Chapter 3

Boom!

The dark purple barrier at the gates shattered into pieces.

Ten monsters roared as they charged into the courtyard.

From the bell tower, I watched them from above.

They didn't just scatter aimlessly. They split into three highly organized groups.

Left flank, right flank, center.

Interesting. They know how to coordinate.

A bloodcurdling scream quickly tore through the night sky.

A demon on the left flank shattered a stone statue in the courtyard with a single whip crack.

The dwarf hiding behind the statue was crushed before he even had time to scream.

On the right flank, a burly orc panicked and sprinted out of the bushes.

He raised his battleaxe, trying to fight back.

But the demon's whip coiled around his waist like a viper.

Rip!

The sound of tearing flesh reached my ears, clear as day.

The orc was ripped clean in half. Blood rained down.

[Oh my god... that's brutal...]

[Even a strong orc couldn't survive one hit. What chance does she have?]

Dead?

I licked my dry lips, the excitement in my eyes thickening.

"Looks like the rules didn't lie," I muttered. "Being found doesn't kill you instantly. You only get eliminated if they actually kill you."

But that dwarf was hiding perfectly. Why was he found?

I needed to test a theory.

I broke off a piece of rubble from the gargoyle's base and threw it hard toward the fountain on the left side of the courtyard.

Splash!

The two demons closest to the pool froze instantly and whipped their heads around. They had no eyes, but their heads locked perfectly onto the direction of the fountain.

Then, they lunged at the water in a frenzy, their whips striking the surface until steam hissed into the air.

I grabbed a burning torch from the nearby wall and threw it straight onto the empty ground on the right side of the courtyard.

The torch hit the ground, flames flaring.

But the demon on the right flank completely ignored the fire right next to it, continuing to pace blindly in circles.

I smiled.

They were blind. They hunted entirely by sound.

As long as you didn't make a noise, you could dance right in front of them and they wouldn't see a thing.

With their mechanics confirmed, I lost interest in lingering in the bell tower.

I walked casually down the stairs, making no effort to hide, and headed straight for the second floor.

Pushing open a set of gold-inlaid doors, a rich aroma of wine hit me.

It was an incredibly lavish banquet hall. The long dining table was piled with a feast; roast meat was still sizzling.

What caught my eye was the bottle of aged red wine sitting dead center, already decanted.

I pulled out a high-backed chair and sat down like I owned the place.

In my fifteen years in the dungeon, the cleanest thing I ever drank was muddy rainwater leaking through cracks in the wall.

I picked up a goblet and poured myself a full glass. The crimson liquid glowed invitingly in the moonlight.

I took a sip.

Sweet, mellow, with a hint of oak.

The wailing in the chat had turned into hysterical cursing.

[What is she doing?! Is she drinking wine?!]

[Three people downstairs are already dead! The monsters are coming upstairs right now!]

[Does she think she's gonna die anyway, so she might as well die on a full stomach? She’s a disgrace to the Werewolves!]

I tuned them out. I even picked up a knife and fork, cut a piece of roast meat, and popped it in my mouth.

Tender, juicy, cooked to perfection.

"Hey."

A voice as thin as a thread suddenly came from the nearby fireplace.

I turned my head.

From the ashes of the hearth, a pair of terrified green eyes peeked out.

It was an Elf participant. Her face was covered in soot, her usually elegant pointed ears drooping weakly.

"Are you crazy?" the elf girl, Chloe, whispered, her whole body shaking. "You're eating the food here? What if it's cursed?"

I swallowed the meat, skewered another piece with my fork, and tossed it with perfect aim right into the fireplace.

The meat arched through the air and landed squarely in Chloe's lap.

"Want a bite?" I asked, holding my wine glass, smiling at her.

Chloe nearly screamed in terror and quickly shoved the meat aside.

"Hiding in there is just waiting to die." I stood up and walked toward the stained-glass windows at the end of the hall. "This place is a dead end. Once the monsters come in, one sweep of that whip and you'll be a literal roast elf."

I pushed the heavy glass window open hard.

Outside was a sheer drop, with nothing but thorny vines clinging to the castle's outer wall. The ledge was barely four inches wide.

I climbed over the sill without hesitation, my bare feet stepping onto the vines.

Right then, a voice rang in my ear:

"Zoe! It's the Werewolf Grand Elder!"

"We used our only communication chance! Listen to me! The monsters are coming upstairs! Retreat immediately, head for the attic! Do not make a sound!"

I frowned.

Too loud.

I hadn't even finished my wine.

I just replied, "Oh."

Then I cut the comms.

The chat started screaming again:

[She’s asking for it! She’s totally asking to die!]

In the fireplace, Chloe had also just received a warning from the Elf clan. She completely broke down, her tears carving two clean tracks through the soot on her face.

"They're coming up..." Chloe covered her mouth in despair. "I'm dead..."

I sighed and set my wine glass on the windowsill.

"Do you want to wait to die in that chimney, or do you want to come play with me and see something exciting?"

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Heavy footsteps had already reached the second-floor corridor.

Two minutes until they entered the hall.

I reached my hand out to Chloe through the window.

"Come out now, or you're on your own."

Chloe gritted her teeth, stumbled out of the fireplace, and threw herself at the window.

I grabbed her slender wrist and yanked her out.

We pressed flat against the freezing outer wall, balancing on the suspended vines.

The exact second the stained-glass window clicked shut, the heavy oak doors of the banquet hall were smashed open by a terrifying force.