"Mom, turn off the AC. Are you trying to freeze your son?"
Lucius mumbled groggily, not bothering to open his eyes as he tried to fall back asleep. It was the middle of the night, and the winter air outside was biting cold. He reached for his blanket to pull it over himself, but his hand suddenly froze mid-motion.
Something was wrong—he couldn't feel the soft mattress beneath him. His usually quiet, dark bedroom was now filled with the occasional hiss. Confused, he opened his eyes, and his vision was immediately assaulted by a dim red light, with shadows moving across the ceiling.
"Huh?" Lucius muttered, turning sideways. His eyes widened slightly.
In the middle of the room—or rather, in the middle of this strange new place—was a campfire, its flames burning slowly, flickering in an eerie, unnatural way. A sudden "whoosh" sounded behind him, causing him to instinctively snap his head in that direction.
Outside, there was only darkness. The moonlight, barely visible through the thick, icy fog, struggled to cast any light at all.
"A dream?" Lucius wondered for a moment, then shook his head. It couldn't be. He could feel the warmth of the fire on his skin and the icy chill creeping in from outside. The crackling of flames mixed with strange noises echoing from the darkness beyond. Standing up cautiously, he was about to step outside when a piercing scream shattered the silence.
-Shriek!
A cold shiver ran down his spine, freezing him in place. He stumbled back, muttering quietly to himself, "W-what the heck was that?"
He glanced back inside and muttered, "Maybe I should explore this place first..."
The camp was small, barely big enough to fit three people. In the center, the campfire burned steadily. Glancing around, Lucius noticed he had been lying on a wooden frame filled with hay. His gaze fell on a red book resting on the makeshift bed.
"Survival Guide?"
He sat back down and grabbed the book, casting another glance outside. There was nothing but darkness—the moon's faint glow barely cut through the fog, and the firelight couldn't reach far enough to reveal anything.
"What is happening? Where am I?"
And what is that scream?
Countless questions flooded Lucius' mind, but he forced himself to stay calm. If not for his military training, he might have panicked like a frightened child. But experience had taught him better.
With steady hands, he opened the book.
----
Welcome, Savior!
You might be confused right now, but don't worry—you'll get used to it soon enough.
This is a frozen world, inhabited by terrifying and mysterious creatures, so be always on your guard.
1. Each savior has their own camp and campfire. Your campfire is your first line of defense—it will protect you from weaker creatures lurking outside. The fire is upgradeable, and the more you upgrade it, the stronger its protection becomes.
2. Outside your camp, you'll find a basic research table. Every savior has one. Use it to unlock different types of soldiers, technologies, and buildings. You'll also have a crafting table for making essential tools like axes and more.
3. Each savior has gifted with large space inventory, you can think it to appeared.
4. Recruit survivors, explore beyond your camp, and gather resources. You can't stay stuck in one place forever—unless, of course, you want to die...
Note: The longer you survive the night, the more dangerous the creatures that will appear.
Good luck, Savior!
---
Lucius frowned, his unease growing. He didn't like this situation at all. Flipping through the pages of the book, he realized something strange—all the pages after the first were completely blank.
His fingers tightened around the cover as he shut the book with a soft thud. What does this mean? he thought. A guide with only one page of information?
If this world is as dangerous as the book claims, why give so little information?
He knew he wouldn't find any answers to his questions, so he pushed them to the back of his mind for now and turned his attention to a more pressing matter.
The book mentioned "each savior"... so I'm probably not the only one transported to this frozen world. But how many of us are here? And where are they located? If I'm right... my parents might've been transported here too. I really hope that's not the case. But if they are, I have to find them.
His mind flashed to his mother's cheerful smile and his father's calm, mature demeanor. The thought of them being trapped in this harsh world twisted his gut. He couldn't bear to imagine what might happen to them. All he could do was silently pray they hadn't been brought here.
"I guess the only thing I can do in this situation is survive. First, I need to upgrade this camp," Lucius muttered to himself. He had no real choice in the matter, so for now, he had to go along with the situation.
He glanced at the campfire in front of him and sighed. The idea of going outside didn't sit well with him, especially after hearing that scream earlier. The memory of it filled him with dread, like being lost in a hostile forest with enemies surrounding him, but no bullets to defend himself.
As he stared into the flickering flames, something unexpected happened—a holographic screen suddenly appeared before him.
---
Campfire (LVL 1)
- Contains a mysterious force that can fend off and offer protection against weak creatures below Anomaly level.
---
Lucius narrowed his eyes. A floating message appeared before him, displaying information about the campfire. Is this some kind of clairvoyance? he wondered, intrigued. He decided to test it on the book.
---
Survival Manual
- A book created by ????
---
Though he could view the item's details, there were clearly some limitations. After experimenting with it for a few moments, Lucius sighed. It's not perfect, but it's something.
With no other options, he decided it was time to get to work.
The chilly ice fog lingered, and as Lucius stepped outside the camp, the biting cold immediately wrapped around him. It was harsh but still manageable. He rubbed his palms together vigorously to warm them and made his way to the research table nearby.
As he approached, information about the research table appeared before him. But something else caught his eye—another table beside it.
---
Cosmo Terra Research Table
- An item that can unlock various high-level types of soldiers, marines, buildings, and technologies.
---
"Two research tables?" Lucius muttered, glancing at the unfamiliar one. According to the Survival Guide, each savior was only supposed to have one basic research table. So how did he end up with two? And these two weren't the same. One contained technologies that already existed on Earth, but the other… just from the name Cosmo Terra, seemed far more advanced.
This must be some kind of advanced technology, he thought, eager to take a closer look.
---
Tier 1: Basic Research
Basic Training Facility → Marine Recruits (locked) → ??? (locked) → ??? (locked)
---
"It's definitely advanced technology." He couldn't hide his surprise.
To unlock a research item, he needed currency in the form of gold coins. Each research project was expensive—the Basic Training Facility alone cost 1,000 gold coins, and he didn't have any. But then he remembered something.
Inventory Lucius said in his mind.
In his mind, a black, starry space appeared beneath him. He stood in awe, gazing around at the void, where a small box floated in an unusual manner. He approached it, curiosity filling his mind as he reached out to pick it up.
Surprisingly, it was incredibly light—like holding a pillow.
A text appeared in front of him:
---
Newbie Gift Pack
- A box containing items.
---
He placed the box on the 'ground' and opened it. Inside was nothing but a void, as if it led to another dimension.
---
You received:
- 100 gold coins
- 1 axe
- 1 basic sword
- 3 pure mineral water bottles
- 3 loaves of black bread
- 3 survivors
---
As Lucius tore his gaze away from the box, he noticed more items scattered throughout the starry space—everything from weapons to supplies, but oddly, no sign of the survivors. Before he could think further, a gasp echoed through the cold air, pulling him back to reality.
His eyes darted toward the sound, and under the pale moonlight shrouded by the dense icy fog, Lucius squinted. He could barely make out three shadows moving quickly, rushing toward his camp. As they drew closer, the figures became clearer.
Three large men, all with blond hair, were dressed in thick animal coats. Their eyes were deep black, dark circles revealing their exhaustion as they trudged through the snow. But when they spotted Lucius, their eyes brightened with relief, and faint smiles crept onto their faces as they hurried their pace.
Three men… so these are the survivors from the gift pack? Lucius thought, assessing them. They seem strong—remind me of my old captain from my military days. I should greet them. Since they came as part of the gift pack, they'll probably treat me with respect, right?
Bracing himself, Lucius stepped forward, ready to meet his new allies.