Horror Movie Executioner

I was lying on the cold floor, feeling fatigue rolling over me in a heavy wave. The pain in the body slowly receded, giving way to numbo. I looked around, looking for at least some sign of where I was, but I saw only the darkness. Then, as if with a snap of fingers, everything around changed.

I found myself in a spacious cave with high stone vaults. The hole in the rock served as a huge window overlooking the endless ocean. The waves hit the coastal rocks, creating a soothing noise, and the gray sky was visible on the horizon, as if in a picture.

There was twilight inside the cave, but it was quite warm and cozy. The fireplace was burning, spreading soft warmth and cozy light, which was reflected on the bookshelves, set with old volumes. The room was furnished with soft sofas and armchairs, there was a carpet on the floor, and wooden dishes were on the low table.

I looked at it all and realized that this place is my recreation area.

I got to my feet, feeling my body aching with pain, but now everything was different. I was safe. I walked around the room, looking around, with undisguised surprise. It was as if someone specially arranged this place for me.

I approached the fireplace and warmed my hands over the fire, feeling it gradually warm my body. I looked towards the ocean and was filled with some strange calm.

The system, of course, did not miss the opportunity to remind itself again.

Welcome to the recreation area.

You get 2 days for full recovery.

Food and water in the recreation area are endless.

I stared at these words and, contrary to my usual cynicism, I couldn't hold back a bitter smile.

- Well, okay, I muttered the fucking system, feeling anger slowly let me go.

Thank you. Thank you for letting me rest somewhere.

- Of course, I still hate you for all this shit, but damn it, now, this... it's just amazing...

I felt how rage and despair give way to gratitude, albeit crooked, but gratitude.

I went to the table and took some fruit, biting off a big piece. It was juicy and sweet, as if I hadn't eaten anything for ages. I took cool water from a jug and drank it in one sip, feeling my thirst recede.

I looked at the ocean, and despite all my grievances and hatred, I could not help but admit that this place was a paradise. I was safe.

I could rest, I could sleep, I could gain strength. But all this only delayed the inevitable. What's waiting for me next? What other flour has been prepared for me by the system and god?

I sat down in one of the soft chairs, closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down and relax.

But the images of these creatures, their hissing, their claws, their teeth were still spinning in my head.

I wanted to forget about it, I wanted to stop thinking about death at least for a while.

I opened my eyes and looked at the bookshelves, on which there were many old books. I got up and, going to the shelves, took one of them in my hands.

Its binding was shabby, but the sheets inside were like new. I opened it on a random page and started reading. I knew it could distract me from my gloomy thoughts.

But whatever I did, I understood that it was all temporary. I was trapped, and I have no way out. But still, at the moment, I was safe.

And this, at least for a while, gave me hope. I had to rest, I had to recover, and I had to prepare for what was waiting for me next. And maybe someday I'll find out why I deserved all this. But now, at least I can say thank you

*

*

*

I woke up feeling renewed. The pain in the body is completely gone, and the mind became clear and calm. I

Looked out the window at the ocean and thought that this place was the only thing that somehow brightens up my dreary life.

I stretched, felt the muscles tense and relax, and decided it was time to get up.

The system, as always, here and here, immediately appeared before my eyes, like an annoying fly:

The rest is over.

Your Executioner rating has been updated.

"The rating of the executioner? What the fuck?" I thought, frowning. I had no idea what she was talking about at all, and it made me tense.

I stretched out and, muttering curses towards the system and God, put down the old book again and sat down on the couch.

- Let's see what you'll throw for me this time - I grumbled, mentally touching the system menu.

The screen opened, and a new tab called "Rating of Executioners" appeared there. I touched her, and a completely different world opened up before me.

It was a list with many nicknames divided into categories from the weakest to the strongest. In the first place was a certain "Fighter of Countless Worlds", and at the very end there were nicks with the names "Brake", "Meat", "Victim" and much more.

I scrolled down a little until I saw my position.

Place in the rating of Executioners: 999

Previous place: 1000.

I couldn't believe my eyes. It turns out that I'm not the only one who travels around the worlds and fights monsters.

There are a lot of us, and someone even created a rating so that we could compete?

"What a fucking irony!" I thought, with a crooked smile.

