The entire city had fallen into silence. The weight of despair pressed down on everyone. Families huddled together in corners, clutching each other as if their warmth could ward off the nightmare. Some wept softly, others simply stared blankly at the blood-streaked streets, their eyes hollow from the horrors they had witnessed.
There was no escape.
There was no choice.
Yue's voice broke through the eerie stillness.
"Brother! What are we going to do?" Her hands trembled as she gripped Chen's arm. "I don't want you to die! I don't want you to kill anyone either! Please… can't you do something?"
Her eyes were desperate, pleading.
"You're a game developer, right? You should be able to hack the system! Can't you?"
Chen's expression darkened. He gently shook his head. "Yue, calm down. Whatever this is... it's real now."
His voice was steady, but his fists clenched tightly.
"Didn't you hear that AI? It said they've wiped out thousands of advanced civilizations across the universe. Do you really think humans like us can do anything against something that powerful?"
Yue's body stiffened. "Then... what are we going to do?"
Chen exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. "We have no choice. I'll protect you... no matter what it takes."
Yue's breath hitched. "W-Whatever it takes?! Brother, I don't want you to get hurt! And I don't want you to turn into a monster just to protect me!"
"YUE!" Chen's voice snapped, his patience breaking.
His grip on her shoulders tightened as he stared straight into her teary eyes. "I promised Mom I'd protect you! I watched her die in hospital bed with a smile on her face because she knew I'd keep that promise! After she was gone, I had no one else! I won't lose you too!"
Yue broke down, burying her face in his arms. "Brother...!!" Her body shook violently as sobs wracked her frame.
Chen held her tightly, his own breath uneven.
They stayed like that for hours.
When Yue finally calmed down, she sniffled and wiped her tears away. "Okay, Brother... I... I get it." Her voice was hoarse but resolute.
"We can't quit. So let's... let's do our best."
Chen nodded. "It won't be easy..." His eyes burned with determination. "But I promise you, Yue. I'LL BE THE LAST ONE STANDING."
DING!
A screen flickered to life in front of Chen's eyes.
──────────────
[UESS 0.89: SYSTEM UPDATE]
"That's the spirit, Player! If you win, you and your hostage will be taken by us. So make sure you survive!"
──────────────
The screen vanished.
Yue shuddered. "Brother, what now?"
Chen clenched his fists. "Let's explore our system."
He took a deep breath and focused.
DING!
A holographic screen appeared before him. The words were crisp, clear, and terrifyingly real.
──────────────
[PLAYER STATUS SCREEN]
▶ Name: Chen
▶ Title: [None]
▶ Level: 1
▶ Coins: 1,000
▶ Attributes:
Agility: [10]
Strength: [10]
Speed: [10]
IQ: [96]
▶ Skills:
[None]
▶ Weapon Mastery:
[None]
▶ Inventory:
[Empty]
▶ Hostage: Yue Liu
──────────────
Chen's eyes narrowed. "Stats, inventory, skills... it's designed like an RPG system."
Yue peeked over his shoulder, her voice barely above a whisper. "Does that mean... we can get stronger?"
Chen exhaled. "Looks like it. But that also means… the others can too."
Silence fell between them.
The clock was ticking.
17 hours until the next round begins.
Chapter 3: No Escape, No Choice (Continued)
Chen exhaled, still staring at his system screen. He needed to understand everything before the next round. If this was a game, then he had to learn its rules—fast.
He turned to Yue. "Open your system."
Yue blinked, confused. "H-How do I do that?"
"Just think about it, and it should appear," Chen instructed.
Yue hesitated, then closed her eyes, focusing.
DING!
A translucent blue screen materialized in front of her. Her eyes widened as she scanned through the information.
──────────────
[HOSTAGE STATUS SCREEN]
▶ Name: Yue Liu
▶ Title: [None]
▶ Level: 1
▶ Coins: 1,000
▶ Attributes:
Agility: [8]
Strength: [6]
Speed: [7]
IQ: [65]
▶ Skills:
[None]
▶ Weapon Mastery:
[None]
▶ Inventory:
[Empty]
▶ Bound Player: Chen
▶ Mystery Box: [Locked]
──────────────
Yue's eyes stopped at one section. Mystery box
Chen frowned. "That's strange... I guess not everyone follows the same system what's this 'Mystery Box' option?"
Yue tapped the screen, but a red notification popped up.
[LOCKED: Unlock Conditions Not Met]
She frowned. "I can't open it yet."
Chen rubbed his chin. "It might be something unique to you. We should keep an eye on it."
Yue nodded. "Brother… does this mean we can level up?"
Chen exhaled. "Yeah, but so can everyone else." His grip tightened. "This isn't just survival… it's competition."
The thought sent a chill down Yue's spine.
They had 17 hours.
And when the time was up… the slaughter would begin again.
Yue clenched her fists, staring at her screen. "Brother, what now? Should we team up with other strong players?"
Chen shook his head immediately. "No, we can't do that."
"Why not?" Yue's voice wavered, desperation creeping in. "Wouldn't we have a better chance if we worked together with others?"
Chen exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "Didn't you hear what the AI said? Only the last one stands. That means teaming up is useless. No matter what, in the end… only one person, or one person and their hostage, can survive."
Yue's breath hitched. "But…"
"And I already checked my system." Chen gestured to his screen. "There's no option to send friend requests or form a team. That means the system itself prevents alliances. It wants us to fight, to kill each other."
Yue's face paled. She hugged herself, trembling. "That's insane… they want us to slaughter people we might trust… just to survive…"
Chen didn't answer. He didn't need to.
The silence between them stretched, heavy and suffocating.
Finally, Yue looked up at him. "Then… what should we do?"
Chen's eyes darkened. "Simple. We get stronger. We survive."
He clenched his fists, determination burning in his gaze. "No matter what it takes."
Chen focused on his screen, scanning through the options. His eyes landed on a small icon in the corner. "Yue, see that option in the corner of your screen? Click on it."
Yue hesitated before pressing the icon.
DING!
[MENTAL LINK ESTABLISHED]
[YOU CAN NOW COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR HOSTAGE THROUGH THOUGHTS]
Yue's eyes widened. "Brother… I can hear you in my head!"
Chen smirked slightly. "Yeah, it's like direct mind communication—telepathy. This way, we can stay in touch even if we get separated."
Yue nodded, feeling a little relieved. At least they wouldn't be completely alone in this nightmare.
Chen scrolled further. "Also, look at this… Coins. The money we earn can be used to buy stuff from the inventory."
Yue checked her own screen. "And we can share our coins too. That's great!"
[CURRENT BALANCE: 2000 COINS]
Chen hummed in thought. "For now, let's save up. If the next round requires weapons, we'll buy them then."
Yue's stomach growled. She flushed in embarrassment. "Brother… I think we should find something to eat first."
Chen let out a small chuckle, but his expression quickly turned serious again. "Yeah… Let's move. We don't know what's coming next."
With that, the siblings stood up and cautiously stepped into the eerie silence of the ruined city, searching for food—and a way to survive.