"Li Yun! Go! Get out now—the bomb's about to blow!"
The desperate scream of his comrade, Grey Wolf, crackled through the earpiece, distorted by fear.
"Grey Wolf! We're leaving together!" Li Yun roared back, forcing his battered body forward.
Too late.
A mocking voice, thick with a Japanese accent, cut through the chaos over the loudspeaker:
"Go? Where do you think you're going? None of you are leaving alive. Yoishi—enjoy the fireworks!"
00:00:01.
"Damn you bastards—may your ancestors rot!" Grey Wolf's curse was his last sound.
BOOM—!!!
The explosion ripped the battlefield apart. Shockwaves flattened steel and flesh alike. Li Yun's vision fractured into blinding light and roaring fire before sinking into absolute darkness.
"Grey Wolf…"
Hatred. Rage. Unwillingness. His soul screamed even as the void swallowed him whole.
And then—
[Players, are you ready?]
The strange message didn't come from his comms. It rang directly in his mind.
"What…?"
Clutching his head, Li Yun realized the glowing text floating in front of him was no illusion.
The darkness around him twisted, reshaping itself into a bright, spacious office.
"Where is this? An office building?" Li Yun muttered, scanning the unfamiliar space. "How the hell did I get here?"
Only three people sat inside: himself, a young man, and a girl—both looking just as lost.
"Who are you people? Why bring me here?!" the girl blurted out, panic rising. She pressed herself against a desk, trying to find a sense of safety. "I don't have money, or looks, or… anything worth kidnapping!"
Before she could finish, her body froze mid-motion. Li Yun, too, felt his limbs lock up. Then the glowing text appeared again:
[Welcome, players, to the Escape Game.]
[Earth, your little home, has been temporarily requisitioned by us~ To keep things entertaining, we've dropped you into this game.]
[Work with your randomly assigned teammates to escape. Each round's world and objectives are unique. Gather supplies if you want to survive—they'll matter later.]
[Main Task: Reach the extraction point within 48 hours. The map shows three extraction points. Fail, and you stay in this world forever.]
[Now assigning temporary identities…]
[You are an ordinary office worker. Today you were called into the manager's office for your confirmation letter, but a sudden zombie outbreak swept the city. You've survived only because you happened to hide here with two coworkers…]
"…What the hell? A corporate drone?"
Li Yun rubbed his forehead. One moment he was a national agent fighting terrorists; the next, a powerless salaryman.
"Isn't this just a live-action loot-and-extract game?"
The young man crouched by the door finally spoke. He was pudgy, barely in his twenties, with the look of a landlord's son playing at hardship.
"What game? What do you mean?" the girl asked sharply, eyes wide. "Are the zombies real? Are we going to die here?"
"I don't know if it's real," the chubby guy admitted. "But I know the rules. It's like an 'infinite flow' game—keep clearing worlds, one after another."
The girl clearly had no idea what he was talking about. She turned desperately to Li Yun.
"You? Do you know what's happening?"
Li Yun didn't answer right away. Though dressed in an office shirt, the years of blood and war radiated from him—sharp, oppressive, undeniable. The chubby man felt it instantly.
This wasn't some ordinary guy. This was a predator.
"...I know enough," Li Yun said flatly. He scanned the office, alert for movement. Only distant rustling broke the silence.
"The 'loot game' is like Battle Royale," the chubby explained. "We need to scavenge, fight, then extract before time runs out…"
Li Yun ignored the chatter and tested the door—only to be shoved back by an invisible force.
[Please wait for the game to begin.][Game starts in 5 minutes.][Before that, communicate with teammates. It might save your lives.]
[First-time player detected. A random escape talent will now be granted. Draw?]
"First time?" Li Yun frowned. "So there are veterans too?"
"Draw."
Lines of light flickered before his eyes. After a few seconds, they froze.
[Congratulations, player. You have obtained: Heaven's Mandate Plunder.]
[Heaven's Mandate Plunder]: X-Grade Talent. Upon killing or witnessing the death of a target, you may attempt to seize one of their skills or abilities. Direct kills guarantee success. Other cases have reduced chance.]
"X-Grade?" Li Yun raised an eyebrow. His expression remained calm, but inwardly he noted the importance.
He turned to the other two. "The game starts in three minutes. Haven't you drawn your talents yet?"
They looked confused—until the chubby man mimicked Li Yun and called out to the system. A moment later he was trembling with excitement.
"I got it! Hahaha, I really got it!"
"What talent?" Li Yun's voice cut like a blade.
The chubby froze under Li Yun's gaze. His instincts screamed danger—this man was no teammate to deceive.
"I… an A-Grade talent. Energy Field. Generates a barrier to block damage."
Li Yun's eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me."
"I-I'm not! Every word's true!" the chubby stammered.
"Good." Li Yun nodded once, then turned to the girl. "And you?"
The girl hesitated before whispering, "A B-Grade. Radar Detection. I can sense things within ten meters."
"Useful."
Satisfied, Li Yun broke apart an office chair, tossing the sharp metal rods to them. "Take one. Better than nothing."
They looked stunned.
"What—you want us to fight with this?"
"The countdown's almost over. Planning to fight zombies bare-handed?"
The chubby swallowed hard. Despite his fear, a flicker of excitement danced in his eyes.
Li Yun remained unreadable. Years on the battlefield had burned away fear. Danger, blood, the unknown—none of it could shake him now.
The office door shimmered. The invisible barrier dissolved.
Instantly, screams and roars burst through.
"Ahhh! Help me!""Zombies! They're eating people alive!""Run! RUN!"
The stench of blood rushed in. The girl trembled. The chubby's face went pale.
Li Yun pushed the door open. Beyond it lay hell.
He stepped out first. His voice was steady, unyielding:
"Let's go. Our escape begins."