Chapter 3

No one was willing to eat.

Once again, all eyes turned toward me.

Without shame, they shoved all the tentacles into my hands.

"You're the one who angered the villagers! This apology is meant for you, so stop dilly-dallying and eat it already!" Gerard barked at me like an order.

I looked up, and everyone else looked away while Afro forced me down.

"Looks like we can only progress if we eat these tentacles! What, are any of you volunteering to eat instead? Show of hands?"

Quickly, the strangers held me down to the ground, while my own father stuffed the writhing tentacles into my mouth.

The suction cups clung to my throat, suffocating and painful, and I couldn't help the tears that came flowing out of my eyes.

Finally, I collapsed onto the ground, while the others accepted the handbook from the village chief.

With disgust on her face, my mother threw a copy of the rules at me.

[Rule 1: Each villager must throw one stone into the sea every day.]

[Rule 2: Villagers cannot leave their rooms at night.]

[Rule 3: The Villagers' Code of Conduct is proof of identity. The chief will inspect it every night.]

…

And so it went on, all seeming like rules that didn't hurt in the slightest as long as you followed them.

But then, the final rule seemed to be the key toward clearing the entire scenario completely.

[Rule 10: Defeat the final boss to clear the scenario.]

How were we supposed to defeat the boss?

Everyone fell into deep thought, silent.

At that moment, the village chief handed everyone ten gold coins each, used to buy items at the small shop in the village.

By the time I caught my breath, they had already rushed off to buy gear for survival.

After exchanging a glance with the village chief, I quietly followed them as well.

After Afro took a look at all the items that were on sale, he exclaimed, "Look at all the anti-bird items here! I'm telling you, the final boss must be some sort of seabird!"

"Seems like whoever defeats that thing will get the reward for this scenario!"

But at that point, none of them had enough coins to buy anything that would have been useful.

More ironically, the highly-priced items were all the gifts that the Swans had discarded, the ones that I had tried to give them upon returning.

The discomfort in my throat still hadn't faded.

I took out my coins, planning to buy a digestive solution, but Anna's voice came from beside me.

"Mom, Dad, I want to buy the Sea Maiden's Dress. This banquet dress is too heavy and hot…"

The outfit she was talking about cost ten gold coins, which was the maximum amount everyone had at the moment.

Thus, no one was willing to spend any money to buy something so useless.

Then, my father ordered, "Take out your money and buy her that dress, Sylvia!"

"Why should I? I was the one who helped you eat…"

My mother cut me off coldly. "What do you mean, helped us? You're the one who called them monsters, so you deserved it."

Gerard stepped forward without hesitation and tried to snatch my pouch. I clutched it tightly, refusing to let go.

"If Sylvia doesn't want to help, then forget it…" She sniffled pitifully. "I'll just continue dragging everyone down, wearing this dress.

"She can buy her digestive solution, and the seabirds are going to have a better appetite to eat us all after it eats her…"

The moment she said that, the others stepped forward.

However, since this was a survival game that meant life and death, none of them were willing to be used as pawns so easily.

"That outfit is basically useless anyway, that's true. How about this? We can split her ten coins in half. We'll take five, and you four can take the rest for her dress. Deal?

"Besides, she already swallowed part of a monster's body. She might mutate soon anyway. Giving her coins is pointless."