too.
Well, at least he gave me these, I suppose—
Fugi stood there, frozen in thought with his phone in hand, before making a sudden run to the pantry. He opened the closet door, seeing the few remaining food and culinary tools that's left.
"Got it…"
***
Peering eyes stared into the young man's abode through the guise of shrubs and shroud. The silence was piercing; their chest tightened in an amateur attempt to control their breathing.
Suddenly, birds flapped to the moon, seeking safety as the world erupted in an ear-shattering beep. Their eyes widened as the dome faded into obscurity. It was done. He was open.
Without wasting a second, they darted from the shrubs, making their way to the cabin. With practiced ease they kicked the door down with a loud thud. The door, digging into the wooden floor, was crushed under heavy boots.
It was empty, the faint hum of silence buzzing through the cabin. Each step they took echoed throughout, stopping at the opened window.
"They left through the back—" They muttered to themselves, their line of thought broken by the sound of a soft beep.
They froze, eyes turning towards the cabinet.
BEEP—BEEP
BEEP—BEEP
It was constant, an anomaly. Their grip tightened around their dagger's hilt, the leather straining against wood. Slowly they approached.
I can't fight someone like that head-on, I know that—though even if it's against the rules, no sensible person will ignore an anomaly in the rules! No matter what they say. Now I can at least get away or extend my time by just a little!
With a sudden tug the cabinet door flew wide open, the killer's shoulders tense when they found the source. Fugi's phone blared an alarm, beeping repeatedly.
Fugi hid within the forest, seemingly losing all sight of his hunter. He knew he couldn't run, just not yet.
I'll see where he goes and run in the opposite direction and look for the tower when I'm far enough!
He sat there, seconds passing by on end with no changes. Something was wrong.
He's not leaving the cabin—did he catch on?!
His heart started to pick up again, his breath growing short. Slowly, he pulled out the dagger that rested in his pocket, waiting patiently. He watched as they stepped outside the cabin, eyes scanning the forest before touching their collar.
BEEP!
A singular high-pitched beep came from his neck, causing the boy to flinch and drop his knife.
No, it wasn't supposed to beep like that! He cursed, watching in horror as the hunter's gaze snapped to him.
"There you are…" Their voice snaked out of their throat, their dagger glinting under the moon's limelight.