[3051 August 15, New Gregorian Calendar]
Plop...
Plop.....
Plo-...
In the silent dorm, the eerie sound of water hitting the floor rang callously in the empty room. The torrential winds swept chillingly through the half-open window, the creak of rotten wood echoing infinitely in the darkness.
In every corner, there seemed to be something lurking, monstrous and terrifying.
It reeked of death and fear.
"EU-eurgh"
"Ah-aha"
The sudden sound of screams shattered the static silence, like the gears of a machine had started turning.
Gradually, the silent space was filled with intermittent voices, the cries of despair and madness of the dead.
Chu Yi looked around indifferently.
He stood in the middle of an empty room, the walls stained with rust. All around him, there were pools of reddish-brown liquid. Maybe the rust had drained from the rain, maybe it was something else.
He didn't care to find out.
Browse furrowed with dissatisfaction,
"Where was he?"
All around him sounded the cries of death as if he was standing in the corridor of a crowded hospital, but he could see nothing.
A minute ago, he had been looking down into the eyes of his latest victim, their dull pupils staring hopelessly back at him. The warm blood stilldrippedg from his scalpel, a metallic scent drafting into his nose.
His thin lips rose slightly as he recalled the sight of the life slowly fading away from their eyes.
The sight of their blood cooling as it dripped from their torn neck was beautiful. The darkness hidden in those empty pupils was truly enchanting.
Lifeless and still.
While reveling in his memories, he was snapped awake by the inorganic sound of a long crackle.
Like a radio changing frequency, there was a minute of static, before a voice resounded.
[Welcome to the Nightmare Shuttle, Passenger 50001]
Chu Yi raised a brow, but didn't mean to interrupt,
[Congratulations on boarding your shuttle, here we provide you with the best experiences, and promise to meet all your wishes]
[On your left, you will see a brochure, that will explain all the rules of this shuttle, you will be provided with a backpack with all the supplies you'll need, and finally a map of all the chambers on this shuttle]
[Your first task is to..]
[ Find the missing ticket ]
[ Failure to complete this, will result in being sent to the Red Chamber]
[Before we begin, You must remember, ]
[Don't trust the Conductor]
[Your countdown begins now]
Afterward, there was another long static before it was radio silent once again. Throughout the entire process, Chu Yi listened stoically. An almost amused grin graced his lips.
In conclusion, he had been mysteriously transported to this so-called nightmare shuttle and was being forced to perform tasks. There had also been a bloody warning at the end that spelled of ill-boding.
In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a large, transparent screen,
There was a countdown
[5:00:00]
It seems 5 hours was the limit.
Looking around, Chu Yi also caught sight of a black book that appeared mysteriously in the previously bare room. As well as a bulging black backpack sitting at his feet.
It seems that this system had kidnapped him and then left him to fend for himself, much like a scumbag patting his ass and leaving after the rice had been cooked.
Lifting the heavy bag, he opened it to take a look.
In it, there were a few cans of tinned food, a change of clothes, a quilt, a flashlight, a knife, a map, and a playing card.
It resembled the typical supplies that would be provided in the starting pack of an apocalyptic game. Nothing but the bare necessities.
Grabbing the playing card, he quickly recognized it as the Queen of Spades, but after careful inspection and seeing nothing of particular use, he placed it carelessly into his pocket.
He would find out later.
Stepping carefully over the mysteriously bloody puddles, he picked up the fragile book. There was no title, only a worn cover.
On the antique pages read,
[Welcome to Nightmare Shuttle]
[Each and everyone one of you has been carefully selected and only the most desperate are allowed to realize their dreams]
[In Every instance, you are given a task to complete. You are required to complete the task before the countdown has ended]
[Failure to complete the task, is punishable by being sent to the Chambers. Every chamber has a different probability of death
Red Chamber: 50% chance of death
Fire Chamber: 75% chance of death
Hell Chamber: 100% chance of death]
[Rewards are calculated based on the performance in each station. An evaluation of A+ to F- can be rewarded. Any evaluation below D will be deducted.]
[Each passenger is given 50 coins at the beginning.]
[World Coins can be exchanged to increase physical attributes, unlock bloodlines, purchase props and participate in hidden instances]
[World Coins can also be rewarded or deducted based on damage to the instance, performance during the copy, and by system evaluation]
[If the coins fall below negative, you will be automatically sent into the Hell Chamber to be redeemed]
[After each instance you will be stationed at Black City. Different zones are given different privileges.]
[Finally]
[Happy dreaming passengers]
Chu Yi stood silently. The stoic mask on his face cracked to reveal his open bloody wounds.
Desperate?
Desperate?
He could feel manic laughter bubbling in his chest.
It seems even this cold, silent system could detect his desperation.
Yes, he was desperate.
Desperate enough to die.
His eyes grew red as he let loose a barking laugh. His face blended into the darkness of the silent room, the cold wind cutting into his skin.
His laughter was like a festering wound, painful and sore.
The scalpel that he still held in his hand, cut tightly into his flesh from his harsh grip. The stinging pain sent waves of euphoria into his mind.
"HaahAhhhaHhah..aHhahahhAhhhaa"
Desperate it said.
Disgusting.
Yet at the height of his mania there was an abrupt knocking.
Slowly Turning to the door, a smile spread across his pale face.
Alas, it seemed
It has begun.
[4:48:07]