Chapter 25
To the Gate
Part 3
Day Four
Date: 04/01/01
Location: Unknown Sector
Mission Duration: Four Days
Remaining Time: One Day
Objective: Reach the Main Street
Subject Name: Amanda Lee
Previous Success Rate: 62%
Expected Success Rate: 48%
Failed Subjects: 247
Successful Subjects: 10
What is going on here?
I kept repeating that question over and over, but no one responded. The writings in front of me didn't disappear, even though the voice had stopped — I couldn't tell when, because my mind was filled with confusion. You could say it was completely blank.
I read the information one more time, then tried to ask questions again, but nothing changed. Wherever I looked, the thing I thought of as a virtual screen followed me.
I closed and opened my eyes; my head was still spinning. The voice echoing in my mind hadn't stopped. Maybe when I read it for the fourth time, I finally noticed there was a time limit to complete the so-called mission.
Wait — there was a scenario I hadn't considered. Was it possible that this was some kind of government experiment, and I was a subject in it without my consent or knowledge? That was the only thing that made sense to me since I had ruled out everything else.
I knew I had to leave. That meant I wasn't a prisoner — at least not in the normal sense. But what was with the three-hour time limit? What kind of building required that long just to leave? I didn't even know which floor I was on since I couldn't see outside — there were no windows in the room or the two others beside it.
Apparently, I had no sense of time because I hadn't moved from the same spot.
What woke me from my deep thoughts was another system message, reminding me of the time.
> {You have 3 hours to accomplish that. The building you are in is not safe. We recommend you leave as soon as possible.}
{You have 2 hours and 45 minutes to leave the building.}
The words repeated themselves in my head, line by line, without the voice — like an echo — appearing before me and replacing the previous information.
"What the hell is this?" I whispered, clutching my forehead. "I can't believe this is really happening to me."
But the pain was too real. The air around me was too cold. I could feel the rough concrete floor beneath my hands, smell the dust, and hear faint metallic groans somewhere above. Nothing about this felt like a dream.
"So this is real… and I have to move. Whatever's going on, I'll figure it out."
I looked up again, and the floating white interface still hovered in front of me. It didn't vanish, no matter how many times I blinked or waved my hand through it.
"How can I turn this thing off?"
My voice trembled as I tried to steady my breathing. The system didn't answer back this time — only the glowing letters of the mission remained. But then, a new message appeared — one I actually needed.
> {To view your status, you can simply say "Status" or think about your status. To turn the screen off, simply say "Off."}
I took a few deep breaths and stood, brushing the dirt off my jeans. My legs were shaky, and my balance unsteady. I felt like I hadn't eaten for days. How long had I been sleeping on the hard floor? Minutes? Hours? Days?
The building I was in looked like a strange apartment complex. The other apartments on the floor had their doors broken, with strange furniture scattered around. The walls were cracked, wires hanging from the ceiling like dead vines. A door on the far end hung halfway off its hinges.
The system's words echoed again in my head — not safe.
I didn't need to be told twice.
I slowly approached the door and pushed it open. The sound of metal scraping against the floor echoed through the empty hallway beyond.
Outside the room, the hallway stretched in both directions, dimly lit by a reddish glow leaking through the cracks in the walls. I couldn't tell if it was sunlight — or something else entirely.
I started walking, trying to keep my breathing quiet. Every few steps, the building groaned like something alive was moving within it. Dust fell from the ceiling.
Calm down, Amanda, I told myself. Just reach the main street. That's it.
But deep down, I already knew — something wasn't right about this place.
The first floor was worse.
The stairway was half-collapsed, and debris blocked most of the passage. I had to crawl under a fallen beam, my hands scraping against the rough concrete. I coughed from the dust as I reached the bottom step.
When I finally got close to what looked like the lobby, I stopped.
Instead of leading outside — or at least to another staircase like a normal building — I found myself in a wide, dome-shaped hall with a very high ceiling made of some silver metallic material. There were no decorations, only strange symbols carved into the walls, the ceiling, and even the floor.
Broken, unfamiliar furniture lay scattered around, covered in what I first thought was dust — until I touched it. It was softer, lighter… like ash.
The air was thick, heavier than normal, though I could breathe fine. Still, a strange dizziness crept over me.
Then the system's voice returned, sharp and mechanical.
> {Warning: Subject disorientation detected. Heart rate elevated.}
I snapped back to awareness.
> {Reminder: Mission objective — reach the main street. Time remaining: 2 hours, 40 minutes.}
Two hours? I hadn't even started yet.
At the end of the hall, I saw a large door — cracked and worn, but clearly made of some wood-like material. I pushed with all my strength until a narrow gap opened wide enough for me to slip through.
I took a deep breath and stepped onto the cracked, mineral-like pavement outside.
The moment my foot touched the ground, a loud squeal echoed from somewhere nearby.
I froze.
The sound came again — sharp, quick, and close.
It came from a dark corner behind what used to be a small shop.
I turned slowly, squinting through the haze. At first, I saw nothing. Then it moved — a twitch of something low to the ground.
A rat, I thought at first. But as it came closer, I realized it wasn't a rat.
Its body was bloated, its fur patchy and burned in places. The front claws were longer than my fingers, and its eyes glowed faintly red. Its teeth — too many for its mouth — clicked against each other as it hissed.
"What… what the hell…"
> {Warning: Hostile entity detected. Species: Mutated Rodent — Skaid Type-A. Threat Level: Low.}
{New mission acquired.}
{Defeat the Skaid.}
{Mission Rewards:}
1. Ten Points
2. One Level Up
Penalty: Disqualification from participation — immediate termination.
The message flashed in red text across my vision, but I didn't get a chance to analyze it before the creature lunged at me.
I stumbled back, almost tripping over broken concrete. Its claws swiped where my leg had been a second ago.
"Get away!" I screamed, grabbing the nearest thing — a metal rod lying beside a chunk of rubble.
I swung it. The rod hit the creature's side with a metallic clang, but it didn't stop. It squealed and leaped again, faster than I expected. I swung again, missing by inches.
> {Warning: Health condition unstable. Recommend evasive action.}
"Evasive what?!" I shouted, ducking as it leaped again.
Instinct kicked in. I turned and kicked it with all my strength. My boot hit its head, sending it rolling across the floor. It screeched, twitching for a moment, then tried to stand again.
I didn't wait. I ran forward and brought the rod down on its skull — once, twice, three times.
The squealing stopped.
I stood there, panting, staring down at the motionless body.
Blood — dark and thick — spread across the floor, the smell of rot filling the air.
I dropped the rod, my hands trembling. "Oh my God…"
> {Target neutralized. 10 points acquired.}
{Basic Combat Skill unlocked: Strike (Lv. 1)}
The messages appeared one after another, like I had just completed a tutorial in a game.
I couldn't even react. My chest was tight, my heartbeat wild.
"What is happening to me?" I yelled, hoping for an answer — but like before, there was none.
Only another notice flashed before my eyes, the mission timer still counting down in the corner of my right eye. Thankfully, it didn't obstruct my vision this time.
> {2 hours, 30 minutes remaining.}
I looked at the creature one last time before stepping away.
This wasn't a dream.
The question was — where the hell am I?