I'm a normal guy, living an ordinary life and always trying my best to not cause any future problems, be it in my job as a game designer or in my life in general.
The thing is, it's complicated when you have a stubborn boss and weird teammates.
"Kael, do you have a girlfriend?"
'Where's his manners?'
The co-worker at his side tapped him in the shouders and shake her head.
"That was rude!"
She looked at me and smiles bright.
Why am I feeling like she's doing some type of charity?
"Anna-ssi, there's nothing rude in the question. It's not my problem if he's a loser"
He murmured.
'I'm not deaf, ashole!'
"Kael-ssi, don't be like that. Answer the question."
I downed the beer and threw the rest down my throat in one gulp.
"Sunbaenim, I don't know how this is suppose to help the next project..."
'What am I saying? I must be drunk.'
My boss started to laugh and the other's awkwardly did the same. One of them lift his index finger to the sky.
"Did I drink too much or that plane is falling?"
He asked and I looked at the same direction.
There's no way.
'Crap, indeed is falling.'
It's losing balance. The airplane was going down, more and more. When it passed close to us something fell from it. Not something. Someone fell and smash to the ground.
Whoever it is, it's dead.
Someone is dead.
Dead.
The plane disappeared from view behind the buildings and the sound of the explosion sobered me up. The flames and high smoke are the least of it, the problem is the pieces that flew far away and hit the surrounding areas.
Anna-ssi and the others looked scared. I can swear I'm probably not looking different from them. What the heck is going on?
Watching the reports on television is way different than seeing in real live.
Soon, without explanation, another plane started to come in our direction.
"We have to run..."
I said it, without moving a finger.
'What's wrong with my feets? Why I cannot run? You can't die like this, Kael. You're not a loser. Move. You have to move. Now!'
I took a deep breath and turned the table over, caughting everyone's attention.
"We have to run, NOW!!!"
The others lifted from their seats in a jump and started to run to the sides. Anna-ssi, didn't move. She was paralyzed. I held her hand and dragged her, soon she started to run almost tripping over her own feets.
Seconds. It's what it took for the plane hit the restaurant we were.
I lowered my body a little and pulled Anna behind the concrete pillar located on the corner of the street. The pieces of the plane flew and hit those who were passing by. I could only listen to their screams. Pure agony.
At the same time, countless of other planes started to fall.
'Fuck, I have a damn feeling that I know what's going on.'
If I am right, we're inside the game Fire and Guns. It's was a quite popular game years ago. But the level of the missions was hella difficult. A lot of people gave up playing and never finished the game.
The good thing is, I'm one of the designers who built the game's world. And the bad thing is... I'm a bad gamer. I die a dozen times before I could pass all those missions. And I'm sure, this time doesn't have a restart point either.
If I'm really inside Fire and Guns, I'm in the middle of the tutorial right now. The only thing I need to do is to find a Golden Area and stay there until the time limit reaches it's end. I'll be safe.
Seeing now, I'm not that unlucky. I know exactly where the Golden Area is. And Anna-ssi is one of the developers behind the missions. Thank God I save her. She'll be useful.
"Kael-ssi, why am I feeling like I know what's going on?"
'She got it too.'
"Because you know."
I answered it and she looked around and then glanced at the others hidden inside the shops down the street.
She waved at them and some comes to us.
"Anna-ssi, Kael-ssi. I think I know what's going on."
Nine said, he's another designer, like me. He also participated in the creation of this world.
"If I'm not wrong there's a Golden Area in the church in the middle of the central square. We have to go there."
I looked at Anna and confirmed it with my head. He's not wrong, I was thinking about going there too.
"So... we're safe, right?"
Zero asked, approaching us.
"Sunbae, you also know what's going on?"
"Cut the chat, we need to leave now."
I interrupted Nine and the others agreed in silence. Only Zero had a discontent look on his face.
He might be my boss in our world. But in this one... he's a burden.
I rushed to the sidewalk and the others followed along. If I'm right, after three blocks from here there's the central square.
It's not that far, but I cannot lose focus. If we keep this speed, we'll be there soon.
I hope we get there before the nightmare officially begin.
Anna-ssi run closes to me, keeping her pace at my side.
