In a dark corridor, Ace stepped inside, the cold temperature almost killing him.
The lantern he had found when he first fell made the journey much easier for him in this pitch-black hallway. The light it emitted was white with a faint bluish hue, and its shape looked more modern than traditional.
"It's freezing in here... but at least the floor I'm stepping on is metal, not soil. Still, I can't help but wonder why this place is so clean. Unlike the place where I first fell—just thinking about it feels absurd."
Ace then glanced at the lantern in his hand, countless questions flooding his mind. "For some reason, my gut tells me this lantern I found when I fell into the bunker holds something valuable whenever I use it." With that thought, he shifted his gaze forward again.
"I'd prefer a flashlight—it'd be easier. But I guess I should be grateful for what I have now."
"Still, I don't understand the meaning of that little star drawn on the old paper. Not even the name of the writer was written on it," Ace muttered while walking further into the darkness.
He had forgotten one detail, though—he was walking barefoot. Damn, bro, without shoes? Isn't that freezing? Even a weirdo wouldn't survive long in a sealed, freezing, full-metal room like this. But strangely, he didn't seem to care. In fact, he wasn't even bothered by it. Truly a strange man... yet brave.
After walking through the long, slightly winding dark corridor, he finally saw a faint light at the far end.
Without hesitation, he ran toward the source of the light and found it to be a slightly open door. Reaching it, he stepped inside.
Once inside, he realized something—the room was a massive, majestic modern hall, though it still held a traditional touch.
Ace hugged himself tightly as the freezing air overwhelmed him.
"Wait a second... is this the inner hall? Damn, this whole journey feels like an adventure in a VR game. Hopefully, it won't be too difficult," Ace joked, shivering in the cold.
Meanwhile, someone else was watching Ace's behavior from afar, smiling and nearly bursting into laughter at how quirky he was acting.
Back to Ace—he turned off his lantern, since the place was bright, then glanced around the hall. That's when he spotted a huge monitor hanging above.
"Well, maybe this can help for now... though I doubt it still works properly."
Ace walked toward the monitor, unease creeping inside him.
"Why do I feel like something's about to happen... But I can't waste time thinking about it. I need information from this place—now."
Standing before the monitor, he studied the screen. "Hmm... I'm curious. Did this place once show signs of life?" he wondered, stroking his chin.
"If so, maybe some important data is still stored here. Hopefully, or else I'll be stuck here forever. Damn, just thinking about it makes me panic," Ace whispered to himself, trembling in fear.
He then noticed a wide, lengthy control panel beneath the monitor. Besides a keyboard, it was filled with various buttons.
"Seriously... this controller is insanely complete. Damn, which genius designed something this advanced? They must've been a highly developed people—judging from the technology used, I'd say so. Probably!"
Examining the panel closely, Ace discovered an empty slot meant for storing items.
"Wow, what a helpful innovation. Not bad at all," he muttered, placing one of his belongings inside the slot.
Then, he noticed a red power button blinking on the right side of the keyboard.
Of course, Ace pressed it without hesitation.
The monitor flickered, its system loading slowly, yet still functioning.
"Thank God, I'm lucky it still works. If not... who knows what would've happened to me. I'd probably faint from despair if this thing didn't power on—it looks like it hasn't been used in ages," he sighed in relief.
After a few minutes, the monitor finally lit up completely, displaying the words (Welcome) and an instruction to press ENTER to begin.
"Wow, even the interface looks advanced. Crazy. Alright, focus on the main task now."
Ace pressed ENTER, and the screen displayed several options:
Document ??? (Locked)
Main Map
Status Up (Locked)
Hack (Locked)
New Ownership
"I knew it—nothing would come easy. Just turning it on isn't enough. But... what's this?"
Among the files, one caught Ace's eye—New Ownership.
He tried opening it, but a message popped up saying he needed a new ID Card.
"Damn it, really? I feel like a stranger here... Well, I guess I am a stranger here. Ugh, why am I so forgetful now?"
