It felt too real. This wasn’t some VR game he could log out of—it was a life-or-death situation. The pain was too sharp, too raw to be fake. Fear gripped him, making his skin crawl with goosebumps. No matter how much he tried to push it down, it clung to him like a second skin—the fear of dying. But then a thought crept in: What if this is still just a game?
Could he respawn if he died here? What would happen if he stepped out and let himself get shot again, just to test it? No. That was a stupid idea. Shaking his head, Kai tightened the makeshift bandage around his bleeding arm, tearing more fabric from his clothes to stop the blood flow.
[CHALLENGE TRIGGERED]
[DEFEAT OR ESCAPE THE PLAYER]
[Reward: loot box]
There was no doubt now—the one who shot him was a player, just like him. That confirmed it: the other testers were stuck in this nightmare too.
"I'm having a lucky night," the shooter called out, his voice sharp and cocky. Definitely a man. "Hey, just surrender. I promise I'll make it painless."
As if, Kai thought bitterly. There was no way he’d give up without a fight. But what gnawed at him was the uncertainty. He didn’t know how strong this guy was—what kind of skills or tricks he had. Then again, the guy didn’t know Kai’s strengths or weaknesses either. All he’d managed so far was a grazing shot to Kai’s arm.
Clack!
Kai hurled a medium-sized stone into the dark, the sound echoing through the building. It was a decoy, nothing more—a distraction to draw the man’s attention while Kai slipped to a better spot. Moving swiftly but silently, he found cover in a new location with a clear view of the building’s interior.
Then he saw him. Up in the rafters, sitting on the wooden beams, the man crouched with his gun at the ready. It was too dark to make out his face, but Kai could tell he was lying in wait, ready to pounce the moment Kai showed himself.
Forget fighting, Kai thought grimly. His priority wasn’t fighting against him—it was survival. The exit was closer now, and every nerve in his body screamed at him to make a break for it. The darkness could worked against him or he can use it, but then it limits his visibility, and the shooter clearly had the upper hand with a firearm and a high vantage point. Plus, Kai was already injured.
"Don’t play games with me!" the man shouted, frustration seeping into his voice. "Just come out already!"
This was bad. Really bad. Kai had barely entered this messed-up game, and he was already neck-deep in chaos. First, it wasn’t a game—it was real. Second, some psycho player was trying to kill him.
But he didn’t need to fight. He just needed to escape.
Kai grabbed another medium-sized stone and hurled it in the opposite direction, far from where he was hiding. The sound echoed, and sure enough, the man’s head snapped toward the noise. That was all Kai needed—he slipped out unnoticed, his heart pounding as he made his escape.
[CHALLENGE COMPLETE!]
[REWARD: BASIC LOOT BOX]
[EARNED TITLE: ESCAPE ARTIST]
"Well, that was easy," Kai muttered to himself, jogging toward the forest. "Didn’t think I’d get out that fast." He tapped open his inventory mid-run, spotting the loot box immediately.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
When he reached the forest’s edge, the atmosphere shifted. It was pitch black—darker than the abandoned building had been. The towering trees blocked out the moonlight entirely, leaving Kai practically blind.
And then—
"Uuuunngh!"
A zombie appeared out from the shadows, its groan low and guttural.
Kai blinked, deadpan. "Yo, can you, uh, point me in the right direction? No? Cool, thanks anyway." He smirked at his own joke, shaking his head as he took a step back.
It was a walker—a slow, clumsy zombie he recognized from the game. "A walker." Kai muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. It was the very first zombie that he saw upon entering this post-apocalyptic game. The walker lurched forward, its movements sluggish, barely keeping up with him. Kai sighed, already regretting his decision to joke around.
But he couldn’t shoot it—not out of mercy, but because the noise would draw attention. Other players might hear it, or worse, it could attract more zombies. That was the last thing he needed. So, Kai kept moving, sticking to the dirt road. The ground was wet, like it had just rained, and mud clung to his shoes with every step. His footprints were clear, but there was no sign of anyone following him.
