Sector B stood in sharp contrast to the slums.
Clean metal walls. Controlled movement. Armed guards watching everything with emotionless eyes.
Sohan walked forward, blending into the line without drawing attention.
---
No one talked loudly here.
No one caused trouble.
Because everyone understood—
This place decided their future.
---
Unlike what he had first assumed…
There was no assignment counter.
No selection.
No choice.
---
Only entry.
---
Sohan's eyes narrowed slightly.
So it's random…
---
That matched his memory better.
In this world, even your starting point inside the Sanctuary depended on luck.
---
"Next."
A guard motioned him forward.
---
Sohan stepped ahead.
A quick scan.
A brief glance.
---
"Temporary access granted."
---
That was it.
No explanation.
No shelter name.
---
Because even they didn't know.
---
Sohan walked inside.
---
Rows of capsules filled the room.
People lay inside silently, their expressions tense… or excited… or fearful.
---
Each one stepping into the unknown.
---
A staff member pointed.
"In."
---
Sohan nodded and moved to an empty capsule.
---
This was it.
---
No preparation could fully account for what came next.
---
No knowledge could guarantee safety.
---
Because the first thing you received in the Sanctuary—
---
Was fate.
---
He lay down.
The lid began to close.
---
Darkness.
---
A low hum filled the space.
---
Then—
---
A pull.
---
Stronger than before.
---
Not just his body—
But his consciousness.
---
It felt like falling.
---
Endlessly.
---
Through something vast.
---
And then—
---
A voice.
---
Faint.
Mechanical.
---
"Link established…"
---
A pause.
---
"Random Shelter Assigned…"
---
Sohan's heart tightened.
---
This was it.
---
No control.
No choice.
---
Only outcome.
---
"…Steel Armor Shelter."
---
Before he could react—
---
Everything snapped.
---
Light exploded into existence.
---
Sohan's eyes flew open.
---
Stone walls.
---
A massive hall.
---
Torches burning along the sides.
---
Dozens of people.
---
Voices.
Movement.
Life.
---
"…Steel Armor Shelter."
---
He sat up slowly, taking everything in.
---
Relief flickered faintly in his eyes.
---
Not bad…
---
Not the weakest.
Not the strongest.
---
A balanced starting point.
---
He stood up.
His body felt different.
---
Lighter.
Sharper.
---
And deeper—
---
That familiar sensation.
---
The Gene Stone.
---
More active than before.
---
And his technique—
---
Reacting more clearly.
---
"…The environment…"
---
It was richer.
Denser.
Filled with something his body instinctively recognized.
---
Gene energy.
---
Sohan exhaled slowly.
---
"So this is the Sanctuary."
---
Around him, newcomers reacted differently:
- Some looked excited
- Some looked terrified
- Some stood frozen
---
A loud voice echoed across the hall:
"First-timers! Don't rush out unless you want to die!"
---
Laughter followed.
---
Sohan ignored it.
---
His focus moved forward.
---
Toward the massive gate at the end of the shelter.
---
Closed.
Heavy.
---
Beyond it—
---
The real world.
---
Creatures.
Hunting.
Evolution.
---
Death.
---
Sohan walked closer, stopping just short of the exit.
---
His eyes sharpened.
---
This is where it begins.
---
No slums.
No scraps.
---
Only strength mattered here.
---
He clenched his fist slightly.
---
"Random… huh."
---
A faint smile appeared.
---
"Then I'll make even randomness work for me."
---
Because unlike others—
---
He didn't rely on luck.
---
He relied on control.
---
And from this moment on—
---
Every step he took—
---
Would be calculated.
---
Would be deliberate.
---
Would be his.
---
The gate stood silent before him.
---
Waiting.
---
Sohan turned slightly, observing everything one last time.
---
People.
Movements.
Behavior.
---
Then—
---
He looked forward again.
---
Calm.
Focused.
Ready.
---
"Fate decides where you start…"
"…but not where you end."