Chapter 3: He's been caught

" Let's move ".

The time left to him was less than two minutes and now he needed to find a hideout to hide and stay away quickly, there was no time to be precise.

His heart was still beating fast from seeing the dead bodies of animals and a human earlier, but he needed to come to reality....he couldn't possibly stay scared. After all, many things haven't happened yet.

" Dear host, please find a hideout and escape ".

The system kept reminding him to leave the area again and again...

Alex felt it earlier and at the moment as well, his system was a little strange, not normal like usual.

The warning was issued already. He got up and started to run. It was clear already that the firing and mission were to start soon.

And if he doesn't leave, he might be caught by others. What was needed right now was to leave the area soon.

" Rumbles.....ssskskkk ".

Alex heard the strange voice and ran even faster.

He was not shocked or surprised at the fact that wherever he was running was open and had less space to hide behind. Everything was open like a field with no hideouts.

And the fact that it was an open-ground dungeon made it even more obvious how difficult it was to find a hiding place there.

He was a newbie, and having no skills and attributes was like a curse to him. But there was one thing for which he found himself blessed. And that was the Dagger he was holding in his hand right now.

It was the only thing that could help him if anyone was to attack him with any tool or equipment at the moment. It was another thing that he wasn't prepared at all.

He was blessed at this one thing though, he had a rusty dagger.

He had nothing on him except the clothes, dagger, and system...who knows how he was going to survive.

But his ultimate goal for the moment was to find a secret hideout or any cave that could save him for the time being, for at least the next 24 hours. He intentionally entered the dark forest.

Because staying in an open space was too dangerous for a person like him who had nothing on him except his uselessness.

" Let's move in that direction ", Alex mumbled to himself but then heard the noise of firing bullets in the open space and the voice then started to grow louder and louder with every second.

Alex knew who it was without anyone telling him.

In this virtual world, ten thousand people were stuck, unable to exit the game, once dead in the game...the consequences were too dreadful.

Until an hour ago, he only knew one thing and that was...he was the developer of Virtual Survival Instinct and had to fix the bugs. But then...the reality struck him too hard.

Many complaints were filed against the company and the behavior of people was too odd to even understand.

Alex, who was the leader of the team, decided to get inside the Virtual Survival Instinct and see for himself and try his best to solve all the glitches. After all, he was the most responsible one.

However, now...after getting into the game, he was like others, trying his best to see where things have gone wrong.

In other virtual games, once a player entered the game, he was sent to the underground dungeon.

But it was not the same case with Virtual Survival Instinct.

The top team added a new feature which was called Open ground dungeon in the game, to make it even more interesting.

But where did they go wrong? where did it exactly go wrong? for so many glitches to form?

Whatever, it was not the time to think about anything.

The noise of the firing and bombing started to become even more clear but Alex needed to find a hiding place as soon as possible.

Even the system has given out the warning that firing had started and his mission was to survive for twenty-four hours.

And there was no way he was going to just sit still.

While running deep inside the forest, he heard some rustling noise and made a stop at his track. Many footsteps were reaching toward him...

And he didn't know if they were enemies or friends. All he could hope for was they don't spot him or notice him anyhow.

" I can't get exposed ", Said Alex to himself and looked around and found a big trunk tree fallen on the ground, it was rooted in the ground.

Without thinking and making no sounds, he sneaked toward the fallen tree.

The Open ground war had already started and everyone was doing their best to eliminate as many people as they could and obtain as much equipment and skills as they could.

So exposing himself at this moment would only be a death wish and nothing more.

He took shelter behind the tree trunk, the tree was too big and so was its trunk to hide anyone easily inside.

The footsteps grew closer and closer and he could hear voices coming from them as well now.

" Did you hear those noises earlier? it's like someone was running in this direction ".

" How can it be, trust me...no one will run to this side ".

" Hey! but I got the system warning twenty minutes ago, the Open ground war had already started. Going over there would only be a death wish at this time ".

" Why are you so scared huh? We have already killed four of those people before ".

" That was different. We can't lose our life this time, you know how dangerous it is out there ".

" What's the use of thinking about life and death when all your food disappears? Are you sure you will survive without food and commodities? ".

" That's right, we will die without food. so going out and fighting with other players is our only option ".

There seemed to be three people and they all were talking with each other about important matters.

Alex was hearing all their conversation while hiding well in the bushes.

How strange...

Other players were talking about food and life and equipment. While Alex...

He had no single thing mentioned above, he was without food, equipment, and skills.

He sighed in disappointment but he was blessed with one thing, he had lived and that was his biggest achievement and advantage.

" Since you stated it like this, we have no option but to fight head on the head ", The player started to head toward the open space.

Unfortunately...

" Pak...pak...Pak...".

With three shots, the people who were heading toward the open space died before they could even reach out. It happened too suddenly and before his eyes, it scared him to the bone.

And Alex just covered his mouth as he became shocked and surprised by every single shot one person got.

There were three and the gunfire was also shot three times, it was clear who won and who lost.

Alex was hidden but still collected all his courage and peek from behind the tree trunk. His eyes widened in shock as they were two people standing a little far with all their arms up.

Two sturdy and well-built men, covered with shields on the chest area and all prepared with equipment as it was their territory and they were the owner of this land, walked toward the dead men.

Surprising...

Alex held his voice inside and covered his mouth even more tightly.

All this time, he was taking things lightly and only thinking that he was in the game only and nothing could happen to him here even if he died.

But those three players were not made from thin air to only simulate but were the real people from the original world.

It was painful to see them dying in front of his very own eyes.

On top of that, the two who just killed them were laughing like monsters and evil seemed to engrave in their soul and heart.

Alec was going through bone-chilling pain.

It was true he didn't get them shot in the head by his own eyes, but what proof was needed there when the two were holding guns in their hands and even smiling like some ville?

It was as clear as water that this world was dangerous and he was not only the player but the citizens residing in this world now.

" This won't do...", Alex tried calming himself, and just when he got a little calm...

The two look his way suddenly. They sense something in that direction and want to see what that was.

Alex was quick and witty and got his head down the moment before could even look. But now...when the footsteps started to grow in his direction, his heart started beating fast.

The fear of getting killed started forming in his heart, giving him no chance to think things through.

" Why are you heading in that direction? ".

" I sense someone over there ".

" You sense someone? then let's go check ".

The two were having a conversation but Alex could hear everything.

But no matter how much he prays, the footsteps keep getting closer to him.

" Go...go somewhere else, please. Just...just don't come this way ", He was praying for them to go away.

" There seems to be no one here though ".

" I know right. Maybe the leaves have made the sound after rustling at that fallen tree trunk, and it felt like someone was there ".

" It seems to be impossible though, the trunk is not that tall, and the sound might be created by the air or wind no? ".

" No...no, please. I am not prepared yet, just don't come over here ", He was not ready to face anyone.

The two finally caught up to the place where Alex was hiding and were shocked when they saw a certain someone hiding over there...

" Hey! look at this....look what I have found ".