《Adam: Leveling Up as a Creep! [A MOBA Game Apocalypse LitRPG]》 Chapter 1: The Introduction to the Dying World (1)
The world was dead. A thick layer of gray dust blanketed everything, stretching endlessly toward the horizon. The wind whispered through the desolation, stirring up faint clouds of ash that drifted like ghosts in the air. Ghosts. How fitting. The world was dead. And in death, a certain kind of life endured. A small group of figures moved through the wasteland, their bodies wrapped in tattered cloth, faces obscured by old gas masks. They carried shovels and rusted metal rods, prodding the ground, overturning debris, searching for anything of value. Scavengers. Among them walked a young man, sluggish and silent, his grip loose around the rusted crowbar in his hand. Like the rest, he worked efficiently¡ªdigging, sifting, occasionally pocketing scraps of metal or half-melted trinkets. Anything that might be worth something to someone. Then¡ª ¡°Oh?¡± A glint of light caught his eye beneath the swirling dust. He crouched, brushing away layers of filth. He wasn¡¯t sure what he expected¡ªsomething, anything, proof that life had existed before all of this. But as his fingers dug deeper, they met something solid. Brittle. A skull. His breath hitched, and without thinking, he pulled his mask down. The air was thick, heavy. The scent of roast filled his nostrils¡ªa smell that, under different circumstances, might have been appetizing. But here, it was wrong. Sickening. "Adam!" A sharp voice snapped him back to reality. A gloved hand smacked the back of his head, jolting him forward. ¡°Boy, what the hell did I tell you ¡®bout takin¡¯ off yo¡¯ goddamn mask?!¡± The hand belonged to an older man, his scowl visible through the cracked visor of his gas mask. ¡°Don¡¯t inhale this shit! We don¡¯t even know what kind of diseases we¡¯re catchin¡¯ out here.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Adam exhaled, slipping his mask back on. But his gaze lingered on the skull, half-buried in ash. This wasteland, this endless sea of gray, was not the remnants of some forest razed by fire. No. It had once been people. Thousands¡ªburned, erased, reduced to dust and bone, their remains swept away by the wind. And to think, just half a day ago, Adam had seen them alive. On live television. Struggling. Afraid. What are you even thinking about? Work, Adam. Nothing else matters. Wo¡ª ¡°This is bullshit! We¡¯ve been here for hours, and all I got are these stupid earrings!¡± A loud voice yanked Adam back from his thoughts. One of the other scavengers, an older man¡ªthough not as old as the one who had reprimanded him¡ªtossed his shovel down with a frustrated grunt. ¡°We¡¯re wasting our damn time. There¡¯s nothing left here but junk.¡± ¡°Better junk than nothing,¡± another scavenger muttered, slipping a rusted coin into his pocket. He let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Fuck. The real problem is the tax. Why do we have to give up fifty goddamn percent of what we find?¡± ¡°I just want something to take home to my family, man.¡± Another voice, weary and resigned. ¡°This is no way to make a living¡­ If only I got summoned to the Game.¡± ¡°And one day, we¡¯ll be standing on top of you¡ªjust like the rest of these sorry motherfuckers.¡± A man ground his boot into a charred skull, crushing it to dust, adding yet another layer to the desert of the dead. ¡°One moment, you¡¯re just enjoying time with your girl, and the next, you¡¯re teleported onto the battlefield. Fuck that.¡± Adam kept his head down as the scavengers talked amongst themselves, their voices grating in his ears. He didn¡¯t care to join in. He never did. But they were loud. Too loud. It was impossible to tune them out. ¡°This last Game was brutal. Did you see the final minutes? A fucking massacre.¡± ¡°As if it could¡¯ve ended any other way. The First Soldier was on the Red team. You really thought the Blues had a chance?¡± ¡°Damn. That was crazy. When was the last time the First Soldier was summoned? Seven years ago? Ten?¡± ¡°I just feel sorry for these people.¡± One of the scavengers crouched down, scooping up a handful of ash. He let it slip through his fingers, the wind carrying it away as he muttered, ¡°Forced to fight in a war they didn¡¯t ask to be part of.¡± ¡°Psh. I¡¯d be glad to take their place. If one of the Administrators chose me? I¡¯d be a Hero in what? Three, four Games?¡± ¡°Fucking idiot. The fastest recorded rise to Hero was seven Games. You¡¯d be lucky to last two. Hell, you¡¯d probably die in your first.¡± Laughter erupted from the group. Then, someone called out, ¡°Hey, Adam! What about you? You wanna join the Game? How many battles do you think you¡¯d need to win?¡± Another voice snickered. ¡°Pfft. The schizo can¡¯t even stand the sight of blood. You think he¡¯d survive? He¡¯s a coward.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you, dumbass. Adam!?¡± Adam exhaled slowly, closing his eyes as every gaze turned to him. He could feel their anticipation, waiting for some kind of reaction. After a few seconds, he shook his head. ¡°No.¡± A simple answer. But inside, his mind was in turmoil. You¡¯re probably the last person who wants to be part of the Game, aren¡¯t you, Adam? All that pain. That suffering. You¡¯ve seen it. Lived it. You don¡¯t want it. ¡°See!? Fucking knew it. Schizo¡¯s a damn coward. Hey, if any of us get summoned, just stick to me, Adam.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fucking call it a game.¡± The voice was sharper this time, carrying weight. It came from someone in the group who hadn¡¯t spoken much until now. ¡°Thousands died here. Millions more in the other Domes. Have some fucking respect.¡± The scoffer rolled his eyes. ¡°Everyone calls it a game.¡± The Game. That¡¯s what the world had named it. It started twenty years ago. The event that changed everything. No one knew how or why it happened. Only that one day, in the year 2025, humanity was punished. A hundred asteroids fell to Earth all at once. The world¡¯s governments scrambled to stop them, but the rocks were indestructible. Immovable. The world could only watch as the sky cracked open and death came crashing down. But it wasn¡¯t death that greeted them. It was a game. The Game. The asteroids didn¡¯t destroy the land. They didn¡¯t bring fire or devastation. Instead, they split open like colossal, blooming flowers, enveloping entire cities in translucent domes. And within those domes, a voice spoke. The Administrators. They told the trapped that they had been chosen. Chosen at random. Fairly. Exactly 60,000 per Dome. For what? They all asked. The answer they received was a death sentence. They were to fight. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. To wage war. To kill. To destroy the enemy¡¯s Crystal.. Blue vs. Red. No one agreed at first, of course. Most protested. But those who did¡ªthose who refused¡ªburst into flames where they stood. Their screams filled the domes, their bodies reduced to cinders in an instant. That was enough to change everyone¡¯s mind. And so, they fought. And they killed. But the domes didn¡¯t just contain people. No, there were monsters too. Creatures not of this world¡ªtwisted, unimaginable things that tore through flesh as easily as paper. The world outside tried to intervene. Governments scrambled for solutions, launching missiles, deploying their greatest weapons. One nation even fired a nuclear warhead at the dome within its borders. But the barriers were as indestructible as the asteroids that had birthed them. The rest of humanity could only watch. And so, they did. They watched as their people slaughtered one another inside a bubble they could not touch. And then, finally, there was a winner. The victors were rewarded¡ªgranted Strength beyond human limits, strength that eventually led to wealth, power, influence. The losers? They were reduced to nothing but ash. Their reward was fire, consuming them until nothing remained. A minimum of half¡ªalways at least half¡ªof the 60,000 per Dome guaranteed to die. And then, as if nothing had happened, the domes vanished. Humanity thought the nightmare was over. But exactly one month later, new domes appeared. Different locations. Different people. And this time, it was worse. Whenever the numbers inside a battlefield weren¡¯t enough, the Administrators simply took more. Summoning people at random¡ªplucking them from their homes, their workplaces, their families. One moment, living their lives in peace. The next, thrown into a warzone. And those who had already fought before? They were chosen again. And again. And again. A never-ending cycle. A system that decided life and death at random, every month. The population dwindled. Halved within two decades. And it would continue to decline¡ªmonth by month, war by war. A slow, but sure, apocalypse. Twenty years later, humanity had reshaped itself entirely to survive. Civilization, culture, everything was different. And today, Adam was standing in the remains of the latest victims of the so-called game. ¡°How many did I even get?¡± Adam muttered, but he wasn¡¯t talking to anyone at all, ¡°I still have enough food to last for three days, I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He was talking to himself, crouching down with his crowbar to find something valuable. But like the other scavengers said, everything of value has probably already been grabbed by other scavenger units. Still, he continued to go through all the ash. But soon, his frustration reached the end of this dark gray desert. ¡°Damn it!¡± He slammed his crowbar into the ground before abruptly standing up, stepping back without realizing someone was behind him. ¡°Hey!¡± Adam winced as he instinctively grabbed the other scavenger¡¯s arm to steady him. Unfortunately, the man did the same, and instead of regaining their footing, both of them lost balance and tumbled to the ground. ¡°The fuck!¡± The scavenger cursed and immediately stood up, ¡°Schizo, can you watch where you¡¯re¡ªHoly shit! Are you alright!?¡± The anger forming on the scavenger¡¯s face instantly faded away as soon as he saw Adam¡¯s thigh, the sharp end of a crowbar pierced through right next to the arteries. He could even see a large shard of Adam¡¯s bone slightly poking out along with the metal. ¡°Fuck! Guys, Adam¡¯s injured!¡± The man quickly called for the others. ¡°What!? Adam!?¡± ¡°Yo, hurry up an¡¯ grab the med kit! We can¡¯t be havin¡¯ another injury up in here, or they gon¡¯ shut us down fo¡¯ real!¡± The other scavengers quickly rushed to Adam¡¯s aid, the dark gray ash scattering in the air from their gallop. The medic did not waste any time at all and crouched next to Adam. ¡°Where¡¯s he injured!?¡± The medic asked, and the scavenger quickly pointed at Adam¡¯s left thigh. ¡°The fucking thing¡¯s poking out! Are you blind!?¡± ¡°In the thighs!? We need to get him to a hospital if¡ªHuh?¡± Before the medic could open his kit, his words were cut off when Adam suddenly stood up. ¡°No hospitals!¡± Adam raised his voice, the sound of his breaths escaping through his mask from how heavy it was, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not injured. I¡¯m not. No hospitals, please. No¡­ no hospitals.¡± The medic clicked his tongue when he saw Adam walk with an injury. ¡°Sit down, Adam!¡± He groaned as he pulled Adam back, ¡°You¡¯re going to make your injuries¡­ worse?¡± His words slowed down, however, as he checked both of Adam¡¯s thighs. He tried to find the crowbar that was supposed to be sticking out, but there was nothing there¡ªthere was blood on his pants, but it could also just be dirt. It was hard to tell since everything was covered in soot and ash. The medic looked at Adam¡¯s hand, only to see him holding a piece of bone. ¡°I think Derek saw this,¡± Adam sighed, his breaths now much steadier. The surrounding scavengers looked at the piece of bone and exchanged glances before collectively shaking their heads at their colleague, the one responsible for sending them all into a panic. ¡°Man, stop drinking too much fucking coffee. Get some sleep.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even thinking straight, and you want to be summoned to the Game? You¡¯re even crazier than Adam. We don¡¯t need two psychos in this team.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± The scavenger who bumped into Adam stuttered as he stared at Adam¡¯s thighs. He was sure that he wasn¡¯t just seeing things, the crowbar was truly poking out of his flesh from one end to the other¡ªand yet right now, there was nothing, ¡°...I could swear that there was something there!¡± ¡°Aight, aight! I think we all just need to chill an¡¯ get back to work tomorrow.¡± The old man who told Adam to put his mask back on earlier clapped his hands. ¡°But Boss, we barely got anything today!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t even enough to buy me some booze, Boss!¡± ¡°Shut the hell up an¡¯ get yo¡¯ ass back to the bus! Now! I¡¯ma try to snag us a permit on the West Lane!¡± The old man, who turned out to be the leader of the scavenger party, pushed the ones complaining away by force. ¡°Bus. Now! I ain¡¯t tryna push my luck an¡¯ have a leak pop up, summonin¡¯ all them monsters up on our business. I ain¡¯t gonna be no monster food. You hear me, son!?¡± Hearing the rising temper in his voice, the scavengers could do nothing but pack up and obey. Their backs were hunched as they returned to the bus. Some of them, however, were still prodding the ground with their sticks, hoping to get lucky. Unfortunately for all of them, there truly was barely anything in the area they covered and th,e disappointment on their faces could be seen as soon as they removed their masks while on the bus. ¡°Fuck¡­ I think I inhaled too much of your mama, Derek. Maybe you sniffed some of that too that¡¯s why you¡¯re seeing things.¡± One of the scavengers joked while rubbing his nose. Even with the mask on, all of their faces were still covered in gray. ¡°Fuck you,¡± the scavenger who bumped into Adam, Derek, laughed while wiping his face, ¡°I swear, though. I really thought the schizo¡¯s done for.¡± ¡°I wonder how your mother feels now that she¡¯s inside all of us.¡± Another scavenger joined in. Their bodies all swayed to one side as the bus started to move. ¡°Hey. That¡¯s enough. Let Derek¡¯s ol¡¯ lady rest in peace. What the fuck, man.¡± The leader of the scavenger team smirked while shaking his head. He then turned to the scavenger to seated to his left, who was completely covered in clothing from head to toe, ¡°You know? It¡¯s true. Derek¡¯s mama got summoned to fight and ended up dyin¡¯. But from what Derek been sayin¡¯, she was a grade A bitch¡ªused to beat on him when he was little.¡± ¡°O¡­Oh.¡± The scavenger didn¡¯t know what to say. He tried to laugh, but Derek glared at him. ¡°Hold up. What yo¡¯ name is again? Today was your first day, right?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Han¡­Hans, Mr. Jefferson.¡± The newbie lowered his hat as he spoke. ¡°Hanhans? The fuck kinda name is that? And why you wearing so many clothes? Ain¡¯t you hot?¡± The leader, Jefferson, raised an eyebrow at the newbie, ¡°Anyway, if you got any questions, just holla at me, not one of these clowns. So, got any questions?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ thank you.¡± Hans nodded before his eyes landed on Adam, whose face was still covered in soot and ash, ¡°Then¡­ can I ask why everyone keeps calling him a schizo?¡± ¡°Oh. Pfft. Adam?¡± Jefferson waved his hand, ¡°Ain¡¯t no need to trip ¡®bout him, he harmless. The boy just likes talkin¡¯ to himself an¡¯ shit. But he¡¯s a good boy. One, he straight up dropped some treasure next to Gab so he could find it, tryna get some extra bread for that new baby of his. Adam helped him secretly, thought ain''t nobody gon'' notice¡ªbut I saw that shit.¡± ¡°He¡­ did that?¡± Hans¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Damn right, he did. He just¡­ a l¡¯il loose in the head, but who ain¡¯t? Never hurt no one. Ain¡¯t seen the boy smile even once, though. You¡¯ll get used to it¡ªwe all good people ¡®round here, even though¡­ you know.¡± ¡°Except Derek¡¯s mama.¡± ¡°Man. Fuck you, guys.¡± The sour mood instantly switched as the team laughed with each other at the expense of Derek and his deceased mother. The laughter did not stay for long, however, as the scavengers found themselves dead asleep not even a minute later. The only ones that were awake were the driver and Adam. Adam still kept to himself, his bright green eyes slowly glimmering as they left the desert of ash. He rested his head on the window, looking at the sky and the ruined buildings around him. He remained like that for hours, until they reached the nearest city, and the ruined buildings became lively, the ground once again became paved, and the people walked the streets. Talking. Smiling. Laughing as if death weren¡¯t just by their doorstep. And the gray sky that reflected in Adam¡¯s green eyes was replaced by tabloids, billboards, and colorful giant screens plastered on the tall buildings, all of them showing the Heroes of the last battle. 20 years ago, when all of this first started, there were no Heroes at all. Everyone was equal¡ªCreeps, as they learned to be called since it was already a popular term from a video game that was eerily similar to the apocalyptic war. But when one side won and the other was burnt into ashes, the victors were gifted the reward of strength. They were given Points for each person they murdered, and those points can be used to buy strength, in the literal sense. Just like¡­ a game. And for the first time in humanity¡¯s history, the common people could buy power. Those who had participated in the Game before were more likely to be summoned again. If their side wins, they gain even more power. And then if they win again, and then again¡ªif they managed to survive until they have gained enough power, they will be reborn into Heroes by the Game. Heroes are immortal inside the Game. They respawn, over and over again. Only six of them are allowed on each side. And even if their side loses, they will not be burned to death, no. Only the Creeps are killed. And after 20 years, there were now at least twenty thousand documented Heroes. There would have been a lot more, but human nature caused them to kill each other outside the Game. Some even assassinate creeps when they are about to become Heroes due to¡­ illegal betting issues. The strongest and most popular ones of them have become akin to celebrities. No, they were treated as idols¡ªthey practically ruled the world now. They are in the government, or perhaps it would be better to say that they are the government. They weren¡¯t truly Heroes in the literal sense; that was just what the world learned to call them¡ªonce again, an influence from the same video game. The people used drones to watch the battlefield, hovering above and around the dome. They cheered, they mourned, and they cheered again. The world was dead, and humanity had turned it into entertainment. Some dreamt of being summoned by the Administrators to join the Game, while most dread it. Adam¡­ Adam was definitely the latter. There was so much pain in the game, to the point that he avoided watching it like it was the plague. Because Adam¡­ Adam knew pain more than most people. I don¡¯t want to get hurt. Never again. Never.
