Ji-hoon's chest heaved as his eyes remained widened in shock. His hands hovered over the keyboard. His hands slowly dropped and his index finger rested on the button with the letter 'Y' inscribed on it.
"W-what the!?" He stood up and took quick steps back away from his chair.
His breathing gradually calmed down and he walked back towards the chair and sat on it.
"Should I warn others?" Ji-hoon thought to himself.
"B-before that, let me go outside. I don't know if this is another trick coming from the game," Ji-hoon stepped out, he looked around. The whole street was wet because of the rain which fell hours ago; there was absence of panic and disaster.
"There's no doubt about it. I'm back in the real world" Ji-hoon said as he raised his head to look at the sky. He turned around and went back inside and closed the door.
"For some reason, I.... I want to go back there," he slowly took steps towards his P.C.
"If no one clears this game, people will keep getting sucked into it in every update. There's no guarantee that I'll be the one to clear it, since I couldn't save myself... Or Hari. But that doesn't mean I won't struggle to survive. I'll fight on my own, I'll think on my own; the Aetheric Assembly won't give me orders that I can't object. I shall become, a Solitary Regressor."
Ji-hoon sat in front of his P.C and his fingers rested on the keyboard. His index finger landed on 'Y' and with a push, he entered.
He slowly opened his eyes, he stood in the same place. Space, an impossible cavern stretching endlessly, the ground a pattern of polished obsidian tiles that reflected millions of tiny blue flames floating above. The air shimmered with data like motes, a digital aurora painting the darkness. Everything, was the same as he remembered.
Hundreds of thousands of people screamed, panicked.
"What the hell is this?!"
"Is this VR?"
"Someone, call the police!"
Ji-hoon clenched his fists. He saw the numbers.
[Current Players Online: 699,997]
The digits flickered as a few screamed and vanished in bursts of light.
[Current Players Online: 699,000]
Everyone panicked till the ground began rumbling. Everyone froze. Then came the voice.
Just as before it wasn't loud, yet it filled every corner of existence, resonating inside their bones.
"Silence."
The command didn't echo, it reverberated, like a bell in the soul. Instantly, noise died. Thousands of throats went still.
"Welcome, Players," the word, even though it wasn't loud, it echoed, sending chills to everyone, but Ji-hoon remained calm; it isn't the first time something as dangerous has spoken to him before.
"You have been chosen to participate in the Age of Apocalypse. This world will test the limits of your species. Survive, and ascend. Fail, and perish."
Someone finally broke the spell; a man near the center, bold or foolish.
"H_" before he could speak, Ji-hoon tapped his shoulder.
"If you don't want to die, I'll insist that you keep your mouth shut."
Ji-hoon glared at him, the man glared back but quickly walked away from Ji-hoon's presence.
A ripple of light spread through the crowd. In front of every player, translucent panels blinked to life.
[STATUS WINDOW UNLOCKED]
[Lv: 1]
[HP: 100 / 100]
[Strength: 1]
[Agility: 1]
[Endurance: 1]
[Skill Slots: 0]
[Inventory: Empty]
[Currency: 0 Coins]
"This window will record your growth. Gain experience, collect coins, acquire skills, and survive. Death will be permanent. There are no respawns."
Ji-hoon placed his fingers on his chin "Looks like my stats aren't the same, meaning I'll have to st_"
In mid thoughts, Ji-hoon's window glitched, then glitched again "Oh sh_t this again?"
He immediately hid behind one of the pillars which held the place.
After 3 glitches, his status window completely turned red "W-what in the world?"
[STATUS WINDOW]
[NOTIFICATION]
[THE STATUS WINDOW HAS SURRENDERED TO YOU COMPLETELY]
"The f_ck?" Ji-hoon Muttered. Before he could say another word, his status window closed immediately. Ji-hoon was left stunned and he walked away from the pillar before anyone could suspect anything.
"The fact that the unknown voice suspected nothing about me, it means, it is not an omnipresence being, neither is it omniscient or omnipotent," Ji-hoon stood amongst the crowd.
People were shouting, pleading, some cursing the very hour they pressed play via their keyboards or controllers. The voice ignored them.
"Your first trial begins."
Just like before, a crack formed in the air above them, like glass fracturing in slow motion. The darkness shattered away and turned into pieces of data shards.
Light engulfed the chamber. Ji-hoon closed his eyes due to the sudden brightness and as he gradually opened them, his vision cleared. He was outside just like the others.
Nothing changed. Ruined skyline stretched before him, twisted steel, collapsed highways, ash-filled skies. It was Seoul, yet not. Buildings stood where they should, but they were burnt husks, draped in vines and dust.
People screamed around him. Some clutched their heads; others collapsed, weeping. The stench of smoke and rust filled Ji-hoon's lungs "Damn I forgot about this," Ji-hoon said as he coughed.
A woman nearby screamed, "It's my street! That's my apartment!" Her voice broke.
Ji-hoon stared at the woman, he felt the urge to comfort her, but he didn't. Instead he walked away.
"I'll get back to everyone. Firstly I need to see my status window again, I need to understand what it meant by it being 'Surrendered to me completely' "
Ji-hoon opened his status window again, as he entered one of the fallen buildings.
"Will it respond to me? Let me ask it something." Ji-hoon grunted as to clear his throat.
"What did you mean by you've surrendered to me completely?" Ji-hoon asked.
[STATUS WINDOW.]
[THE STATUS WINDOW HAS SURRENDERED TO YOU AND IS NO LONGER UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE CREATOR]
Ji-hoon slowly looked down "The creator? Oh I guess it's the voice which spoke to us," Ji-hoon muttered and he looked back up at the status window.
"Will the status window give me missions higher than my current strength which I can decline?"
[STATUS WINDOW]
[NEGATIVE: THE STATUS WINDOW WILL ONLY GIVE YOU MISSIONS WHICH ARE CLOSE TO OR A LITTLE BEYOND YOUR CURRENT CAPABILITY. THE STATUS WINDOW WILL TELL YOU TO WITHDRAW INCASES IT KNOWS YOU WILL DIE, THE RESPONSE IS UP TO YOU.]
"Tell me why the status window gave me the regression skill."
[STATUS WINDOW]
[DECLINED: THE STATUS WINDOW CANNOT PROVIDE YOU WITH SUCH INFORMATION TILL THE TIME IS RIGHT.]
[STATUS WINDOW]
[NOTIFICATION]
[THOUGH THE STATUS WINDOW NOW SERVES YOU, IT CANNOT APPROVE SOME OF YOUR COMMANDS.]
Ji-hoon sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Well it's not all that bad."
Ji-hoon got up "Status window, close," the status window closed. "I better get going before the Ravengar arrives."