Dead

A couple years ago the world has changed.

Things which once were said to only happen in movies and comics started to happen all over the world.

It first happened in France, the place where the first "Gate" opened.

It was as a monstrous Gate which suddenly appeared in the middle of the street. They didn't know what to do and choose to observe instead of entering it. But after a week the Gate opened after "No challenger has entered", and what came out was horrifying. Giant dragons, ogres, orcs, elves, goblins and all sorts of fantasy creatures started invading what once was called France and destroyed it in less than three days.

Soon after Gates started to appear all over the world and unleashed destruction upon it, like never before. A couple weeks after no nation had remained. Instead, they were forced to become one, calling themselves The Empire. The Empire quickly build five giant artificial countries spread across the Pacific Ocean, using the last resources from each of the former nations, escaping into the ocean to rebuild themselves.

Since that the people lived in constant fear, not knowing when the enemies will find them again and finish what they once started.

But that was only until a man suddenly beat one of those Gates. This one was no other than the Sword Saint Michael, who after beating the Gate became a "Player". These "Players" become part of the Apocalypse system as gift for entering and completing the Gate, marking them as Player, and receive special skills depending on their Fate, Believe, Desires, Soul, and Luck.

Soon after that happened, many people tried to become Players themselves by entering Gates and clearing them. After all a Player possesses anything, anyone could ever desire, Fame, Money, Power or everything else one could seek in such a world. The Empire even helped those people to become Players and covered all cost and even paid the debt of those who enter a Gate. A couple years passed since then and many managed to become Players while even more died trying.

Inside the Gate only one rule existed, "Survival of the Fittest".

That was one of the biggest reasons why everyone who wished to become a Player and escape their fate gave up since the risk was too high.

But for me it wasn't.

For me it was either becoming a Player or die trying.

Only in that way I would be able to change my live and save the person most important to me, my mother.

She was terminally ill and currently staying in a hospital to be kept alive. After she was attack by a monster from a Gate, she fell in a deep slumber called fairy-hour which slowly drains her of her live force. Unlike other kids in my age which normally gone to college, or work, I chose to become a Player. This was the only way to pay the hospital bills which will soon put on me.

Because of that I'm here now, inside one of those Gates, called dungeon, ready to become a Player myself and change my fate.

Alongside me was a group of 10 people and another person a Player who guided them.

He was from one of the five large guilds called: "Walhalla".

But something was off.

He was too nice. And his constant smile made it even worse. But apparently, I've been the only one to notice that. The others just kept following him without any hesitation, giving their lives into his hands.

"Whatever... I should just--", Before I could finish my mumbling the Player appeared in front of me.

"Your name was..."

"Vlad. My name is Vlad.", I answered as our eyes met.

"I see! A rather unique name. You should follow us, we will soon come across the end of the Gate."

"Yeah..."

I chose to follow them, but we suddenly came across something unusual.

"A Gate inside a Gate?", A women said as she looked at the monstrous Gate in front of us, "Is that even possible?"

"No... It shouldn't.", The Player answered visibly more shocked as the other people. But then a huge grin formed on his face, "We should enter!", He announced as he laid his hand against the Gate, "You don't have to worry. With a Player on your side this will be over in the blink of an eye!"

'This man... He is either dumb or he knows something we don't.'

But even then, I didn't really have a choice, "Fine... I'll come with you..."

Once I said that the others quickly followed my action and also chose to continue, knowing they could die if they get attack on by monster. The players smile rose even more as he heard them and then opened the Gate.

The moment we entered, the Gate closed and locked itself. Then torches started to light up one after another slowly revealing the room. It was a giant room filled with multiple golden pillars and stone statues. At the end of the room was a golden empty throne filled with multiple glowing rubies.

While I kept analyzing the room, the others kept walking towards the throne, following the Player who ensured their safety.

His Intentions were as clear as crystal. But again, I had no choice but to follow them. He was stronger and faster than me and even possessed some magical abilities. I couldn't defy him even if I wanted, which somehow started to annoy me.

'In a world where strength determines everything, is being weak the greatest sin of all.'

'And the ones being weak have no right but to obey.'

As I kept listing to my own thoughts something strange happened.

The torches around us suddenly turned scarlet red and a holographic screen appeared before every one of us.

[Special Quest "The Scarlet Hunt" has started!]

Each of us immediately turned towards the Player waiting for his orders but once again, I was the only one to notice that the Player was as clueless as we were.

Of course, he didn't show it and immediately told us to form small groups and prepare ourselves.

I however noticed his cluelessness the moment I saw his face.

The way how he kept looking around like a wounded animal trying to find a way to flee or his shaking sword. It was already clear.

