Chapter 4: The Devouring Hour

Aftermath of the Battle

The second floor of the abandoned mall was eerily silent, except for the distant hum of the emergency lights flickering overhead.

The air still stank of rot and static, the remnants of the Harbinger of Gluttony’s death lingering in the atmosphere. The four remaining players—Ethan, Noah, Ava, and the silent teenager—stood among the scattered wreckage, catching their breath.

Noah was the first to break the silence.

“That was just a mid-boss,” he muttered, running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. “A mid-boss. What the hell is next?”

Ethan ignored him for a moment and focused on his inventory screen, scrolling to the loot drop:

[Gluttony’s Mark – A cursed relic. Grants unknown abilities.]

Ava peered over his shoulder. “Are you going to use it?”

Ethan hesitated.

In this game, every advantage counted, but cursed items were dangerous. There was no way to know what effect it would have on him until he equipped it.

The silent teenager, who had barely spoken since the start of the death game, finally whispered, “We don’t have time to hesitate.”

Everyone turned to her.

She was pale, thin, and clearly terrified, but her voice was steady.

“The system just said there are more bosses coming,” she continued, gripping the rusty crowbar she had scavenged. “We need to get stronger. Fast.”

Ethan nodded.

He took a deep breath and equipped the Gluttony’s Mark.

[Gluttony’s Mark has been bound to Player #001 – Ethan.]

The moment he did, a cold sensation spread through his chest, like something slithering beneath his skin. His vision blurred, and for a brief second, he saw—

A feast of horrors.

A long, endless table.

Hundreds of bodies seated—all of them screaming—their flesh rotting, their eyes pleading.

A monstrous figure at the head of the table, devouring everything in sight.

And then—

The vision vanished.

Ethan gasped, stumbling back.

Ava grabbed his arm. “What happened?”

He shook his head, gripping his temple. “I saw… something.”

Before he could explain, the system flashed another notification.

[New Skill Unlocked: Hunger’s Embrace]

Absorb a portion of a defeated enemy’s strength.

Temporary stat boost for 5 minutes.

Can only be used once per battle.

Noah whistled. “That’s—actually insane.”

Ava frowned. “If that’s the reward for a mid-boss… what kind of abilities do the final bosses have?”

Nobody had an answer.

But the system wasn’t done.

[WARNING: The Devouring Hour has begun.]

All remaining bosses have been activated.

The feast continues.

Survive until the final challenge.

[Time Remaining: 71:48:39]

A distant roar echoed through the building.

Then another.

And another.

The next phase of the death game had begun.

Descent into Hell

The survivors had two options:

Stay on the second floor and risk being ambushed.

Move downward, searching for weapons and supplies while avoiding the newly awakened bosses.

“We need to move,” Ethan said.

Ava nodded. “Lower floors might have exits.”

Noah reloaded his gun. “And if not, at least we won’t be cornered.”

The silent teenager hesitated before whispering, “My name is Lena.”

Ethan turned to her. “Lena. You okay?”

She clutched her crowbar. “No. But standing here won’t help.”

That was good enough.

The group moved toward the escalators, stepping cautiously over the remains of their fallen teammates.

As they descended to the first floor, the true horror of the death game became clear.

The mall had changed.

The once-modern shopping complex had warped, the architecture twisting into something wrong.

Walls pulsated like breathing flesh.

Glass windows had become black voids, showing glimpses of other places—a city burning, a graveyard of endless bones, a sky filled with eyes.

Ava exhaled sharply. “This isn’t the same mall.”

Noah grimaced. “It’s evolving.”

Ethan gripped his sword. “Stay sharp.”

Then—

A distant chime echoed through the halls.

And a voice—distorted, mechanical, hungry—spoke from the intercom.

“Welcome to the second course.”

“The Feast of Predators begins.”

“Run.”

The lights flickered out.

The Hunt Begins

The group bolted.

Ava and Ethan took the lead, weaving through the warped corridors as distant growls and inhuman whispers filled the darkness.

Somewhere behind them, metal twisted—

SCREEEECH.

Something big was moving.

Lena gasped. “Something’s coming!”

Noah skidded to a stop near a security room. “In here!”

They dove inside, slamming the door shut.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then—

THUMP.

Something massive slammed against the metal door.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

A grotesque shadow pressed against the frosted glass window, its form twitching and shifting, as if made of thousands of writhing limbs.

Lena clamped a hand over her mouth, barely holding back a whimper.

Ava whispered, “We’re screwed.”

Noah exhaled. “We need a plan.”

Ethan’s mind raced. His new ability, Hunger’s Embrace, could give him an edge—but only if he killed something first.

And right now, the only thing close to dying was them.

Then, an idea.

“There’s an alarm switch on the security panel,” Ethan whispered. “If we trigger it, we might distract them long enough to escape.”

Noah nodded. “I can do it. Just… buy me time.”

Ava gritted her teeth. “Hope you’re fast.”

Lena remained silent, but her grip on the crowbar tightened.

Ethan drew his sword.

The door bent inward.

Another second and it would shatter.

Then—

CRACK.

The door exploded inward, revealing the creature in all its horror—

A towering abomination, covered in writhing flesh, its many mouths whispering in unison.

“More… More… More…”

It lunged.

Ethan moved.

His Void Edge flashed, carving a deep gash into the creature’s torso. It screamed, its body distorting—

But it wasn’t dead.

Ava struck from the side, her daggers ripping through its tendrils, while Lena swung her crowbar with everything she had.

The beast shrieked, stumbling—

Noah slammed the emergency alarm.

A deafening siren blared through the mall.

The creature froze, its many heads twisting toward the ceiling in confusion.

Ethan didn’t waste time.

He activated Hunger’s Embrace.

A dark aura flared around him as he drove his blade into the monster’s skull.

The Void Edge pulsed.

The creature imploded, its body twisting into static before vanishing completely.

Ethan gasped as raw power surged into his limbs—his speed, strength, and reflexes doubled.

Noah grabbed him. “Move!”

They bolted from the room, sprinting past confused monsters, the alarm still screaming.

By the time they reached the main entrance, the countdown flashed again.

[Time Remaining: 71:33:12]

The game wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.

End of Chapter 4

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