Bitten!

In desperation, Scarlett summoned her fire element, directing the flames toward the monster's chest. The creature hissed in pain as the flames licked at its slimy skin, but instead of retreating, it bit down on her neck, tearing away a piece of flesh. Blood poured from the wound, and Scarlett's vision started to blur.

Despite the searing pain, Scarlett fought on. Her flames surged and expanded, wrapping around the creature until it let go and staggered back, thrashing as the fire consumed it. With grit, she slowly rose from the ground, just as another monster leapt at her. Ignoring the burning sting from her neck, she unleashed her fire again, setting each new attacker ablaze, one by one.

Ding!

Name: Scarlett Jerkins.

Age: 29

Level: 1 (2/500)

Spirit: 50

Physical: 50

Agility: 50

Defense: 50

Health: 20

SKILLS

Elements: Water, Fire, Earth

Rank: S

+10 Experience

+100 Silver Coins

My health is weakening... am I going to die soon? Scarlett thought, her gaze narrowing as she continued her relentless assault. Each monster that dared approach was met with a surge of fire, their forms igniting and twisting in agony. The bite on her neck continued to throb, but she hid the pain, determined not to falter.

Despite her desperation, the system remained silent, offering no reassurance, no guidance. Its silence filled her with frustration, but she pushed it aside, focusing only on survival.

Nearby, Rose and Matthew battled their own foes, wielding sharp sticks they had managed to get amidst the chaos.

Their eyes widen open in shock at Scarlett terrible state but they knew it's not time for question yet. Although their temporary weapons couldn't kill the monsters but they were enough to keep them at bay momentarily until Scarlett could dispatch them with her flames.

Scarlett continued to strike with her fire element, reducing the creatures to ashes.

Ding!

Level: 1 (10/500)

+1000 Gold Coins

+100 Experience

"Let's get out of here, now!" Rose shouted, her voice strained as she ran up the staircase, Matthew close behind. Panting heavily, they ascended, monsters snapping and growling in pursuit, their growls filling the space with deafening echo.

Scarlett ran after them but blinked as her vision turned a disturbing shade of crimson. Everything in her view was now drenched in red. She touched her neck, feeling the angry, throbbing veins spreading from the monster's bite.

What's happening to me? she wondered, but before she could voice her fear, a metallic voice was heard in her head.

{You were bitten by a monster, host. This reaction is expected.}

Am I… am I going to die then? Will I turn into one of them? These ugly monsters? she wondered desperately, but once again, the system fell silent.

Grinding her teeth in annoyance, she continued running after Rose and Matthew, the weight of her fears pressing down on her.

The baby in her arms cooed softly, as if unaffected by the earlier chaos. Scarlett paused briefly to check her breathing, relieved to find the infant alive. She ran on, heart racing, with monsters gaining on them from every side.

Suddenly, a fierce hunger clawed at her, unlike anything she had felt before. Her vision blurred deeper into red as her gaze drifted, almost involuntarily, to Rose and Matthew. She forced herself to shake the feeling, focusing on the monsters instead. But the sensation lingered, her throat thirty for something she couldn't name, as the baby's cries grew louder in her ears.

The monsters drew closer, the stench of their rotting flesh thickening the air. Scarlett raised her hands, sending another wave of fire toward them, watching as the flames caught and engulfed their abnormal bodies. Still, for every monster she destroyed, more seemed to take its place, their relentless growling a chilling promise of death.

Ding!

+200 Experience

+1000 Gold Coins

Scarlett stopped running again and her gaze drifted to the baby, now a stark red silhouette in her altered vision. The veins in the baby's neck seemed so clear, so tempting, and she gasped in horror as she felt her incisors sharpen, her senses screaming with a craving she didn't understand. Even the baby's heartbeat felt deafening, pounding within her ears.

Am I losing my mind? she thought, struggling to regain control. Desperately, she turned her focus back to the monsters and unleashed another torrent of flames, willing herself to ignore the unnaturally hunger she felt.

Rose and Matthew, who had finally noticed Scarlett's absence, doubled back, their eyes widening in horror as they saw her surrounded by monsters. Large chunks of flesh had been torn from her body, blood seeping from the open wounds.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked with a shocked expression. Even Matthew was as shocked as her

They then lunged at the nearest monsters, piercing their hearts with their sharpened sticks. Scarlett joined in, her fire blazing around them, reducing their foes to ash and smoke. But no matter how many they killed, the creatures kept coming, their numbers growing more ferocious and impossible to overcome.

Ding!

+1000 Experience

+1000 Gold Coins

{Excellent, host.}

Scarlett felt a flicker of anger at the system's indifferent response but pushed it aside. She had been pleading for answers, for some explanation of what was happening to her, but the system only rewarded her kills.

Her vision remained stained with crimson, and her heart felt weaker with every passing moment. The pain from her injuries pulsed in time with her weakening heartbeat, but Scarlett's resolve held. She had to keep fighting, not just for herself, but for the baby she carried.

"We can't stay here! We need to retreat, or we'll die!" Rose yelled, her voice brimming with urgency.

"Yes please!" Matthew added with fear laced in his voice. "Let's get out of here because of the baby exactly."

Scarlett nodded in agreement, and together they turned and ran up the mall stairs. Each step felt heavier, her legs trembling beneath her, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The baby's cries filled her ears, mingling with the monstrous growls closing in around them.

Just as Scarlett reached the top of the stairs, a hand shot out from a nearby doorway, grabbing her and yanking her inside. She barely caught herself before falling, stumbling forward as the door shut with a loud bang. Outside, the growls began to fade, but Scarlett could still hear them.

Ding!

+500 Experience

+5000 Gold Coins

New Skill Unlocked: Enhanced Senses

"You're safe now," a calm masculine voice murmured, filled with unexpected gentleness.

Startled, Scarlett looked up, her vision still red and blurred, uncertain if she was hearing things. She recognized the voice but dared not assume, not when she was barely holding on to her sanity.