"Fuck this shit. Just fuck this shit."
The timer blinked: [00:00:03].
Michael's thumb smashed the purchase button.
[$49.99 Charged—Remaining Balance: $1,138.04]
The screen erupted into swirling golden light. Aiko's binds snapped like rotten twine as the room trembled violently.
The moment Michael tapped the purchase button, golden light erupted from Aiko's wrists and ankles. The red silk ropes binding her snapped like dry twigs. Before she could sit up, the entire room began to shake violently.
CRACK!
Wooden beams groaned overhead. Lanterns swung wildly, casting shuddering shadows across the walls. The merchant stumbled back, his polished sandals slipping on the suddenly unstable floor.
"What's happening?!" he shouted, clawing at the sliding door for balance.
Aiko rolled off the bed just as a ceiling beam crashed down where she'd been lying. Her bare feet scraped against splintered floorboards as she scrambled upright.
A glowing golden scroll materialized in midair, its edges crackling with energy.
Instinctively, she grabbed it.
The moment her fingers touched the parchment, words flared in her mind: Mild Earthquake Scroll – Chaos for Escape.
"Kami-sama…" she breathed.
The merchant's guards burst into the room, swords drawn, only to stagger as the floor tilted like a ship in a storm. Aiko ducked under a falling shelf, her torn clothes snagging on debris. Another golden light flashed near her feet—a small glass vial filled with swirling blue liquid.
Agility Potion – Drink to outrun the wind.
She unstoppered it with her teeth and gulped the bitter liquid down.
Instantly, her muscles buzzed as if electrified. The world sharpened—every splinter, every flickering shadow, every panicked shout became vivid.
"There she is!" A guard lunged, but Aiko moved faster. Her body blurred sideways, his blade slicing nothing but air. She bolted into the corridor, her bare feet slapping against trembling floors.
The earthquake rattled walls, toppling vases and tearing tapestries. Servants and clients alike screamed, scrambling for exits.
"Stop her!" The masked woman's roar cut through the chaos.
Archers nocked arrows on the teahouse's upper balconies. Aiko zigzagged. Arrows thudded into wooden pillars inches behind her.
Thwip! Thwip!
She hurdled a collapsed beam, landed hard, and skidded into the courtyard. Torches illuminated patrolling guards—their swords drawn, their eyes scanning the chaos.
"Princess is escaping!"
Aiko darted left, the potion's magic humming in her veins. Her feet barely touched the ground as she weaved between guards. One swung a club at her knees—she backflipped over it. The move left her stomach exposed, her skin glinting with sweat in the firelight, but there was no time for modesty.
A guard grabbed her arm. She twisted free, her elbow jamming into his throat. He gagged, collapsing.
The gates! Just ahead!
Four spearmen barred the exit, weapons ready.
Aiko hesitated—until a thunderous neigh shook the night.
A horse materialized in a burst of gold—a sleek black stallion with tack already saddled. It reared, hooves knocking two spearmen aside.
"Kami-sama... He is... he's with me!" Aiko gasped.
She vaulted onto the horse's back. Its sides glowed faintly, a map symbol burning into her vision—a path leading to a dense forest northward.
"Yah!" She kicked the stallion's flank.
They surged through the gates as arrows whistled past. One grazed her shoulder, drawing blood, but the pain faded instantly—the potion's work.
The stallion raced through the village, its hooves pounding mud. Behind them, shouts grew louder as mounted guards gave chase.
"Turn left!" Aiko urged, following the golden map only she could see.
The horse veered into an alley, narrowly avoiding a cart overturned by the earthquake. Townsfolk screamed, scrambling out of their way. Aiko's hair whipped her face as they burst into open fields, the forest looming in the distance.
"Faster!" she begged.
"Don't let her reach the trees!" a guard bellowed.
An arrow hissed past her ear. Another thudded into a tree trunk. The horse faltered, its breath coming in labored snorts.
"Faster!" Aiko urged, kicking its sides.
The stallion surged forward—then screamed. An arrow sprouted from its hind leg. It stumbled, throwing Aiko forward. She slammed into the ground, rolling through dirt and leaves.
