The slumber was agonizingly prolonged. She was besieged by relentless nightmares, warped and twisted visions that always culminated in the harrowing image of a blade slicing through a throat. She would awaken in anguish, only to sink back into a weary stupor.
During battles with other players, her consciousness often slipped into chaos. Even when she killed… she could deceive herself, telling her mind that it was merely a nightmare.
Yet the choice to kill that man had been made consciously, in full awareness.
The nightmares persisted unbroken. Eric did not awaken until evening of the following day, her body restored but her spirit profoundly depleted.
Famished, she consumed three servings of self-heating rice before her hunger abated.
Gazing into the mirror, Eric took a deep breath and began to change her clothes. Once clothed, she resembled a monkey garbed in human attire. Resolving against further self-scrutiny, she refrained from looking into the mirror again.
Departing, she resolved to seek out the women's mutual aid association where Natalie was based, in hopes of gathering information.
Locating the association proved straightforward; they operated regularly in the hotel's ground-floor lobby. Natalie was out at the moment, but the members warmly greeted Eric: "Nicole's here! You should speak with Nicole!"
Nicole appeared near forty, with an air of gentle dignity. She received Eric politely, inquiring after her purpose.
"I wish to purchase information regarding the Coliseum Laboratory dimension," Eric stated candidly.
"I heard that someone had a stroke of misfortune entering the Coliseum dimension yesterday, and to think it was Natalie's friend," Nicole said sympathetically. She bore no trace of disdain despite Eric's altered appearance—a relief to Eric, who had grown weary of unwanted stares throughout her travels.
Upon learning Eric's intent, Nicole hesitated. "I truly want to help you, but I have no leads on that dimension. Our association is quite new, and the previous members left no data on the Coliseum dimension. Would you consider joining us? Though we lack info on that dimension, we possess a wealth of ordinary dimension knowledge, as well as some on supernatural realms—you'll find it invaluable moving forward."
Eric had prepared herself mentally, so the absence of solutions brought no great disappointment. She graciously declined Nicole's invitation. Whereas before she had avoided contact to keep the supermarket secret, now she simply wished to remain aloof.
She shared the scant information she had on the dimension, hoping it might aid the association.
Afterward, she bypassed the upper floors and headed directly to the mission hall, intending to pursue her dimensional quests for the day.
Along the way, Eric felt numerous gazes fixed upon her, only finding a measure of ease after stepping into the halo.
Once inside, she found herself immersed in a dense jungle. Towering trees soared into the clouds, their vastness dwarfing any human presence to mere specks of dust. The immense pressure of earth and sky alike filled the space, sending shivers down Eric's spine and stirring primal terror deep within her soul.
"Ah, another forest. Looks like we're doomed to the great jungle escape again. Who knows what horrors await this time."
"The trees here are colossal!"
"What is that? Wait—clothed? Are you a player?"
Eric nodded. "Residual effects from the last mission."
The player offered a sympathetic apology. "I'm sorry."
Eric shook her head.
Including Eric, four players assembled, choosing to press forward.
It was evident the others were more seasoned with jungle dimensions.
"If we don't move, we can't progress the plot. I'm Ryan. What about you?" one player said, cautiously attempting to engage without offending Eric.
"Call me the novice," she replied.
Barely had they exchanged these words when the ground trembled. Everyone quickly sought refuge beside massive trees.
Eric steadied herself against a trunk, tiptoeing to peer ahead. The dense foliage obscured all sight; the source of disturbance remained hidden.
"If it isn't a natural disaster, it must be some massive creature," Ryan queried the others. "Shall we continue forward?"
A player with a ponytail nodded resolutely. "We must. This game is about endurance. Evading won't lead us to the halo clues."
The tremors persisted but didn't fully hinder their advance. The quartet pressed onward.
Eric pricked her ears, perhaps attuned by her mutations. She thought she heard the call of a large beast.
"There's a sound. Like a large animal," she informed the group.
"I don't hear anything."
"Neither do I, but your… your hearing could be enhanced. Seems like there truly is something large," the ponytailed player said gravely. "Large beasts causing the earth to quake… actually, they're somewhat easier to handle than mere natural disasters."
Eric recalled the volcanic eruption dimension she had endured earlier, a trial that instilled a profound dread of nature's overwhelming power. That sense of relentless flight with nowhere to hide lingered vividly, persuading her to nod in agreement.
The ponytail player smiled faintly. "Let's press on. Let's find out what it really is."
After several more minutes, the tremors intensified; something seemed to be accelerating rapidly toward them.
