The eyes of a man opened to a vast void.
It was endless. Too large to comprehend. The darkness felt heavy, as if it were swallowing him whole pressing in, crushing his sense of self.
Then something opened its eyes.
And gazed back at him.
"AGHH—!!"
Ji Yun jolted upright, a strangled gasp tearing from his throat. His chest burned as he clutched it tightly, his heart pounding as if it wanted to escape his ribcage. Cold sweat drenched his back.
"Hah… hah… haa…"
He struggled to breathe, his vision swimming as fragments of the dream lingered in his mind.
"That dream…" He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Agh… fuck. Get it together, Ji Yun.
He slapped both cheeks hard, the sting grounding him in reality, then hurried out of bed.
"Shit—I have work! How the hell did I forget?!"
The rest of his morning passed in a blur. A rushed shower. Clothes thrown on carelessly. A few hurried bites of breakfast. Then he was out the door
"I hope I'm not late…"
With a piece of toast clenched between his lips, Ji Yun jogged along the sidewalk toward the subway station. His breath came out uneven, legs aching as he descended the stairs.
Just in time, the train doors slid open.
He stepped inside and exhaled deeply.
Phew. Caught it.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he glanced around the car, scanning faces out of habit.
…There.
Ah. Kim Dokja.
Ji Yun slowly approached him. Kim Dokja stood near the doors, completely absorbed in the novel displayed on his phone, oblivious to the surrounding noise.
"Yo, Kim. First time seeing you this late."
Dokja looked up, blinking in surprise before smiling faintly.
"Oh hi, Ji Yun. You look pretty disheveled. Ran to catch the train?"
He chuckled lightly.
Ji Yun scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Yeah. Overslept."
Dokja gave a small laugh and returned to his phone, as uninterested in conversation as ever.
This ride's gonna be boring, Ji Yun thought. I'll just listen to music.
He reached into his bag, pulled out his earphones, and slid them in just as the train lurched forward.
A while later, Ji Yun noticed an empty seat near Dokja.
But it wasn't empty anymore.
A familiar woman sat there.
Oh… Yoo Sangah from HR.
Didn't know she used this line.
She sat neatly beside Dokja, posture straight, hands folded. The two of them stood out oddly among the half-asleep commuters.
Ji Yun watched them for a moment.
…They actually looked kind of good together.
Realizing he'd been staring too long, Ji Yun quickly looked away.
Don't be a creep
SCREEECH—!
The train suddenly screeched to a violent halt.
The lights flickered once then went out.
Screams filled the car as people stumbled, clinging desperately to handrails and poles. Ji Yun barely managed to keep his footing, gripping a strap tightly.
"What happened?!"
Before anyone could answer.
THZZZT.
Something manifested at the far end of the car.
A small white creature floated in midair. It had two short horns and an unsettling grin etched across its face.
"Jahsnwm."
The sound it made was strange garbled, yet oddly familiar.
…Spanish? Ji Yun thought, confused.
"I think it's speaking Spanish…" Yoo Sangah said hesitantly.
Her voice snapped Ji Yun back to attention.
"Ahem. Ahem."
The creature cleared its throat.
"Can anyone understand me now?"
It tilted its head, chuckling. "Gosh, the language patch malfunctioned for a moment."
Then it raised its voice.
"CAN ANYONE HEAR ME NOW?"
"Hey!" a man shouted. "What the hell are you supposed to be?!"
Ji Yun stiffened.
Either brave… or a complete idiot.
Before he could think further, a blue screen flashed into existence before his eyes.
[Main Scenario – Proof of Value]
Clear Conditions: Kill one or more living beings
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: 300 coins
Penalty: Death
Kill… a living being.
Human or anything alive.
A scream cut through the air.
Ji Yun turned.
Blood splattered the ceiling.
The man who had shouted lay crumpled on the floor, his head completely gone.
"I EXPECT TO SEE AN INTERESTING STORY!"
The white creature laughed hysterically before vanishing.
Silence followed.
Then panic.
The blue screen appeared again.
"What the hell…?" Ji Yun muttered, looking around. "Everyone has one…?"
The train descended into chaos.
Ji Yun slowly turned.
Kim Dokja stood nearby, Yoo Sangah clinging tightly to his arm. Unlike everyone else, Dokja looked… calm.
"Kim," Ji Yun asked, his voice shaking, "what's going on?"
Dokja murmured quietly, almost to himself.
"…The world has become a game."
A game.
Yes.
The world had become one.
"Everyone, calm down!"
A firm voice cut through the panic.
A man stepped forward confidently. "I am an Army Lieutenant, currently serving in Unit 6502."
The crowd relaxed slightly.
Until a nationwide broadcast appeared.
"We will handle this unidentified terrorist att—"
BANG!
The minister collapsed mid-sentence, his head blown apart.
The white creature reappeared on-screen, its eyes glowing red..
"THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!"
It laughed mockingly.
[The time limit has been reduced.]
People screamed again.
Another screen appeared this time showing a high school classroom. Students died one by one until the last survivor strangled another to death.
"This is…" Ji Yun swallowed. "This is gruesome."
He turned back to Kim Dokja, who stared at his phone intently.
"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"
Ji Yun spun around.
A white-haired boy in a green school uniform had grabbed a frail old woman by the collar, lifting her off the ground.
Without thinking, Ji Yun moved.
"Ji Yun?!" Yoo Sangah cried. "Why is he going there?!"
The boy raised his fist Ji Yun caught his arm.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
The boy stared at him in shock before snarling and struggling.
"Let go! Didn't you read the screen?! Either we kill or we die!"
"No," Ji Yun said firmly. "You're not trying to survive."
The boy froze.
"You're enjoying it."
The punch came suddenly.
Ji Yun took it.
It barely hurt.
He grabbed the boy by the throat and slammed him into the wall.
"Killing isn't for fun," Ji Yun growled. "It's for survival."
"STOP!" someone screamed.
"It doesn't say humans," Kim Dokja said calmly. "It says living beings. Insects count."
Everyone froze.
Dokja crushed a grasshopper underfoot.
[Scenario Cleared.]
Like starving wolves, people rushed—but there weren't enough.
Only Kim Dokja. Yoo Sangah. The lieutenant a Kid the finance manager passed.
The boy struggled weakly.
This world has changed, Ji Yun thought.
And people like you will make it worse.
He tightened his grip.
[Scenario Cleared]
The system confirmed it.
And Lastly Ji Yun.