The horse collapsed, wheezing, blood frothing at its mouth.
Aiko scrambled to her feet. The agility potion still buzzed in her veins, but weaker now. Her shoulder burned where the arrow had grazed her. She looked back. Six guards dismounted, drawing swords.
"Surround her!" one barked.
She bolted into the forest. Branches clawed her arms. Roots tripped her, but she pushed harder. The guards crashed through the brush behind her, their armor clanking.
Left. Then right. She zigzagged. The path led uphill, toward jagged rocks. Her bare feet slipped on moss-covered stones. The potion's buzz faded entirely. Her legs felt like lead.
"There!" a guard shouted.
Michael's phone buzzed in the hospital. Red text flashed:
[URGENT! Purchase A Miracle?]
[Original Price: $999.99]
[Discounted Price with the Special Package: $9.99]
"Cheap bastards!"
Michael felt angry that the game dared to milk him even more after spending $49.99.
A rational, clear-headed version of him would've chose differently, but he's too sleep-deprived and somehow a bit immersed in the world of this silly game.
Maybe he'll report this virus tomorrow, but now, he's invested too much to not spend another ten bucks.
[$9.99 Charged!]
[Remaining Balance: $1,128.05]
The forest froze.
Aiko crouched on the ground, her chest heaving, as the guards surrounded her. Their swords gleamed in the moonlight, their smirks twisting into snarls.
She braced herself—this was it. Even Kami-sama couldn't save her.
Then the earth groaned.
The guards paused, glancing around. The tallest one barked, "Quit trembling, girl! Nobody's saving—"
A deafening crack split the air.
The ground beneath Aiko's feet shuddered violently.
Trees began to move.
Not swaying. Not creaking. Moving—like living giants wrenching their roots from the soil.
Dirt rained down as ancient oaks twisted, their trunks bending impossibly sideways. Branches snapped and reformed into archways, creating a narrow path straight toward Aiko.
"What demonry is this?!" a guard shouted, backing away.
But the forest wasn't done.
The path ahead split open—a chasm tearing through the earth like a zipper. Trees on either side leaned inward, their trunks forming a tunnel that glowed with golden light. The guards' horses reared, whinnying in terror as the ground beneath them crumbled.
"Retreat!" the leader yelled, but it was too late.
The earth swallowed two guards whole, their screams cut short as the soil sealed over them. Another tripped over a root that suddenly curled around his ankle, yanking him into the air. He dangled upside-down, cursing, as thorny vines coiled around his arms.
The remaining three guards turned to flee—only to find the forest closing in behind them. Branches snapped like whips, slashing their armor. One man's sword arm was pinned to a tree trunk by a spiraling tendril of ivy. Another screamed as a sapling erupted from the ground beneath him, lifting him ten feet into the air before dumping him into a thornbush.
Aiko stood at the center of the chaos, unharmed. The golden light wrapped around her like a cloak, shielding her from falling debris. Her cuts and bruises faded, the scrapes on her knees smoothing over.
The last guard—the leader—lunged at her, his sword raised. Aiko didn't flinch.
A tree branch shot down like a spear, impaling his shadow on the ground. The man froze mid-swing, his eyes bulging as an invisible force pinned him in place. His sword clattered to the forest floor.
Silence fell.
Aiko's heart pounded as she surveyed the aftermath. The six guards hung trapped—in vines, under roots, suspended mid-air. The forest itself had become her ally.
Kami-sama…
She dropped to her knees, her hands trembling. This wasn't just luck. This wasn't a trick. The earth had obeyed her… or whatever power guided her.
The golden light dimmed, retreating into the trees. The path ahead remained—a straight line through the forest, glowing faintly as if lit by fireflies.
Aiko stood, her legs steady. She glanced back at the trapped guards, their curses now muffled by leaves and vines.
Kami-sama said nothing, but the message was clear: Run.
She sprinted down the path, her bare feet barely touching the mossy ground. Branches parted for her, thorns retreating. Rocks shifted to smooth her way.
For the first time in months, hope flickered in her chest.