"The tree has fallen!" Eric's sharp eyes caught sight just as a colossal head burst forth from beside the toppled trunk, accompanied by a deafening roar. An ancient, savage, and brutal aura tore through time and space, barreling toward Eric like a tempest. Her entire body stiffened; her blood seemed to congeal, rendering her immobile for several seconds.
Yet the primal instinct to survive ultimately overpowered all fear. Her throat parched and voiceless, she opened her mouth in a futile silent scream before turning on her heel and fleeing.
Ryan and the others quickly reacted, scattering in all directions until the makeshift quartet fragmented entirely.
Upon glimpsing the head, Eric felt her very soul freeze, trembling uncontrollably. Her mutated form endowed her with the instincts of a beast—heightening her perception of danger—yet amplifying her terror, her blood roaring with furious warnings: "Peril!"
Once more, Eric quelled her dread, seizing control of her body and sprinting decisively along a chosen path. The others did likewise. In this resurrection game, there were no eternal allies; each dashed desperately toward their own chosen escape.
Alas, misfortune shadowed her—the dinosaur had fixated on Eric. The relentless pressure gnawed at her back. As it thundered forward, the earth convulsed wildly; cascades of leaves showered down, and Eric feared being crushed by the giant two-meter-long foliage.
Run! Exhaust every ounce of strength!
But how could a human outrun such a towering behemoth? Eric's lungs burned, blood rising bitterly in her throat, yet the ancient apex predator's pursuit remained unyielding. She had no choice but to hurl a shark carcass behind her, hoping to impede its advance.
The shark's corpse, preserved in a state nearly as fresh as when it died in the supermarket, emitted a rich oceanic scent that immediately tantalized the dinosaur's keen senses.
At last, it halted, its momentum carrying it forward some distance before it skidded to a stop. Stretching its neck backward before regaining balance, it stooped to grasp the flesh in its maw.
The very shark that had once nearly ended Eric's existence now served as a mere canine biscuit for the dinosaur's gnashing teeth. Perhaps the taste of "seafood" was novel and pleasing; the beast uttered a thunderous roar as Eric trembled beneath a thick canopy of leaves.
She despised this fate! Gritting her teeth, she fought to suppress her trembling.
Do not be discovered!
Before such a lethal killing machine, no treatment kit could save her. She would be torn to shreds, never to be revived again.
Stifling her terror, murmuring desperate prayers, Eric discerned the dinosaur's calls grow angry.
Perhaps due to her mutation, she could interpret the fury in its cries—a rage sparked by the disappearance of its delectable snack and the loss of prey.
The dinosaur's wrath was unbearable, like a tempest uprooting this forest.
Trees toppled, the earth quaked, and the thick carpet of fallen leaves shivered. Concealed beneath the foliage, Eric tensed every muscle, controlling her breath, striving to become one with the leaves.
Her most desperate moment came as the dinosaur passed mere inches away. The earth trembled with the force of its footsteps, carving deep impressions into the soil. The beast brushed overhead, narrowly missing her. Rolled into a newly formed footprint hollow by the flurry of leaves, she winced as the weight and friction bruised her body.
Standing ten meters tall, the dinosaur unleashed its fury, wreaking havoc upon the forest before retreating with heavy, thunderous strides.
Eric lay motionless, listening intently. Only when certain the creature had departed did she emerge.
Exhausted yet alive, she exhaled heavily. There was no time for rest—staggering to her feet, she followed the trail left by the dinosaur.
After tracking for several kilometers, another roar shattered the stillness from a different direction. The tremors returned, stiffening Eric's frame. Another dinosaur?
As the thought crossed her mind, multiple roars erupted—some distant, some near—all piercing through the dense underbrush and reaching Eric's attuned monkey-like ears, which twitched rapidly.
She bitterly muttered, "I told you, there's no way there's only one in such a vast forest."
Her pressing dilemma was which direction to pursue for the halo's clue. Should she continue tailing the dinosaur that had attacked her?—No, she could no longer be sure the one she followed was the same beast. If that one ceased activity while another stirred, her path would already be astray.
After standing there contemplating, Eric resolved to rest and eat first. Once nourished, she would decide her next move.
Given her mutations, she should naturally crave bananas and fruits. However, her transformation was far from benign, as had been evident in the laboratory dimension, where they had been fashioned into weapons. Her dietary preference had dramatically shifted toward meat.
For this meal, she consumed two roasted ducks from the deli, a vacuum-sealed pack of sausages, and two cartons of milk.
Her increased appetite was a blessing, thanks to the supermarket mod; otherwise, she would have had to spend a fortune just to sate her hunger.
Meal concluded and belongings tidied, Eric resumed her journey. Before setting off, she focused intently, discerning the direction where sounds were most pronounced, then without hesitation, she dashed forth.