It was Monday morning and the public train was fully occupied. I wasn't lucky enough to get a seat so I had to stand together with other passengers. I didn't really mind since I'm already used to it. 

My name is Mark Joseph Dublin. I'm a bookkeeper in a medium-sized company. I have been working in the company for almost ten years, but there has been almost no progress in my career. In that nearly ten-year span, I had only been promoted once. I thought that maybe I was just not competent enough so I stayed silent and continued my average life without complaint.

I will be turning 31 this year, but I'm still single. I had a few relationships in the past, but they never lasted long. I knew from the start that it was because of my low income and mediocre looks that my past relationships didn't go well. When I broke up with my most recent girlfriend, I no longer dated anyone. I was afraid to love again.

I felt bored so I grabbed my phone and opened my favorite offline monster wave game. The game was just your typical monster wave game. The goal was to eliminate all the monsters in each wave. The monsters' number and power would increase the higher the level you climbed. At the same time, you would also unlock stronger characters and weapons as rewards for clearing each level. However, there was something special about this monster wave game. It was the characters. Each of them had different background stories that would make the players feel a sense of attachment to them. It was like they had an emotion of their own and not just a bunch of data with specific programs.

The game failed to load, and to my surprise, there was an announcement from the game developer. 

[Hello, players! This is M****, the game developer of 'The World of Chaos'. First of all, I'd like to thank the loyal fans for their continued support since the beginning of the game…]

[…Now to the sad part, the game will be permanently removed ten minutes after this announcement. To compensate the players who had invested in the game, a special reward will be delivered to you soon. I wish you all the best of luck and success in your future endeavors!]

I was disappointed that my favorite game would be deleted, but the special reward mentioned by the game developer slightly alleviated my frustration. At least all the efforts I spent on the game would be rewarded. I tried to convince myself.

I have been playing the game for some time now. I can't remember the exact date, but it should be around three years since I downloaded it. I felt empty and lost now that my only source of joy would be gone in a few minutes. 

I sighed and kept my phone in my pocket.

"Welcome to Alaya Station!" 

The train stopped. Half of the passengers disembarked so I finally was able to get a seat. 

A new wave of passengers entered the train.

At the corner of my eyes, I saw an elderly man among them. He was wearing an old military cap so I guessed that he was probably a retired soldier. I have huge respect for them. Not everyone was brave enough to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their country. 

"Sir, you can take my seat." I offered him my seat. This was the least I could do for the old man.

The elderly gentleman was surprised by my offer. It seemed like he wasn't used to such situations based on the look on his face. "Thank you." He uttered with a grateful smile.

I smiled back in response as I helped him sit down. 

As soon as he took his seat, the old man massaged his knees. He didn't say anything, but there were probably some issues with his knees. It was quite normal among the elderly so I pretended like I didn't see it. 

I then grabbed the handrail and looked at the scenery beyond the window. 

I could see the metropolis and the ocean from this view. It was a picturesque sight. 

Just then, I heard a loud screeching noise. There seemed to be a problem with the train. 

"Everyone, there is an issue with the train tracks! Please hold tight and prepare for impact!"

The passengers panicked when they heard this announcement from the driver. 

I was also worried by the announcement so I quickly grabbed onto the handrail with both hands. 

A moment later, the train came to an abrupt halt which caused some of the passengers to tumble and fall to the floor. 

I felt someone smashing into my back. 

It was a young girl who looked to be in her late teens. She was wearing a school uniform so I guessed that she was probably a college student. 

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you." She looked flustered as she apologized to me. 

It was only an accident so I didn't blame her. "It's fine. You didn't hurt me anyway." I smiled to reassure her.

The girl looked relieved that I didn't pursue the matter.

The people who had fallen onto the floor soon got up with the help of the other passengers. I could hear them groaning in pain.

I scanned the cabin and searched for the old veteran to see if he was alright. 

He was still on his seat and he didn't appear to be injured which made me relieved.

"Where is the driver?! What's going on?!" A man in a business suit suddenly shouted. He seemed to be in his fifties based on his facial features. 

I could sense the anger in his voice. 

Some of the passengers also expressed their frustration. I couldn't blame them. Everyone here was in a hurry, myself included. 

I ignored the anxious crowd and patted the elderly veteran. "Are you alright, sir?" I wanted to check his condition. There might be something wrong with his body. After all, the accident earlier caused many passengers to be injured. 

The elderly gentleman smiled kindly. "I'm alright. This lady held on to me so I didn't fall." He responded while pointing at the middle-aged woman sitting beside him. 

The woman smiled at me when she noticed my gaze. I didn't want to be rude so I responded with a polite smile. 

At this moment, the door leading to the next cabin suddenly opened. 

Everyone curiously looked over. 

A man in his forties walked to our cabin. Based on his attire, everyone could tell that he was the train driver. 

"Hey, are you the driver?!" The man in a business suit walked aggressively toward the driver. 

"Yes, I am the driver." 

I noticed a trace of blood at the corner of the driver's lips. The left side of his face also appeared to be swollen. I didn't even need to think hard to know what had happened in the cabin next to ours. 

"Go back and drive the train! I'm in a hurry!" The man in a business suit forcefully pushed the driver. 

The other passengers merely watched this happen. Perhaps they thought that it was the driver's fault so no one spoke up for him. 

I felt bad for the driver. 

"I understand your frustrations, sir, but I'm also helpless. The train stopped moving on its own because of an issue on the railway." The driver reasoned.

"Huh? What do you mean the train stopped on its own? Do you think I'm an idiot?!" The man in a business suit was pissed. He stretched out his right arm and slapped the driver's face.

Pa!

Everyone was stunned. They never thought that he would get physical with the driver. 

Someone quickly grabbed the man and told him to calm down, but he was shoved aside by the latter. 

"Because of this fool, all of us will be late to our destination!"

He glared at the driver and shouted. "I will report this incident to your superiors and I will make sure that you will be sacked!" He prodded the driver's head repeatedly with his forefinger while uttering those words.

After saying his piece, he angrily went back to his seat. 

"Mister, what are we supposed to do now?" Somebody asked.

The driver was embarrassed, but he had to answer the passenger's query. "We are currently stuck in the middle of Garen Bridge so we must not get out of the train. It is windy out there so it will be dangerous to walk the remaining half of the bridge. We should stay here and wait for the rescuers to arrive." 

"Bullshit! You want us to wait?! Are you kidding me?!" The man in the business suit exploded once again, but this time, someone held him back. 

The driver seemed to be afraid of him so he didn't linger in our cabin. "I still have to inform the other passengers. Please excuse me." 

After the driver went to the next cabin, I let out a deep sigh. 

This was how society works. If you are weak, people will push you around and treat you like dirt. Life was unfair for the people at the bottom of the pyramid. 

At this moment, an unexpected situation suddenly occurred. 

A holographic screen appeared before my eyes! 

That's right. It was just like the ones in sci-fi movies. 

I almost jumped up in surprise at how sudden it was. After recovering from my shock, I read the message on the holographic screen.

_____

Danger is coming! Get out of the train and head straight to the tunnel at the end of the arch railway bridge!

Mission Difficulty: Easy

Reward: Beginner Weapon

_____

"Huh?! What's this?" 

"Do you guys see this?" 

"You guys see it too? I thought I was hallucinating."

When I heard their words, I realized that I wasn't the only one who could see the holographic screen.