A red-tinged vision burned at the edges of her sight, accompanied by a hollow ache in her chest. Mochi frowned at the system message.
She gripped her head, shaking it to clear her thoughts. She hadn't expected her bloodlust to spike from just the idea of killing someone, but the surprise pleased her. At least this meant her runs wouldn't be mindless button-mashing anymore.
Narrowing her eyes, she assessed the changes. Only her peripheral vision showed the red tint, and strangely, she felt energized rather than weakened. Was this actually a buff disguised as a debuff?
"Like berserk mode in an RPG?" Mochi chuckled at her own naive thought. No, there had to be a catch. There always was.
But that just made it more interesting. She could test it properly when the timer ran out, before facing this mod's real challenges.
"System. Buy the following skills."
Her eyes scanned the merchant's grid of options, lingering on the curious "lethal mode" notation. She wasn't a natural killer - hell, she barely used knives in her own kitchen. But that didn't mean she shouldn't experiment with these modified vanilla skills.
This tutorial would be her testing ground, a gentle introduction before the mod's true horrors revealed themselves.
"
She'd milk this tutorial for all it was worth, rewriting her understanding of this supposedly "pacifist" game.
The metallic clank of approaching boots sent Mochi scrambling to the bedside. She curled into a ball, making herself as small and pathetic-looking as possible.
"System, how do I activate skills?"
Convenient. At least she wouldn't have to shout her attacks like some anime character.
Her cheeks burned as if molten lava flowed beneath her skin. Was this the
No, this was just normal hesitation. The realization that she'd be killing actual humans, not clusters of pixels designed to look human. Though technically, she was human too.
She might hesitate at the last moment. Might freeze when seeing genuine fear. Might die because she adapted too slowly.
But that risk...that's what made her dead heart pound with excitement.
Mochi grinned, blaming the
----------
The footsteps paused outside the door, the guard's shadow visible through the crack. Mochi wondered if she could force tears to make her act more convincing.
No time. She curled tighter, letting moonlight shadow her face.
The doorknob turned with a soft click.
The door creaked open. A gasp. Then the steady clank of armored boots on carpet.
Too steady. Too formal. The rhythm grated against her corrupted soul - such purity was offensive to someone like her.
Peeking between her bony knees, she saw exactly what she expected: a generic mob in stone-colored armor with the standard-issue sword. Brown hair, bangs covering the eyes - the developers' lazy solution to avoiding facial animations.
Mochi's pulse synchronized with the approaching footsteps. One...two... Damn, could he walk any slower? Was he actually hesitating to attack a girl? She was the enemy here!
The footsteps stopped. A shadow loomed over her trembling form. Behind her knees, her grin widened.
"A-are you...okay?"
"Yeah, I am."
Her heartbeat stilled as she uncoiled like a spring, palm slamming into the guard's face.
"
The powder erupted from her hand, flooding his nose and mouth. As he staggered back, choking, she gave him no quarter.
"
An iron hook shot from her palm, its rope coiling around the guard's legs. A sharp tug sent him crashing to the floor.
"System. Buy
The pixelated dagger materialized in her grip. Without hesitation, she lunged, blade aimed for his exposed neck.
Clang!
A miniature ice spike intercepted her strike, shattering the dagger. Before she could react, an invisible force slammed into her gut, sending her crashing against the wall.
What the hell? Since when did basic guards have magic? She spat blood, glaring at the upgraded NPC she'd underestimated.
The guard struggled to his feet, wind swirling around his fingers like loyal servants. This mod had clearly messed with enemy parameters.
Yet facing this unexpected challenge sent adrenaline coursing through her veins. Mochi pushed through the pain, her manic grin never faltering.
As she charged, the guard's wind magic dissipated, replaced by glittering frost. He slammed his palms to the ground, sending ice spikes shooting toward her.
"
The world blinked. Suddenly she was behind the guard, watching as his own ice spike impaled his outstretched hand. His scream was music to her ears.
Her grapple hook found his neck next, yanking him face-first into the floor. When he tried to rise, she drove the broken dagger into his throat.
Blood gushed. The guard gurgled. Mochi tilted her head, observing the scene with detached curiosity.
Ah. She understood now.
Her gaze traveled from his bloodied lips to his bulging eyes, then to the dagger still lodged in his throat. The blade remained stubbornly clean, as if refusing to acknowledge the violence.
Her knife was broken.
She'd have to push it in deeper.
Gripping the hilt with both hands, she leaned her full weight into the thrust, feeling the metal grind against bone.
Finally. Now everything matched - all painted the same beautiful shade of red.
The Executioner's smile widened in satisfaction.