05 – Comprehending the Game

[The Name of the Game is "Catch the Dead Player"]

[If you fail in this Game you will also Lose your Body to the Player]

'Am I seriously seeing this?' I questioned myself. The moment I touched the crystal, all kinds of messages were pop out from my system. I dropped the crystal and it broke into tiny pieces when it touched the ground.

And now, laying on my bed, I started to think about the message that I received today. There was nothing I can do. 'My life is doomed'. If I don't win this stupid game, I have to sacrifice my own body. 'If I sacrificed my own body then where does my soul go? Do I become a ghost? Or a spirit searching to possess a body? Perhaps does my soul go to the underworld or nothingness?'

I was conflicted with my own thoughts. I want to live. I want to show the world that I am here. I'm not weak. I'm not pathetic. I'll live my life to its fullest. But to achieve that, I have to first stay 'Alive'.

After seriously considering the options that are left, I made up my mind. 'Survival of the fittest' isn't that right? Then here I come world, you better be prepared.

*

[You cannot leave the Game area]

[You have to clear the Game in order to leave this city]

* * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

'Hmm. Yes, yes, now I understand everything. EVERYTHING! The probability of winning this game is 0. I'm dead' that was my thought when I was resting on my bed.

Previously, after coming to my final decision, I planned to leave this city and go on to an unexplored area or other cities and train there until I feel like I'm strong enough to beat this motherfucker game. But, as soon as I reached the station, some messages started to pop up. I ignored them all. I can guess what those messages contain, but I'm not a person who backs down after some warnings and threats. After all, I had already booked a ticket to a city named 'Neo-Power'.

I choose this city to train for the time being. This city has many academies and home to many martial arts Masters. My plan was to leave my city and train here under a retired master, for a few weeks. This would be not enough, but with the system, I'll learn new skills and techniques and level up to a certain extent. I didn't care even if I have to beg to that Master, as long as I learn, that would be enough for me.

Or that's what I thought.

When the Rail-Train where I was sitting was about to leave the city, several technical issues occurred and stopped on its track. We can't use a teleportation circle to go to other cities. The air route was also not possible due to the danger of monsters that lies outside cities. Rail-Train was the only possible way to travel between cities as it goes in underground.

I heard a notification and opened my system,

[You cannot leave this city until the Game is Finished. No matter what type of teleportation you choose, you cannot leave the Game Area. Leaving the Game Area forcefully means that you will break the Challenge's Rule which will cost you your soul]

I had forgotten one important fact. When we first got the system after the Experiment, no human, no scientist, no fighter can get rid of their system. No one can hack it, no one can control it or no one can break it. The only thing we can do to the system is that we can use it.

We realized that the 'System was absolute'. So, they developed technology using the system as its base, which in turn turned out to be better than expected.

I realized the fact that this world and everything is standing on, with the help of the system. My hands and feet started to tremble and shake, my heart started to pound faster inside my chest, not out of fear but, out of excitement. The reward that the system promised to give after completing the game, 'Authority Over Anything and Everything' means authority over the system and that I can use the system as I wish. if I want to have a huge sum of coins in my account, I can. I can even have any type of skills I wish. This is more than enough to tell that 'I am god.'

My positivity wouldn't hold long and negative thoughts came breaking the door. 'What if someone other than me succeeds in collecting all the crowns first? what if someone who is more evil, succeeds in completing the quest? does he will destroy the world or rule it like a dictator, does he will kill everyone?

My thoughts started to run amok inside my brain, to cool down it, I did some exercise, but eventually all the excitement I had was slowly turning into fear. I started to think once more, but this time more logical.

The crystal, the person who killed himself, and the game name 'Catch the dead player'. These are the important pieces I know. I started to think carefully about what can happen and what is this game actually meant and why did the person killed himself. And in the middle of my thought, I got an idea. I got up from my bed and turned on the Tv.

*

[Your understanding of the Game – 'Catch the Dead Player' has increased]

[Your understanding of the Game – 'Catch the Dead Player' has increased]

[Your understanding of the Game – 'Catch the Dead Player' has increased]

[You have obtained a clue – The Challenging Player has the Power to resurrect his soul inside another human's body. You have to find which body has the soul of the Player and catch him. (Note – If the Challenging Player found out that you are a Player and have a physical contact with you, your body will become a permanent vessel for the Challenging Player's Soul.)]

"Yeah! I'm right damn it. I'm right, I'm fucking right." I started to shout with an evil smile in my room. I finally managed to understand this game. There was a 90% possibility that I will fail, and waste both time and money. But it actually worked. 'Damn,' I'm so happy. I am indeed a genius.

What I did was actually quite simple. I rent up some movies related to zombies, souls, and reincarnation. I watched them the whole night without even sleeping. My savings also went down a bit due to renting. But in the end, I finally got what I wanted. As the system once said that it has altered my body to comprehend the powers, I just have to comprehend the game also.

"Sometimes my own intelligence can frighten me, ha aa haha aha "

I said aloud and laughed like a madman. I had forgotten this feeling as I was always busy thinking about work and stuff. But this time, I truly enjoyed my time watching those movies and finally, I understood how to win this game. Now I just have to find where his soul is. But how? … in the midst of my excitement I forgot the most important part. 'How can I find that his soul lies in this body?' now, I'm totally lost. As hard as I think there is no way that I can see a soul inside someone's body.

I glanced at the alarm clock, it's still 7 am. Due to watching movies the whole night, I didn't get a wink of sleep and now I'm tired and drowsy. It was my first time pulling an all-nighter. My eyes had become itchy and I wouldn't prevent myself to rub my eyes.

If this goes on like this, I might get scolded badly on work by that ugly bastard. I washed up my face and got ready for work. I stopped at the restaurant and had my breakfast there. There was no serious news on the Tv and my cute reporter was interviewing someone.

Even after having breakfast, my situation didn't get better. I was too sleepy to focus on anything. On the road, I decided to buy some medicines that help me stay awake. I still have some time left. I went to the only medical store that is located in this city.

I asked the owner if he had some medicines that can keep me from sleeping. Perhaps, he didn't hear me or he was just spacing out, I asked him again, rising my voice. He was startled at first and apologized to me and told he'll be back and went inside the shop. Perhaps I'm still daydreaming. There is no way in hell that he apologized me. No way. Next time, I have to make sure that I sleep at least 6 hours per day.

After what it felt like 20 minutes, he come outside and handed me the pills. When his hand touched mine, and I heard a ringing sound inside my head. The same sound that it gave me when leaving the city. A warning.

A female voice suddenly spoke to me in a calm, robotic voice inside my head.

'The Challenger, Player 48 has confirmed that you are a Player Playing his Game. You have 10 seconds to break the physical contact or else you will lose this Game and your body will be taken.'