"I thought I was the MC here. Why am I at the receiving end of this very unfair treatment?"
[Host Is Mistaking Fantasy For Reality]
[!YOUR HUNGER GROWS!]
"Can I really not consume beast mana to ease this hunger?"
[You Can. You Will Be Satiated Only For A While, Stronger Than Ever. Then Your Hunger Will Worsen Because Beast Mana Uses Up The Energy Served By Human Mana To Function]
"There's really no option."
[None At All]
"I guess I'll do what I want then."
[Host Must Not Act Stupidly]
"Acting stupidly is my quirk," said Eric with a smirk on his face. He started moving from the spot where many things had transpired for a while now.
'I need to find a way to get back home without the colony guards noticing. It's well past curfew.'
[YOUR HUNGER GROWS]
[HUNGER LEVEL: 63%]
'Keep it up.'
'I'm really not going to kill someone just to feed on them.'
A nasty hunger pang however started from the pit of Eric's belly. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling as he had always been suffering from lack of adequate rations lately, since he was most times too lazy to stop by the Motherbase to grab his rations. But this time, he didn't know if the hunger pang was due to a normal hunger or the hunger the system was stating.
Pushing the feeling aside, he pushed back onto the unpaved path, his room only on his mind. His mind grew heavy at the unbearable burden that had been put on him. He had feigned nonchalance to the system, but he knew it was all a front. Even now, he was beginning to feel the hunger he had felt a while ago before he took mana from the hunters, and he knew just how hungry he had been to consume something that could fill that strange and biting hunger. Not neglecting the heavenly sensation that ran through him after consuming that mana. He knew it'd take some miracle not to get addicted to mana consumption as it stands.
'But how can I live knowing every human is my main meal now?'
'Sneaky ass system didn't warn me beforehand.'
'Ugh, it's not as if I had a choice too. Apparently, the system chose me because of my strong will to live.'
'Should I have willed to die then? Now, countless people will die just because I want to avenge my friend.'
[YOUR HUNGER GROWS!]
"Will you shut the hell up?!" Eric snapped, sweat dripping down his face despite the cold air of the night.
Soon, Eric was clear of the unpaved road. As soon as he took his first step on the tarmac road, he knew something was off. It was well past 8 p.m., and never had he stayed up till that time outside even during those mischievous times with Void, so there was no knowing how the nighttime always was, since a dire punishment awaited whoever broke the curfew rule. But he knew the street was too empty even for curfew. For one, there were supposed to be armed guards stationed near the residential areas for patrol, but looking from afar, Eric hadn't seen any living soul to identify thus far.
The bright halogen security lights were all on, so it was very easy to pick any form of movement in the street. Eric moved carefully regardless, not wanting to risk being discovered just because no guard was around to apprehend him.
'Who knows? Maybe they are in hiding. Maybe they've always patrolled from the shadows.'
[!YOUR HUNGER GROWS!]
'Will you please tell me if there's a way to mute your notifications? What the hell?'
[There's A Way. Die Of Hunger]
[!YOUR HUNGER GROWS!]
Disturbed and hungry, Eric kept to the shadows as best as he could while moving silently towards the residential area. His steps, however, wavered as the painful pang hitting his belly intensified. The first wave of dizziness hit him, but he didn't stop walking. He switched to a jog after a while, eager to get back to his little room safe and fast. The empty street echoed his careless footsteps while he staggered mindlessly, and after a few more awkward steps, he was now in the residential area but not in the shadows anymore. He had strayed away from the covers of the night and was now out in the open street under the justice of the luminous street lamps.
'I'm growing weaker... I'm... really... hungry.'
Eric expected the guards hiding to rush out and capture him since he had strayed away from the corners, but to his surprise, no one came. The closer he got to the first building, the more he expected a restriction, but all was free until he finally reached his abode.
He yanked the door open with shaky hands after punching in his password, then jumped in. Immediately he was in, he grabbed a metal pole by his bed and smashed the door handle till it was completely damaged so he wouldn't be able to come outside should he lose control of himself due to this hunger.
He slumped on the bed while clutching his stomach. His eyes were shut tight and he sweated profusely, showing symptoms and succumbing to the great pain that was eating him up.
'No... I can't kill any more humans. No... No, I can't.'
[HEALTH IN CRITICAL CONDITION]
[EP IS REDUCING DRASTICALLY]
[HP: 3/20]
[EP: 5/20]
[Host Will Die If HP Reaches 0]
"So be it."
'I guess this is it then.'
'I've returned to life to avenge Void, and I've done that... Why should I kill other people so I can live after that?'
'It's cool to have a system like this, but I can't feed on humans. I won't allow that. No, I won't.'
'So long, System. Sorry I'm not what you expected from someone who desperately wanted to live. Find a better host.'
[HP: 1/20]
[EP: 2/20]
[HOST WILL DIE!]
"No hard feelings," said Eric weakly as his eyes fluttered slowly to a close. He heard a loud bell sound in his head, similar to the one rung at the Motherbase and which he heard at the time Void was shot on that lonely path.
