Blinding white.
That was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. The ceiling stretched above me, spotless and sterile, a void of color that pressed down with an eerie stillness. It should have unsettled me. Instead, a strange calm settled in my chest, like I was waking from a deep, dreamless sleep.
I smiled. I had no idea why.
I pushed myself up, and the crisp rustle of fabric broke the silence. The entire room was bathed in the same blinding whiteness—the walls, the floor, even the bed beneath me. No windows. No doors. No shadows. It was as if the entire world had been erased, leaving only this empty, sterile box.
That's when it hit me.
I couldn't remember anything.
No name. No past. No reason for being here. My mind was a blank slate, stripped of familiarity, stripped of identity.
A cold unease crawled up my spine. Who was I? Where was I?
I looked down at myself, at the plain white garb covering my body. A loose top and trousers, nothing special. But around my wrist—a black band. The only thing in this room that wasn't white.
Attached to it was a small metal tag bearing the text:
[M.S 257]
The numbers meant nothing to me. But something about them felt… final.
The silence pressed against my ears, heavier than before. I forced myself to move, crossing the room in slow, cautious steps. As my fingers brushed against the smooth wall, a strange feeling washed over me. I had done this before.
But I couldn't remember it.
A small compartment slid open where my hand had touched, revealing a single orange pill.
[Place the pill in your mouth.]
A voice echoed through my head—flat, mechanical, detached. I should have panicked. Hearing voices wasn't normal. But somehow… it felt expected.
Like I'd been hearing it my whole life.
I picked up the pill and swallowed it without hesitation. The moment it dissolved on my tongue, a surge of energy rushed through my veins, like my body had been running on empty and was suddenly refueled.
I turned back toward the bed, intending to sit down, but—
A section of the wall slid open.
It had been seamless before, blending perfectly into the whiteness. Now, it stood wide open, revealing a pathway beyond.
[Head to the training hall.]
The voice spoke again. I didn't question i ,I simply followed.
The pathway led me to an expansive hall—empty. At least, it appeared empty at first glance. The cold metallic floors stretched on, reflecting the stark lighting that bathed the entire space. It felt vast, like a gym or training facility, but there was no one here. No instructors. No fellow participants. Just me.
For a moment, I questioned if I was truly the only one here. But that thought slipped away as quickly as it came. I didn't have the time or energy to focus on it.
My wristband flashed again, and a small holographic screen appeared in front of me.
---
[Daily Fitness:]
Strength: Lift a ton ten times (0/10)
Speed: Reach speed of 50 meters per second (0m/sec)
Battle Training: Enter the virtual room for more information.
---
I stared at the screen, processing the absurdity of it all. A ton? Fifty meters per second? I felt… out of place. But even with that thought, a sense of acceptance settled in. This was normal, wasn't it?
I walked over to the weights first. The challenge was clear: lift a ton ten times. I was skeptical at first. Was this a joke?
But when I gripped the first weight and pressed it to my chest, I could feel the strength within me—more than I could have ever imagined. I pushed through, focusing on the task. One. Two. Three.
The weight became easier to lift with each rep, until I finally completed the required ten.
Next, I moved to the speed test. A treadmill-like machine stood ready, monitoring my performance. The goal: 50 meters per second. A laughable number for a normal human. But as my feet hit the belt, I pushed myself harder, running faster, until I broke through my limits.
I surpassed the target. 56 meters per second.
With the strength and speed tests behind me, the final challenge awaited: Battle Training.
A strange, square-shaped platform awaited, glowing with a faint blue light. I stepped onto it without hesitation, and instantly, the world shifted.
I found myself in the middle of a dense forest. My surroundings were hyper-realistic, the air thick with the scent of earth and pine. It was surreal. Was this virtual reality? A dream?
A screen materialized before me.
---
[Name:] M.S 257
Age: 300 days
Race: Human/Mechanoid
State: Human
Level: 0
Grade: Rank F
Experience to next level: ∅%
---
Hit points: 200/200
Energy: 100/100
Stamina: 270/270
---
Strength: 22 ↑↓
Agility: 28 ↑↓
Endurance: 27 ↑↓
Vitality: 20 ↑↓
Dexterity: 25 ↑↓
Intelligence: 5 ↑↓
Charisma: 20 ↑↓
---
I blinked. It wasn't real. I couldn't be real. This wasn't a game—this was my life now, but was I human?
A part of me screamed to know more, to understand what was happening, but the answer was nowhere to be found.
I tapped the Disconnected field, hoping for clarity. A message popped up.
---
[Disconnected: Due to multiple disturbances, the brain has been damaged.
Effects: Intelligence stat has been mildly disconnected, reducing usable stat value by 75%. Disables evolution possibility.]
---
The information hit me like a ton of bricks. My mind—my memories—had been tampered with. I was damaged, and the full scope of it all was hidden from me.
Before I could process more, the voice spoke again.
[Please pick a weapon.]
I glanced around, and weapons appeared in a selection—swords, bows, daggers. Something stirred inside me, and my hand instinctively reached for the longsword. The weight felt perfect in my grip, as though it had always been mine. I paired it with a light dagger for quick strikes.
As soon as I made my choice, a compartment slid open before me, and my weapons were there, solid and real.
I gripped the sword, feeling the hum of readiness in my arms.
The forest shifted, the air thickening with tension. In the distance, a figure emerged.
She was an enigma. Tall, fluid, and dressed in a black jumpsuit that shimmered like liquid, her presence radiated power and grace. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural blue light, and she stepped forward in silence, her movements ethereal, as though she were not of this world.
[Battle training has begun.]
This would be the first real test. The first moment where I would have to fight for my life.