After witnessing the surreal and bizarre event unfolding before my eyes through the glassy windows, I heard the clunky sound of the metal gate sliding open. However, the gate I had initially passed through, which connects to the bridge to the science facility, remained closed.
It seemed like the masked man's message to me was to move forward, but what about the sacrifice? Perhaps it was just a bluff, as I didn't see any punishment when Geralt helped me from the flooded room.
Furthermore, I thought perhaps all of this survival game was to mimic the real divine judgment that could soon happen like the sign that Shan showed me, if this was true, I hope I could meet one of the prophets since there were around 144000 out there.
Geralt was the first person to turn his back to the window and stroll toward the opened gate.
I looked at him and followed, with Setsuna and Yuffie chasing behind. Shan, on the other hand, stood there for a moment, observing the chaos that had enveloped the city, as if trying to comprehend what was happening.
I paused my steps and waited for Shan. He approached me and said with determination, "Let's go," before saying, "Now I am sure of the future that is awaiting us. I was wrong about the sign; this is actually the first sign, the upside-down world, not the fourth sign."
Was he talking to himself? I wondered. I couldn't help but reflect on his words and recall the four signs of divine judgment. Perhaps this terrorist organization was attempting to sow chaos as much as possible before the true divine judgment arrived.
I slightly nodded my head and walked beside him. Both of us remained quiet, unsure of what to say to each other. However, I recalled the shattered sword and the blue portal and thought it might be worth discussing with Shan the possibility of magic exists. I wanted to know his thoughts on the matter.
"Do you believe in magic?" I asked.
Shan replied, "Just look at the world right now. Everything is possible."
He had a point. If magic truly existed, I wondered just how powerful our enemy was. They could summon weapons and use magic in the same way as in TWOD, but I hadn't seen these masked men use any skills or magic. They did possess superhuman strength akin to a high ranker, but I noticed their weakness: their thinking process was very slow, and they followed a rigid set of rules like puppets on strings.
Suddenly, anxiety washed over me at the thought of facing off against the leader of this terrorist group. They likely knew how to utilize magic.
Shan must have noticed my worried expression as he raised his voice, "For now, let everything unfold and focus on survival."
He turned to look at me with a smile, giving me a thumbs up, and I returned his smile. Whether divine judgment existed or not, I was determined to fight for what I valued was right until the end of my life.
As we continued walking along the path, we came across a large hall. I hoped it wouldn't be the beginning of another survival game.
Upon entering the mall with everyone, I noticed several paths leading to different stores, offering various goods such as food, tools, electronic devices, and clothes.
As I followed Geralt, Suddenly we came across a glassy store that revealed many shelves that stocked foods, there was also a cashier but obviously no one was working anymore as the corpses of the people who once worked in this store got eaten by a lion, his corpses were a gruesome sight to describe.
Only then do we find many more dead bodies dispersed in other stores as well, they must have tried to hide but none of them escaped the terrorist attack.
"This is madness," Shan mumbled.
"It is just the way it is, first let's get some rest and eat to regain our strength." Geralt cheered up everyone in his own way.
Despite his cold attitude, he knew the only way for people to be strong during this situation was to be blunt with his words to not complicate the matter. I was his student, therefore I understood his personality.
Geralt strode forward, but the entrance to the store didn't automatically open for him. Without hesitation, he punched the glass, shattering it into fragments that fell to the ground, creating a path for us. We all rushed into the store, collecting food and searching for items we needed. Yuffie, however, ventured deeper into the store until she was out of sight.
While exploring, Setsuna stumbled upon a machine that produced artificial beef. She pressed the button, and the machine started functioning, quickly producing a plate of meat in just one minute. She used a nearby fork to take a bite.
Meanwhile, I moved past Setsuna and searched for a pair of socks and shoes. The ones I had worn were drenched when I was trapped in the flooded room. I found a selection of shoes hanging on the wall, and I picked a simple-looking pair to replace my soaked and smelly ones.
After that, I strolled around the store and noticed Shan standing in front of shelves stocked with various foods. He grabbed a snack and said a silent blessing before consuming it.
I walked past Shan and reached the entrance, where shattered glass littered the floor. I saw Geralt leaning against the wall in the corner. He hadn't eaten anything, but he had found alcohol and tissue to clean his wounds.
Yuffie, the short-haired girl, seemed to have some sort of connection with Geralt. If I remembered correctly, her name was Yuffie. It might be hypocritical of me, but I had to ask him about it.
I approached him and asked, "Hey, I'm curious. Who is Yuffie to you?"
He stared at me for a moment, sighed, and then replied, "It's a long story... I don't want to talk about it."
"Alright, I was just wondering," I responded.
He smiled and asked, "Do you think she's beautiful?"
What kind of question was that? Of course, she was undeniably attractive, but I didn't want to respond so directly.
"Sort of," I played it cool.
He chuckled and raised his voice. "Well, you should get to know her better. Despite her cold and teasing personality, she's actually a kind person."
I suppose he had a point, but why did I suddenly feel the urge to get to know her?
As I moved away from Geralt and headed towards the far end of the store, where there was a wide glass window and a door leading to the balcony, I saw Yuffie leaning against the handle of the balcony, her arms resting on it as she gazed out at the city filled with destruction. Gathering my courage, I opened the door and stood beside her.
We both gazed at the city, taking in the serene atmosphere that had settled over it. Despite the chaos and destruction, there was an odd sense of peace in the air, perhaps due to the nighttime and the temporary lull in terrorist activity.
