Li San was gasping while clutching his stomach, tears showing from the corner of his eyes. He was desperate in a dark alley, the borrowed clothes he was wearing soaked with both mud and his blood. He collapsed to the ground, the rain falling on his face as he stared up at the smog-choked city sky, invisible beyond the building tops.
The pain was a living thing, a hot, tearing presence just below his ribs. Each breath was a jagged rasp, bubbling slightly. "So this is what it feels like," he thought, the panic a distant, muffled thing behind a wall of sheer, shocking agony. The man—no, not her brother, never her brother, it wasn't her brother, why—had he been so calm. A smile, a step forward, a smooth, practiced motion Li didn't even see. Then the warmth, spreading fast, faster than the rain could cool it.
Four years. Four years of shared noodles in cheap apartments, of holding her hair back when she was sick, of promising a better life "soon." He'd borrowed this stupid, too-nice jacket from a coworker just to look presentable for her at the fancy restaurant she'd picked. Now it was ruined, and so was he.
He chuckled, a wet, choking sound that turned into a cough, spraying a fine mist of blood onto his chin. "So he wasn't her brother… he is…" The sentence wouldn't finish. The truth was too stupid, too cliché. He was the other man. The upgrade. And Li was the inconvenient, penniless baggage being disposed of.
A wave of dizziness washed over him. The cold from the wet asphalt was seeping into his back, but the fire in his gut was all-consuming. Am I going to die… a virgin? The thought was so absurd, so pathetic, that a weak laugh escaped him, followed by another wrenching cough. Serves me right. Death could at least have let me delete my browser history…
Then, cutting through the self-pity like a shard of ice, a clear, sharp image: his sister, Xia. Her frail smile in the sterile hospital bed, the beeping monitor a constant reminder of the ticking clock her heart had become. The surgery was a mountain of money they could never climb. He'd been climbing it anyway, one back-breaking, humiliating job at a time. For her.
No… my sister… the hospital… she needs surgery. Who is going to take care of her?
The despair that followed was blacker than the alley, deeper than the pain. It wasn't about him anymore. It was about her being alone, scared, and abandoned. The last of their family, gone because he was naïve, because he was weak, because he was bleeding out in an alley over a girl.
A fierce, defiant rage cut through the haze. It was a feeble spark, but it was all he had.
His vision was tunneling, the edges going dark. He couldn't feel his legs. A deep, pervasive cold was climbing from his hands up his arms. He was fading.
With his last shred of conscious will, he focused it into a thought, a prayer, a curse thrown at the uncaring universe. He didn't have the breath to speak, so he screamed it in his mind.
It can't end like this! I don't care who you are who is listening, god, devils, whatever, please… I will do anything….
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[[GENESIS SYSTEM ONLINE. INITIATING CHOICE SUB-SYSTEM. DOES THE SELECTED HOST APPROVE? PLEASE ANSWER WITH YES OR NO.]]
The voice wasn't a sound. It was data etched directly onto his dying brain. Textual, crisp, and utterly devoid of emotion. It held no promise, no threat. It was a query from a machine.
Li couldn't see anything anymore. It was just darkness. He didn't care what it was about, what strings were attached, what hell it promised. All he knew was that it was a response. A chance. And a chance was a lifeline thrown into his drowning world.
With the final whisper of air in his ruined lungs, he formed the word.
"Yes."
[[GENESIS SYSTEM ALLOCATES CHOICE SYSTEM. BINDING SUCCESSFUL. THE 21 TRIALS BEGIN IMMEDIATELY.]]
The pain was getting worse, a final crescendo before the silence. He could hear the rain, could hear a distant siren, but he couldn't feel his feet anymore. The cold in his hands was complete. This was it.
Then, another voice, similar yet distinct. Slightly more inflection, like a bored customer service AI.
[[CHOICE SYSTEM ONLINE. PLEASE, HOST, ACCEPT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THREE CHOICES. FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS, SURVIVAL IS A MUST AND IS NOT GUARANTEED. THE HOST WILL BE TEMPORARILY MOVED TO SPECIFIED LOCATIONS.]]
Information flooded his mind, not as words, but as understanding.
CHOICE ONE: SOLO SURVIVAL.
Your place is the Empty City. No survivors remain. All infrastructure is operational. Power, water, and transport systems continue to function by themselves. Buildings are unlocked. Roads are clear. Food is abundant. Grocery stores restock automatically. Fresh food is always available. Sleeping conditions are excellent.
However, a hostile entity is present. A spider of extreme size, approximately the size of a small vehicle. It spawns at a distance of 200 meters from your location. If the spider locates you, pursuit will begin. The entity can be destroyed. However, every five hours, a new entity will spawn. If the spider is active at the time of respawn, an additional entity will appear. Overlap increases threat exponentially. Noise accelerates detection. Remaining stationary increases risk. Survival depends on awareness. Monitor time. Eliminate efficiently. Do not allow numbers to increase.
CHOICE TWO: DUO SURVIVAL.
Your place is an abandoned warehouse. You have full access. Food, tools, and supplies exist. They must be located. Nothing is provided. You are not alone. An unstable man inhabits the warehouse. He is aware of your presence. He is extremely large, approximately 8 feet in height, weighs over 500 pounds. His movement is constant while walking. The footsteps are loud, echoing. He can be tracked and monitored this way. When the sound of his footsteps stop, he can see you. He will sprint after you, ploughing through everything in his way. Weapons may be found. Engagement is not advised. Stealth increases survival. Noise increases detection. If his footsteps stop, you should hide or run immediately.
CHOICE THREE: TRIO SURVIVAL.
Your place is the flooded supermarket. This location is no longer operational. The structure is extensive. A large retail store. Wide aisles. High shelving. The interior is flooded. Lower levels are fully submerged. Movement is restricted. Visibility is poor. Food is scarce. Only sealed snacks and bottled water remain, floating between aisles. Access requires entering the water. Sleeping conditions are severe. Rest is only possible on upper shelves. Surfaces are wet. The cold is constant. Shelves are unstable. Falling is likely. Creatures inhabit the water. They are fast. If you enter the water, they will detect you. If a creature is nearby, escape is unlikely. Group coordination is required. Do not linger in the water. Splashes attract attention. If pursued, do not panic. Climbing is your only advantage. Mistakes guarantee death.
The systems laid out the rewards with the same flat tone.
CHOICE ONE REWARDS FOR SURVIVAL ARE: Full health is restored. Abilities will be granted to the host. An additional week of life will be granted to the sister. And host's debts will be cleared.
IF CHOICE TWO IS SELECTED, REWARDS FOR SURVIVAL ARE AS FOLLOWS: A million dollars. And the host will be awarded 3 additional minutes to his current lifespan.
IF CHOICE THREE IS SELECTED, THE HOST WILL BE AWARDED WITH: A large mansion. And a thousand dollars. Health will not be restored.