Werewolf Survival Vol 1 Chap 6

The Werewolf Emerges

For a moment, I mistook it for a grand piano. It was indeed a piano that I hadn't noticed until now. Or so I thought.

It wasn't.

The massive object began to move. That thing, resembling a car in size, it possessed dark glossy black fur and robust legs capable of crushing a watermelon effortlessly. On its head, the fur flickered like a flame.

Grrr

The sound it emitted was indistinct. Was it a yawn or perhaps a burp?

What... What is that? It's massive!

Comparing its size to that of an elephant seemed far-fetched, yet it was the closest creature that came to mind.

Was Yamane attacked by this monster?

Thump, Thump — My heart pounded against my chest like a drum.

Despite its enormity, it was agile, quickly maneuvering as it hunted tonight's victim. Before I knew it, the beast had descended to the first floor.

Monster…A real monster... What should I do?

I yearned to lock myself in my room, to flee from this nightmare, but I couldn't abandon Gyukaku. Besides, there was no turning back, the door was jammed with gum. Also, this is my chance, I needed to uncover the monster's identity. This was a golden opportunity.

I had to act now, I couldn't just stand idle. Move!!

"Ahhhhh!!"

Gyukaku's scream echoed, yet it sounded more like a war cry.

Was he feigning an attack? Had he been planning to fight all along? And even after casting a vote against him, he’d said those things to me to keep me safe?

Reflecting on his intent, I pushed aside my fears.

Taking a deep breath, I muttered, "Let's go," and slapped my cheeks. "Time to muster some courage too!"

I felt the coldness seep from my legs as they began to function again. I ran as quickly as I could, descending the staircase toward the first floor. Simultaneously, I didn't forget my main goal, to figure out from which guest room the werewolf had emerged.

Werewolves don't have hands, the door must have been left half-opened.

"Found it."

I entered through the open door and scanned the room.

Tsubame's or Usagi's?

I surveyed the room for any sign of the owner. There should have been a bag or clothing left behind, but despite rummaging through the bed, I found nothing. Not a single clue. Worse still, the rowdy sounds from the first floor were growing louder. I don’t have much time left!!

I frantically glanced around the room, seeking some type of inspiration. That's when I noticed a ballpoint pen on the desk by the bed.

"That's it!"

I snatched the pen, darted out of the room, and marked the door with an 'X'.

Now it’s done. Tomorrow we'll uncover its identity! Though, I'm almost certain it isn't Usagi.

Then, I sprinted towards the first floor — wait for me, Gyukaku.

Honestly, defeating such a monster seemed impossible, but only if we confronted it head-on. As living creatures, monsters too had fatal weaknesses. Like their eyes. Given they weren't shielded by fur or muscle, they were major vulnerabilities.

If I could hit one of them, we might have an opening to escape.

I reached the dining room. The crashing noises were now more conspicuous, as was the sound of Gyukaku's struggle.

I must….Aim for the eyes. I dashed around, searching for a weapon.

Ignoring the hot soup, salt, and pepper, my gaze fell on a bottle of vinegar.

Once, I'd seen a TV documentary about dogs. According to it, vinegar, with its acetic acid content, has a smell that is harmful to them. Plus, if I could pour it into one of its eyes, I bet it'd sting considerably.

CRASH

A harsh sound echoed. Gyukaku's fleeing figure darted toward the dining room's door, the werewolf's hulking form hot on his heels. He was doing his best to evade it.

"Gyukaku! Here, Gyukaku!" I yelled, wildly waving both my hands.

"This way, Gyukaku!"

Like a seasoned baseball player, Gyukaku slid through the door, narrowly evading the werewolf. I tried to close the door instantly, but it was missing a lock.

"We need something to block the door!"

"Here! Use this," Gyukaku said, handing me an iron bar.

I quickly wedged it under the door handle — boom. The werewolf smashed directly into the barrier, producing a thunderous noise. Terrified, we slumped onto the floor.

Crash, Crash.

The beast was relentlessly ramming into the door, which wouldn't hold for much longer.

"What now, Hayato?! It'll devour us!"

"We'll use this," I said, handing him the vinegar bottle and a ladle.

"A bottle and a ladle...? Are we gonna cook!?"

I outlined my plan to a bewildered Gyukaku.

"To begin with, I should've been the only one here. You're an idiot for coming back," Gyukaku said. "Regarding your plan, even if we miraculously hit its eye, it'll be blinded by pain and start thrashing around."

"I hadn't considered that."

Escaping would be impossible if we got injured in its rampage.

"We need something to impede its mobility, like caltrops spikes."

“That’s too specific! All we have here are food and dressings."

"Let’s search for anything that could hamper its movements."

We began to look around — to hamper it... A weapon... Ah, I got it!

Suddenly, I recalled what Usagi had mentioned earlier in the laundry room, and sprinted to the kitchen.

This is it.

I poured the liquid into a bottle and returned to Gyukaku, who was clutching another bottle.

"Look, it's olive oil. Tsubame explained its properties yesterday. It's perfect for making the floor slippery," Gyukaku said. "And what about yours?"

"Liquid detergent! It's equally effective."

Thus, I pieced together the full plan in my head. After we hit the werewolf's eye, it would start flailing about. The floor, slick with detergent and olive oil, would cause the creature to lose its balance and prevent it from attacking us.

So, first, we needed to remove the carpet in front of the door and coat the floor with both the detergent and the oil. Every corner, every inch. This way, even if it tried to leap around the room, it would still be unstable.

And all of this had to be done before the door gave in!

"So," Gyukaku asked, "why were you outside?"

"I couldn't lock my door. Someone jammed the lock with gum."

"Gum?! Who would…?” Gyukaku blurted out in disbelief. "Did you find the culprit?"

"Likely Tsubame or Usagi," I replied, and continued to coat the floor.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of anxiety, a burning sensation in my chest. We were about to confront that formidable beast — But if our trap works, it would merely be a snared animal!

We finished preparing. After filling the ladle with vinegar, we fixed our gaze on the door.

" We need to act quickly!"

"Let's go. I'll make it regret devouring Yamane!"

There was a slippery pathway between the door and us. Once it broke down the door, it would slip on it.

CRASH, CRASH.

The beast was becoming more violent, the door was on the brink of shattering.

"It's coming!"

We tensed up. The iron bar was bending, ready to snap at any second.

Five seconds...ten seconds... thirty seconds. It didn't come.

Drenched in cold sweat, we continued to wait.

"Why has it stopped?" Gyukaku said. His eyes were still firmly fixed on the door.

I felt uneasy. "Has it given up?" That seemed impossible. Perhaps it was merely waiting outside for us.

If I were in its shoes, what would I do?

My annoying prey had fled and hidden behind a barrier. I was moments away from breaking through the obstacle, so why would I stop? Why...?

Would I just surrender? No. Why would I? I'm almost there.

I would look for another way in!!

"This is bad, Gyukaku!" I scanned the room, thinking to myself. The only entrance was the one leading to the kitchen. There might be other exits within the kitchen, such as the garbage chute. But that’s too small.

Then... it hit me. Isn't the kitchen too distant? There's a closer place that connects the entire mansion.

"The second floor!"

The second floor only had a railing and a wall adjacent to it. But there was also a door—Count's room. That room opened onto the balcony, which linked the Main Hall, Entry Hall, and Dining Room.

Upon realizing this, we both turned our gaze to the second floor. Glossy black fur—the beast was squeezing its massive body through the balcony door, just as I'd feared.

It caught sight of us, sending an immediate shiver down our spines.

"What now! We didn't coat the floor beneath that spot!"

We had only applied the oil and detergent in front of the door, confident about the werewolf's location. The rest of the floor was untouched.

"Should we try our luck and throw the vinegar?"

"That won't work, we can't hit it while it's moving."

"Then what?!"

"I'm out of ideas!" I said — I really was out of ideas.

The werewolf squeezed itself through the door and emerged onto the balcony.

"We need to run, Hayato," Gyukaku yelled.

We both bolted at the same time, the werewolf was right behind us. Gyukaku was a bit slower than me, so I noticed our dilemma first.

"Gyukaku, w-what should we do? The floor! We can't move forward."

What a joke... We had trapped ourselves.

Trying to tread on the slippery surface...it was as greasy as we had planned.

"Whoa!"

Attempting to keep our balance, we both skidded across the slippery floor towards the exit.

"W-wait!"

We managed to reach the door safely, but a new problem awaited us. The door was firmly locked—the iron bar was wedged in place.

Banging against the door, Gyukaku cried, "It's stuck!"

I tried yanking the iron bar, but it was futile. "The werewolf's charge has warped it! I can't pull it out."

In the background, we could hear the heavy steps of the werewolf, it was drawing nearer.

We heaved against the iron bar, hoping to dislodge it. "Come on, move!" But it was useless. It didn't budge.

"Grrr," the werewolf growled.

It carefully treaded on the slippery floor, slowly closing in.

"Almost there!"

With a final thud, the iron bar finally gave way.

We shared a look, and then quickly stared at the exit.

Gyukaku said, "Let's go, Haya—"

"Ah!"

Before he could finish, the werewolf latched onto his clothing, yanking him back. I reached out to grab his hand, but I couldn’t reach it.

"Gyukaku!"

With a threatening growl, the werewolf raised its head and opened its mouth wide. Gyukaku, suspended in mid-air, tried to struggle, but it was meaningless. He plunged headfirst into the gaping mouth.

There was a gulp, and he was swallowed whole just like that.

"No! Gyukaku!!"

However, it didn't stop after devouring him.

According to the rules, a participant could be attacked if they didn't return to their rooms before 8:10 pm.

I was soaked in cold sweat as this realization dawned on me.

I can't face it alone. I have to run away!

"Waahh!!" I screamed.

I slammed the door shut and wedged the bent iron bar back in place. The werewolf immediately began hammering on the door, but I sprinted away as fast as I could, not daring to glance back.

I had just reached the staircase leading to the third floor when I heard a loud crash. It had broken down the door.

At last, I made it to my room, but the gum was still jamming the lock. "I've got to get it out quickly!" Using the pen I'd marked one of the third-floor doors with, I began digging out the gum.

Bits and pieces of it fell on the floor, but the werewolf wasn't going to wait. I could hear its thudding steps growing closer.

"Hurry up, faster, faster!"

I did my best to scrape out the remnants of the gum, but it was a slow process.

Thud, it had reached the third floor.

Flustered, "Almost there..." I muttered.

"I did it!" with a sigh of relief, I darted into the room and instantly locked the door.

The sound of the werewolf's movements was still audible, and my heart was jumping out of my chest.

Suddenly, I remembered Gyukaku's face, and my heart ached with guilt.

"I'm sorry Gyukaku... I was... really close."

It wasn't just my heart that felt heavy, my whole body was weighed down by a sense of sorrow and exhaustion.

Prev - ToC - Next