Adrian Cross never believed in coincidences. To him, every event was a pattern, and every pattern had an answer.
That principle was what made him famous as a private detective—sharp, unflinching, always finding the truth—even if the police hated how often he made them look incompetent.
But this case… this one felt different.
Seventeen people had vanished in the last month. No notes, no bodies, no signs of a normal crime. They just disappeared.
"Mr. Cross, every report says the same thing." Clara Miles, his assistant, dropped a thick folder on the desk. "Each victim was last seen in front of an old laptop. Same file open: PlayOrDie.exe."
Adrian raised a brow. "Seventeen people… one identical file. That's no coincidence."
Clara sighed. "Or it's just the worst computer virus in history?"
"If it was just a virus, we'd lose a hard drive, not a human being." Adrian closed the folder with calm precision. "Tonight, we check the warehouse mentioned in the last report."
---
The Old Warehouse
The warehouse was dark, dusty, and reeked of rust. In the middle sat an ancient laptop glowing faintly.
Clara grabbed his sleeve. "Mr. Cross, this screams trap."
"All cases are traps," Adrian replied flatly. He crouched, examining the screen. Only one icon: PlayOrDie.exe.
His hand hovered over the mouse. "If this really is a doorway, then the answer lies behind the click."
Clara groaned. "When people say 'doorway,' it's usually a metaphor. You really don't do metaphors, do you?"
Click.
A burst of white light swallowed everything.
"Oh great. We're about to die in the dumbest way possible," Clara muttered as her vision went black.
---
A New World
When Adrian opened his eyes, he was standing in a massive stadium. Neon lights flashed, and gigantic holographic screens hovered above. Hundreds of people surrounded him, equally confused. Office workers, students, even an old man with a cane.
"WELCOME, PLAYERS!" a booming voice echoed.
On the main screen, a figure appeared wearing a smooth white mask—The Game Master.
"From this moment, you are participants. This world runs on a system. Survive… or be eliminated forever."
Suddenly, transparent panels appeared before every participant. Adrian read his own.
[STATUS SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Name: Adrian Cross
Class: Detective
Level: 0
HP: 100
MP: 80
Skills:
Quick Analysis (Passive): Detects patterns in random data.
Danger Sense (Passive): +15% accuracy in reading lethal threats.
Deductive Logic (Active): Expose contradictions in an opponent's statement. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Description: "Seeker of truth. Calm, sharp, difficult to deceive."
Clara fumbled with hers.
[STATUS]
Name: Clara Miles
Class: Assistant
Level: 0
HP: 80
MP: 120
Skills:
Sharp Tongue (Passive): 30% chance to reduce opponent's confidence.
Danger Alarm (Passive): Automatically screams when danger approaches.
Clara blinked. "Seriously? My 'special skill' is screaming automatically? That's not a skill, that's just me being alive!"
Adrian's lips twitched, almost a smile. "Seems the system knows you better than I do."
---
The Scoreboard
The big screen lit up with a full list of names.
Adrian Cross – Level 0 – Class: Detective
Clara Miles – Level 0 – Class: Assistant
Robert Finch – Level 0 – Class: Office Worker
Eleanor Hughes – Level 0 – Class: Grandmother
Clara pointed at the last name. "A grandmother? She's in this too?"
As if on cue, the old lady raised her shopping bag and shouted, "If this is a game, I better get senior discounts on the rewards!"
Adrian's face didn't move, but his mind noted: This world is deadly… and utterly ridiculous.
---
The First Game
Words appeared across the stadium.
[QUEST STARTED]
Name: Musical Chairs Survival
Rules: Music plays. When it stops, grab a chair.
Reward: +50 EXP, Random Item.
Consequence: Those without a chair = Eliminated.
Chairs rose up from the floor—fewer than the number of players.
Clara paled. "Musical chairs? Are you kidding me? That's… that's a kid's game."
"With the keyword 'eliminated,' I doubt it's for children," Adrian muttered.
---
The Music Begins
Electronic music blasted across the arena. People panicked instantly, sprinting, shoving, scrambling for seats.
Adrian didn't rush. His eyes tracked the rhythm of the music, the distance between chairs, the desperation in people's movements.
"Mr. Cross! If we don't grab one, we—" Clara's warning cut off as the music suddenly stopped.
Chaos erupted. Players fought, shoved, and clawed for chairs. A handful were left standing when the last chair was taken.
In seconds, their bodies glowed… then shattered into shards of light, vanishing completely.
Clara froze. "They're… dead?"
"Or relocated. Either way," Adrian's eyes narrowed, "this system leaves no room for failure."
---
End of Chapter 1
Adrian's holographic panel lit up.
[QUEST CLEARED]
+50 EXP
Level Up! (1 → 2)
New Skill: Detective's Focus (Passive): Perception of time slows while analyzing key details.
Clara clutched her panel. "This is insane. This world is completely insane."
Adrian clenched his fist. "If this world runs on a system, then it can be studied. And if it can be studied… it can be beaten."
Clara groaned. "Yeah, well… I hope my automatic screaming actually saves us one day."
For the first time that night, Adrian allowed himself a faint smile. "Don't worry. With you beside me, our enemies won't just lose to logic… they'll lose their hearing too."