Chapter 2: The Introduction to the Dying World (2)
¡°What the!?¡± A few hours had passed, and the bus finally arrived at its destination. Violently too, as the driver slammed on the brakes to wake everyone up. ¡°Aight! Wake up, you fools!¡± Jefferson slammed his crowbar on the seat, making sure those who were not woken up by the sudden stop opened their eyes, ¡°Line up and open your pouches so I can give you your share!¡± ¡°Ugh. Can¡¯t we just keep everything this time, Boss!? I really need to take my wife on a date!¡± One of the scavengers quickly complained as soon as he woke up, and Jefferson only laughed while he once again slammed his crowbar on the seat. "If you tryna take ya wife on a date, then you ain''t got no business workin¡¯ as no scavenger! Hand over them pouches, now!" He raised his voice even further. He was about to say something else, but he got distracted by Adam¡¯s bright green eyes suddenly being in front of him. Jefferson did not say anything and just grabbed Adam¡¯s pouch, pouring out the contents onto the tray he was holding. Well, there wasn¡¯t that much to pour out. ¡°Ah, damn it,¡± Jefferson cursed as he started parting the melted trinkets, "Knew I shoulda got us a permit over in West Lane instead. Damn! Aight, fine!" Jefferson raised his voice. And instead of parting Adam¡¯s share, he returned everything into his pouch and gave it back to him in full. ¡°You get to keep your pouch this time, boys!¡± Jefferson hollered, "But you best bring back a whole lot tomorrow, or I swear I¡¯ma shave yo¡¯ balls clean off! I ain''t runnin'' no damn charity!" ¡°You¡¯re the best, Boss!¡± ¡°Ah! Yes! Yes!¡± And while the rest of the scavengers celebrated, Adam quietly slipped away. ¡°Thank you, Boss,¡± he murmured to Jefferson before stepping off the bus. Jefferson looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just gave Adam a nod and let him go. He knew the kind of people who ended up as scavengers. Most were either undocumented, illegal, or running from something. The others, Jefferson could read easily enough. But Adam? Adam had been with the team for five years, and not once had he spent time with them outside the scavenging runs. ¡°Okay!¡± Jefferson clapped, "Aight, the rest of y¡¯all get the fuck on outta here! See y¡¯all tomorrow!" *** An hour later, Adam had just finished cashing out his loot from one of the many pawn shops next to the Scavenger office. He didn¡¯t have a bank account, so he had to exchange everything in cash¡ªgood, he preferred it that way anyway. ¡°Mom. Look at him.¡± ¡°Baby, no! Don¡¯t go near him!¡± As he waited for the crossing light to turn green, the people around him kept their distance, giving him space on the sidewalk as if he carried some kind of plague. Yet another perk of being a scavenger¡ªeveryone preferred to stay far away. Good, he also preferred it that way anyway. Scavengers were not liked by society at all. After all, they were practically grave robbers, stealing from the dead. It was better this way. Better for who? You could be doing more, Adam. Much more. These people don¡¯t even know that they are in the presence of¡ª ¡°Shut up. Shut up¡­¡± Adam clasped his head, shaking his thoughts off as the light went green and everyone crossed the road. And he was like a rock in a river, splitting the current with how people were keeping their distance from him. He sighed, gritting his teeth as he crossed the road. Adam! He clicked his tongue as his own voice echoed in his mind again. But as his eyes flickered toward the people passing by, he instinctively pulled up his hood, lowering his head even though his face was already covered in ash. "Why am I even hiding?" he muttered to himself, his gaze landing on a group of doctors in uniform walking past. ¡°It¡¯s not them. They don¡¯t care about me anymore. It¡¯s been so long. They¡¯ve forgotten about me.¡± You don¡¯t know that, Adam. It¡¯s best that you¡¯re careful. Adam continued with his head down for the rest of the commute until he reached his apartment. It was a rundown building with no security at all. Well, perhaps the people living in it had enough security, as most were criminals and bad people that the authorities didn¡¯t bother to catch. Create trouble, and you¡¯ll risk catching the eye of everyone in the building. Once again, a perfect place for Adam. Everyone kept to themselves. The apartment was small, if it could even be called that. It had a bed and its own bathroom. No kitchen, but it didn¡¯t matter since he doesn¡¯t cook anyway. Adam quickly dropped off his things, slipping the rolled-up cash into a metal box hidden within a vent in the wall. Without wasting another second, he rushed to the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as a cloud of dust and ash billowed into the air, remnants of the filth he hadn¡¯t managed to shake off on the way home. The first shower was always just for washing away the grime¡ªscrubbing every inch, making sure not a single speck of dirt clung to him. Only once he was completely clean did he allow himself to bathe, sinking into the warmth of the water. This was what he looked forward to the most. Just him, the quiet, and the heat wrapping around him like something close to comfort. Away from the world that had become so desensitized and cold. Stop lying, Adam. You want to be a part of it, of everything. You¡¯re just afraid¡­ afraid that they will know who you are¡­ and they¡¯ll be scared. ¡°Shut up¡­¡± Adam closed his eyes and submerged his head under the water. You¡¯re a freak, Adam. Even before the world had gone to shit. Bubbles violently escaped the corners of Adam¡¯s lips as he whispered under the water. A second. A minute. He stayed like that for a long time before emerging from the water, renewed and reinvigorated. And as he looked at the mirror, his face which was once covered in ash and soot was no more¡ªwhat was left was a face as smooth as porcelain, sharp, and perfect in all its definitions of it. His black hair that reached to his cheeks, emphasizing his alluring features even further. But below his neck, the illusion of flawlessness shattered. His shoulders alone were filled with scars, ranging from the size of a penny to completely covering his entire back. Burns marred his skin, patches of discolored flesh stretching across his torso. There wasn¡¯t a single inch of him untouched by old wounds. Adam lightly sniffled as he stared at himself for a few seconds before sighing and stepping out of the bathroom. And just like that, morning had arrived again. Time to go back to work. This was his life. His routine. And it hadn¡¯t changed in years. Wake up. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Scavenge the ashes of the dead. Come home. Rinse repeat, rinse repeat. ¡°H¡­hi?¡± The new guy, Hans, hesitantly tried to start a conversation. But Adam barely acknowledged him, offering only the briefest of greetings before falling silent again. This continued for days. Then a week. Until eventually, Hans stopped trying. Why don¡¯t you just talk to him? He obviously wants to be your friend. ¡°No. No friends.¡± Adam shook his head, dispelling the unwelcome thoughts. He couldn¡¯t afford to stray from his routine. Not now. Adam went home again without speaking to anyone. He bathed. Slept. Welcomed another day of silence. Nothing changed. It was monotonous. Boring. But then, one morning, as he walked to work with his hood up, weaving through the bustling crowd, something snapped in him. He glanced up at the towering billboards, filled with the shining faces of Heroes, their perfect smiles beaming down at the world. He looked around at the people passing him by, lost in their own lives, unaware of his existence. And for the first time, a thought crept into his mind. None of these people care about me. I¡¯m just another face in the crowd. Just another speck of dust. He was like everyone else now. Unimportant. Unnoticed. Then maybe¡­ maybe it was time to let someone in. Maybe I should start making friends? Perhaps it was time to step outside his bubble. Are you sure? The voice in his head slithered back in, sharp and cold. They will hurt you, Adam. People are bad. Their only goal is to break you. Remember what happened in the hospital? None of them are good people. The thought stopped him in his tracks. But a deafening silence filled his mind, drowning everything else out. Adam closed his eyes. For the first time in years, he tilted his head toward the sky, letting the warmth of the sun soak into his skin. He took a deep breath. And then, with quiet defiance, he lowered his hood. And fate immediately punished him for it. The moment he decided to be free, he heard it¡ªA voice calling out a name he hadn¡¯t heard in over twenty years, a voice he never wanted to hear again. ¡°Zero?¡± The voice said. And it was so stupid¡ªso stupid¡ªfor him to turn around. ¡°Zero? Is that you?¡± An old woman stood before him, a familiar face in unfamiliar clothing. He had only ever seen her wrapped in a white lab coat, sterile and distant. But here she was, standing among ordinary people, blending in as if she belonged with them. ¡°You¡¯re Zero, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s me, Dr. Aniston.¡± ¡°Y¡­¡± Adam tried to speak, but his throat locked up. His legs froze in place. His vision tunneled, the bustling street melting away¡ªreplaced by a small, white room. And once again, he was there. Alone. His breaths turned shallow, strangled. His pulse pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else¡ªuntil suddenly, a blaring car horn snapped him back. He gasped, staggering a step back. His voice trembled as he spoke. ¡°Are you¡­ are you real?¡± Dr. Aniston didn¡¯t answer right away. She just stared, wide-eyed, as if she had seen a ghost. Then, without breaking eye contact, she reached into her bag¡ªa radio. ¡°Patient Zero. Location confirmed!¡± ¡°No!¡± Adam¡¯s eyes went wide. He didn¡¯t think. Didn¡¯t hesitate. He just ran. Shoving through the crowd, ignoring the shouts and protests around him, he sprinted. He didn¡¯t dare look back. Run. Run. Run. That was the only thought in his mind. He didn¡¯t stop until he saw the scavenger office. Until he saw his bus. ¡°Adam? It¡¯s rare to see you so early¡ª¡± Adam didn¡¯t even bother greeting Jefferson and immediately got on the bus, shrinking down onto his seat and making sure that his head was below the window. Hans, who was seated at the seat next to him, didn¡¯t know whether to talk or ask him what was going on. After all, he had tried talking to him the past few days, but Adam only responded with either a hello or a hmm. But after thinking about it for a good three seconds, Hans approached Adam. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He whispered as he placed a hand on Adam¡¯s shoulder, ¡°...Are you¡ªOw!¡± Before he could finish his words, however, Adam smacked his hand away and looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Adam¡¯s breaths turned heavier by the second as he looked at Hans¡¯s eyes, which were the only things you could see with how covered he was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Adam whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± Hans stared at him for a second. He was about to ask him how he was again, but Jefferson¡¯s voice roared inside the bus before he could say anything. ¡°Aight, boys!¡± Jefferson clapped his hands, "You already know what day it is. It¡¯s Selection Day! That mean we headin¡¯ out to that new Dome as soon as it pops and we wait ¡®til the fighting¡¯s over. Hopefully, it¡¯s close. If not, guess we back to them old dusty-ass deserts!" The scavengers inside the bus buzzed with excitement at the news, some even clasping their hands together in whispered prayers, hoping they¡¯d be chosen by the Administrators to fight. The Domes spawned randomly across the world each month, though they¡¯ve been documented to typically appear within a thousand kilometers of the previous locations. It was like the Domes were slowly eating up the Earth, razing it to the ground bit by bit¡­ by bit. But nobody cares anymore. Nobody cares. So why¡­ why are they still looking for me? Adam covered his head with his hood as the bus began to move. Everyone was noisy due to the excitement filling the air, an excitement that was only fueling Adam¡¯s anxiety even further. Hans seemed to notice this. He only stared at him, however, as Adam looked more unwelcoming than most days. But right when he got the courage to approach him again, he almost tumbled forward as the bus suddenly stopped. ¡°What¡¯s going on here!?¡± Jefferson quickly shouted. ¡°There¡­ there are people blocking the way!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Jefferson and the other scavengers stood up from their seat to look in front of them, only to see several black SUVs in front of them, ¡°Today¡¯s Selection Day! I ain¡¯t got no time for this bullshit!¡± Jefferson was about to step out of the bus to confront them, but several people got out of the SUVs while carrying guns. ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Jefferson stepped back and started tapping the driver¡¯s shoulder several times, ¡°...Drive through them! Drive! Drive through them n¡ª¡± Before the driver could step on the gas, everyone watched as a huge man practically ripped off the door, throwing it like cardboard. ¡°A¡­ A Hero!?¡± Everyone on the bus screamed, ¡°But¡­ what? Why are they¡ª¡± Jefferson stepped aside as one of the people from the SUV entered the bus. Unlike the others, who were dressed in sleek black suits, this one stood out¡ªan old woman in casual clothing. The very same woman Adam had run from. Dr. Aniston. ¡°Everyone, calm down.¡± The doctor smiled at Jefferson, ¡°No one¡¯s going to be harmed. We¡¯re only here for this person.¡± Dr. Aniston then raised a poster. A CCTV image of Adam running away, his face as clear as day. Jefferson looked back at his crew, his eyes settling on where Adam was sitting. He groaned for a moment before turning to face Dr. Aniston and saying, "Nah, ain¡¯t seen that face before. Y¡¯all recognize him?" ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kinda blurry. Do you have a better picture?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty face. Why are you looking for him?¡± Not a single one of the scavengers gave Adam up. Hans, who was in the seat next to Adam, even sneakily stood up, pretending to get a better look at the photo before changing seats and sitting beside him to block him from the doctor¡¯s view. ¡°Are all of you sure?¡± Dr. Aniston narrowed her eyes, ¡°Our sources and surveillance say that he rode this bus.¡± ¡°Lemme see that again,¡± Jefferson leaned closer to the image but shook his head again, ¡°Nope, no.¡± Dr. Aniston strode deeper into the bus, her gaze sharp and searching. Jefferson moved to block her path at first, but the moment the Hero in a suit stepped inside, he hesitated¡ªhis shoulders stiffening before he silently stepped aside and took a seat. Unbothered, the doctor pressed forward, her eyes sweeping over the scavengers one by one. And soon, she reached Adam¡¯s aisle. ¡°You¡­¡± Dr. Aniston¡¯s eyes narrowed further as she saw a scavenger with his hood up, ¡°...Show your face.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s sleeping!¡± Hans chuckled as he nudged Adam, ¡°I could wake him up, but we sort of drank last night and he¡¯s hammered.¡± ¡°Wake him up, then.¡± Dr. Aniston placed her hand on the head of the seat. ¡°James. Wake up.¡± Hans shook Adam while making up a fake name to call him, ¡°He¡¯s not¡ªHuh?¡± Hans looked back to the doctor, only for his eyes to widen and his breath to pause for some reason. ¡°I am not going to ask again.¡± The doctor looked at the Hero, gesturing for him to come forward. But something also caught her eye that caused her to pause, ¡°You¡ªHmm?¡± The Hero was glowing¡ªno. Everyone on the bus was glowing. ¡°Wait¡­ wait a minute!¡± Jefferson stood next to the driver¡¯s seat, staring at his hands as they began to glow. Slowly, they dissolved into shimmering particles of light, dancing away from his body like fireflies disappearing into the night. ¡°Me!?¡± He screamed, ¡°Wait, no¡­ since all of us are glowing. Then¡­ the next battlefield¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s right here!? In the city!?¡± ¡°Tell everyone to gather together!¡± Dr. Aniston and the Hero quickly rushed out of the bus. As for the scavengers, they all had mixed reactions as they watched themselves fade away into light. As for Adam, well¡­ ¡°No¡­ No. I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± He stuttered under his breath. Pathetic. His entire body, trembling in fear and the only thing he could hear was the violent beating of his heart, ¡°I don¡¯t want this¡­ I don¡¯t want to suffer. No more¡­ no more pain¡­ please.¡± And with those words, he and everyone within a fifty-mile radius disappeared. Slowly, a Dome appeared in the sky, slowly building until it closed them off from the rest of the world. [Get ready for the 242nd Battle! Troops deploying in 1 hour!]
Chapter 3: Minutes Until the Game Starts!
