Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare-Chapter 84: They’re no here to kill yet

Night had truly fallen now, draping the jungle in thick darkness, the air buzzing with the calls of nocturnal insects and the distant cries of unseen creatures. The trees swayed gently in the warm breeze, their silhouettes towering like ancient sentinels around the small camp. The stars shimmered faintly above the canopy, occasionally peeking through breaks in the foliage.

With the tiger-like beast lying lifeless at the edge of the clearing, its blood soaking into the earth, the group slowly began to recover from the earlier shock. Sera had been bandaged, now resting against a tree with her head bowed. Eleanor sat beside her, watchful and quiet, occasionally checking the wound.

Von, as pragmatic as ever, stood over the corpse of the beast, arms crossed and eyes sharp. "We eat it," he said bluntly.

"What?" Sophia asked, wrinkling her nose. "You’re serious?"

"We have no luxury of choice," Von replied, glancing around at the group. "We’re low on food. No fresh kill, no meat. And that thing’s fresh. We waste it, we go hungry."

Jason made a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh. "Can’t we... maybe find some fruit or—"

"No," Von cut in. "Fruits are rare this deep. And not all of ’em are safe. I know this meat. It’s not the first time I’ve eaten one." He paused, then added with a smirk, "Tastes better than it looks."

Liam didn’t say anything. He simply nodded once and stepped beside Marcus, who was already rising to his feet. "We’ll stand guard," Liam said. "You do what you have to do."

Von nodded in approval, then whistled to the others. "Threk. Gorr. Borik. With me."

Borik muttered something about how his dwarven hands were too refined for butchering oversized cats, but he still shuffled over, grumbling with every step. Threk cracked his knuckles and drew a long curved knife, kneeling beside the beast. Gorr rolled up his sleeves, his face set in a grim but focused expression.

The three of them worked in silence, skinning the beast with practiced hands, slicing through thick fur and muscle while Von paced around the camp’s perimeter, checking the darkness between the trees for any signs of movement. Occasionally, he stopped to listen, eyes narrowing.

"Too quiet," he muttered under his breath, though he didn’t raise alarm. Just sharpened his senses.

Meanwhile, the girls took a moment to themselves. Mariel, Sophia, Eleanor, and Sera gathered near the edge of the river, where Jason had gone to fetch water. The girls took turns dabbing the cool water onto their faces and arms, washing off sweat, dirt, and the sickly smell of jungle balm that still clung stubbornly to their skin.

"This place is cursed," Sophia said as she rinsed her hands. "I swear I’ll never complain about home again."

Mariel glanced over her shoulder at Liam, who stood at the far side of the camp with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his gaze scanning the trees.

"I don’t mind the jungle," Mariel said softly. "Not if it means something." She didn’t elaborate further, but her eyes lingered on Liam.

Back at the clearing, smoke began to curl upward from the small fire Threk had rekindled. Thick cuts of the tiger meat were already skewered and sizzling over the flame. The smell wasn’t exactly pleasant—gamey and strange—but after days of travel, the promise of hot food was enough to make stomachs grumble.

One by one, the group gathered by the fire. They ate in silence at first, chewing slowly, unsure of the taste. It was chewy and wild, the texture somewhere between venison and boar. Not exactly delicious, but not unbearable either.

"I’ve had worse," Marcus said through a mouthful. "Still better than stale bread."

Borik just shook his head, chewing noisily. "Hmph. Could use salt. Or ale."

Even Sophia, after much hesitation, finally took a bite and grimaced. "It’s food," she muttered. "Barely."

Eventually, as their bellies filled and the night deepened, the exhaustion of the day began to settle in.

Makeshift beds were spread out again—some on furs, some on folded cloaks. Eleanor saw to Sera one last time before curling up under a tree. Marcus found a flat patch near the fire and threw himself down with a loud sigh. Even Mariel, who had been humming softly to herself, tucked into a blanket and lay beside Sophia, who avoided her gaze.

Von didn’t sleep.

He tapped Liam on the shoulder and motioned to the trees. "You and me. First watch."

Liam nodded. "Got it."

They stood silently at opposite ends of the camp, blades in hand, eyes on the shadows.

Midnight came cloaked in silence, the kind that draped over the jungle like a suffocating veil. The fire had dimmed to embers, barely casting any glow across the camp. Crickets chirped in unbroken rhythm, and the occasional flutter of wings or rustle in the underbrush seemed harmless in the stillness.

Liam stood near a low-lying tree, his back pressed lightly against its bark, eyes half-open but alert. Von was farther off, leaning against his club with his cutlass drawn, scanning the shadows with his usual predator-like awareness. Both of them had gone through enough long nights in the jungle to know that danger never truly slept—not here.

But tonight, even they didn’t see it coming.

The attack wasn’t loud. It wasn’t messy. It was methodical—almost like the forest itself had decided to rise against them. The jungle natives moved like whispers through the trees, their bodies painted in ash and blood, blending into the foliage like spirits of the wild. There were many—at least twenty—armed with curved blades, sharp wooden spears, and nets crafted from thick vines.

Liam first felt the shift in the air. A subtle sound—like bare feet against moss.

He turned just in time to see one of the natives leap from a tree and land silently near the sleeping figures of Eleanor and Jason. In seconds, both were seized—throats pressed under the curve of bone-bladed knives before they could so much as blink awake.

"Hey—!" Liam barked, stepping forward, but he was already too late.

More figures appeared from the shadows, their bodies thin but wiry, eyes glinting with eerie green light in the dark. They moved fast, surrounding the camp in a silent circle. Von turned sharply at the sudden movement, growling beneath his breath as he raised his cutlass, but even he hesitated when he saw what they held.

Two of them had grabbed Sophia and Mariel too—yanking them up from their bedrolls, blades pressed to their necks, one of the natives shouting something sharp and guttural in a language that made the hairs on Liam’s neck stand.

"Don’t move!" Liam shouted instinctively, holding up a hand, but his eyes darted to Sophia—her breathing rapid, eyes wide but defiant—and Mariel, who was shaking but trying hard to stay calm.

More of the natives fanned out, their movements swift and graceful, circling Liam, Von, Marcus, and the rest like wolves closing in on wounded prey. Borik had scrambled to his feet, gripping his axe, but Threk pulled him back, whispering something in the dwarf’s ear. Gorr stood stone-still, eyes narrowed.

"What the hell are they saying?" Marcus hissed, axe half-raised.

"They’re threatening to kill the girls," Von growled, voice cold with rage. "They want us to surrender. Now."

"But—"

"Do it," Von snapped, eyes never leaving the knife pressed to Mariel’s throat. "We’re outnumbered. One wrong move and they’ll kill at least two of us before we blink. Just... lower your weapons." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Liam’s grip on his sword tightened, but then he looked again—Sophia’s blue eyes locked on his, silently pleading, and Mariel, trembling but trying to speak through gritted teeth. He cursed low and slowly dropped his blade to the ground. Marcus hesitated longer but followed, growling under his breath as his axe clanged softly against a rock.

"Smart," Threk muttered, barely audible. "They’re not here to kill... yet."

Von slowly raised his hands and stepped forward slightly, speaking in low, broken tones in their language—words Liam couldn’t understand. The lead native responded in a series of sharp clicks and growls, pointing to the group’s supplies and gesturing toward the trees.

"They want us as prisoners," Von translated grimly. "Probably gonna march us to wherever the hell they came from."

Jason grunted from where he was pinned down, still groggy. "What now?"

"We go," Von said, his jaw clenched. "We stay alive. We wait for a chance."

No one dared argue.