'If we keep following him, we will die.'

I slowly distanced myself from them and kept looking around. Each of us was tensed up like never before and almost praying that something finally would happen and free us from this nightmare.

But then it finally happened.

The stone statues suddenly started to move and lifted their weapons up.

Each one held a different weapon but each one was a close combat weapon made of pure stone. But something about them was strange. They all had black veins traveling up and down their bodies.

But I had no time to think about that because the statues soon after started their crusade.

The first was one to die was a woman which instead of running away just fell to her knees and kept looking at the stone knight, paralyzed with fear. But the knight showed no mercy and cut off her head. He then grabbed her lifeless body and threw it to the middle of the room.

I just looked at the lifeless body as it landed next to me, seeing myself reflected in her blood.

'I once heard there are people which can't see blood and that stuff... I think compared to them I would be the exact opposite.'

It wasn't the first time for me to see such a scenery. For nobody it was but unlike anyone else I was completely unfazed by such a sight. And each time I realized or remembered that I felt less and less like a human being.

Even when I raised my head and saw how the other people slowly got killed one after another, I felt nothing.

But not once in my life did, I hate or despise that side of me. I still understood emotions, I still felt them, and I still had people I loved and cherished like my mother.

However soon I was to feel the same fate as them when I don't change something. After all, two of the knights were already on their way to kill me too. But I had no intention to let them.

I instantly started looking around me, hoping to find something that would allow me to turn things around, but there was nothing.

"Sigh. Seems like I only have one choice left.", I instantly started running towards the knights and then in the perfect moment when both were about to attack me slit between them. Causing them to destroy each other.

[Player: "Vlad" has defeated two stone knights!]

'Well, the players said that it was exactly as in a video game but that it would actually be like that is kinda bizarre.'

"Whatever. I still have to kill more than ten of them, if I want to survive."

'But don't I have something like a status screen?'

Instantly after thinking of it the status screen popped up in front of me, showing me all my stats.

[Status screen]

[Name: Vlad]

[Hp: 100]

[Mp:0]

[Lv.1]

[Class: None]

[Title: None]

[Skills: None]

[Stats]

[Strength:7]

[Vitality:5]

[Agility:12]

[Magic:0]

[Perception:11]

[Willpower:12]

[Skills]

[None]

The screen showed me everything I needed to know and already told me how to fight. Something I really appreciated to be honest.

After I closed the screen again, I looked at the remaining people consisting of: Three women, three man and the leader, aka the player. They were surrounded by eight knights while four others were on their way towards me.

I still looked at the first screen that appeared showing me the quest.

[Special quest: The Scarlet Hunt.]

[Goal: Survive till the end]

'Till the end? This means this is just the beginning! This in return means that--'

One of the women suddenly died as her stomach was penetrated by one of the spears and thrown against the wall.

[First trial: "Thinning out the herd" Finished!]

The knights suddenly stopped moving and rammed their weapons into the ground as they rested their hands on them.

'First trial... How many trials are there? How many can survive? What's the meaning of this quest? Gates appear random without any meaning. But this Gate seems to have a reason for being here.'

The questions kept increasing the longer I thought about it, but the number and answers remained the same.

"Hey, Player!", I yelled as I looked at him.

He immediately tensed up for a second before he answered.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"What happens when someone becomes a Player?"

He looked at me puzzled not knowing that his answer would actually answer the biggest question that I had.

'Did the Empire know of this sort of Gates and Special Quest?'

He kept looking at me and refused to say anything.

"We are going to die anyway so if I manage to survive, I want to at least know what to do.", I added as I kept locking eyes with him.

His expression changed with each passing second until he finally opened his mouth.

"You will be getting an invitation to come to the Player facility and make a small test to show which level you are."

"I see, so they do.", I answered.

"What?", He said with a face mixed with confusion and fear.

"Nothing. We should continue the quest."

The people around us first looked at me and then at him waiting for his answer. But it was already clear that he had no other choice then to continue after all the Gate was locked.

Once he accepted, a new screen popped up.

[Trial of Sense will begin now!]

The knights suddenly began moving again and walked towards us. The people once again started bombing the player with question on what to do, but he just remained silent as looked at them.

The knights kept approaching us until they arrived in front of us. They once again raised their weapons ready to attack us but this time all of them aimed at one particular person, the Player.

The moment he noticed that he immediately dropped his mask and grabbed one of the men around him, using him as shield.

The "shield" was perfectly cut in two and then thrown towards the knight, who grabbed it and destroyed it's head with his bare hand.