¡°Adam, run! Just run!¡± A dream. Well, it would have been better if it was just that. But as he waded through this muddy and misty world, Adam knew that it was more than that¡ªa memory. A memory he tried to escape from. A memory he tried to wake up from but never could. In this dream, he was running¡ªtypical. But at the very least, someone else was running with him. If only it could end there, but it never does. ¡°Run! Just leave me!¡± It was a woman, being pinned on the ground by several men whose faces were completely blurred. Unfortunately, the woman¡¯s face was too. He couldn¡¯t remember what the woman looked like, but he remembered exactly who she was. The first and last person he ever let in. ¡°Run!¡± She told him to run, and he never did stop doing so. He ran, and ran inside a tunnel that didn''t end¡ªand right when he thought he reached the end. He woke up as always. No, something was different this time. He was woken up by someone else. ¡°My daughter!? Has anyone seen my daughter!?¡± ¡°Why¡­ why am I in the game!? But I donated so much to the church, why am I here!?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes! I was chosen!¡± ¡°No¡­ No! Not again! I don¡¯t want to fight anymore!¡± ¡°Please¡­ please help me!¡± ¡°What the!? Why is my gun missing!? They told me the game wouldn¡¯t take it away!¡± ¡°Everyone, just stay calm!¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± ¡°Can¡­ can anyone help me!? I¡­ I can¡¯t walk and my chair is gone!¡± Adam was woken up by the violent screams of all the people around him. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Adam opened his eyes, only to see a sky covered with a translucent red and a giant floating set of numbers that showed 00:07:12. The ceiling of a Dome. ¡°No¡­¡± Adam whispered as he stared at the number. He thought it was part of the dream, but it would seem he truly was summoned to play the game¡­ something he had dreaded for a very long time. At least, that was what he thought he would feel. Instead, an overwhelming relief washed over him. If there was ever a circumstance in which he would actually want to be summoned into the Game, it would be exactly like this. Because of the Game, he was able to escape being captured by Dr. Aniston and the hospital. Being forced to fight in the Game would be better than being caught by them. How cold. For you to feel relieved when hundreds of thousands of people will suffer now because of the Game. What about Mr. Jefferson and the others? You said you were ready to open up to them, and yet now you only think about yourself. You¡ªshut up. Please, shut up! Adam shook his head off of the thoughts he was having and focused on his surroundings. They were still in the city, with buildings surrounding them. Most of the cars were already pinning each other, some were crashed into the walls and were burning due to their drivers being teleported away along with everyone. He could also hear the people at the ends of the crowd, banging in the air, pushing a completely invisible wall that kept them trapped. The battle hasn¡¯t even started, and yet smoke already filled the streets¡ªunhinged chaos that slowly creeps. There were more than 3,000 of them there, all packed to the point that it was almost hard to breathe. They were like sardines trapped inside a can, with the large buildings as their walls. ¡°Everyone! I¡¯m from the International Battle Arena Association! My name is Christopher. Please, gather to me!¡± The commotion around Adam momentarily died down when a man suddenly began clapping his hands¡ªloud, sharp, and commanding. His voice boomed even louder through the oversized megaphone he held, forcing those nearby to cover their ears for fear of going deaf. Even Adam, lost in his own thoughts, instinctively turned to look. The man was dressed in a sharp suit, a badge pinned to his chest engraved with the emblem of a sword¡ªthe unmistakable logo of the IBAA. Behind him, floating weightlessly in the air, was a massive red crystal, nearly as tall as the man himself. It pulsed with an eerie glow, sending beams of light upward, piercing straight through the Dome¡¯s ceiling. As the crowd began gravitating toward the man and the crystal, Adam stood up. But unlike the others, he didn¡¯t move forward. His gaze swept across the sea of faces, scanning for Dr. Aniston and her people. He was also searching for Jefferson and the rest of the scavenger team¡ª But they were nowhere to be seen. But considering the number of people all crowded in a single place, it would be hard to find them. There was also the problem that even though they were all in a single bus when they were teleported, the possibility of them being in the same lane¡­ or even in the same color was not guaranteed at all. Adam looked at the person next to him, before looking at the top of her head¡­ which now had a Red Halo hovering above it. It wasn¡¯t only her, all of them had it. It was a halo that told them what side of the Game they were on. Red and Blue. He was on the Red team, and it could be possible that Jefferson and the others were on the other side. And that also meant¡­ ¡°Have you seen my daughter? We were jogging before we were teleported. She¡¯s wearing pink pigtails and is this small, maybe you¡¯ve seen her? She¡¯s also wearing a pink sweatshirt since she wanted to join me.¡± ¡­The daughter of the woman weeping beside him could be in the enemy team. ¡°Hello?¡± The woman leaned closer to Adam as she noticed him looking at her, ¡°Have you seen my daughter?¡± The woman had short brown hair that barely brushed the base of her neck. She wore a pink jacket that struggled to contain her ample bosom, paired with tight-fitting jogging pants that stopped just above her ankles. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. It made sense¡ªshe had been jogging before they were suddenly summoned into the Game. But¡­ why was she approaching Adam, of all people? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Adam sighed, shaking his head. ¡°I hope you find¡ª¡± Before he could finish, the woman suddenly grabbed both of his hands, her eyes locking onto his. ¡°Can¡­ can you please help me find my daughter!?¡± she pleaded, her voice breaking. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re the first person to actually respond to me. Please. She¡¯s only seven¡­ oh, God. Please. Please.¡± She placed Adam¡¯s hands on her damp cheeks, her warmth pressing against his palms. He could do nothing but stare at her, her face filled with desperation and anguish. A raw, helpless grief. Perhaps¡­ if the face of the woman in his dreams wasn¡¯t blurred¡ªwould she be making the same expression? What are you doing, Adam? You don¡¯t have the luxury of helping anyone. Just leave. Just walk away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± His voice barely came out as he turned his head away, forcefully pulling his hands free before covering his ears. ¡°Please¡­¡± he whispered, his breathing unsteady. ¡°Ask someone else for help. I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not capable of helping anyone.¡± The woman let out a quiet gasp, her brows knitting together as she took in the way he bit his lip, the panic flickering in his eyes¡ªand she understood. Her own expression softened¡ªthe desperation melting into something gentler. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± The woman stepped closer, her voice softer now as she gently took Adam¡¯s hands in hers again. ¡°Are you okay? Are you with anyone? Are you¡­ also trying to find them? We can look for them together¡ªmy daughter and whoever you¡¯re searching for.¡± She offered a small, reassuring smile. ¡°My name¡¯s Grace. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± What are you doing, Adam!? Just leave! She¡¯s trying to manipulate you like everyone else! Just leave her! Adam¡¯s thoughts once again screamed in his mind. He was at a complete loss as to what to do, and before another word could come out of his mouth, the man from the IBAA, Christopher, raised his voice again. ¡°Everyone, listen!¡± He raised both his hands as he stood on top of a car, ¡°Judging from the pillars of light, we are at the Outer Crystal in the Middle Lane! That means we¡¯re being sent out first, and that we¡­ are in the most vulnerable position, and we need to stick together as much as possible if we don¡¯t want to die! We¡ª¡± Before Christopher could finish his words, he was cut off by someone from the crowd. ¡°Where are my weapons!? I bought a weapon from the IBAA and they told me it would come with me if I was summoned!¡± Christopher looked annoyed as he glanced at the man who interrupted him. But after a few seconds, he let out a sigh and shook his head and said, ¡°If your weapon disappeared, then that means it wasn¡¯t made with materials from the Portals! And the IBAA doesn¡¯t sell weapons. Sir, you have been scammed!¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Man, shut the fuck up! Let the man talk!¡± The man wanted to heckle more, but he quickly stopped when he noticed the glares from those around him. Adam knew exactly why they were so restrained¡ªand it wasn¡¯t just because of Christopher. It was because of the threat of an Administrator. Although it had been years since one showed themselves, it had already been imprinted in everyone¡¯s minds just how dangerous they could be. They were gods. And if they deemed anyone here to be breaking the silent rules they have set, they could come down at any time and smite anyone they wanted. Christopher also stared at the heckler for a few seconds before finally continuing his emergency orientation, ¡°Okay. I know everyone is scared, I am too¡ªthis is also my first time being summoned. But please, remember the drills! We¡¯re going to separate the people who had already been summoned by the Game before! The veterans, please go to this side! Those who have been teleported for the first time, please go to my right! Since the veterans have brighter halos, we would know if you¡¯re lying!¡± Most of the people have already undergone several drills as mandated by the IBAA, and they have no trouble at all listening to Christopher¡¯s words as that was how they were trained. Even those who had not participated in drills also followed the flow¡ªthe only ones who needed to be guided were the children. There were several people, however, who did not move according to Christopher¡¯s words and instead approached him. Not because they were rebelling, of course¡­ but based on their uniform, they were also a part of the IBAA. ¡°Thanks for stepping up, sir.¡± But from how they were addressing Christopher, it would seem his position was higher up, ¡°We¡¯ll go help organize the people and help the children.¡± ¡°Okay, you guys do that,¡± Christopher sighed and nodded, ¡°Has anyone spotted the Heroes? Do you know which ones were summoned to our lane yet?¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably still on their way from the Spawn Point.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Christopher sighed again, ¡°We need to have everything organized already before they come. I just hope we¡¯re lucky and we don¡¯t get one of the troublemakers. Is there anyone else from the IBAA? Someone higher than me? I was stationed in the city in case something like this happens, but I didn¡¯t think it actually would happen. I don¡¯t want this kind of pressure¡­¡± And while the members of the IBAA talked to themselves, the people arranged themselves accordingly. Adam, of course, walked to the side of the first-timers and made sure to keep his head down while still looking for any signs of the scavenger team or Dr. Aniston. Fortunately, he and the mother, Grace, got separated when the people started moving. But although he said he wasn¡¯t going to help her, he found himself subconsciously looking around for a small girl with pink pigtails. Although there were still thousands of them there, it should be easier to find her now that they partitioned themselves from the veterans. Judging from the size of the crowd, their numbers were almost equal to the first-timers¡ªjust how the Administrators of the Game had always set it. What are you going to do, Adam? One way or the other, this is it. Everyone¡¯s going to know what kind of freak you are. Since you¡¯re here, you might as well kill, Adam. Kill and become stronger. ¡°No¡­¡± Adam whispered to himself to get rid of his thoughts, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want anyone to suffer the same pain I have.¡± You¡¯re sounding like a broken record, Adam. Do you think if the enemy spots you, they will let you go? Everyone¡¯s desperate here, Adam. Everyone¡¯s fighting for their lives. You know, everyone knows it. And while the voice in Adam¡¯s mind continued to grow louder, another voice echoed through the air. This time, everyone heard it. The voice of an Administrator. [Troops deploying in 30 minutes! Get ready!] Everyone tensed when they heard that. Thirty minutes¡­ Half an hour until people start killing each other. The lucky ones were the ones who had found the people they were with before they were teleported and already formed groups, but most weren¡¯t as fortunate as them. No one was there to comfort them in the harsh reality they were about to face. Even Adam couldn¡¯t stop clutching his chest from the way his heart was beating so loudly. Just from imagining all the pain and hurt that was about to transpire, Adam felt himself trapped¡­ alone again in the white room he had spent his entire childhood in. The silence in his ears, however, was stopped as soon as the people started talking again. This time, even louder. The reason? The individuals the IBAA operatives had been searching for had finally arrived. The desperate crowd that had been pounding their fists against the invisible walls suddenly parted, stepping aside as two figures in unusual attire strode toward them. Unlike the rest, who were dressed in everyday clothing, these two were clad in distinct sets of armor¡ªeach striking in its own way. The first was a towering woman, fully armored from head to toe, with only her face visible. Her helmet bore massive horns, resembling those of a buffalo, while the rest of her armor appeared almost organic, as if it had been forged from living wood¡ªleaves sprouting from the seams. But what stood out the most was the enormous hammer she carried. The sheer size of the weapon sent nearby onlookers scrambling backward in fear. It was larger than some of them, its massive head nearly the size of a bear. And the dark stains of red and black marking its surface left little doubt that it had already crushed many before. Behind her walked a man whose attire¡ªor lack thereof¡ªwas just as remarkable. He was nearly bare from the waist up, his mouth, neck, shoulders, and arms wrapped in bandages, leaving his well-defined chest and abdomen fully exposed. Further down, he wore only a pair of skin-tight pants and knee-high boots, with the sides of his thighs left bare. If not for his long red hair cascading down to his waist, his entire back would have been visible as well. And like the armored woman, he carried an oversized weapon¡ªthough his was a bow, sleek yet massive. There was no mistaking it. Heroes. Adam stared at them for a few seconds before looking at the members of the IBAA. And judging from the way they were reacting, the Heroes were probably not that good. Adam doesn¡¯t really watch the battles and isn¡¯t aware of the less popular Heroes. Could these two be weaker than most? ¡°Oh, we¡¯re fucked.¡± Christopher winced, practically burying his hand on his forehead, ¡°Out of all the Heroes we could get, why them¡­? Tell everyone to behave. Those guys¡­ ¡­treat creeps like us like trash and will kill us indiscriminately if we so much as breathe in a way they don¡¯t like.¡± Adam was wrong. They weren¡¯t weaker, they were worse.
Chapter 4: Shoot Here
[Troops deploying in ten minutes. Get ready!] Heroes. They had once been creeps¡ªjust like Adam and the rest of the terrified people around him. Well, not all of them were afraid. Some were eagerly anticipating their chance to become Heroes, just like the ones standing before them now. After every battle, the Administrators calculated how much each creep had contributed to the Game and awarded them points accordingly¡ªpoints that could be used to purchase Status upgrades. Strength, Agility, Endurance, and Perception. And once their total stats reach a certain threshold, 10, they would be reborn into something entirely new¡ªa Hero. The more they contributed during the Games, the stronger they would be upon their rebirth. The increase in power wasn¡¯t linear¡ªit was exponential. A Hero¡¯s strength after transformation was incomparable to what they had been as mere creeps. The type of Hero they became depended on their stat distribution and the actions they had taken in battle. While there were countless variations, six main archetypes defined them: Marksman, Fighter, Vanguard, Assassin, Mage, and Support. Of course, these weren¡¯t set roles at all and were just assigned by the masses, once again due to the influence of a certain video game, and everyone just adapted to it for convenience. Perhaps there was also the fact that if those watching treated it truly as a game, then they could escape the harsh reality even just for a moment. And right now, standing before Adam were two newly arrived Heroes¡ªone a Vanguard, the other a Marksman. It was obvious which one was which just from their equipment. Their names, glowing brightly, were displayed above their heads for all to see. For creeps like Adam, the glowing symbol above their heads was a simple halo. But for Heroes, their names and titles hovered above them like divine proclamations. [Hilda, The Forest Barbarian.] [Muzan, The Moon¡¯s Arrow.] It wasn¡¯t immediately clear to Adam whether Hilda was primarily a Fighter or a Vanguard. She wielded a massive hammer, yet she was also clad head to toe in heavy armor, making her just as suited for a vanguard. As for Muzan¡ªwell, if the enormous bow strapped to his back didn¡¯t already mark him as a Marksman, then Adam¡¯s knowledge of the Game was even worse than he thought. One thing he did know, however, was that once someone became a Hero, their strength and abilities remained mostly static¡ªthe only way to grow stronger was through better equipment, which they got from the monsters whenever there was a Leak, a portal that appears randomly anywhere in the word at a random time. And like its name, it leaked the monsters that one could find in the Dome out into the public¡ªand the only way to close it was to go inside and destroy the crystal within. Heroes are tasked to do this, but sometimes, veteran creeps join in too for the possible rewards. And like everything else in the Game, Heroes were classified and ranked by the IBAA, starting from F-tier at the lowest and climbing all the way up to S-tier¡ªthe peak of power. Well, whatever rank they were, Adam would do his best to stay away from them. From the way they carried themselves, it was obvious¡ªthey didn¡¯t care about the creeps. The IBAA representatives stood before them, pleading, desperate for guidance. But the Heroes? They only laughed in response. "Please! You have to command us¡ªthat''s what we all practiced during the drills!" Christopher, the team leader, fell to his knees before them, his voice laced with desperation. But his submission only seemed to amuse them further, their laughter growing louder, crueler. Hilda sneered, swinging her legs off the hood of the car she had been lounging on. As she stood, the vehicle groaned under the sudden shift in weight. "Were we part of those drills?" she taunted, tilting her head with a mocking smirk. Then, tightening her grip on the handle of her massive hammer, she added, "If you really want to be useful, go fight the Blue creeps when the Game starts¡ªand then kill yourself. Just make sure at least one of you stays alive long enough for us to destroy the crystal." A Hero would suffer continuous, critical damage from an enemy crystal¡¯s aura unless an allied creep was present within its range. At the same time, the enemy crystal would take increased damage depending on the number of allied creeps nearby. This mechanic prevented Heroes from simply blitzing across the battlefield and single-handedly destroying the enemy crystal. Over the years, various strategies emerged to exploit this system. One of the more infamous tactics involved carrying a single allied creep into enemy territory to gradually chip away at the crystal¡¯s defenses. While effective, this strategy also left the attacking team vulnerable to counterplay, often creating openings for the opposing side to strike back.. Hilda didn¡¯t seem to care at all about any strategies, however, as she glared at Christopher and said, ¡°Just do your job, IBAA. We¡¯ll do ours and see you on the other side.¡± Christopher flinched. He wanted to protest¡ªto remind her that she had once been a part of those very drills before her transformation into a Hero. But the way her fingers curled around her weapon silenced him. He could try and plead with Muzan, but he was known to be worse than her. He may seem quiet and calm, but between the two, he was the one known to kill creeps of his own team, using them as target practice to warm up before the Game commenced. A complete psychopath. The IBAA members quickly spread the warning about Muzan, whispering among the creeps, urging them to stay quiet. Some still wanted to protest, but their fellow creeps clamped hands over their mouths, dragging them away before they invited disaster. But then¡ª One voice happened to slip through. "Why aren¡¯t you helping us!? You¡¯re supposed to be Heroes!" Everyone froze. Thousands of people were there, but at that moment, not a single one breathed. The only sound that remained was the slow, deliberate footsteps of Muzan. And he was walking toward them. The crowd parted like water around a stone, the creeps instinctively moving aside, unwilling to stand in his path. Muzan strode forward, his expression unreadable. Then, without breaking stride, he stretched out a hand to the side¡ª ¡ªAnd an arrow materialized in his palm. ¡°Which one of you said that?¡± He snarled, nocking his bow as he pointed to where the voice came from. Of course, as humans, the creeps all slowly turned their heads toward the man who spoke. ¡°W¡­what?¡± The man immediately stuttered when he realized everyone¡¯s attention was on him. But before he could even say anything else, a scream escaped his throat instead. The others also wanted to scream, but they stopped themselves¡­ unless they also wanted their legs filled with arrows. The man dropped to the ground, wailing in pain as he grabbed his legs, but he also quickly let them go, as no matter where he touched, an arrow was lodged into it. They saw only one arrow leave Muzan¡¯s bow¡ªyet by the time they blinked, dozens were already piercing the man¡¯s leg. A child whimpered at the sight, but someone immediately covered his mouth when Muzan¡¯s eyes quickly landed on them. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. These two Heroes were supposed to be on their side, and yet they just signed someone¡¯s death right in front of all of them. To cripple someone before the Game even started¡ªsuch cruelty. It would have been better for them not to appear at all. Muzan turned around and walked away, causing the crowd to let out a sigh of relief loud enough to drown the man¡¯s anguish. Their relief was short-lived, however, when Muzan suddenly halted and once again turned toward them. No, not to them¡ªbut to one single person. Adam. Adam tried his best to hide, and perhaps that¡¯s why he stood out. He was completely covered in clothes, and his head was even wrapped in a hoodie¡­ and perhaps that was a very grave mistake. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a scavenger, aren¡¯t you?