The forsaken town
A blinding light swallowed Riko, and for a brief moment, he felt weightless. Then—solid ground. Cold, smooth, unyielding beneath his feet.
When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in a vast, empty white space. The air was still. The horizon stretched infinitely, void of any walls, doors, or exits. Yet, he wasn't alone.
Ten other people stood scattered around him, all looking just as disoriented.
Some turned in slow circles, scanning their surroundings with uncertainty. Others immediately eyed the other players, their expressions shifting between curiosity, suspicion, and fear.
Riko exhaled, forcing his muscles to relax.
"What the fuck is this shit? I've never heard of anything like this in my entire life. If something this big was happening, the news would've—"
Before he could finish the thought, a voice—cold, mechanical, absolute—echoed from above.
[Welcome, Candidates. You have been chosen by Crossing Realm.]
The group tensed, eyes darting upward. There was no visible source of the sound.
[Your potential has been acknowledged. Your test begins now.]
A floating screen materialized before them, glowing faintly. Text scrolled across its surface.
[Tutorial World: The Forsaken Town
Objective: Survive for three days and complete three tasks.
Failure to complete a task will result in elimination.
Eliminated players cannot return.
Killing fellow players is prohibited, but indirect sabotage is not.]
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
"Elimination?" someone muttered, shifting uneasily.
A short-haired girl in a hoodie bit her lip, looking like she wanted to ask something but hesitated.
A broad-shouldered man with a scar over his eye crossed his arms, his face unreadable. "This is a test," he said flatly. "A damn survival game."
Riko didn't react, but he was already evaluating everyone in the room.
Ten players. Some were already panicking. Some were calm. A few had a dangerous air about them.
That meant not all of them were weak.
Another screen appeared, displaying possible rewards for completing the tutorial:
Rewards for Completion:
Basic Power Awakening (Random)
Entry to Tier 1 Worlds
Power Points (Used for Future Upgrades)
"Random?" Riko narrowed his eyes. "That means the first supernatural ability we get won't be chosen by us but this weird thing."
"Tch. Leaving my future to chance? Bullshit."
If luck played a role, then adaptability would be crucial. He'd have to be ready for anything.
A countdown appeared at the top of the screen.
[Teleportation to The Forsaken Town: 10… 9… 8…]
Some players started moving toward each other, instinctively forming small groups.
"Wait, wait—shouldn't we plan first?!" a younger boy with glasses shouted, voice high with panic.
No one answered.
Riko didn't move. His mind was already made up. No alliances. Not yet.
He needed to see how things played out first.
[3… 2… 1…]
Then a white flash engulfed them.
—
A blinding light swallowed Riko, and for a moment, he felt like he was floating.
Then— impact.
His feet slammed onto solid ground, the sudden force sending a shock through his legs. He barely staggered before adjusting his stance, his muscles tensing out of pure habit.
Cold air bit at his skin. The sharp scent of dust and decay filled his nose.
When his vision adjusted, he took in his surroundings.
A ruined town stretched before him—cracked pavement, abandoned buildings, shattered windows. Rusted cars sat in the streets like corpses, their doors hanging open, their insides stripped bare. The sky was a dull gray, thick clouds smothering the sun.
It was dead silent.
Riko instinctively reached for his waist. His fingers grasped at nothing.
"Damm, they took my gun and knife. Seems like there leaving nothing for us" Riko's expression remained unreadable, but irritation burned in his chest. He felt exposed and vulnerable.
A faint chime rang in his head.
[Mission 1: Gather Resources.]
[Locate food and water.
Secure shelter before nightfall.
The town changes at night.]
That last line stood out immediately.
"Changes at night… I'll keep that in mind"
He exhaled through his nose with a straight face
A distant rustling caught his attention. Movement—but the sound didnt come from him.
Riko immediately lowered himself slightly behind a rusted car, his sharp black eyes scanning the area the sound came from. His senses were already in combat mode, body tense but controlled.
Taking a look around he found a convenience store just across the street—doors broken, shelves still standing.
"Aren't i lucky" Riko thought to himself with a small grin. If he wanted supplies, that was the best place to start.
Keeping his footsteps silent, he moved.
The inside was worse than he expected.
Shelves had been ransacked, their contents either gone or scattered across the dirty tile floor. Fluorescent lights flickered weakly overhead, casting uneven shadows along the aisles.
Riko stepped over broken glass and ducked behind a counter. His eyes moved fast, scanning for anything useful.
A half-crushed can of something lay near the register. He picked it up.
[Item Acquired: Stale Canned Meat]
"Oh, it tells me the item I get. Seems this system is useful somewhat" Continuing Further down, a dusty bottle of water sat against a fallen shelf. He grabbed it.
[Item Acquired: Contaminated Water]
His grip tightened slightly. "Contaminated? so even water isn't safe. But at least this system also tells me about such things-another useful feature of it"
As he tucked the items away, he froze.
A sound.
Something dragged across the floor—slow, uneven.
Riko didn't move. He controlled his breathing, shifting just enough to glance toward the aisles.
Then he saw it.
A figure lurched into view.
Its skin was pale, almost gray, with patches of raw, torn flesh. Its clothes hung in filthy, shredded pieces. Its head twitched unnaturally, and its breathing came in shallow, ragged gasps.
"This thing isn't human" A wave of dread crept up Riko's spine as his jaw tightened.
No system message appeared to explain what it was. No helpful weakness indicators.
It was just there. And it hadn't noticed him—yet.
Slowly, Riko eased his foot back, keeping his weight balanced. "Maybe I could fight whatever this is with a weapon, but right now? I need to escape"
His gaze flicked to the bottle of contaminated water in his hand.
"This will have to do"
With a precise flick of his wrist, he tossed the bottle toward the back of the store.
It chattered loudly against the floor. With glass flying in all directions.
The thing's head snapped toward the noise, its body jerking unnaturally as it shifted directions. Its breath hitched, as if sensing something.
Riko didn't wait.
He moved, staying low, his footsteps controlled.
As he reached the exit, he took one last look back.
The creature was still facing away, sniffing the air, twitching.
He slipped out the door and into the ruined street.
Riko exhaled slowly. "What is this place, dammit I was fine with my life before why would I be dragged into this, fuck" cursing the system for bringining him to such a place.
"If there wasn't a time limit—if I couldn't get those so-called 'rewards'—I would probably just kill myself right here and now. No way I'm going to be entertainment for whatever force Is behind this."
Shoving those thoughts aside, he refocused. 'That thing… it's like a zombie…'" Riko though As he walked through The town
It was quiet again, but it didn't feel as empty anymore.
He scanned the area. The other players had been scattered upon arrival, meaning he had no idea who was nearby—or if they were still alive. And just as he thought of that
A distant scream ripped through the silence.
Riko's gaze snapped toward the sound.
It seems someone just met one of those things."
He adjusted his sleeves, his mind running through possibilities.
"There are 10 players. Some will group up and some might die early, if that thing spoted me i don't know how it would play barehanded."
He had no interest in saving people.
For now, his priority was shelter and finding some type of weapon as second priority
Because whatever "changes" happened at night he wasn't planning to be outside and find out.