Mikeal had managed to pack up almost everything he needed—only the essentials that were important to him. On the other hand, Alexia was helping herself to whatever food she liked from Mikeal's fridge, stuffing it into bags without a care.
Truthfully, she wasn't much help. The moment Lt. Ashley Grey gave the order to pack and head to the bus, Alexia had flopped down lazily on Mikeal's bed like she had nothing else to do.
Mikeal finished packing—just one single bag was enough for him. Alexia stood behind him as they both looked around the messy apartment.
"You sure you're gonna miss this place, Scar," Alexia said, munching on the same sandwich Mikeal hadn't been able to eat earlier.
Mikeal chuckled. "Yeah, I will."
Just as he was about to close the door behind them and leave, Alexia stopped it with her foot. Mikeal was caught off guard.
"You do know they're waiting for us, right?"
"I know," he replied. "But aren't you forgetting something very important?" Alexia asked with a smirk.
Mikeal glanced back at his bag, then around the apartment again. Nothing seemed missing.
"Nah, I don't know what you're talking about. Everything seems in place. You know I don't have anything special to me."
He gently moved Alexia's foot out of the way and finally closed the door.
As they started running down the stairs, a notification popped up:
---
[You are not equipped to be under the sun]
[Your body and immune system will begin to deteriorate]
[All attribute points will be paused]
---
It was strange for the system to say something like that, but Mikeal ignored it—a big mistake.
The second he stepped outside and sunlight hit him, his entire body changed.
His legs buckled and turned numb, his skin dried up and paled instantly, and his insides twisted in unbearable agony.
Alexia, who was walking ahead, turned to see Mikeal collapsed on the ground. She dropped her plastic bag and rushed to him.
"Scar! Are you okay?" she cried out, kneeling beside him.
"Yeah… just help me get to the bus," Mikeal gritted out, clearly in pain but trying not to show it.
Alexia tried to support him, struggling to carry his weight.
"Woah, I don't remember you being this heavy," she grunted, nearly losing balance.
Each time they moved under direct sunlight, more notifications popped up:
---
[Sunlight contact detected]
[Hurry up—get out of the sun!]
---
The system wasn't helping. If anything, it only made the situation more stressful. The pain Mikeal was in was already overwhelming.
Still, Alexia did her best to hurry. For some strange reason, Mikeal felt heavier with each passing step. But finally, they reached the bus.
Judging from his condition, Alexia made sure he boarded first—weak, pale, and looking like he was seconds from collapse.
The moment Mikeal stepped onto the bus:
---
[Sunlight avoided]
[All attribute points restored]
[Body and immune system back to normal]
---
His strength returned immediately.
Walking down the bus aisle, Mikeal glanced around and saw a few familiar faces from school, as well as some new ones—likely from other districts.
He took a seat at the back of the bus. Alexia sat beside him, still worried.
"You sure you're okay?" she asked, watching him closely.
"Oh yeah. Sorry for worrying you, and… thanks for helping me out," Mikeal said, grateful.
Alexia looked him over again, puzzled.
"You know, one would swear that a second ago you were dying. Now you look totally fine. You're really okay?"
Mikeal leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes. Then, a new notification appeared:
---
[Daily Quest Received: Stay in a dark place for 24 hours]
[Reward: 5 EXP]
---
"You know what? I'm doing fine," he said, smiling faintly. "Just need to shut my eyes for a bit."
Seeing the quest brought a spark of excitement. To Mikeal, this was going to be an easy win. All he had to do was remain in a dark space. With the sun still out, he guessed it would take about three to four more hours for nightfall to begin. The bus was his best shot at completing the task.
Lt. Ashley Grey boarded the bus soon after. She was striking—attractive but serious.
"Listen up!" she called out. "All of you here were carefully selected as military candidates. Rest and enjoy this ride… it might be the last thing you do enjoy."
She took her seat, and the bus took off.
For the past seven years, the military had risen to power. They were the ones who discovered how to combat the cannibal creatures and provide humanity with a fighting chance when normal weapons failed.
Mikeal had only ever known a world infested with monsters. No one knew where they truly came from, but most experts believed it was due to a virus that mutated and spread rapidly.
According to military law, any citizen who turned sixteen qualified for enrollment into the military academy. Since the military's rise, human deaths and cannibal attacks had dropped by 70%, with the remaining 30% confined to restricted zones—like the Playground.
Mikeal had always wanted to join. Ever since he saw his family murdered, that desire burned inside him. He had no doubt he would qualify.
Two to three hours into the journey, the bus began passing regions the students had only ever seen in books or on TV—districts believed to be free of cannibals. Everyone pressed against the windows in awe of the untouched beauty.
Suddenly, the windows sealed shut with thick lead, plunging the bus into darkness.
---
[Harmful and toxic element detected in the air]
---
The bus deployed protective face masks for all passengers.
Lt. Ashley's voice echoed through the bus speakers.
"Children, put on the masks for your safety. We are now entering uncharted territory. This district is cannibal-infested, and no ordinary human can survive exposure."
Everyone scrambled to put on the masks as they began to feel the effects of the lead shielding.
But for Mikeal… the reaction was worse.
He began coughing violently, choking. His skin turned red, and his veins darkened to black. His body convulsed in pain.
The bite on his shoulder—it had worsened. The infection was spreading, fast.
---
[Infection detected]
[To protect the user, system will initiate sleep mode in 5 minutes]
---
None of it made sense.
Five minutes later, Mikeal lost consciousness.
When he awoke, he was in the academy's infirmary. The room was enormous—like a high-tech hospital wing. And he wasn't alone. Nearly half the students were admitted, meaning the lead exposure had affected more than just him.
Lt. Ashley Grey entered to check on them.
"Good. All of you are awake. Come join us in the courtyard."
Mikeal and the others followed. The moment they stepped outside—they were stunned.
They had arrived at a completely different place.
The scenery was breathtaking.
Well-maintained lawns, futuristic skyscrapers, advanced tech straight out of sci-fi films. Soldiers marched through the streets, while floating cars, high-speed trains, and elevators zipped by.
"Woah! This is so amazing!" one of the students exclaimed.
A few lower-ranking soldiers handed out smart ID cards.
Lt. Grey addressed the group. "What you've received is your military ID. That card will be your everything during your five years in this academy. It's your room key, your currency, your access to food, clothes, and accessories."
No one seemed to listen—they were too mesmerized by the transparent, blank cards.
"Yes, they're empty for now. After you take the entrance test, your level and class will appear. Now go rest. We'll begin the first test shortly."
---
[Congratulations! Daily quest completed: You stayed in a dark place for 24 hours]
[Reward: +5 EXP]