¡± Muzan¡¯s fingers started twitching. He once again stretched his arm to the side to summon another arrow. All of a sudden, he was talkative, the bandages covering his mouth moving without pause as he said, ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I hate more than a heckling creep, it¡¯s a scavenger. What kind of person would loot someone else¡¯s hard work, huh?¡± As for Adam, well, he still remained quiet as he looked away from Muzan and turned his attention to the man he shot. He stared at the blood slowly trickling from all the holes in his legs before looking back to Muzan and saying, ¡°Please, don¡¯t shoot me.¡± Adam¡¯s entire body began to tremble, his legs almost giving out. But for some reason, he looked Muzan straight in the eyes¡ªand Muzan did not like that at all. He immediately drew his bow again and pointed it at him. Still, Adam didn¡¯t look away. Instead, he let out a trembling sigh and whispered, ¡°But¡­ but if you¡¯re still going to shoot me¡­¡± Adam even stepped forward, not stopping until the head of the arrow was only a foot away from his head. And ever so calmly, he leaned forward and rested the very center of his forehead on the tip of the arrow, and muttered, ¡°...Shoot here.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Muzan tilted his head as he returned Adam¡¯s stare. And after a few moments, a scoff escaped his covered lips as he said, ¡°...You think I won¡¯t do it? I¡¯ve killed people for¡ª¡± ¡°Ah! There you are!¡± Before Muzan could finish his sentence, a woman''s voice suddenly rang out from the crowd. Everyone turned their heads, searching for the source¡ªAdam didn¡¯t need to. He recognized her immediately. Grace, the woman who was trying to find her daughter. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Muzan!¡± She said, lowering her head as she grabbed Adam by the shoulders, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not a scavenger! He¡¯s my brother. I¡­ he gets cold easily so he wears a lot of clothes! What are you doing? We¡¯re supposed to stick together!¡± Muzan wanted to say something, but Grace already dragged Adam away. Still, the head of his arrow followed Adam¡¯s back¡ªand everyone waited if he was going to shoot him or not. They all stared at his fingers, which felt like they would let loose the arrow at any moment. ¡°Stop.¡± But before anything could actually happen, Hilda¡¯s large hammer blocked Muzan¡¯s view. Muzan did not really say anything at all and just looked at Hilda, who immediately gestured him to look up at the clock. But before he could do so, the Administrator¡¯s voice once again resounded throughout the entire city. [Troops deploying in three minutes. Get ready!] Muzan shot Hilda a glare before clicking his tongue in annoyance. With a flick of his fingers, the arrow in his grasp disintegrated into nothing. Without another word, the two turned and walked away, the crowd instinctively parting for them. They passed effortlessly through the invisible wall¡ªthe same barrier the desperate masses had spent their effort pounding against with fists and feet, to no avail. Christopher sprinted after them, only to slam face-first into the invisible wall preventing the creeps from leaving their spawn before the game started. ¡°W¡­ wait!¡± He shouted, pounding his fists against the air as if sheer force could break through. ¡°Isn¡¯t one of you at least going to stay behind and defend our crystal!?¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Hilda glanced over her shoulder, a smirk curling on her lips. ¡°Just shut up and watch how we win this Game.¡± Hilda seemed to be in a good mood, but for some reason, she suddenly groaned and started complaining, ¡°Tch, I can¡¯t even believe I was summoned again¡ªI thought I only had to do this once after I became a Hero, fuck. Do you know there¡¯s supposed to be less than a 5% chance now for us to be summoned every month? And I¡¯ve been summoned three times in the last 3 years!¡± Muzan, who was walking quietly beside her, glanced at her with his eyebrows lowered and asked, ¡°Where did you get those numbers?¡± ¡°Google, duh.¡± And with that, the two Heroes vanished into the thickening smoke, leaving the rest of them behind. There was nothing anyone could do but watch. With only three minutes left until the Game began, Christopher and the other members of the IBAA called for the crowd to gather again. ¡°Everyone! You know the drill!¡± He motioned toward the two sections of people. ¡°Since the number of veteran creeps and first-timers is equal, you all need to form groups of six! Half from this side, half from this side! Veterans, protect the newbies! And newbies, support the veterans however you can!¡± A few immediately started following his orders, but murmurs of dissent spread through the crowd. ¡°Psh. Why do we need to do that?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? If we all die, our team¡¯s chances of winning go straight to hell!¡± ¡°The Heroes will decide the outcome of this game. Just shut the fuck up.¡± Chaos erupted as the group splintered¡ªsome following orders, others blatantly ignoring them. Many of the veterans, much like Muzan and Hilda, chose to disregard the IBAA entirely, banding together in self-made groups to ensure their own survival. Christopher clenched his jaw, watching the disorder unfold around him. The only thing he could do now was bite his lip and hope for the best. Their deaths were on the line, and yet all they could think about were themselves. ¡°Everyone!¡± Christopher winced as more and more veterans turned away, unwilling to listen. ¡°Please, we need to work together!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just stay here!? I don¡¯t want to fight!¡± ¡°I wish we could, really. But we can¡¯t.¡± Christopher pointed at the towering ceiling of the dome. ¡°If we don¡¯t move forward, if we don¡¯t fight, the Administrators themselves will come down and burn us alive. We can only retreat if we truly need to. That¡¯s the rule, and it¡¯s a fucking stupid rule. You need to march, you need to fight¡ªand most importantly, you cannot hesitate. Hesitation means death.¡± He took a deep breath, scanning the crowd, his voice turning grimmer. ¡°The people out there? The ones with blue halos floating above their heads?¡± His hand clenched into a fist. ¡°Right now, someone is giving them the same speech I¡¯m giving you. And I¡¯ll tell you exactly what they¡¯re being told¡­ ¡­They will kill you. It¡¯s not personal. It¡¯s survival. If you hesitate, even for a second, you die. I know this isn¡¯t easy. I know most of you have never even killed an animal, let alone a person. But if you don¡¯t kill them¡­ they will kill you.¡± A heavy silence fell over the crowd. Even some of the veterans lowered their heads, closing their eyes as memories of their first Game resurfaced. Christopher exhaled and pointed forward, toward the distant blue beacon of light. ¡°We march there,¡± he continued, ¡°Our job as creeps is to support the Heroes, to help them destroy the Outer Crystal resting beneath that blue light. Once that¡¯s gone, the enemy creeps from the Middle Crystal will be deployed. We push forward and take them down, and we take their crystal! And then finally, the Inner Crystal. And if we make it that far, if we actually survive the creeps and destroy the Inner Crystal¡­ the last step is to destroy the enemy¡¯s Spawn Crystal. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s how we win.¡± Christopher¡¯s voice started to waver, as he knew the chances of that were slim. But still, he continued. ¡°And if we do¡­When we do win and survive, we offer our silent prayers to those who didn¡¯t make it and ask forgiveness for the people we killed.¡± [Deploying troops in 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1.] ¡°So, let¡¯s survive it.¡± With those words, the veterans roared and surged forward. The invisible wall that had caged them in was gone. But the newer creeps remained frozen, their eyes wide with shock as they watched most of the veterans rush ahead, leaving them behind to form their own ragtag groups. There was no choice but to move forward¡ªstaying behind, refusing to fight, would only lead to death. The Game had no mercy for creeps. They were nothing but disposable soldiers. A fickle and unreasonable game. Meanwhile, Adam found himself stuck with Grace, who still hadn¡¯t let go of his arm. ¡°Thank you for saving me,¡± Adam whispered, glancing down at her hands, which were tightly wrapped around his forearm. ¡°But¡­ you can let go now. I¡¯m not a special needs case if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking. You don¡¯t have to protect me.¡± Grace ignored his words entirely, stepping even closer to him. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Nathan.¡± Adam lied without hesitation. He feared Dr. Aniston and her people more than the Heroes themselves. It was safer this way, because he knew that the hospital most probably had investigated him already. But as he met Grace¡¯s gaze, he could tell she wasn¡¯t fooled. She narrowed her eyes, as if she saw right through him¡ªbut instead of calling him out, she simply smiled, patted his chest, and said, ¡°Well, Nathan¡ªsince I saved you, you owe me. I need your help finding my daughter.¡± ¡°And what if she¡¯s on the other team?¡± Adam asked, his voice low. ¡°She¡¯s not.¡± Grace¡¯s response was immediate, her head shaking before he could even finish his sentence. But the way her grip tightened betrayed her confidence. ¡°She¡¯s not. She¡¯s out here somewhere, I know it. There¡¯s just¡­ too many people. We need to¡ª¡± ¡°What the hell are you two doing!?¡± Before Grace could finish, a group of people approached them, their red halos glowing brighter than most¡ªveterans. They had already earned points, already fought, already killed. ¡°You need to move before an Administrator comes down and wipes us all out!¡± One of the veterans barked, stepping forward. ¡°Do you two even have a group yet!?¡± ¡°We¡­ don¡¯t,¡± Grace admitted, her grip on Adam¡¯s arm tightening even more as she looked up at him. ¡°Can¡­ we join you? It¡¯s our first time here, and we really¡ª¡± ¡°Stop.¡± The veteran let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. ¡°Fine. You can come with us¡ªbut listen up. You follow our every command, no hesitation. If you slow us down, we leave you behind. Understand?¡±
Chapter 5: Reunited United
The smoke was everywhere now. It had only been an hour since the city''s residents were displaced, only to be teleported back in random, and no battle had even begun yet. And yet, the entire city was already descending into even more chaos. This was humanity¡¯s worst nightmare¡ªa Dome appearing right in the heart of a city. Cars, suddenly without drivers, became deadly projectiles. Machinery that required human control turned into chaotic hazards. For nearly two decades, humans had tried to outsmart the Game, but the Administrators always found a way to keep them in check. Twenty years ago, after the asteroids fell and the Games began, humans had formed groups¡ªentire guilds¡ªconsisting of veteran creeps, Heroes, and even ordinary people who had yet to be chosen but wanted to be prepared. And all these guilds had one thing in common: they hid weapons near previous Domes, predicting that the next ones would emerge nearby. They stored them in vaults, buried them underground, and scattered them in hidden caches so their members could retrieve them when the time came. But when the time did come, the weapons were gone. The Administrators did not want creeps to have pre-made arms. The guilds adapted, attempting a new approach. Instead of entire weapons, they stored weapon parts, hoping to assemble them inside the Dome. But the Administrators noticed even that. No weapon could be brought in unless it was crafted from materials from the Leaks. The irony is, the cars could still work, and many have used them to ram and run down people to death. The Administrators were gods, toying with humanity as they pleased. And so, Adam now held a dented metal trash can lid, using it as a makeshift shield, while Grace gripped a steel pipe like a club. The two of them followed closely behind the veterans leading their group. The massive crowd that had gathered near the Outer Crystal had already begun to thin. Thousands had dispersed, splitting into smaller groups as they made their way toward the Outer Crystal of the enemy team. Staying packed together was a death sentence. If panic broke out¡ªand it would¡ªa stampede could wipe them out before the battle even began. And they will panic, history has proven it. Grace clung tightly to Adam¡¯s arm, her grip unrelenting as her eyes darted frantically through the chaos, searching for any sign of her daughter. She bit her lip, glancing at the backs of the veterans leading them, before suddenly shouting at the top of her lungs. ¡°Sam! Samantha! Where are you!? Follow Mommy¡¯s voice!¡± Her voice cracked, desperation dripping from every word. She didn¡¯t care. She only screamed louder. The veterans ahead, however, did not appreciate her outburst. ¡°How many times do we have to tell you to stay quiet!?¡± The leader of their team, a veteran who had introduced himself as Harvey, spun around, his finger stabbing in her direction. ¡°Shut the hell up! We don¡¯t know if enemy creeps are nearby! Or worse¡ªHeroes!¡± Grace flinched, her shoulders shrinking under the weight of his glare, but her eyes never left the crowd. She wasn¡¯t looking at Harvey. She was still searching. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered, barely glancing at him. But Harvey wasn¡¯t done. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the IBAA says. We¡¯re not obligated to help any of you,¡± he sneered, turning his gaze to the rest of the newcomers trailing behind them. ¡°Once the fighting starts, if you get in the way, you better find a different team because everyone here needs to contribute. All that matters is that we win, or we¡¯re all fucking dead.¡± No one argued. No one even looked at him. The newbies had no right to rebuke him, not when they hadn¡¯t survived this before¡ªnot when the veterans had already been through this nightmare once or twice. They had practiced. They had done the drills. It was mandatory. But drills didn¡¯t prepare them for this. Their hands shook. Their legs trembled. If the Administrators weren¡¯t forcing them forward under threat of incineration, most of them would have been frozen where they spawned. Fear hung thick in the air. And Grace could see it in Adam. ¡°Are¡­ are you scared?¡± she asked, her voice still trembling, though she tried her best to sound gentle. Then, she immediately shook her head. ¡°Sorry, that was a stupid question. Of course, you are. Everyone¡¯s afraid of dying. I¡¯m so scared I think I peed a little.¡± Adam turned to her, studying the way her hands trembled and her teeth chattered. Then, after a pause, he answered¡ªnot stammering, not hesitating. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of dying. I¡¯m scared of the pain.¡± But his thoughts? His thoughts were in complete disarray. What are you doing, Adam? Why are you opening up to someone you barely know!? If you¡¯re thinking about the woman in your memory, it¡¯s not her! Think, Adam. Think! ¡°I¡­¡± Grace closed her eyes for a moment before looking around again, even watching the windows in the abandoned buildings to see if maybe her daughter was looking out there for her. She tried her best to think of unnecessary thoughts, but it was very hard to do so in the situation. The only thing she could really do to calm her mind was to talk to Adam, ¡°I think¡­ I think the best way not to be scared about it is not to think about it. So, let¡¯s talk¡­ let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± Grace was on the verge of tears, but she bit her lip and held Adam closer, her grip tightening. His arm nearly sank into her large chest, but she didn¡¯t loosen her embrace at all as her mind was completely elsewhere. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Why¡­ didn¡¯t you pick up a weapon instead?¡± She asked as she looked at Adam¡¯s shield. But after a few moments, she quickly shook her head and told Adam not to answer it, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ answer that. We¡¯re supposed to think of something else. Uhm¡­ uh¡­ what¡­ what do you want to do after this? I think, me, personally¡­ I¡¯d take my daughter on a long vacation. You could come with us if you want to.¡± Adam stayed quiet for a moment, but when he saw Grace¡¯s completely moist eyes looking at him, he quickly looked away and sighed before answering, ¡°I¡­ am going back to work.¡± That was wishful thinking. If he did manage to survive, Dr. Aniston and her people would be looking for him now since they know where to start finding him. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ boring. But¡­ since you¡¯re a scavenger, then wouldn¡¯t you return here to¡­ to retrieve the belongings of the dead?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And¡­ do you like your job?¡± ¡°Do¡­ I need to?¡± ¡°Well, I guess not. I hate my job.¡± A small chuckle escaped Grace¡¯s lips, but she immediately bit it down, guilt creeping in. She didn¡¯t deserve to smile¡ªnot yet, not until she found her daughter. Shaking off the thoughts threatening to consume her, she took a deep breath and turned back to Adam, forcing herself to focus. "I think scavengers get a bad rep, you know? And I¡¯m not just saying that because I¡¯m talking to you. I think it¡¯s actually... a beautiful job.¡± ¡°A¡ªHow so?¡± ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re recovering memories¡ªpieces of people that would otherwise be lost in all the pain and torment. You know what I mean?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°How do I put this¡­ Uh¡­ you¡¯re making sure their last moments aren¡¯t left in this place of darkness. You¡¯re retrieving what¡¯s left of them and carrying them away from all the bloodshed and death. Just because they died here doesn¡¯t mean they should be buried here, you know? If that¡¯s not beautiful, then what is?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Adam glanced down at his shoes, coated in the dried ashes of a million lives. ¡°...I¡¯ve never thought of it like that.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Grace tried to keep the conversation going, her steps still in sync with Harvey and the other veterans. ¡°But if you could do something else, anything at all¡­ what would you want to be?¡± she asked. Adam narrowed his eyes, genuinely considering it. Seconds passed before he finally answered, ¡°I want to go to school.¡± Grace blinked, a little surprised. But she didn¡¯t gasp or react¡ªjust nodded. She thought of something else to say, another topic to shift to, but in the end, she stayed silent, focusing on scanning the crowd. Searching. A second. A minute. Almost an hour. Still, not a single glimpse of her daughter. Not a single strand of her hair. Worry clawed at her chest, her grip weakening around the steel pipe in her hand. It started slipping from her fingers, but before it could clatter against the ground¡ªbefore it could betray them with sound¡ªAdam moved forward, gently lifting her hand and securing it back in place. She was about to thank him when Harvey suddenly raised his fist. All at once, the veterans froze. The other creeps, seeing the signal, followed suit, lifting their fists to relay the message. Like a chain reaction, everyone halted¡ªone after another, caught in a silent ripple of hesitation. Confusion spread, thick in the air. And then¡ªfootsteps. Marching. Coming from the right. Their group was positioned at the farthest edge of the Middle Lane, which meant the chances of someone from their own team approaching were slim. Too slim. As that realization settled in, tension coiled in their limbs. Legs braced. Hands tightened around whatever weapons they carried. Something was coming. And it wasn¡¯t one of theirs. This was it. All of them had resolved to fight, but it would be foolish to think any of them were truly ready. Even the veterans swallowed hard as memories of their first kills surfaced. But there was no time for hesitation. They had to step up. A series of quick nods passed between them. The veterans gestured for the newbies to grip their weapons properly, their hands tightening as they braced for the encounter. Eyes narrowed, straining to see through the shifting veil of smoke. And then¡ªshadows emerged from the haze. Two groups faced each other. No one moved. They stood frozen, staring into each other''s faces, paralyzed by shock, fear, and the weight of the moment. The only one to move was Adam¡ªbut not by choice. Grace stepped forward, her hand gripping his wrist, pulling him along with slow, trembling steps. ¡°Samantha?¡± she whispered. The steel bar in her hand slipped from her fingers, clattering against the ground. The sharp sound shattered the silence, jolting everyone from their stupor. All eyes turned to Grace, then followed her gaze. A little girl sat on someone¡¯s shoulders. Their gazes drifted higher¡­ ¡­to the glowing Red Halo hovering above her head. They were on the same team. Everyone exhaled in unison, their breaths trembling as relief washed over them. Samantha nearly collapsed, a raw, primal scream tearing from her throat¡ªa sound so visceral it jolted those still trapped in shock. The man carrying her quickly lifted her off his shoulders and set her on the ground. The moment her feet touched the dirt, she bolted toward her mother. Grace did the same, releasing Adam as she rushed forward. She dropped to her knees, wrapping Samantha in a fierce embrace. The two of them sobbed openly, their cries unrestrained. The sight brought quiet smiles to the others. Some even let go of the tears they had been holding back, overwhelmed by the relief crashing over them. The veterans in Adam¡¯s group began to relax, stepping forward to meet the other group. But the other group didn¡¯t share their ease. They moved with haste, closing the distance between them in a march. ¡°Where are your Heroes!?¡± The man who had carried Samantha was the first to speak. His halo burned brighter than everyone else¡ªevidence of his experience in the Game. He was a veteran, just a few stats away from becoming a Hero. And judging by the blood staining his clothes, along with those of his companions, they had already encountered enemy creeps. Harvey studied him for a moment before offering a short, clipped account of what had happened in their Lane¡ªtheir Heroes had been¡­ useless. ¡°Damn it. That¡¯s bad luck.¡± The man pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. We need to hide and set up an ambush. We already ran into some enemy creeps, but there weren¡¯t many of them¡­ and we found out most of them were heading here. They¡¯re concentrating their advance on the Middle Lane.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Harvey gritted his teeth. ¡°And our fucking Heroes didn¡¯t even bother setting up a strategy. Do you have yours with you?¡± ¡°No. They were the ones who sent us here,¡± the man shook his head. ¡°They engaged in the East Lane to stop the enemy¡¯s Heroes from reinforcing the attack. We¡¯re on our own.¡± He exhaled sharply. ¡°Name¡¯s Jake, by the way. We¡ª¡± ¡°They¡­ they¡¯re here!¡± Before Jake could finish, bloodcurdling screams ripped through the air. Everyone turned toward the noise. Through the thinning smoke, silhouettes emerged¡ªmarching. Their sheer numbers parted the haze like a wave. And above their heads, a cold, unmistakable glow bathed them in blue light. No question. The enemy had arrived. Harvey spun toward his group. ¡°Everyone¡ª¡± He started to scream an order, but then his voice paused. His eyes flicked back to the marching figures, widening¡ªstretching so far they nearly bulged from their sockets. But it wasn¡¯t their numbers that caught his attention. After all, there were many of them too. No. The thing that caught his attention made him almost choke on his own breath. ¡°They¡­ have weapons?¡±
Chapter 6: ...What?
