A frail-looking young man with pale skin and handsome features lay sleeping on a well-made bed. He wore a layered outfit that gave the illusion of a black t-shirt over a white long-sleeve undershirt, paired with dark pants and white sneakers. Some might wonder why he kept his shoes on while asleep, but the circumstances made the scene even more unusual.
"Mm... where..."
Kelvin Pierce opened his eyes, blinking a few times, and tilted his head toward the unfamiliar ceiling.
He slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The floor beneath him was cold and smooth, a stark contrast to the warmth of the covers. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the lingering haze of sleep, and glanced around the room sheepishly.
It was sparsely furnished; just the bed, a small desk with a chair pushed neatly underneath, and a tall wardrobe against the far wall. Sunlight streamed faintly through a narrow window and a sweet perfume lingered in the air.
But something was off.
Where were his wall posters and the old faculty laptop? More importantly, the layout of the place felt alien. It looked nothing like his room at all!
Shocked and confused, he suddenly noticed a strange crimson light spilling in through the window.
Subconsciously, he tilted his head and raised his gaze, following it upward, piece by piece.
Outside the window, the sky was an unnatural swirl of deep reds and purples, like molten metal flowing across the horizon. It seemed some twisted painting of an Eldritch horror!
The hell...
Kelvin became horrified and just as he was about to scream in fright, a screen pop up appeared infront of him.
[DEATHMATCH OFFICIAL PROTOCOL]
[Player ID: 0047]
[Status: Active]
–Welcome, Kelvin Pierce. You have been selected to participate in the Deathmatch, a survival event in the New World. Your objective is simple: eliminate all other candidates and be the last player standing.
–Total Candidates: 128
Rules:
[1. Each player is granted a unique Soul Ability and a Companion to aid them during the Deathmatch. The ranks of Soul Abilities and Companions are balanced to ensure fairness; leaving or abandoning them will result in a permanent penalty.]
[2. There is no way to leave the New World apart from death. Players who attempt to escape through suicide will result in Total Soul Elimination.]
[3. Candidates may observe and interact with others, form temporary alliances, or deceive opponents. Such tactics are encouraged by the system.]
[4. Players are permitted to interact with the residents of the New World. While violence against them is discouraged, participants are free to engage, negotiate, or form alliances as they see fit.]
[5. Use of Tools is also permitted. There are countless artifacts and relics scattered throughout the New World. These items range from mundane objects to powerful, cursed instruments. Mastery of such Tools can greatly increase a candidate's chance of survival, but misuse may result in severe consequences, including permanent elimination.]
[6. Players are also free to form pacts with the Old Gods. The Gods are dead, but remnants of their power linger within the New World. Bargaining with these entities can grant extraordinary abilities, forbidden knowledge, or powerful relics, though such pacts often come with unpredictable and dangerous consequences.]
[7. Players score points by ending the lives of other participants.]
[8. Points are determined by the Game Master and reflect the value of a player's life. As a general rule, each player is worth 5 points, while non-players are worth 1 point. Mindless or indiscriminate killing of non-players will incur penalties proportional to the severity of the act.]
[9. Excluding the point value of a player's own life, players may expend 100 points to petition the Game Master to introduce a new rule. The Game Master will approve any proposed rule, provided it does not have a permanent or disproportionately disruptive effect on the Deathmatch.]
[10. All eliminations are permanent. Death may occur through combat, traps, environmental hazards, or violations of the rules. The winner will be granted a single wish.]
Kelvin staggered backward a step. The words on the screen hovered in the air, but the reality behind them pressed down even heavier.
Eliminate all the others… survive… earn a wish…
A chill ran down his spine as he tried to process it all. His room was gone. His world was gone. And now, the rules of this Deathmatch dictated every move he made. One wrong step, and it could be over, permanently.
He ran a hand through his messy raven hair, finally feeling the weight of his peculiar predicament.
128 candidates… and I'm one of them. 127 others, each with Skills, Companions, and probably just as terrified like me.
No, there are bound to be some black sheep among us.
Most likely, we're all from Earth and if I understand this correctly, there will be a variety of people including murderers, serial killers or some other scum. Damnit. I'm really screwed.
Could I really… kill someone if it came down to it? Could I survive long enough to even get that wish? And what kind of world even allows this?
Worse yet, I find myself in a foreign environment where I don't even know the terrain, the dangers, or the others. But… I can't stay here and do nothing. It's possible that one of the players have some kind of tracking ability.
Shit.
The more he thought about the scenario, the more depressed he became.
On the bright side, it seemed this Deathmatch operated solely on the principle of fairness. Soul Abilities and Companions were balanced regardless of hierarchy, points were assigned systematically, and even the use of Tools or negotiations with the Game Master had clear rules. There were no hidden cheats or arbitrary punishments — at least, nothing beyond the natural chaos of survival.
Kelvin took a deep breath. If the system was fair, then strategy, observation, and caution could give him an edge. He didn't have to act recklessly; he just had to think, adapt, and survive.
Fortunately, strategy and observation was his speciality.
I just had a bad day yesterday and now I found myself in this situation. I knew the amount of sleep I was getting was suspicious! Damn alarm! Speaking of which, how do I obtain my Ability and Companion? Is there supposed to be a special function for that?
Just as he thought about it, another screen pop-up appeared.
[Prepare for appraisal...]
[Soul Ability & Companion Initialization In Progress…]