One of them then looked over to me allowing me to see their faces. There was nothing special about it despite one thing. That was their scarlet red pupils which shined red while the rest of the eye was pitch black.

The moment I looked him in the eyes my body stopped moving. It was my instinct which told me to do so, and I was sure that if I would do otherwise, I would die on the spot like the other people before me.

The knight then looked back at the Player and then smiled as his veins started to glow. His grip tightened, and he suddenly started running towards the Player, who immediately pulled his sword out and blocked the attack.

But the moment he blocked it his sword broke. And while the Player's face started to change the knight already started his next move and kicked the player across the whole room.

The moment the Player met the wall he died, while his blood splattered across the whole room.

All of us looked horrified at the scene. The Player who just died right now was one of the strongest players of an C rank guild and currently at the Elite Tier. And yet he was killed so easily.

At this moment all of us understood one thing. In a fight we stood no chance.

But at the same time, I understood something else too. This trial isn't about killing the knights; it is about surviving.

Once I realized that I analyzed the room once again. I tried to find any difference to when we first entered the room and found some.

The places where the knights stood before, they shined red.

"Each of you! Quickly run to the shining places if you cherish your life", I screamed as loud as I could as I started running towards one of the shining places.

All of them stood still for a second before each started running into a different location.

A grin formed on my face as I ran towards my desired location. But the trial had other plans for me.

Two knights appeared before me already swinging their swords ready to cut my head off.

I knew I couldn't stop myself fast enough, and so I let myself fall down to my knees and slid past them. It hurt like hell, but I managed to survive, which right now was the most important thing.

I quickly stood up again, ready to take the last four steps to arrive at the desired place, but before I could do so I was kicked away.

I looked up seeing one of the women standing at the place I wanted to stand in. She looked at me as tears feel slid down her face, "Please forgive me... I couldn't... I-I I don't want to die... Please...Forgive me..."

'This little bitch... Not only stealing my place but also begging me to forgive her...

But right now, I have other priorities...'

I looked around trying to find another place, but all shining places were either already taken by other people and stopped shining or behind the stone knights which were on their way towards me.

"Huh... For real... I'm going to die in such a place...", I mumbled slowly walking backwards.

The people turned their face away as soon as their eyes met mine and started praying to God that it will end soon.

'God huh... Then... I beg of you God... Please save me...'

One of the knights arrived before me and pushed down. He then put one of his feet on by chest, pinning my on the ground, as he raised his sword.

I could feel one my rips break with each time his sword rose a bit higher until he stopped doing so.

I looked at the other people hoping anyone would step in, but no one even looked at my direction and just thought of himself.

At this moment I once again realized how much I hated my own race. But as I kept looking around, I noticed another shining place which ironically truly suited my taste.

"The throne..."

At this moment hope rose inside of me and I looked up to the knight.

"Sorry I've changed my mind. I won't die here.", In this moment I pulled my legs towards me and shot them as hard towards the knights as I could. But he just moved an inch away which at least stopped his swing mid-air.

But that wasn't enough to free myself, and so I kept increasing the pressure as much as I could. I could feel how my muscles were about to get torn apart any second, but I had no other choice than to bet on this.

The knight tried to push my legs away but failed each time as he had to hold his balance. After a couple tries, he let his sword fall which land next to me face, penetrating the ground.

In this moment I laid all my strength in one final push as he was about to grab for his sword, which managed to push him away.

I immediately stood up and ran towards the throne but as I arrived, I felt a strange stinging pain in my stomach. I looked down and saw the blade of a stone sword coming out of my stomach.

I turned around and saw a knight without a sword whose hand was directed at me.

My body fell down at the throne pushing the sword even further inside.

At this moment a screen showed up once again.

[Second trial finished!]

[Last trial: "Trial of Temptation" will begin now]

The knights once again stopped moving and rammed their weapons back in the ground like earlier while the Gate doors suddenly opened.

Once the Gate fully opened a voice echoed through the room, "One for all..."

We all understood the meaning of those words. One had to stay and sacrifice himself so the others could leave. Each of them looked at me and smiled as they slowly walked out of the room.

My voice was already too weak to curse them. I knew I would die anyways but they could've at least asked me.

Once anyone left, the Gate closed itself and the knights started moving again. It didn't take long until they stood around me.

I looked at them and smiled, "What's wrong? Am I not good enough as sacrifice?"

The Knights then smiled brights as they opened their mouths, revealing two large sharp teeth.

"Damn... How cool..."

My sight slowly became dizzy, and I already lost most of my view, but I was sure I saw and felt how they bit me all over my body. But at the same moment everything became black, and I felt my heart's last beat before stopping completely.