Episode 1 — B Rank Witch
Shikigami
‘You damn game system. You ran away right after the monster came. Useless guide.’
I keep on cursing the game system. It left me alone in this narrow room, trying to not get caught by the monster who was banging on the door from outside.
Shikigami
‘Oh please just let me go home!’
I put my hands together and closed my eyes tightly. This is all a nightmare. I will wake up in just a moment. That's right, I will wake up from this dream.
So please just stop banging on the door! No one's here!
Shikigami
‘Just go away please!’
I continued and continued to pray in a low voice. Not long after, the sound of banging on the door disappeared.
...I opened my eyes and got out from under the bed, still cautious.
Slowly, I walked towards the door of the room. I tried to spy on the situation outside the room through the small hole in the door.
...There's nothing.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
System Admin
[The monster is gone?]
I nodded, still spying on the situation outside the room.
Shikigami
Yeah, I guess it's gone for now.
Shikigami
’...Wait. Who's talking to me?’
Slowly, I turned my head back to try to ascertain who had asked that question just now.
And what appeared before my eyes was...
...A black cat.
Shikigami
...A cat? Are you an NPC?
System Admin
[I'm not. I'm the admin of this game's system.]
Shikigami
I-It's talking! A talking cat! Gahh, nothing's normal here!
I sat down and covered both ears. My eyes looked at the cat and moved, asking for him to go away.
Who knows, maybe I'm so delusional that I'm seeing a talking cat now —
System Admin
[You are pretty dumb for a horror games fanatic. Of course nothing's normal here. This is a game!]
I stared at the cat blankly.
...Did I see it right?
...This cat is flying.
This cat has wings.
Shikigami
Arghh, this cat is an angel from hell!
Out of surprise, I threw everything I could reach at the cat.
I feel guilty because I also love cats, but this cat is so extraordinary that even I'm scared of it.
System Admin
[Don't throw things at me! Listen to the game rules first! I'm trying to tell you about it!]
Listening to this cat's words, I stopped panicking. A sense of realization hit me, and I grabbed the cat's body.
I shook his body.
Shikigami
You! You left me alone earlier! Why don't you tell me the rules before? You ran away first, leaving me with that monster outside!
The cat coughed.
My mind was loading when I saw him coughing. This cat sure can cough exactly like a human.
System Admin
[I'm trying to pick an attractive color for this cat's form.]
Shikigami
...Now, can you please kindly tell me why I got sucked into this damn game? And tell me how to go home! I'm only playing the game for fun! I don't want to experience it for real!
System Admin
[This is the beta version of the newly created gameplay of the game. You're our source for money— I mean, our source for the game's experience. So we thought we could let you be the first ever person to test this new version.]
... This cat's eyes are full of greed.
But I can't deny it. I've been whaling on this game since it got released.
But that's not a perfect reason to forcefully invite me to test this new gameplay. Damn it.
Shikigami
I. Don't. Want. To!
Let me go home!
System Admin
[You can't go home until you complete all the main quests. You know the rules, don't you? Use your good memorization and survive this game. I'll be watching you. Adios.]
And the cat disappeared from my sight. He disappeared just like that, like he's teleporting or something.
Shikigami
The... rules? Well, what's the rules...? I don't quite remember...
I bit my lips and closed my eyes, trying to remember the rules in this game. Other than the rules, I tried to remember the main quests and the important characters.
Because maybe it will be of help for me later.
But.
Shikigami
‘I can't remember anything!’
I thought I had already memorized it all.
Suddenly, a status window like in the games and novels appeared in front of me. And as I thought, it's about the information of my character.
I read all of it carefully.
[ Character Name: Shikigami
Character Type: Witch
Character Rank: B
Character Ability Rank: A
Survival Rate: 30% — 40%
Character Ability: Dark Magic]
...A witch.
Well, that's understandable. I started playing this game as a witch anyways. So that's fine. And dark magic is fine too. After all, I chose witch as my character's type because I like magic.
But, my rank is... B?
Why is my ability rank higher than my character's rank? Is this a new joke?
Shikigami
Why am I a B rank witch?!
I played this game until I ascended as a SSR character!
Shikigami
You can't just make me play through all of it again to be a SSR!
Shikigami
You damn game developer!
How am I supposed to survive now? Even my survival rate is low, as if saying that I won't live for too long.
...I feel like my soul is sucked out of my body.
...It seems I'll die soon.
And after I get out of this damn game, I will rate this game as 1 star.
But, well.
I'm an experienced player. I know everything about this game.
I just need to kill monsters, obtain the EXP materials, and level up myself!
Shikigami
There's still hope for me!
I looked at my hands. I tried clenching my fists, and a thick, black aura appeared.
I smiled.
I just need to keep practicing. Since there's no controller or keyboard here, I need to think of this magic as real.
Shikigami
But magic is hard to use in reality... How do I learn how to use it?
The door fell onto the floor. I froze, looking at the 'thing' that got inside this room.
...A monster.
A monster!
Shikigami
W-Why should you come when I just tried to learn how to use my magic— aghh!
The big thorny roots reached out to me, trying to capture me. I dodged the attack and opened my fists.
Only a small black flame was created.
...Damn it. My level is low.
As an act of defense, I reached for a wooden sword nearby.
I don't know how to use a sword though.
A bloody red eyes, like a reptile's eyes were staring at me as if I was a delicious meal.
I tightened my grip on the wooden sword.
The thorny roots wildly went towards me.
Just when I was about to defend myself from the roots,
Bang!
I stayed still as I looked at the monster that turned into ashes.
The sound... Is it a bullet?
Tap. Tap.
I can hear footsteps. I raised my head.
And at that moment, my eyes are locked with the grayish brown irises that were fixated on me.
Shikigami
‘...Who is this man?’
Luka
How come you're so stupid?
We just met and you're already being rude! I smiled widely and tried to soothe my boiling anger.
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