End of the world (2)

"What is your wish?"

One day, while I was walking down the streets, a seller dressed with a pointed hat and magician's clothes standing in front of an occultism stall asked me this question.

"Hmm…"

I don't know why I took her words seriously, but I felt like I wanted to really make a wish, so I thought about it.

Finally, if I remember it well, my answer at that time was…

"I want to write a story."

***

'How to Survive at the Border of Hell' is a tragic novel with an apocalyptic world. It talks about a group of criminals spending a somewhat normal high school life on an island isolated from the world when 'scenarios' begin to erupt.

Actually, there are a few rules to survive here. Let's call it my 'improvised guide to survive when the world suddenly became a novel'.

Rule number 1, contrary to what people would think, never cross paths with the main characters. After all, every one of them is a psychopath, whether they seem normal or not.

The following rules are the conditions for your survival in case you're unlucky and really meet the main characters.

Rule number 2: Never waste food or you'll die.

Rule number 3: Never tear up books or you'll die.

Rule number 4: Be careful at all times or you could be kidnapped without reason by a weird guy who has the same name as the fox (Swiper) in Dora the explorer if you put the movie in French, so Chiper. I have strange naming skills, so what? Do you have a problem with that?!

Rule Number 5: Etc…

Now, let's find a way to break all these rules and not survive.

I'm joking. In short, if the novel I wrote has really become reality, then the end of the world has just begun.

Now, as every respectable main character would do, let's doubt the reality of this situation.

Am I sure I'm not hallucinating?

Or maybe I'm dreaming.

No, I don't think I'm dreaming.

However, I'd think the same in a dream, so it's not out of the question…

My conclusion is, since I'm able to think so much bullshit, I shouldn't be dreaming.

So maybe I'm indeed hallucinating?

I don't really know what to think. It's like I suddenly became a character in a story.

No, actually, this is exactly what's happening. Is it revenge because I tried to write an original novel but already failed when I tried to name the characters? Is it because I named one of the criminals 'Carpet' and made him like to sleep on the floor and behave like a real carpet?

Ah, I'm dizzy… I mean, literally. Not because of my thoughts.

I frowned. However, if I fainted now, I would only die in a few minutes so I breathed in and out. Seriously, aren't I supposed to feel better at this point? Is it because I didn't eat since this morning?

The person on my left tapped my arm and I turned to him.

It was an old man who spoke in a inarticulate voice.

"Excuse me, can you also see this?"

Some words were slurred but I still understood what he said and nodded.

"Yes, I can."

The young woman on my right was amazed.

"Wow, this is so realistic."

Yeah, maybe it would be better for you if it was simply a joke.

My gaze swept over everyone as I counted the number of people.

There were the rich man who threw a fit earlier, as well as his son in a wheelchair, a red-haired nurse, the little girl holding a teddybear, a male nurse, the brown-haired nurse who had come out of the check-up room because of the power outage, the man with a ponytail, a handsome black-haired man who I hadn't noticed because he hadn't talked since the beginning, an old man with a seemingly broken ankle, a young woman with a bandaged arm, and finally me who was potentially about to faint in a wheelchair.

A total of eleven people.

The rules of the scenario appeared in front of everyone.

[If you win at a game of luck at least 3 times, you will survive.]

There it is.

[If you kill someone with your own hands, you will survive.]

The green panels continued to float in the air, available for everyone to see.

[Game of Luck: Scenario 1 #26693

Win three times at a game of luck or kill someone with your own hands.

Additional rules:

1. The scenario will begin once the first game starts or someone dies.

2. The scenario will automatically end 20 minutes from now.

3. If you meet one of the conditions of this scenario, you will survive.

4. A game can start only when all the players of that game agree to play.

5. The loser(s) of a game will die and is/are thus counted as 'dead'.

6. There can only be one winner in the same game. If many people win in the same game or arrive at a tie, it will be counted as a loss.

7. Someone who is counted as 'dead' can't participate in any more games. If they do, the game won't start and its issue won't matter.

8. The only way for someone counted as 'dead' to live is to fulfill the second condition of this scenario.

9. Whether you live or die will only be revealed at the end of the scenario.

10. The higher your ranking is, the higher your reward will be at the end of the scenario. Winning against someone with a higher ranking than you or completing the scenario can increase your ranking. However, playing more than three games or killing more than one person won't give you any additional compensation nor increase your ranking.]

A set of strict rules was displayed.

[Survive.]

There were also a timer counting down to 0, rankings displaying the names of eleven people and 5 guns put at everyone's disposition in the middle of the room.

[19:41]

[19:40]

[19:39]

I turned to the rankings.

As expected, I didn't know any names.

[8. Player #156574631: Ena James.]

I was also ranked 8th among 11 people. Am I only better than two children and one old man?

My greatness is so underestimated, I'm sad.

I sighed.

I thought any normal person wouldn't take such a scenario seriously. After all, if some weird message suddenly appeared and asked you to kill someone to survive, would you do it? Wouldn't you think it's a joke?

"What is this…"

The young woman next to me frowned.

"Are these real guns?"

I think so.

They should contain bullets, too.

They didn't know yet, but they should be unable to leave this area as well.

The man with a ponytail erupted into laughter.

"Hahahahaha…"

Everyone's gaze went to him.

"Haha, hahaha…"

He bent over because of laughing too much and the black-haired man glanced at him and frowned. At one point, the man with a ponytail had moved and stood next to the black-haired man.

The man with a ponytail had dyed blond hair, double piercings on his earlobes and wore pants as well as a sleeveless shirt revealing a tattoo where it was written 'No. 4' in big black letters on his left arm.

A big bag seemingly filled to the brim was also put down on the floor beside them.

"Hahaha!"

His laughter echoing in the room seemed somewhat creepy.

The man with a ponytail calmed down and made a wide smile. He addressed everyone, but his gaze was fixed on the black-haired man, indicating that they may know each other.

"Hey, isn't it fun?"

His question was met with no response.

He glanced around.

"Everyone, why aren't you doing anything? Didn't this system window or whatever just say that you're going to die if you don't do anything?"

The young woman reacted.

"But, murder is illegal. What can prove that what is written isn't nonsense? How are whoever is showing us this even going to kill us?"

'Murder', huh.

As expected, the first option that people considered was murder. They didn't want to recklessly put their lives in danger in a game of luck, and three times at that.

The man with a ponytail sneered.

"How are they showing us these messages to begin with? If they can do this, shouldn't they have the power to kill us? And what can prove that what is written isn't real? If it is, what will you do? Will you die because you didn't do anything?"

The young woman shut her mouth.

"Moreover, what use is the law here? It is Scenario '1', so won't there be others? It also says 26693 next to it, so there may be at least 26692 other 'Scenario 1' happening around the world right now. The laws don't matter anymore from now on, because it is the end of the world!"

Everyone was shaken by these words, their breathing slowing down because of the heaviness of the situation while they mentally searched for an argument to deny it.

My cheek in my hand with my elbow resting on the wheelchair's armrest, I calmly watched everything.

That's right.

There are indeed scenarios happening in other places, and it is indeed the end of the world.

However, it is only the beginning of the apocalypse, and I know far more than you since this is the novel I wrote.