The Dreamer's POV

[2:32 PM, Saturday 6th of May, 2024]

I ascended the stairs of the hotel, my steps steady but cautious. The remnants of the demon horde lay defeated behind me, their slowly vanishing forms a grim testament to the battle I had fought.

The air still hummed with the lingering energy of violence, but for now, the immediate threat had subsided.

'I guess there must still be a lot more, considering I haven't gotten a single System Notification about completing the Special Event.'

I didn't even Level Up, despite the Demons being far more difficult than the ones I had encountered till now.

'I feel like I'm close to Leveling Up, though. Maybe just a little more.'

As I reached the first floor, I found myself in an empty hallway, bathed in the faint glow of dim sunlight seeping through cracked windows.

It was a stark contrast to the chaos below, the quietude of the corridor amplifying the unease that had settled in my bones. Shadows clung to the walls like whispers, hinting at the horrors that lay concealed within the darkness.

A mix of trepidation and familiarity guided my footsteps as I approached the suite that had once been my temporary refuge.

Memories resurfaced, unwelcome but vivid, of the people who had tortured me within those very walls. The pain and desperation of my escape were still etched in my mind, a reminder of the depths of human cruelty.

'Lisa. Jake. All of them...' My gaze slowly moved in the direction of a crooked, slightly open door.

There was no way I could forget it. This was none other than my former suit; a haven turned hell for me.

'I should check, just to be sure...' The gnawing suspicion that had been assaulting my thoughts ever since I saw the Leaderboards—this was the time to settle it once and for all.

Pushing open the door, a pungent smell assaulted my senses, mingling with the stagnant air. The stench of decay wafted through the suite, a putrid miasma that tainted the atmosphere. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to witness.

The suite stretched out before me, a haunting tableau of horror.

Trails of blood stained the floor, leading to a single open door. Each droplet seemed to echo with the screams and suffering that had taken place within these walls. I hesitated for a moment, the weight of the past bearing down upon me.

With a resolute resolve, I stepped forward, my footsteps muffled by the blood-soaked carpet. Pushing myself through the welcoming gates of despair, I was met with a sight that sent bile rising in my throat.

The room was a charnel house, a grotesque scene of carnage.

Rotting corpse parts were strewn haphazardly across the room, their once-human forms mangled and torn beyond recognition. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, a macabre symphony of decay.

Dried blood, dark and viscous, coated the walls and floor, painting a vivid portrait of the gruesome acts that had transpired within these very walls.

"T-this is..."

My overwhelming emotions were subdued by my <Visionary> Title, so I was fine for the most part. Still, witnessing all of this, I felt conflicted about what to feel.

'They must have suffered a lot before dying.'

Somehow, the thought of that made me satisfied. However, the more I imagined the horror, the more I had to shudder.

It was too much.

"More importantly, it seems I can't do much here."

At this point, it was virtually impossible to tell apart the carnage or decipher whose corpse belonged to which. Everything was too mangled and messed up.

"I can't tell if Lisa survived this or not."

Leaking out a sigh, I turned away from the scene of carnage, unable to stand the horrid sight any longer.

'This is worrying, though...'

As I left the gruesome room behind, the lingering image of the mangled corpses etched into my mind, and a wave of anxiety washed over me.

The realization settled heavily upon my heart, the fact that I was unable to confirm whether she had met a gruesome end at the hands of the monsters, or managed to actually survive.

'But what of her Currency? Didn't I receive 500, 100 per person?'

Unfortunately, it didn't take me very long to find a hole even in my current line of reasoning.

Had the System truly assigned her Currency to me, confirming her demise? Or could it have been something else entirely?

The System never specified whose Currencies they were. It only said that the five Users had me as the last contact before death, leaving room for doubt and the haunting notion that perhaps, unknowingly...

'I could have interacted with others before they died.'

<Nightmare> made everything surreal, like a trance. I didn't vividly remember every single detail, so maybe I had encountered another human before they were killed.

'Shit! Then maybe she really.... no, what am I saying?' Wasn't I stretching things too far?

Which was more probable?

"How would she have escaped, in the first place? It's not possible, or should I say its less probable."

Yes. I was most likely mistaken about the Lisa in the Leaderboard.

'Maybe I should just—'

Lost in the labyrinth of my thoughts, my guard momentarily lowered, unaware of the impending danger that lurked in the shadows.

[SYSTEM WARNING]

<You Have Encountered A Demon>

'Huh...?!'

And then, without warning, the stillness of the hallway shattered.

~WHOOSSSHHH!~

A demonic figure, hidden within the darkness, lunged at me with unhinged fury.

Its twisted form propelled forward, claws extended, hungry for blood. The air crackled with malevolence as time seemed to slow, the scene unfolding in agonizing suspense.

"A-ah..." As I watched it draw nearer, my body still fixed in a single position, I felt all the hair on my skin rise.

'I messed up!'

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[A/N]

Yayy! We reached the 30th Chapter!

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