Creeps weren¡¯t supposed to have weapons, at least not normally. They could carry crowbars, steel pipes, and all other things they could use as makeshift weapons on the ground, but they could never have brought weapons into the Game unless they were made from special materials. So why? ¡ª was everyone¡¯s question as they looked at the army marching toward them. Why were the enemy creeps that were approaching them now all armed? They had swords, spears, a shield¡­ some of them even had armor on. And while most of the creeps were frozen and confused, the veterans realized what was happening. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Harvey took a step back, his words almost stammered as he looked at Jake, and Jake said the words he was dreading to continue. ¡°The Echo Smith. They have Ilyana in their team.¡± The high-level veteran, Jake, groaned as he said that, shaking his head before looking at the other creeps. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!?¡± Harvey growled. ¡°They¡­ didn¡¯t have them when we fought.¡± Being summoned to the Game was already a death sentence, but fighting against an army carrying all sorts of weapons? That was suicide. Unfortunately, everyone knew that. And they all started running away in panic. ¡°Run¡­ Run!¡± ¡°They have weapons! W¡­ why!?¡± ¡°This is a massacre!¡± ¡°No¡­ no!¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe if we don¡¯t move, they won¡¯t kill us!?¡± The ground trembled beneath them, mirroring the rising panic in their voices. But soon, even that drumbeat of fear was drowned out¡ªoverpowered by the roars of the advancing enemy. A clear mind would have noticed the truth. The ones charging toward them had tears streaking their faces. Their steps were hesitant. Their march, reluctant. But for those already cowering in fear, all they heard was a battle cry. ¡°Everyone, please! There are more of us, and we¡ª¡± Jake tried to steady them, his sharp eyes recognizing the fear gripping the enemy just as much as their own. But his voice was swallowed by the chaos. And then¡ªeverything shattered. Harvey, the man who had stood firm just moments ago, the one barking orders and demanding silence, broke first. He screamed. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he turned and ran. And at that moment, whatever courage remained in Adam¡¯s group unraveled. Those who had been ready to fight saw their leader flee¡ªand with him, their last shred of resolve. One by one, they turned. And they ran. And all it takes is one. All it takes is one person to trip to cause a stampede. And there it is¡ªa man stumbling over his own foot. He hit the ground hard, and before he could get up, someone else tripped over him. Then another. And another. In an instant, bodies collapsed like dominoes, a tangled mess of limbs and panic. People were being crushed beneath the burden of the weight of their own allies¡ªliterally. Their voices, once filled with terror, were now reduced to muffled groans, barely audible beneath the chaos. There had never been a plan. Their so-called Heroes had abandoned them, leaving them for dead. Maybe they had never intended to win in the first place. After all, why fight when there was nothing to gain? It wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d be burned with the creeps if they lost. And even if they killed enemy Heroes or creeps, it wouldn¡¯t make them any stronger. So what was the point? The creeps. They truly were nothing but disposable pawns meant to die. And soon, the screams started again as the enemy team finally reached them. They didn¡¯t hesitate at all. With tears on their faces, and endless mutterings of sorries from their lips, they stabbed, slashed, and crushed anyone with a Red Halo hovering above their heads. There was no mercy at all. Those who pleaded for their lives, those who were running, those who were pinned down from the stampede¡ªthey kill them all. And through all of this, Adam stood still. Frozen. Painfully pathetic. Whispering to himself, ¡°Why? Why are they hurting other people? Why are they causing so much pain and torment to another human being? Why?¡± His lips moved without pause, his eyes straying uncontrollably as he witnessed the wave of massacre in front of him. He gripped the handle of his makeshift shield hard, but the sound it made as it trembled reflected the chaos in his mind. A chaos ever greater than what he was witnessing. This chaos, however, was utterly silenced when he felt a warmth touching his hand. ¡°Nathan!¡± Grace¡¯s voice cut through the chaos as she grabbed his hand, her other arm wrapped tightly around her daughter, Samantha. She shook Adam¡¯s arm, snapping him out of his stupor. ¡°We need to go! We need to run and hide!¡± she screamed. And suddenly¡ªvisions of the woman from his dreams flashed before his eyes, her face overlapping with Grace¡¯s. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. He remembered. He finally remembered what kind of expression the woman in his dreams had worn. Desperation, yes. But also¡ªlike Grace¡ªthere was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. A small tug on his shirt pulled him back to the present. Adam looked down to see Samantha clinging to his jacket, her tiny hands shaking. ¡°M-Mister¡­¡± she whimpered, her voice breaking. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s go. Please! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m scared. I¡­ I don¡¯t want Mommy to get hurt!¡± Like a spark igniting in his mind, Adam moved. He pulled free from Grace¡¯s grip, crouched down, and scooped Samantha into his arms, positioning her behind his shield. He met Grace¡¯s eyes for only a second¡ªno words, no nods exchanged. And then they ran. Away from the onslaught. Away from the violence. ¡°Cover your ears and close your eyes,¡± Adam whispered, holding Samantha closer. His breaths were heavy from carrying her, but his words were clear¡ªso clear that even Grace could hear them through the screams around them. ¡°It won¡¯t help. Not really. But it¡¯ll take you someplace else. Imagine your favorite food, your favorite person, your favorite animal, your favorite place. Picture yourself there, sharing a meal with them.¡± Grace choked at his words. She bit her lip, swallowing the sob rising in her throat as she looked at her daughter. She nodded, urging her to do as Adam said. And Samantha did. Grace wanted to do the same. To escape, even just for a moment. But she couldn¡¯t. She had to survive. That was the only way to keep her child safe. Run. They ran as fast as they could, away from the carnage, away from the people. There was no going back¡ªthe Administrators would kill them if they tried. Forward. That was the only way. But ahead, another army waited. They knew they were only delaying their deaths. Still, they moved forward. Hope. This was what hope meant¡ªrunning blind in the darkness, believing that somewhere, eventually, there would be light. They had been running for only seconds. It felt like eternity. But then¡ª ¡°You two! Here!¡± Light. Jake stood in the doorway of a small restaurant, its windows barred with metal shutters. He waved them in. ¡°Hurry!¡± Adam and Grace forced their legs to move faster, teeth gritted, lungs burning. They never looked back¡ªnever checked if anyone was following. ¡°Inside, now!¡± The moment they stepped through, Jake slammed the shutters down behind them. It was dark. But for the first time, they could breathe. Not safe. Not yet. But breathing. ¡°Hide in the kitchen,¡± Jake ordered, peering through the gaps in the shutters. ¡°We¡¯re not safe yet.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Grace wasted no time expressing her gratitude. As soon as Adam set Samantha down, she ran to Jake, tugging at his shirt. ¡°Thank you again, mister.¡± Jake smiled softly, patting her head. But he didn¡¯t speak¡ªjust nodded before returning his focus outside. Samantha turned back to Adam, hugging his leg. ¡°Thank you too, mister. Thank you.¡± Adam crouched, bringing himself to her level. His voice softened. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ okay.¡± For a moment¡ªjust almost¡ªa smile threatened to break through. ¡°And thank you for being brave,¡± he said. ¡°Now, I need you to do something, okay?¡± Samantha nodded hesitantly. ¡°What¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°I want you to keep being brave.¡± Adam swallowed. ¡°And I want you to listen to your mother, okay? No matter what happens, don¡¯t let go of her hand. Promise me.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Samantha sniffled, wiping the tears from her face before running back to Grace. She clutched her mother¡¯s hand as tightly as she could, then looked back at Adam. ¡°I promise.¡± Adam nodded. ¡°Good.¡± He cast a glance at Grace before finally following Jake¡¯s instructions and heading toward the kitchen. To their surprise, there were already people hiding inside¡ªabout five of them. At first, the group stared at Adam and Grace in shock. But the moment they noticed the Red Halos hovering above their heads, they silently returned to what they were doing: panicking in hushed whispers, hands clasped in prayer. Adam and Grace exchanged looks before settling near an oven. Carefully, they lowered themselves to the floor, mindful not to disturb anyone. Grace immediately tended to Samantha, making sure she was comfortable¡ªbut she needn¡¯t have worried. The moment Samantha lay in her lap, she drifted into sleep. And as soon as she fell asleep, the tears that Grace had been trying to hold onto immediately burst from her eyes. Her entire body convulsed, but she cried quietly in fear that she would wake her daughter. She wanted to cover her face, to catch the tears before they fell on her daughter, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to let go of her. Then, she felt a nudge. She turned. Adam sat beside her, silent, his shoulder subtly leaning in, offering a certain solace as she rested her face on it and used it to hide her tears. She stayed like that for minutes, soaking his shoulder in tears. But he never said a thing. He let her cry until she had nothing left. When it was over, she exhaled a deep, shuddering breath and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡± Adam sighed too, shaking his head. ¡°I should be the one thanking the two of you. If you hadn¡¯t woken me up¡­ I¡¯d still be there. And I¡¯d be in a lot more pain.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Grace sniffled, wiping the last of her tears as she glanced down at Samantha, brushing gentle fingers through her hair. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ good with kids,¡± she murmured, then looked at Adam. ¡°Did you have younger siblings growing up?¡± ¡°No.¡± Adam closed his eyes. ¡°But¡­ I had someone I treated like an older sister. She always comforted me when I was scared.¡± Grace hesitated, then asked, ¡°How old are you?¡± Adam looked up, thoughtful. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I guess¡­ twenty-seven?¡± Grace nearly choked. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her reaction, then leaned in, whispering harshly, ¡°You¡¯re only three years younger than me? I thought you were, like¡­ a teenager! You look so young. Wait¡ªyou were also born before the Game?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Adam nodded, ¡°I might be older, I¡­ don¡¯t know. My memory¡¯s hazy before the asteroids fell. But I remember it, I was running away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ the same,¡± Grace smiled, but she tilted her head and leaned away to get a closer look at Adam¡¯s face, ¡°But I¡¯m just shocked, you look¡­ so young. I thought you were born after the Game.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Adam lifted his knees and hugged his legs to hide his face. ¡°You know, I was playing with my friends at school when it happened. None of us really knew it happened. We were¡­ completely unaffected, I didn¡¯t even think it was a big deal until my dad was summoned to the game four years later. All I remember was that the world started changing after that moment. What about you? Do you have¡­ any fond memories you remember before the Game?¡± Saw. Needles. Scalpels. Blood. Lots of blood. ¡°I¡­ same.¡± He forced the words out, shaking his head as if to dislodge the images flashing through his mind. ¡°Playing with¡­ friends.¡± A lie. ¡°That¡ª¡± But a lie he did not have to keep for a long time at all. ¡°Shit! They¡¯re coming in!¡± All of a sudden, the moment between the two shattered as they were reminded of where they were. Jake barreled into the kitchen, his voice cracking with haste. ¡°The Blues know we¡¯re inside! They¡¯re surrounding the restaurant!¡± Without hesitation, he grabbed a knife from the counter. ¡°Make sure the back door is shut tight!¡± He pointed to the nearest person to do it, but they didn¡¯t react¡ªtoo consumed by fear, hands clamped over their ears, eyes squeezed shut. ¡°Shit!¡± Jake moved to secure the door himself, but before he could take a step, Adam was already on it. He shook the door, testing the lock, then shoved one of the heavy counters in front of it. He pressed his weight against it, making sure no one was getting through. Jake watched him for a moment, then gave a small nod. Without a word, he handed Adam the knife. ¡°Protect them,¡± he said. ¡°And whatever you do, don¡¯t go outside. If they realize someone¡¯s hiding in here, you¡¯ll all die.¡± Then his voice dropped, colder than before. ¡°But¡­ if they do get in, I want you to kill the mother and daughter.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡±
Chapter 7: The Type
Adam¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Jake¡¯s words. Kill them? Grace and Samantha? He was ready to grab the knife from Jake, but he stopped and completely froze when he heard that. He was ready to protect them, he had the resolve to do so. But kill them? Why? But Adam didn¡¯t think that he would get his answer immediately. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen the worst of humanity right in front of me,¡± Jake muttered through gritted teeth, his gaze locking onto Grace and Samantha. ¡°They will do unspeakable things to the mother when they see her¡­ and they will do the same to her daughter.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response. He shoved the knife into Adam¡¯s hand and rushed back out, grabbing another blade on his way. Adam stared down at the weapon. His fingers trembled¡ªhard. His reflection wavered on the steel, distorted by the shaking of his hands. His thoughts spun, wild and frantic. But then¡ªhe took a breath. A deep, shuddering breath. And he turned back to Grace and Samantha. Grace said nothing. She simply reached out, wrapping her fingers around his trembling hand, gently pulling him down to sit beside her. A few seconds passed. Then¡ª The sound of metal scraping. The shutters lifted. And the roars and screams that followed¡­ So loud they jolted Samantha awake. ¡°M-Mommy? What¡­ what¡¯s going on!?¡± Samantha clung to Grace, curling into her, burying her face in her mother¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°I know, sweetie. I know.¡± Grace wrapped her arms around her daughter¡ªtight, but gentle. ¡°Cover your ears, sweetie. Cover your ears.¡± She was terrified. So much so that it felt like the entire kitchen was closing in, crushing her under its weight. But the only sound she focused on was Samantha¡¯s shaky breaths. It was the only sound that mattered now. Adam, meanwhile, sat frozen, eyes locked on the door. The screams from the dining hall bled into the kitchen¡ªshouts, cries, the clash of metal. Among them, he could hear Jake, grunting, roaring, fighting. And he could hear the others¡ªscreaming in agony. A sound too familiar. A sound that made his entire body tremble. He curled onto the floor, pulling his knees to his chest, hands clamping over his ears. But it didn¡¯t help. The screams didn¡¯t come from outside anymore. They came from his mind. His memories. It was his own scream he was hearing now. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°Please¡­ stop hurting each other.¡± The sounds inside his head grew deafening, a shrill, piercing whistle cutting through his skull, drilling into his bones until even his teeth ached. And then¡ª Silence. The whistle vanished. Replaced by the slow, creaking hiss of a door opening. A collective gasp filled the kitchen as they all looked at the door, waiting to see who would emerge from it. Grace¡¯s grip on Adam¡¯s hand tightened. Adam¡¯s breath hitched as he caught sight of his own reflection in the knife again. Slowly, he turned his gaze toward the door. And it wasn¡¯t Jake. The figure standing there was bathed in blood, their armor slick with it, their weapons dripping. Above their head, a Blue Halo glowed. No one moved. No one breathed. Grace instinctively covered Samantha¡¯s mouth to keep her silent. But it didn¡¯t matter. Because someone else¡ªone of the people hiding beside them¡ªcracked first. And screamed, loud. ¡°N-No! Please¡­ please don¡¯t kill us!¡± ¡°There really are people here!¡± The creeps from the Blue team flooded into the kitchen, one of them flipping on the lights, exposing everyone cowering inside. Like¡­ rats¡ªcornered, trembling, and filled with fear. ¡°Do¡­ we really need to kill them?¡± one of the creeps muttered, glancing uneasily at the terrified faces before them. ¡°They¡¯re not even fighting.¡± ¡°No.¡± The leader stepped forward, scanning the room. ¡°What if they slip past us? If they reach our Outer Crystal, we¡¯re screwed. We can¡¯t take that risk. Kill them. If you don¡¯t have the stomach for it, get out.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Joseph.¡± The man revolting flinched upon seeing their leader gesture to a large man. ¡°Shut the fuck up and just go outside.¡± The man was immediately pushed and kicked out by the large man, Joseph. With an irritated scoff, he also shoved the others, leaving only himself and the leader inside. Joseph locked the door. ¡°Wasting our time with cowards, Donald.¡± Then, he smirked, wiping the blood off his sword with a dirty cloth from the counter. ¡°Now, let¡¯s kill us some fucking newbies. We really lucked out getting the Echo Smith on our team. We¡ª¡± Joseph¡¯s hands, however, suddenly stopped cleaning his sword when he caught a glimpse of Grace. His tongue, licking his lips as he saw her face. ¡°Think you can handle the rest?¡± he said, a sinister smile crawling on his face as he pushed away the counter in front of him and approached Adam, Grace, and Samantha, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ have my hands busy with this lot.¡± Joseph grabbed his crotch, holding it as he stared at Grace¡¯s large chest and skin-tight leggings. He stepped forward, but was suddenly stopped by their leader, Donald. Donald glared at him before saying, A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°My turn first.¡± Joseph growled but backed off with a twisted smirk. ¡°Then I¡¯ll hold the little girl for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to the girl.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Harvey.¡± Donald¡¯s voice was laced with disgust as he shoved Joseph aside. Then his eyes found Grace again. Slowly, he licked his lips. Grace met his gaze¡ªthen turned sharply to Adam. ¡°Do it.¡± She gripped his trembling hand, forcing it around the knife. ¡°Kill us.¡± She tried to lift the blade herself, but Adam refused, shaking his head over and over. ¡°Please¡­¡± Grace¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to do it myself.¡± Adam¡¯s breathing turned ragged. He stared at her¡ªthe flicker of hope in her eyes was gone. Snuffed out. Then he looked at Donald, who smiled at him lazily. ¡°Stop it. Don¡¯t play the hero.¡± Donald¡¯s voice was almost mocking. ¡°I can see your hands shaking from here. You¡¯re not the type.¡± ¡°Nathan¡­¡± Grace whispered, tightening her grip. ¡°Please¡­¡± Adam¡¯s thoughts once again started to become wild. But he couldn¡¯t hear the voice that endlessly spoke to him anymore. Right when he needed to hear it, it was gone. All he could do was stare. At Grace. At the knife. At his reflection on its blade. His teeth sank into his lip until it bled. A single drop fell onto the steel, blurring his face beneath a smear of red. And suddenly¡ª His trembling stopped. His grip steadied. ¡°Okay.¡± The word slipped from his mouth as he raised the knife. But then¡ª He saw Samantha. Not just her. Her eyes. Wide. Terrified. Pleading. His resolve shattered. No¡ª It didn¡¯t shatter. It turned into something else. Something sharper. Something dangerous. ¡°No¡­¡± Adam shook his head as he slowly stood up, pointing the knife no longer at Grace, but at Donald. Donald tilted his head, watching in amusement. ¡°Please¡­¡± Adam whispered, his hands trembling as he clutched the knife. ¡°Just let us go. Please. I don¡¯t want this. And you¡­ I promise you, you don¡¯t want this either.