<hr>


    “Adam, run! Just run!”


    A dream. Well, it would have been better if it was just that. But as he waded through this muddy and misty world, Adam knew that it was more than that—a memory. A memory he tried to escape from.


    A memory he tried to wake up from but never could. In this dream, he was running—typical. But at the very least, someone else was running with him.


    If only it could end there, but it never does.


    “Run! Just leave me!”


    It was a woman, being pinned on the ground by several men whose faces were completely blurred. Unfortunately, the woman’s face was too.


    He couldn’t remember what the woman looked like, but he remembered exactly who she was. The first and last person he ever let in.


    “Run!” She told him to run, and he never did stop doing so. He ran, and ran inside a tunnel that didn''t end—and right when he thought he reached the end.


    He woke up as always. No, something was different this time.


    He was woken up by someone else.


    “My daughter!? Has anyone seen my daughter!?”


    “Why… why am I in the game!? But I donated so much to the church, why am I here!?”


    “Yes… Yes! I was chosen!”


    “No… No! Not again! I don’t want to fight anymore!”


    “Please… please help me!”


    “What the!? Why is my gun missing!? They told me the game wouldn’t take it away!”


    “Everyone, just stay calm!”


    “Shut the fuck up!”


    “Can… can anyone help me!? I… I can’t walk and my chair is gone!”


    Adam was woken up by the violent screams of all the people around him.


    “Ugh…” Adam opened his eyes, only to see a sky covered with a translucent red and a giant floating set of numbers that showed 00:07:12.


    The ceiling of a Dome.


    “No…” Adam whispered as he stared at the number. He thought it was part of the dream, but it would seem he truly was summoned to play the game… something he had dreaded for a very long time.


    At least, that was what he thought he would feel. Instead, an overwhelming relief washed over him. If there was ever a circumstance in which he would actually want to be summoned into the Game, it would be exactly like this.


    Because of the Game, he was able to escape being captured by Dr. Aniston and the hospital.


    Being forced to fight in the Game would be better than being caught by them.


    How cold. For you to feel relieved when hundreds of thousands of people will suffer now because of the Game. What about Mr. Jefferson and the others? You said you were ready to open up to them, and yet now you only think about yourself. You—shut up. Please, shut up!


    Adam shook his head off of the thoughts he was having and focused on his surroundings. They were still in the city, with buildings surrounding them. Most of the cars were already pinning each other, some were crashed into the walls and were burning due to their drivers being teleported away along with everyone.


    He could also hear the people at the ends of the crowd, banging in the air, pushing a completely invisible wall that kept them trapped.


    The battle hasn’t even started, and yet smoke already filled the streets—unhinged chaos that slowly creeps. There were more than 3,000 of them there, all packed to the point that it was almost hard to breathe. They were like sardines trapped inside a can, with the large buildings as their walls.


    “Everyone! I’m from the International Battle Arena Association! My name is Christopher. Please, gather to me!”


    The commotion around Adam momentarily died down when a man suddenly began clapping his hands—loud, sharp, and commanding. His voice boomed even louder through the oversized megaphone he held, forcing those nearby to cover their ears for fear of going deaf.


    Even Adam, lost in his own thoughts, instinctively turned to look. The man was dressed in a sharp suit, a badge pinned to his chest engraved with the emblem of a sword—the unmistakable logo of the IBAA.


    Behind him, floating weightlessly in the air, was a massive red crystal, nearly as tall as the man himself. It pulsed with an eerie glow, sending beams of light upward, piercing straight through the Dome’s ceiling.


    As the crowd began gravitating toward the man and the crystal, Adam stood up. But unlike the others, he didn’t move forward. His gaze swept across the sea of faces, scanning for Dr. Aniston and her people. He was also searching for Jefferson and the rest of the scavenger team—


    But they were nowhere to be seen.


    But considering the number of people all crowded in a single place, it would be hard to find them. There was also the problem that even though they were all in a single bus when they were teleported, the possibility of them being in the same lane… or even in the same color was not guaranteed at all.


    Adam looked at the person next to him, before looking at the top of her head… which now had a Red Halo hovering above it. It wasn’t only her, all of them had it.


    It was a halo that told them what side of the Game they were on.


    Red and Blue.


    He was on the Red team, and it could be possible that Jefferson and the others were on the other side. And that also meant…


    “Have you seen my daughter? We were jogging before we were teleported. She’s wearing pink pigtails and is this small, maybe you’ve seen her? She’s also wearing a pink sweatshirt since she wanted to join me.”


