Curse Device

Staring at the neatly wrapped package in front of him, Aditya knitted his brows.

The displeased expression on his face showed his failed plan to tear up and trash the package.

The reason behind his dissatisfaction was the clear Pendant of War logo displayed on the package, identifying the sender.

Aditya had tried to find the sender's address on the package but couldn't find it.

This oddity made him feel uneasy, as he knew no delivery company would send a package without a return address.

Yet again, Pendant of War exhibited peculiarities that made Aditya, who was usually reckless, become more cautious.

After seeing the Pendant of War game application frozen on his smartphone screen, Aditya repeatedly tried to open and close the app.

However, the outcome remained the same: a white text reading "Please wait for the game equipment to arrive within two days."

As a result, Aditya attempted to uninstall the Pendant of War app, but once again, he failed.

Not only did the uninstallation process fail to start, but even the option to uninstall disappeared as if the app were an integral part of his not-so-smart smartphone.

This led Aditya to wait for the package from the game developer company for two days.

During this time, he also tried to find information about Pendant of War on the internet, but inexplicably, he found very little information.

The limited information he found only explained that Pendant of War was a money-making game created by a company in America whose name couldn't be found.

Aditya also searched for Pendant of War game forums, but he only found empty forums with no user.

As foolish as Aditya could be, he knew that companies aimed to profit, and game companies gained profit from their popularity among players.

However, apart from the accidental advertisement he came across while scrolling through social media, he found no other ads related to Pendant of War.

Aditya also tried to persuade (forcing) Shandy to download Pendant of War, but strangely, despite searching everywhere, Shandy couldn't find a place to download the game.

Aditya eventually gave up and chose to wait for his package to arrive. And now, the awaited package lay right in front of him.

Slowly, Aditya began to unbox the package.

He found a device shaped like a necklace and a user manual.

Seeing the necklace-shaped device, Aditya inexplicably felt something was odd, but as usual, he shrugged it off.

Aditya read the user manual and discovered that he only needed to wear the device around his neck. After that, the device would automatically activate and start the program.

With this device alone, could only Aditya play the Pendant of War game.

Curiosity overcame Aditya's worries and fears.

Living peacefully without any danger around him except for Mrs. Murni's occasional visits, he once again ignored his instincts and started wearing the suspicious device around his neck.

Unbeknownst to him, the green light was blinking on the device around his neck.

Initially, Aditya felt nothing, but suddenly, a searing heat began to sting his neck.

Startled, he tried to remove the device from his neck. Unfortunately, like a tightly coiled snake, the device choked Aditya's neck and couldn't be loosened.

Not even ten seconds passed before the heat turned into a pain that made him scream loudly. But as if losing his voice, no air could escape from Aditya's vocal cords.

Blood flowed from the back of his neck as a sharp needle emerged from the device, digging into his flesh.

Aditya writhed in pain like a slave punished by his master. Almost losing consciousness, but as if something was holding his brain function, Aditya was forced to remain awake.

His eyes started to whiten, and foam began to come out of his mouth.

The pain he endured almost drove him insane.

He thrashed about, turning his once tidy room into a mess.

Not only did his kicking legs hit the wooden table legs, but he couldn't feel it. The pain in his neck caused all sensory perceptions in Aditya's body to disappear.

Until finally, the needle emerging from the device pierced his neck bone, and the pain stopped. But Aditya, who was already lying helpless, lost consciousness immediately.

Bleeping sound was heard from the device that kept blinking with green light.

Aditya, who was unconscious, did not know that his hearing was currently being filled by a robotic female voice.

[The process of adjusting to the body begins]

[Data collection of body quality completed]

[Starts the process of inputting data into the brain]

[The brain is in a healthy state to switch off the control function]

[Connecting with server...]

Two hours later, he woke up and screamed loudly.

His voice sounded hoarse due to the trapped air in his throat.

Aditya felt a fear he had never experienced before.

He immediately touched his neck and felt the thick liquid that would dry. The smell of rusty iron filled his nose, and the sight of his messy room filled his vision.

But it wasn't that which shocked Aditya, but a text in the blue panel that appeared before his eyes.

[Successfully connected to the server]

[Welcome player 00001989 to the Pendant of War]

[The game will start in 00:03:02]

[Please wait patiently and read the game rules in the Pendant of War app on your smartphone]

[Have fun]

"Heh... heh... heh... heh..." his irregular breathing made Aditya's face even paler.

