Chapter 1 — The Message That Shouldn't Exist
The rain fell softly over the quiet city.
Streetlights flickered as people rushed home, umbrellas bumping into each other. Cars passed through puddles, sending ripples across the glowing reflections of neon signs.
Inside a small apartment on the fifth floor, Adam Kareem stared at his phone.
Another rejection email.
"We regret to inform you…"
Adam sighed and dropped the phone on the table.
Twenty-three years old. No job. No money. No direction.
Outside the window, thunder rolled in the distance.
"Maybe tomorrow will be better," he muttered.
But even he didn't believe it.
He leaned back in his chair and opened a random game on his phone.
The screen froze.
Then it went completely black.
Adam frowned.
"Did my phone just die?"
Suddenly—
A message appeared.
Not a normal notification.
The letters slowly formed as if someone was typing them in real time.
[Infinite Reward System Activated]
Adam blinked.
"What…?"
Another line appeared.
Would you like to begin the trial?
Two options appeared:
YES
NO
Adam laughed nervously.
"Okay… someone is trolling me."
He tapped NO.
The phone vibrated.
The option disappeared.
Then a new message appeared.
Refusal Detected. Trial is mandatory.
Adam's smile faded.
The screen flashed again.
First Mission Assigned
The room suddenly felt colder.
Outside, the rain stopped.
And the world… went silent.
The message continued.
Mission 1: Leave your apartment within 60 seconds.
Adam frowned.
"Seriously?"
He looked around the quiet room.
Nothing unusual.
"Fine."
He stood up lazily and walked toward the door.
Then another line appeared.
Reward: +1 Strength
Adam stopped.
"Strength?"
The message continued.
Failure Penalty: Death
Adam froze.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Yeah… very funny."
But something about the message felt wrong.
Too real.
Too serious.
Then—
His phone vibrated again.
Time Remaining: 25 seconds
Adam's heartbeat sped up.
"Okay… this is getting weird."
20 seconds.
The lights in the apartment flickered.
15 seconds.
The walls creaked.
10 seconds.
Something cracked loudly in the kitchen behind him.
Adam turned.
And his eyes widened.
The ceiling above the kitchen had begun to collapse.
"WHAT THE—"
5 seconds.
Without thinking, Adam ran toward the door and burst outside into the hallway.
The moment he stepped out—
CRASH
The entire kitchen ceiling collapsed inside the apartment.
Dust and debris filled the room.
Adam stood in the hallway, breathing heavily.
His hands trembled.
Slowly… he looked down at his phone.
A new message appeared.
Mission Completed
Another one appeared.
Reward Granted: +1 Strength
Adam suddenly felt a strange warmth spread through his body.
His muscles tightened slightly.
He clenched his fist.
It felt… stronger.
His heart pounded.
"This… can't be real."
Then another notification appeared.
Next Mission will begin in 10 minutes.
Adam swallowed.
For the first time in his life—
Something exciting was happening.
But deep inside…
He had a terrible feeling.
The next mission would be far worse.
And the system…
Was just getting started.