The woman in the red dress was the first to break.

She shrieked louder than anyone else, stumbling backward in her heels as the pale hounds flooded through the shattered side entrance. One snapped at the air near her leg, sending her into an even greater panic.

"Help me! Somebody help me!"

She turned and tried to run, but her heel caught on a fallen can, falling over sideways and hitting the ground hard.

"No—wait—!"

The nearest hound was on her instantly. Its jaws clamped onto her shoulder with a wet crunch.

"GARHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed out as the hound’s fang sank in, her crimson blood below matching her dress.

Then another leapt onto her legs while a third tore into her side. "GET THEM OFF PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME! SOMEBODY—!"

Nobody else could hear the rest of her words.

The suited man took one stunned step forward before another contestant grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"She’s done for! Run!"

As if those words had broken a spell, the supermarket erupted into absolute chaos.

People scattered in every direction. Some rushed deeper into the aisles while others tried to force their way out the back.

Deon’s body had already started moving before his mind caught up. One of the hounds lunged past the fallen woman and straight toward Hana.

She stood frozen only a few meters away, eyes wide, unable to process what was happening.

"Hana!"

Driven by adrenaline, Deon sprinted with everything on the line. At the very last second, he grabbed Hana by the wrist and yanked her sideways with everything he had.

The creature flew past them by inches and crashed chest-first into a shelf hard enough to topple it.

"Come with me!" Deon barked.

Hana stumbled once before finding her footing, terror finally kicking life back into her legs. Deon grabbed her arm, both immediately fleeing deeper into the supermarket.

Yet, behind them...it was already chasing.

"D-Deon!"

"Don’t look back!"

They tore through the nearest aisle, weaving past overturned baskets and scattered food. The hair on his arms stood on its very edge. He could feel it gaining on them with every second they ran.

Without slowing, Deon grabbed the side of a display rack and heaved it sideways into the aisle behind them.

The metal shelf crashed down with a thunderous slam. For half a second, hope rose before being immediately shattered as the creature vaulted over it.

"What the hell?!"

They rounded another corner. Hana nearly slipped on something wet, but Deon caught her arm and dragged her upright again.

Think Deon, think!

He scanned the surroundings, only to finally see it. The aisle opened into the rear storage section, most likely the freezer, one of the large industrial ones that was used for meat.

Deon didn’t hesitate, already heading towards it. "There!"

He grabbed the heavy handle and yanked with all his might. A blast of freezing air hit his face as the door swung open.

Inside were rows of wrapped carcasses that had already spoiled hung on metal hooks.

"Get in!"

Hana didn’t need to be told twice, already scrambling inside. Deon dove in right after her and slammed the freezer door shut with all his strength.

They didn’t even get a chance to breathe, as just outside of the metal door—

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Beside him, Hana was trembling. At first, Deon thought it was the cold, but quickly realized otherwise when her breathing was too shallow.

"H-Hana?"

She shook her head rapidly, one hand pressed over her mouth while the other clutched at her chest. Her shoulders quivered as panic overtook her all at once.

"I-I can’t... I can’t breathe..."

Damn it. Not now...

Deon grabbed both of her wrists gently but firmly, lowering them from her chest. "Look at me."

Her eyes darted wildly before finally locking onto his. "Hana, just forget about everything and look at me. Breathe slowly."

"In."

He inhaled deeply through his nose.

"Out."

He exhaled slowly. Again, and again.

Gradually, the violent trembling in her shoulders eased.

"That’s it," Deon said. "Don’t think about outside. Just copy me."

After a few more breaths, she seemed to settle enough for her to finally speak again. "...S-Sorry."

"Don’t apologize for surviving."

"W-What do we do now?"

Deon’s eyes narrowed, searching his memory for what he saw. "I think I know its weakness."

"Wh-What?"

"I was watching them before we ran," he said quietly. "If I’m right...they have terrible eyesight.

