The Terrifying Hamster

Just before the phenomenon, the world turned silent. Earth trembled with great intensity, and air flowed at high speeds.

It felt like the end was near when it all returned to normal. A calmness overtook the world.

Yet the blue screen remained in the sky, and the hamster murmured in an incomprehensible language.

But just moments later, it spoke in an elated tone.

"Phew, it finally connected!"

"Welcome to the realm of gods, earthlings!" It announced, with both paws up in the air.

Getting absolutely no reaction other than shock and disbelief, the hamster shook his head as if it was a daily thing to see.

But as if waiting for just the right time, someone intervened and asked, "Hey, is this some kind of show you are doing here? Go and do it somewhere else. I wanna just watch the heretic's demise!"

Followed by the first outcry, many people followed suit and started voicing out their complaints, "Yea I have a busy schedule after this. Do this another time or something."

"I have an interview after this. Go away!"

Getting irked by the sudden outburst, the hamster's voice burst through. "Let me just show you what happens when you don't listen.." It said while waving the umbrella at the first person who had spoken.

Just as the umbrella pointed towards the man from the screen, his body floated up. The body rose four meters above the ground before it started stretching.

The man cried out in pain.

AGHHHH

Blood-curdling screams echoed in the silent arena, instilling fear in the innocent hearts.

His face contorted into a disgusting expression, his hands and legs elongated as his body deformed up in the sky. Blood spurted in the sky, making a bloody mist around the man.

An unfound dread took over everyone when they saw what had happened to the man. Some vomited their guts out, while some passed out.

Yet the now elongated husk still floated in the air as if it was meant to be a trophy for all to see.

Ignoring whatever was happening in the big arena. The hamster started its speech, glorifying a great moment in the history of Earth.

"The end of all worlds is approaching. The calamities harvest lives from all manners of living beings. Destroying everything in their path, claiming lands and lives with them."

Taking a puff of air in its small lungs, it continued. "Nowhere is safe from their fangs. In this boundless reality, everything shall perish if nothing is done, but dead Gods from the age of old gave us an asylum, the pantheon of lost gods."

"It is a place inside what you people call black holes, hidden and safeguarded by their ever-existent power. Anyway, wrapping up with the story, we, the inhabitants of the pantheon, save other planets and worlds, integrating them into our own. Giving refuge to all."

With an evil smile on its face, the hamster said slowly and softly. "If you all look to your right in the sky, you will see a big comet in space. Those are calamities that will enter this planet in just ten minutes."

Hearing something that seemed too hard to believe, everyone looked up in the sky and saw…nothing?

The sky was still the same, with not even an inkling of what the weird Hamster said. Was this all just a prank? That was what everyone thought when someone pointed directly at the sun.

"Look over there," said a random bystander in the seats while pointing his fingers above.

Following the direction of his finger, everyone looked up at the thing. It drained them of energy, and a terrifying feeling crept up everyone's spine.

A stone, no, a meteor, was slowly moving towards Earth. It was being protected by a thin layer of something which even protected it from air drag. Making it not burn while coming inside the atmosphere.

But this wasn't the horrifying thing about it, it….It was infested with millions of gooey-looking black substances. They constantly writhed and wriggled on the meteor's surface.

Without even waiting for anyone's response, the creature heralded the tragedy that would change everything on this planet. It said, "Let the depravity flow. The killing games begin now!"

Just as it had said, its face vanished from the blue screen hovering in the sky. After about a second or so, the screen also vanished. What the hamster left behind in its wake was absolute panic and despair.

"What will we do now?"

"Hey, fucking move! I have to get home to save my daughter."

"God has finally decided to punish mankind for its sins!"

Everyone's reaction was different, but despair was all the same. It seeped into their soul.

However, as a ray of hope, the same blue screen presented itself in front of them, just this time, more miniature.

--Ding!

››

[First Trial]: Depravity is just a thin line away

[Category]: Main (Not possible to reject)

[Difficulty]: Mortal

[Clear Conditions]: Kill one or more creatures.

[Time Limit]: 8 minutes

[Compensation]: Survival, entry into the Dimension of wandering souls

[Failure]: Death

››

[Please say the word (progress bar) to see your progress on the current online quests]

››

Licht's amber eyes gleamed when they saw the screen. He didn't even know what was happening here. Just mere moments ago he was on death row, yet there he was.

A cheerful place that had been waiting just to see him and other convicted juvenile delinquents executed. Now that same place was shattered, the world had changed and now they had to kill to survive?

He had already summarised that the creatures being talked about here were humans. Finding animals or even insects in this god-forgotten place was just as hard as finding a needle in a haystack.

Meaning, impossible.

'Meh'

'Like if it has anything to do with me.'

Licht had complete indifference to the situation. He was already doomed to die. Dying this way or that way didn't matter to him. Yet….Yet his hands still moved, gripping and puncturing the now loose hand of Richard with his nails.

"AGH! What are you doing?" said Richard, while holding his hand with some deep scratch marks.

Finally, being free from the clutches of the Guard, Licht turned his body that had been in a bent position on the support of the guillotine. Just as his body turned, he was finally face to face with Richard.

Not holding anything back, Licht kicked as hard as he could. His legs, which were aimed at the calves part of Richard's foot missed, instead his leg kept moving till it reached the livelihood, the true yang, the heavenly eggs.

A cracking noise resounded, and Richard's face distorted into an unsightly sight. White foam came out of his mouth as he collapsed to the ground.

Panting while having his hands on his knees Licht thought 'Why, why did I do that? Whyyy?'

Licht's mind was in disarray. He didn't have an inkling as to why he did that. He had already lost hope, then why did he still fight back? Didn't he want to die?

There was nothing worth living anymore. He didn't have a past to look back at nor did he have a future to look forward to. Yet this feeling, this new unfound feeling, made a gaping hole in his chest. He just wanted to fill it with something! Anything!

He looked at the sky, wondering, was living once more worth it? Was hoping once more a blunder?

'Ah,'

It was not….

It never was…

The ones who want to die are the ones who seek to live the most.

That was the truth he had found in these moments. A fire started burning inside him and a monster took root in his mind. He will find his purpose again, even if it meant being the most heinous person in the world. This was his choice, his selfishness.

His hand automatically moved forward, grabbing Richard in the same way he had held Licht back then, bringing his limp body with extra effort, he placed his neck on the guillotine.

Focusing on just one person in the crowd, he threw a rock at the executioner, catching his attention. Licht said in a pleading tone, "Hey mister! Pull the trigger!"

The executioner looked at the machine and stared at it till clarity came to his mind. He saw Richard having his head on the guillotine. And it terrified him to no extent.

What was this kid talking about…If he pulled the trigger, Richard would die.

"Get away from him kid, what are you doing to him-" He said in a panicking voice when Licht cut him off in between.

"NO! Don't take a step forward. This is for your benefit. See the message on the screen again! You have to kill someone to survive. Do it!"

Licht continued pleading and making the deal more persuasive as time passed. "You have a life ahead, maybe even a family. Just pull it!"

The executioner's hand trembled, the weight of the situation bearing down on him. He looked at Licht, his eyes filled with conflict and doubt.

The crowd was already growing restless. People were fighting each other, and some died when the fight broke out. Some were still in a state of shock.

Licht continued, his voice cutting through the tension. "It is either him or you. You don't have a choice."

The executioner's grip on the lever tightened, his knuckles turning white. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he struggled with his decision.

But then, something within the executioner shifted. A resolute determination flashed in his eyes, and he slowly nodded to himself. With a deep breath, he steeled his resolve.

"I... I am sorry, I am truly sorry," he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.