Abel laid slumped over at his desk, staring blankly at his computer screen as he typed through another spreadsheet.
He sighed heavily rubbing his head in anger "ugh I can't believe I have to stay late and right another bullshit report" Abel muttered under his breath.
His coworker Minji glancing over at him "Tell me about it, I swear this damn company gets off on dumping all this work on us just to watch us suffer" She says irritated
In the cubicle across from Abel, Sarah, a redheaded woman with glasses, was on the phone, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh yes, sir, I completely agree. Another round of cost-cutting measures is exactly what this company needs. Because clearly, the overload of work and shit pay aren't enough already!"
She hung up with a dramatic sigh, turning to her neighbor Hiroshi, a thin Japanese man hunched over his desk. "Can you believe this shit, Hiro?"
"They're actually considering outsourcing the department to some foreign company. Apparently, the cultural exchange program involves watching our jobs disappear one by one."
Then the department manager Mr. Johnson walks in joyful as ever interrupting their bickering.
"Alright wakey wakey team I think its about time we close up shop and get some drinks, on me of course since I'm the cool leader you guys all love. Right?"
A loud silence fell over the office as all the office workers heads turn towards the source of the loud announcement.
"You heard me folks!, I know things have been tough lately so i thought we could all use a happy hour, my treat!" Mr. Johnson says enthusiastically
Abel whispers to Minji "hey Minji, why do you think manager has so much energy this late?"
Minji responds sarcastically "Well who knows maybe he's got some hottie back at home he cant wait to get back to"
As the stunned employees tried to process Mr. Johnsons words, a sudden chime rang through the air like a church bell. Each head searched the air confused to see where the ominous sound came from. Before anyone could react they felt a sudden sensation. floating spheres appear next to each employee shimmering a message screen.
Suddenly a stern feminine voice sang through the air, emanating from their spheres "Attention all citizens"
The voice continued it's tone commanding "universe sector Agatha selected, The Towers tutorial has been initiated. Your primary objective is to survive for the next 45 minutes. Failure to comply will result in..... Termination"
Panic began to set in their heads, as the gravity of the situation sank in. Phones started buzzing with notifications from friends, family and the breaking news alerts.
Abel snatched his phone out of his pocket, his heart racing as he sees the headlines.
"MONSTER ATTACK'S IN COUNTRY'S"
"UNIDENTIFIED CREATURE'S RUNNING RAMPIDE THOUGH THE STREETS!"
"Government urges all citizens to seek shelter and hide immediately until further instructions are given."
In the Distance, the sounds of terrified screams and explosions could be heard from the windows.
The once lively office fell silent, save for the occasional panicked breath of the trapped employees.
As the chaos outside erupted, the employees stand there confused in the office, their eyes stand between the chaotic scenes visible through the windows and the bizarre spheres hovering beside them. Sarah reached out a trembling hand, poking at her floating interface as if testing if it's real.
"What are these spheres? Some kind of VR prank gone wrong?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly.
One of the employees squinted at his own floating sphere showing the glowing interface,.
trying to make sense of the unfamiliar terms flashing across the display.
"I don't know, but it looks like... some kind of statistic sheet? With levels, titles and skills and other utilities. Is this supposed to be a game?" He glanced around at his coworkers, seeking answers in their equally perplexed expressions.
Panic began to consume the office, This wasn't some elaborate prank. It was a horrifying new reality.
Hiroshi stared at his floating sphere glowing interface, his hands shaking uncontrollably. "This isn't happening, there's no way this is real" he mumbled, backing away from the window as another explosion shook the building, sending cracks along the glass
Hiroshi stumbled his face pale and eyes wide with disbelief. "I just got a text from my sister. She says the monsters are everywhere, tearing through the streets like a horde of locusts, Those... those things out there... they're monsters. Actual fucking monsters!" He said panicking
His words created a chain of panic, employees screamed and cried.
some collapsing to their knees, some walking in circles unsure what to do.
Mr. Johnson stepped forward, his usual happy demeanor replaced by a strained, uncertain expression. He raised his hands in a gesture, trying to calm the rapidly changing situation. "Everyone, please! Stay calm and stay put. We're safe in here, I'm sure of it. The building's security is top-notch, and I'm certain the authorities will have this under control soon."
But his words rang hollow even to his own ears as the sounds of destruction grew louder outside…
Hiroshi disregards Mr. Johnsons attempt to calm the situation and makes a desperate attempt to escape and get back to his sister. "I cant stay here my sister needs me, I have to make sure she is safe!" He bolts out of the front main doors in a rush
"No, wait!"
Abel lunged forward, grabbing Hiroshi's arm in an attempt to stop him. "Don't do this, man! It's too dangerous out there!" But Hiroshi broke free, his eyes wild with fear and determination. He flung open the door and sprinted out into the hellish scene unfolding before him. For a brief, agonizing moment, the office stood in silence, hoping that Hiroshi would find safety.
