001: The Beginning
I was dreaming again.
In the void, I had no sense of sight or sound, no touch or taste. It was nothingness, a dream unlike my usual nightmares of zombies or ghosts. This one was far more unsettling.
I waited, as I always did, knowing I would eventually wake up. This dream had a strange lucidity to it, one I was almost used to.
Then, a faint light appeared in the darkness. It was accompanied by a distant, pleading sound. Curious, I moved toward it.
As I drew closer, the sound grew louder, like someone was screaming right beside me. I flinched, but I kept moving forward, reaching out toward the light.
The moment my hand touched it, my vision exploded in a blinding flash, like a camera going off in my face.
I squinted and saw the burning city.
Below me, flames consumed everything, devouring the city like a napalm strike had just hit. I was standing on a hill outside the chaos, watching in stunned silence. Screams filled the air, the cries of people running for their lives echoing around me.
Buildings collapsed. A jet fighter crashed into a towering structure, and then another, and another. One after the other, they fell from the sky.
For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming. But then, a jet headed straight for me.
I didn't move. I just watched it approach, the sound of the engine fading from my ears as it came closer. When it finally hit, the impact threw me to the ground. I felt the jagged debris tear into me, branches and metal shards slicing through my skin.
Blood ran down my face as I lay there, staring at the destruction. My lower body was gone. Intestines spilled out across the ground, and I could feel my life draining away with every second.
As I gazed up at the blood-red sky, more jets plummeted to the ground. Tears mixed with the blood in my eyes, the realism of the dream unnerving me.
This can't be real.
I tried to force myself awake, but before I could finish the thought, an overwhelming sense of doom overtook me.
I died. Eyes open, body destroyed.
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[System Analyzing... 0.01%]
[Transferring Data in Progress... 0.05%]
[Downloading Assets... 0.1%]
Slowly, I became aware of something—something other than pain. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a different place.
I was in a room with nothing but a massive monitor, like a theater screen, hanging in front of me. No windows. No doors. Just a bed and that monitor.
The screen displayed a data progress bar, filling up steadily. Messages appeared in bold text:
[Assets Data Completed]
[Profile Information Loading]
[Profile Information Completed]
Profile Information:
Game ID: 000
Name: Yoo Shiyoon
Age: 29 Years Old
Gender: Male
Occupation: Administrator
I stared at the screen, blinking in disbelief. Administrator? What?
Then it hit me—I remembered that stupid game invitation I'd signed up for, thinking it was some random scam. But now… was this really happening?
I reached out toward the screen, wondering if it was touch-sensitive. Before my fingers could make contact, a robotic voice boomed from the monitor.
[Welcome to World 000.]
[The world has just witnessed its end. A devastating global conflict erupted, splitting the superpower nations into factions marked by red and blue. The use of nuclear weapons triggered a nuclear winter, plunging the world into a deep freeze.]
[Current survivors: 1,280,808]
[Casualty count: 7,998,719,192]
[Modern civilization is in ruins. The environment is ravaged, cities reduced to rubble, and mutated creatures now roam the wastelands. Humanity must adapt or perish.]
I sat there, stunned. The end of the world?
"Is this part of the game?" I muttered, but deep down, I wasn't sure.
Another message popped up:
[System 001 Initializing Communication... 0.005%]
"Huh...?"
[Initialization Complete. Welcome, Player. We will guide you through your journey. Please ask any questions or skip the tutorial. /Yes or /Yes]
I groaned. "Again with the no-choice thing? This system is seriously stingy."
I hesitated but ultimately moved on.
[Character Creation Loading... 0.005%]
The screen shifted, displaying a 3D model of a young male body. The model was realistic, as if someone was standing in front of me, completely still.
[You may adjust your appearance. Gender is locked based on the player's profile.]
I studied the model. It looked… skinny. Not much muscle. I needed to fix that.
"Can I adjust the character model?" I asked aloud.
[Yes, players are allowed adjustments. Would you like to proceed?]
"Yeah. Adjust the height to 5'9", change the hair color to grey, and make the eyes red."
[Adjustments made. Would you like to change anything else?]
I shrugged. "I'm not sure what else to tweak. I'm not great at designing male characters."
[Understood. You must enjoy playing as female characters.]
I froze. "What?! How did you know that?"
[It's a common pattern. Playing as a female character is often easier for grinding.]
I huffed. "Whatever. Just confirm the character."
[Confirmation complete. Would you like to make any final adjustments? /Yes or /Yes]
"Wait! Adjust the ears—make them pointy."
[Adjustments made. Character creation complete.]
Character Information:
ID: 000
Race: Human
Gender: Male
ES Coins: 4
[You may now customize your abilities using ES coins. Would you like to proceed?]
"Of course! Show me the options."
Ability Shop:
Survival Instincts (1 coin): Heightens senses and intuition, allowing the user to detect danger.
Trash Is The Best (2 coins): Increases the chance of finding useful items.
Bio-Adaptation (3 coins): Enhances resistance against environmental hazards.
Who Is Hiding (2 coins): Provides temporary invisibility to evade enemies.
Night Blessing (1 coin): Enhances stealth and agility during nighttime.
I scrolled through the options, debating my choices. "These all seem useful, but I can't afford them all..."
I sighed. "I'll take Survival Instinct, Who Is Hiding, and Night Blessing."
[Abilities purchased. Confirm your selection? /Yes or /Yes]
"Could you at least give me more options?" I muttered, but I confirmed anyway.
The character model reappeared, now fully customized to my specifications. Grey hair, red eyes, pointy ears, slender but agile—exactly how I wanted him.
Suddenly, five individual profiles appeared on the screen.
[Loading Information... 0.005%]
"What is this?" I frowned, confused. "Am I the first batch player?"
The screen stayed silent, leaving me with more questions than answers.