"Pick one!!!" The command echoed through the void, and Tomoki hesitated, his hand trembling as he considered his options. Initially, fear gripped him, making it hard to decide. He leaned toward choosing the gun, but he couldn't even remember the model, his mind a jumbled mess of anxiety and confusion.
As he stood there, doubts crept in. Were his friends also in this strange place, or was he completely alone? The thought made his chest tighten. "STFU, PICK ONE!" The voice demanded again, this time with a sharp edge of impatience.
Startled and angry, Tomoki snapped. "Fine! Whatever!" he shouted, his frustration boiling over as he selected the knife. "Yeah, this sucks. I know it's just a prank," he ranted, his voice rising in pitch as he tried to convince himself.
But then, the system responded in a tone that was almost mocking, "Are you dumb?"
Before Tomoki could react, everything went dark. The oppressive silence was broken only by the sound of his rapid breathing. Then, a message materialized in front of him: "Received battle kit and map."
"Map? Trust me, this isn't looking like a prank now, bruh!" Tomoki exclaimed, his voice tinged with panic as the reality of his situation started to sink in.
Suddenly, without warning, he felt the ground drop away beneath him. He was plummeting from the sky, the wind rushing past him as he fell from a height of at least 20 feet. Time seemed to slow as he braced for impact. His body slammed into the ground with a painful thud.
Groaning, Tomoki sat up, rubbing the spot where his head had struck the earth. He blinked, trying to clear the fog from his vision, and slowly took in his surroundings. The dense forest around him was shrouded in mist, the towering trees stretching up like dark sentinels. The eerie silence was unsettling, broken only by the faint rustling of leaves.
"Okay, Tomoki, get a grip," he muttered to himself, shakily getting to his feet and brushing off the dirt from his clothes. He looked down at the knife now clutched in his hand—it was solid, sharp, and terrifyingly real. "This is no prank," he realized, his voice barely above a whisper.
At his side, a battle kit had appeared. He knelt down, unzipping it to reveal the contents: basic survival supplies, including a compass, a small first aid kit, a flashlight, and a canteen of water. The map, neatly folded at the bottom of the kit, drew his attention.
He carefully unfolded it, revealing a detailed layout of the forest and surrounding areas. But he could not figure out a shit. The map was marked with strange, ominous symbols and notes scribbled in an unfamiliar language. His stomach twisted with dread as he studied it. The locations marked on the map didn't look like anything from a prank or game; they felt ominously real.
Tomoki clenched the map in one hand and the knife in the other, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Alright, let's see where the hell I am," he muttered, his voice steadying as he prepared to navigate this terrifying new reality.
Tomoki took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. "Ok so how to read a map now?... they never taught me in school"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "So, Gen 19 is here. Nice to meet ya, rookie." Tomoki turned around, confused about the situation. "Who the fk are you?" he asked. The strange man replied, "Gen 19? That's the 19th trial batch for the battlefield." After a deep breath, he continued, "I'm from the 10th batch. Now, only 1,080,309 players are alive on the map after more than 3 million died."
Tomoki was furious and screamed, "3 million deaths?! What happens to the dead?" fell silent. "Don't you know what happens to the dead?" the man finally asked. Tomoki stopped, creeped out. He was thinking about Yuki and Hiriko, wondering if they were still alive or dead. "So, we team up to survive, form groups, and establish territories. I'm Kimir, part of a team that still believes in democracy in this shithole," the man continued. Tomoki blinked, trying to process the information. "So, you're saying we need to find others, form alliances, and claim territories to survive?"
Kimir nodded. "Exactly. It's the only way to stand a chance in this hell. We have to outsmart and outlast the others. The system is brutal, but with the right strategy, we can make it through."
A gunshot rang out nearby, followed by screams. Both of them sprang to their feet, looking in the direction the noise came from. "Damn it, they've found me already!" Kimir muttered.
Tomoki was shocked as the gunshots started to come more frequently. "So, what rank did you get? I'm a Recon," Kimir asked.Tomoki, confused, looked at him like he didn't know anything. "What rank?"
Kimir exhaled and said, "For god's sake, bro! Leave it for now. We must run, or we die." "What do you mean by 'we die'?" Tomoki screamed. "We are in enemy territory," Kimir replied. Tomoki stopped him. "We? I never said we were a team." Kimir looked at him sharply. "Then them. Go!". Tomoki was fking scared and didn't say anything after that.
Tomoki hesitated, his fear paralyzing him. The gunshots grew louder, closer. Kimir grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the dense forest. "We don't have time for this! Move!"
They sprinted through the underbrush, branches scratching at their skin. The sound of footsteps and shouts followed them, the enemy closing in. Tomoki's heart pounded in his chest as adrenaline surged through him.
"Head for the river!" Kimir shouted, pointing to the map clutched in his hand. "We can lose them there."
They reached the riverbank, the water rushing past them. Without hesitation, Kimir plunged into the cold water, motioning for Tomoki to follow. They swam downstream, letting the current carry them away from their pursuers.
After what felt like an eternity, they crawled out onto the opposite bank, gasping for breath. They lay there for a moment, catching their breath and listening for any signs of pursuit. The forest was silent once more.