He knew he must be mistaken as he was on the verge of death. Dismissed as a weird feeling one might encounter when death calls, Eric resigned to whatever was coming. After all, why would the Motherbase ring the bell at 8 p.m. in the night?
Eric closed his eyes finally, weakly, but not without noticing some words being displayed on the notification device that the colony grants everybody to receive information meant for the general populace. On it, displayed in bold, clear green font, was a message:
{THE PURGE BEGINS IN: 23 s}
It was a countdown.
'The Purge?'
[HP: 0/20]
[EP: 0/20]
[HUMAN HOST IS DEAD]
* * * * *
In a hi-tech facility situated at the very centre of the Motherbase of Colony E-5, five men, all dressed in military clothing, sat around a large conference table in silence. Above them was a screen that lit up the dim conference room, displaying numbers that represented a countdown to the start of some event. One of the men shifted uneasily, whispering to a colleague by his side, and after that, there was silence—the kind that signified the expectation of something huge and devastating. Everyone waited with deep sighs and tight chests.
Just then, a young boy, also dressed fully in military clothing, rushed into the conference room to the discomfort of the high-ranking military men.
"Good sirs! Commander Styl arrives on a copter!"
Instantly, the five men sprang to their feet in shock. Nothing had prepared them for this kind of information.
"You mean Commander Styl from the neighbouring colony? Colony E-7?"
"Yes, sir. Good sir," the boy affirmed, standing firm and straight.
"On what grounds do we owe his visit?" the man who spoke earlier, Commander Glick, asked again.
"Good sir, it was reported that Commander Styl is here to oversee the event as a rep of the United Colonies, sir!"
The rest of the men around the table exchanged worried and puzzled looks as words failed them. They knew for certain they were in for a rough night of questioning and apprehension from this Commander Styl. All the questions would be expected normally, as Styl was visiting as a representative of the United Colonies, but what worried them was not the sudden visit of a rep. It was the bitter history the commanders of Colony E-5 had with the commanders of Colony E-7, most especially the long-time grudge Commander Styl held against Colony E-5.
"It's obvious he'll be inserting himself into this matter with his personal feelings unchecked," one of the leaders, Commander Effron, said.
"We need to lay low also, my fellow commanders. We can't afford to have him send bad reports to the Council," said Commander Glick.
"Send the rep in then, after he's prepared and well rested," Commander Zyr said to the boy.
"He's agreed to no rest, good sir. He approaches as we speak," replied the boy, named Pippin.
Immediately after he finished speaking, the door opened gently to the arrival of Commander Styl, a thick and muscular dark-skinned old man, believed to be around the age of sixty. Despite his age, he still wore dark sunglasses plastered across his face, and he limped heavily on his bad leg as he approached the waiting commanders.
"Hello, good and bad sirs. I have come to oversee the Purge. I hope this goes as easily as I want it. You can all have your seat. There's no need to burn all that fat, Zyr." With this, Styl announced his arrival.
"You are welcome, Commander Styl," said Glick. "The Purge is starting soon. All is set."
"I hope so," Styl said while looking up at the counter displaying the time remaining in seconds. "You know, I was in charge of Population Control for the U.C this year, and I was wondering why it took Colony E-5 so long to start the Purge, even after every other colony was done with theirs."
"We explained to the UC earlier. We were--" Glick was cut off.
"I was starting to think, maybe… just maybe you were planning an invasion on your neighbouring colonies... I know, it's not as if it's criminal to attempt an invasion, but such a difference in number will definitely tip the scale in your favour. Am I right?"
Glick ground his teeth, suppressing his anger. He feared he'd say something brutal should he open his mouth. Zyr saw his reaction, so he helped him out.
"Well, Styl, is it not becoming clear now that we aren't planning an invasion without The Purge? We explained to U.C. that some chips in the neck of the populace were malfunctioning, so we had to make sure everything was in place and in order so no one would be left out. As the council wishes, we will now conduct the population control."
"And that, good sir, is why I'm here. I can see you have a good record with birth and death control, but I must make sure the population is completely halved. Not even one extra. Can't have you lot manipulating the microchips and how it affects the populace," said Styl with a grimace. He was bitter and enjoying this at the same time.
"The Purge happens every ten years, yet you'd delay it for a few more months just because of microchip malfunctions in individuals. What a weak excuse," Styl mumbled all the more.
An alarm blared in the conference room.
{Time remaining till The Purge: 1 minute}
Styl beamed, looking at the faces of the Colony-E-5 commanders. He looked behind him and saw Pippin, the young military boy still standing in a corner of the conference room.
"And what is the boy doing, standing there?" he questioned.
"He's specially selected. He's not to take part," said Glick firmly.
"And why is that? His mates are going to be in the heat of it in a few seconds. Why is he special?" Styl raised his thick brows.
"He simply was outstanding during his service years as a Becomer," Glick replied hastily.
"So was I in my days," Styl sprang up. "I request you get him out there now!"
"Rules are rules, Styl!" Glick yelled back, a muscle twitching at the corner of his mouth. "He was outstanding, and he has been selected to sit with the commanders during meetings. He can't take part in The Purge!"
Styl froze for a second, then sat back in his seat, laughing maniacally. He took off his dark sunglasses to reveal his milky-white eyes, completely devoid of any dark color that might serve as a proper pupil.
