Chapter 2

Chapter 2

They began to scavenge for supplies like madmen.

Likely realizing they couldn’t carry everything away, they took half and trashed the rest.

The stock I had spent all day replenishing was being trampled under their feet.

“Hey, this supermarket is actually pretty well-stocked. They even have Jinzai small dried fish.”

A player tore open a package and started stuffing them into his mouth.

I had already given up the struggle, watching them with a blank expression.

You’re wrong.

Those aren’t dried fish.

Those are the Spicy Little Man Jerky ordered by the Siren Boss next door.

Another player said excitedly, “There’s even Wang Wang Small Mantou! But the shape is so weird.”

Of course it’s weird.

Those are the Mourning Little Tongues ordered by the Ghost Bride.

“Hey, everyone, come here!”

“These shredded kelp strips are perfect to eat with the braised beef noodles!”

They gorged themselves greedily, eating half and throwing the rest away.

I watched coldly, glancing up at the clock.

A strange, bloody scent began to permeate the air.

The lights in the supermarket started to dim.

The battle-hardened players all stopped their movements at the same time.

Right then, the clock let out a sharp chime.

The store’s intercom crackled to life.

A mechanical female voice announced, one word at a time: “The customers will arrive in one minute. Clerk, please be prepared.”

“Customers? What customers?”

The players were utterly confused.

Suddenly, one player pointed at the soda he had just poured out onto the floor.

“How… how did it turn red?”

“I clearly poured out a blue drink!”

Another player stood up in terror, pointing at the snack bag in his hand. “I was clearly eating popping boba… *urk!*”

They were indeed popping pearls, but they were Eyeball Popping Pearls.

The kind that burst with fluid in every bite.

More and more people discovered that the things they were eating had changed.

The dried fish had become Spicy Little Man Jerky.

The small mantou had become little tongues.

The shredded kelp tangled in their mouths; only when they spat it out did they realize it was wriggling hair.

The sound of retching rose from all sides.

One of the players was holding an Anomaly Detector.

As the scent of blood grew heavy, the detector began to let out a piercing, high-pitched alarm.

“BOSS approaching! Please evacuate immediately! Please evacuate quickly!”

The player’s voice trembled. “It’s at least S-rank…”

“No! It’s an SSS-rank BOSS.”

“And there’s more than one!”