When he reached the middle of the forest, he jumped off the left side of the road, careful to leave no tracks. Then he doubled back, deliberately leaving footprints to throw off anyone tracking him. He jumped again, this time to the right side, and continued down the road where the mud wasn’t as visible.
Click!
[Inventory]
Basic loot box [Open?]
[Opening loot box]
Cling!
Content:
• Black hoodie jacket (skin)
• Pistol ammo
• Healing aid
It wasn’t much, but for a basic loot box, it was solid. The black hoodie was a bonus—it gave extra invisibility at night, a simple but effective perk. It also counted as a basic skin, and most skins in this game came with useful benefits. The pistol ammo was a lifesaver, giving him a few extra bullets, and the healing aid? That was going to come in handy.
[Using Healing Aid]
[Health increasing +++]
[100/100]
Kai froze, staring at his arm as it healed right before his eyes. The bleeding stopped, and the pain vanished like it had never been there. It felt like magic—except this wasn’t a game anymore. His energy surged as his health bar filled.
Ahead, he spotted a small, abandoned house. It looked like it had walked straight out of a horror movie, the kind of place that screamed, Don’t go in. But loot was loot, and in this game, looting was everything. Rare items could turn up anywhere, and he wasn’t about to pass up the chance.
He pushed the creaky door open, wincing at the loud groan it made. Inside, the house was trashed—wood splintered everywhere, furniture overturned, blood splattered across the floor. It was dark and reeked of decay, but there was no one here. No players, no zombies. Yet.
Kai opened a door to one of the rooms and spotted a massive cabinet. His gut told him it might have something valuable, so he approached it slowly, bracing himself for a jumpscare. With one hand on the handle and the other gripping his gun, he opened it.
Inside: a healing aid kit, a mask, and some thick clothing. That was it.
"Did someone already loot this place?" he muttered under his breath, closing the cabinet.
He moved toward the bathroom next. The stench was overwhelming—a foul mix of blood and piss. The room was a wreck, the walls covered in mold, and the floor crawling with brown, wriggling organisms feeding on god-knows-what.
The bathtub caught his eye. It was filled with murky, filthy water. The mirror above the sink was too stained to see much, but he could make out faint shapes in the reflection. No loot here, either.
Just as he turned to leave, something moved.
His breath hitched. Behind me? No... above?
His eyes darted around. Then he saw it. The bathtub.
A finger floated to the surface.
Kai’s grip tightened on his gun as he stepped closer, aiming at the water.
"Grahhhhhhh!"
A hand shot out, followed by the rotting, snarling face of a zombie. It lunged at him, water splashing everywhere.
Chk. BANG!
The gunshot echoed, and the zombie slumped back into the tub, lifeless.
Kai staggered back, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "I need some rest," he muttered, catching his breath.
This wasn’t just any zombie. It was a swamp zombie—a type that could swim underwater and drag its victims down with it.
Kai groaned, holstering his gun. "Next time, I’m looting somewhere dry." When he stepped outside, it was still pitch black. Kai had no idea what time it was, but he kept moving, sticking to his current path. There were no clear signs of an exit, but he was certain there had to be one somewhere at the edge of the forest—if this place even had an edge.
He trudged deeper into the forest, the darkness pressing in around him. It was the creepiest place he’d ever been, with spiderwebs stretching across the narrow trail like traps waiting to snare him. At first, it was unnerving, but after hours of walking, the fear dulled. He finally reached the end of the forest, stepping out onto a highway.
The road stretched endlessly ahead, and for a moment, Kai thought it might lead to a town or city. But walking straight down the middle wasn’t an option. Staying out in the open was a death sentence, so he decided to stick to the side, moving carefully to stay out of sight.
He kept walking, the hours dragging on. The darkness faded as the sun began to rise, painting the sky with dull streaks of light. Kai hadn’t slept, hadn’t stopped. He just kept going, one step after another. It felt like grinding in a game—pushing himself past exhaustion, sacrificing rest for progress.
But he was used to it. Kai wasn’t the type to quit halfway. He’d keep moving until he found somewhere safe to stop, somewhere he could finally breathe and rest.
Huff.
Huff.