It did make sense, though. He had been relocated multiple times to random, directionless places. Worst of all, he'd been tossed into a dark abyss by that damn Casca. She called herself a Goddess, yet her personality was so one-sided.
"Forget it. I just want to be free. Thinking about someone who abandoned me only fuels my anger."
After calming himself, Ace focused again on his main goal—finding information and getting out safely. He knew it wouldn't be easy.
For now, his only available option was to check the map. Ace selected it to see his current position.
The monitor displayed the map—Ace was at a location with three different routes. Two of them had no signal, while only one was accessible: the staff changing room.
It was located to the left of the monitor, with a door leading there. The path wasn't winding—straightforward, one way.
The other two doors were visible in front of the monitor, though.
"Alright, not too bad. Hopefully, there's something useful there."
Ace approached the staff room door, pressed the button to open it, and stepped inside without hesitation.
So far, things seemed smooth—the corridor was bright and surprisingly clean, almost new.
Reaching the room, he entered without trouble. Looking around, Ace found several useful tools and items. On the attendance desk, he noticed a small paper.
He picked it up and read its contents:
• Employees are requested to wear the lab coat provided before starting work.
• Use the special watch provided as your official employee ID.
• Do not wear extra clothing such as jackets over the lab coat—only a hoodie is allowed.
• Maintain cleanliness before work, for your health benefits us all.
• All tools and necessities are provided in each assigned locker.
Welcome to work, and don't cause trouble :)
"Hmm, this is actually pretty helpful. Though I still don't know if this place is a bunker or some secret lab. Ridiculous."
"Still, with this, I won't struggle as much anymore. The place seems disciplined and well-prepared. Unlike in games—but maybe slightly better," he muttered, placing the paper back.
Not long after, he found the staff lockers. Entering, he found one unused. He tried forcing it open—but it wasn't locked at all.
Ace gave a wry smile, embarrassed. "Man, I acted like an idiot. Should've checked first before trying to break it."
After a few minutes, he returned to the main hall. Now Ace wore a stylish lab coat, the watch looking just as cool. More importantly, he had found what he needed—a new ID Card.
He went back to the control panel, spotted the slot for card confirmation, and placed it there. Finally, he could access the files—though not all of them.
He opened the New Ownership file, and the monitor asked:
"Do you accept becoming the owner?"
"What? That's it? HAHAHAHAHA! This technology looks so advanced, but the system design feels so dumb! God, who even programmed this?!" Ace trembled with laughter, mocking rage.
Who could even take him seriously at that point?
On the other side, the observer watching Ace's antics couldn't hold back anymore, laughing hysterically at his nonsense.
Ace eventually stopped fooling around and refocused on his goal.
He accepted, and the system requested a codename. Ace entered his alias: LITTLE STAR.
His ID Card extracted the file, while his body was scanned for identity confirmation. Just in case anyone more troublesome than him showed up.
Soon, a door on the right side became accessible. Ace headed there, opened it, and found it was just the electricity control room. Some systems hadn't been powered yet.
Inside, he noticed a plug still unplugged—it was the key to powering the central door. Without it, that door couldn't function at all.
Ace fixed it, restoring power, then returned to the main control panel. Now all files could be accessed. But since time was short, the system recommended syncing everything to his watch.
Ace agreed. He knew he had to leave soon.
Before departing, the system left him a message:
"Do you believe the little star will guide you to safety?"
Ace only smiled, nodding. He believed there was still hope for him—even if survival seemed slim.
He stood before the central door, commanded it to open, and the system obeyed.
Darkness awaited—an immense corridor with nothing but pitch-black shadows. A cable car was stationed there, ready.
But something else lurked in the dark, waiting.
Ace steeled himself. This was his only way out. With his supplies in hand, he stepped forward.
He boarded the cable car. But would his journey really go smoothly?
Probably not. From the shadows, something massive had its sights set on him. That was no good omen. Could Ace face this nightmare?
I'm not so sure.
End of Chapter (Believe in the Little Star).