¡± From the side, Joseph chuckled, amused by the sight of Adam shaking like a leaf. Donald sighed and took a step forward, dropping his weapon as he knew he didn¡¯t need it. ¡°Boy. Who are you kidding? You can barely hold that knife properly.¡± Before Adam could react, Donald swatted the blade from his hands. ¡°Grah¡ª!¡± A sharp, guttural cry tore from Adam¡¯s throat as his hands crumpled under the force. Bones fractured. Skin split. His fingers¡ªtwisted, some barely hanging by threads of flesh. Still¡ª He didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t retreat. Instead, he shifted, stepping to the side to shield Grace and Samantha from Donald¡¯s view. Donald tilted his head again, smirking at the tears streaking Adam¡¯s face. But Adam¡ªdespite the pain wracking his body, despite the way his hands hung uselessly at his sides¡ªheld Donald¡¯s gaze. And whispered. ¡°Please¡­ just go. You don¡¯t want this. You don¡¯t want¡­ all this suffering.¡± Donald exhaled, shaking his head. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just bad luck, huh?¡± His tone was almost¡­ disappointed. ¡°Someone with your guts should¡¯ve been on our team.¡± He sighed, then shrugged. ¡°But well¡­ life.¡± He glanced at Joseph, who merely shrugged back. Adam took another step forward. ¡°You don¡¯t want this¡­¡± His voice wavered. ¡°You don¡¯t wa¡ª¡± ¡°Enough. This is getting pathetic.¡± And then, with those words as his only warning, Donald slammed his fist on Adam¡¯s jaw. The difference in strength between a veteran with enhanced stats and someone like Adam had already been clear when Donald shattered his hand. But now¡ªwith Adam¡¯s face mangled beyond recognition, his tongue lolling uselessly from the ruins of his jaw¡ªthat difference was undeniable. And Donald wasn¡¯t done. He grabbed Adam by the hair and slammed his head into the floor. The tiles shattered on impact. Adam¡¯s skull buckled under the force, his blood splattering across the ground in thick, crimson streaks. His eyes popped out from their sockets, and one rolled toward Grace and Samantha. Grace clenched her jaw, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood as she turned away. She tightened her grip on Samantha, making sure she didn¡¯t let go. But in her panic, she forgot to cover her daughter¡¯s eyes. Samantha saw everything. Her small body trembled, frozen in fear as she watched Donald lift Adam¡¯s head and slam it down again. And again. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± she whimpered. ¡°Stop it! Stop hurting him!¡± With a scream, she tore free from her mother¡¯s grasp. Before Grace could stop her, Samantha rushed forward, kicking and pounding her tiny fists against Donald¡¯s legs. ¡°What the¡ª?¡± Donald finally paused, blinking in surprise as he looked down at the little girl. ¡°No!¡± Grace screamed and lunged forward to pull his daughter away, but she was too late. Donald¡¯s hand clamped around Samantha¡¯s wrist. But before he could actually do anything¡ª He froze as something gripped his wrist. Tightly. He turned¡ªonly to see Adam. Face still planted against the blood-soaked tiles. His body, broken. His breath, shallow. And yet¡ªhis grip was like iron. He seemed to still be saying something, but with his mouth completely gone, it was impossible to hear what it was. But even if they couldn¡¯t hear him, it was obvious what he was trying to say. Let go of the girl. Just leave. Stop it. Please¡­ just stop. Donald exhaled, a small, amused breath escaping his lips. ¡°Hot damn. Maybe I was wrong, Twinkie.¡± A smirk curled at the edge of his mouth. ¡°You are the type.¡± Donald let Samantha go to grab Adam¡¯s already crushed hand. With a breath, he casually snapped Adam¡¯s entire arm in half before kicking him on the chest. The force, enough to throw him across the kitchen. The sound that Adam¡¯s body made when it hit the corner of a counter and folded completely in half made everyone¡¯s skin crawl. Donald stared at Adam for a few seconds, trying to see if he was still going to move. He waited. And waited, but there was nothing. ¡°The guy¡¯s finally dead, huh?¡± Donald smiled before suddenly grabbing Grace by the arm, who was trying to sneak away with her daughter while his attention was somewhere else, ¡°Now, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°W¡ª¡± Donald did not let Grace utter a single word as he grabbed and covered her mouth. He then let go of her arm, only to grab Samantha and pry her away from her mother before throwing the little girl to Joseph. Grace¡¯s muffled screams bled into the kitchen, she tried to reach for her daughter. But the only thing she could do was watch as Joseph caught Samantha, his large, sleazy hands restraining her. Grace tried to kick Donald, to claw and bite her way out of his clutch. But she couldn¡¯t even budge a single finger of his. The only thing she could do was scream and tell her daughter to look away. Don¡¯t look at mommy. Grace did not even care at all that Donald ripped her jacket off. She continued to struggle. But the only thing she could do was smile at Samantha, to tell her that everything would be okay. Donald¡¯s hands soon crawled on her bare skin, but she did not care at all. The only thing she could do was watch as¡­ Adam slowly stood up from the floor. Huh? Grace''s breath caught in her throat. She blinked¡ªonce, twice¡ªtrying to convince herself that what she was seeing wasn¡¯t real. But no matter how many times she did, Adam was still standing. His body was a broken mess, twisted at impossible angles. And then¡ªcrack¡ªhis spine snapped back into place. Grace darted her gaze to the others in the room, searching for a reaction. But no one else was looking at him. No one else saw. And then¡ª Adam¡¯s face began to move. Grace watched, horror creeping up her spine as his mangled flesh stitched itself together, his jaw and cheeks writhing like a thousand worms coalescing into shape. His lips reformed. His skin smoothed. His mouth¡ªwhole again, as if it had never been shattered in the first place. Then¡ªhis eyes. Grace could see them being woven back, like yarn. Tears welled up in his sockets, only they weren¡¯t clear. They were red. Blood, streaking down his cheeks. Adam didn¡¯t speak. Didn¡¯t scream. He just breathed. Slowly, he turned to Grace. But instead of fear and horror, the only thing that Grace felt was¡­ relief. Then, Adam¡¯s gaze snapped toward the large Joseph, who was restraining Samantha with a smile on his face, his back turned away from everything. Oblivious to what was happening. A breath escaped Adam¡¯s cracked lips. Shallow. Strained. He took a step forward. His arms, limp and broken at his sides, began to straighten. Bones that had pierced through his flesh slid back inside, knitting themselves together beneath his skin. By the time he reached Joseph, he was¡­ complete. And then, finally¡ªa whisper. ¡°It¡­ hurts.¡± Adam¡¯s voice scraped the air, raw and jagged, like nails against a blackboard. ¡°I told you. All this pain¡­ you don¡¯t want this. But you¡­deserve it.¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Joseph quickly turned around. And when he did so, the first thing he saw was Adam¡¯s mouth. Wide open. Teeth bared. And due to his shock, Joseph wasn¡¯t able to react at all as Adam lunged. His teeth clung onto his flesh¡­ tearing a piece of his neck.
Chapter 8: Adam
A few minutes earlier, somewhere in the Dome, Dr. Aniston¡ªthe doctor Adam had been running from¡ªmanaged to locate two of her colleagues amidst the chaos. One was dressed casually like her, while the other wore a suit. All three of them, however, shared one thing in common. They wore the same armor as the creeps who attacked Adam. The Halos hovering above their head: Blue. They were on the other team. The doctor and her party didn¡¯t mingle with the other creeps, instead staying away from everyone else. The man wearing a suit stood in front of them, and from the way he moved and looked around, he knew how to handle himself. Her other colleague didn¡¯t seem to be as confident, however. ¡°Are¡­ are you sure we shouldn¡¯t join the others, Doctor?¡± Hal muttered, standing as close to Aniston as he could without stepping on her feet. But Aniston just brushed her off with a wave and said, ¡°Can you relax, Dr. Hal? We have the Echo Smith, and not to mention the Duelist of Rose on our team. We are also at the Inner Crystal, I doubt we would even have the chance to be sent out,¡± she scoffed, her eyes darting everywhere as she looked at the faces of the people around them, ¡°The only way the other side¡¯s going to win is if they also have an S-tier Hero on their team, which I doubt.¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s true,¡± Hal let out a slow breath. ¡°The Duelist of Rose¡ªwe¡¯re really lucky, an S-tier? I¡­ heard the chances of that happening are almost close to none¡­ If there was another one in the Game, people would start losing their minds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to relax,¡± Dr. Aniston sighed, ¡°Bjorn was also summoned with us. And if he is on the other team and realizes we¡¯re on different sides, then he would sabotage the other team. There is no way we are losing.¡± ¡°But¡­ shouldn¡¯t we at least be in the front? What if we end up not contributing anything and the Administrator doesn¡¯t grant us points?¡± ¡°We might never even get our chance. Now stop overthinking and help me search for the subject.¡± Dr. Aniston¡¯s eyes continued to dart around, searching for someone. And of course, she was searching for Adam. ¡°That was our chance,¡± she sighed, her breath filled with regret, ¡°That was our chance of getting it back, and this game just had to destroy it for us. No, even before, Zero was able to escape due to those god damn asteroids dropping at the wrong time and dividing our attention.¡± Hal opened his mouth, but he was afraid to interrupt Dr. Aniston. But when he was sure she was done, he stood even closer to her and whispered, ¡°This¡­ Subject Zero. I¡¯ve only heard rumors about him,¡± Hal gulped before chuckling nervously, ¡°Are¡­ they true?¡± ¡°Which part?¡± Dr. Aniston scoffed, ¡°You have the same clearance as me, you should already know all about Zero.¡± ¡°I was practically the same age as Subject Zero back then, and you were the lead researcher. And¡­ the Hospital¡¯s practically dead when I joined,¡± Hal scratched his chin, ¡°I¡­ just want to know what we¡¯re dealing with here.¡± ¡°Mobilizing the entire secret service wasn¡¯t enough for you to realize what we¡¯re dealing with?¡± Dr. Aniston sighed and shook her head, but after a few moments, she looked at Hal and scoffed. ¡°And you¡¯re not the same age as Zero, Dr. Hal.¡± ¡°What? But the project started around the same time I was born. You created¡ª¡± Hal¡¯s breath paused as Dr. Aniston suddenly cut him off, glaring at him with her eyebrows lowered. ¡°Created?¡± She whispered, her voice almost whistling, ¡°We didn¡¯t create Zero. We found it¡ªhim. We found him buried inside a catacomb from which we should never have dug him from. He was there, barely human. Just a slab of skeleton and skin. We thought he was a mummy at first, but then he moved.¡± Dr. Aniston closed her eyes, ¡°And like fools, we brought him¡ªit home with us.¡± ¡°Catacomb?¡± Hal¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Which catacomb? Where?¡± ¡°Rome.¡± ¡°Rome!? Then he is¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the same age, Dr. Hal,¡± Dr. Aniston did not let Hal finish his words, ¡°We don¡¯t know how old he really is, but he is older than me. Possibly older than this god-forsaken country.¡± ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t make any sense. But he looks like a child?¡± Hal slowly became confused. Dr. Aniston did not answer him immediately, and instead took a deep breath. The guilt growing inside her was so big that you could see it etched on her wrinkles. She shook her head before finally whispering, ¡°Because he was. Doesn¡¯t even have a single touch of memory in his head. He was a child¡ªand that was our mistake. We didn¡¯t treat him like a child. When we found out what he could do, we immediately treated him as an object, and we even gave him a name. We were so excited that we didn¡¯t even know what we were doing to the poor thing¡­ Patient Zero, Homo Nosferatus.¡± Hal¡¯s eyes once again widened, a loud gasp escaping straight from his throat. He needed to cover his mouth to calm himself down. It wasn¡¯t until Dr. Aniston glanced at him that he finally removed his hand and said, ¡°Nosferatus¡­? So, it¡¯s true? He¡¯s a vampire!?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Dr. Aniston quickly shut him down and glared at him, ¡°We changed the name when we realized it wasn¡¯t appropriate. He couldn¡¯t do what we think traditional fictional vampires could do¡ªhe can¡¯t control people¡¯s minds, he¡¯s not stronger than anyone, he can¡¯t turn into a chiroptera, fly, or drink blood. He can¡¯t do any of that. Other than his abnormal healing factor, he was¡­ just a child.¡± ¡°Th¡ª¡± ¡°He was just a child, and we did all those horrible things to him,¡± Dr. Aniston closed her eyes again, her lips trembling as she remembered all the things she did to Adam, ¡°Homo Immortalus, humanity¡¯s greatest mistake. We created our own Frankenstein''s monster.¡± "Frankenstein," Hal narrowed his eyes, "Is that why he was being called Adam by the other doctors?" "No," Dr. Aniston shook her head, "That was made by another doctor. The stupid doctor who freed him." The two became silent after that, but after a few trembling breaths, Hal opened his mouth again. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He gulped. But then he narrowed his eyes as he looked at the agent in front of them, ¡°But wait, if he doesn¡¯t have all those powers¡ªwhy did we need all those secret service guys?¡± ¡°So we could capture him and kill him as soon as possible, before he gets chosen by the Game.¡± Dr. Aniston''s voice turned weak as she looked up at the colossal clock floating on the ceiling of the Dome, ¡°Well, Murphy¡¯s law. The worst that could happen finally happened. Tell me, Dr. Hal¡ªif you were a child, and you¡¯ve been trapped inside a darkness for so, so long, for god knows how many years. But then you get freed, only to be put in a cage even worse than before, where you¡¯ve endured nothing but endless pain and torture. We tear apart your limbs, we burn you, we open your brain, stretch out your heart, grate your skin, drown you, starve you. I haven¡¯t even mentioned the worst parts we did. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Tell me, Dr. Hal¡ªwhat will you do once you finally gain strength?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°S-tier Heroes are already classified as people who could level entire cities on their own, and then there are the four Country-level Heroes. What do you think the Homo Immortalus could do?¡± Dr. Aniston bit her lip to the point that it bled. She sucked in another deep breath and once again looked at the ceiling of the Dome, ¡°The Game, Dr. Hal. The Game is not the apocalypse¡ªPatient Zero is.¡± Hal did not even realize it, but he had been holding his breath for more than a minute now. He was at a loss for words, his mind racing through different scenarios, trying to find what to say. And after a second more, he spoke. ¡°How¡­ are you sure that he would take revenge? That was twenty years ago. He might not have turned out to be the way the hospital expected him to be.¡± ¡°A person who has only witnessed the worst of humanity will always come out even worse than what they¡¯ve witnessed. Patient Zero will only turn out evil.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not exactly true.¡± ¡°It is. The fact that he¡¯s high functioning and not mentally insane from everything he went through means that he has adjusted to the cruelty, Dr. Hal.¡± ¡°But what if he turns out to be a good person?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not. Now let¡¯s stop talking about this, and hope he¡¯s on the Red team and the Administrators get rid of him for us. Once and for all.¡± ¡°...And what if he¡¯s on our team, professor?¡± Dr. Aniston stopped searching for Adam and turned to face Hal, staring deep into his eyes before muttering, ¡°Then I hope to all the gods that we lose and the Administrators burn us all.¡± *** Somewhere else inside the Dome, at the same time, Adam¡¯s mouth was covered in blood. Both his and Joseph¡¯s. Joseph¡¯s, in particular, flowed from his lips. But soon, he spat out the chunk of flesh and looked at Joseph and said, ¡°Your flesh is very hard,¡± he wiped down the blood from his face, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if veterans have more blood than normal, but you¡¯re probably going into shock in a few seconds with the way you¡¯re bleeding.¡± A small groan whispered from his lips, ¡°I didn¡¯t want this. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Joseph stared in disbelief as he listened to Adam¡¯s words. He pressed hard on his neck¡ªbut the chunk that Adam ripped off was too big, and his blood practically showered everywhere. Joseph was confused, very confused. Wasn¡¯t this guy in front of him supposed to be dead? He saw him, his spine snapped in half right in front of him, and he looked like he had been run down by a truck. What¡­ was happening? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But you deserve this.¡± Adam kept on apologizing to him, and yet right now, as Joseph stared at him completely covered in blood, he could only see Adam¡¯s green eyes that were looking back at him. And it was deep, so deep that Joseph could feel everything else turn dark. The strange thing was, Joseph could tell that Adam was being genuine. And that terrified him even more. He wanted to speak, to say something, but no words came. His vision blurred, darkening at the edges, and his head grew heavier and heavier, as if the weight of his own body was dragging him down into the floor and beneath it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Adam repeated, taking a slow step forward. ¡°Please, just close your eyes and surrender to¡ªGukh!?¡± Before Adam could finish his words, he felt a sharp pain stab through his back. He looked down, only to see that he was truly and literally stabbed by a dagger, pierced through his back and out his chest. When Adam looked back, Donald was staring at him, terror frozen in his eyes. Adam barely had time to react before he was sent flying again¡ªDonald had kicked him, swinging his sword in a brutal upward arc at the same time. The blade tore through him, splitting his chest and right shoulder clean in half. Adam hit the ground hard, rolling several times before finally crashing into a counter again, his body slamming against it with a dull, sickening thud. ¡°Shit¡­ shit!¡± Donald¡¯s breaths came heavy and uneven as he stared at Adam. And when he saw that he wasn¡¯t moving, a sense of relief crawled through his skin. The relief barely had time to settle, however, before Donald turned his attention back to Joseph¡ªonly to find his face planted against the floor. Still breathing. But barely. Blood pooled beneath him, too much of it, his body already limp. At this point, even if Donald tried to help, it wouldn¡¯t matter¡ªJoseph was drowning in his own blood. He¡¯s dead. So instead, Donald turned back to Adam¡­ But Adam was no longer where he should have been. He was right in front of him. ¡°What the¡ª!?¡± And those were the only words Donald was able to utter before he felt a searing pain at the nape of his neck as Adam slid a knife through it. And before he could react, a little thud snapped in his ear¡ªand then, he dropped to the ground, completely limp. The snap he heard was the sound of Adam hitting the hilt of the knife with a tenderizing mallet. Veteran creeps were much stronger than normal humans, but they were still human and not yet as abnormal as the Heroes. They¡¯re flesh, as Adam discovered when he bit through Joseph, could still be damaged by normal people, it just required a lot of force. And in this instance, Adam practically paralyzed Donald instantly. But he wasn¡¯t done. With an almost eerie gentleness, he turned Donald onto his back and met his still-open eyes, staring into them. Adam ran his hands over Donald¡¯s armor, patting and checking for any openings. After a few seconds, his fingers found the clasps on the shoulders. It took a few seconds, but he unbuckled them and removed the chest plate. Donald tried to move his tongue, to make a sound, a grunt, anything¡ªbut nothing came. His body refused to listen. His arms¡ªhe wanted to lift them, but nothing. He was trapped in his body, and he could only watch as Adam placed the tip of the knife right on his unarmored chest. ¡°You¡¯re still alive,¡± Adam sighed. There was no rage in his eyes, only exhaustion. ¡°We don¡¯t really die instantly, our motor functions just stop working, and then we die a little later. At least, that¡¯s what I think. But I¡¯ve never really died, not really. Right now, you¡¯re paralyzed, and you will die soon. But don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± Adam smiled faintly as he set the tenderizer against the handle of the knife. It wasn¡¯t a happy smile, but one of relief¡­ for Donald. Donald¡¯s eyes twitched again. If one looked closely, they would see his head trembling, the only movement he could still make. ¡°I think I cut most of your nerves, but you will still feel this.¡± Adam¡¯s voice was quiet, almost soothing. ¡°You will feel this, and it will hurt. I made sure of that because you deserve it. It will hurt so much¡ªbut the thing that would hurt the most is the fear. The fear of knowing you can¡¯t do anything even though you¡¯re in so much pain. But I¡¯m not a bad person like you, okay? I¡¯m going to end your suffering. I¡¯m sorry, okay? I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He apologized again. And again. His voice breaking, repeating like a broken record. And then, he repeated the very same words he told Samantha, ¡°Imagine your favorite food, your favorite person, your favorite animal, your favorite place. Picture yourself there, sharing a meal with them. Please, remember when you were a good person before all of this.¡± And then, with another whisper, he brought the hammer down. The sound of metal splitting flesh and muscle echoed through the kitchen. But it wasn¡¯t deep enough. So he struck again. This time, the knife plunged all the way through. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± He quickly yanked the blade free, and a fresh surge of blood spilled from Donald¡¯s chest. It poured without restraint, pooling above and beneath him. His lungs, no doubt, were filling with it too. But Donald couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t scream. Couldn¡¯t express a single ounce of the fear gripping him. And yet¡ªhe could still think. And much like Joseph before him, he was terrified. Not just of dying. But of Adam. Of the way he kept apologizing as he killed them. Why? Why did that make it so much worse? But before he could find an answer¡ªhe was gone. As for Adam, he knelt beside the corpse, his hands limp at his sides, fingers too weak to hold the knife and hammer any longer. He just sat there. Silent. Empty. But soon, once again, he whispered, ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted this. I¡¯m not like you, I don¡¯t like causing pain. I¡¯m a good person. I¡¯m a good person. I don¡¯t like¡ª¡± And before Adam could finish his ramblings, a voice suddenly whispered in his ear. [Blood. Sweat. Survival. You have endured, and the Administrator, Mikhal, acknowledges your resolve. Your actions have directly impacted your team¡¯s performance. Keep pushing forward!] [1 Status Point has been granted.]