    …The daughter of the woman weeping beside him could be in the enemy team.


    “Hello?” The woman leaned closer to Adam as she noticed him looking at her, “Have you seen my daughter?”


    The woman had short brown hair that barely brushed the base of her neck. She wore a pink jacket that struggled to contain her ample bosom, paired with tight-fitting jogging pants that stopped just above her ankles.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    It made sense—she had been jogging before they were suddenly summoned into the Game. But… why was she approaching Adam, of all people?


    “I’m sorry,” Adam sighed, shaking his head. “I hope you find—”


    Before he could finish, the woman suddenly grabbed both of his hands, her eyes locking onto his.


    “Can… can you please help me find my daughter!?” she pleaded, her voice breaking. “You’re… you’re the first person to actually respond to me. Please. She’s only seven… oh, God. Please. Please.”


    She placed Adam’s hands on her damp cheeks, her warmth pressing against his palms. He could do nothing but stare at her, her face filled with desperation and anguish. A raw, helpless grief.


    Perhaps… if the face of the woman in his dreams wasn’t blurred—would she be making the same expression?


    What are you doing, Adam? You don’t have the luxury of helping anyone. Just leave. Just walk away.


    “I’m sorry…” His voice barely came out as he turned his head away, forcefully pulling his hands free before covering his ears.


    “Please…” he whispered, his breathing unsteady. “Ask someone else for help. I’m not… I’m not capable of helping anyone.”


    The woman let out a quiet gasp, her brows knitting together as she took in the way he bit his lip, the panic flickering in his eyes—and she understood. Her own expression softened—the desperation melting into something gentler.


    “Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” The woman stepped closer, her voice softer now as she gently took Adam’s hands in hers again. “Are you okay? Are you with anyone? Are you… also trying to find them? We can look for them together—my daughter and whoever you’re searching for.” She offered a small, reassuring smile. “My name’s Grace. What’s yours?”


    “I’m…”


    What are you doing, Adam!? Just leave! She’s trying to manipulate you like everyone else! Just leave her!


    Adam’s thoughts once again screamed in his mind. He was at a complete loss as to what to do, and before another word could come out of his mouth, the man from the IBAA, Christopher, raised his voice again.


    “Everyone, listen!” He raised both his hands as he stood on top of a car, “Judging from the pillars of light, we are at the Outer Crystal in the Middle Lane! That means we’re being sent out first, and that we… are in the most vulnerable position, and we need to stick together as much as possible if we don’t want to die! We—”


    Before Christopher could finish his words, he was cut off by someone from the crowd.


    “Where are my weapons!? I bought a weapon from the IBAA and they told me it would come with me if I was summoned!”


    Christopher looked annoyed as he glanced at the man who interrupted him. But after a few seconds, he let out a sigh and shook his head and said,


    “If your weapon disappeared, then that means it wasn’t made with materials from the Portals! And the IBAA doesn’t sell weapons. Sir, you have been scammed!”


    “But—”


    “Man, shut the fuck up! Let the man talk!”


    The man wanted to heckle more, but he quickly stopped when he noticed the glares from those around him. Adam knew exactly why they were so restrained—and it wasn’t just because of Christopher.


    It was because of the threat of an Administrator. Although it had been years since one showed themselves, it had already been imprinted in everyone’s minds just how dangerous they could be.


    They were gods. And if they deemed anyone here to be breaking the silent rules they have set, they could come down at any time and smite anyone they wanted.


    Christopher also stared at the heckler for a few seconds before finally continuing his emergency orientation,


    “Okay. I know everyone is scared, I am too—this is also my first time being summoned. But please, remember the drills! We’re going to separate the people who had already been summoned by the Game before! The veterans, please go to this side! Those who have been teleported for the first time, please go to my right! Since the veterans have brighter halos, we would know if you’re lying!”


    Most of the people have already undergone several drills as mandated by the IBAA, and they have no trouble at all listening to Christopher’s words as that was how they were trained. Even those who had not participated in drills also followed the flow—the only ones who needed to be guided were the children.


    There were several people, however, who did not move according to Christopher’s words and instead approached him. Not because they were rebelling, of course… but based on their uniform, they were also a part of the IBAA.