Before the terrorists took over, the city was alive with people enjoying their nightlife. Now, the luxury and vibrancy of life that the citizens once enjoyed were gone. It was hard to believe that just yesterday, more people were roaming the city, with entertainment centers bustling at night. But now, silence reigned.
My presence caught Yuffie's attention, and she turned briefly to look at me, saying, "Hey!"
I returned the greeting with a smile and asked, "How's your injury?"
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and remarked, "Really? I thought you had something more important to say, but you're just trying to flirt with me."
I shook my head, denying her assumption. "No, I'm genuinely concerned."
She giggled and patted my shoulder, saying, "I'm just kidding."
Nervously, I laughed along with her, but her expression suddenly turned somber as she gazed at the distant moon with her captivating brown eyes. Her black hair gently flowed in the wind.
In that moment, her joyful demeanor was replaced by a sense of dejection. She raised her voice, fatigue evident in her words. "Why does all of this happen to us?"
It was the same question I had asked myself countless times, but dwelling on it wouldn't change our circumstances. We needed to adapt and survive.
"I don't know why, but I'll fight and survive until the very end," I replied, my voice filled with determination.
She looked at me, a faint smile gracing her lips. She walked past me and said, "Thanks for helping me see things clearly." She added, "By the way, I've seen you training at the sports facility with Geralt."
Her words left me stunned. I had no idea she had been watching me train with Geralt. I couldn't quite grasp the meaning behind her words, so I simply shook my head lightly and followed her back into the store.
At that moment, after everyone had finished their meal, we quickly gathered the necessary tools and food into our backpacks that we found at a nearby store.
Despite his injury, Geralt urged everyone to hurry, emphasizing the importance of bringing food to the pathetic man and the others waiting for us at the science facility.
Surprisingly, no one in the group rejected Geralt's proposal. Despite knowing the pathetic man probably didn't deserve any kindness, we still did what was right. Knowing I was surrounded by people who didn't only think for themselves but also for others, made me feel at ease.
Once we had packed our things and were ready to return to the escalator where we had first arrived, the holographic displays on every pillar suddenly sprang to life. A video is played, showing a person with their face hidden in complete darkness.
The voice, distorted and unidentifiable, announced, "Hello, I am a game messenger. I want to mention that once you overcome the previous level, you won't be able to return to the area in which the level you participated took place. You can only proceed to the next floor. The next floor will open tomorrow, so please take care."
This person seemed too friendly for a terrorist. I pondered how we would deliver the food to the people waiting for us to return. With this new information, it seemed impossible.
The mysterious person continued, "Even if you try to return to the previous floor or the first section you arrived at, you won't be able to. The people in those areas are also experiencing the same survival game."
What? That meant the pathetic man, along with three other girls, had gone through the same survival game as us!
As the screens displayed the live event, I saw thousands upon thousands of people now participating in the survival game. In one of the screens, I noticed the pathetic middle-aged man being hunted down by a pack of wolves. He was being torn apart, eaten alive. The two girls who had been by his side willingly sacrificed him to the wolves, sprinting with all their strength towards the now-opened exit alongside the tall girl.
After that, a holographic display appeared to congratulate their victory. Well, I couldn't blame them. They had to do what was necessary to survive.
The mysterious person added, "Even if you manage to gain victory, if you don't move on to the next floor the next day, you will be stuck on the same floor for another day while repeating the same game, and multiple portals will be open."
"What is this bullshit?" Shan cursing in a low voice.
"Does that mean we have to fight the lions again?" Yuffie said with a frown.
I calmed them down by saying, "As long as we move on to the next floor tomorrow, we won't go through the same level again."
Oddly, it seemed like I had adapted to this survival environment pretty quickly, but I kept in mind that tomorrow would be another hellish day. At that moment, I glanced at Setsuna; her golden eyes were quavering as she breathed heavily. It dawned upon me that she was, after all, just a lady from an Elite family who rarely faced difficulties in life. Even though she maintained a confident front, deep down, this chaotic, life-and-death moment was overwhelming for her.
As I was about to reach out to touch her shoulder and offer comfort, suddenly Shan extended his hand to her, patting her head gently, and said, "Don't worry, I am here with you alongside Einsamer. We will survive this together. After all, the three of us are not ordinary individuals. We have learned to adapt and strive in this world."
I withdrew my hand, recognizing that Shan's gesture of comfort was sufficient, and I agreed with him. We had all learned how to fight and think in moments of crisis. None of us had led easy lives, so even in life-and-death situations, we could still think rationally, even when every fiber of our being urged us to flee and give up.
"I am here with you as well, Setsuna. Sometimes, you don't have to be strong; you need to acknowledge that we are just a teenager girl and boy. Even I feel scared, but I have to fight," I spoke in a serious tone.
Setsuna looked at me and Shan and, in a slightly angered voice as she clenched her fist, said, "I must admit I am scared too, but I will fight until the end just like you said. I want to uncover the truth behind this absurd survival game and discover who is orchestrating it."
Suddenly, Yuffie raised her voice teasingly, "Princess, I feel the same but I hope you are not holding everyone back."
Surprisingly, this time Setsuna simply tightened her lips and refrained from reacting. It seemed like she had acknowledged the fact that she must not be a burden to the group. To be honest, she had helped everyone, including me, up until now. Without her, I would have perished the moment we encountered the cruiser that fired a laser at Shan and me; it was her timely intervention that saved me in front of the school entrance where many were killed in the most gruesome ways imaginable.
I realized how fragile our lives were. I hoped that none of us would end up losing our lives in this senseless game ran by the terrorist.