Chapter: 2
“They say it’s a national disaster. What’s going on?”
I noticed the employees gathered nearby, chatting amongst themselves.
“Is it just me, or is there no signal right now? Can anyone make a call?”
“The internet is down too.”
The errors in modern devices were minor—trivial, even.
But with that small variable, people’s anxiety began to spread slowly, like ink dissolving in water.
I checked the internet on my smartphone, just in case.
But, as someone had mentioned, the screen only displayed a message saying a connection was needed, and the familiar Novelpia home page didn’t appear.
“Could this be part of the interview test?”
At Park Jo-cheol’s words, I glanced at the other employees who were far away, preparing for the orientation. There could be some kind of test that I, as a low-ranking employee, was unaware of.
However, my attention was drawn to a few executives pacing around the stage.
Their faces were flushed with panic as they berated their subordinates.
Though I couldn’t instantly grasp the current situation, one thing was certain: this was not part of the company’s agenda.
‘It seems like something happened.’
I stood up to assess the situation.
Thump.
But at that moment, a nauseating sensation began to close around me, as if my heart was being squeezed.
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
“Are you okay…? Eeeeeek!”
The sounds of people gasping for breath echoed from the back of the auditorium.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
An unknown pressure coursed through the auditorium.
Everyone either collapsed onto the floor or lay there, while the few people in the corners leaned against the walls, unsteady.
“Ugh. Ugh.”
“Ugh…”
A formless energy drenched the people like a downpour.
Then, maybe after about ten seconds? The crushing pressure began to lift, and the ringing in my ears transformed into the murmurs of the crowd.
“W-What just happened?”
“I don’t know either. What the heck is this…”
People were lost for words.
Some turned pale, while others were sick to their stomach and retching.
Was it a realm governed by instinct that’s hard to describe in words?
It seemed like everyone here felt an eerie unity at that moment.
Ominous.
In that instant, bizarre mechanical noise came from somewhere, and everyone fell silent.
Crackle. Crackle.
“Hey, the broadcast is on! Everyone, be quiet!”
“Shhhh!”
People began to listen attentively to someone’s urging.
But…
‘… This is not a broadcast.’
I was standing relatively close to the speakers in the auditorium, so I realized.
A ringing sound in my head? Was someone speaking?
No, is this even a proper sound to begin with?
Goosebumps spiked all over my body as my hair stood on end.
It was a sensation that felt less like vibrating air and more like something sharp piercing straight through my head.
And finally, when the noise wailing in my head ceased…
Thud.
A cold voice initiated in my head announced the end of the silence-stopped time.
Zap! Woosh!
Sparks flew in the center of the auditorium, instantly igniting blue flames.
And there, a guy who had been sitting in the center since entering the auditorium. He was shockingly unable to react to the sudden spark.
“Aaah!!”
“F-Fire extinguisher…! Bring me a fire extinguisher!”
People watching from the side began to scream, observing the chaos.
Then a man who had hurriedly grabbed a fire extinguisher from somewhere rushed towards the man writhing on the ground, spraying him down.
Fwhoosh!
Fortunately, the flames that had caught onto the guy were quickly extinguished. However, that didn’t mean all the flames were put out.
A fist-sized flame manifested in the air, slowly increasing in size.
And once that flame reached around two meters in height, it began to stop growing.
“Augmented reality?”
Someone said with a shaky voice.
Given that this was a game company, such imaginations were possible.
But people were injured.
There was no way those intimidating flames could be mere augmentations or holographic graphics.
Zing.
“Huh?”
Was it perhaps too quiet around?
“Uh…”
A voice of someone pointing at the flame, raising a hand, echoed unusually loud.
“Something’s over there…”
All eyes turned in unison towards the blue flames.
The foot of a beast.
What was visible underneath the distorted flames resembled a giant rabbit’s foot.
However, it felt too disconnected to simply call it a rabbit.
Who on earth would refer to the shadow of a two-meter tall bipedal monster as a rabbit?
Shuffle. Shuffle.
A rabbit wearing a tuxedo, standing on two legs and wielding a flimsy wand as if it were a prop from a third-rate magician’s act.
A creature larger than an average adult male leaned forward, bringing one hand to its mouth.
Ahem!
…!!!
A single cough locked everyone in place.
The rabbit eloquently removed its hat, bowing gracefully as if it were a medieval European noble.
“Nice to meet you, everyone.”
The Clock Rabbit.
That monster resembled the well-known guide from a famous English fairy tale.
