Chapter 3: [Second Game (1)]

In that moment, I found myself surrounded by a serene darkness, a peaceful abyss that enveloped me. The stillness was comforting, like a gentle embrace, allowing me to find solace in the silence. Although it felt lonely, it also offered a sense of tranquility, a chance for introspection and self-discovery.

Yes, this is something I've always believed about this kind of feeling, but now I realize that my thoughts were wrong all along.

In a deep, dark water, I found myself drowning, unable to breathe as my lips unconsciously released air bubbles after struggling to hold my breath for some time. I couldn't think, all I could do was fight and try to swim to the surface, driven by my instinct to survive. But all my efforts seemed meaningless and futile as I continued to sink deeper into the abyss-like water. Eventually, my consciousness faded, and even in the end, I couldn't think of anything...

Suddenly, I woke up with a gasp, sitting up and panting heavily while clutching my chest. After some time, I managed to calm down and took a deep breath, closing my eyes to steady my breathing. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a vast room, larger than even the grandest mansions or churches. There were thousands of people around me, some unconscious and others awake.

I blinked in surprise, and the only thought that crossed my mind was, "Did I pass the game? Did I survive?" I couldn't confirm my speculations yet, but a surge of joy filled me nonetheless. "I... I survived, I lived!" It was already a great accomplishment after all the strange events that had occurred.

Then, I remembered my family and anxiously wondered, "Where are they? Are they alright?" I knew I couldn't get answers right now, but I prayed that they were safe in this ruined world. As I stood up, I noticed that most of the conscious people had formed groups, mostly consisting of adults. From time to time, people would glance at me with scrutinizing gazes, questioning why a child like me had entered this game in place of my family.

I chose to ignore their gazes and retreated to a corner, seeking solace and trying to calm myself amidst everything. After a while, many people regained consciousness, but not a single person approached me to join their team. Some spoke to me, asking why I was here, but soon lost interest and even mocked my decision. It was understandable, given the situation, that no one pitied me.

Unable to help myself, I couldn't help but draw parallels to the novels I had read. Their actions mirrored those of the characters in the stories. In the end, a slight chuckle escaped me as I muttered, "Ha, how excruciating."

Later, the first Dokkaebi appeared and spoke cheerfully, "Hoho! It seems there are more survivors from Earth than I expected! Keke." This surprised me slightly. I never thought there would be other survivors since I had seen every single person while running. Perhaps, some were in different locations?

I narrowed my eyes unconsciously and decided to keep silent, listening attentively to the Dokkaebi's words. "Now that the first game is over, before we move on to the next game, I'll explain how this game works," the Dokkaebi began. "In each game, there will be a reward and a penalty. The rewards will give you extra lifespans based on the game's difficulty level. The more lifespans you have, the harder it will be for you to die instantly. On the other hand, having fewer lifespans means you can die more easily and quickly. And of course, if the reward is related to lifespans, the penalty will be death."

"To learn more about yourself and your capabilities, everyone has been given a status profile from the system called Starlette. Consider it an honor," the Dokkaebi said coldly, its gaze turning freezing cold, warning us with just a glance. "You can check your status by calling it out. Just say the magic word 'Status,' and it will instantly appear before you. And remember, only you can see your own status." As the Dokkaebi spoke, everyone started calling out the word 'Status.' I also called out and witnessed a blue holographic screen appearing before me.

[Name]: Park Ailiseu

[Age]: 16

[Aliases]: (None)

[Title]: (None)

[Species]: Human

[World]: Earth 2.1

[Lifespan]: 8

[Skill]: (None)

[Level]: 1

Seeing this, I couldn't help but blink in astonishment at how weak and low my status was. Looking around, I noticed that most people had the same reaction. Perhaps they had similar stats. However, there were others who seemed satisfied, which made me furrow my eyebrows and think, 'This is going to be troublesome.'

The Dokkaebi continued, "As you can see, those with a single-digit lifespan are more vulnerable and easily killed, while those with double-digit lifespans have a higher chance of survival. Your level will increase based on the number of points you earn, and you can only earn points by killing living organisms. However, these points are not visible in your stats."