At this moment, he truly had no idea what was happening, and immense fear clouded his mind.

Aditya's entire body trembled with cold sweat drenching his body. Goosebumps rose, and a shiver ran down his spine.

Aditya's trembling hand touched a hard object around his neck.

Sensing something encircling his throat, his heart raced faster.

With a stiff body, Aditya attempted to rise. However, his trembling body left him in a loop between falling and trying to stand.

At this moment, he was like a baby learning to stand.

Eventually, Aditya gave up trying to stand and began to crawl slowly towards the mirror on his study desk.

His elbows still trembled intensely, making his crawling staggered.

When Aditya reached the desk, he saw his books scattered on the floor. He paid no attention to them. His trembling hand reached for the edge of the desk, attempting to pull himself up.

*Badup! *Badup! *Badup! *Badup!

Aditya's heartbeat sounded so loud that he feared a heart failure.

With great effort, he managed to half-rise, his knees still touching the floor.

Fortunately, his tall stature allowed him to see the mirror without fully standing.

As he feared, the device he received from the package was constricting his neck, now red with blood.

His t-shirt had also changed color due to the absorbed blood.

Aditya's breath quickened, and dizziness crept into his spinning head. But he didn't faint; he couldn't even curse his current situation.

He didn't know what the Pendant of War wanted, but he believed whatever it was wouldn't end well for him.

The device around his neck felt like a sharp knife touching his veins. The pain he felt earlier made him realize this device could kill him anytime.

"What sin did I commit that I have to pay the price for this suffering?" Aditya asked, tears streaming down his cheeks.

He knew he couldn't do anything at the moment. The only thing he had to do was prepare for the Pendant of War game about to start.

Aditya wasn't so illiterate as to be unaware of the Death Games common in horror genres.

Quickly, he tried to find his smartphone. But his messy room made it difficult for Aditya to locate it with just his eyes.

[Game will begin in 00:01:52]

His still-limp body, overwhelmed by fear, rendered his hands unable to support him as he fell heavily to the floor.

Pain filled Aditya's mind, but he had no time to complain, let alone curse, as the countdown continued ticking.

Aditya groped around, crawling in search of his smartphone. He tossed aside books, pillows, blankets, and scattered utensils with rough hands. He had to read the game rules before Pendant of War started.

[Game will begin in 00:00:52]

Frustration began to mount as he still hadn't found his smartphone. Cold sweat dripped down Aditya's forehead, his face paled, and his eyes trembled irregularly.

[Game will begin in 00:00:37]

Luckily, he found his smartphone hidden behind his bed.

Quickly, Aditya unlocked the screen and searched for the Pendant of War app. However, a loading screen appeared due to the shared Wi-Fi network used in his boarding house.

[Game will begin in 00:00:23]

"FUCK!" Aditya finally cursed.

[Game will begin in 00:00:17]

The previously frozen Pendant of War interface now displayed a new layout featuring the Pendant of War logo and three options: [Forum], [Shop], and [Rules].

[Game will begin in 00:00:10]

Swiftly, Aditya pressed the [Rules] button.

[Game will begin in 00:00:07]

The rule points began to appear, too fast for Aditya to read entirely, so he could only skim them. Fortunately, being a law student, he was accustomed to reading thousands of pages of legislation every day.

[Game will begin in 00:00:02]

A crucial point caught Aditya's attention: "death doesn't mean die but give up means."

[Game will begin in 00:00:01]

"Doesn't that mean I won't die even if I die in the game? Hahahaha... I was too scared. Death games only exist in manga and anime! Phew~~" A rosy hue returned to Aditya's pale face.

For a moment, he felt the fear dissipate.

Upon further reflection, he realized it was unlikely for a Death Game to exist in the real world.

With the advancement of information exchange due to the internet, anyone who created a Death Game would immediately go viral.

Their faces would be plastered across every social media platform, becoming memes mocked by users worldwide. Prison would not only be the end for the creators but also death penalty would be a significant possibility.

"If it's just about not giving up, then I'm the expert! This chad will show you how much of a sigma I am!" A cocky smile returned to Aditya's face.

[Game will begin in 00:00:00]

[Happy Gaming!]

"Hahaha, let's start this and make money!!" he cheered enthusiastically before consciousness slipped away once more.

Little did Aditya know, sometimes death was a sweet release from situations that demanded giving up.