“I’ve been waiting a long time! Finally, we’re in the much-anticipated ■■ dimension! Now, let’s give a round of applause!”
The rabbit animatedly mimicked clapping.
At first glance, it looked absurd, but no one dared to laugh here.
Since at some point, the wand, which had left the rabbit’s grasp, began to hover just above our heads.
“Yes, indeed. Ah, of course! Ah! The game explanation? Absolutely, I’ll provide that!”
The rabbit muttered to the empty air for a long time before finally reclaiming the wand and looking at ‘us.’
“Players, listen up!”
The dread of the unknown seeped into people’s hearts.
“Well, shall we begin?”
People held their breath, unable to tear their eyes away from the rabbit.
And as soon as the rabbit finished speaking, a small holographic window appeared right in front of me.
Ding!
“Tutorial #1 – Start Game”
Topic: Survival
Difficulty: Tutorial
Mission: Survive for 24 hours by your own means.
Reward: ■■■
Failure Penalty: Death
—
“… What is this?”
“… A tutorial?”
I heard murmurs from around me.
I could only see my screen, but it was clear that every person had the same window displayed.
“Kim Si-in, can you see this too?”
The man who borrowed my phone.
Park Jo-cheol pointed at the air, asking me, and I quietly nodded without turning my head.
What mattered now was not what had happened until this point, but what was to come.
Observing this mysterious rabbit was my priority at the moment.
“I won’t explain it twice because it’s a hassle. From now on, everything you do will be recorded and remain! Do your best to survive! Put in enough effort so you won’t regret it later! The results will reflect the accomplishments you achieve!”
Regardless of what the rabbit babbled, people simply remained frozen, staring at it and taking no action.
“There are plenty of smart beings in this dimension; I believe you’ll manage to survive on your own!”
“Survive?”
From what?
No more information was provided.
The rabbit wasn’t very helpful, and we certainly weren’t brave enough to question such a monster.
“Well, good luck then!”
The rabbit only spouted cryptic words for a brief moment before gracefully walking back into the flames from whence it came.
An exit as anticlimactic as its overwhelming entrance.
As the threat before our eyes evaporated, people began to exhale the breaths they had held, collapsing onto the floor.
“Phew… What the heck was that…”
Park Jo-cheol next to me rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing.
But shortly after, he halted mid-sentence, waving his hand at the air as if sensing something strange.
“Hey… Something’s changed.”
…
A new screen appeared.
“Time…?”
…
…
…
The holographic numbers were decreasing by one each time.
Was this leading to the crux of what the rabbit mentioned earlier?
No, it seemed to have no connection to that.
Regardless of the circumstances, with this game-like system interface popping up before me, I could not simply sit idly.
It was clearly written.
Along with the instruction to survive for 24 hours.
“Everyone, pay attention!”
But at that moment, a deep voice echoed throughout the auditorium from the speakers.
All eyes turned towards the front stage.
There stood a middle-aged man, his thinning white hair noticeable, holding a microphone and preparing a lengthy speech.
“I am Park Dong-cheol, the HR head of Sky Games. We’re currently looking into the situation, so please try not to worry, and remain in your seats…”
People generally feel anxious about unfamiliar situations.
In such situations, someone’s commands or requests tend to dominate people’s minds like a drug.
In other words…
‘This is insane.’
It’s dangerous.
The instincts that I’ve honed throughout my life—of observation and judgment—were screaming at me to leave this place immediately.
In a time where anything could happen, moving in a group with total strangers felt akin to suicidal behavior.
“Where are you going right now?”
But the moment I attempted to take a step, Park Jo-cheol grabbed my arm.
His eyes were serious. While I couldn’t be entirely certain, it seemed like he was trying to confirm if this was related to the interview.
“I’m going to the restroom.”
“…”
“Follow me if you want.”
“Didn’t that person just say to wait…”
“Then stay here.”
At my resolute response, Park Jo-cheol’s face stiffened.
He likely sensed that something was off about the situation.
He understood how foolish and dangerous it was to remain waiting here.
Whoosh.
In the end, it seemed he came to a personal conclusion as he silently followed behind me.
Yet many others seemed to share similar thoughts, as more and more people moved toward the exit unexpectedly.
“Hey! I told you not to go out…”
From behind us, Park Dong-cheol’s voice rang vividly.
But there wasn’t time to glance back.
…
…
And just as I was almost at the door, I checked the timer one last time.
Zero seconds.
All timers stopped.
Pop!
Everyone’s timers began anew.
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