22 - Squid Blade

I don't remember the young woman having that kind of reaction in the game. She did swing that knife around to scare Rean off, which obviously doesn't work. But she didn't ask to show another object to prove that he's really from the academy.

'Hmm… Maybe Terrence's face isn't convincing enough.' I concluded. But how could anyone resist this baby face of his?

As soon as we enter the pantry, a hooded figure appeared in the doorway on the other end. It's a tall man with black hoodie and tilted rabbit mask—a terrorist.

The young woman behind me screams in fear. "T-terrorist!"

He turns towards us and his weapons is shown. It's a unique type of blade in the shape of a squid with a big hole in the squid's head part.

I was wondering what that hole is for when a knife suddenly appeared on the side of my head. Then I heard the woman behind me yells. "S-Stay away!"

'Right. I forgot to take her knife.' I curse myself. Then I carefully lean to my right and persuade the young woman to give me the knife.

"Huh? A-Alright… Be careful!" She gives me the knife and stay near the door while I go confront that guy.

I don't really know how to beat this guy since it's quite a big blade he's holding there. One swipe of it and I can lose my head. And I have to beat it with this knife and bat, somehow? Let me think.

Three seconds passed with the enemy closing the distance and me out of ideas. The man stops on the other side of the counter and raises the blade high. I'm nervous as I watch that thing swings in front of him, supposedly aiming at me. But the counter is quite big, and although that blade is like a 2H-Sword*, it's not longer than the counter and it misses me by a long shot.

The man swings it for the second time, but it does no difference. It doesn't reach me at all. Seemingly restless because its target, the man slams the blade on the counter and repeat it over and over while his eyes are looking directly at me.

"Pfft… BAHAHAH!!" I burst out laughing, surprising the young woman behind me. She must've thought I'm crazy for laughing at a 'dangerous situation' like this. And by that, she would mean that there is a bad guy wearing a black hoodie and a white rabbit mask, slamming his sword on a kitchen counter repeatedly trying to kill an innocent teenager boy in front of him.

But I really can't help myself to think that way. I mean… If you look at it from my eyes, with each side of the counter freely accessible but unused by the man, I can only think of him as an idiot who's throwing a temper tantrum. I mean, dude! Look! The counter sides are literally open for walkway!

"W-What are you laughing at?! Help me!!" The young woman slaps me on the back.

"S-Sorry. I forgot these guys are idiots." I chuckle.

I focus on the matter at hand and try to think of a way to solve this. Suddenly, I got an idea.

"Alright. I'll lead him to me, then you run the other way on my signal. Got it?" I ask the woman.

"W-What if there's another terrorist in the hallway?" She asks nervously.

"There won't be." I said. But a thought suddenly comes to mind. 'What if there is? The big hammer guy that should not even be in this floor is here. What if the plot changes even more and there is more enemies in that hallway? She could die and I would lose my point.'

Although I don't know what is triggering this change, I can't deny the fact it has changed even only slightly. But I knew I don't have time to think about it now, or maybe I have? That idiot is still hitting the poor counter after all.

"Hey!" The lady behind me slaps my back again.

'No time, then. Maybe I shouldn't risk it.' I thought.

Moreover, there is another problem coming up if the plot doesn't differ that big. I need to prepare for that one as it will happen any time now.

"Alright. Move when I tell you to, but don't get too far." I told her.

This suggestion seems more acceptable to her because she doesn't complain.

I look at the enemy again and observe his movements quickly. I saw him before, but I wasn't calculating anything. But this time, I will.

Knowing what his weakness is, I go to the left side of the counter. The man's eyes follow me and he rises to follow.

'Good, he's targeting me. I need to keep it that way.'

I throw the knife at him as he leans to the left, my left, but it misses him and it falls into the hallway. I don't falter and immediately use the bat. I hit the man on his right upper arm. He responses with a grunt, but it does nothing to stop him from approaching me.

I get nervous as the distance got thinner. Even more so when the man raises his blade. As he attempts the swing, I duck immediately so it hits the counter again. But unlike before when he could still stand after swinging his sword, this time the man stumbles forward and his stomach contacted with the counter's edge.

I instantly yell. "NOW!!"

That signals the lady to run away. As she makes her way to the doorway, I beat the man with my iron bat. I hit his head, then his hand that's holding the blade, then his shoulder and back. The man cannot counter my attacks at all because the space is too narrow and he's an idiot.

I ram him with the bat so fast I don't even count. In my mind, I just want him to drop his weapon so I can tie him up. But his blade drops to the floor eventually, and I immediately give him a blow from under the chin. It throws him back and he hits the sink counter behind him before he slumps down to the floor.

"Hurry, kid!" The lady hurries me while looking around nervously.

I immediately take out some zip ties and secure his hands and feet. This guy can lift that big blade, I don't wanna risk him breaking my cheap cable ties that easily.

After that, I drag his blade away from him and to the other side of the counter before I finally exit the pantry.

"Enemies?" I look around the hallway with heavy breath. I didn't even realize I was out of breath.

"I didn't see them around. B-But there are people in the lobby…" She said, her voice cracks.

When I look over, Rean and the big guy are still fighting. But there are two more terrorists there.

I suddenly remembered that there are actually three enemies in this floor. Two terrorists when the players arrive at the lobby, and one after rescuing this woman. I was too distracted by the chance of me dying by the big guy's hands that I completely forgot about them.

Rean's battle cry reaches our position, and from the sound of it, and the looks of it, he could still stand his ground.

I know he's still not that powerful in the beginning of the game, but still, defending against three enemies by himself is remarkable in his own way. I hope he can beat them soon so we can leave this floor to go to the next one.

Suddenly, I feel something grabs my right arm and holds it tight. When I turn, it was the woman. She's looking at the lobby's direction with fearful look in her eyes. And she's holding me with her trembling hands.

"A-Aren't you going to help him…? He has the same uniform as you…" She asks with her voice cracking and her jaw trembling.

'He's the protagonist. He can do it.' –is what I wanted to say. But none of them knew they are characters of a game, and it's useless to explain anyway.

"But there's no one to protect you." I told her. I don't want to go in there and risk myself dying. I can barely fight one of them. All the ones I've beaten are because I followed my strategy. Those three in the lobby is a faulty in the plot system, the factor X, and I haven't made any plans at all for them.

"But… He's all alone! He'll die!" She replies.

'Protagonists can't die. If they die, they'll just reset to the last save point.'

I found the woman's words to be hilarious, but that also got me thinking. If Rean dies, does the game resets to the last save point? But, where is the checkpoint? There are no save points as far as I'm concerned. I mean, the game's save point is very iconic as it hovers above the ground, looks like magic circles intertwining against each other, and is very shiny. But I have never seen it in the places where it should've been from the beginning of my stay here.

Suddenly, I have a bad feeling. I decide to ask Ozzie. 'Hey Ozzie. What would happen—'

But before I could finish, an interface suddenly pops in front of me.

***

New mission!

Help Rean.

Rewards: Energizer (1)

***

I glare at the screen. 'What does this mean?'