Room 889990. Players: Two...
Welcome.
Player Collection Finished.
"Finally!" someone exclaimed impatiently from a corner
"N-no way. Only two survivors? How is that even possible?" another voice, this time female, cried out, laced with arrogance.
Haku blinked, his sight slowly returning. The room came into focus—small, stark white, and filled again with many people. Every pair of eyes was locked on him and Mey.
"Huh? My clothes…" Haku muttered, realizing his previously blood-soaked shirt was now clean.
"Do you two even realize how long we've been waiting here?"
A cocky voice demanded, breaking the stillness. A tall man with shoulder-length hair strode toward them, his tone dripping with arrogance.
"It's been over 15 minutes since the rest of us teleported. What took you so long? And why are there only two of you left?"
Mey stood quietly beside Haku, her pink pistol now mysteriously gone. She clutched her hands nervously, glancing at the strangers.
Before Haku could speak, the man stepped closer, his presence commanding.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! Normally, ten people per room survive these… things. And yet here you are, just two. What the hell happened?"
Haku scanned the room, his sharp gaze analyzing everything—the players' postures, their expressions, the energy in the room. Unlike the first group, these people carried themselves differently. They weren't trembling with fear or panic. These were survivors, hardened and calculating.
Of course, they would be. They made it through.
Before Haku could reply, the arrogant man leaned in, towering over him.
"Hey, kid. I asked you a question."
"Hey!"
A deep, commanding voice cut through the tension. A blonde, muscular man approached from the side, his tone equal parts condescending and dismissive.
"Give them a moment. Can't you see they're still adjusting? It's pretty tactless to hound them like this, especially when they're the only two survivors of that insane tutorial mission."
The long-haired man rolled his eyes and smirked.
"Oh, come on, Jackson. Don't act like you're not curious. Two survivors? That's unheard of. What if they're hiding something?" He turned back to Haku and grabbed the collar of his shirt.
"Well? Speak up!"
Haku's icy gaze met his. His voice was calm but cutting.
"What do you want to know? We survived. That's it."
The man paused, his smirk faltering, he stepped back, crossing his arms.
"Can y'all stop being so loud?" a voice called lazily from the corner.
Everyone turned to see a young man, maybe 17 or 18, lying casually on the floor with his arms behind his head.
His sharp, shark-like teeth glinted as he yawned.
"Some of us are trying to relax here."
Haku's sharp eyes narrowed as he studied the boy.
What kind of person is this?
The long-haired man sneered, gesturing toward the boy.
"That's Dennis. Don't mind him. He's an odd one. Thinks this is all a dream hahaha."
Dennis cracked one eye open and gave a lazy grin.
"Why wouldn't it be? I'm just glad I don't feel hungry or thirsty. Feels like a dream to me."
Hunger…
Haku's stomach tensed as he realized he felt nothing. No hunger, no thirst, no exhaustion from physical needs. His sharp mind clicked.
They've removed those urges… Wtf?
"T-truly no hunger or thirst?" Mey whispered.
The blonde man chuckled.
"Don't worry about Dennis. He's a little weird, but he's a damn good shot. Took down more scorpions than anyone else."
Dennis waved dismissively before closing his eyes again.
"Wake me when something interesting happens."
Haku's thoughts churned.
Millions of people disappear daily. We've seen infinite rooms floating in space. We've been grouped with new players… My family… Are they here somewhere? My siblings? My mom? I have to protect them.
Haku snapped out of his thoughts.
"When's the next mission? What are we waiting for?"
The long-haired man pointed at a glowing timer on the wall behind Haku.
Next Mission: 218 Seconds.
Below it, the words burned into Haku's mind:
Team vs. Team.
"Team… vs. Team?" Haku murmured.
"Yeah," the man replied.
"We don't know what it means either. But it doesn't sound good."
Before Haku could piece it together, the white walls around them dissolved into glass. The vastness of space came into view, just like before.
Everyone stared in awe at the stars, distant galaxies, and countless floating rooms.
And then… a new sight emerged.
A nearby glass room, filled with many many people, began drifting closer to theirs.
150 Seconds Remaining.
The murmurs grew into shouts as players pieced it together.
"They're coming for us!" someone yelled.
"This has to mean we're fighting them!"
Panic spread through the room, and Haku's sharp mind worked overtime.
Are we meant to fight? Or is it something else?
The clock continued its relentless countdown.
120 Seconds Remaining.
100 Seconds
The arrogant man smirked, rolling up his sleeves with a showy flourish.
"Alright, let's do this!" he said with confidence as he stepped forward, hyping himself up.
The others in the room began murmuring amongst themselves, their expressions a mix of uncertainty and grim determination. Some clenched their fists, while others adjusted their posture, preparing for the fight ahead.
Haku, however, said nothing. His eyes flicked around the room, taking in the situation.
Without a word, he gently grabbed Mey's hand and led her toward the back side of the room, away from the center of attention. They moved quietly, unnoticed amidst the growing tension.
Dennis didn't even bother opening his eyes.
"Wake me up when it's over," he muttered lazily
Haku is obverving
The tension in the air thickened as the timer on the wall ticked down. Both rooms—now connected—were separated only by a glass wall. The people in the other room mirrored their unease, their faces pale and their movements jittery.
10… 9… 8…
The whispers grew louder. Some people edged closer to the glass, their breaths fogging the surface as they tried to make sense of the situation.
7… 6… 5…
Haku and Mey exchanged a glance, neither saying a word. Her grip on his hand tightened slightly, but he didn't pull away.
4… 3… 2… 1…
With a loud hiss, the glass walls began to slide apart, leaving nothing but open space between the two groups.
A Surprise Twist
The arrogant man wasted no time. With a cocky grin, he lunged forward, his fist aimed squarely at the nearest player from the other room. His speed and force were impressive, but just as his punch was about to land, a glowing shield appeared between them with a sharp hum.
"PvP Deactivated."
A system message flashed across the room in bright letters, hovering in the air.
"Huh?!" The arrogant man stumbled back, his confident grin wiped clean. "What the hell is this?"
The room fell silent, the tension snapping as everyone froze, their confusion palpable.
A mechanical voice echoed through the room, calm and emotionless.
The System Announcement
Prepare for your next mission^^
Team vs. Team.
Create teams of 10 players.
Timer: 12 hours.
After the Countdown you will face another team in a specific game.
Important: Each team requires a leader.
You are currently 80 players.
Team names: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Warning: Your performance in this game is "important". Give it your all... and survive.
11:59:58
11:59:57
11:59:56
Chaos Ensues
"What?!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"Twelve hours?!"
"We have to form teams?!" another voice exclaimed, panic lacing their tone.
"Team versus team? What kind of game is this?" murmured a young woman near the back, her voice trembling.
The room erupted into a cacophony of noise. People shouted over each other, some demanding answers, others trying to take charge.
"This has to be some kind of mistake," someone muttered. "Twelve hours for what? And why is our performance important?"
Haku remained silent, his eyes narrowing as he watched the chaos unfold. Mey stood by his side, her expression uneasy as she glanced between the shouting players.