Chapter 9: My name is Adam
[1 Status Point has been granted!] ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The voice that rang in his ears drowned out the pounding of Adam¡¯s heart and the sharp rhythm of his breath. Any thoughts or memories that had been racing through his mind went silent. For the first time, he was hearing something other than his own voice. It felt... nice. And just like that, the crushing weight of guilt in his chest was gone. Will I hear the voice again if I kill more people? Adam gasped, startled by his own thoughts. The idea had surfaced so naturally, so easily¡ªlike a whisper slipping through a crack in his mind. He shook it off, forcing it away before it could take root. But before another thought could replace it, glowing words flickered into existence before him. The main reason this nightmare was called the Game. [Name: N/A | Planet: SS4E | Strength: 1 Agility: 1 Endurance: 1 Perception: 1] Adam stared at the screen, his mind sluggishly processing the information. Based on Adam¡¯s limited knowledge of the Game, creeps had to kill a lot of people before the Administrator rewarded them with a single Status Point. So why had he earned one? Was it because Donald and Joseph were veterans¡ªfighters already on their way to becoming Heroes? There were other ways to gain Status Points, but ultimately, it was up to the Administrator¡¯s whims what they were. Perhaps¡­ there was no point in thinking about this now. Adam tilted his head, slowly raising his hand toward the glowing words. The moment his fingers hovered over the screen, the voice returned. [Please allocate your points. Choose wisely, your fate and the fate of your world depends on it.] ¡°The fate of the world?¡± Adam whispered to himself, ¡°I don¡¯t care about the world. I just¡­ don¡¯t want to get hurt anymore.¡± All he wanted was to run. To escape. To never look back. His finger hovered over Agility, hesitating for only a moment before something caught his eye. Grace. Samantha. The two of them, locked in a trembling embrace, sobbing quietly in each other''s arms. A ripple ran through his mind, a loud drop in a still pond. Something shifted. Something changed. You don¡¯t know these people, Adam! We run, that¡¯s what we do! We run! "No..." Adam exhaled, his breath steadying. "Maybe later. But for now¡ª" His finger slowly moved up, and it pressed down on Strength. And almost instantly, a searing heat burned through his fingertip. The glowing screen suddenly wrapped around his hand, stretching and twisting until it enveloped his entire body in its translucent, blue glow. "Urgh¡ª!" Adam gritted his teeth as the sensation spread. He could feel it. His flesh shifting, reshaping. His veins, pulsing against his skin, etched out like a glowing web. And then¡ªjust as suddenly as it had started¡ªit was over. And in its place was relief. For the first time in his life, Adam felt¡­ light. Like the weight that had been dragging him down for years had finally lifted. "This..." His voice cracked as he exhaled, his breath ragged. He looked down at his hands, curling his fingers into fists. If only I knew... If only he had known the Game could make him feel like this, he would have wanted to be summoned earlier. He was ready to test his strength¡ª But a small whimper shattered his thoughts. He turned. Grace and Samantha were still there, still clinging to each other. Still afraid. ¡°Grace,¡± Adam whispered, crawling toward them. His eyes, filled with worry. ¡°Are you¡ª¡± ¡°Stay away from us!¡± Grace flinched, pulling Samantha closer. Her voice trembled, but her eyes¡ªher fearful eyes¡ªpained Adam even more than everything he had endured so far. He froze. His hand, the one reaching toward them, slowly curled into a fist. Then, his gaze drifted to the side¡ªto the metal counter beside him. And what reflected back at him was a man drenched in blood. A quiet gasp slipped from his lips, his breath unsteady. His fingers twitched as he struggled to form words. ¡°But¡­ but I¡¯m a good person?¡± He asked. Perhaps himself? Perhaps Grace? You see, Adam? You see how people are? You had one friend. You abandoned her. And you ran away. This is what they are. This is what you are. Run. Let¡¯s just run. You think being good means you¡¯ll be rewarded? Our friend was good. Look at what she got in return. ¡°I¡­¡± Adam whispered, his limbs retreating as his eyes dropped to the floor. He tried to drown out the voice in his head, but it was too loud. It was all he could hear. Slowly, he stood up, his movements hollow. Without looking back, he turned to walk away. One step. Then another¡ª And then, something clung to his leg. Adam looked down. And there was Samantha, hugging him tightly, her small body trembling. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re okay, m-mister?¡± she sobbed. ¡°They were¡­ they were hurting you.¡± Adam stiffened. He reached down, gently trying to pry her away¡ªbut she wouldn¡¯t let go. He could force her away, but he didn¡¯t want to hurt her, no. She was the last person Adam wanted to get hurt. And so¡ª Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. He just let her cry. Children are the only innocent ones in this world, Adam. Don¡¯t let this cloud your¡ª His thoughts stopped the moment he felt something else. A thud against his back. Arms wrapping around him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Nathan. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Grace¡ªher grip on his jacket was tight, her body shaking against him as she sobbed into his back. ¡°I just¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that, okay? I was just¡­ I was shocked.¡± Her fingers dug into the fabric. ¡°You¡¯re not a bad person, okay? You¡¯re not a bad person.¡± Don¡¯t believe her, Adam. She¡¯s just using you. Don¡¯t be a fool. Do you really think she¡¯ll save you when the time comes? Adam¡¯s breath paused as he looked away. But then¡ª A thought surfaced. You say that¡­ but hasn¡¯t she already saved me twice? The voice inside his head fell silent. For the first time, it had nothing to say. He stood there, unmoving, as Samantha¡¯s muffled sobs and Grace¡¯s whispers seeped through the fabric of his clothes. And for the first time in a long time¡ª Adam didn¡¯t feel so alone. "You''re not a bad person," Grace repeated, shaking her head as she tightened her grip on Adam. "Never... never think you''re a bad person for trying to save my daughter. Please... you can''t leave this room believing that, okay? You''re not a bad person. Thank you. Thank you for saving my daughter." "Mister''s not a bad person!" Samantha cried out, her small voice desperate. Adam closed his eyes, inhaling the deepest breath he could. When he exhaled, it came out slow, steady. "I''m... not a bad person." He nodded to himself, then finally turned to face Grace. She was close¡ªso close he could feel the warmth of her breath mixing with his. Her eyes, no longer filled with fear, reflected his own. She smiled softly, wiping her tears and shaking her head. "I''m sorry. I... didn''t mean to say that." "No, I understand." Adam glanced down at his hand, still coated in blood. Then, without a word, he shrugged off his jacket and draped it gently over Grace¡¯s shoulders, covering what Donald had torn away. "I... hope you don''t mind the blood." "N-no. Not at all." She shook her head quickly, slipping her arms into the sleeves without hesitation. Then she crouched, pulling Samantha close and checking her for any wounds. Meanwhile, Adam scanned the kitchen before making his way to the sink. You''re going to regret this, Adam. There''s a reason you avoided people for so long. It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡­ want to do this now. His thoughts churned as he scrubbed his hands, pressing the soap dispenser over and over, lathering and rubbing until his skin burned. It was probably useless. The blood would return. But he needed to feel clean. As he washed, one of the people who had been hiding in the kitchen cautiously stepped forward. "You... you were a Hero?" Adam glanced at the woman, then shook his head. "No." "Stop... stop lying!" She raised her voice, her hands trembling as she waved them. "What else could you be but a Hero!? Why... why didn¡¯t you step in earlier!? That veteran wouldn¡¯t have died for nothing!" Her words sent a ripple through the others. "That''s right! You could have saved him!" I told you, Adam. This is who they are. They have a point¡ªbut so what? Those two Heroes from earlier were right. You have no obligation to help any of them. Grace started to move, ready to step between Adam and the growing voices. But before she could, Adam simply turned off the faucet and faced the others himself¡­ and they immediately shrank back. Gulps and sharp breaths filled the silence as they met his gaze. Their earlier anger flickered into something else. Something colder¡ªFear. What the hell were they thinking? This young man had just killed two veterans in front of them. He had torn out a man¡¯s throat with his teeth. The person standing before them wasn¡¯t a Hero. He was a monster. But contrary to their fears, Adam only sighed. He was about to speak¡ªbut instead, he exhaled again and shook his head. And without another word, he ignored them completely. He simply turned away, walking back to Grace and Samantha. "Ignore them, Nathan." Grace shot a glare at the others, and to Adam¡¯s quiet amusement, even Samantha mimicked her. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m good at that.¡± Adam exhaled softly before reaching toward Grace¡¯s neck. She flinched at first, but then realized¡ªhe wasn¡¯t touching her. His hand hovered close, his gaze fixed on the marks left behind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that happened to you, Grace.¡± A shaky chuckle slipped from her lips. ¡°You know¡­we sound like a broken record.¡± She was trembling, but instead of pulling away, she leaned into his palm, resting her cheek against the warmth of it. ¡°How about... we stop saying sorry?¡± Adam closed his eyes and nodded. And after a few moments, he crouched down, turning his attention to Samantha, gently checking for any wounds. ¡°Does anything hurt?¡± Samantha didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she lunged into his arms, clutching his shirt as fresh sobs racked her small body. ¡°It¡¯s okay... It¡¯s okay...¡± Adam gently patted her back, his touch careful, soothing. ¡°Does it hurt here?¡± Samantha buried her face deeper into his chest and gave a small, fervent nod. Adam continued rubbing gentle circles along her spine, testing for any pain. But when she didn¡¯t flinch or cry out, he leaned away slightly and gave her a soft smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been very brave. Y¡ª¡± And before Adam could finish his words, Samantha flinched as a heavy knock thundered against the door, followed by loud voices seeping in from the gaps. ¡°What¡¯s going on in there!? We should go before the Administrator decides to burn us for doing nothing!¡± ¡°Something¡¯s not right. They¡¯re not responding.¡± The slams came harder. The people outside were getting impatient. Panic spread through the kitchen. The very same people who had heckled Adam moments ago now scrambled for cover, curling into themselves like frightened animals¡­ again. All except one. The woman who had been the first to lash out at him rushed toward Adam. ¡°P-please, save us! I... I¡¯ll do anything! You can do anything you want to me, just save¡ª¡± ¡°Please stop.¡± Adam¡¯s voice was flat. Cold. Not even a trace of the gentleness from before remained, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t really like the noise that comes out of your mouth.¡± The woman stiffened, taken aback by his tone. ¡°E-Excuse me?¡± Adam didn¡¯t answer. He simply shoved her aside and walked past her without another word. He walked toward Donald¡¯s corpse, where he knelt beside it in silence. For a few moments, he just stared at the dead man¡¯s face, lips moving in a quiet whisper only he could hear. Then, with steady hands, he pushed the body aside and pulled out the back piece of Donald¡¯s armor. He reassembled it with the front part, fitting it onto himself before picking up Donald¡¯s sword. Adam remained silent as he stood up and walked away, it was only until he reached the door that he paused. His fingers curled around the knob, and only then did he glance back at Grace and Samantha. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± He said. ¡°Huh?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait¡ªdon¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going out there!?¡± Adam didn¡¯t respond. He only sighed. And then¡ªhe turned the knob. The moment the door creaked open, the creeps outside gasped. They stumbled back, eyes darting between the armor and his face. They were confused, right up until they saw the Red Halo above his head. And that was when the screaming started. Adam ignored them. He casually stepped out and calmly shut the door behind him¡ªand the last thing that Grace saw was a blade being pushed through his stomach. A blade pierced through his stomach. And then, she heard the screams. The roars. Very much a brutal and chaotic repeat of what happened to Jake. And she didn¡¯t know if she was just imagining it, but between the frenzied cries and the sounds of flesh being torn apart, she swore she heard Adam saying his favorite word: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She could just be imagining it. After all, she had just witnessed her kill two people in front of her. She glanced at Donald and Joseph¡¯s corpses, and her body flinched each time a brutal scream came from the outside. ¡°Why can¡¯t you kill him!? He¡¯s just one creep!¡± ¡°Why¡­ why isn¡¯t he dying!?¡± ¡°Grah!¡± She could also hear Adam¡¯s voice, screaming. Samantha¡¯s small body trembled as she recognized it too. Without a word, she covered her ears and buried her face against her mother¡¯s thigh. ¡°Sweetie...¡± Grace bit her lip, stroking her daughter¡¯s hair in a soothing rhythm. But the moment was shattered by a violent slam against the door. She tensed. For a second, she thought someone was about to break in¡ª But the only thing that happened was the screams getting worse. ¡°R... run!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Hero! Everyone, run!¡± ¡°But he has a halo!?¡± ¡°Run!¡± And soon, she heard it.The ground shook beneath them, metal trays and utensils clattering in their places as the kitchen trembled under the weight of hundreds of fleeing footsteps. The chaos stretched on¡ªthen slowly, it faded. Until all Grace could hear was a small groan. Adam? She rushed to the door, heart hammering in her chest as she slowly, carefully cracked the door open. And then¡ªthe sight she saw made her forget how to breathe. Adam also saw her peeking out. His single remaining eye widened, and with his severed arm still in his grasp, he lifted it toward her. His bones, protruding at her direction. ¡°Wait!¡± He screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t... don¡¯t let her see me like this.¡± Half of his face was shaved clean off, exposing muscle and bone. With an agonized grunt, he reached up and pulled a knife out of his cheek. Grace slammed the door shut. Leaning against it, she forced a smile at Samantha, who had already started inching forward. ¡°Let¡¯s... just give Mr. Nathan a minute, okay?¡± She slid to the floor, forcing herself to stay calm. One minute. Just one. She focused on her breathing¡ªin, out, in, out¡ªuntil the tremble in her limbs settled. She could hear Adam groan, trying his best not to scream in pain. And when she finally heard a sigh of relief, she opened the door again. Adam was sitting in a chair now, his body whole again. His limbs were intact, his wounds gone¡ª As if the nightmare from moments ago had never happened. ¡°Nathan!¡± Grace rushed forward, but the moment she stepped outside, she froze. She was standing in it¡ªthe carnage. Without thinking, she lifted Samantha into her arms, shielding her face from the horror. ¡°Mommy? What¡ª¡± ¡°Shh. It¡¯s okay, sweetie. Remember what Mommy said? Some things are only for adults to see.¡± She hadn¡¯t noticed it before¡ªhadn¡¯t let herself notice because she was focused on Adam¡ªbut the entire restaurant was littered with corpses. Her stomach lurched. A sharp, burning sensation clawed at her throat¡­ but she swallowed it down. She had to keep moving. She stepped carefully, trying to avoid the carnage. But it was impossible. Her foot slipped on something wet. A trail of intestines dangled from an overturned table. A man¡¯s face lay on the floor, blank, lifeless. And then¡ª Something worse. Right next to where Adam had stood earlier. A body. Its eyes had been stabbed through by a shattered bone. The corpse was actually cleaner than most of the others, but there was a thought that started to linger in Grace¡¯s mind. Was that... Adam¡¯s arm? And out of all of the limbs and mangled flesh scattered everywhere, how much was actually Adam¡¯s? ¡°Urgh¡ª¡± She swallowed hard, the taste of bile lingering on her tongue. She couldn¡¯t look at it anymore. She turned her focus back to Adam, lowering herself beside him. Her voice was soft, urgent. ¡°Nathan... we should probably go.¡± Adam turned to her weakly, his breaths ragged, wheezing. And then¡ª ¡°Adam.¡± He whispered. Grace blinked. ¡°Hmm?¡± He swallowed, struggling to speak. ¡°My real name¡¯s Adam.¡± For a moment, she just stared at him. At his tired, broken face. Then, finally¡ª She let out a breath. A small, awkward smile found its way onto her lips as she looked around at the carnage surrounding them. ¡°Well, uhm...¡± she muttered, awkwardly.. ¡°It¡¯s... nice to meet you, Adam.¡±
Chapter 10: I Was Wrong!
