Today felt like any other day. He went through the same routine, heading to the same old places.
Same old, same old.
After finishing up and preparing for a night out, he glanced at the clock.
Seeing he still had some time to kill, he pulled out his phone to browse stories and manga. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if the latest chapter had been updated.
He opened his favorite website. But this time, he accidentally tapped on an ad — the kind of annoying ad everyone hated but tolerated because it kept the site alive.
A line of text appeared before him:
"Want to know the meaning of life? Want to live… a real life?"
The words seemed to reach directly into him, stirring a longing he didn't know he had. They made him crave the knowledge they promised.
Like countless others before him, he acted on impulse.
He clicked.
A new page loaded, displaying just two words with buttons beneath them:
[Yes] and [No].
An inexplicable sense of dread washed over him. This was something he should never touch — not if he valued the rest of his life.
But society had already dulled him, and with a shrug, he decided it was harmless. Thinking it would just redirect to another ad, he pressed [Yes].
The screen flickered, then showed nothing but the manga page he had been reading earlier.
"Is this a prank?" he muttered, half-laughing at himself as he tried to shake off the unease.
With a sigh, he got up and moved to the front door to put on his shoes.
Unbeknownst to him, a faint sound was growing in his ears, so subtle he didn't notice at first. It wasn't until he had slipped one shoe on and bent down to tie it that he realized something was wrong.
The ringing in his ears swelled, sharp and unbearable. He clapped his hands over them, but no matter how tightly he pressed, the sound only grew louder.
And then, he collapsed.
---
From the darkness, a light emerged.
"Ugh… what happened? My chest hurts…"
He muttered weakly, forcing his eyes open. The world blurred before slowly coming into focus.
A pounding headache throbbed through his skull. He clutched his head with one hand, trying to steady himself. A chill wind brushed against his skin, making him shiver as he hugged himself for warmth. It felt like the air of a forest at night.
"What is this place?"
As his vision cleared, he realized he wasn't alone. All around him, people were waking up. Roughly twenty in total, including himself, most clutching their heads in pain.
At the center stood a campfire, its flames the only steady light. A few candles were scattered nearby, flickering weakly against the gloom. Beyond the circle of light loomed countless trees, a dense forest shrouded in complete darkness.
If anyone had stumbled upon the scene, they might have mistaken it for a camping trip. But he knew better. The confusion etched on everyone's faces made it clear — none of them had chosen to be here.
His thoughts turned grim. Kidnapped? Abandoned in the woods for some twisted game?
He hoped that was the case. If the enemies were human, then there was still a chance.
A cold gust swept through, making him shiver again.
"Damn, it's freezing. I'm not dressed for this."
He glanced down at himself — just a thin jacket, T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. At least he had his shoes, though one lace hung untied. He quickly bent down to fix it.
Everything he wore was exactly what he'd had on moments before, when he'd been preparing to go out. For him, it had been just now.
As his eyes roamed the camp once more, a chill ran through him. This place felt… familiar. Not in a comforting way, but as if it carried a foreboding déjà vu.
Something bad is going to happen here.
He tried to recall how he'd ended up in this place. Gas? Ambush? A blow to the head? The last thing he remembered was that sound ringing in his ears before he blacked out.
Some kind of new technology? A government experiment?
Yet he saw no cameras, no equipment, nothing to suggest surveillance.
Around him, more people stirred awake, their voices carrying whispers of confusion. A few asked questions aloud, but no one had answers.
Maybe I should talk to someone nearby…
He turned to the man sitting beside him. The man wore a neat business suit, his black hair and brown eyes marking him as likely from the same country.
"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Nasrul. What's your name?"
The man flinched at the sudden voice, his nerves stretched thin. His eyes darted around until they landed on Nasrul — another Asian face, hand extended in greeting.
"…Hello. My name's Zaki." He sighed in relief, shaking the offered hand. "Do you know what's happening here? I was on my computer, taking a break, when an ad popped up… then I blacked out."
Nasrul gave a faint smile. "Let me guess. You clicked the 'Yes' button."
Zaki blinked. "How did you know? Did it happen to you too?"
"Yeah," Nasrul admitted, a sheepish grin on his face. "Same thing. Then I woke up here."
Some of Zaki's panic faded. If they were in the same situation, at least he wasn't alone.
"Zaki… doesn't this place feel strange to you?" Nasrul asked quietly. "It's… unsettling. Like it's alive. It makes my skin crawl."
Zaki frowned. "Of course it feels strange. We blacked out and woke up in the middle of nowhere. It's natural to feel creeped out."
"So you think it's just our imagination?"
"I want to believe that, but who knows? Maybe it's just our bodies trying to defend themselves."
They both fell silent, scanning their surroundings. The night air pressed against them like an unseen weight. It felt… unnatural.
Then something cold brushed against Nasrul's wrist. He looked down sharply.
"…A watch?"
Strapped to his left wrist was a device he had never seen before. He had never even owned a watch.
"Zaki! There's a watch on my hand. Do you have one too?"
Zaki raised his wrist, showing the same device. "Yeah… looks like it. And I don't like it. In stories, this kind of thing is never good."
Nasrul forced a laugh. "If this were a novel, we'd probably tap the watch and a screen would pop up."
As if responding to his words, the watch lit up. A holographic screen flared into view. Both men recoiled in shock.
Zaki swallowed, then tapped his own watch. Another screen appeared before him.
They exchanged a glance, steeled themselves, and began to read.
---
God's Mission
Wick – 20-Man Mission
Alternate Plot
Main Quest: Survive
Objective 1: Survive from 12 AM to 4 AM
Base Survival Rewards:
2000 points
2 B-rank rewards
Side Quests (Bonus Points):
1. Discovery – Be the first to find the burned-down house and observe what is happening there: 1000 points.
2. Orientation – Be the first to explain Missions, Exchanges, and how to return home to New Players: 100 points.
3. Candle Holding – Hold a candle until the mission ends: 500 points.
Penalties: Negative Points / Death
New Players: –1000 points for killing another New Player (a player is considered new until completing their second mission).
Mission Notes:
1. Candles will not change throughout the mission, though their flames can be extinguished.
2. Each player will receive only three matches per hour. Unused matches will be discarded at the hour's end.
3. A candle will remain with a player during the hour change only if they are holding it when the new hour begins.
Total Score: Pending.