"If I don't look at them, they won't see me," Karma thought to himself, trying to blend into the crowd around him.
He had sensed the danger just in time. Marcus and his little crew were sitting on a bench, dangerously close to where Karma was standing.
Spotting them early had been one of those rare strokes of luck, though to be fair, that group stood out even among the sea of people moving through the subway.
Marcus especially. Bleached blond hair, a leather jacket with the sleeves torn off, and chains hanging from his neck.
He stood out so much he could have easily passed for a character straight out of a movie.
Thanks to that, Karma had noticed them the moment he stepped off the train, and did his best to slip by unnoticed.
He was too tired to deal with Marcus and his friends right now.
An entire morning stuck at university, followed by a whole afternoon at work.
All Karma wanted was to go home, throw himself onto his bed, and sleep through the entire weekend.
Life, however, had other plans.
"Hey, isn't that the little cockroach?" one of Marcus's friends called out, having spotted Karma.
And to the guy's misfortune, Marcus recognized him too.
"No way! It is him, hahaha. The poor loser just got off work, I bet. Funny, right? While that deadbeat drags himself home, we're heading out to party," Marcus mocked, clearly enjoying himself. "Honestly, I almost feel bad for him. Maybe we should invite him."
Karma clenched his fists.
Marcus's voice was loud enough to cut through the noise of the crowd, unfortunately.
It seemed like even now he couldn't escape those sarcastic little digs.
"Just wait until you're drowning in student debt and I've got a stable job," Karma told himself.
Though the truth was that Marcus didn't have to worry about paying for university. He had a sports scholarship that covered most of his expenses, so unlike Karma, he had no need to work.
"Hey, cockroach! Over here! You hear me?" Marcus shouted, standing up from the bench and waving his arms, making a scene to get Karma's attention.
Karma tried to ignore him, but he knew that doing so might only make things worse.
Marcus had already locked onto him, and he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. Ignoring him could end up being painful.
The dark-haired boy let out a long sigh, accepting his fate as he turned around.
"What do you—"
Karma was about to respond, but something cut him off.
A strange sound.
A sound that could only have been generated by a computer, because nothing in nature could have produced it.
And then, right there above the crowd moving through the subway, "it" appeared.
First, multiple shapes of light materialized in the air, forms of every color, twisting and writhing around each other until they burst, leaving a creature in their place.
"Woohoo! Rejoice, everyone! You have been selected to play the Game of Destiny!" the being announced.
It was a humanoid goat, with jet-black fur and an appearance that was, ironically, absolutely adorable, like someone had brought a cartoon character to life.
Everyone froze, holding their breath as they stared at the floating goat.
Some eyes filled with fear, others, with excitement and ambition.
And yes, curiously enough, few of them seemed confused. Because everyone already knew what this was.
"Ahem, allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Belial, and I am one of the administrators of the Tower of Babel. You have been selected to become challengers of the Tower, and with that, earn the chance to become the Chosen," the creature announced, winking at the crowd.
Five years ago, a massive tower had appeared in the middle of the Near East.
Shortly after, mass disappearances began occurring in certain areas across the globe.
Some people claimed it was aliens. Others, that it was the biblical Rapture. But no one could give a clear answer.
Time passed, and eventually, people learned to live with it.
So the moment the crowd saw that creature appear, they all knew exactly what it meant.
"What's a challenger, you ask? Well, it's something incredibly cool! Who wouldn't want to gain powers, go on adventures, slay monsters, and level up like in a video game? And on top of that, if you manage to climb to the top of the Tower, your wish will be granted. Pretty great, right?" Belial said cheerfully, floating through the air.
Some people showed signs of excitement, others of fear. The crowd was growing more and more restless with every word Belial spoke, though thankfully, no one caused a major scene.
"You will each receive a highly interactive system to gain power, just like a video game! And you'll also be granted a [Gift]: a skill that will define your destiny and grow alongside you as you climb the Tower," Belial continued happily, doing little spins in the air.
Karma stood there, caught off guard. The creature was describing the exact same thing he had read in countless manhwas and light novels.
Could something like this actually be real?
"But don't get too comfortable. The trials ahead will be brutal if you want to climb this Tower, and not everyone will make it out alive. Then again, you don't really have a choice, so you might as well start making peace with that, right?" Belial said with a gleaming smile that showed off a set of very sharp teeth.
Those words hit the crowd hard.
If that was true, it meant they had no choice but to participate. This wasn't optional.
The mood shifted immediately.
No one who had vanished during those mass disappearances had ever come back.
Was this the end? Would they ever see their families again, the people they loved?
Soon the subway filled with cries and shouting.
Belial didn't seem to care in the slightest.
"Oh, and one more thing. Once the first game begins, we'll be going live stream, so try to put your best foot forward. Who knows, you might catch the eye of a viewer and get some donations," Belial added, clapping their little hands together. "But enough talk! It's time for you all to receive the mark of the beast."
Belial announced with a crooked smile, and in that same instant, bolts of electricity erupted from its body and shot through the air, striking the people around them one by one.
The game had begun.
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