After absorbing that message, I regained consciousness at the exact point where reality had fractured. Although my body remained stiff, an internal vibration ran through my bones; I was certain that if I could move, I would be shaking with pure terror. Fortunately, the creature was also suspended in that temporal limbo. Only its eyes remained mobile, fixed on mine with the intensity of a predator waiting for the precise moment to devour its prey.
I summoned the menu with a mental blink. To my horror, every trace of the interface I knew had vanished: only a blank window floated before my retinas.
Calm down, Ichika, I ordered myself. Full-immersion consoles had foolproof security protocols. As soon as news of the mass failure leaked, my mother would see to it that I was disconnected from this damn simulation. My only mission was to endure.
[LVL 1. Scavenger] [Ten, nine, eight…]
We were the same level, but I had the tactical advantage of position. The countdown hammered in my temples and triggered a rush of adrenaline—a familiar echo of my past glories in the virtual world that restored my composure.
[Zero]
The flow of time resumed abruptly. The trembling returned to my limbs along with the shriek the system had silenced moments before. I braced for the impact, expecting those jaws to tear open my throat and put its macabre grin on display. However, it didn't happen. Its movement was much slower than expected, giving me the split second I needed to react: I tilted my neck to the side and heard the metallic snap of its teeth as they slammed against the gurney, just millimeters from my skin.
I felt its confusion in the sudden stiffness of its posture. In that moment, my survival instinct took over. I slid my right arm out and, with a sharp movement, slammed my elbow into its skull with all the strength I could muster. The blow forced it to stagger to one side, finally breaking the hold that had kept me prisoner.
[WARNING: Biological hazard detected. Scavenger scratches identified. Imminent risk of infection upon prolonged contact.]
A purple bar materialized before my eyes, suddenly filling up to the first quarter. A chill ran down my right arm as the warmth of blood began to drip onto the cold concrete. The Scavenger pulled itself up; although its grotesque grimace remained, doubt flickered in its eyes for the first time.
[NOTICE: Countdown initiated. Players have five minutes to evacuate before the doors close and enemy levels are restored.]
I gripped a thin metal bar I found on the floor. "I don't have time for this. Come here, you bastard," I challenged, my voice holding a firmness that hid my own anxiety.
Its lack of response was more unsettling than any previous attack. It wasn't an irrational beast; it analyzed me, evaluated my weapon, and after a moment of judgment, regained the confidence of a hunter.
[Four minutes and thirty seconds remaining...]
Time was running out. I charged at it, wielding the metal bar with both hands as if it were a sword. I launched a direct strike at its head, which it blocked with the claws of its right hand; its brute strength outmatched me, but agility was on my side. With a side step and a leap backward, I regained my distance. As soon as I hit the ground, I lunged again, this time toward its wrist. Its claws deflected the impact, but the momentum of the blow managed to punish its arm.
The impact felt fragile, as if I had struck flesh without bone. His health bar dropped just enough to confirm the damage, and the Scavenger took a defensive stance, claws held close to his chest.
[LVL 2. Scavenger] [Three minutes and fifty-nine seconds remaining].
My confidence evaporated instantly; his vitality fully restored, and that mocking grin widened once more. Taking advantage of my shock, the creature lunged at me with renewed speed. Although I tried to react, shock chained me down for a second too long. By the time I regained control, his claws were mere centimeters from my face.
How unfair...
The thought died before it was even born, interrupted by a dull thud and the whistle of cutting air. The Scavenger slammed into the floor with brutal violence, his health plummeting to half in the blink of an eye. My gaze locked onto a metal bar dripping dark blood and shreds of rotting flesh.
The wielder was a young man, his muscles well-defined beneath the thin fabric of his clothes. His dark hair contrasted with clear hazel eyes; he possessed an undeniable appeal and, somehow, he felt strangely familiar.
"Tha—"
"Run. We don't have time to waste," he interrupted coldly.
[Three minutes and forty seconds remaining].
His deep voice, wrapped in a chorus of soul-tearing screams, prevented any reply. I nodded in silence and began to run down the hallway by his side.
"Help... please... don't leave me..."
I stopped dead in my tracks upon hearing the woman's muffled moans. Despite the bloodstain spreading across the floor, she was still alive. I backed up and tried to lift her, but her height and build—as solid as my own—made the task incredibly difficult.
"Leave her. She's dead weight," the boy declared with a look of absolute resignation.
"I beg of you..." she whispered.
"We aren't leaving her," I cut in, ignoring her plea to face the young man instead. "Today's dead weight can become tomorrow's pillar."
"There's no time. If you want to risk it, stay with her," he replied before starting to walk away again.
"I know the way out!" I shouted to stop him.
[Three minutes and twenty seconds remaining].
He stopped instantly and turned toward me. His inquisitive gaze immediately put me on guard.
"Prove it."
I took a quick look at our surroundings. The rooms had no windows, and the ventilation system was sealed; sunlight was a non-existent concept in here.
"We're underground. The exit is upward."
"That's just a hunch..."
"I've escaped dozens of games. I'm a professional; I'm known as 'AKEMI_SOL'."
To anyone else, that alias would be meaningless, but the flash of amazement in his eyes gave him away: he knew me.
[Three minutes and ten seconds remaining].
"If you're lying, I'll let them devour you," he stated with cutting coldness.
"And if I'm not, you'll help me once we're out of here," I challenged, holding his gaze.
There was no response; time was a luxury we didn't have. The young man lunged forward and scooped the girl into his arms with astonishing ease. Her dark hair, soaked in blood, immediately stained the stranger's gown.
"Thank you..." she whispered before closing her emerald eyes.
[Three minutes remaining].
The Scavenger lying on the floor leveled up, but fortunately, it remained unconscious. We broke into a run, and I led him toward the emergency stairs.
"The elevators are out of service," I explained as we moved. "Trying to go up through the main hallways, infested with those things, would be suicide. The stairs are our best option."
"It better be. I'll use the girl as a human shield if I have to."
His indifference sparked a prick of irritation, but this was no time to argue morality. "Just follow me and shut up."
I threw open the metal door, and we began our ascent. The echo of our footsteps was lost among the distant screams resonating in the stairwell. I tried to block out the noise, ignoring the horror to maintain my sanity; however, as we passed the doors to the middle floors, the sound of tearing flesh made my stomach turn.
[Two minutes remaining].
Our breathing grew heavy from the physical exertion; the realism of this damn game was overwhelming. Suddenly, a door burst open and a mutilated young man collapsed before us, writhing in agony.
[LVL 4. Scavenger]
Behind him, a creature locked its eyes onto mine while still grinding the remains of a human arm between its teeth. Without even finishing its mouthful, the beast lunged at me with electric ferocity. Instead of resisting, I accepted the impact and yielded to its weight, allowing momentum to take control of our path.
We plummeted together into the void of the stairwell. The last thing my senses captured was the contrast between the girl's emerald irises, dilated with panic, and the young man's hazel gaze—just before gravity claimed its due and dragged us into the shadows.