"The tutorial will begin soon, right?"
I asked and she forced a smile.
"I'm probably paying all my sins now."
She looks at the old clock in her wrist and nod with her head.
"We have.. about five minutes."
'That's not comforting at all.'
There's two more blocks ahead, we cannot waste a minute.
While we run, turning road after road. The horror gained faces. Before, was only the screams and blood flowing wild. Now, there's bodies throw around the sidewalk and in the middle of the street.
Not full bodies, but pieces of it.
That's disgusting. My stomach burns while I try to keep my composure.
Some unknown people was running to the same direction as us, other's who were hurt, was crawling inside the empty buildings. And somes were running towards us, passing by.
Anna stopped running and looked at her clock. Concern showing up in all her face.
"HEY, YOU THERE!"
She screamed and I stopped, searching who she was talking to.
An old woman — maybe in her fifties or sixties — was helding a little girl hand and pulling her to were we came from.
"COME WITH US!"
Anna said louder, placing her hand in front of her chest.
"It's dangerous there. You have to follow us!"
She continued, looking at her clock.
"Kael, you know where it is, right? We should keep moving, Anna-ssi can follow us later"
Zero pronounced, getting attention of the others who agreed with their heads.
'Is he telling me to leave my golden coin behind?'
Not even in hell.
"Nine, go first"
He nodded and took the lead. The others followed him close.
"Anna-ssi"
She looked at me and then to the clock.
"Two minutes."
She answered at the same second. I could see on her face, she's not going to leave that lady and her child behind.
"Ajuma-ssi, she's telling the truth. We just got away from there. The place is on fire, it's NOT safe."
The old lady glanced at her child and where we came from.
"Alright"
She pulled the kid and run towards us.
"One minute"
'Damn!'
I gasped for air and pick up the little girl in my arms. Kinda heavy. She must be ten or eleven years old.
"We don't have time to waste."
The lady nodded and I rushed. Anna held the lady's hand and keep my pace. While the small girl hug me and hide her face in my neck. She's scared. I cannot blame her.
I can only blame the sky who allowed such a fate.
"Anna-ssi..."
"Fourty seconds"
She answered while we turned the conner, one more block ahead. We can see the church now. I can also see the others who left early almost reaching it.
I'm so tired. I can feel all the nerves of my legs getting tense. All I desire right now it's to stop running and rest. I'm too lazy to be running around.
The little kid hugged me tighter, whole body trembling.
'I won't give up, little One. Don't worry.'
Soon, my feets stopped moving when a airplane bombarded the church. The explosion destroyed everything. The church looked like hell after the flames took over.
In the confusion, small planes appeared at distance, shooting buildings near by. Hoping to kill every living soul walking on the streets.
'What should I do now? The church was definitely the Golden Area in the game, why did it get destroyed?'
"Kael-ssi."
Anna murmured.
"I believe we-we came to the wrong place. If I remember correctly, there's a school one block from here."
I would remember if it had a Golden Area in a school. I'm sure I would.
"We need a Golden Area. Any other place will only serve to blow us out"
"I know. I know. But inside the school has a bunker, we can hide there for a while. Better there than here in the empty."
'She's right'
"Then let's get going."
We started moving, passing close to the church. Some of them were still alive.
Zero was dragging Nine, helding him by the shoulders. It's the first time I'm seeing him help someone else.
"SUNBAE, OVER HERE!"
Anna screamed, calling his attention. He saw her and called more two workers who were still alive to help him carry Nine around.
'We're almost there.'
The little girl screamed close to my ears as an airplane stars to get closer and destroy the neighborhood.
"Everyone inside!"
I run into the building, it has a glamorous hotel lobby. A big place with bad coverage, full glass walls.
"Wait right here. I'll come back"
I left the girl on the floor, behind the balcony and she nodded quietly. There's no time left, the shooting has started. I rushed to the doors.
'Where's my golden coin?'
Anna-ssi showed up on the door, holding the lady close to her body. She got shot.
'Shit.'
I runned towards them and helped her carry the lady out, we lay her in front of the balcony. She's having trouble to breathe.
"What do we do now?"
Anna asked while I sit down. She's trying to make pressure over the wound.
