"Marcus!"
"Hold on! Just give me a second!"
Marcus Hale slammed the emergency card reader again, but the mechanical chime only repeated its cold rejection.
–This card is not registered. Please check again.
"Damn it!"
I clenched my fists. The system that should have opened in emergencies was locked, and the card wasn't working. The monsters' growls drew closer; their heavy steps reverberated across the marble.
–Grrrrr…
Through the mist left by the fire extinguisher, dark shadows appeared.
"Ethan, what now?" Marcus asked, his voice tight with fear.
"Stay low," I said, forcing my voice to stay calm.
There was no way through the front door. No exit through the stairwell. The glass walls were reinforced—no tool on hand could break through them.
But there was still one way.
"Claire," I said. "Your ID isn't working because the building's main system is down. If the power's gone, the security override won't recognize employees."
"I—I don't understand…"
"It means we force it open."
Marcus stared at me, confused. "Force it open how?"
I pointed toward the fire extinguisher in his hands.
"Like that."
He blinked, then grinned faintly, the kind of grin a man wears when he realizes he's about to do something insane.
"Step back," Marcus muttered. "This one's on me."
He swung the extinguisher hard. It struck the card reader box with a sharp metallic crack.
Sparks. A faint electric whine. Then—
Click.
The light on the reader flickered green.
"Go!"
The door slid open just enough for one person to squeeze through.
"Claire, first!" I shouted, grabbing her arm and pushing her inside. Marcus followed, but before I could step in, a cold shadow swept behind me.
–Krrrrrr!
The monster had lunged through the fog.
Its claws grazed my shoulder, shredding through fabric and skin alike. A surge of pain flared, but there was no time to look back.
Marcus's hand shot out, grabbing my arm and yanking me inside. He slammed his weight into the door, and it slid shut just as the monster struck.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The creature pounded on the other side, the metal door trembling under its force.
For a moment, we simply stood there, gasping in silence.
"Are you okay?" Claire asked, her voice trembling.
"Just a scratch," I lied, pressing my hand against the bleeding gash.
Marcus leaned back against the wall, panting. "Jesus Christ… this isn't some nightmare, right?"
"If it is, it's a long one," I said. "Keep moving. That door won't last forever."
The hallway beyond the security entrance was narrow, dimly lit by emergency lights. It led deeper into the building—toward the VIP section that only executives ever used.
A dead silence followed our footsteps, the air heavy with the metallic scent of blood and smoke. Somewhere behind, we could still hear the faint, distant pounding of the creatures.
As we reached the corner, a sudden chime rang in my head.
Ding.
[Hidden Mission Unlocked.]
『Choice of the Survivor』
Objective: Select your path. Save or abandon.
Reward: Hidden Trait Activation (Conditional)
Failure Penalty: ???
I froze mid-step.
Marcus noticed my expression. "What is it? Another one of those windows?"
"Yeah."
He frowned. "What does it mean, 'Choice of the Survivor'?"
"I don't know yet."
The system messages since the tower appeared had never been random. They always meant something—and the way this one phrased it, the words felt heavier than usual.
We pressed onward. The security hallway ended at a reinforced glass door. Through it, we could see a small parking bay where several executive cars sat in eerie stillness.
"Looks like a way out," Marcus said, relief flickering in his eyes.
"Wait." I gestured to the door's control panel. "The power's down. We'll need to break through again."
He sighed, hefting the fire extinguisher like a warhammer. "You owe me a new arm after this."
Before he could swing, Claire stepped forward.
"Hold on. There's a manual override lever right here."
She reached into a small recessed box and yanked down a red lever.
With a low hiss, the security door slid open.
For a brief, shining second, hope returned.
But as soon as we stepped into the parking area, the stench hit us. The sharp, sickly smell of blood and something else—rot.
Claire gagged. "What is that smell…"
"Stay close," I said.
Something scraped against the floor.
A dragging sound, slow and uneven. It echoed from behind the row of cars.
Marcus raised the extinguisher again, his knuckles white. "You think it's one of them?"
"No," I said. "Listen closely. It's heavier."
We turned the corner.
A figure was crouched near one of the cars. A human silhouette. A man.
"Hey!" Marcus called out.
The figure twitched. Slowly, it turned.
The face that looked back was pale, slick with blood. Its mouth hung open, and something dark crawled from within its chest.
Claire screamed.
–Skrrrk!
The man's head jerked violently to one side as his body convulsed. Then, tearing free from his back, a creature unfolded itself—half-human, half-monster, eyes burning with feral hunger.
I moved first.
"Get behind me!"
It lunged, but this time, I was ready. I kicked the heavy iron jack from under one of the cars, slamming it upward into the creature's chin. Bone cracked.
Marcus joined in, swinging the extinguisher into its side. The metal crashed against flesh with a dull thud.
It howled and lunged again, but I drove the jack through its chest.
A wet sound. The creature spasmed once, then collapsed, twitching.
Silence.
Marcus dropped the extinguisher, breathing hard. "You… killed it."
"Had to," I said. "Otherwise it would've killed us."
Claire's hands trembled as she covered her mouth. "What's happening to everyone…?"
"I don't know," I replied quietly. "But whatever this 'tutorial' is, it's real."
Ding.
[You have defeated a Lesser Ghoul.]
[Reward: +20 Coins.]
[You have gained a small increase in Strength.]
The glowing words hovered in front of me like a cruel joke.
Marcus's eyes widened. "You can see that too?"
"Yeah."
He gave a short, hollow laugh. "Guess we're all players now."
The sound of pounding from the previous hall resumed faintly in the distance. The creatures were spreading.
I looked at the message still flickering before me: 『Choice of the Survivor』.
Save or abandon.
I looked at Marcus, then at Claire.
My mind began to turn.
If the tower's system was testing us—then this was only the beginning.