Sim Yong blinked as he found himself standing in the middle of a strange, almost alien world—a surreal mix of urban and wilderness, infused with a vibrant neon glow. Around him, trees towered high, their leaves pulsing in hues of green and blue, lit from within as though powered by some hidden energy source. Between the foliage stood remnants of a futuristic city, with broken glass towers and massive screens flashing static and cryptic messages in a language he couldn't understand. Somewhere nearby, a building's holographic logo flickered on and off, casting an eerie, shimmering light over the dense undergrowth.
The A.I. spoke through the strange glasses still affixed to his face, its cool, detached tone at odds with the chaos around him. "Welcome to your first mission, Sim Yong. This is a simulation of an abandoned sector of Cyber Planet 07, one of our training zones. Your objective is simple: survive until dawn. You will encounter various Hostile NPCs and environmental hazards. The mission will test your ability to adapt, think, and act swiftly under pressure."
Sim felt his pulse quicken as he glanced around. Other participants, who had been similarly transported into the scene, looked equally bewildered, some even terrified. A few were frantically checking their equipment or looking around for cover, while others froze, rooted to the spot in shock. They wore various armor suits and carried different weapons, from energy-bladed swords that glowed faintly to sleek, high-tech bows that seemed to track movement on their own.
He reached down, checking his own gear, but found only a slim, tactical knife strapped to his thigh and a lightweight shield device on his wrist. Both seemed designed more for survival than combat, and he immediately felt outmatched compared to the heavily armed participants around him. With a sigh, he forced himself to focus, his thoughts racing.
Just as he was beginning to collect himself, a piercing mechanical shriek echoed from somewhere deep in the forest. He whipped his head toward the sound, his heart racing. The participants around him stiffened, their A.I.s offering brief warnings and tactical advice.
"Danger detected. Hostile NPCs approaching," his A.I. announced in its calm voice. "You are advised to proceed with caution, using cover and evasion tactics."
Out of the shadows between trees stepped a sleek, robotic drone, its armor gleaming under the strange neon light. It was a humanoid machine, with a single red optic scanning the area for targets. It moved with an unsettling smoothness, almost as if it were gliding rather than walking. Sim watched as it honed in on a nearby participant, who panicked, trying to sprint away. The drone's arms unfolded, revealing weaponry embedded directly in its metallic limbs, and it fired a rapid burst of energy shots. The unlucky participant was struck down almost immediately, vanishing in a burst of static.
The crowd erupted in panic as more drones appeared, emerging from the undergrowth and stepping out from behind ruined buildings. Some participants tried to fight back, swinging swords that sparked with energy or firing sleek, futuristic firearms, but the drones retaliated with ruthless efficiency.
Sim ducked behind a massive fallen tree trunk, his mind racing. He'd never experienced anything so real and so terrifying. In the games he'd played back home, he could hit "pause" or respawn if things went wrong. But here? One wrong move, and he'd be as defenseless as the poor soul he'd just watched vanish.
"Sim Yong," his A.I. whispered into his ear. "Activate your Intuition skill to detect nearby hostiles. This skill heightens your awareness of immediate threats and increases your survival chances."
He nodded, willing his Intuition skill to activate, though he had no real idea what to expect. Almost immediately, he felt a strange tingling in his senses—a heightened awareness, as if every sound and movement in the forest had come into sharper focus. He could sense one of the drones approaching from the left, a soft hum warning him even before he could see it. Heart pounding, he slunk away in the opposite direction, staying low and moving carefully.
He continued to move, staying hidden, observing as much as he could. He soon noticed a young woman with a pair of sleek goggles and a compact energy pistol tucked against her side. She noticed him as well, and they locked eyes in a silent agreement to stick together. She gestured to a nearby broken wall, and they crept over, crouching behind it.
"Name's Eun-Ji," she whispered, casting a cautious glance over the wall. "Looks like we're in this mess together. You got anything on you?"
"Not much," Sim whispered back, holding up his meager weapon. "Seems like this isn't about fighting. More like…surviving."
Eun-Ji nodded, her face serious. "Then we'd better start by staying hidden. Those drones aren't playing around."
For the next few hours, they worked together, evading drones and moving through the neon wilderness with caution. Every time a drone got too close, Sim's Intuition skill would kick in, and they'd find another path to safety. He could feel a bond beginning to form between him and Eun-Ji, an unspoken trust born out of shared fear and desperation.
As the artificial sun began to rise over the horizon, a soft chime echoed in the air, and the drones retreated. The A.I.'s voice spoke once more, calm and detached. "Mission complete. Returning all survivors to the main hall."
Sim and Eun-Ji exchanged a glance of relief. They had survived their first mission, but he knew this was just the beginning. As they were transported back to the hall, Sim's mind whirled with questions, excitement, and fear. Whatever this game was, it was more real than anything he'd ever known—and he was just starting to understand the gravity of his new reality.