That hope was shattered by the sickening screech of tires and metal hitting flesh and bone, followed by a loud thud smearing the concrete in blood.
Hiroshi's body lay crumpled in the street, his limbs bent at unnatural angles, the speeding truck sped away, disappearing into the chaos.
But to their horror the doors where left open.
Inside, the remaining employees huddled together, their hearts pounding as the sound of heavy footsteps and horrific snarls grew louder.
Small, shapes loomed in the doorway, nightmarish goblin looking creatures. With screeches that shook the very foundations of the building, the monster's charged into the office.
Mr. Johnson grabbed a fire extinguisher, brandishing it like a weapon as he shouted "Everyone to the stairwell! Now! It's our only chance!"
The employees surged forward in a desperate stampede, knocking over desks and chairs in their haste to reach the safety of the stairwell.
Sarah, her heels clicking frantically against the tile floor.
She stumbled and fell hard, her ankle twisting. She cried out in pain, reaching for anyone who might help.
As Sarah is pleading for help, the other employees give her a quick glance and mumble one simple word before bolting to safety. "Sorry"
Sarah's screams were cut off abruptly by razor-sharp claws as they rip her limb from limb and ripping her throat apart, her blood spraying across the office walls.
The remaining survivors tumbled into the dimly lit stairwell slamming it shut. Abel slumped against the wall, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. The events of the past few minutes played through his mind in a dizzying loop
The weird spheres with glowing interfaces, The terrifying monsters, The voice, the brutal deaths of his coworkers. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the muffled screams still echoing.
With shaking hands, Abel looked around his surroundings trying to find anything of use and spots a wooden broom. He acts quickly and wedges the long handle of the broom into the doorframe, creating a flimsy and desperate barricade against the horrors behind it. His face pale and shiny with sweat. "That was close, too close," he whispered hoarsely, his voice cracking with emotion. "We need to keep moving, find somewhere more secure to hole up until... until this nightmare ends."
As if summoned by his thoughts, his sphere's glowing interface updated.
A stark reminder of their dire situation. 28 minutes left. 28 minutes to survive this hellish ordeal or face some unknown fate. Abel swallows hard, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand.
"We have to keep going," Mr. Johnson said, his voice rough with fear and determination. "That voice said we need to survive for 45 minutes or 28 minutes now according to this interface."
Minji nodded, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. Her eyes flicked to the glowing message on her own sphere's glowing interface, A wave of panic washes over her. "Twenty-eight minutes..." she echoed hollowly. "How are we supposed to survive out here? Those... those things are everywhere."
Mr. Johnson pushed himself off the wall, his jaw set with grim resolve despite the fear etched into every line of his face. "We stick together," He said firmly. "And we keep moving upwards. The higher we go, the fewer monsters there should be... hopefully."
He glanced at the stairs leading up, then back to the makeshift barricade holding back the horrors. "Let's get moving I have a bad feeling" he said
Just as the group prepared to flee, the flimsy barricade shattered under the relentless assault of an orc. The hulking Monster crashed through, its eyes blazing with hunger as it fixed upon the terrified survivors. To everyone's shock, Mr. Johnson stepped forward, wielding the fire extinguisher like a club.
"Run, you idiots!" he yelled, charging at the orc with surprising courage or reckless abandon. "I'll hold them off, GO!"
The monster swung a heavy fist, but Mr. Johnson ducked, bashing the extinguisher against the orc's knee with a sickening crunch. Then dealing a heavy over head swing straight onto the orcs skull killing it instantly.
As the battle raged behind them, the survivors took the stairs two at a time, their hearts pounding in their ears. Minji risked a glance over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Mr. Johnson grappling with not one, but three smaller figures - goblins, scrabbling around him while slashing him with their claws.
"No, not Mr. Johnson too!" she cried out, her voice raw with grief and horror.
But there was no time to mourn. A loud crash from below, followed by an agonized human scream.
They burst through a door onto the next floor, collapsing against each other as they gulped lungful's of air.
Abel pressed his ear to the door, listening intently.
The sounds of struggle faded into ominous silence, leaving the survivors in a tense, suffocating silence. Abel's heart raced as he listened to detect any sign of Mr. Johnson's fate or the advance of more monsters. After a moment that felt like an eternity, he pulled back, his expression grim.
"He's... he's not coming," Abel said softly, the weight of their loss settling heavily upon them. "We have to assume he's..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
As the adrenaline slowly died down from Abel's system, he suddenly noticed the glowing numbers on his navigator had ticked down to a single digit - 1 minute left. Panic surged through him once more as he realized how quickly the time had passed in their harrowing escape. He grasped Minji's arm
tightly, squeezing as if trying to anchor himself to reality.
With a blinding flash, the tutorial came to an abrupt end. The same stern feminine voice from before filled the air, echoing in their minds. "Tutorial complete. Initiating transmigration sequence. Prepare for integration into the tower."
Abel barely had time to process the words before a wave of dizziness washed over him. The edges of his vision blurred and darkened as his consciousness slipped away.