"Adam. Aren¡¯t you¡­ tired? I can carry her." "No, it¡¯s okay. Holding her¡­ calms me down. Just hold on to our weapons." Minutes passed. Adam and the group had already put distance between themselves and the restaurant, leaving behind the brutality that had been served inside. But really¡ªwere they leaving anything behind at all? As long as they remained inside the Dome, as long as they moved through its streets, carnage would follow. Smoke had swallowed the sky now, turning their world into an endless haze of gray and fire. Explosions echoed in the distance¡ªmaybe from stoves left on, gas leaks, failing power grids. Maybe from something else entirely. But none of it mattered. Not now. Because right now, it was quiet. And for a fleeting moment, they could pretend everything was okay. Adam walked in silence, cradling Samantha against his chest. Her tiny, rhythmic breaths were a sanctuary to him¡ªa fragile moment of peace in the aftermath of what he had done. Grace walked beside him, fixing her daughter¡¯s hair. She, too, now wore armor¡ªoversized, sure, but better than nothing. She glanced at Adam, lips parting as if searching for the right thing to say. His face was distant, lost in the weight of his own thoughts. And of course, Grace noticed this. "It¡¯s¡­ normal to feel guilty." She sighed softly. "In fact, it would be weird if you didn¡¯t." Her gaze remained forward, the tone of her voice slightly turning deep.. "That just means you¡¯re a good person, Adam. A much better person than me. When I saw all those bodies, I felt disgusted at first. But then¡­ in my mind, I thought¡­ they deserved it. And if I had your ability¡ª" Her fingers curled into her palms, her voice trembling with rage. "I would have done worse. To protect my daughter. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m even using you, Adam." Adam turned his head, watching her for a moment. Then, his gaze drifted back ahead. "Thank you," he murmured. "For trying to make me feel better." Grace let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. "Well, that¡¯s the only thing I can do. Is it¡­ working?" "Yes. Thank you. And¡­I do think I''m using you too." "How...?" "I don''t know yet." ¡°Hmm,¡± Grace hummed. And silence followed, but this time, it didn¡¯t last long. "It¡¯s kind of beautiful, isn¡¯t it?" Grace whispered. Adam blinked. "What is?" She didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she tilted her chin upward. The electronic billboards lining the buildings still flickered with life, displaying commercials and the frozen faces of Heroes. Their soft glow bled through the rising smoke, blending into the darkened sky¡ª Almost like an aurora. Adam also said nothing. The two simply walked, silently admiring the eerie beauty above them. But their moment was short-lived. "Where are you even leading us!? Shouldn¡¯t we¡­ shouldn¡¯t we try killing some people!?" "That¨Cthat¡¯s right! Even if we win the Game now, it would mean nothing if we don¡¯t raise our stats!" Unfortunately for Adam and Grace, they weren¡¯t actually alone. The other people hiding in the restaurant chose to follow them. "You¡¯re a Hero! You should be protecting us!" Adam closed his eyes and sighed. Even with the bright Red Halo hovering above his head¡ªjust like the rest of them¡ªthe others still thought he was a Hero. He couldn¡¯t really blame them, not after what he had just shown them. And yet, he also couldn¡¯t just leave them behind to die. Grace, noticing the complicated expression on his face, chuckled and shook her head. "See? You¡¯re a better person than me. I would¡¯ve already told them to go eff themselves." She glanced back at the others, watching them continue to bicker and complain. Adam, however, ignored them completely. He wasn¡¯t really leading them anywhere. They were simply heading toward the enemy team¡¯s Outer Crystal¡ªthat was the only plan the IBAA had given them. Their only strategy? The path of least resistance. They moved carefully, avoiding even the slightest noise. Whether it came from an ally or an enemy, Adam wasn¡¯t willing to take any chances. Unfortunately, silence was a luxury they weren¡¯t afforded. The murmuring behind them continued. But after a while, Adam noticed Grace sneaking glances at the halo on his head. "Are you wondering if I¡¯m actually a Hero?" he asked with a sigh. Grace¡¯s eyes widened. She quickly looked straight ahead, waving a hand dismissively. "Me? No, psh. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not. And besides, you are a hero¡ªand I don¡¯t mean like those two from earlier, Muzan and¡­ Hilda? I mean, you¡¯re a real hero." "I¡¯m¡­ not." Adam let out a louder sigh. "And I¡¯m not a Hero. This¡­ is actually my first time in the Game." "O¡­ Oh?" Grace¡¯s eyes widened even further as she turned to him. "Wait, then¡­ are you saying you had these abilities¡ª" "For as long as I can remember." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Adam! Don¡¯t say anything! She¡¯ll think you¡¯re a freak, and she won¡¯t talk to you again! His thoughts screamed at him, but he pushed them aside with a shake of his head. "I think I was born this way. I don¡¯t really know¡­ My earliest memory was being in a hospital. Hundreds of needles were attached to me." "No¡­" Grace¡¯s hand flew to her mouth. Suddenly, everything about Adam made sense¡ªthe way he was so distant, the way he trembled in fear, the way he was always on edge. It all clicked. And just imagining what he must have gone through made her throat tighten. Adam didn¡¯t need to explain. She already understood. "I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Adam." She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm, rubbing it as if trying to comfort him without breaking him. "It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to tell me anything now. You can¡­ you can tell me after we get out of here, okay?" "I¡ª" Adam wanted to say something, but before he could, a loud noise stole everyone''s attention. They all looked up¡ªjust in time to see a familiar figure sliding down the side of a building. No, not falling. Her fingers were buried deep into the concrete, carving a trail as she dragged herself down the wall, her other hand gripping a gigantic hammer. It was Hilda. One of the horns on her helmet had been snapped clean off, blood trickling down her forehead. It would seem she¡¯d been having it rough just like the rest of them. No. She was still in the middle of a fight. The wall she clung to suddenly exploded. A small, fur-covered hand burst through the debris and wrapped around her neck. ¡°Aw, shit!¡± For a moment, Adam and the others thought Hilda was battling a Dome monster. But when she and her attacker crashed violently onto the pavement below, the Blue name hovering above the beast told them otherwise. [Helsinki, The Little Wolf Man.] A Hero. His thin yet muscular frame was covered entirely in thick fur, and¡ªtrue to his title¡ªhis face was like that of a wolf. Sharp fangs gleamed as he bared his teeth, lips curled in a bloodied snarl. And even truer to his title¡ªhe was less than half Hilda¡¯s size. But that didn¡¯t stop him from trying to rip her face apart. ¡°Fuck!¡± Hilda roared, grabbing Helsinki¡¯s head with one massive hand and slamming him into the ground beside her. She wasted no time¡ªquickly getting to her feet, she raised her hammer high above her head, a wild grin spreading across her face. ¡°Die, you fucking midget!¡± Her hammer swung down. But before it could reach him, Helsinki darted out of the way, scurrying up the nearest wall with inhuman speed. The impact of her strike was devastating. The ground didn¡¯t just crack¡ªit caved in, rippling outward in a crater of destruction. But it didn¡¯t matter. It was a useless show of strength, as Helsinki had already evaded it. Now clinging to the wall, he smirked down at Hilda, taunting her with a flick of his clawed fingers. Hilda, however, didn¡¯t take the bait. She simply stood her ground, letting her hammer rest at her side. And the moment she let go of its handle to shake out her hands¡ª Helsinki lunged. But before he could even reach her, a sharp whistle cut through the smoke-filled air. He barely had time to look up before a barrage of arrows rained down from above, piercing through his body and pinning him to the ground. From the guttural groans escaping his throat, he was still alive. Well, not for long. Hilda leaped into the air, hammer raised high. The last thing Helsinki saw was a massive shadow descending upon him¡ª Then, the impact. His body was obliterated on the spot. Flesh, blood, and shattered bone splattered across the pavement. His sharp fangs flew in every direction¡ª One even shot straight toward Grace. She barely had time to react before Adam stepped in front of her. The fang struck his back with enough force to embed itself in his flesh. Grace gasped, her eyes immediately locking onto Adam¡¯s face. "Are you¡ª" Grace barely got a word out before her eyes flicked past Adam¡ªher breath hitched. Muzan had just landed right next to Hilda. Without hesitation, she grabbed Adam¡¯s arm and yanked him back. "We need to go. Now. Quick!" she whispered sharply. "If Muzan sees you, we don''t know how he''ll react!" Adam hesitated for a split second but didn''t resist. He let Grace pull him along, matching her pace as they ran. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder. Muzan was still focused on Helsinki''s body, making sure the fight was truly over. The other creeps who had been following them earlier began crowding around the scene, unintentionally blocking Muzan¡¯s line of sight. It was their best chance to escape. They ran, their hurried steps jostling Samantha awake. She stirred, blinking sleepily before her face twisted in distress. If it weren¡¯t for Grace swiftly covering her mouth, she would have surely cried. The two pressed forward without looking back. Not toward the West Lane¡ªthe armored creeps were there. Their odds were better on the East Lane. So they ran. And ran. Until Grace couldn''t anymore. She came to a staggering halt, gasping for breath, her hands gripping the swords she carried like canes to keep herself upright. "I¡­ I can still go on!" she wheezed, forcing a smile despite her exhaustion. She then pointed a shaky finger at Adam, breathlessly laughing, "I run 5K every day, and yet you¡ªyou don¡¯t even look tired. And you''re carrying my baby girl too. It''s¡­ it''s not fair." Adam sighed, lowering Samantha gently to the ground. The little girl sat up and immediately shot her mother a disapproving look, shaking her head at her. Meanwhile, Adam scanned their surroundings for shelter. His eyes landed on a large office building. "Should we hide there for a bit?" he asked. "The Administrator would warn us before burning us, right?" "It''s¡­ it''s fine. I can still run." Grace pressed a hand over her mouth as if trying to keep herself from throwing up. "No, you''re not." "No, you are not, Mommy!" Adam and Samantha said it at the same time. Grace blinked at them, not knowing whether to cry or laugh. But with a weak chuckle, she raised a hand in surrender and gave a small nod. So, the three of them moved carefully toward the office building. They had no way of knowing if it was already occupied, but at least inside, they stood a better chance of avoiding Heroes¡ªor worse, a swarm of enemy creeps. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to stay quiet. Once inside, Adam spotted a wooden plank tucked behind a potted plant. He picked it up with careful hands, making sure not to drop it or scrape it against the floor. "This should do," he murmured, gently slotting the wood into the door handle to bar it shut. The way it fit so perfectly told him it had been placed there by the building for this exact purpose. "We¡ª" "Shit!" And all of a sudden, a loud, piercing beep shattered the silence they were trying so hard to keep. Adam whipped his head around, his stomach sinking as the sound echoed through the wide hall. Grace froze and looked up¡­ realizing she had walked straight through a metal detector. Well, the sound wasn¡¯t actually that loud. But in the eerie emptiness of the building, it felt deafening. The noise carried through the vast hall, bouncing off the walls and filling the silence like an alarm meant just for them. Adam, Grace, and even little Samantha froze where they stood, the three of them gulping at the same time. They exchanged wary glances before turning their gazes deeper into the hall, waiting, expecting something¡ªor someone¡ªto lunge from the shadows. But after what felt like an eternity, only Samantha¡¯s quiet whimpers broke the stillness. No one else came. Still, Adam and Grace made no further noise as they carefully advanced. Their eyes scanned the rows of chairs in the lobby, searching for any signs of life. But aside from their own shadows, the building looked empty. Grace exhaled slowly before whispering, ¡°Should we check the upper floors too? Think we have time before the Administrators decide to¡­ you know?¡± She kept her words vague¡ªcareful. But Samantha? Not so much. ¡°Burn us all into oblivion, Mommy?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°What the¡ªwhere did you even learn that!?¡± ¡°You, Mommy. You always used to say that whenever someone made you mad.¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Grace slapped a hand over Samantha¡¯s mouth before shooting Adam an awkward glance. Clearing her throat, she quickly changed the subject. ¡°A¡­anyway,¡± she stammered, ¡°I think we¡¯re safe here. There¡¯s no¡ª¡± And almost as if the Game was waiting for her to say that¡ªan explosion erupted. The boom tore through the building, its thunderous impact shaking the very walls. The sound bounced through the lobby and surged back from the depths of the building¡ªwhere the elevators should be. This time, the three of them didn¡¯t even get a chance to react before¡ª A screech roared. A piercing, high-pitched wail that stabbed through their eardrums, forcing them to clamp their hands over their ears in pain. And then¡ª It appeared. Lumbering from the smoke-filled corridor, its grotesque form emerging into the dim light. A rat. But not just any rat. A white one, its fur resembling thousands of crumpled napkins stitched together. A rat the size of an SUV. [Ratatusk, Lv. 1 | HP: 100%] And just as its name suggested, the monstrous rodent bore a pair of massive, jagged tusks protruding from its already gnarled face. Its beady, glinting eyes locked onto Adam. Grace sucked in a sharp breath. Then, carefully¡ªso carefully¡ªshe grabbed Adam¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°D¡­don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t worry, Adam¡­ r-rats are near-sighted. It probably¡ª¡± The Ratatusk screeched once more, and then it charged at them. ¡°I was wrong! Run!¡±