How do I tell her that this is only a waste of time? I know she's not gonna make it. Not in this situation.
"Hey, Kid. Do you wanna say goodbye to your mom?"
Anna stared at me, looking mad.
'I'm not good with words, Golden Coin.'
The little girl shows her face from behind the balcony and glance at the woman. The lady's eyes were filled with tears. I have seen that look before. It's the same look my mother gave it to me on her dying days. She knows her fate.
Anna distanced herself from the lady and the little girl hugged her. Cuddling tight. The woman smiles and gently tap her back.
Zero also got inside with the others. I can see better now, Nine didn't get hurt by the flames of the explosion, there's a trace of blood running from his leg, he also got shot.
Anna looked at me.
"What do we do now?"
I ponder for a while and looked to the others. Nine is hurt, will be troublesome to carry him around. But luckily, we are in a good number. We can make it work. The lady, we can find a way to carry her... Or not. Her chest is not moving anymore. She's dead.
She's dead like the cold bodies on the street.
"Anna.."
I indicate with my head and she seems to understand. She got closer to the kid and tried to console her.
"We need to leave."
Zero stared blankly at me.
"Are you out of your mind? There's a lot of fucking planes out there and they have enough ammo to kill us all."
"I'm sure they do. But I'm also sure that they will come back. They'll come back soon enough to kill us. You can stay here if you want, but I'm leaving. I will not gonna wait for the reaper to get me with open arms."
I got up and headed close to Anna.
"Hey, Kid. We gotta go."
The small girl looked up, stared at me and then to Anna. She gets up. She lift her arms and I pick her up.
"What's your name?"
"Lucia."
She answered low.
"Lucia, look at me sweetie. Uncle will need you to be strong right now, okay? Can you do that?"
She nodded and hugged me again.
"Alright, let's get moving."
Anna got up in a jump and approached the door. I don't waste time and follow her close, the others followed along while helping Zero.
This time, we walked.
There's no way they could run while carrying Nine. He looks skinny, but he's tall, so he's not a light weight guy at all.
While we move around, Lucia was playing with my hair. Trying to make braids, almost reaching my shoulders. I'm probably looking like crap right now.
For out luck, it didn't took that much time for us to reach the school, was way closer than the path we took before to get to the church.
Anna opened the front gate and waved at us.
"Let's go. I sure they're getting closer."
As she says we hear an explosion, the block we were before was bombarded.
The others looked back and then at me. I guess they feel glad for themselves, for chosing to follow us.
Anna rushed and opened the two huge doors of the school. Checkered floor, tall walls, wood stairs in the middle of the hall. It's a prestigious institution. Maybe that's the reason why the bunker was made, they had a lot of governmental money to spend.
We followed through until we reached the stairs. One of the stairs went up to the second floor and the other to a door, probably a passage to the underground bunker.
As we get closer, a man showed up in the top of the stairs.
"Hey, guys! Over here. There's a Golden Area here."
I glanced at Anna and at the others and they all looked confused. There's no info in the game describing a Golden Area in schools.
"What are you guys waiting for?"
Anna took the lead and went upstairs. I held Lucia tighter and followed her. As soon as we get to the second floor we realized he wasn't lying.
There's a fucking Golden Area here.
I passed through the Golden Veil and put Lucia on the ground, my arms are breaking in pain. She's light weight for her age, but the more a held her, the more heavier she got.
I got closer to the classroom windows and watched the view. Almost everything is in flames and there's still a lot of planes flying in the top of our heads. Only an enormous building in the middle of the city was standing still, in the top of, it had four big screans and a system message.
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Tutorial Mission.
∆ Survival
Objective: Survive for the next four hours.
Dangerous Rate: 70%
✓ Conclusion
Prize: Your Life and 5.000,00 Coins.
[Failure results in death]
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I guess we're really inside the game.
'What a disaster.'
I looked around, seeing those who were hiding here before and my body froze in the same instant as I got my eyes on to of him. In the conner of the room, a tall and dark silhouette was watching us.
Anna followed my eye sight and gulps.
"Short black hair and white eyes... Do you think he's the one I'm imagining?"
'You're right, Golden Coin. He's Kayzen Eder, the Protagonist of this World.'