The monster was only about ten meters away from us. This must be the monster they are referring to. I noticed the leaders and other groups of boys and girls were running as well. I can see that one and a half a human tall and three human wide is its size. Its head is a mixture of dog and cat. It uses its long four legs to run fast. It growled as if it were a monster seen in movies. From the light coming from the moon, I could see how deadly its fangs can be. If my eyesight is correct, its color is brown-black. It's not just an ordinary animal, but a monster. Something caught my eyes again. Its fangs are colored... red?
"Let's deal with this first. We have no choice. If you don't want the monster to swallow you then shut up. Besides, this is the order of the leader, we have no choice."
I recalled the early conversation between the boy who told us to run and the girl who complained. If what he said to 'swallow', it means the monster ate something.
"Dead end!" the cute girl with super short hair and bangs shouted.
We are hereby the river where we were placed after entering this world. And since the river was behind us, we had nowhere else to go.
"Leader, what are we going to do?!" asked someone.
"There's no other choice," the leader with eyeglasses replied glaring and staring at the monster seriously.
"We'll fight that," replied the chubby leader and he pulled out a stick with a sharp end.
"What?!" we chorused.
"Boys!" the leaders called them. They immediately came out from hiding behind the trees.
The boys blocked us as if to protect us away from the monster. I saw my classmate. He stared at the monster while holding the stick tightly in his left hand. So, he is left-handed.
Strange, there is something wrong with our situation. Is this really what the hologram means about the tri-games? I don't know what kind of game tri-games are, but I feel like we're playing a survival game right now. 24 vs 1.
"Yuck!" a girl is disgusted by what we witnessed next.
"*buuwarlkkk*"
It also made me feel sick of what I saw. In the stomach of the monster, big worms are moving inside its stomach. There was so much of it that it was embossed on its belly.
"Everyone, don't let your guard down!" A reminder to us by our leader with eyeglasses. "Go!" they signaled.
The boys immediately pierced the monster's whole body with sharp wood sticks, so the monster cried out in pain. It was not sharp enough to penetrate its thick skin because we did not have any knives or other tools with us. But the boys forced it through to inflict its body.
"Rwaaah!"
"One more!" commands the chubby leader.
The boys gradually attack the monster using their sticks. As we continue to struggle, I'm thinking of the odds again. There is something wrong here.
First, why is the river too shallow?
Secondly, when the tri-games start, it's unfair to the players because we don't have a weapon against the monster regardless of fighting 24 vs 1. The monster attacks a human being so we can still lose. We weren't aware of when and where specifically will the game start.
Third, with the size of this forest, is it just a coincidence that we encountered the monster? If yes, why only tonight? We've been here since early morning—also, the time here seems to be running too fast compared to Earth. We only spent an approximately maximum of five hours searching for food and shelter ever since, yet it already dusked. Did the monster mean to show up at night because it targets us from the very beginning? And since it is at night, it has a better chance of winning. Or maybe because it's hiding something?
I scanned the surroundings. There are only ten boys here. If my suspicion is correct, the two missing boys are injured or worse, dead. But I'm hoping they're not. I saw something dark red on the monster's fang, it was probably blood. Just thinking about it makes me feel bad.
I am swallowed up in my thoughts. The monster is still standing. It was just groaning and doing nothing to us. Why doesn't it attack us when it is barely hurt? Often in movies, the monster attacks before its opponent can see an opportunity to attack or escape. But what does this one do? It is just moaning in pain. The boys managed to pierce once its body but there was barely any blood coming out of it. It must not be a fatal attack to stop a monster like this.
"What the?!" panicked a boy as we witnessed the monster's power. It's unbelievable but this one can cure itself rapidly.
The other girls were terrified as well and forced to run away. I admit that I am also getting scared. I can feel the increasing speed of my heartbeat. Just so when we could hurt the monster even for a bit, the worst-case happened because it regenerates. Even so, I tried to be firm and be calm as possible. I just stared the monster straight into its eyes.
Why don't you attack us? Are you being vigilant, or do you also have a weakness?
"Leader, what now?"
"Help!"
"There's nothing we can do!"
"Let's run back"
"N-No…"
The two leaders are also confused. Lying in the sand were the wood sticks and branches they used to attack didn't seem to help much. After a few minutes of deep thought… I already know the weakness of this one. I hope this will work but it's better to try out.
"Whaaa! 'Don't! Take me down!" a tanned boy shouted as the monster lifted him gaping. It will attack him. This is bad!
*splash*
"Ahhh!" The monster wriggled and released the boy. We helped him to get up and ran away from the monster.
The monster's expression changed. Its eyes widened staring at its stomach."Urraaawwwrrr!" the monster cries in pain.
We immediately covered our ears because of the noise. We saw the monster moan in ache. Its body gradually decomposes until it is completely reduced to ashes that are strewn with sand and blown away by the wind.
"W-What happened?" questioned someone.
"I don't know. A while ago the monster was still standing in front of us, and it was going to eat him. Turns out, the monster transformed into ashes."
I sighed because the boy who was nearly eaten was now safe. I also lost my nervousness and was thankful that the monster had finally been eradicated as well. Despite the monster's death their eyes widened looking at me.
"W-Why?" I mumbled because their looks were frightening.