"Wow! That's a human!"
"You're right. It seems the administrators have a thing for weak humans again."
"Why do they keep bringing humans? They just die so easily when crushed. So boring."
"Hey, this human looks different from last season. Why does this one have those round shapes in front? Aren't they supposed to be below, like Player XXXX?"
"Idiot. Go back to school! You clearly haven't studied the Human Subject. This one's called a Human Female!"
Unknown voices from different live commentators rang out, one after another, each word cutting through the air and waking Eliza Ma.
Up close, Eliza Ma's once peaceful sleeping face stirred, her long eyelashes twitching slightly as her senses began to adjust.
Eliza Ma heard voices blending into her dreams as she flew through the sky, reality ebbing and flowing in uneven waves that caused her brows to furrow.
For a fleeting moment of consciousness, she thought it was just her mother's online videos blaring from the living room again.
Eliza Ma winced, her brow furrowing deeper as she bit her lower lip, wishing she could block out the noise.
So loud, so noisy!
She just wanted more sleep.
Teeth clenched, a frustrated grunt escaped her mouth, and she yelled. "Ma! Keep it down, it's still early."
Eliza Ma rolled onto her side, already partially awake and irritated, reaching for what she thought was her penguin plushie to hug, hoping to drift back to sleep.
But instead of the soft, fluffy comfort she expected, she felt the rough dirt against her skin and heat waves of discomfort coursing through her body.
Her eyes snapped open instantly.
"What the—" Eliza Ma's heart skipped a beat, her breath caught in her throat.
Her crystal-clear eyes widened slowly, and the scorching heat clung to the barren grassland, stretching endlessly in every direction. Where is she? Where is this place?
The unfamiliar voices speaking English erupted again from the watching crowd, dragging Eliza Ma's attention from her thoughts.
Super Squid King: "There it is! The human female is moving!"
The childlike voice boomed, filled with raw excitement.
All Stars Are Mine, Fight Me: "Of course, the human female is still alive."
The feminine tone dripped with sarcasm, thick like a bitter aftertaste.
Beloved Princess of Planet X: "She's tiny, isn't she? Not like the last one. I wonder how long she'll last out here."
The third voice was cool, clinical, as though she were assessing an insect under glass.
Then, without warning, the noise vanished completely, leaving an eerie silence. Eliza Ma blinked rapidly, opening and closing her eyes, believing this was just another lucid dream of hers.
Yet, the oppressive heat pressed down on her, smothering and unrelenting.
Beads of sweat trickled down her neck and arms, sticking her clothes uncomfortably to her skin. Her body shifted instinctively in protest, fingers brushing the rough dirt, the sensation causing her heart to race with anxiousness.
When Eliza Ma's eyes finally fluttered open, they slowly widened—realization hitting her soul.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, each thud echoing the growing panic within her.
This wasn't a dream.
She really wasn't at home!
Eliza Ma stood upright, panic evident on her face, looking around like a lost child abandoned by her mother. She walked a few steps to one side, then the other, unsure of what to do as her eyes scanned her surroundings.
What's happening?
She slapped her cheeks twice, the sharp sting bringing no relief.
The sight before her remained unchanged.
A barren wasteland.
Eliza Ma rubbed her temples, trying to calm down for a moment.
Maybe this was some cruel prank. Maybe someone had drugged her and dumped her here.
Maybe—she was in some unknown desert on Earth?
But the silence was deafening, and the two suns in the sky…
"Hello? Is there anyone there?" Maybe if she called out to the voices from earlier, she could find out where she was.
"...."
No one answered.
Her throat tightened. The last time she remembered, she'd been in her comfortable bed, warm and safe.
Now, she was here—utterly alone, in nowhere.
Ma? Pa? Everyone? Where are you?
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, the urge to cry overwhelming her. Suddenly, a mechanical voice rang out inside her head.
[ Ding! ]
[ Congrats on your system activation of the Nightmare Card System! ]
[ Host Profile Updating... ]
Eliza Ma's eyes fell to the floating screen that materialized before her, its sudden appearance startling her so much she took an instinctive step back.
English words flashed across it, accompanied by a loading icon that ticked steadily… 10%... 25%... 40%... 75%... 99%... 100%.
[ Welcome, Host. Your Profile has been updated. ]
The screen displayed her information, along with a disturbing status.
Name: Eliza Ma
Age: 24
Species: Human
Sex: Female
Job Status: Employed
Title Badge: Human Female
Player Number: 252025
Survival Rate: 1%
Power: 0%
Star Coins Currency: 0
Cards Drawn: 0
Kills: 0
Deaths: 0
Shock Value: 0
Blinking at the screen, disbelief washed over Eliza Ma's mind.
This… this was a system like the ones she had read about in novels, but this one was different! No, wait—that wasn't what she should be focusing on right now.
Eliza Ma was more confused about why there was a system for her.
The stats on the screen stared back at her, cold and unfeeling.
Survival Rate: 1%.
Kills—0, Deaths—0, and what Player number— 252025?
Her stomach twisted all of a sudden. A cold shiver ran down her spine.
Something was wrong.
Eliza Ma scanned the barren wasteland once more, dread creeping over her, and she didn't dare to move.
Suddenly, she didn't feel so alone anymore. And those voices... she suddenly had a hunch about what they were.
"System? Can you speak and tell me where I am?" Eliza Ma asked cautiously in her mind, hoping for a response.
"Answer me..." she whispered aloud, her voice now shaking with fear. Why isn't it working?
Silence.
"System... Please answer me."
Another silence.
"System? System, answer me!" Her internal voice cracked in desperation.
"Aren't the systems in novels supposed to be alive or sentient? If you can hear me, change the words on the screen!"
The screen profiles didn't change at all, only intensifying her panic and frustration.
The light around her dimmed unnaturally fast, the golden rays fading into a dull twilight.
Eliza Ma quickly glanced at the sky, taking a sharp breath. A sudden eerie breeze swept across the barren land, sending chills down her spine. The temperature was plummeting.
Her voice trembled. "No, this... this can't be happening."
She took a few steps forward, her feet dragging through the dirt as she shouted into the empty space, swallowed by the advancing night sky. "Please, someone! I heard voices earlier. Tell me what's going on! Where am I?!"
It didn't take long before the two suns disappeared entirely, plunging her into darkness. Three pale moons emerged, casting a weak, ghostly light over the barren terrain.
[ Ding! Shock Value +1 ]