"Now, I know most of you are worried about your families. I assure you, as long as you're alive, your families are safe. However, as I mentioned before, if you die, another member of your family will take your place."

"And finally, I'm sure you're all wondering, what's the point of playing these games? Well, that's not something you should question. However, Starlette is generous enough to offer a reward once you complete all the games. If you finish them all, anything you wish for can be granted."

Upon hearing these last words, greed glimmered in everyone's eyes. One person boldly asked, "Anything? Do you mean anything at all?"

"Yes, whether it's wealth, desire, or even becoming a god, anything is possible," the Dokkaebi confirmed, causing everyone's eyes to shine dangerously with pure greed.

As I frowned, my heart raced, and I unconsciously gulped. I couldn't help but feel a tinge of greed myself. The only thought that crossed my mind was that, as a Christian, I didn't like the idea of becoming a god. However, wealth was a different story. With it, I could repay my family for everything they had done for me.

But then a question appeared in my thoughts, can money even buy anything at this point?

So there was only one thing I wanted to wish, and that is to ensure the safety of my family and everyone I hold dear.

The Dokkaebi clapped its hands and said, "Now, before we move on to the next game, you can pair up and form a group with anyone. After the next game, you can form another group with beings from other worlds."

"Other worlds?" Everyone had the same question in mind upon hearing this.

However, the Dokkaebi didn't bother to explain and simply said, "You have 10 minutes to form a group, or you can go alone. It's up to you. Starting now."

Immediately, everyone started searching for people they knew to form a group. Most of them gravitated towards those who seemed strong and experienced in survival. People of all ages, except for children and teenagers, participated. Some glanced at me but quickly dismissed me, continuing with their own business. Internally, I scoffed at this and leaned against the wall, thinking with a sigh, 'I guess I'll have to go alone then.'

Just as I was contemplating, I heard a voice calling out. I opened my eyes slightly and saw a person standing in front of me. Subconsciously, I looked around and questioned, puzzled, "Are you talking to me?"

"What do you think?" the person smirked. I looked up at them and saw a young person in their late twenties, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

I was stunned and asked, "Well, what do you want?"

The person sat down beside me and spoke seriously, "I want to form a team with you."

"...Are you serious?" I asked, raising an eyebrow with hesitation. I pondered the reason behind their offer but could only think of pity. So, I asked, "Are you pitying me because I'm a child?" I didn't really care about pity, but I questioned them anyway.

The person laughed, which puzzled me. After a moment, they turned serious and whispered, "I saw you."

"What?"

"When the timer was almost up and the darkness was closing in, I saw you enter a tree hollow. I copied what you did, and it actually saved me. Whether it was intentional or not, you saved me. But that's not the reason why I'm forming a team with you," they explained.

"Then, what is the reason?" I asked.

They looked straight into my eyes and said, "Because my instincts told me so. They were telling me that you might know something I don't, and my instincts have never let me down so far."

I remained silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. "It sounds so apathetic."

"Heh, indeed. Still, I would like to form a group with you," they insisted. After contemplating for a while, I decided that it was better to have another person with me rather than being alone, so I agreed.

Then, I remembered something from my status and said, "My name is L. What about you?" I recalled that there was an entry called 'aliases' in the status, which meant you could lie about your real name and identity.

Surprisingly, they understood my hint and didn't question my name. Instead, they created an alias for themselves. "My name is Michael," they said.

I nodded in satisfaction. Then, I heard some whispering in the distance, discussing how strange it was for a child like me to join such a dangerous game and how Michael formed a team with someone like me.

I could see it in their eyes. They were scrutinizing and pitying me at the same time, without any intention of helping. My heart ached for a moment as I remembered similar gazes in the past, when the world was still normal. When my teacher was disappointed because I didn't achieve a high score, despite their high expectations. When I couldn't follow a simple instruction. When I couldn't meet their expectations...

Although these were simple things and normal situations, for me, who was weak and emotional, they posed a great challenge and marked the beginning of my depression and anxiety.

"How laughable," I mumbled.

****

Not long afterwards, the Dokkaebi once again spoke and said, "Alright, let the second game begin! I hope that this time, there will be more people who dies, keke!"