Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Please, don't be a monster.

Please, please, please…

I hold my breath, my heart hammering against my ribs, each beat a desperate plea.

I brace myself—muscles tensed, sword raised, every nerve on edge.

A shaky breath escapes me, my body trembling from the sheer force of my panic.

"Oh, thank god…" I murmur, my voice still quivering.

It's only a horned rabbit.

A small one—no bigger than a beaver, covered in soft, fluffy fur with wide, innocent eyes.

It's so ridiculously cute that, for a second, I actually want to pet it.

The rabbit stops in front of me, tilting its head, sniffing the air.

Its tiny nose twitches adorably.

And suddenly, I feel almost silly.

A nervous chuckle slips out, a small, tired smile tugging at my lips.

"M-Mister Rabbit, do you know where Eris is?" I ask, half-joking.

The rabbit doesn't move.

It just… stares at me.

I tap my forehead, chuckling awkwardly. "Ah, silly me! You're just a cute little monster. How could you even understand me?"

A thought hits me like a lightning bolt.

What if it CAN understand me?

This is a fantasy world, after all!

Maybe—just maybe—this little guy could lead me out of here.

Clinging to that wild hope, I try again.

"Mister Rabbit, can you show me the way out?"

The rabbit's unblinking gaze stays locked onto mine.

A cold prickle of unease runs down my spine.

The silence is deafening, too still, too unnatural.

Something isn't right.

Eris's words crash into my mind like a warning bell.

"Be careful… don't let their cuteness fool you. They're E-rank monsters and can easily take down a careless adventurer!"

My breath catches in my throat.

Deep, angry, murderous red.

"Shit!" I yelp, stumbling backward.

With a bone-chilling screech, the rabbit lunges, its horn suddenly extending and spinning like a deadly drill, slicing through the air with terrifying speed!

I barely raise my sword in time—

The impact rattles my bones, sending a shockwave of force through my arms. My blade quivers, the vibration numbing my grip.

Somehow—I'm still standing.

"Damn… it's strong!" I gasp, forcing my stance to steady.

My pulse thunders in my ears, my eyes darting to track the creature.

It bounces around at ridiculous speeds, repositioning, preparing for another attack.

I grit my teeth, adjusting my grip.

"Alright, I got this," I whisper, trying to steady my breath.

The creature is quick, but I can see its movements.

After all, reaction speed is my highest stat.

If I stay calm—if I strike at the right moment—

I can kill it before it kills me.

And everything takes a horrific turn.

The rabbit… it's no longer a rabbit!

A wave of nausea washes over me as the rabbit's body convulses, jerking and twisting in ways that shouldn't be possible.

Its neck contorts grotesquely, twisting at an angle no living creature should survive.

"What… the actual hell?!"

A wet, tearing sound.

The rabbit's flesh splits open, peeling back like a grotesque mask.

From within the gory mess, something crawls out—spindly, jagged legs, twitching, writhing, moving with a mind of their own.

I freeze, horror rooting me to the spot.

The rabbit's entire form unravels, morphing before my eyes, flesh peeling away to reveal the true nightmare within.

A massive, grotesque, monstrous spider!

Its black, hairy body bristles, its long, needle-like legs stretching as if relishing their newfound freedom.

Eight glowing, menacing red eyes lock onto me.

And it keeps growing.

Its body swells, twisting, towering, blotting out the moon itself.

A nightmare given shape.

A twisted abomination that should not exist.

I collapse to my knees, paralyzed.

My limbs turn to ice, my breath catches, and my heart—dear god, my heart—is slamming so hard against my ribs that it feels like it's trying to break free.

I keep telling myself. Over and over.

I'm trapped in its gaze, a helpless insect caught in a spider's web.

The monster's shadow engulfs me, stretching over me like a shroud.

Thick, foul-smelling saliva drips from its monstrous fangs, splattering onto my clothes, soaking me in dread.

A maw of massive, serrated mandibles surges toward me.

I squeeze my eyes shut, my entire body locking up, every muscle screaming in terror.

I can already see it happening—

The sickening tear of flesh.

The abyssal horror of being swallowed whole by this nightmare made real.

But… nothing happens.

My hands—trembling, shaking, but still there.

My heart hammers in confusion as I twist my head, expecting to see the beast looming over me.

The monstrous spider quivers, stepping back, its massive form shuddering as though paralyzed with fear.

A girl stands between me and the beast.

A flowing black dress.

Her arm raised—graceful, yet commanding.

She doesn't hesitate.

Its grotesque form bursts into a swirling mist, vanishing into the night air as though it never existed.

I stare, my jaw hanging open.

What kind of power is this?!

She didn't just kill it—she erased it.

T-thank you…" I stammer, my voice shaky, still riding the edge of adrenaline and disbelief.

I take a closer look.

"Are you… Felicia?" I whisper, my voice cracking with disbelief.

She looks identical to me—

Her eyes glow red, an unnatural, piercing crimson so intense that it sends a chill slicing down my spine.

Faint, eerie fractures running along her skin, like shattered glass holding itself together.

I swallow hard, my body locking up all over again.

I wait—for her to say something, anything.

But she doesn't speak.

She just glides toward me, her movements fluid, almost divine, like a phantom drifting through the night.

Her black dress flows around her, weightless, shifting like the robes of a goddess.

She stops right in front of me.

Raises a single finger.

Her fingertip barely touches my forehead.

It feels like a cannon blast.

I am hurled backward.

The world around me shatters, warping, twisting into an explosion of light and darkness.

A sharp gasp tears from my throat as I collapse onto solid ground, my legs giving out beneath me.

"Impossible!" A man's voice roars, laced with fury. "How did she escape the Nightmare Flower's effect?!"

My head snaps upward, and my stomach plummets.

A group of men surrounds me.

The bastards from the tavern!

The ones who chased me yesterday.

The ones who wanted me to be their playthings!

A chill rakes through me, my pulse hammering as their leering faces close in.

One of them—the bearded one—steps forward, smirking.

"Hmm… she must have some special ability or something," he muses, his voice making me nauseous. .

Its eerie aura seeps into the air, slithering over my skin like cold, invisible tendrils.