The sky was clear—too clear. Not a single cloud in sight. It could have been a perfect day, if it were any ordinary day. But it wasn't.
The meteorites that had rained down last night now hung frozen mid-air, scattered like cracks across the sky. Motionless. As if time itself had paused for them.
[PREPARING FOR THE PLAYERS
ROUND 1 WILL BEGIN IN 16 HOURS
…PLAYERS, PLEASE BE READY…]
The massive digital screen still hovered above the city skyline, right beside the meteorites. Waiting—or at least, it looked like it was. Silent, but ever-present.
Panic. Chaos. Fear.
Not just in one country, not in one city—but everywhere. The entire world had seen the same message, the same impossible sights.
"The world is ending! This is divine punishment! REPENT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"
"It's a government experiment gone wrong, I swear it!"
"No... this is my chance. My life's reset button."
Blah, blah, blah. Everyone had something to say.
Society had turned into a cacophony of rumors and delusions the moment the phenomenon started. And yet the timer kept ticking. Cold and indifferent.
Governments scrambled to maintain order. They urged calm, promised control. But their words didn't reach far. And even when they did, they only made people more afraid.
"Agh!"
Rio shot up from the floor, screaming. His body was drenched in sweat, his breathing sharp and desperate. His hands trembled as if the pain from last night still lingered.
He clutched his chest.
"Ha… ha… ha!"
His heart pounded violently, but not from fear—excitement.
Slowly, he stood.
His reflection in the mirror made him pause. Tall. Mid-20s. Black hair. A physique that looked like it belonged on a movie screen.
"Was I… always this good-looking?"
He tilted his head. "And this tall? I look like I grew ten centimeters and gained muscles overnight."
It wasn't just a feeling. It was real.
"Wow… Is this the gift he mentioned?" he grinned. "Damn. I gotta admit—it's pretty good."
He admired himself for a moment longer, then—
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the street just outside his apartment.
Rio rushed to the window. The sky was no longer the one he remembered. The screen still hovered, and the meteorites hung in their eerie stillness.
"No way… is this the Round-Up?" he muttered, eyes narrowing.
He got ready with unhurried calm. After bathing, he opened a rarely touched drawer—pulling out clothes that looked like they belonged to someone else. A black jacket. Dark pants. Gloves. Like they were made for a different life.
"Alright then…" he said, buttoning up. "Let's get ready for the round."
He stepped outside.
The city was chaos incarnate.
Screams rang out. People ran wild in the streets. Panic was everywhere. Some tried to leave, some looted stores, others just froze in fear. No one knew what to do.
Rio walked through it like it was all background noise.
His face was calm, even bored. Like a teacher walking through a classroom of misbehaving children. He kept moving until the chaos faded behind him.
Eventually, he arrived at the outskirts—at the city's largest graveyard.
There were others there. Scattered, quiet. Some stood alone, others in pairs or groups. But all were waiting—for something.
Rio's eyes narrowed.
"Are they… old players?" he thought.
"TCOE might've been short-lived, but it was popular enough for hidden content like this to get discovered."
He stayed back, leaning against a worn stone pillar. Quiet. Observing.
He didn't try to stand out, but it didn't matter.
His new appearance—tall, striking, mysterious—made him impossible to ignore. He gave off a heavy, dark presence that naturally drew eyes, even if unintentionally.
Time passed.
Then—tick!
A deep, echoing chime rang out as the giant screen ticked down to [10:00:00].
Whispers broke out.
"It's finally starting. The reward is mine."
"No, I deserve it."
"It goes to the strongest here."
"Are you picking a fight?"
"Kids these days really need to chill."
"Oh? You're gonna hit a beautiful young lady now?"
They didn't throw punches, but the tension was razor-thin. Everyone was on edge. The air itself seemed to crackle with potential violence.
Rio sighed quietly.
"Haa… it's always like this, no matter the world."
He didn't move. Just waited.
Tick.
Creeeak.
The tombstones around them began to crack and split. Wind gathered—unnatural, violent, and focused. A cyclone of force spun from the graveyard's center, pulling everything toward it.
People screamed. Some clung to fences. Others held onto headstones.
Most couldn't hold on long.
One by one, they were sucked in—and torn apart.
Their bodies unraveled like ash on the wind, leaving no blood. No bones. Just nothing.
Then, the cracked stones began floating. They shifted in mid-air, slotting together like puzzle pieces. Within moments, a door took shape—huge and ancient, glowing faintly with pale grey light.
The wind stopped.
The survivors—what few remained—gasped for air. They staggered to their feet, pale and shaking.
Except for Rio.
He stood exactly where he had before. Not a hair out of place.
The wind hadn't touched him.
"As I thought… it's still the same," he muttered. "The gate only pulls in those within ten meters. Stay outside the range, and it barely affects you."
He let out a faint smile—
—but it vanished just as quickly.
The others were recovering. Steadying themselves. Eyeing each other.
They weren't weak. They weren't normal.
And Rio knew—
This wasn't the start of the real game.
This… was a hidden route.
A side mission.
One only a few knew about.
One only the prepared could survive.