    “Thanks for stepping up, sir.” But from how they were addressing Christopher, it would seem his position was higher up, “We’ll go help organize the people and help the children.”


    “Okay, you guys do that,” Christopher sighed and nodded, “Has anyone spotted the Heroes? Do you know which ones were summoned to our lane yet?”


    “They’re probably still on their way from the Spawn Point.”


    “Okay…” Christopher sighed again, “We need to have everything organized already before they come. I just hope we’re lucky and we don’t get one of the troublemakers. Is there anyone else from the IBAA? Someone higher than me? I was stationed in the city in case something like this happens, but I didn’t think it actually would happen. I don’t want this kind of pressure…”


    And while the members of the IBAA talked to themselves, the people arranged themselves accordingly.


    Adam, of course, walked to the side of the first-timers and made sure to keep his head down while still looking for any signs of the scavenger team or Dr. Aniston. Fortunately, he and the mother, Grace, got separated when the people started moving.


    But although he said he wasn’t going to help her, he found himself subconsciously looking around for a small girl with pink pigtails. Although there were still thousands of them there, it should be easier to find her now that they partitioned themselves from the veterans.


    Judging from the size of the crowd, their numbers were almost equal to the first-timers—just how the Administrators of the Game had always set it.


    What are you going to do, Adam? One way or the other, this is it. Everyone’s going to know what kind of freak you are. Since you’re here, you might as well kill, Adam. Kill and become stronger.


    “No…” Adam whispered to himself to get rid of his thoughts, “I… I don’t want anyone to suffer the same pain I have.”


    You’re sounding like a broken record, Adam. Do you think if the enemy spots you, they will let you go? Everyone’s desperate here, Adam. Everyone’s fighting for their lives. You know, everyone knows it.


    And while the voice in Adam’s mind continued to grow louder, another voice echoed through the air. This time, everyone heard it. The voice of an Administrator.


    [Troops deploying in 30 minutes! Get ready!]


    Everyone tensed when they heard that. Thirty minutes… Half an hour until people start killing each other. The lucky ones were the ones who had found the people they were with before they were teleported and already formed groups, but most weren’t as fortunate as them.


    No one was there to comfort them in the harsh reality they were about to face. Even Adam couldn’t stop clutching his chest from the way his heart was beating so loudly. Just from imagining all the pain and hurt that was about to transpire, Adam felt himself trapped… alone again in the white room he had spent his entire childhood in.


    The silence in his ears, however, was stopped as soon as the people started talking again. This time, even louder.


    The reason?


    The individuals the IBAA operatives had been searching for had finally arrived.


    The desperate crowd that had been pounding their fists against the invisible walls suddenly parted, stepping aside as two figures in unusual attire strode toward them. Unlike the rest, who were dressed in everyday clothing, these two were clad in distinct sets of armor—each striking in its own way.


    The first was a towering woman, fully armored from head to toe, with only her face visible. Her helmet bore massive horns, resembling those of a buffalo, while the rest of her armor appeared almost organic, as if it had been forged from living wood—leaves sprouting from the seams. But what stood out the most was the enormous hammer she carried.


    The sheer size of the weapon sent nearby onlookers scrambling backward in fear. It was larger than some of them, its massive head nearly the size of a bear. And the dark stains of red and black marking its surface left little doubt that it had already crushed many before.


    Behind her walked a man whose attire—or lack thereof—was just as remarkable. He was nearly bare from the waist up, his mouth, neck, shoulders, and arms wrapped in bandages, leaving his well-defined chest and abdomen fully exposed. Further down, he wore only a pair of skin-tight pants and knee-high boots, with the sides of his thighs left bare. If not for his long red hair cascading down to his waist, his entire back would have been visible as well.


    And like the armored woman, he carried an oversized weapon—though his was a bow, sleek yet massive.


    There was no mistaking it.


    Heroes.


    Adam stared at them for a few seconds before looking at the members of the IBAA. And judging from the way they were reacting, the Heroes were probably not that good. Adam doesn’t really watch the battles and isn’t aware of the less popular Heroes.


    Could these two be weaker than most?


    “Oh, we’re fucked.” Christopher winced, practically burying his hand on his forehead, “Out of all the Heroes we could get, why them…? Tell everyone to behave. Those guys…


    …treat creeps like us like trash and will kill us indiscriminately if we so much as breathe in a way they don’t like.”


    Adam was wrong. They weren’t weaker, they were worse.


    <hr>