Chapter 2: Let The Game Begin
Cale was stunned.
Never in his life would he expect that seemingly strange messages could bring him to this white space.
What's more astounding was the floating gigantic screen in front of him, showing a streak of bold letters.
Lastly, the set of things that he needed to do to win this game.
After a moment, he came out of his stupor.
He, once again, surveyed his surroundings.
Apart from the seemingly endless white space and the gigantic screen in front of him, nothing seemed to have existed in this place.
It was akin to a fantasy.
He felt that he was some sort of a character in a novel!
Realizing that his mind was about to wander, he raised his arm with his eyes closed.
Pak!
A flesh hitting a flesh resounded in the space.
"That freaking hurts." Cale winced while feeling the throbbing pain coming from his cheek.
However, he successfully changed the course of his mind thanks to the pain. Now, he could put his entire focus on the reality in front of him without worrying about his mind getting wandered again.
"If this is all real, then winning this game will help my family, right?" Cale mumbled.
As if to answer him, the words on the screen suddenly changed.
[Precisely. Should you win this game, not only would you be able to help your family, but you would also receive other amazing prizes. Have you ever thought your appearance was too mediocre or ugly? Would you become delighted if I told you that you can change it however you like? Have you ever thought of soaring through the sky without wings? Not only do you have a chance to acquire them, but you can get other prizes that you never thought of!]
Changing one's appearance however they like?
Flying in the sky like a free bird?
Endless breathtaking awards?
Cale was feeling incredibly enticed.
However, as if water was doused on the burning fire of allure, Cale immediately felt cold upon coming to a particular realization.
'Yes, all of them are very tempting. But, I can only get them when I win, and if I lose… I'll die.' Cale subconsciously gulped. He felt the sweat dripping down his forehead.
He was nervous!
Furthermore, he felt he was like a naive young man who had sold all of his properties just to invest in one project, hoping that he would get 100 times more benefits. But, the project failed and all the things he afforded were lost, in an instant!
It was too nasty!
Nevertheless, the things he would receive when he won the game were countless times more extraordinary! That being said, his life would be forfeited if he were to lose.
As though the screen knew what Cale was thinking, the words changed again.
[What are you waiting for? Do you think your life is more important than your family's? Have you ever thought about how much your parents sacrificed for you? Do you know that your father begged the Principal of your school to let you in the academy while on his knees? How about your sister? Do you know your sister would wait for you for hours to go home to surprise you because you seem to let down due to your low grades? Do you know that because of your incompetence, your mother was forced to sta-]
"Stop! Please, stop! Just stop!" Reading the truthful words on the screen caused Cale's heart to deeply ache and be filled with discomfort. He felt so wronged.
How was it his fault?!
It's not his fault for being incompetent!
In the first place, he never chose to be born in this world!
His heart, which was filled with his seething feelings, suddenly erupted. Unable to suppress his emotions, he cried out.
"It's not my faul-"
However, before Cale could even finish his sentence, he was suddenly interrupted by a loud male voice.
[How amusing! How amusing, indeed! Oh, a little lamb who keeps deceiving itself, over and over again. Who is so afraid of facing the reality! Who keeps throwing its fault to others! How AMUSING! You're amusing to the point of being PATHETIC!]
The voice became louder and louder until Cale felt his ears buzz even if he covered them with his hands.
The voice seemed to penetrate his hands!
It was so loud!
[Now, little one. Do you dare to play this wonderful game, in a chance of giving your dead family a better life? Or would you become a coward and leave your family to themselves?]
The words on the screen suddenly disappeared. After a moment, a new set of words slowly emerged in bold letters.
[WOULD YOU PLAY THE GAME WITH YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE?]
"Pathetic? Yes, I'm pathetic. I'm a piece of shit who couldn't do anything other than let my parents down. But, I'm not a coward! I will never be!"
Slowly and slowly, different events slowly played themselves before his eyes.
The times where his father praised him for having a good grade on one subject.
The times where his mother cooked him his favorite dishes because it was his birthday.
And the times where his little sister would hug him when he's feeling down.
The wrongful emotions were slowly replaced with warm ones.
"Come, come! Let me play this death game!"
What if he lose? He would die.
But, so what? Death was not the end. At most, he would be at the place where his family was.
They would be reunited!
[That's a person should be! Come, and die! Haha!]
"Let's do it!" Hyped with his current emotions, Cale screamed.
[Oh, right. I forgot to mention that if you lose, not only would you die in real life, but your soul would also be extinguished out of existence. Great prizes come with great potential losses, as Uncle Ben said.]
"What?" Cale's mouth turned agape.
"I-I thought I will only die in real life?" Evidently, he already had accepted that he would die in real life.
[You seem to have misinterpreted the messages I sent earlier. However, it's not my fault that you did so.]
"Yes, you do! You didn't say that my soul would also be exterminated!"
[But, did I say anything that it would not? Anyway, quit your irrelevant yapping and get into the game.]
Whoosh!
A whitish portal suddenly materialized in front of the panicking Cale. A mysterious force seemed to be pulling Cale's whole body right into the portal.
"Wait a damn minut-" Without giving him time to complete his words, Cale was sucked right into the hole.