I took a small step back, immediately wary.
'What the hell is going on in here?'
Sheila whipped around at the sound of my voice.
Still holding the bloodied knife, she smiled gently.
'Oh. You're here.'
'It's ok…' Aron whispered to me. 'She's not gonna hurt us.'
I looked wide-eyed at the sharp blade. It was completely covered in bright red liquid.
It dripped onto the slender hand that was holding it, and dribbled down to splatter on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor.
My gaze followed a trail of the shocking red color, and I gasped when I saw what it led to.
A finger.
A severed finger lying curled on the tiles.
I rested my hand on the handle of the door that had just shut behind us.
'You're here,' Sheila repeated softly. 'That means its lights-out. Finally.'
She reached out and yanked the cloth out from the newbie's mouth.
'Help me!' he screamed, his eyes darting from me to Aron. 'Help! This guy's gone mad! Fuck! Help –'
SLAP!
'Yell again, and I'll cut a whole hand off next.'
The newbie gasped, then looked straight at me.
'Please…' he whispered. 'Please, help me.'
Tears were spilling from his eyes.
I tore my gaze away from his, and grabbed Aron by the shoulder.
'Explain,' I said. 'Now.'
'Allow me,' said Sheila.
She collapsed down fully onto the floor, carefully adjusting her injured leg to one side.
Blood soaked into her clothes, but she didn't seem to mind.
The newbie struggled next to her like a fish out of water, whimpering pathetically.
'Please, save me,' he begged again. 'Help me.'
He stopped after a single brandish from the knife.
Sheila then turned to me again.
'We believed this instance would be unnaturally difficult because there were three testing phase newbies in it,' she said. 'Nearly fifty percent.'
'However, we were wrong.'
I frowned, glancing at Aron.
He didn't seem remotely as confused as I felt.
'What do you mean?' I asked.
'There were only two. Eight players. Two testing phase newbies. Six… experienced players.'
I shook my head. 'I don't under… oh.'
I froze.
Slowly, my gaze slid back down to look at the newbie.
He wasn't crying anymore.
He was glaring at Sheila with a venomous look in his eyes.
'One griefer.'
Sheila sighed.
'You see, Neil, there is healthy competition within these instances. I know Aron's already told you about the reward for being the first to exit the portal.'
'Other than that, it makes sense to get along with the players, doesn't it? Even if someone is not part of your group, you can still cooperate. Exchange information. Help each other out. Wouldn't it be good if everyone gets their wish granted?'
Her gentle voice rang out in the otherwise silent bathroom.
She slowly raised the knife again.
'Unfortunately… there is also trash like THIS!'
With a sudden yell, she stabbed it deep into the newbie's – no, the griefer's – right thigh.
'AARGH! AAARGH! FUCK!' he yelled, squirming around on the floor. 'Fuck YOU, bastard!'
'Trash that would rather kill other players,' Sheila hissed. 'Trash that would rather kill innocent people. Good people. Like my HUSBAND!'
She stabbed down again.
The griefer screamed, gnashing his teeth.
'Bitch!' he yelled. 'BITCH!'
A scene from the previous night flashed into my mind.
Once again, I saw Sheila kneeling by John's decapitated body, with that blank, empty look on her face.
Slowly, I let out the breath I'd been holding.
Sheila twisted the knife, and the griefer screamed and thrashed around on the floor, not even able to form words anymore.
After about a minute, she stopped and sighed.
'Did you really think I wouldn't notice the rope burns on his legs?' she asked. 'That I wouldn't realize he'd been tied up?'
Gasping for breath, the griefer glared up at her. Then, suddenly, he let out a crazy laugh.
'That was fun,' he panted, lips twisting up into a distorted smile. 'That idiot wasn't even expecting it when I overpowered and tied him up.'
'I gagged him first, y'know? We were too close to the administrative building. You would've heard him if I hadn't. But once I'd dragged him far away enough, I knew his voice wouldn't reach you. Then, I pulled it out.'
'It's always fun to hear the final scream.'
'Afterwards, I returned just in time to remove the ropes from his corpse before you showed up. He had tears on his face. Did you see? That idiot was crying when he died! Such fun -'
'- AAARGH!'
Sheila stabbed him over and over again, blood splattering onto her angry face.
But even as the other guy screamed, he didn't stop laughing.
Words started spilling from his lips quickly.
It was like he was trying to get everything out before he was inevitably stopped.
'The other newbie… Haa… That was boring… I didn't even get to see!'
'He… was in the same room as me, asking what's going on… Saying he'd just been sitting in his car before his phone suddenly went red.'
'I told him there was a telephone in the lobby… That I wanted to use it to call for help, but was too afraid to move. And… haa… y'know what that moron said?'
'He told me to stay put… and that he'd go get help for the both of us!'
'Both of us! He didn't even know my name, and he wanted to help me!? What a fucking loser!'
'Someone like him… wouldn't have lasted long anyway! I did him a favor!'
I felt sick.
I thought about the nameless newbie who'd died alone, hiding in the music room.
He and I had both been pulled into our first instance at the same time.
He and I had both been put into a room with an experienced player.
I'd been lucky.
He hadn't.
Sheila had gone still again.
She was looking down at the bloodied man like she was looking at something already dead.
She wiped the blade of the knife on her shirt, then held it up to Aron.
'Thank you for allowing me to use this,' she said softly.
'Haa… Done already… bitch? Chickening out?'
She ignored the griefer.
'Take it, and go do what you must. Good luck.'
She met my eyes. 'You too, Niel.'
'We'll come back for you after destroying the curse. We'll go to the portal together,' I said.
'No,' she shook her head. 'The moment you are done, leave. I'll figure out the location and follow later. For now…'
Her head tilted to one side as she slowly looked at the griefer again.
'…I have other plans for tonight.'
'Goodbye Aron. Goodbye Neil.'
We left.
As the door to the bathroom shut behind us, I heard the griefer laugh again.
'What? Not gonna… tell that newbie… why? Why I do this? Worried he'll become just like me? Ahaha!'
I felt disgusted.
I'd already understood that there must be a reason why griefers existed.
Maybe an item reward. Maybe something else.
I didn't care.
No matter what, I'd rather die than become an indiscriminate killer like that fucker.
I caught Aron looking at me carefully as we walked.
'What?' I asked, annoyed. 'Worried I'm gonna kill you now?'
His face broke into a grin.
'I've spent enough time with you now to know that's not gonna happen,' he said lightly. 'I was just wondering if you're ok. After seeing…'
Oh.
'I'm not judging Sheila,' I said. 'I get her.'
'Mm. Same.'
We continued walking.
After a while, Aron cleared his throat.
'I'll just tell you,' he said.
I waited.
'If an instance ends with only one surviving player, the player gets a big reward,' he said. 'This doesn't mean the player has to personally kill everyone. Sometimes, it just so happens that an instance is exceptionally difficult, and everyone else gets killed by monsters, or ghosts, or whatever.'
'That's very rare. But of course, there are people who don't mind playing an active role in taking down fellow players. All so they can get their hands on the reward.'
I noticed he was skirting around saying what the reward was.
I didn't push.
Anyway, it's not like I was planning on ever trying to get it.
We kept walking.
After a few more minutes, Aron laughed softly.
'You really are a good guy, Neil,' he said. 'The few of us who know about this try not to spread it around. After all, what if the wrong person finds out? The last thing we need is more griefers in these worlds.'
'But you're not like that. So, here it is.'
'The last surviving player wins an extra life.'