Kahani abhi khatam nahi hui thi, yeh to bas trailer tha ek bhayankar or anokhi midnight journey ka. Tarun se milne ke 5 din baad tak, Anurag ka phone bilkul silent raha. App ka notification har raat alag alag time par aata tha kabhi 12:00 AM ko kabhi 2:00 ya 3:00 AM, lekin tasks bahut mushkil nahi the, jaise kisi sunsan area mein 10 min tak aankhein band rakhna, ya kabhi hath mein diya jalakar road par chalna. Wo lagatar 5 raaton tak tasks pura karta raha. In tasks se Anurag ka bank balance ab 2,00,000 INR tak ho chuka tha.
Lekin Anurag ke dimag mein creator ka wo message baar baar gunj raha tha : Tumne System ke rules ko to badal dala, lekin dekhte hain ki tum agle hafte hone wale 'The Scarlet Night' ke rules badal sakoge ya nahi.
Chatthe raat ko thik 1:50 AM par, Anurag ne apna phone on kiya to usne dekha ki uske phone par ek naya feature unlock ho gaya tha. Kala bazaar. Usne hairani se screen par click kiya. Ek ajib sa interface khula jisme Black market style mein chizein bik rahi thi. Par yahan currency rupaye nahi thi, balki 'Soul points' thi, jo tasks complete karne par milti thi. Anurag ke pass abhi 60SP the.
[ITEM 1: Ghost eye, cost: 30 SP]
[ITEM 2: Blood Dagger, cost: 25 SP]
[ITEM 3: Shadow weapon, cost: 120 SP]
Anurag sochne laga, "agar mujhe jinda rehna hai, to mujhe sirf apne physical strength par depend nahi rehna hoga. Mujhe is system ke hidden rules ko janna hoga, tabhi mai is system ko hara sakunga." Uske paas 120 SP nahi the, isliye usne Ghost eye or bache hue points se Blood dagger kharidne ka faisla liya.
Jaise hi wo 'purchase' par click kiya, uske kamre mein aane wali hawa achanak thandi ho gayi. Uske kamre ki lights blink kar rahi thi. Usi waqt ek pathtar zameen par aa giri. Wo pathtar chamkile blue rang ka tha. Fir achanak se Anurag ke sir mein dard hone laga. Aisa lag raha tha, jaise kisi ne use piche se mara ho. Anurag apna sir pakad kar zameen par baith gaya.
Tabhi uska phone zor se vibrate hua. Ek naya notification pop up hua.
Multiplayer Task
Location: Underground drainage area.
Objective: seize the curse core from the auctioneer and make it out alive.
Participants: 5 member, from your city.
Anurag kisi tarah khada hua. Usne apna hoodie pehna, Blood dagger ko apni jeans mein chupaya, or agle sector ki taraf nikal gaya. Suraj dubne ke baad se hi pura shahar dhundhla sa lag raha tha, jo ki sirf Anurag ko hi dikh raha tha. Wo sector 4 pahunch gaya, sector 4 ki seedhiyan bahar se thi. Isliye Anurag pehle terrace par chadh gaya. Wahan usne dekha ki ek purana, lohe ka pillar bana hua tha. Wo jaise hi us pillar ke paas gaya aur us pillar ko hath lagaya. Woh pilar achanak se tutne laga. Lekin wo dara nahi, balki dhire dhire wo niche aaya. Niche ka nazara kisi medieval history jaisa lag raha tha. Bade bade lohe ki pipes se pani tapak rahe the, aur diwaron par ajib se symbols bane hue the jo halka pila chamak raha tha.
Wo samne dekha ki ek bada darwaza khula hua tha. Wo control room ke bade darwaze ke andar gaya, toh wahan pehle se hi char mustande khade the. Woh unke paas gaya.
'To tum ho User 09.' Unme se ek lambe chaure shakhs ne bola.
Anurag ne dekha ki uske face ke right side ek black mark tha. Uska username tha user 33 (Suraj). Aur uske sath ek ladki bhi khadi thi jo sidhi sadhi lag rahi thi, uska username tha user 23(Aira). Unke bagal mein do or ladke the, jo ek dusre ke friend lag rahe the User 03 or user 05.
Tab Aira narmi se boli 'Mene tumhara post padha tha, User 09'. "Tumne bola tha ki hum sab milkar is system ko hara sakte hain. Kya ye possible hai? Meri ek friend pichle hafte is task mein maari gayi."
Anurag uski taraf dekha or bola agar hum sab ek dusre par bharosa karein, to ye possible hai, hum bach sakte hain. Lekin agar hum mai se kisi ek ne bhi dhoka dene ki koshish ki, toh hum sab system ke through mare jayenge. Tabhi User 33 gusse se bola, mujhe kisi ki jarurat nahi hai, mai akele hi kaafi hun. Or han, yaad rakhna mai level 4 par hun. Tum mai se koi bhi mere raaste mein mat aana. Anurag ne use samjhane ki koshish ki, akele ladne se accha hai ki hum sab sath milkar ladein. Lekin user 33 ko us par bharosa nahi tha.
Tabhi control room ka lohe ka darwaza ek jordar awaz ke sath khula. Andar se ek diye ki roshni bahar aayi. We paancho ek sath us kamre ke andar gaya. Unhone dekha ki kamre ke ek side mein ek purani, study table thi jahan 2 chair rakhi hui thi. Or unke samne ek aadmi khada tha jo black blazer pehna hua tha.
Wo tha Auctioneer.
"Welcome, to the Auction of the Damned!" Auctioneer ne haath failate hue bola. "Aapke paas jo bhi hai paise, Soul Points, ya aapki apni umar, aaj yahan sab kuchh daav par lagega. Aur jo apna sab kuchh daav par lagayega, use milega Cursed Core."
Dono dost, User 05 aur User 07, darr ke maare pichhe hatne lage. "Humein yeh task nahi karna! Humein jaane do!" unhone chillakar kaha.
Auctioneer apni khopri ghumate hue bola. "Rules are rules. Exit is closed." Usne ek chhoti ganti bajayi.
Tring!
Palak jhapakte hi, deewaron se lambe haath nikle aur unhone User 05 ko pakad liya. Uske dosto ke dekhte dekhte, User 05 ka jism dhire dhire dhuen me badalne laga. Wo chillane laga. Uske chillane ki aawaz poore drainage area mein goonj gayi, aur 5 second mein wo wahan se gayab ho gaya. Tabhi System se Notification aaya: