Where am I?
Is this hell... or heaven? I remember dying... cancer.
As I realized I wasn't alone, an angel descended from above.
Angel started talking.
Humans... you've been selected to take part in the Death Game. Feel honored. Only one shall return to life.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man started shouting: Send us back right now! Do you even know who I am?
The other people were shouting too, saying they needed to go back.
But I was still focused on my body.
How was I standing?
How was I walking?
How could I breathe?
Just moments ago, I didn't even have the strength to take a breath. All my organs had failed. Not even God could have saved me.
While I was lost in these thoughts
The angel said, "Did I say you could speak?"
With a snap of the angel's finger, the first man who spoke and several others had their heads explode.
The man was just a few steps away from me. One second he was shouting, the next… his skull shattered. His blood hit me like rain.
My mind went blank. I didn't scream. I didn't run. I just stood there, as the man's blood slid down my face, neck, chest… I was too scared to move.
The angel spoke again: "Four are gone. Ninety-six remain."
"In this place, only my rules matter. If I don't want you to breathe, you won't." said the angel.
The room froze. No whispers, no movement, only silence remained.
"You all bear numbers on your chests—from 1 to 100. For each game, random people's selections will be made.Those chosen must play. Winners survive. Losers... perish." said the angel.
I looked down. I was number 66.
Let us begin with a test round," the angel announced calmly.
The angel,"I will select two participants. Then, I will explain the rules of the game."
The angel said, "Number 38. Number 66. Come forward."
Was it really me? Am I really this unlucky?
Those thoughts ran through my mind as I started walking toward the angel.
Number 38 stood a few steps away. He was an adult male calm on the outside, but his eyes were filled with fear.
The angel began explaining the game: "You will play Rock, Paper, Scissors. One round only. In case of a draw, a rematch will be held. First to win—lives."
"Just Rock, Paper, Scissors? That's it?"
I thought to myself.
Suddenly, the man in front of me smiled and said:
"I'm going to play scissors."
A cold wave washed over me from head to toe. That's when I truly understood the depth of the hell I had fallen into.
Before I could even think of my move, the angel started speaking.
The angel "Get ready. I will count down from three. If one of you hesitates or moves at the wrong moment, you lose."
What should I do? What should I play? Rock?
The angel, 3
What if it's a trap? He's definitely trying to make me pick rock… so he should go with paper. I have to choose scissors.
The angel, 2
Wait what if he wants me to believe it's a trap, so I don't pick scissors? Then he can beat me with rock while I go scissors...
Damn it. What do I play?!
The angel, 1
What should I play? What should I play?!
The moment I heard 'One', I made my move. I didn't even think. My heart was about to explode.
The angel spoke: "The winner is... Number 66."
Wait… I won?
I looked at my hand. I played rock. He… he had played scissors. I didn't even realize what I'd done until it was over.
The man in front of me shouted: "It's not possible! There's no way! You must've cheated!"
Before he could say another word, his head exploded.
The angel spoke again: "Congratulations, Number 66. For surviving this game, your reward is a card. It will be quite useful in future games."
The angel continued speaking: "You may now return to your rooms. Go to the room that matches your number. The door will recognize you and open automatically."
"Prepare for tomorrow's game. And remember—if you leave your room before the next game begins, you will be eliminated."
I made my way toward my room—slowly, silently. The others moved aside. They didn't say a word. They just… let me pass.
My mind was blank. I didn't feel anything. I just… entered the room.
There was nothing in the room but a single bed, a metal desk, and a toilet in the corner. That was it.
I sat on the bed and started thinking about everything that had just happened.
Then I remembered the card the angel had given me. I looked at the card.
[S-Rank Card: Second Life]
If you die, you will return to on the morning of that day your death.
Usable only once.
Is this thing real?
What happened to me today?
I died of cancer... and now I'm alive.
An angel can kill people with just a snap of its fingers.
That card must be real.
[System binding…]
[Ding! System binding completed, The winning system is set up]
[For every death game you win, you will receive a reward.]
[But you must play every death game. If you refuse you die.]
What the hell? That voice in my head? Don't tell me I'm already going insane.
System? Is this real?
[Ding! Congratulations. You survived the Death Game.]
[Your rewards have been issued.]
[Command: Say "Panel" to access your status.]
Panel…
[Name: Xiao Yan]
[Physique: 12 (+2)]
[IQ: 130 (+10)]
[Luck: 14 (+1)]
Are these my stats?
When I focused my eyes on the Physique stat.
[Physique stat - Covers all aspects of the body: muscular strength, agility, bone durability, nervous response, and the sharpness of all five senses.]
[For reference: the average human's Physical stat is 10.]
So that's why I feel better.
So, the other stats then.
[IQ stat - It determines memory capacity, thinking speed, logical reasoning ability, strategic planning skills, and problem-solving capacity.]
[The average person's IQ is 100.]
[Luck stat - It is related to the probability of events occurring that will be beneficial to the individual.]
[The average person's Luck stat is 10.]
I'm generally better than the average person.
But what is this curse?
I must play the whole game or else I will die.
While I was thinking all of this, weariness suddenly enveloped me.
Without thinking any further, I threw myself onto the bed.
Where am I?
Ah, now I remember.
So I really didn't have a dream.
System?
[Name: Xiao Yan]
[Physique: 12]
[IQ: 130)]
[Luck: 14]
It is still same.
I couldn't look inside my room last night. I was too tired to pay attention to my room.
There is just a table, a chair, a bed and a toilet?
The conditions in prison are better than here. Anyway, it's better than dying.
(This is the first book I've written, and English isn't my native language. I just wanted to write as a hobby. Maybe I'll only write the first chapter and not continue, so I apologize in advance.)