- It's not just torture, it's also a competition!

But still, I went up one position. It's fucking something, it means. The system didn't miss the opportunity, praise me, bitch:

You have risen to 1 position in the rating of Executioners. As a reward, you get a random skill.

This time, I didn't say anything. In the end, what was left for me? And what are these curses for? I just accepted the fact that I'm just a pawn in this fucking game, and closed my eyes, preparing for anything.

The screen flashed again, and a new notification appeared.

You got the skill: "Scream of Fury".

Skill description: You make a loud cry that stuns enemies for a short time. The effectiveness of the scream depends on your level of Rage.

I winced with disappointment. "Well, of course, a scream, fuck. That's what I need now," I thought. But I decided to check how it works, and screamed as if cut. My voice became loud and low, like a roar, and the whole cave trembled from its strength.

Fuck it! - I muttered, with undisguised surprise. This cry was, in fact, very powerful, and maybe it will be useful to me someday.

I looked at the system screen and grinned. I was no longer that scared boy who was constantly offended by everyone.

I was the Executioner. And I was ready to continue climbing this fucking rating ladder, even if it means that I will have to kill and die again and again. I had to prove that I was worthy of at least something, even if it was just a place in some stupid rating table.

I spent the next two days in the recreation area, as if there was no hell in which I was torn apart. I woke up, ate, drank, and then started training. I did push-ups, squats, ran around the cave, trying to develop endurance and speed.

I constantly used the "Scream of Fury", studying its power and trying to learn how to control it.

In general, I was focused on becoming stronger.

In my free time from training, I was lying on the couch and reading books. Old novels, fairy tales, philosophical treatises - everything.

I tried to distract myself from all this shit, from my helplessness and horror that haunted me. Books were, in a way, my salvation, a refuge where I could forget about everything for a while.

I thought a lot about what was happening to me. About the system, about God, about the rating of executioners and everything else. I understood that I was just a pawn in this game, that I was being used as some kind of puppet. But, no matter what, I wasn't going to give up.

I had to survive, I had to become stronger, I had to prove that I was here for a reason. And maybe someday I'll be able to fight back.

I remembered my past life, my school, my adoptive parents, and realized that my life was already shit. There was nothing good, nothing valuable about it. And now I have a chance. A chance to change everything, to become someone I've never been. And I, bitch, am not going to miss him.

I stopped cursing the system, stopped cursing God. I just accepted that all this is there and started moving on. I realized that hatred and malice would not help me survive. That I need calmness, strength, and the ability to adapt to any circumstances.

Time passed, and I felt how my body became stronger, how my mind became sharper. I was ready. I was ready for new trials, for new torments. I was ready for anything.

But I wasn't ready for what happened on the last day of vacation.

I was sitting in an armchair, reading some old fairy tale, when suddenly, the air around me began to bend. I felt the tension growing in the room, and I seemed to be pressed into the chair.

I raised my head and saw a crack in the center of the room, as if the fabric of reality had been torn. A black fog broke out of it, and a man appeared from this crack, as if out of nowhere.

He was dressed in all black, his face was hidden by a hood, and he emanated such a monstrous aura that I was literally paralyzed with fear. He just stood in the center of my recreation area and looked at me. I couldn't move, I couldn't say a word. Everything inside me was freezing with horror.

I looked at him and tried to figure out who he was and what he was doing here? He didn't look like the person I've seen before. His aura radiated strength, cruelty and some icy coldness. It was someone I obviously wouldn't want to face.

The thought flashed inside me that I, bitch, was in shit. And this time, it seems, everything is really very bad.

A stranger drilled at me for a couple more seconds, and this look took my breath away.

It seemed that this look penetrated through me, taking away all my strength and will. But then, as suddenly as it appeared, the aura disappeared. The monstrous weight that pressed on me melted, and I was able to breathe deeply. The man in the hood smiled. The smile was strange, predatory, but not evil, but rather... interested.

So what a beginner you are - he said, his voice was low and hoarse, like an old gun. - My name is Alex Mercer. Or rather, my name is Alex Mercer now. And I'm... just one of the players. And quite... experienced. I've been traveling around these worlds for thousands of years, and to be honest, I've seen a lot over the past centuries. And many, many deaths. A lot.