He glanced toward the sealed door. "The woman in red was closest to the side entrance, where they came from. But the first one that got in didn’t go straight for her."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted around the freezer, trying to find anything that was even mildly usable.

Rows of hanging carcasses were still there, the rotten smell completely filling the room. They swayed gently on the hooks, though no wind touched them.

But that was not the only thing. Large butcher hooks hung beside the wall, curved and heavy enough to probably punch through flesh.

"I think...we can kill it."

"Deon...?"

"I’ve got a plan."

He stepped toward the hanging carcasses and pushed between them, testing how well they concealed movement.

Good enough...

Then he took one of the hooks from the wall. It was heavier than expected, but manageable. Deon then turned back toward her. "I need you to be brave."

She replied meekly. "That sentence never leads to anything good..."

"We hide behind the carcasses," Deon said, ignoring the comment. "You make a sound. Knock something over, shout, whatever gets its attention."

"And while it comes toward me?"

"I come from the side and skewer it."

"Wh—what if I mess up?"

Deon moved into position behind the hanging meat, grip tightening around the hook. "Then trust me. We’re getting out of this alive."

She swallowed hard, taking one shaky breath before nodding. "Alright, I trust you, Deon."

The freezer remained deathly quiet.

Hana stood near the center of the room, hands trembling at her sides as she tried to steady her breathing. Beyond the hanging carcasses, Deon was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly—

CRASH!

The freezer door swung wide open as something stepped through. The hound entered crouched, stalking forward with slow steps.

Up close, it looked even worse than before. Its pink flesh was stretched raw across jutting ribs, patches torn open where muscle still twitched beneath the skin.

Its jaws opened slightly, strings of saliva hanging between knife-like teeth.

Then it passed directly by the hanging carcasses, not even sparing a glance at the hiding Deon.

I was right...its eyesight was trash.

The hound turned its head toward the far wall, sniffing once before taking another step. That was when—

"HEY!"

The hound flinched violently, body turning around so fast that it was almost supernatural. Hana’s entire body locked as the thing flew straight toward her. But another figure burst from the hanging meat first.

"MOVE!"

Deon drove forward with everything he had, both hands gripping the butcher hook like a spear.

The thing went straight into the hound’s stomach, knocking it sideways and slamming it into the floor before it immediately began thrashing.

"Why isn’t it dead?!" Hana cried.

Deon tried to wrench the hook free, but the creature twisted violently, jaws snapping wildly in every direction.

Its teeth clamped shut inches from his hand.

"Shit!"

He threw himself backward just as it lunged again. The hook ripped free in a spray of dark blood. Deon reached blindly to his side and yanked down one of the hanging carcasses by instinct.

The slab of frozen meat crashed between them in time, as the hound’s jaw crunched right through it.

Fuck...what do I do?!

His eyes darted wildly, looking for anything else he could use as a weapon before he saw it...a butcher’s knife on the other side of the room.

The hound had already released the carcass and pounced straight toward Hana.

She stumbled backward, screaming. "AHHHHH!"

Thunk!

Deon plunged the blade straight through the top of the hound’s skull. Its body jerked once, twice...before dropping over in a heap at Hana’s feet.

He quickly moved to the freezer door, slamming it shut again before he finally allowed himself to breathe.

His chest was still heaving, yet something else took his attention. A bright blue panel appeared in front of his eyes.

[You have defeated a Ruined Hound.]

[+3 Points Awarded.]

"D–Deon?!" Hana stuttered, pointing at the corpse of the monster.

For a second, Deon thought it was going to get back up again. But its body suddenly broke down, turning into ash and fading away.

Yet, in place of where its body was, Deon noticed something small lying on the floor. He got closer, bending over, only to realize it was some kind of card.

Deon picked it up, inspecting the back before finally flipping over to the front. Something was written on the card’s surface, weird symbols that he couldn’t make out.

Yet one thing was clear and written in perfect language. Deon read it out loud, incanting a truth of the world.

"Basic Heal...?"