"I see what's going on," he said, switching to a frown. "You've violated the second rule of the constitution by keeping your child near you even after he's been registered as a Becomer."
Glick swallowed hard, a bead of sweat forming on his temple.
Styl turned to the other four commanders. "Is that what the rest of you have been doing? Shielding your seed from the severities of this world by keeping them close to your watchful eyes? Hah! Every kid has been micro-chipped from birth, all in a bid to stay under control of the colony commanders and someday participate in The Purge if need be. But what have you been doing? None of your seeds are going to be nerve-wracked tonight? I must be sure to report this to the U.C. And yes, before I leave, I'm checking this boy and all your seeds to make sure they even have the micro-chip in them in the first place."
The silence that fell across the room was deafening. Any more moments of this continued noise of doom and you could hear the thumping sounds of the rapid heartbeats coming from Glick, Zyr, Effron, Kyle, and Petyr. This night had eventually turned out to be longer than they thought.
{Starting Neural Manipulation}
{Direct stimulation of amygdala initiated}
{Prefrontal cortex activity suppressed}
{Adrenaline surge released successfully to enhance motor response}
{Final trigger ready to be deployed… Push to activate}
Slowly, Glick pushed a button on the smart device on the table. A holographic map popped up, showing dots of green lights indicating the total number of people alive at present and with their current location. In preparation for the purge, every individual in the colony had been transported to the southern end of the colony so that is where they are densely populated, as shown on the holographic map.
{Final trigger successfully deployed}
{The Purge Begins}
"Here we go," said Styl with an air of anticipation. "Time for some gut spillage."
As soon as Glick pushed the button, the microchips near their brains sent electric pulses into the amygdala—the part of the brain that controls a human's fear and aggression. At the same time, the part that keeps those emotions in check was shut down. Their fear instantly turned into panic, panic into rage, and in moments, everyone saw only threats around them. All sense of reason was gone, replaced by blind violence.
That is basically the background process leading to the purge.
"Put the screen up, Glick. Let me witness some carnage, Aha," said jolly Styl.
Another push of a button and a screen was projected to a rolled-down screen. The bird's-eye view of the entire street of the southern end came into view, featuring exactly 2,451 citizens of Colony E–5 scattered all along the wide street, panicky and worried at first, wondering why everyone had been summoned here. Then a split moment later, their worried countenances took a wild and vivid turn as the first shock waves traveled through their bodies. Suddenly, they were not themselves anymore. Everything around irritated them and, in no time, everyone else was seen as a threat. Chaos ensued.
At exactly 9:05 p.m., the first man was killed by a woman, and it was bloodshed from there onward.
A green dot on the map in front of Glick turned red as soon as a person died, signaling the elimination of that individual. Styl watched with keen interest, taking control of the camera controls and zooming at people and spots he wished to observe more closely as the abnormalities continued among the people.
"Ha, pure chaos. Can't miss this for anything," Styl said with a toothy grin.
Petyr, one of the Colony E–5 commanders, started a little prepared speech.
"In accordance with the last five rules of the colony constitution, Colony E–5 has ensured we have a hitch-free purge session, one befitting a colony of such great strength and power, among other colonies…"
Styl was doing his best to pay the littlest attention to Petyr's ramblings.
"...As such, we have selected the southern end as the location for the population control because of its history with this ritual and also the open space for—"
"Shut the hell up, you rambling fool," Styl counteracted, locked on the screen as something entirely beyond his normal reasoning caught his attention.
"There," he yelled after he saw it flash past again. He controlled the camera remotely to follow whatever he was seeing. "What the hell was that?"
"What indeed do you mean, Commander Styl?" asked Glick uncomfortably.
"What… What… That monster. What fucking lab is that out of?" Styl demanded, fuming with reasons known only to him at the moment. His expression was a mix of confusion, hatred and fury.
The five commanders continued peering at the screen, still oblivious to what Styl was referring to.
"What the hell are you harbouring in your army, Glick?!"
Glick eventually saw it too but was too shocked to say anything meaningful.
"Look… Look at…" Styl grabbed the remote again and zoomed into the strange sight, especially at a particular figure running about with blinding speed, going about with the mass killing with inhumane abilities.
"What have you lot done?" Styl pressed, full of violence. "Why do you have a… a… what the f--k is even that?!"
Styl was sweating, his voice rising and falling with each word he said.
"You do realize this calls for war, right Glick? You've directly proclaimed a big war against the U.C, since you built a human monster who is sucking the bloods of others. You have committed a war crime, Glick and you fools. And I'm sure you have an idea what this means… Your colony is either wiped out or completely taken over."
The five commanders exchange wild looks, completely stunned to speak.
Pippin, the boy standing worried in the corner of the room walked closer to the screen. He kept a close watch on the figure who is becoming the centre of the massacre. Many things seemed oddly familiar with the posture he was looking at. That dirty brown sweater. That dark blue pants. Even the movement pattern was something he's seen before even though it's looking so odd and utterly strange at the moment.
"That… That's Eric," he announced softly, utterly flabbergasted.