Four

Chapter Four 

Camile’s Apov

Twenty-four hours passed.

Lucien still hadn’t returned.

I sat on the edge of the bed, holding my stomach as it growled again.

I was hungry. No, hungry wasn’t even the right word. I felt as if I could eat an entire pot of food by myself.

I had been waiting for Lucien to return because he was the only person I knew in this strange world. But the sun had already gone down, and there was still no sign of him.

How long was I supposed to wait? I couldn’t even remember the last time I had eaten properly.

Finally, I stood up and walked toward the door.

My legs were still weak, but I managed to open it and step into the corridor.

A maid in a neat uniform was walking past with a tray in her hands.

“Excuse me.”

She stopped and bowed slightly. “Yes, miss?”

“I’m hungry. Can you please bring me something to eat?”

“Of course, miss. Commander Lucien instructed us to give you whatever you need.”

I blinked. Commander Lucien? So that was what they called him, before  the maid could leave, another woman spoke from behind us.

“Stop.”

The maid immediately turned around.

I recognized the voice, It was the woman who had been standing at the entrance when Lucien carried me inside.

She approached us slowly, her eyes fixed on me. “You,” she said, looking me up and down. “Who exactly are you to Lucien?”

I took a breath. H“I’m his cousin.”

“His cousin?”

“Yes.”

She studied my face as if she were trying to find a lie. “Why do I feel like you’re not his cousin?”

I frowned. “I don’t know why you feel that way, but I’m telling you the truth. I’m his cousin.”

She let out a small laugh. “Really? Then why have I never heard him mention you?”

I didn’t know what to say. How was I supposed to explain that I had known Lucien in another life?

Even if I told her, she would probably think I was crazy.

The woman turned toward the maid. “Don’t give her anything.”

The maid hesitated. “But Commander Lucien said—”

“Did I ask what Commander Lucien said?”

The maid immediately lowered her head, the  woman took the tray from her hands and placed it on a nearby table.

“Here. You can’t  everything you want.”

The maid looked uncomfortable but said nothing.

Then the woman turned back to me. “As for you, if you’re hungry, go outside and hunt for food.”

I stared at her. “Go outside?”

“Yes. This isn’t a charity house. If you want to eat, find something for yourself.”

“But I’m still weak!”

“Then you should have thought about that before coming here.”

She turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the corridor.

I clenched my fists. What an unreasonable woman!

I hadn’t even done anything to her. Why was she treating me like an enemy. I glanced at the maid, hoping she might help me, but she only gave me an apologetic look before following the other woman.

A moment later, I was alone.

My stomach growled again. “Wonderful,” I muttered. “I’ve died once, found myself in a strange world, and now I’m about to starve to death.”

Just then, a blue screen appeared in front of me.

[DING! BEGINNER SURVIVAL MISSION ACTIVATED.]

I froze.

Another message appeared.

[Mission Objective: Obtain three food supplies and two bottles of clean water within six hours.]

[Reward: Beginner Survival Pack, 100 System Points, and Personal Storage Space.]

[Failure Penalty: No rewards. Mission privileges suspended for 24 hours.]

I stared at the screen. Three food supplies? Two bottles of water?

That sounded easy enough.

Then another line appeared.

[Warning: Host’s current physical condition is weak. Avoid direct combat with infected creatures.]

My excitement disappeared.

Infected creatures?

I remembered the monsters I had seen outside. Their claws, their terrifying faces, and the way they attacked people without mercy.

How was I supposed to find food while avoiding those things?

I looked toward the stairs.

The woman had told me to go outside and hunt for food.

Fine. If she wanted me out of the house, I would go but  I wouldn’t let myself die just to prove a point.

I needed to complete this mission, obtain my rewards, and find a way to survive without depending on Lucien.

I walked downstairs and headed toward the main entrance.

Two armed guards stood beside the door. They looked surprised when they saw me.

“Miss, where are you going?”

“Outside.”

One of them frowned.

“Commander Lucien ordered us not to let you leave without permission.”

I stoppedc of  course he had.

I looked back toward the stairs, then at the guards. “Then tell him I went out to find food.”

“Miss, please wait—”

But I was already walking through the open gate.

The moment I stepped outside, the cold air hit my face.

The streets were almost empty. Abandoned cars blocked parts of the road, and dark stains covered the pavement.

Somewhere in the distance, a terrible scream echoed.

I swallowed hard.

“Camile, you can do this,” I whispered to myself.

The blue screen appeared again.

[Nearest food supply detected: 800 meters ahead.]

An arrow appeared, pointing down the ruined street.

I took a deep breath and followed it? I had no idea what was waiting for me but one thing was certain.

I wasn’t going to starve to death, nor  in this life

The system arrow led me to an abandoned supermarket about eight hundred meters away.

The glass doors were broken, and the shelves inside had been knocked over. I walked carefully, looking around for anything I could eat.

Then the system’s voice sounded in my head.

[DING! FOOD SUPPLY DETECTED.]

I followed the arrow to a small storage room at the back. To my surprise, I found several cans of food, biscuits, and bottles of water.

My eyes lit up.

“Finally!”

I grabbed a can of food and opened it with trembling hands. I was so hungry that I barely waited before taking the first bite.

The food wasn’t even warm, but I didn’t care.

I ate quickly, stuffing my mouth with food as if someone would take it away from me. After days of weakness and fear, even a simple meal felt like a blessing.

While eating, I looked through the broken doorway and noticed a man walking past the supermarket.

My hand suddenly stopped.

That face…

I couldn’t see him clearly, but something about his side profile looked familiar.

“Asher?” I whispered.

The man disappeared around the corner before I could get a better look.

My heart began to pound.

Was that really him?

Had Asher also come to this world?

I stared at the doorway, remembering how he had looked at me before I died. He had watched me beg for my life and still chosen to sacrifice me.

And Fiona had stood beside him.

My fingers tightened around the can.

If Asher was alive in this world, I would find him. And if Fiona was here too, I would make sure they both paid for what they had done.

I would never allow them to destroy me again.

Suddenly, a strange sound came from outside.

Growl!

I froze.

Another growl followed, much louder than the first.

[DING! HOST HAS BEEN TARGETED BY A HOSTILE CREATURE.]

My blood ran cold.

Targeted?

Before I could understand the warning, something enormous appeared at the entrance.

It looked like a human, but its skin was covered in dark scales. Its eyes glowed red, and its long claws scraped against the floor.

The monster stared directly at me.

Not at the food.

At me.

“Why are you looking at me?” I whispered, slowly getting to my feet.

The creature suddenly charged.

“Ah!”

I ran, but my weak legs couldn't carry me far. I stumbled over a fallen shelf and crashed to the ground.

The monster was already upon me.

I tried to crawl away, but its claws rose above my head.

Was this how I was going to die again?

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Then a powerful voice thundered through the supermarket.

“DO NOT TOUCH HER!”

The monster stopped.

I slowly opened my eyes.

A tall figure stood at the entrance, his expression cold and dangerous.

Even before I saw his face clearly, I recognized that voice.