A scorching, salty, and fishy wind blew across his face. It was so humid it felt sticky.
"Caw—caw—"
The cries of birds could be heard. But they didn't sound much like the birds one would hear in the city.
Fumiya Jin slowly opened his eyes...
An orange-red sky, clear for miles. In the distance, the setting sun gradually approached the horizon. And... under the sunset's glow, the shimmering waves and a vast beach, constantly washed over by the tide.
What a beautiful view... If he weren't seeing it in this damn death game, he'd probably be enjoying it immensely.
As Fumiya Jin grumbled this internally, he suddenly felt a weight on his left shoulder.
He turned his head to look. He saw several other people lying on the nearby sand.
He and Nijika were the exception—the two of them were sitting side-by-side, leaning against a large rock. The girl's small head was resting on his left shoulder, which was the source of the pressure.
Fumiya Jin was slightly taken aback and looked at the girl so close to him.
Her skin was fair and supple, without a single visible flaw even at this close distance.
Her pure and lovely face radiated the languor of a sleeping kitten, making her seem especially delicate and captivating.
Her soft, golden-blonde hair cascaded down the front of his shoulder. The tips of her hair tickled his arm, moving slightly with each of her breaths.
A faint fragrance emanated from her, seeming to dilute the salty, fishy smell of the sea breeze.
Fumiya Jin gazed at the girl's face and her small, glossy lips...
A jolt of alarm went through him.
What's going on?
This girl... Her mask is gone!
No, not just hers. The mask he was wearing was gone too.
He felt his pockets; his phone and a roll of emergency bandages were also missing.
Could it be that you really can't bring anything in besides your clothes?
And what's more... Fumiya Jin also felt that his stomach seemed empty.
He had just eaten a full breakfast with Nijika, but now his stomach felt completely empty.
No way, they even empty your stomach? Are you for real?
"Fuck you, son of a bitch! Get your goddamn feet away from me!!!"
A sudden roar came from not far away.
Everyone on the beach was startled.
Nijika, who was resting on Fumiya Jin's shoulder, was also jolted awake.
She lifted her head in surprise, rubbing her eyes, still a bit dazed.
But when she clearly saw Fumiya Jin beside her and realized her position before waking up... her fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She nervously smoothed her hair and whispered, "Eh... this is... we're already in the instance, right?"
Fumiya Jin didn't call her out on it, simply pointing ahead. "Yeah. There are quite a few people this time."
Nijika paused for a moment, then looked forward along with Fumiya Jin...
The others had all woken up by now and were getting up from the ground.
Besides Fumiya Jin and his companion, there were three men and two women—five people in total.
A tall, well-built young black man with dreadlocks.
A chubby young man wearing a T-shirt with Akizuki Airi printed on it.
A tall, thin, mixed-race man with curly hair and distinct Southeast Asian features.
A heavyset woman with a fleshy face, wearing a T-shirt that said "Born to Love."
And finally, a pink-haired woman in tight sportswear, who carried herself with an extremely dignified and mature air. Judging by her demeanor, figure, and clothes, she seemed like a middle-aged socialite. But her skin was so well-maintained that it was hard to guess her age.
The one who had just roared was the man with dreadlocks.
He was gripping the chubby man's collar, his expression ferocious.
"You wanna die, kid? Your fucking shoes were almost in my mouth!" the dreadlocked man said with a grim face.
"S-s-s... I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose... I was like this when I woke up... Really! I swear to God!" The chubby man, trembling with fear, quickly apologized.
Seeing this, the others were a bit bewildered and didn't know how to intervene.
Moreover, they all quickly realized something—the dreadlocked man was clearly speaking English with a heavy accent and unclear enunciation. But even those who weren't native English speakers could instantly understand him, without even needing to mentally translate it, as if they were listening to their own native language.
The sensation was quite strange, or perhaps, magical.
A bone-chilling voice suddenly echoed in their minds, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
[Welcome to the Samsara Game. A new game is about to begin.]
[Instance Name: Secluded Island.]
[Game Type: Survival.]
[Clear Condition: Survive until dawn three days from now.]
[Instance Hint: Do not fall into the darkness.]
[The game... has officially begun.]
The voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a magical quality that seemed to grip their hearts, making them feel as if they had lost control of their own breathing.
Only after the echo in their minds had completely faded did everyone begin to gasp for air, one after another.
The dreadlocked man let go of the chubby man, who plopped onto the ground.
The silence lasted for over ten seconds.
Fumiya Jin silently glanced over the heads of the group, a flicker of shock and gravity in his eyes. But he didn't speak.
In the end, it was the curly-haired Southeast Asian man who broke the silence. "Everyone... you're all players, right?"
The language he spoke was clearly not English or any other common tongue; it seemed to be a Southeast Asian language. Yet, everyone understood him instantly.
The group fell silent for a moment.
But no one denied it.
After a while, they all nodded.
The curly-haired man gave a hearty smile and said, "You all must have heard the game prompt. Since it's a survival game, we should be working together. Why don't we... start with some friendly introductions? I'll go first. My name is Haji, from Indonesia. I've been in one trial instance before, but this is my first official one. I grew up by the sea, so I'm a good swimmer and pretty familiar with this kind of environment. I should be able to help out."
After speaking, he looked towards the chubby guy and the dreadlocked guy.
The dreadlocked guy had an arrogant look, pursing his lips and not responding.
The chubby guy, however, was quick to respond. He got up from the sand, dusted himself off, and squeezed out a somewhat comical smile. "This is my first official instance too... My name is Jun Maruyama, from Japan. You can all just call me Maruyama. It's a pleasure to be working with you all."
Next were the two women.
The dignified woman hesitated for only a moment before giving everyone a small smile that radiated an incredibly warm and approachable aura. "My name is Aoi Satou. I work as an administrator for a private company. I'm likely the oldest among you, and I have children. For convenience... you can just call me Madam."
The curly-haired man and the chubby guy were both stunned to hear this.
If you ignored her overly mature and dignified demeanor and figure, and looked only at her face—with her fair, delicate, and beautiful features—you'd absolutely believe her if she said she was in her twenties. She's taken way too good care of herself!
"Hmph. So old, yet still acting like such a man-pleaser." The fleshy-faced woman, seeing the stunned gazes the men were giving the other woman, immediately felt annoyed and muttered a curse under her breath.
"Eh?" The madam turned her head in confusion, not having heard what she said. "Excuse me, what did you just say?"
The fleshy-faced woman pursed her lips. "Nothing. I was just saying, is it my turn now?"
The madam keenly sensed the hostility in the other woman's eyes.
Yet, even with her years of professional diplomatic experience, she couldn't immediately figure out where this hostility was coming from.
She paused, startled, and said, "Uh... yes, please go ahead."
The fleshy-faced woman lifted her chin and said arrogantly, "You're all new players, right? Fine, then. This time, you'll all follow my lead. I'm a veteran player with plenty of experience. If you want to live, you'll do exactly as I say."
_____
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