CH 38: Why has it come to this?

[Jared]

[Back in the past…]

“Hello, everyone. It’s Jared, and this is World Crafter. I know it has been a long while since I’ve last streamed or even uploaded anything online, but my exam is finally over! I’ll start playing more regularly from today onwards!”

Jared double-checked on his play settings, before smiling into the camera again.

“I caught little snippets of the new mob and biome the game creators have made and I can’t wait to play in a new world… in a beta version, to be exact. Hahaha.”

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[[Super chat]]

[Welcome back!]

[Miss you! uwu]

[Jaredddddd! Glad that you’re back!]

[The new mobs? Especially The Thing? Ughhh]

[Bruh… Doesn’t he know that the game creators have beefed up the hostile mobs really high af?]

[Lmao. I wonder if he’s going to explore the Dark City~]

[He just returned… There’s no way he’ll immediately go to the Dark City, right?]

[Why not? Just cheese it by playing on creative mode!]

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“Hahaha. You’re right. I do plan to check out the Dark City today, and I’ll be playing on hard mode. I like the challenge but I’m pretty sure that The Thing would kill me in an instant of catching sight of me. Okay, maybe not sight but you guys know what I mean.”

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[[Super chat]]

[Hard mode?]

[fr??? Jared vs The Thing??????]

[Bruh…]

[R.I.P]

[Jared… No…]

[[MOD Oli: Jar, you can’t even kill a rabbit in World Crafter. Going against The Thing would be suicidal in hard mode.]]

[Yeah, listen to Oli!]

[Idk and idc. I’m all for the horror vibes! Woooooo!!!]

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“Oh, Oli. I’m not going to fight with The Thing. I just want to explore the Dark Thing. From the trailer and screenshots posted on the official website, the structures and implied lore of the builds are fascinating.”

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[[Super chat]]

[[MOD Oli: Yeah, you were always quite the explorer…]]

[Wait a minute… Aren’t Jared’s builds usually of a darker theme?]

[Ooo~ Yes, that’s probably another reason he likes the Dark City structure!]

[But it’s not going to be a fun and relaxing trip in that place though…]

[It’s a scary place!]

[Speak for yourself. It gives off an aesthetic and… What’s that ‘e’ word?]

[‘E’??? Evil?]

[Hahaha]

[Extraterrestrial?]

[That’s alien, right? Bruh… Hahaha]

[Oh, I remember! Enthralling!]

[Well… It is very lonely though…]

[This is Jared we’re talking about. He has played solo in many games, so this wouldn’t bother him at all!]

[Nah, he won’t feel lonely at all. Not with us hanging out here in chat~]

[Yes! I agree! Hehe~]

[If he’s ever lonely, maybe a few sensors should be activated. Hehehe]

[Omg! No way!]

[Jared, don’t listen to that person! If enough sensors are activated, The Thing will be summoned.]

[Yesh, do it!]

[Noooooooooo]

[[MOD Oli: Jared, maybe you should practice your agility skills first…]]

[Yeah, try killing a rabbit. They’re fast and difficult to even get a leash on!]

[That would help when he’s running away. I mean, even the strongest weapons and armor are useless when it comes to fighting hand-in-hand with The Thing!]

[[MOD Oli: Guys, this is Jared you’re talking about. He’s incapable of killing rabbits or any of the passive mobs in the game.]]

[Huh? Why? He doesn’t have a problem with the lower-ranked hostile mobs though…]

[[MOD Oli: He feels bad killing the ‘innocent’ mobs… because of the killing screams they make.]]

[Bruh…]

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[Present time]

[One week after the zombie invasion at the facility--- 9 November 2021, Tuesday…]

In the heart of the dense and untamed forest, Jared wandered almost expertly around the trees he had marked days ago. Although he was no longer sure of his exact location, he had managed to find a stream and had since been traveling alongside it in the hope that it would lead him to either a humanmade structure or a cave that he could use as a shelter.

As the long, lonely hours turned into days, Jared was painfully aware that there were only a few weeks remaining before it was winter. He may be able to endure the cool and dry weather out in the wilderness but that was about to change when winter rolled in. 

‘Also, once the entire forest is covered in sheets of white snow, the zombies would be able to spot me from miles away. It doesn’t matter if I hide and sleep on high tree branches. They simply have to spot me and surround the tree…’

RUSTLE

Jared immediately turned toward the source of the sound and held up a large branch he had been carrying. Ever since leaving the facility, Jared felt that he had turned paranoid and skittish to the slightest of sounds. His eyes darted around as he gripped his “weapon” (large branch) tighter.

‘I don’t think anything. It sounded too light and brisk to be a zombie. Besides, for some reason, this area seems to be quite clear of zombies… I haven’t seen one in almost a week.’

RUSTLE

‘If it is an animal, it should be that big, right? …It would be nice if it was a small animal. Autumn has caused the food to grow scarce and I’ve been surviving and berries for days now… So, if it’s a small animal-’

RUSTLE, WHIP, THUD

Jared’s eyes widen in surprise.

After many trials and errors, it was a series of sounds he had grown very accustomed to.

“...Did the trap finally work?” he blurted out unconsciously as he moved slowly towards the sound.

As Jared approached a small clearing with branches that protruded out of the ground in odd angles and leaves that looked recently disturbed, a nervous smile touched his lips. Then, tentatively, he peeked at a small gap between the awkwardly angled branches.

Jared gasped as his heart skipped a beat.

There was a rabbit trapped in his handmade device. The small animal must have been scavenging for food for the upcoming winter when it stumbled into the trap.

“I… I finally did it. The trap tutorial I watched online in the past actually worked… Sacrificing a couple from the few berries I had remaining was a good idea! I now don’t need to starve as I have-”

The sudden joy he felt diminished as quickly as it came. The rabbit’s eyes were wide open as it stared at Jared, unmoving. Despite the rapid rise and fall of its chest as it panted from the adrenaline of being caught, the rabbit did not make any attempt to escape.

It was as if it had resigned to its impending doom.

‘Just like me, this rabbit was probably starving from the lack of vegetation in the forest. Winter may be brutal, but so is autumn in the final weeks of its season. This small animal probably caught the scent of the tantalizing berries I had laid in the trap and unwittingly got ensnared.’

The more he stared at the rabbit, the more silent and lonely it felt in the dense forest. Similar to the rabbit, it felt as if the entire forest awaited his decision.

Slowly, a feeling akin to sorrow and anger began to surge in his chest.

“...Why has it come to this?”