I just looked at him, unable to say a word.

- What do you mean you are a player?

"Yes, a player. We, the players, find ourselves in different worlds, different versions of the earth, and fight monsters as if in an endless game. You're probably from another version, and I'm probably from an even earlier one. And I don't know exactly what place we took in this big game, only in this reality. You seem to be a newcomer. And I... I've already had time to fill myself with cones.

Alex paused, and his look became much more insightful.

- But don't forget - you can change everything, you can get out of this loop. You have to act.

He held out his hand to me, and I, overcoming my fear, shook it. His hand was strong, but there was an amazing caution in it. He felt my suffering, but at the same time, he offered his help.

Help, which may have led to a new fight, but helped to find at least a drop of hope.

So, newbie, we have an hour before your next "tour to hell", what do they call it here? - Alex said, sitting on one of the soft sofas and offering me to sit next to him. - It's time to chat.

I nodded, still a little stunned by the appearance of this man, who, as it turned out, went through all the same shit as me, but on a completely different level. I sat down opposite him, feeling a strange mixture of fear and respect.

Tell me your story, Alex," I asked. "If, of course, you don't mind.

Alex grinned, and his eyes flashed red for a moment.

- History? I have thousands of them, friend. But in short, I, like you, used to be an ordinary person. But here's my world... it was a little different from yours. There was nothing good in it, only a constant war, constant battles. I was a soldier, and I fought to the last, but it didn't help. I died, like everyone else, but then I woke up here, in this shit. And, you know what? I'm not the only one.

He fell silent, as if memories had rushed over him, and then continued:

- I don't know how much time I spent in this meat grinder. Years? Centuries? Millennium? Time flows differently here, it seems to stretch and shrink depending on what kind of world you are in. I visited many worlds, fought with different monsters, died hundreds of times, but every time I came back here, to this cursed recreation area. And every time, he started over.

But how did you manage to climb so high in the ranking? - I asked, not understanding how you could last so long in this game.

Alex grinned, and a spark flashed in his eyes.

- There are some secrets, I'll tell you. First of all, always try to pay attention to how you get points. For murders, of course, but there are other ways. For example, for fulfilling certain conditions or actions that are not always obvious. Secondly, and this is probably the most important thing, try not to die. Although it sounds stupid, every time you die, the system takes away part of your progress. And thirdly, try to look for weaknesses in enemies. Strength is good, but brains are better. Well, and of course, you need to try something new, they are not afraid to take risks. There are no safe options in this game.

I listened to him, realizing that this man, despite all his cynicism, wanted to help. He went through all this, he knows more than I do, and his advice could have been useful to me.

But why are you helping me, Alex? - I asked. - After all, you could have just left me dying.

Alex looked at me, and his face became sad for a moment.

- I've seen a lot of newcomers like you, my friend. And many of them were broken, many were just eaten by it. But I saw something different in you. You didn't break down, despite all the torments, and that made me interested. You're not just a victim. You are something more. Plus, I just want to help.

He smiled, and I felt hope waking up in me. Maybe I wasn't doomed to eternal torment. Perhaps I could get out of this loop if I was smart and cunning.

By the way," Alex suddenly said, getting up from the couch. "I have one gift for you.

He approached some closet and pulled out a strange, black object from there, similar to a blade, shrouded in strange energy.

It's a quinke," he said. "Narukami. In one of the worlds I got acquainted with, there were such things. But, most importantly, she's powerful, bitch. It seems to me that such a gift will suit you, you look a bit like a character from one anime, "Tokyo Ghoul", well, you know, that kid who constantly cried, and then began to kick everyone's ass.

I looked at him incomprehensibly.

- Tokyo ghoul? What is it?

Alex shrugged his shoulders.

- Never mind. Just use it wisely, and let it help you survive.

Thank you, Alex - I replied, accepting the gift. - I definitely use it.

At this point, the system displayed a notification.

Before moving to the next zone: 15 minutes.

We were silent, and Alex, patting me on the shoulder, said:

- Good luck, boy. I hope to see you again. And after that, it melted in the air.

I was left alone, holding this strange gift in my hands, feeling both fear and hope at the same time.