Unsightly competition

As everyone noticed that totally out of sync ticket booth that was residing between those bloody corpses, Cole took multiple steps ahead, with his depressed eyes trying to walk while not brushing by the bodies laying down.

Jack followed Cole and Sam was still day-dreaming but he snapped out of it rapidly. "what is that." Cole said while looking at the ticket booth curiously. The ticket booth looked like those for movies, a glass window, and a small opening that looks like a horse's heel or jerry the mouse house's door.

It was also carved with weird drawings, dark tall monsters? Why would it be carved there. Everyone had weird faces expressions, those monsters looked creepy, woah.

"AHHHH" Cole shouted, a goblin popped out with a smile unbefitting of his face, he had a hat and a uniform. His skin was green and his head was bald, shiny!

"Do you guys have tickets?" The goblin said as he tilted his head 70 degrees to the right.

"what tickets." Jack said while being slightly scared of that ugly goblin. He looks kind.

"To participate in the challenge prepared by the dark abyss." The goblin said with confusion, are they stupid.

Sam just noticed it smelt so bad, the dead corpses started to be eaten by magots.

Cole understood, but it took a while for Jack to understand what the ticket booth was for, it seems that the ticket they got for killing the zombies during the first hour will make them eligible to participate in the challenge thing prepared by the dark abyss.

What worries them was that, this challenge is unknown, it could be dangerous at a high level, but ofcourse as the saying goes with risk comes great rewards.

Cole was pondering deep in his thoughts, should they enter? His current mental state was a mess, making a decision is hard.

"The acceptance into the challenge will only be available for 1 day, your tickets will expire by then." The goblin explained while enjoying the gory scene infront of him. Damn goblins.

"We will enter." Cole said. "Are you crazy!" Jack jumped at Cole, how could he be so ridiculous, they didn't know how dangerous that challenge could be, they will risk their lives. Sam got shocked but he analysed their situation, the best strategy to follow is entering that challenge.

The reason by Cole's decision is that being stronger will give them a huge advantage at the start of this apocalypse, and they didn't how the apocalypse will evolve, or if those once puny monsters will become stronger.

The Mutant zombies were already a headache, imagine if every zombie was like that, they will have to run and hide forever while the risk of dying increases every second.

"We have to get stronger Jack." Sam said with a determined will, to get stronger and stop this bloody apocalypse from killing more innocent people.

As time passed and more people fall victims, the survivors will grow stronger emotionally, but since the world has fallen into chaos, there's a chance some survivors will perform malpractice towards eachothers, a bad outcome which will put humanity at risk.

"Here you go Mr.Goblin." Cole handed out the ticket, he figured out how to extract things from the system during his stay in the apartment.

The goblin smiled, but the reason behind his smile will stay a secret.

Sam and Jack followed after Cole, they handed out the tickets and waited for the goblins words.

"You guys will vomit any second now." The goblin said with excitement as he enjoyed this process.

Everyone was confused at the goblins word, why would they vomit, it didn't make any sen- SEEEE!

Before they teleported the goblin inserted the tickets of each one, and after that pulled the lever beside the tickets insertion machine.

"Farewell!" The goblin said as he laughed at their reactions.

Everyone teleported to a sort of waiting room, it wasn't a medieval house, or a white blank room.

The waiting room looked like a modern house, but unlike what they expected, there were people besides them, the elder! and the guy with that short katana, and a few other capable looking people.

Cole rushed to the elder, "Why are there dead bodies laying down outside, how are you guys here!" The elder remained silent to Cole's questions, sadness was evident in his eyes, but the guy didn't react well, he rushed as in he was about to slash Cole for upsetting the elder, the elder stood up and stopped the guy.

"It's a long story, let us rest first." The elder said, as respect to his elders, Cole didn't continue his desire to ask, he just awaited for when the elder is ready to say it.

The elder showed them that there were food prepared, one of the ladies prepared it for them, it seemed like one of the guides was present with then and they are provided with simple stuff.

Most of them had a lost of appetite, but some were able to eat. Jack went ahead to take a taste of the cake prepared, there were even plates and cutlery made from wood.

"Leave one piece for me." Cole whispered to Jack, he wanted to eat some.

"Too late, Sam asked me first." Jack replied to Cole with a shruggie, Cole just went to take a drink, and eat some other stuff.

The food was placed in an ordinary wooden table, the carving style was pretty good, like it was carved by a master. It had some drawings too.

Everyone finished filling their bellies, the elder approached Cole this time. He wanted to tell him what happened outside.

"Let's go sit together over that couch near the campfire." The elder suggested, Cole just nodded and followed the elder.

They both sat down now, the elder sipped a little from his tea, a herbal tea he brewed himself, he had some experience regarding those stuff.

"We got attacked by a weird zombie." The elder said as his hands started shaking.

"Do you mean a mutant." Cole said as he kinda got the big picture.

"Mutant whatever you guys call it, that zombie was super fast, and it had claws, but what killed most of them was just the blunt force it had." The elder said as he started to remember everything that happened, it was a horrifying scene.

Cole was surprised a monster that strong appeared in their building, their luck was bad. Compared to them, the fat monster was also strong, but it had a disadvantage, unlike the weaker mutant who had speed and strength.The fat zombie had strength at an another level and defense.

"How did you guys survived." Cole said as he was interested in knowing how they survived.

"We entered here, that was our only way of survival, that monster is a nightmare." The elder said, but as soon as he spoke those words an another source of sound came.

The guide of the passing mist phase started speaking. His voice was clear as day, since it was directly transmitted to their brains.

"We will explain the rules to the challengers now." The guide announced while keeping an eye at the survivors that are participating.

"In this challenge you must hunt as much monsters as you can, and survive from strong unwanted beings too." The guide explained throughly. The time limit was shortened since this ticket booth has been closed.

They have only 13 hours to prepare and seperate rooms have been prepared, what will happen to them by then?